The old adage “If it walks like a duck…” comes to mind when you look at what the Springfield Public School Board is deciding to adopt for their “new’ math curriculum. They will tell you they aren’t using Common Core standards but… On February 5th the Board had on ...

Missouri Education Watchdog by Cheri Kiesecker You may recall when teacher Peter Greene asked a brilliant question years ago, “Are Common Core Standards Actually Data Tags?”  Greene said, “We’ve been saying that CCSS are limited because the standards were written around what can be tested. That’s not exactly correct. The ...

Lady Liberty 1885 by A. P. Dillon There has been a rash of people claiming North Carolina, among other states, got rid of Common Core and that our standards are once again a mess.  This is not even remotely true. I assure you, NO state that adopted Common Core ...

Lady Liberty 1885 by A. P. Dillon I’ve received a barrage of emails, Facebook messages, and calls about Education Secretary DeVos’ recent speech where she made a claim that Common Core was “dead.” It is not dead. Nor will it be until the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) is ...

Here in Missouri we know their names well.  Emmet McGroarty, Jane Robbins and Erin Tuttle of the American Principles Project have published a book, Deconstructing the Administrative State: The Fight for Liberty, which looks at the threat of unelected federal bureaucratic control, at least partially through the lens of the ...

Missouri Education Watchdog by Cheri Kiesecker If parents know best, why not let PARENTS choose? Betsy DeVos recently declared there is no more Common Core.  Tell that to the parents in 46 states/territories  who still have common core standards, and still have the common core tests tied to accountability, ...

The people just aren’t into Common Core. The edreformers have spent an incredible amount of money attempting to persuade parents/taxpayers that this is a dose of exactly what American students need to become critical thinkers and ready for the workforce/global economy. Regardless of the endless PR missives, the truth ...

Witnessed at a restaurant this past week: a child less than 2 years old entertaining herself the entire time while her parents ignored her before dinner (talking with an adult friend while waiting for dinner) and then when the parents were eating dinner: Her swiping skills were exceptional.  Her ...