Phillips talks about Common Core program

Dec 10, 2013 at 10:27 pm by Observer-Review


Phillips talks about Common Core program   ADVERTISEMENT

Phillips talks about Common Core program

ODESSA—Watkins Glen Superintendent Tom Phillips  discussed the need for phased-in implementation of the Common Core Standards during a forum at the Odessa Municipal Building Wednesday, Dec. 4. Some 20 people attended the meeting, sponsored by the Schuyler County Citizens for Constitutional Preservation, to learn more about the Common Core and the problems with its implementation.
“I personally believe we need a phased-in implementation,” Phillips said “Right now what they’re doing is mass chaos.”
Schuyler County Citizens for Constitutional Preservation member Mark Osatchuck said the reason behind the meeting was to get the public more informed about the Common Core and what can be done regarding its problems.
“One of the big things we want to get across to people is if you’re not happy about what is going on, make sure our elected officials hear from you,” Osatchuck said.
Phillips gave a presentation about the Common Core Standards, saying while it is good to have a common set of standards, the way it is being implemented is not the best way to go about change. He said it does not allow a school district to find out how to best implement the goals at a local level.
“Give us the freedom to design the program, that is all im asking for,” Phillips said.  “There is nothing wrong with a common set of learning standards and saying to local school board ‘You are responsible for meeting this.’”
Phillips said increasing global competition as a reason behind the need for the Common Core. He said there is an added emphasis on math and science skill in the global job market, while advancements in technology have made other nations more competitive with the United States. A video Phillips showed during his presentation showed the top 10 in-demand jobs in 2010 did not even exist in 2004.
Phillips cited recent Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) data ranking the U.S. 36th in the world as far as math, reading and science scores. The leading countries include several Asian countries, with China, Singapore, Taiwan and South Korea at the top of the list. Phillips said their inclination toward college majors like engineering, technology and computer information sciences are more in-demand in a global job market than many Americans, who tend to lean toward general studies, social sciences and history as preferred majors.
“We have to evolve, the world is evolving around us quicker than we can believe,” Phillips said. “The question is how do we do it in a way that makes sense? What we have in many cases is simply not sustainable when you look at the demographics and what we are up against.”
Phillips said the total revenue loss from state and federal sources from 2009 to 2014 amounted to $2,364,977. He said the Watkins Glen School District alone has had to reduce 37.5 positions in this time, all while being expected to perform the same work. Phillips said since regional population demographics are also decreasing, it means there are fewer people who have to pay more money into the school system.
“Implementation is a disaster,” Phillips said. “Our state forced us to do something I thought was very unethical, we tested students grades three through eight on [...] something new and then got the curriculum two weeks later. No wonder the scores were so low.”
Phillips said a lot of material normally reserved for later grades has been moved to the curriculum of earlier grades in the Common Core curriculum. He said this presents a problem, as the certified teachers are no longer trained in the coursework for the grade they were certified in. He said by rushing into implementation, it forces many teachers to adjust and develop their curriculum as they are trying to teach it.
“You have teachers who are certified and trained who are now being asked to teach things they were not trained to teach,” Phillips said. “You have fifth grade teachers teaching algebra concepts. You have absolutely changed the expectation without any support in 18 months. You can’t change 50 years of education in 18 months. That is what New York State and even the federal government has done in Race to the Top, saying ‘If you want this money, you get this done.’”
Despite the setback, Phillips said local school districts have been resilient in adjusting to the increased standards and demands from the state and federal government.
“I really do believe for our county, our community, what’s happening in our schools is short of remarkable considering the challenges being thrown at us,” Phillips said. “The work we are doing in our schools with a lot less resources than a lot of people around us and across the nation speaks volumes for our staff and our community. Most importantly it speaks volumes about our kids. They are extremely resilient and extremely committed.”

 

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