Just when you thought nothing could be worse than No Child Left Behind (NCLB), think again. The Common Core State Standards could be worse and a whole lot worse. To date, Virginia is one of 5 states that has not adopted the Common Core State Standards: Nebraska, Alaska, Minnesota, Texas and Virginia. That’s a scary group to be grouped with but in this case, I think it might just be a good thing.
According to the Washington Post:
As states across the country implement broad changes in curriculum from kindergarten through high school, English teachers worry that they will have to replace the dog-eared novels they love with historical documents and nonfiction texts.
The Common Core State Standards in English, which have been adopted in 46 states and the District, call for public schools to ramp up nonfiction so that by 12th grade students will be reading mostly “informational text” instead of fictional literature. But as teachers excise poetry and classic works of fiction from their classrooms, those who designed the guidelines say it appears that educators have misunderstood them.
Proponents of the new standards, including the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers, say U.S. students have suffered from a diet of easy reading and lack the ability to digest complex nonfiction, including studies, reports and primary documents. That has left too many students unprepared for the rigors of college and demands of the workplace, experts say.
The new standards, which are slowly rolling out now and will be in place by 2014, require that nonfiction texts represent 50 percent of reading assignments in elementary schools, and the requirement grows to 70 percent by grade 12.
Among the suggested nonfiction pieces for high school juniors and seniors are Alexis de Tocqueville’s “Democracy in America,” “FedViews,” by the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco (2009) and “Executive Order 13423: Strengthening Federal Environmental, Energy, and Transportation Management,” published by the General Services Administration.
English teachers across the country are trying to figure out which poetry, short stories and novels might have to be sacrificed to make room for nonfiction.
Proponents of the plan tell us that the plan really isn’t killing off literature. The chief architect of the Common Core Standards is a man named David Coleman. (who will soon become the anti-Christ in all English teacher circles.)
But the chief architect of the Common Core Standards said educators are overreacting as the standards move from concept to classroom.
“There’s a disproportionate amount of anxiety,” said David Coleman, who led the effort to write the standards with a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Coleman said educators are misinterpreting the directives.
Coleman says that much of this reading is to be done in content areas such as social studies, history, science and math. He suggests Euclid’s “Elements” from 300 B.C. be read in math class. (this is obviously a dude who has spent too much time in the ivory tower rather than the classroom.) Apparently all the directions are in footnotes. Meanwhile teachers are being told by their principals and school divisions to restructure the curriculum so that students are reading less literature and more non-fiction.
English teachers are putting away dog-earred copies of favorite novels and sticking poetry units into the far backs of filing cabinets, hoping that there will come a day when they can once again teach those things that bring about pleasure and passion, at least in their eyes. To those who enjoy a good read of Alexis de Tocqueville’s “Democracy in America,” then they are in luck.
In a speech last year at the New York State Education Building, Coleman derided the personal essays that characterize most writing in primary and secondary schools.
“Forgive me for saying this so bluntly, the only problem with . . . [that] writing is as you grow up in this world you realize people really don’t give a [expletive] about what you feel or what you think,” Coleman said, according to a recording. “What they instead care about is, can you make an argument with evidence, is there something verifiable behind what you’re saying or what you think or feel that you can demonstrate to me? It is rare in a working environment that someone says, ‘Johnson, I need a market analysis by Friday, but before that I need a compelling account of your childhood.’ ”
It seems to me that if more non-fiction reading is needed, have a unit each year that includes reading non fiction–in English class. there are skills needed to doing this kind of reading that really didn’t used to be taught in school. Remember those dreaded questions on the SAT that you nearly fell asleep reading? I never had anyone teach me to read those horrible things or more importantly, how to answer the dreaded questions that went with them. Balance off with a little less poetry or something but don’t throw out the baby with the bath water. Keep favorite literature right there in English class. Not enough people read because of love of reading as it is.
Fewer kids read nowadays anyway. TV and computer games distract and rob that down time that used to have a kid curled up in a corner with a good book. Schools continually have challenges and chances to make the principal sit on the roof with 6 chickens if enough kids read books. Does it work? Probably yes but for the wrong reasons. The kids want to see the chickens.
If memory serves me, Gov. McDonnell nixed adopting the Common Core Standards because he felt we had a good plan here in Virginia and he wasn’t sure how rigorous the new standards were. The man should a Socrates Award right here and now for that decision.
Rest assured though, some educational mental midget at the state level will want Virginia to keep up with the other states and try to push something hated down on the Old Dominion students k-12.
Meanwhile, think of the books you read in high school. Did you have a favorite? Or maybe you discovered your favorite before high school. Can you remember it and what you loved about it? Would you want that book ripped out of your class and replaced by non-fiction? That could very well happen with the Common Core of State Standards.
I remember the complex task of understanding Moby Dick and the critical thinking skills required. Reading in math class? Really?!
Lots of people would say high school is too young for Moby Dick. (never my favorite)
Students should read in math all the time, but not THAT! Good grief. Unless the school board really screwed up when they took the job of textbook selection out of the hands of the experts, math books should have plenty of math history to read in addition to word problems.
I remember reading Tennessee Williams’ Night of the Iguana in 8th grade. Our Town, Death of a Salesman, Shakespeare. Just reading plays alone was thrilling, let alone To Kill A Mockingbird and other literature. I didn’t get creative writing until I was a senior, as an elective. Now there’s an elementary school in PWC, Featherstone, that puts out a literary magazine in the fourth grade.
I thought the A for the Arts was beng added to Science, Technology, Engineering and Math to make STEAM, to recognize and promote the importance of
English, Composition, Writing.
I take second place to no one in wanting students to read more non-fiction, especially things like the Federalist papers. But replacing classics with non-fiction is NOT the way to do it. This will make students want to read such things even less.
Of course, my cynicism tells me that making the Federalist Papers, etc, even MORE unpopular is the actual reason for this……..
Anyway, Moon…speaking of reading….you might want to edit this:
“Gov. McDonnell adopting the Common Core Standards because he felt”
This is yet another fad trying to “fix” education with one size fits all.
I’m going to have sooooo much fun as a teacher.
Literary fiction leaves a lot of room for interpretation. Perhaps our government does not want our young people to learn to think for themselves. Ideas can be dangerous. After all, “the best books… are those that tell you what you know already.”
“But the chief architect of the Common Core Standards said educators are overreacting as the standards move from concept to classroom.”
Anytime that a politician/activist of any sort says this about a program, its NEVER the fault of the program not working out in reality. It’s always about implementation.
Thanks for catching that. It was supposed to be NIXED. I dont know why it vaporized. I had originally done it in pig latin which is even more disturbing.
That correcting with the mental red pen is a bad habit. It will never leave you once you start.
@Emma, somewhere in the article I read that non fiction teaches you thinks and fiction teaches you wisdom. I think that is probably very valid.
I really enjoyed biographies when I was a kid. That is different though, that is a story…of someone’s life.
I am very glad Virginia held off the CCSS so far.
@Cargosquid
It says somewhere that the implementation is given in footnotes. well DOH!!!!!!
I see some strong justification for some non fiction writing…biographies, written accounts of first hand experiences like the Holocaust, 9/11, D-Day, etc.
I can’t see 70% of all reading in high school being non-fiction.
I liked Lord of the Flies and Lord of the Rings. Does that make me a sick son of a bitch?
Wish they had made this change before I had to endure Dostoyevsky, talk about your Crime and Punishment.
Agreed, MoM. Mine was Pickwick Papers. I never made it through. Sorry, that was college.
So….what non-fiction should they offer?
Federalist Papers? Hard to read, but…ok.
The Road To Serfdom..Hayek
The Constitution of Liberty…Hayek
Free to Choose. M. Friedman
For future politicians
The US Constitution
any basic math/accounting books
There is plenty of non fiction that would be good. How about one of those books about the romoval of the mountain people before the Skyline Drive was built?
Biographies, Jon Stewart’s Earth. Elie Weisel, Innumeracy, would all make excellent choices. No use in making people hate reading.
Why would anyone want to read a basic math or accounting book.
@Cargosquid
For future politicians:
The Prince
The Art of War
@Mom
Not the Prince. I don’t want them learning how to KEEP power.
Oh, forgot a few books for high school
How To Win Friends and Influence People.
The 7 habits of highly effective people.
The Millionaire Next Door
And the classic Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith
@Emma
Heinlein’s Moon is a Harsh Mistress should be required fictional reading.
Maybe I should read it and emulate….and get over the wuss image? 👿
@Cargosquid
But imagine how much more interesting public life would be if they all read and understood it. The MSM might make a comeback as there would be a requirement for a daily column detailing the most recent poisonings and assassinations. Might make the topic of term limits irrelevant.
@Mom
LOL!
Emma, Lyssa, what were your favorite novels in high school?
One of my faves was Spencer’s Mountain.
It turns out that I worked with Earl Hamner Jr’s brother, Jim. I exchanged email with Earl last year. It was very neat.
@Cargosquid
Of course required reading should include this publication:
FM23-7
War Department Basic Field Manual
U.S. Carbine
Caliber 30
M1 and M1A1
I’m so glad you posted about this MH. I read this article earlier today and this is the line that caught my attention (as it did yours):
“Reading for information makes you knowledgeable — you learn stuff,” Wilson said. “But reading literature makes you wise.”
Truer words have not been spoken…or in this case, written.
We both honed in on the same quote. Pretty amazing in a three page article. Thanks for providing the entire quote!!!!
It was easy to find…I had already posted it earlier today on a social networking site! We must have similar tastes because I’ve been thinking about that article all day and it got me worked up! And then I log on and you’ve got a long essay already posted about it!
Yea but I didnt include the whole thing. I guess its good to have one thing to cheer McDonnell over. Only one but its a good one.
@Elena
I wholeheartedly agree that fiction should NOT be eliminated, but it would not be a bad idea for high-achieving students to be assigned math books/articles. In S&T, it is not unusual for professional scientists/engineers to study new math techniques/algorithms, but it is definitely an acquired skill to understand and comprehend the language of mathematics used in these books. This skill is not usually taught in high school, however.
Kelly, wouldn’t it be more appropriate to assign those math book articles in the math class? I can’t see an assignment like that in an English class.
“Innumeracy” might be good for a general math audience but that’s about it.
Additionally, high achieving math students are not necessarily high achieving English students and vice versa.
@Mom
FM 3-22.9 M16/M4
http://www.amazon.com/Manual-3-22-9-Marksmanship-Weapons-February/dp/1475198299
We have to update it a little. 🙂
Want to know how quickly I would pull my kid out of school that assigned that book? Angry lawsuit to follow.
@Moon-howler
I did not mean that math books should be used in English class. Although you definitely did write ‘Common Core State Standards in English’,for some reason, that did not necessarily imply only English class to me.
@Kelly, that is sort of the rub. It is expected that much of the reading take place in core content classes. School divisions are trying to put a lot of it in English classes.
I am glad Virginia isn’t dealing with it at this point in time.
I think advanced math classes should do more mathematical reading also. (and history, geography, science etc)
@Kelly,
Do you know my husband 😉 ?
He had to take an english lit class in high school. I believe he might have said something llike “the only thing this book is good for is toilet paper” …..”I will never need to know this information to be an engineer”
@Moon-howler
Yeah.. I know. Of course, any kid can get it from Amazon. But with the hoplophobia in today’s schools, it would never be issued in classrooms. That’s the joke.
@Elena
Heh…that’s what I’ve been saying about Pre-Calc! “I will NEVER use this as a history teacher.”
And the American Lit class is nothing more than a way to employ Literature majors. What a waste of time.
You also might not be a history teacher. it all depends on need.
I don’t know, I think its extremely arrogant to say that someone else’s field of study is a waste of time. It might not interest you or me, but its there for someone.
The bottom line is, we take a sampling of many things because that is what is needed to be an educated person. Sorry, I am a liberal arts snob.
I have seen way too many people who didn’t take the whole plate for whatever reason and they just don’t seem educated to me.
Take it for what it is – fiction is pornography for the brain. Sure, I read it for entertainment purposes,but then I feel guilty after the fact.
I just bet you are a hell of a lot of fun at a cocktail party. NOT!
People who feel guilty about reading fiction probably feel guilty about a whole lot of other things.
Geek alert!!!!!
@Moon-howler
Me too. But as presented by my Lit teacher…. perhaps if I was exposed to a better lit course….I could see the value. AS TAUGHT to me…. not so much. Instead of exploring the values and depths of the actual literature, she kept trying to bring in modern feminist interpretation into EVERYTHING. Even the self-proclaimed feminist students were getting tired of it.
@Cato the Elder
So, then, what is pornographic fiction?
Well, lets put it this way….most of us have suffered through some real dogs to get to where we are now. There is no free lunch. What on earth does the personality of the instructor have to do with the material you are being asked to read?
I sure didn’t have Ernest Hemingway teaching my lit classes at MWC. In fact, I can’t think of who I had for most of them. I just recall BORING.
At the end of the session, give her a lousy evaluation. Write a letter to the dean. Tell her you are tired of hearing about a feminist perspective (probably not the best approach until your grade is in.) Now you can go online and rank this teacher. I am not sure of how you do it but I am sure people in class will know.
That which doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. I don’t know that any lit course I took in college made me a more literate person but the entire collective embodiment of courses did make me a better educated person. If nothing else, some of it showed me what I didn’t want to be.
Remember that there are hundreds of thousands of students who feel just as bored and frustrated as you do. Its a rite of passage I think. We all went through it. Only toadies love all their instructors.
Interesting article on this….but its the comments that have the best examples and discussion.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/common-core-state-standards-in-english-spark-war-over-words/2012/12/0
/4a9701b0-38e1-11e2-8a97-363b0f9a0ab3_allComments.html?ctab=all_&
and here’s the actual site
http://www.corestandards.org/the-standards
@Moon-howler
I’m making an A in the class. And the teacher usually looks at me to get the ball rolling with discussion. And I haven’t been shy about disagreeing with some of her interpretations.
She’s a competent teacher..just has a one note song.
Then I am curious why you complained about her? Maybe I have been away too long. Why do you consider the class a waste of time? You did say that, didn’t you?
@Moon-howler
Because all you have to do is regurgitate what she says and be able to write a paper. In the way the course is laid out, there is no discussion in depth. It is a survey of American Lit after 1865. We covered a huge amount of material. Then we have to write a “reader response” to each piece. I tend to do all of them in one or two nights. Then we have essays for our finals. But most of the grading is on the MLA format and the quality of writing…not the content of the paper.
I learned very little from the course other than many writers use symbolism to speak of things that they couldn’t actually say due to societal restrictions. And then…they COULD write what they want. And what we were reading…some of it looked like it came from high school poetry or creative writing. Not all the literature in Lit Class is any good at all.
Her elements to determine a “style” are a perfect example. For the essays, she wants us to pick “elements” that are found in the style, ie “post modern.” But….the literary sources that we read and have to pick from DO NOT HAVE THOSE ELEMENTS. We never covered them.
Or the elements repeat from previous “styles” heck, the ‘post modern” period if from 1945 to present. Really? That’s a LONG time for a coherent style. What comes after post modern?
@Cargosquid
Your course sounds like the basic Intro course. It’s there to give students a sampling of styles, teach them to write a proper paper, and answer questions in a format other than “true” or “false”. Many adults are bored by the basics.
“Post modern”!!!! Don’t expect critiques of present lit or art. That’s been my experience. Profs seldom want to touch that subject for fear of being proven wrong in a couple years. Luckily for most of them, the class winds down before the book is finished.
@Censored bybvbl
Its the Lit 242 course. Its companion is Early American Lit. Mine started with 1865 and later…..mostly the turn of the century. It’s actually an easy A if the student just pay attention. “Interpretations” by their nature can’t be wrong. The teacher was an editor for 20 years. She doesn’t mind telling me that what I learned in the Eng writing class prior was wrong. I told her to take it up with that professor.
@Cargosquid
My mother and I were discussing her college English professors a couple days ago. (She majored in English and French.) She mentioned one prof who kept insisting that the students use a Thesaurus and flesh out their descriptions. Her next prof told them to cut the crapola and get to the point. My MO usually was to size up the prof, give him or her what he or she wanted in the style expected, get an “A”, and move on to the next course. My art profs were different. We’d drink coffee together before class, shoot the breeze, and argue in class. I got too lippy once and had to give the lecture.
You? Too lippy?
@Censored bybvbl
Exactly. So I’m just “regurgitating” what she expects. Its basically what my mother did for her master’s thesis in education. I read it when I was a sophomore in high school. It was a small notebook, probably about 30-45 pages. (I wonder where it went? Now I want it again.) I gave it back to her and said, “This doesn’t say anything. It has circular logic.” She replied, “Yep. I know. I did it that way on purpose. I wanted to see if they would see that. I got a B.”
@Cargosquid
It’s the sizing up and delivering the goods that is the lesson to be learned.
I don’t think that I get your meaning…..
@Censored bybvbl
I got too lippy once and got thrown out of class, ‘course calling the professor emeritus a “Commie Pinko Bastard” in his political theory class may have been a bit over the top, but it was nice day outside and I think I was happier playing lax that afternoon than sitting through his lecture.
@Mom
You were lucky. I had to use the pointy stick and explain Russian Constructivism.
That’s easy, everything ties back to copious amounts of vodka.
@Mom
I could have used some after that class.
@Mom
Now I have to put the artsy-fartsy skills to use on holiday decorations. I stage a drunken New Years Eve brawl with my fashion dolls.
@Mom
@Censored bybvbl
HAHAHAHAHA! Vodka…now THAT would make any class more interesting.