Governor Calls For Review Of Common Core

It’s about time.That is the sentiment South Fork superintendents shared regarding Governor Andrew Cuomo’s recent decision to reevaluate how the controversial Common Core education standards have been rolled out in the past few years. On September 3, the governor announced that he is forming a commission to evaluate how these new standards—which focus on the core subjects of math, science, English, and history—were implemented in New York, saying the roll-out does not appear to be working. The commission will have until January to review the program and offer insights and solutions before the governor’s annual State of the State Address. Several superintendents on the South Fork said they are happy the governor is finally listening to constituents who have been bashing the implementation of the Common Core for not allowing enough time for teachers to learn the new standards before imposing them on students—while at the same time tying teachers’ evaluations to test results.“There has been an ongoing discussion about Common Core standards nationwide, and in this state as well,” Gov. Cuomo said in a release on his website earlier this month. “I have said repeatedly my position is that while I agree with the goal of Common Core standards, I believe the implementation by the State Education Department has been deeply flawed. The more time goes on, the more I am convinced of this position.”The Common Core learning standards were first adopted by the State Board of Regents in January 2011. They were put into place in state public schools at the beginning of the 2012-13 school year. New York is one of 45 states to adopt the new standards, which are supposed to help students better prepare for college and careers. Frustration was already high among educators, parents and students regarding the new testing, and that escalated in April of this year, when Gov. Cuomo announced the Education Transformation Act of 2015, which increased state aid by $1.3 billion for school districts, but at the same time tied new evaluations of teachers to students’ Common Core test scores.The new evaluation plan for teachers includes three components, with 60 percent of a teacher’s score based on classroom performance evaluations, 20 percent using a means of evaluation determined by the local school district, and 20 percent based on students’ Common Core test performance compared to that of other students statewide.The new teacher evaluation will change the system so that 50 percent is based on a number called the “principal’s number,” which is assigned to school districts based on results of the English language arts and math assessments. However, not all teachers teach ELA or math, meaning that a large portion of a teacher’s final score might be based on a subject the teacher does not teach, and even on the test scores of students the teacher has never had in the classroom.The remaining 50 percent of the grade is based on classroom observations and the locally decided assessment of teachers. “I think the governor is responding to very consistent feedback from educators, from superintendents, teachers and school boards, parents, and grandparents saying that the roll-out of this shift to the Common Core standards needs to really be looked at,” Hampton Bays Superintendent Lars Clemensen said. “I think there was a lot of frustration across the state among all of those groups, and I am glad to see that he is responding to it. “We educators are for higher standards,” Mr. Clemensen continued. “But what got muddy was a lot of the mandates and directives from the governor’s office, the commissioner’s office, and the legislature. There have been a lot of mixed messages, and what we have been left to do is try to make it work for the kids.”According to Gov. Cuomo’s office, the review by the Education Commission will cover the implementation of the standards, the curriculum, guidance and tests. The commission will be composed of education experts, teachers, parents, the Commissioner of Education and legislative representatives. “The fact is that the current Common Core program in New York is not working, and must be fixed,” Gov. Cuomo said in his release. “To that end, the time has come for a comprehensive review of the implementation of the Common Core standards, curriculum, guidance and tests in order to address local concerns. I am taking this action not because I don’t believe in standards, but because I do.”Most superintendents said they do support the Common Core, but that the way it was handled was poor, and it was the students who ultimately suffered. “Certainly, I believe that New York’s problem with implementation was how the Department of Education handled and rolled out the implementation,” Southampton Superintendent Dr. Scott Farina said. “There are certainly changes that could be made to its implementation. I think that one of the biggest flaws was when they tried to integrate Common Core with teacher accountability. That should have been better thought out.”Montauk Superintendent Jack Perna agreed with Dr. Farina, saying that several administrators on the North Fork have been suggesting exactly to what Gov. Cuomo is doing now. “Common Core is more than just Common Core,” Mr. Perna said. “The fact that you reevaluate teachers on the test is ridiculous, and, quite frankly, if you look at some of the math questions and the way they are teaching some of the math things, it is also ridiculous. I’m not saying that nobody wants higher standards, or that nobody wants rigorous learning, or for kids to think. But let’s not get ridiculous.”In general, the superintendents said they were encouraged by the state review, indicating that they are cautiously optimistic that positive changes might emerge. “I am actually quite skeptical that a thorough review can take place between now and his stated goal of the opening of the legislative session in January,” Tuckahoe Interim Superintendent Dr. Allan Gerstenlauer said this week. “I think that something as complicated and complex and controversial as this needs a very, very thoughtful response, but I am hoping that this commission will include a broad representation of people in the field of public education who understand the impact of some of the proposals he has put forward over the last several years.“I think it is important that practitioners have a word in that, because we see very clearly what the impact is when it gets down to a school level.”