Superintendent DeLai Explains Her Support Of Common Core, Addresses Misconceptions

WILMINGTON, MA – Wilmington School Superintendent Mary DeLai published her weekly blog post on Saturday, clearing up some misconceptions around Common Core and explaining — for practical purposes — why she’s a supporter. Read DeLai’s blog post HERE or below:

On February 8th, the Education Committee of the Massachusetts legislature will hold a hearing on House Bill 3929. This bill, if passed, would rescind the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks that were adopted by the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education in 2010. The curriculum standards that were adopted by the state in 2010 and released in 2011 were based on the Common Core of State Standards (CCSS) that were initially adopted by 45 states and the District of Columbia. Massachusetts also added its own standards, including standards for pre-kindergarten and selected topics in other grades. The transition to these new standards began in earnest in classrooms across the state in the 2012-13 school year. For the last four years, educators and administrators have worked hard to align curriculum, instructional practice, and assessments to these standards which, by all accounts, cannot really be called “new” anymore. Millions of hours and dollars have been invested by districts to ensure that what we are teaching aligns to the expectations for what students should know and be able to do.

As is the case with most school district leaders, one of the most frequent questions we receive is whether or not we “agree with” the Common Core standards. I typically respond by asking the questioner what they know and/or believe about the Common Core standards. (As educators, we are skillful at answering questions with questions). What I have learned is that there are many misconceptions about the CCSS. Much of the controversy surrounding the Common Core stems from the notion that the adoption of these national standards infringes upon a state’s right to control local education. The stated intent of developing a national set of standards was to level the playing field for all students in the nation such that a student in Mississippi or Massachusetts would be assured of receiving the same high quality education. A student who achieves proficiency in these standards would be able to compete for college admission and/or career opportunities regardless of the state or district in which the student was educated. The intent was also to raise the bar for all students so that we as a nation could remain internationally competitive and continue to grow our innovation economy.

Work on the Common Core standards actually began back in 2008 when then Chair of the National Governor’s Association and Governor of Arizona, Janet Napolitano, created a task force to examine how to make our nation’s education system more internationally competitive. The task force included state commissioners of education, governors, corporate CEO’s, and experts from higher education. In addition, there were also concerns that the high stakes testing provisions of No Child Left Behind might have been creating a perverse incentive for some states to “lower the bar” so their states and districts would be able to achieve at levels dictated and not risk being subjected to any of the draconian measures imposed on those who did not make “adequate yearly progress.”

One of the most common misconceptions I hear is that it was the Obama administration or the Arne Duncan-led federal Department of Education that developed the CCSS and that federal legislation requires states to adopt these standards. Neither of these things is actually true. The process of development was led by members of the task force but significant input was sought from experts in public education including the International Reading Association, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, and members of the two largest teacher’s unions in the country – the American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association. Furthermore, the decision to adopt the CCSS was left to state boards of education with 45 states and the District of Columbia doing just that.

Another common misperception is that the Common Core is, essentially, a federally-mandated curriculum. The Common Core is not a curriculum but rather a set of benchmarks or expectations for what students should know and be able to do at each grade level to succeed. Districts determine the curriculum that best aligns to those standards and teachers design lessons based on the scope and sequence outlined in curriculum plans.

Here in Massachusetts, much debate and discussion has focused on the rigor of the CCSS as compared to Massachusetts’ previous standards which were universally recognized as among the strongest in the nation. While this perhaps remains to be seen, it is the case that the writers of the national standards spent a great deal of time examining the Massachusetts standards as part of their work. In addition, state’s were permitted to augment the Common Core standards by as much as 15% and the authors of the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks did just that. For that reason, our standards here in Massachusetts are entitled the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks incorporating the Common Core State Standards.

With this key legislation now before the Education Committee, I expect even more will be asking, “do you support the Common Core?” Here is what I know and believe. First, educators in our district have spent thousands of hours over the last several years to align curriculum and lessons to the 2011 Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks. Our district has invested hundreds of thousands of dollars on curricular resources and the professional development necessary to transition to the new standards. As a state, we have likely invested hundreds of millions of dollars to effect the transition to new standards. Students have been exposed to these new standards for the last several years and they are increasingly aware and clear on what they are expected to know and be able to do. At the very least, it seems incredibly wasteful to go backwards. It also seems incredibly unfair to change the rules midstream for both students and educators. None of us can know for sure if these standards will lead to the intended outcomes. What I do know is that, at least according to the surveys that I have seen, most teachers support the Common Core and the “new” Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks. One of the most important aspects of my job as Superintendent of Schools is to support our educators. Pulling the rug out from under educators does not feel supportive.

So when people ask me what I think about the Common Core in the weeks and months ahead, I will respond with two questions. First, have you done the research to understand what the Common Core is all about? And second, have you asked a teacher what they think? While that may seem like dodging the question, that is how I came to formulate my opinion and would advise others to do the same.

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