Arizona Standards Development Committee Selected

Three State Board of Education (SBE) members held a meeting on May 13, to select the 17 members on the new “Arizona Standards Development Committee.” Now, education advocates are urging members of the public to apply for positions on the math and language arts subcommittees.

Applications are still being accepted for the subcommittees. According to one education activist, “those people are going to be the meat and potatoes” in the effort to remove Common Core from the State’s standards.

The State Board of Education (SBE) is opening up the “application window” so more applications can be submitted for these two subcommittees, according to Gilbert Watch.

The Arizona Standards Development Committee shall:

1. Hold meetings as often as necessary to conduct the Committee’s business.

2. Adopt a timeline for the development, review, revision and recommendation for Board adoption of replacement Arizona Math Standards and Arizona ELA Standards, which addresses all the duties of the Committee.

3. Provide to the Board monthly reports on the progress of the Committee’s work.

4. Establish subcommittees of ELA and mathematics content experts representing all grades.

a. The subcommittee members shall be selected from K-12 school district and charter schools, higher education faculty, teacher professional organizations, and foundations providing content expertise and professional development.

b. Subcommittees are subject to the same quorum and public meeting requirements as those required of the Committee.

c. The subcommittees shall prepare the draft standards and submit recommendations to be circulated for public comment and considered by the Committee.

5. Oversee the process for the solicitation of comments regarding the existing standards and proposed revisions to the standards, and direct the subcommittees to consider the comments as they contemplate revisions to the standards. Comments shall be solicited from the public and from nationally and locally recognized content experts. The process for soliciting public comment shall include, at a minimum, opportunities to collect public comments via:

a. Public hearings across the state, coordinated with the County Superintendents, to help ensure and maximize statewide input and participation; and

b. Public meetings of the Committee, which shall include meetings which allow for interactive participation of the public outside of Maricopa County;

c. Electronic means, which shall be available on a website hosted by the State Board of Education dedicated to the Arizona Academic Standards Development Process, and include e-mail and online submission.

6. Receive, review and circulate for public comment final draft standards proposed by the subcommittees. Final draft revisions shall be circulated for public comment for no less than 45 days.

7. Recommend for Board approval revised Arizona Math Standards and Arizona ELA Standards. The Committee recommendation shall include a summary of all comments received and considered, a copy of all comments received, a detailed description of any changes between the current standards and the final recommendations proposed for board approval, a transition timeline and implementation plan.

E. The Superintendent shall designate an employee or employees of the Department to:

1. Provide support to and assist the Committee and its subcommittees to execute the duties under this policy.

2. Solicit and collect applications for participation on the subcommittees, which shall include a resume that details the applicant’s certifications, grades taught, experience in curriculum development, educational background, any past participation in standards development, and current employment. The Department shall provide the Committee with all applications and supporting materials of qualified applicants for subcommittee membership, and the Department shall make recommendations to the Committee for the membership of the subcommittees.

According to the website, Gilbert Watch, the 17-members of the “Arizona Standards Development Committee” that were selected are:

Four members of the State Board of Education, Greg Miller (President), Chuck Schmidt, Jared Taylor, and the Superintendent of Public Instruction are included in the 17 member Committee: According to Gilbert Watch:

Two members representing the business community:

Maureen Tozzi, Sales and Marketing, Tucson
Dr. Richard Rutowski, Family Medicine Doctor, Fountain Hills

Three parents, including one parent of an elementary, middle, or high school child:

Olga Tarro, Oro Valley (elementary parent)
Grant Peterson, Gilbert (middle school parent)
Dexter Albert, Flagstaff (high school parent)

One member of a School District Governing Board:

Scott Leska ,Amphitheater Unified School District (Tucson)

To learn more about the committee members visit GilbertWatch.com