This guest commentary was forwarded by a listener, concerned about the unintended, but likely consequences the imposition of the Common Core State Standards on school teachers.Teachers and Common Core.

To the Editor:

Common Core State Standards may be a phrase that you as a parent are just beginning to hear about here in New Hampshire. I first learned of these ‘standards’ coming to us, by way of an unfunded mandate February 2013. Unfunded mandates are illegal according to our state Constitution, under Article 28-a. States that are further along in this train wreck are estimated to pay $289 to $404 per student for the first seven years. How is that going to work with every school district already being cash strapped?

New York was one of the first states to utilize the assessments in this experiment, and it did not work out so well for them, or their students. Other unsuspecting pawns in this game are the teachers.

I can’t decide who is going to get the shorter end of the stick with the outcome of the CCSS, but today it will be about the teachers. Teachers from all over the country have been sharing with me their stories of how CCSS have changed Everything. Several teachers have used the words to describe what their job is now, as ‘facilitators’. They are simply trying to teach to a test, while trying to get students to be engaged in the content. 

The ‘Rigor’ that is so often mentioned in describing CCSS in neither age or grade appropriate. Teachers are expected to teach students on a particular course of study, when the foundational building blocks are not there. Many great teachers are retiring early or changing careers as result of the implementation of CC. A teacher from NY reported today that she and her colleagues were told not to talk to the media about CC. Feelings are so strong against CC, that there is even a nationwide campaign to push for Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan’s resignation. Where did I find these teachers? There is a group of over 26,000 teachers and growing everyday who have come together to fight this government overreach. They call themselves BAT’S, an acronym that stands for Badass Teachers Association, http://www.badassteacher.org/

If you are a teacher who is already experiencing how these assessments are affecting the way you teach or are just curious as to what you are in for, I encourage you to check them out. They will be an excellent resource for you. These assessment scores will account for up to 40 percent of a teacher’s evaluation. These scores are inhibiting the ability for teachers to keep their credentials. The federal government can, after districts fail badly, come in and clean house. Removing teachers and school boards. Say good bye to local control and representation. 

Kathy Dunton

Rochester