Sen. Kelly, Rep. Hovey Talk Common Core In Monroe
April 11, 2014Monroe – Senator Kevin Kelly (R-21) and Representative DebraLee Hovey (R-112) joined local officials at the Monroe Board of Education meeting on Tuesday night. The legislators listened to Monroe educators and administrators’ concerns about Common Core implementation.
“To best support our educators, we need to hear about their experiences to understand their needs,” said Sen. Kelly. “We all share the same goal. We want to improve education and prepare our children for success throughout their lives. Common Core has raised many questions, and we have a long way to go before implementation issues can be fully resolved.”
“Making sure the teachers and families of Monroe have the best resources available will always be a priority, and understanding their concerns and needs regarding Common Core is an important part of our continued focus on providing the best education possible for our students,” Rep. Hovey said. “The Superintendent and Board of Education members know I’ve always had an open door policy regarding education issues and this meeting continued a dialogue we started months ago regarding Common Core.”
During the meeting, members of the Board of Education expressed support for new standards, but also shared concerns about the roll out of the program. Some said they wanted more time for teachers to get to know the standards before tying student performance with teacher evaluations. Others at the meeting expressed concerns that linking test results to teacher assessments could lead some to “teach to the test” and interfere with a well-rounded teaching approach.
Despite these concerns, the biggest problem identified at the meeting was the amount of misconceptions about Common Core throughout the district.
“The Monroe School district has been preparing for these new standards for an extensive period of time. Administrators and educators are working hard, but clearly many concerns about the program remain state-wide.” said Senator Kelly. “I look forward to continuing to work with local school districts to make sure we are doing the best we can for our children.”