I'm a school board member for a local Community College, and I would by all means encourage you to address the Board with your concerns! Your arguments may sway a Board member or members who feels that they are in the minority and therefore they need to "go along to get along" which happens with some Boards.

Just my $0.02...

Abaco, I sat on the dental board in my state. At one point the members passed a rule which was in conflict with the law; the board did not have the authority to enforce this rule. I made dissenting remarks of a logical and strong nature. Not only did every other member vote against me, they actually voted to delete my remarks from the record!
I made no difference at all, but still I am DAMN glad I said it. Would I do it again? Probably not.

Looks like there may be a member of the school board giving thumbs down to people here without any dissenting comment. Typical "public servant" looter.

Just homeschool them.

Are you ready to strike or not?
At this point are you Rearden or Galt?
If your answer is Galt, do you have a plan to stop the motor of the world?
Which will be more likely to have the effect you want, (a) presenting your rational argument to the school board, or (b) doing nothing?
Do you understand if the local school board can act as you argue even if they agree?
Your 'solution' must be lower risk, greater reward for the school board members than the status quo.

Personally, I choose to think that we must do something or the statists will win. But, know your enemy, and have a rational strategy and specific tactics to practice.
(Apologies for stating what is obvious to you, Abaco.)

Has anyone spoke to them about it? If not, and you have any desire for them to do something different, then yes. If you or others have spoken to them about other things and they have not responded favorably, I wouldn't waste my time. I would send them a short letter stating why you've pulled your children. My 2 cents, for what it is worth.

I agree that you should speak to the board. However, I am hoping you're in a small district somewhere with a small quantity of schools. The reason i say that is because I live in NYC and there are just too many schools here and it would take more than 1 person or 1 family to change their mind. I too despise the common core and my son is having a hard time with it as well. He already is one step behind because of his autism but the common core completely trashes him. I understand some of what they are doing for the common core only becasue I am dyslexic and the common core was created by a dyslexic person to make the testing easier. which has totally confused the parents who try to help their kids learn this backwards way. It would seem that kids with dyslexia should do better but they don't mainly because we are bad test takers, and have been for a while. yes there are some who excel at taking tests but most do not. Sorry to be so long winded to answer your question. Go to the board but bring lots of other families with you. maybe that will be the spark that lights the fire under the education system to evolve a change.

I appreciate everybody's input.

I feel like a very powerful presentation could make a difference, but it's really at the national level now. I encourage you to take a shot at it. Let me know how it works! Common Core is destroying my brother's math education and my own.

You likely would be wasting your time, they are thinking of money, and those sending the money are thinking of one world dumbed down future citizens. If you go, be extremely calm, make sure you know the Delphi Technique, as it is at all meetings it seems - marginalize the one with the complaint.
Back when it was Outcome Based Education, Clintnton's baby), the forerunner of Common Core, I had one teacher tell me they did not have it in our school. I listed the elements one by one, and he admitted they had each. However, he said, "we don't call it that" - therefore, it did not exist there. To this day, they refuse to give what the kids were taught under that one at Colunbine any blame at all, even though a local TV station held a panel discussion on the dangers of what was being taught the year before.
Now, they just brainwash, and forget academics, it just gets in the way.

Find out what the standards actually require and define what you want them to teach. Start out with the assertion that as a person who works in a mathematically field, you believe it's critical to each X and/or not teach Y. If they answer CC, you'll have some evidence that your suggestion doesn't affect compliance. Don't start with criticizing CC because they may have marching orders to follow it, and they'll see your suggestion and creating more headaches for them.

Also, I would approach the teacher directly. He/she may be able to implement your suggestions without making a big deal out of it.

Yes you should confront them on this and other matters! We need to reshape these boards and the only real way is to be involved.

Abaco -

I would say, "Address the matter. Do so bluntly and at a meeting that has good attendance by parents." (If you know ahead of time of other parents who agree with you, be sure they attend.)

Do you think that all of the parents agree with Common Core? Many of them probably do not, but lack a catalyst. The members of the Board will not care what you say, but if a large number of parents chime in, agreeing with you, the Board will care what 'they' say.

The most probably direct outcome is still homeschooling, but there is a chance that you could trigger a massive reaction from other parents and actually effect a change. And even if you do not, you have stood up for rationality and free choice.

Jan

I have heard from parents the these boards are party line, and may be in on the graft built into testing.
I might do both, say something...see how they respond and at the same time...teach your kid the right way...that goes for history, science, morals and the values of hard work.

Save yourself time and effort and home school if that is your only choice, otherwise you do your child a disservice.

I don't know. Is Common Core in your school
system? (It has been many years since I had to
go to either elementary or high school, and I have
no children). Kudos to you for looking into home-
schooling. But what groups? I thought home
schoolers were supposed to just teach their
children at home. Can't you and the children's
mother do that? (Though my homeschooling
friends do go to some kind of group meetings).

I have tried to get some kind of employment in
that way, by offering my services as a phonics
tutor, but I guess they don't need me, if they are
doing it themselves. But if you want to go that
route, don't take too long just "looking into" it,
while the kids suffer in that school system.
I think you should still go to the school board,
to prevent too much damage being done
to the community's children (and, eventually, the
citizens). After all, whether your children are in
that school system or not, you are still paying
for it, and you should not allow too much crap
to be done in your name.

In the 1970s Elliot Aronson, a Texas psychologist created a cooperative learning process for high schools aimed at reducing the racial struggles then rampant in schools throughout the country. His system was very effective both in educating students and eliminating racial issues (which were common elsewhere in the country. With the success of the Jigsaw Classroom, Elliot set up a foundation and offered to train teachers at cost of materials and travel anywhere in the country. As he puts it, "nobody called." later he researched the stunning silence, interviewing administrators. Their universal answer to why they had passively rejected the Jigsaw Classroom was "my phone isn't ringing" Parents and community leaders were not demanding this (or any) proven, safe system for actually educating their children. thus, allowing the disaster that is modern education to flourish (no to mention racial tensions, fights, even riots in some places). So yes, speak up, call, remind them (the school board and administrators) that they work for you and the students. But also note, a news story today reports the psychologist who helped "victim #1" accuse Jerry Sandusky was fired from his county level job. No good turn goes unpunished.

Waaay back when my boys were growing, I was unhappy about teaching methods then.('65 - '75). I found that when putting forth well reasoned criticisms, I got nods of approval, "we'll get back to you" followed by nothing. My son, being smarter than me, sent his kids to a well interviewed Montessori school. Are the Montessori schools also forced to comply with Common Core? If so, home schooling is an option, if you have the time, determination and patience.

if Trump gets elected, common core is history and you wont have to waste time with the school board.

Hi Abaco,
You don't mention what state you live in. The reason I bring this up is b/c teacher's unions are all-powerful in some states ( like Maryland) so taking action as an individual in those areas is pointless. ( You might recall it was in Maryland last year where the father was removed from a Board of Ed meeting in handcuffs for challenging the status quo. It was all caught on video, so it wasnt a matter of the parent being threatening, other than threatening the powers that be. It was also in Md where an elem school kid was suspended for biting his Poptart into the shape of a gun. So Md is a lost cause.) So first you have to know your environment to assess it. Second, if you don't live in a state like Maryland, then see if any other parents feel like you do. If you can find even one or two people ( esp. if they have big community or neighborhood connections behind them - power in numbers !) then the next thing I'd do would be to get familiar with your Board of Ed members. If you can identify any alliances there, then schedule meetings with them individually to try to get their cooperation ( they're supposed to be representing YOU, not the other way around but they forget that.) and then if possible, organize all the supportive members into a power block that can withstand those on the board who will not want to change course. Will all this take a lot of time and effort? Yep. But so will home schooling. But if you're successful with changing the curriculum, you'll help change ( improve) your corner of the world.

What is your goal? If you want to assure education for your kid, you should already be aware that public education will not do it. The system is designed to create morons. Whatever natural abilities your kids may have had, by the time they graduate, all will be lost. The system is specifically designed for this purpose. Now, telling the administration that they are succeeding in their purpose will get you what?
I suggest that it is much better to quietly pull your child out of the school system and homeschool, either through a group or by yourself. There are a number of good programs on the computer, plus clubs and activities that the child can participate it. Unfortunately, the money that you're paying for the public un-education is gone. So be it. Think of it as another tax on life, but at least save the kid. If you make an issue, the school system will most likely take it as a challenge and they will challenge you back with social service parasites, courts, unfit parent accusations, etc. - is it worth it, especially knowing that you can't win?

You are either in the system or out of it. If you are in it, it makes no sense to anything that does not have a good chance of achieving your goals. If you're just venting, the system wins. The best course may be to get yourself elected to the board, but that will only make a difference if you are part of a majority. If you are out of the system, then take rational action to provide the best education possible for your kids and forget the school board.

I would at least try to speak to the school board. Here are a couple of things you need to know, however.

1. You aren't likely to change their minds. They are looking at things from a funding perspective and until the rules change on a national level, that funding source is still the first thing on their minds.
2. It's not about education at all. The Common Core curriculum was developed to sell books - not to educate. No teachers I've talked to (especially mathematics teachers) like the materials, as they are incredibly counter-intuitive. What's worse is that many of the problems they give the students are either outrageous, or exactly the same, and they are very poorly vetted. I can't tell you how many I've come across with my kids with misspellings and even incorrect answers in their keys.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.