As the education community continues to absorb the news of the impending disaster surrounding AZMerit, the Common Core replacement to Arizona’s AIMS test, news of HB 2190 (repeal and replace of CCRES, aka Common Core), is offering relief.
As Michael Bradley, new chief of staff for Superintendent of Public Instruction Diane Douglas, was telling the Senate Appropriations Committee, “We’re in a messed up situation with regards to the test,” HB2190 was being scheduled for its first hearing on Wednesday, February 18, by the House Education Committee.
The bill, introduced by Representative Mark Finchem, is the product of residents, parents, teachers and education experts. Finchem sought out experts, such as teacher Brad McQueen, who has worked with the ADE, in the development of both the AIMS and AZMerit tests.
Finchem also reached out to Kirsten Lombard, an education expert, who brought educators from both sides of the political aisle for her latest book; Common Ground on Common Core. Common Ground in opposition to Common Core is growing and just this January, the Central Committee of the Washington State Democratic Party passed a resolution that roundly condemned the Common Core standards, known in Arizona as College and Career Ready Standards.
Finchem says that he “took the lead in preparing the draft after receiving overwhelming feedback from parents and teachers during the 2014 election campaign from people on both sides of the aisle. I explained to Representatives Barton, Lawrence, Campbell and Leach what I had in mind and they were supportive of the approach.”
That approach will address the issues of non-cognitive data mining, personally identifiable data transmission outside of the school. Finchem is particularly concerned about the data mining and the “expensive high stakes testing system and a creativity killing program that treats children like human capital, making them worker bees.”
Finchem questions why non-cognitive data under the current Common core scheme is open for private entities to harvest personally identifiable data directly linked to each individual child. “Why? He asks, “To my knowledge no member of Congress, this State legislature or even a local school board would permit their information, going back to kindergarten forward to today, to be collected or sent out into the either. I must ask, why then would we permit that for our children?”
Finchem says that he is getting support for the bill “from many different groups including parents, educators and even older students. Finchem offered an example, “One of our more brilliant kids made the observation that the math model that is aligned with the current scheme is fine for computations under 1000. But it falls apart after that.”
“My constituents passed angry a long time ago and are now furious at what is happening under the label of education,” said Finchem.
Finchem says that he suspects that “members of the House and Senate heard a lot about the issue during the campaign.” He intends to build support with legislative leadership, moving the bill through the Education and Rules committees and then gaining support from the governor’s office and the State Superintendent of Public Instruction is critical. I support Governor Ducey’s vision of making Arizona “the education state”. But we won’t get there if we settle for what everyone else is doing, that is why one size fits all, top down education policy is so dangerous.”
“I expect to see our children receive quality instruction in Science, Technology, English, Math, Civics, History,” says Finchem. “I expect to see them become more than just functional laborers, but individuals who are capable of expressing their creativity and talent. I expect to see complete and accurate subject matter presented by knowledgeable teachers who have the attitude to reach, teach and inspire young minds. The teachers I know get a thrill to see that “aha” moment in a child’s eye when they “get it”, whatever the subject may be.”
Brad McQueen, author of Cult of Common Core, who was involved in the development of the AIMS and Common Core tests said, “Teachers and parents have been waiting for someone to step up in the legislature and give voice to their desire to rid our state of every tentacle of the Common Core beast including the learning standards, test, and data mining. Rep. Finchem’s comprehensive bill, HB2190, just may be what we’ve been waiting for.”
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