In September, Concerned Citizens of Southern New Jersey held a symposium entitled “No More Common Core,” featuring:
- Dr. Sandra Stotsky, emeritus professor and member of the original Common Core validation committee
- Dr. Christopher Tienken, professor at Seton Hall University
- Dr. Duke Pesta of Freedom Project Education
- Dr. Tom Borelli, a molecular biologist
- Deneen Borelli of FreedomWorks
- Dr. Vern Williams of MathReasoning
The symposium was filmed and is posted here in three segments.
One of the event organizers, Janice Lenox, wrote an op-ed in the Cape May County Herald that succinctly explains why this symposium was so needed.
After a tremendous amount of grassroots labor, the Assembly bill against Common Core was read and voted on. Lenox wrote:
“We were there for the vote and absolutely ecstatic when the vote 72-2 in our favor was called. Now, on to the Senate… the Senate president passed over the bill without posting for a vote. We were told that the governor had a meeting with the Senate president and the Teachers Union president and cut a deal. “Regulation, not Legislation” –that’s what the governor wanted. He issued an executive order… He was to assemble a Study Commission to examine the PARCC testing and alleviate the teachers’ assessments for a year… and look at the Common Core… That was July 19 of this year… As of this date, Nov. 1, no Commission of any kind has been named and no information has been forthcoming… We urge Senator Steven Sweeney to do the people’s business and post Senate bill S2154 to the floor for a vote and let the peoples’ voices be heard…. Let teachers teach and parents parent.”
If the good people of New Jersey will simply watch, learn, and share these vital messages from the symposium speakers, and then firmly let Senator Sweeney and their other elected representatives exactly how important this is, maybe this mountain will move move.
Go, New Jersey!
Symposium Part One:
Symposium Part Two:
Symposium Part Three:
COMMON CORE 
Reblogged this on News You May Have Missed and commented:
+Video: NJ Symposium to Stop Common Core: Drs. Stotsky, Tienken, Pesta, Williams, Borelli and Borelli Leave a comment
Hi Christel, I just wanted to let you know the good news in AZ. Diane Douglas, who campaigned exclusively as anti-common core was elected State Superintendent of Public Instruction, and Doug Ducey, who also is anti-common core, was elected governor. The people of AZ have spoken with their ballots, now I pray that these two can find a way to end common core here in AZ. http://www.fox10phoenix.com/story/27347459/2014/11/10/diane-douglas-wins-race-for-superintendent-of-public-instruction
Date: Fri, 14 Nov 2014 05:22:46 +0000 To: hobanr@hotmail.com
While discussion about Common Core is good, where is classroom teacher input on the panel?
Becky, I don’t know why a teacher was not on this particular panel, but I am a teacher and I have been speaking on panels for over two years now, against Common Core. I have been a teacher most of my life– public school, charter school, elementary school, high school, and university level. And I am not alone. Teachers have been speaking out across the nation. Just do a search for “Teachers against common core” and you will be reading all night long, either on this blog or anywhere on the internet. One of the biggest reasons we fight Common Core is for teachers. The fact that here in Utah, in 2015, teachers will be graded and paid according to student scores on Common Core SAGE/AIR tests, is a tragedy. Teaching to the test will cease to be optional. We love teachers!!! We need to defend them against this education hijacking. We need great teachers NOT to quit, and they deserve the autonomy to create and innovate in their classrooms, free of micromanaging governments and ed sales giants.