Front Page  »  

Lucia Mar receives $1.7 million to implement Common Core

August 8, 2013

school1The Lucia mar School District has received approximately $1.7 million in one-time funds to implement new teaching standards called Common Core. [KCOY]

The Common Core State Standards Initiative will align California’s math, science, history and language arts K-12 curricula with those of 44 other states. The standards also call for increased use of technology in the classroom.

California is implementing Common Core in the 2013-2014 school year, which begins next week in some districts. Governor Jerry Brown has allotted $1 billion in one-time funds for school districts to implement the standards. The state will split $800 million evenly among districts and distribute the remaining $200 million based on the number of students in each district who come from low-income families, are in foster care or are English learners.

Lucia Mar will receive $170 per students, which equates to approximately $1.7 million. The district is planning on integrating technology like iPADs into the classroom.

“We need to teach kids how to use technology responsibly and be really good digital citizens and be literate in that area, said New Tech High School social studies teacher Jennifer Isbell. “They can take technology and use that to really better our world.”

Isbel, who has received training on implementing Common Core, said the new standards will allow students to work collaboratively and focus on broad ideas.

“Common Core allows me to focus on kind of that broad thing of how do you deal with conflict resolution and problem solving and leadership issues,” Isbel said.

The social studies teacher said she will not require her students to memorize everything that happened in World War II. Rather, she said she will have them focus on larger issues, “like bullying or bullying prevention that you see in certain aspects in World War II.”

 


Loading...
Subjects:                 
Related:


27 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

. . . she will have them focus on larger issues, “like bullying or bullying prevention that you see in certain aspects in World War II.” Hopefully one force is stronger than the other so genocide of our brother nations (allies) isn’t complete.

So . . . it’s not okay to bully others because someone might get hurt? Wow. Why doesn’t someone stop the killing of babies in our own country? Oh, wait–only liberty and the pursuit of happiness, IF you live.

But I digress.

If ignored, history will repeat itself. That’s a fact. So let’s forget history’s lessons and have genocide of one nation or another–or several for that matter. Will our kids ever learn what an “ally” is? That’s the opposite of a bully. Oy vey! There I go, teaching history.


0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPrTChGgHNM


YIKES! Creepy!


0

Whenever I see someone get excited about preparing our children for “the workforce” I feel both sad and frightened. I’m sure glad Tesla, Einstein, Graham-Bell, Farnsworth and others were not just prepared for the workforce.


Have we completely given up on entrepeneurship and inventiveness? Isn’t it the Chinese who constantly remind us that our only real strength we have left is our seemingly natural ability to “think outside the box?” And yet here comes Common Core to put all those minds right back inside the tiny box. :( sadface ):


0

yeah, yeah. I spelled entrepreneurship wrong. -1


0

Anyone notice New York’s Common Core Results? – of course, there’s a lot of reasons for the extreme plummeting in NY’s already low scores… (direct link to NYSED data and NY Times article)


However, in the end, the students are only told how to take a test, there is no real learning occurring anymore. Way to go Common Core fans. Way to go.


It’s all about the money, and it is so bad to see the Federal Government over-step it’s bounds and legally-mandated limitations to force itself upon States and local municipalities. Take the money, and you’re now their b!tch. Plain and simple. Nice to see Lucia Mar demonstrates that while prostitution may be illegal for private citizens, the public ones have no problem selling us (and our kids) for money.


0

A half dozen well placed EMP’s (electromagnetic pulses) will bring this techo savey, common sense ignorant country to it’s knees. Children are no longer required to LEARN in school as long as they can push the right buttons, find the correct web pages or access the correct search engines… and all in the name of technological progress. I’m sure many children go all the way through school without ever reading one book cover to cover. Our society is raising a generation of illiterates.


0

It appears to analysts that Common Core is the final step in the decades-old process of nationalizing education — a longtime goal of virtually every totalitarian regime in recent history. If there ever was a time when school choice was necessary, it’s now.


0

It appears to “analysts”? You mean the tinfoil hat brigade? The ones who got their panties in a bunch over Ebonics? And exactly which totalitarian regimes haven’t nationalized their education systems? Are there any totalitarian regimes that don’t teach worship of Fearless Leader? When home schooling becomes the norm, will all children have your critical thinking skills?


0

my granchildren homeschooled in Pennsylvania common core cyber school are now in regular public school straight A ‘s performing three years ahead of their peers, their home teacher feels the online materials more challenging and comprehensive then the schoolwork they do now. YMMV.


0

Probably had nothing to do with the “homeschooled” part of the argument, huh?


0

When attending public schools, my kids always got “proficient”. Sounds capable, doesn’t it? Out of 600 possible points, they scored in the high 300’s, actually. That’s more like an “F” or a low “D”. But that category has a nice label. Also, it was such an honor to know they each scored, in two consecutive years, in the Top Ten Students in their grades.

Do I see inconsistencies here? Which is the truth? Are they only proficient or are they smarter than most of their peers? Are they rotten test-takers only on the STAR, CAHSEE, and SAT’s?

So when zaphod says her grandkids got straight A’s and were performing three years ahead of their peers, I want to ask, is it the home schooling environment whereby they were away from negative, unnecessary surroundings that they excelled, or the curriculum? or is it the CC cyber curriculum she’s bragging on? If kids are in a loving, focused environment, they can learn so much more than having to sit through assemblies every week, having early outs, bomb threats, emergency drills, down computers, cell phones, sensitivity training, surveys, lectures on bullying, etc. A lot of good teachers in public schools have to teach to tests like CAHSEE and STAR exams instead of their subjects. The teachers are owned by the union; no freedom to teach uninterrupted and accomplish real milestones and pass benchmarks.


0

The teachers are voting members of their union, the union is not mandating curriculum why do you hate democracy? because that is what union means.


0

“When home schooling becomes the norm, will all children have your critical thinking skills?”

I am sure Sarah, they will not only have BETTER critical thinking skills, but will be much farther ahead of any kid going to a SLO county public school. The problem is the typical public slo schools are below the standards of other counties. My kids came from “public schools” in the Bay area years ago, they were way ahead of the local schools here. In fact, one of my nieces got her diploma here and could barely fill out an application! I know you are going to defend every public school teacher here in slo county, but there are alternatives available now that not only Nurture the students Critical thinking, but also Nurtures their self esteem so they do perform better.

We need to ask the parents of these students to find the truth in changes in their kids school performance.


0

I’m sorry for badmouthing home schooling. My original point is that Common Core should be carefully examined to ensure that it’s really a step forward and not just another fad in education. Lumping it together with Agenda 21 and the New World Order as a socialist totalitarian plot to indoctrinate our children isn’t just paranoid – it’s intellectually lazy.


0

Only it’s FAR TOO LATE to examine Common Core. They deal has been made, the money has been exchanged. It’s on.


Maybe it’s another “gotta pass it to see what’s in it” type of thing… that always ends well for the private citizen.


0

As a person who has taught in the public school system, one learns quickly that you teach to the lowest common denominator. It’s difficult for many to excel when you have a few who care less about learning.


0

“When the debate is lost, slander becomes the tool of the loser” ~ Socrates


0

How about answering the questions before you accuse others of slander, lazybones.


0

“The social studies teacher said she will not require her students to memorize everything that happened in World War II. Rather, she said she will have them focus on larger issues, “like bullying or bullying prevention that you see in certain aspects in World War II.”


Translated in the progressive enigma machine this decodes: We’ll just skip the facts and inject our “social justice” narrative. And as a bonus, I won’t have to prepare and get to make it up as I go. heh heh


0

I know… must they find the most ignorant, full-of-mush teacher to pull a quote from? Are her words supposed to give comfort to people who may question this madness?


0

Isbell’s final statement is troubling because it claims that we can skip the recitation of dry historic facts and proceed directly to their interpretation. Maybe it’s too much to ask high school students to grasp how complicated things were, but they’ve got to understand that the war was more than a conflict between good guys and bullies.


0

I think the way this article depicted the program is misleading, In order to complete the “Projects” the students are exposed to much more than just listed facts as in the regular classroom. I believe she was showing an example of one task of several required to complete the “projects”.


0

Jennifer Isbell and this NEW way of teaching is FANTASTIC! The kids skills have dramatically improved over just one year experiencing this new “project based” way of learning. The kids are fully involved in Problem solving, researching, team cooperation…etc..more like how the Real World resolves and builds. Teaching kids to be thinkers and finding solutions. I have heard the kids have GREATLY improved in their self confidence, creativity, knowledge of ideals etc…mainly because they are putting to practical use what they are learning. Can only produce Smarter more CAPABLE Adults. Good for you Mrs. Isbell!! Finally a teacher we can really be proud of!


0

I’m still wondering if this comment was actually made in some sort of ironic jest… facetious, even.


0

Here’s the situation. At NHS three years ago, a few pilot classes were underway. Call the kids guinea pigs if you will. Yes, in theory LAH’s comments sound successful. But what ACTUALLY happened is, one cluster of kids were assigned a project. An obvious leader emerged and delegated a portion to each of the five kids in that cluster. A portion of the project was due each week for four weeks. One student failed to show on each due date. The other students requested her work if she wasn’t going to show up, b/c she said she did the work. But she didn’t, obviously. (The killer is, no matter what grade (incomplete) one student got, the whole group received.) The rest of the group “fired” the lazy student who didn’t care about her project or promises to produce–or others’ grades. Firing her would be a real life situation: don’t show up for work or don’t do your work–you’re out of a job in the real world. Guess what? The teacher un-fired the student and said the others were too harsh on her. OMGosh–were they just bullies??!! Please, where does ‘the finding solutions” and “practical use” end when the non-producer ‘won’??? Teaching enabling must be all the rage–except for bullying.

When I complained to the principal, she immediately supported the teacher without talking to the teacher or my student.

CCSS is a done deal. Our kids are experiments, unless we act!

What should we do? Home school–not Independent Study, either. The schools don’t like to lose State money. Home schooling has been made easy to follow with daily syllabi in many accredited online and textbook curriculum programs. Don’t be afraid. Google it for yourselves and check out oodles of programs. You won’t regret 180 days with your children, with about four hours of study/day.


0

“like bullying or bullying prevention that you see in certain aspects in World War II.”


Remarkable.


A unique perspective on international war-mongering that was completely missing from my early public school education. How could I have possibly survived without it?


0

Those National Socialists sure did bully those Jews, eh?


0