2016 Ballot Question: Stop Common Core MA

Hi Steve, 

Sorry it's taken me a couple of weeks to get back to you! I was hoping we would have a definitive signature signing schedule to provide for you but it seems that our weeks are planned as we go. The best resource for your readership to find locations where they can sign would be to point them to the www.endcommoncorema.com website where each weekend it is updated with signing locations. 

You can read the petition there as well. The deadline for signature submission is November 18, 2015 and the required number of certified signatures is around 69,000 in order for the question to be placed on the ballot. 

End Common Core MA

Also on the website, your readers can find who their town Captain is if they are interested in volunteering. Patrick Touhey is Franklin's captain. http://www.endcommoncorema.com/volunteer

This is a grassroots effort to allow the voters of MA to decide if Common Core standards are in the best interest of our superior educational system. I, along with Moira Keating and Janice Dunne, are members of Medway Matters: End Common Core MA. 

I personally got involved in this effort when our school district was considering participating in the PARCC pilot test, at which time I had no idea MA had adopted Common Core. These national standards were implemented back in 2010 with a Race To The Top grant from the federal government, with no input or review process. Experts state that Common Core lowers our existing standards and will not prepare our students for STEM based degrees in college.  

Thanks  

Kelly O'Rourke

Medway Middle School - Do You Know What Common Core Is?

Concerned about the common core standards and the move to go to PARCC to replace MCAS? This meeting is for you




The Milford Daily New has an article today on the Medway parent group that is active in this exploring this issue  http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20140325/NEWS/140328000/1994/NEWS  (subscription required)

Voices of Franklin: Future PARCC MA Community Meetings + Flier "Do you know what Common Core is?"

Good Morning, Steve! 

Went to one of the MA DOE PARCC meetings last night (Tuesday) at the Framingham State Univ.  A two hour presentation and Q&A ran to three hours plus.  Attendees were interested/concerned parents just trying to learn more about Common Core and PARCC field tests that will be starting this April. Teachers (from K-12), school committee officials and college professors.  I would say about two dozen attendees.  Ran into some Medway educators and learned about a meeting Medway is holding next week which may be of interest to Franklin parents/educators/school committee members. 

In addition below is the link to MA DOE website with listing (below) of future PARCC MA Community Meetings run by Bob Bickerton, Senior Associate Commissioner and/or Maureen LaCroix, Special Assistant to Deputy Commissioner. 

I picked up an extra copy of Power Point presentation, if you would like it to provide to readers, it's 12 pages long. 

Thank you 

Sandra Fredrick

Good links for background information:

Education Expert Dr. Sandra Stotsky: Common Core 'Rather Shady'

Sandra Stotsky, Ed.D. | UARK – DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION REFORM

Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education - Conference Registration

Peabody TV · Special School Committee Meeting (90 minute video of meeting)

Two Massachusetts Schools Approve PARCC Opt-Out | Truth in American Education

PARCC

PARCC Community Meeting Dates and Locations

*Additional dates and locations may be added. Registration is not required, but recommended so that we can better plan the events.


-March 20, 3:00-5:00 and 6:30-8:30--Holyoke High School, 500 Beech St., Holyoke, MA 01040

-March 20, 7:00-9:00--Medford High School, Caron Theater, 489 Winthrop St., Medford, MA 02155

-March 26, 6:30-8:30--Tahanto Regional Middle/High School, 1001 Main St., Boylston, MA 01505

-March 31, 3:00-5:00--Berkshire Community College, Campus Cafeteria, 1350 West St., Pittsfield, MA 01201

-April 1, 6:00-8:00--Springfield Central High School, 1840 Roosevelt Ave., Springfield, MA 01109 

Flyer for Medway meeting on Mar 27th