Add two more Catholic Diocese in Wisconsin to the list of school districts that have rejected the Common Core State Standards. The Cheese Head Bishop, also known as The Most Reverend David Ricken, Bishop of Green Bay and Dr. Susan Holman, Superintendent of Schools for the Diocese of LaCrosse have announced their dioceses will stick with their own standards. In an interview we’ve linked to with Catholic Education Daily, Holman stated clearly that the Diocese of LaCrosse is quote “neither adapting nor adopting the standards” end quote though she did say they were using them as a resources. On behalf of the Diocese of Green Bay, Bishop Ricken wrote an Op. Ed. piece which we’ve linked to in The Compass saying, quote: “It is my directive that the schools of the diocese utilize the diocesan standards previously in place and not substitute for them with ‘common core standards.'” We previously reported that the Diocese of Madison, WI has similarly rejected the standards. Here in New Hampshire, the Diocese of Manchester issued a statement saying it quote “is not planning to adopt formally or to require its schools to develop its curriculum solely on the basis of the Common Core State Standards.”
Speaking of academic standards, the Manchester School District has disclosed that the facilitator for the T-MAS work session scheduled for December seventeenth and eighteenth is Dr. Althea Sheaff. T-MAS is the acronym for The Manchester Academic Standards. Assistant Superintendent David Ryan responded to our email to Superintendent Debra Livingston inquiring about the identity of the facilitator, which had not been disclosed at the time the workshop was announced. Ryan wrote Sheaff retired from the Nashua School District as an assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction and is currently an adjunct professor at the University of New Hampshire. He wrote quote “She will be facilitating these two days of unpacking the standards but is not involved in the development/assembling of the new set of standards.” End quote and that she has quote “led this work before.” End quote. We are awaiting answers to our follow up questions regarding how she was retained, the cost and the source of funds being used. We are also awaiting an answer to our request that Superintendent Livingston release the names of the sixty teachers who will be involved with this ambitious project and the schools in which they teach.
News from our own backyard continues after this.
As the Manchester Board of School Committee meets tonight in what is possibly the last meeting of its term, school boards from Hooksett, Derry, Auburn, Hampstead and Chester will meet with the Pinkerton Academy Board of Trustees in an attempt to hammer out an agreement that will enable Hooksett to designate Pinkerton Academy as their high school of record and assign their children there. On the heels of Hooksett Superintendent Charles P. Littlefield’s announcement that a deal for the oh fourteen oh fifteen school year was dead just two weeks ago, the Pinkerton board released its objection to language in Memorandums of Understanding Hooksett has with other school districts that would allow them to refuse any non-desired students. What remains is Hooksett’s objection to Pinkerton’s demand that Hooksett guarantee seventy five incoming freshmen for the next four years then guarantee ninety percent of the incoming classes starting in year five. If that hurdle is resolved, which will require the consent of the other sending towns, it is expected that Hooksett will assign its students to Pinkerton instead of Manchester for the coming school year, which means that parents, who’ve yet to be allowed to indicate where they want their kids to attend school, will have to tell the administration that they want their kids to go to Manchester through a process that has neither been designed nor even discussed. Meanwhile, Pinkerton has announced that it’s tuition will jump by five percent to more than ten thousand eight hundred dollars for the coming year. Under the terms of the tuition dispute settlement, Manchester’s will rise to ten thousand two hundred bucks. Finally, Girard at Large has learned from Manchester Superintendent Debra Livingston that Littlefield called her on Monday, December second to advise he expected those children currently in Manchester high schools will remain there in the coming school year, but declined to give a number of incoming freshmen as the Hooksett board had yet to determine its options. He said the final estimate will be provided by the required March thirty first date.
That’s news from our own backyard, Girard at Large hour ___ is straight ahead!
Dr. Susan Holman, superintendent of schools for the Diocese of La Crosse – See more at: http://www.cardinalnewmansociety.org/CatholicEducationDaily/DetailsPage/tabid/102/ArticleID/2749/Madison-La-Crosse-Dioceses-Reject-Common-Core-Standards-for-Schools.aspx#sthash.CvFZj2cZ.dpuf
