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Highland Park teacher resigns online in frustration, citing Common Core testing
http://illinoisreview.typepad.com ^ | May 24, 2013 | Staff

Posted on 05/28/2013 5:45:05 AM PDT by Whenifhow

HIGHLAND PARK - "Negative environment" is blamed for the sudden, involuntary transfer of four North Shore District 112 teachers this week. One of those moved to a new school, fourth-grade teacher Ellie Rubenstein, made her side of the story public with a YouTube that's being viewed by thousands. In Rubenstein 10 minute video, now viewed by over 162,000, she blames her sudden transfer to her resistance curriculum changes and burdensome testing. "I'm not a yes man," and that teaching is no longer meaningful. "I have to get out!" Rubenstein says.

snip

The Common Core Learning Standards (CCLS) are a set of rigorous, internationally benchmarked standards aligned with work and post-secondary expectations which have been adopted by most of the states in the country. These standards serve as a consistent set of expectations for what students should learn and be able to do, so that we can ensure that every student is on track for college and career readiness. The grades 3-8 Math and ELA assessments will be aligned to the CCLS starting in spring 2013. At North Shore, teachers and administrators are working diligently to ensure that curriculum, instruction, and assessment are aligned with the instructional shifts demanded by the CCLS.

The video "In Pursuit of Happiness" ends with Rubenstein's resignation:

In Pursuit of Happiness

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=uH9vxq1iJVM


TOPICS: Conspiracy; Education; Government; Politics
KEYWORDS: commoncore; illinois; obama; publiceducation; schools; sourcetitlenoturl
In Pursuit of Happiness

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=uH9vxq1iJVM

North Shore District 112's administration adopted the Common Core curriculum, as every other Illinois school district did when the state passed a resolution opening the way for the Obama Administration' national standards curriculum. The district's website says on a page entitled "Shifting Towards the Common Core at North Shore Schools":

http://www.northshoreschools.org/13Mar/HPR1_common_core.html

Audio interview here Local teacher superbly explains resignation on YouTube

http://wgnradio.com/2013/05/23/local-teacher-superbly-explains-resignation-on-youtube/

1 posted on 05/28/2013 5:45:05 AM PDT by Whenifhow
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To: Whenifhow
"I'm not a yes man," and that teaching is no longer meaningful. "I have to get out!" Rubenstein says.

Because I have to teach this bunch of useless 3R’s I no longer have enough time to indoctrinate the kids in Leftist ideology.

All of the satisfaction in teaching is gone!

2 posted on 05/28/2013 5:57:44 AM PDT by Pontiac (The welfare state must fail because it is contrary to human nature and diminishes the human spirit.)
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To: Whenifhow

Not sure the reasoning is valid.

Texas legislature voted May 7, 140-2 to end particpation in Common Core.

There are likely underlying causes for the resignation, especially due to not being a ‘yes man’.


3 posted on 05/28/2013 5:59:17 AM PDT by TomGuy (.)
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To: Whenifhow; TheSarce

Common Core is a way to get Americanism out of the schools and God of course. I thought it was a online curriculium that they had to sign secrecy and once taught you couldn’t tell the parents what you were teaching.

It didn’t go thru the school board deliberation to be chosen. However, Texas nixed the common core and they tried to sneak it in under another name which we have also kicked out of our system. I’m sure they will try it another way.


4 posted on 05/28/2013 5:59:37 AM PDT by The Bat Lady (Gone Galt)
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To: TomGuy

Didn’t Texas just “rename” the CC curriculum and call it something else, but it is still CC?

Also, I notice that the Like/Dislike button has been disabled. Hmmmm...


5 posted on 05/28/2013 6:06:13 AM PDT by Clock King
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To: Pontiac; TomGuy

Pontiac
Please don’t label all teachers as liberal leftists - until you have listened to how they teach.

If you listened to the video and/ or the audio, you would see that she is a teacher that enjoyed teaching kids math by using recipes for example, rather than teaching to the test.

TomGuy
Texas legislature may have ended participation in common core, but apparently Illinois is still in common core according to the website.

North Shore District 112’s administration adopted the Common Core curriculum, as every other Illinois school district did when the state passed a resolution opening the way for the Obama Administration’ national standards curriculum. The district’s website says on a page entitled “Shifting Towards the Common Core at North Shore Schools”:

http://www.northshoreschools.org/13Mar/HPR1_common_core.html


6 posted on 05/28/2013 6:07:34 AM PDT by Whenifhow
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To: Clock King

Texas voted to discontinue CSCOPE, its version of Common Core, because of the resistance of both teachers and parents to the federal government running its curriculum.

Education should always be locally controlled unless there are no decent people available to run the schools.


7 posted on 05/28/2013 6:15:01 AM PDT by txrefugee
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To: Whenifhow

My appologies.


8 posted on 05/28/2013 6:17:16 AM PDT by Pontiac (The welfare state must fail because it is contrary to human nature and diminishes the human spirit.)
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To: Whenifhow

My mistake. There is a Highland Park area in the Dallas TX metromess. I overlooked the source location.


9 posted on 05/28/2013 6:19:24 AM PDT by TomGuy (.)
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To: Whenifhow

from this link

http://www.northshoreschools.org/13Mar/HPR1_common_core.html

Click Here to View the Presentation on Shifting Towards the Common Core

http://www.northshoreschools.org/13Mar/Web_Elementary_Parent_Workshop_CCLS_%283%29.pdf

Click Here for the VIDEO

you will find this video - just like the “Story of Stuff” which I think was featured on Beck related to the Green, environmental movement.

http://www.northshoreschools.org/13Mar/CommonCoreParentfinal.m4v


10 posted on 05/28/2013 6:51:38 AM PDT by Whenifhow
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To: TomGuy

What exactly are the subjects taught in the Common Core?


11 posted on 05/28/2013 7:06:17 AM PDT by xzins (Retired Army Chaplain and Proud of It! True supporters of our troops pray for their victory!)
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To: Whenifhow; LucyT; PGalt; Cicero; bgill; Jet Jaguar; Uncle Miltie

transcript of the teacher on you tube

http://schoolsnapshots.org/blog/2013/05/23/another-teacher-submits-resignation-letter-on-youtube/


12 posted on 05/28/2013 8:58:36 AM PDT by Whenifhow
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To: Whenifhow

Several of my family are teachers, and they are honestly dedicated to teaching the kids what they need to know. But, depending on the school, the work environment can be pretty difficult. Somehow, the boards seem to go out of their way to find stupid and unqualified people to be principals and administrators. I’ve known a couple of really good principals, but they were the exceptions.

I applaud this teacher for speaking out against the Common Core, but I wonder if she wouldn’t have done better to keep a low profile, so she could stay in the classroom. Now there will be even fewer decent teachers left in that school to actually help the kids learn something other than liberal brainwashing. And it’s very doubtful whether the Chicago Thugs will change their ways.


13 posted on 05/28/2013 9:26:14 AM PDT by Cicero (Marcus Tullius)
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To: xzins

Here is the link to Alabama’s College and Career-Ready Standards for Mathematics implementation 2012-2013, and English/Language Arts in 2013-2014:

http://alex.state.al.us/ccrs/


14 posted on 05/28/2013 9:28:20 AM PDT by lyby ("Mathematics is the language with which God has written the universe." ~ Galileo Galilei)
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To: Cicero

....teachers, and they are honestly dedicated to teaching the kids what they need to know..

....I wonder if she wouldn’t have done better to keep a low profile, so she could stay in the classroom. Now there will be even fewer decent teachers left ....

_____________

There are MANY teachers who work very hard to actually teach and are NOT leftists entrenched in union thuggery. It is good to remind readers who controls the message and is the message (news) accurate in terms of generalizing ALL teachers are politically motivated.

It sounded to me as if she was NOT the only teacher who was raising concern about the changes to curriculum, again demonstrating that there ARE teachers with appropriate educational goals for students.

Sometimes, you just have to make a statement that can be heard.

Teacher Resigns in Scathing YouTube Video Targeting Standardized Education

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3024615/posts?page=37#37

......Ms. Rubinstein took to YouTube with lofty language that she hoped would resonate.


15 posted on 05/28/2013 11:32:10 AM PDT by Whenifhow
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To: Whenifhow

http://www.maciverinstitute.com/2013/05/-common-core-delay-and/

WI Joint Finance Votes to Pause Common Core and Require Extensive Evaluations


16 posted on 05/29/2013 7:38:40 PM PDT by Wisconsinlady (Benghazi makes a difference to more people than you thought, Hillary)
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