Common Core Standards, the SBAC, and taking care of all kids!

Several of you have asked me what my thoughts are on “Common Core” or the new SBAC assessments. Wanted to provide a thoughtful response and invite you to do more digging if you’re interested. I’m also happy to engage with you in dialogue back and forth, discuss and answer questions, etc.

First-The “Common Core” standards in WA are referred to as the “Washington State K-12 Learning Standards.” There is a ton of information that you can find out about at http://www.readywa.org/ Education nationally has varied tremendously over the past 100 years. Quite frankly, the richest of us sent their kids to exclusive private schools. The rest of us sent our kids to public schools, which varied from state to state broadly and even from community to community. Many of you value “local control”….and I do too….but not when that “local control” means that kids from small, rural or other communities don’t have access to the same high level rigorous curriculum. At the end of the day….for me it’s about EQUITY…giving every child what they need, regardless of race, socio-economic status, the district they attend, or the job their parents have. I want every child in WA, regardless of their neighborhood school to be able to compete on the international job market with kids from anywhere in the world. The “Common Core” standards attempt to do that….redefining a more rigorous set of academic standards that will allow our kids to compete academically with any kid…anywhere.

Smarter Balanced Assessments are how Washington has decided to assess what kids know and are able to do. They are a common assessment that includes states from around the country. It is a computer adaptive standardized test. It will be more rigorous and there will be challenges with implementation just like any new “anything.”

As a father, teacher, principal and now Assistant Superintendent for our state…..the role I value the most is that of father. I want my kids’ teachers to teach each of my kids to the best of their ability. I hope to see growth in what my kids know and are able to do. I think it’s appropriate for me, as a dad, to know how my kids compare to a “national standard” and to be able to work in partnership with their school, to the best of my ability, to help them to do their best (and hopefully meet or exceed that standard).

As an advocate for all kids everywhere…..I want the same for them that I aspire for the Kelly Kids….the arguments about how this can’t be done, or all kids can’t do the work, or teachers can’t be held accountable, or we can’t do better…or that somehow these standards will denigrate music/arts programs….just aren’t valid. We all are smart enough to develop a system that prepares ever kid well and support ALL kids, even those who come from a zip code or school that for generations we’ve ignored because “at least our kids are ok!” #ALLmeansALL