Yes, I am running again...but this time, there are differences

With school election day coming up on Tuesday, I am here again, for the eighth time,running for a trustee seat on the Nanuet School Board.

I do this not for my own vanity, but for the students, parents and taxpayers, for those things that I feel need to be changed.  In the past there have been only minor things that have separated me from the incumbents.  This year, however, there is one area of stark contrast between myself and the incumbents, and that is Common Core.

Common Core is a virtuous concept that assumes that everyone everywhere can be able to learn the same thing at the same time.  Sounds simple enough.  The reality of it is much different.  It is, in my opinion, a power grab by the federal government and statists who wish to seek control over what and how our children learn.  

We know that no two children are alike.  I have three in the district (two of my opponents, Anne Byrne and Charleen Caulk, do not and have not had children in the district for years), and I know they each learn in fundamentally different ways.  Common Core does not offer any wiggle room for teachers to be able to differentiate their instruction to allow the children to learn in these different ways.

As well, Common Core has been rolled out horribly, with modules being prepared for teachers with just weeks to prepare the lessons to be taught tot he students.  Materials have been riddled with error in syntax, grammar and even factual.  Telling the students to disregard something is embarrassing at best.

Common Core also in some cases make what has been taught to be undone.  Here is an example from my son's first grade homework this week:

24+15=?

We would all do it where we added the columns and kept with place values.

4+5=9
2+1=3
the answer is 39.

Common Core has you break apart only one of the addends... 20 and 4...then has you add 20 and 15 then add that result with 4.  There are three places additional where the student can make an error.  When my son showed me this, I showed him the 'old way'.  He got all of his worksheet right the old way compared to 4 out of 12 the Common Core way.

Nanuet has had a high level of student achievement for what seems like generations.  Administration is always touting the graduation, college acceptance, scholarship dollars received and other measurable indices that make Nanuet look successful.  Now everyone wants to turn their backs on this and throw out the baby with the bath water.

Common Core is unproven, untested, unfunded (meaning we have to pay for new materials and all) and in my opinion, unnecessary.  Even those who have put together the concept have been quoted as saying it will take five to ten years to see if this is successful.  FIVE to TEN YEARS???? REALLY???? Do our children have that much time?

Here is the biggest difference between myself and the incumbents.  They love Common Core.  Again, they LOVE Common Core.  Anne Byrne, 33 years on the board, stated that, '...in four years everyone will think this is terrific...'
This is being said as children are frustrated with learning, the teachers are teaching some of their lessons in the 'Common Core' way and some of their lessons in the 'Old Way', parents are unable, even with website assistance, to help their children at night with their homework.

Bottom line, we know that when the federal government mandates something it tends to go horribly wrong.  This is another example.  If you love Common Core and love everything that is happening in our schools, please vote for the incumbents.  If you do not like Common Core and feel that the supporters in the administration and school board are on the wrong side of the issue, vote for me and ONLY ME on Tuesday. Please vote yes on the budget as austerity is never a god way to go.

Thank you. I appreciate your support.