7/24/13 - The possible adoption of common core standards by the state of Michigan was the focus of a presentation last night by a former Portage School Board member and candidate for the State Board of Education. Melanie Kurdys spoke for about three dozen people last night to denounce the common core standards. She said there is no evidence that the common core standards improve education, that they are unproven in a classroom setting, that they take control from local powers and put it in the hands of unelected bureaucrats, and that removing the standards if they go wrong would be very difficult. Supporters for the common core say it will create a nation-wide standard for education and make it easy for schools to place students who relocate to their districts. Kurdys argued that schools should not rely on such assumptions but treat each child on a case-by-case basis. She also took questions from the audience, which included teachers and aprents from local districts. A Michigan House Common Core Committee hearing is scheduled for July 31st and will include a balanced look at the issue from both sides of the debate. (TD)
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