DeSantis - Common Core – and the Pushback

DeSantis will have to keep his foot in this one or the “educators” will walk it right into time out.

Tampa Bay, Fl
Opinion by: E. Eugene Webb PhD
Author: In Search of Robin, So You Want to Blog.

Did you notice the almost instantaneous push back from the Governor DeSantis’ executive order eliminating Common Core the much-maligned educational structure used in our public schools?

For some immediate feedback from various public school districts and officials check out this piece by WFTS Digital Staff: Local school districts react to Gov. DeSantis's executive order to eliminate Common Core.

To say the DeSantis order was met with unbridled enthusiasm from the educational community is a gross overstatement. Cautious optimism at best.

Not too long ago there were cries from educators that all they could do is teach to the test. There was no time to fill in the often-significant side notes to a subject . No mentioning of the fact that teacher grades were based on testing success.

What would you do? Try to be an all-around educator or teach to protect your job?

Then there is this. Teaching to a test is always easier than teaching a subject. Once you learn to teach the test, preparation for ensuing years is limited to what changed on the test.

It is much easier to evaluate teachers by looking at testing results than developing tools to evaluate teaching success in a more robust educational environment.

I expect DeSantis and his education chief Richard Corcoran to get a lot of stalling and more than a little pushback from the educational establishment. Look for it in statements like, “we need robust testing regimens” and a big emphasis on making sure there are a lot of protections for teachers.

Note what is missing here – what is really best for the students.

DeSantis will have to keep his foot in this one or the “educators” will walk it right into time out.

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