Liana Heitin writes at the Education Week (7/7) “Teacher Beat” blog about a package of New Business Items addressed by National Education Association delegates at the union’s annual conference in Denver which appear to be designed to examine partnerships with such corporate entities as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Though the items were eventually “taken off the table,” they indicate “a more strident tone on partnerships, and will be a theme to watch.”
The New York Times (6/11, Rich, Subscription Publication) reports that The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, a “strong backer” of the Common Core standards, “has called for a two-year moratorium on states or school districts making any high-stakes decisions based on tests aligned to the new standards.” While the standards were originally adopted by most states and backed by the Administration, they have now encountered serious opposition from teachers unions and parent groups.
The Washington Post (6/11, Layton) reports that the Gates Foundation said that states and districts “should hold off from using new standardized tests aligned to the Common Core to evaluate teachers, promote students and make other high-stakes decisions.” According to a statement from the foundation’s Vicki Phillips, “teachers and students need more time to adjust to the standards and the new tests.”
Andrew Ujifusa writes at the Education Week (6/11) “State EdWatch” blog that Phillips said that “while the common core is having a very positive impact on education, that doesn’t mean teachers and schools shouldn’t be given more time to adjust.”
TIME (6/11) also covers this story, noting that the National Education Association approved of the Gates Foundation’s position. The Washington Post (6/11, Strauss) “Answer Sheet” blog also covers this story.
