Ann Marie Banfield & Emmett McGroarty(Hour 3a, b, c) Ann Marie Banfield, education researcher and liaison for Cornerstone Action joined Emmett McGroarty, Executive Director of Education at American Principles Project to discuss last night’s Debate on Common Core.

They are staunch opponents of the standards and made their case against the “blueprint for pushing a radical policy change without notice or consent.”

(Hour 3a) 05-20-2014 Hour 3a

What was wrong with the old standards?  Nothing, attest Banfield and McGroarty.  They point out how Common Core is “a floor and a ceiling.  You can’t teach above the CC standards.”

They also had interesting takes on Dr. David Pook’s controversial comments during last night’s closing comments.  If Pook feels so guilty about his “white privilege,” why not work at an inner city public school instead of the Derryfield, an exclusive private school that few can afford?

And why don’t they use the Common Core English Language Arts standards at Derryfield that Pook co-wrote for the Public Schools? 

(Hour 3b) 05-20-2014 Hour 3b

We discussed White Privilege vs. American Exceptionalism.  If the Common Core standards are so great, why are teachers in Nashua, NH and all over New York State rising up against them?  Is Bill Duncan planning on going to lunch with teachers that don’t support Common Core?

Banfield and McGroarty finished up with a conversation about data collection on students.  Where is the data going and is it really anonymous?  Is it really legal?  What can we do about it?

Audio clips from Common Core State Standards: A Public Forum in NH

(Hour 3c) 05-20-2014 Hour 3c