05 December 2013

Does Common Core Violate Your Child's IEP?

If your child needs an IEP (Individualized Education Program) to do well in school, wouldn't that mean that some Common Core materials would not be appropriate?  Why would any child need an IEP if everything the school did for every other child was working just fine for this one?

The mathematics curriculum now circulating in schools across the country are generally becoming more wordy and difficult for disabled children to understand.  Word problems that end with questions like, "Is this fair?  Why or why not?" or asks children to write a few sentences explaining how they got their answer really just set these children up for failure and worse, hatred of school and learning.

In my opinion, mathematics and language arts are two different subjects.  I know subjects can overlap, but really, questions that begin with, "Draw a number problem..." don't inspire numeracy. 

It isn't just some nutty mom from Missouri talking here.  There are several facebook groups and other forums in which mathemeticans and child development experts discuss the folly of Common Core Standards.  Katherine Beals, PhD, is only one of the many experts and education advocates speaking out against Common Core standards being applied to disabled children.  You can read one of her posts on the issue here.

If it is true that some Common Core materials are detrimental to the education of children with IEPs, that would mean that the federal government, states and local school districts are effectively denying these children a Free and Appropriate Public Education, or FAPE. 

Here's one mom who isn't gonna take it any more.  Big props going out to Julie Mauck of Florida today for standing up for her child. 

4 comments:

  1. Sounds like a huge problem. I hope that crazy Math system doesn't find its way here to Aus.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Me too! I remember the math teaching there to be excellent!

      Delete
  2. Education is in the news everywhere at the moment.
    Merle...........

    ReplyDelete

Non-troll comments always welcome! :)

Bringing Garbage Home

Some people up the street were throwing this table away. It was in pretty bad shape and one of the legs was off. I've glued the leg back...