Let’s Get It Right.
The poorly planned implementation of Common Core-based curriculum, new teacher evaluations, and the shift from MSA to PARCC assessments is all hitting at once, challenging educators, impacting students, and confounding parents. Instead of a thoughtful, measured roll-out that helps take our schools to the next level, this tsunami of education reform is threatening the success of Maryland’s world-class schools.
While accountability and student achievement are important goals, we cannot let unproven and unreliable testing and evaluation systems punish our teachers and principals, unfairly label our students and schools, and usurp local school systems’ abilities to make policy decisions that work for their communities.
Teachers are working hard and doing their best for their students, but they are simply not getting the resources, flexibility, or time they need to get these changes right. Frustration is mounting and our schools and students are unfairly paying the price of this poorly thought-out implementation process. We need to take action now to get these reforms right, rather than doubling down on an implementation process that is quickly losing credibility and sustainability.
