I was one of the founding signatories of a “counter-manifesto” opposing the development of a national curriculum and national assessments. Education Week writes,
The manifesto, issued today and signed by more than 100 leaders in education, business, and politics, is a response to a document issued in March by the Albert Shanker Institute, which argued for common curriculum for the standards. It’s also a response to the U.S. Department of Education’s $360 million investment in the development of assessments for the common standards. That money was awarded to two big consortia of states as part of the federal government’s Race to the Top competition.
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Calling itself a “counter-manifesto,” the document issued today argues that shared curriculum and tests will stifle innovation, threaten local and state control of education decisions, and standardize learning for students with diverse needs. It also argues that shared curriculum and tests are prohibited by federal law.
Last year, education leaders in North Carolina took the first step toward national standards by unanimously adopting Common Core Standards for English and math. If you read the “counter-manifesto” and agree that educational centralization is a bad idea, consider adding your name to the document here.
