Comments on: The Sharpton-Klein Education Reform Agenda http://www.coreknowledge.org/blog/2008/06/23/the-sharpton-klein-education-reform-agenda/ Closing the Achievement Gap: Teaching Content Wed, 07 Jan 2009 20:17:08 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: Diana Senechal http://www.coreknowledge.org/blog/2008/06/23/the-sharpton-klein-education-reform-agenda/#comment-4172 Diana Senechal Tue, 24 Jun 2008 14:10:23 +0000 http://www.coreknowledge.org/blog/?p=508#comment-4172 The people who focus exclusively on structure often obscure the discussion of content. The DoE refers now and then to its ELA "curriculum." It cannot rightly be called a curriculum. The state "standards" specify no concrete knowledge, no works of literature, no mastery of grammar. http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/ciai/ela/elastandards/elamap.html If parents believe the schools already have a curriculum, and that it's causing improvements, they will not necessarily be moved to seek another. I believe many parents would be drawn to the Core Knowledge curriculum, or something similar, if they started demanding a curriculum in the first place. For one thing, the CK curriculum is fantastic. For another, it contrasts starkly with what many schools have (or don't have) now. I believe the first step is to clarify our terms: for instance, "curriculum?" in public discussion with parents and others. So long as we use words like "curriculum" to mean so many different things (including nothing), the discourse will not move forward. The people who focus exclusively on structure often obscure the discussion of content. The DoE refers now and then to its ELA “curriculum.” It cannot rightly be called a curriculum. The state “standards” specify no concrete knowledge, no works of literature, no mastery of grammar.

http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/ciai/ela/elastandards/elamap.html

If parents believe the schools already have a curriculum, and that it’s causing improvements, they will not necessarily be moved to seek another. I believe many parents would be drawn to the Core Knowledge curriculum, or something similar, if they started demanding a curriculum in the first place. For one thing, the CK curriculum is fantastic. For another, it contrasts starkly with what many schools have (or don’t have) now.

I believe the first step is to clarify our terms: for instance, “curriculum?” in public discussion with parents and others. So long as we use words like “curriculum” to mean so many different things (including nothing), the discourse will not move forward.

]]> By: T. M. Willemse http://www.coreknowledge.org/blog/2008/06/23/the-sharpton-klein-education-reform-agenda/#comment-4170 T. M. Willemse Mon, 23 Jun 2008 23:15:54 +0000 http://www.coreknowledge.org/blog/?p=508#comment-4170 The truth you hold to be self-evident is contained in the curriculum you stand behind. Al Sharpton would disagree with you. Al Sharpton has his own self-evident truths, as exampled in his debate with Christopher Hitchens on the existence of God, where his version of God resembled nothing I’ve read in the Bible. Education policy, on the other hand – traditional vs. charter public schools, union vs. non-union, to test or not to test – that’s easy to debate. Those debates, as contained in every policy book I’ve read or conference I’ve ever witnessed, are merely about structure. Content, like one’s religion, is left to the individual states and their legislatures, each of whom think themselves the final arbiters of all that is necessary to know. If you think you know better, you need to take your arguments past the hoards of policy wonks and directly to the consumers (parents). It is they, ultimately, who start the CK schools. The truth you hold to be self-evident is contained in the curriculum you stand behind. Al Sharpton would disagree with you. Al Sharpton has his own self-evident truths, as exampled in his debate with Christopher Hitchens on the existence of God, where his version of God resembled nothing I’ve read in the Bible. Education policy, on the other hand – traditional vs. charter public schools, union vs. non-union, to test or not to test – that’s easy to debate. Those debates, as contained in every policy book I’ve read or conference I’ve ever witnessed, are merely about structure. Content, like one’s religion, is left to the individual states and their legislatures, each of whom think themselves the final arbiters of all that is necessary to know. If you think you know better, you need to take your arguments past the hoards of policy wonks and directly to the consumers (parents). It is they, ultimately, who start the CK schools.

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