[img]2264|right|Dr. Krumpe||no_popup[/img]Implementing the all-new, federally urged Common Core curriculum, in language arts and math next September in the School District, appears to be either complex or convoluted, depending on whether you are an optimist or a cynic.
Since last September, Supt. Dave LaRose, and assistant supers Mike Reynolds and Dr. Katie Krumpe have been meeting with teachers throughout the District to introduce them to the world of Common Core, and familiarize them with the unique new strategies.
“Next year,” says Dr. Krumpe, the District’s supervisor of the transition, “we will giving a new assessment that, so far, we only are being told, is going to be covering math and language arts. California will let us know, soon we hope, what other tests we might be giving.
“The math and language arts standards were adopted in 2010. We have known they were coming We have been able to prepare for that, hopefully, with a gradual release of exposing teachers – trying out some of them, being able to have training.
“For those two subjects, we have had time to prepare,” Dr. Krumpe said. “What they are calling the Next Generation Science Standards have just been adopted. We are starting that process in a multi-phase.
“Then social studies is coming next.”
Dr. Krumpe explained that the national founding of Common Core originated “with a broad committee of educators and experts in their field. States could adopt them or not. California, of course, did. You had to adopt them in total. States were allowed to add 15 percent for the sake of clarity in particular standards. California did that.
“I know some of the people on the California committee. They range from expert practitioners of their craft to university folk who work in partnerships with school districts and are deeply involved in instruction at the K-12 level.”
Is Dr. Krumpe confident the launching of Common Core will demonstrate that it is an airtight system?
“It is too early to tell,” she said.
“There are parts that are very appealing to me. For the first time, we can actually have discussions across states and share what is working. Some states didn’t take the three years that California took to implement, and they said ‘We are just doing it tomorrow.’ They have lessons created, unit plans created and materials they have found. They are sharing them with us. They are saying, ‘We like this one. What do you think?’ We have not been able to do that across states before.”
(To be continued)
