I was asked to sign a paper at a mall to put the repeal of Common Core on the ballot. I am very much in favor of this - anyone with kids in the schools is aware of the disaster that Common Core has created of homework time alone. Math problems are being completed in a very confusing way to the point that helping kids with a simple math problem can be a disaster because of the amount of work they are forced to show on paper to get the answer correct.
I had initially turned down the request to sign because I didn't live in the town they were being collected in, but after saying I lived in Melrose I was presented with a sheet for Melrose residents to sign. While writing my name and address I was asked if I was aware that J.D. LaRock was one of the major proponents in bringing Common Core to Massachusetts. I was surprised by this information - but sure enough, I found the facts to back it up online.
J.D. is taking credit in his campaign announcement and online biographies for securing "Race to the Top" funding for Massachusetts from the Federal government. This was a deal with the devil, because in order for Mass to get the money J.D. and his team had to get the state to adopt the Common Core standards that thousands across the state are rallying against today. If J.D. is taking credit for Race to the Top, he should be upfront and take credit for Common Core as well. I'm not OK with a dumbing down of our standards for federal money - Massachusetts students were #1 before this mess.
He had my vote, but upon learning this I can assure you that J.D. won't be getting a vote out of this household.
Come on JD LaRock - come clean - are you for or against Common Core and if so - why?
We'd be fools not to vote for J.D., regardless of where he stands regarding the Common Core. He and Monica are really our only hope of intelligent leadership at this point. Am opposed to Core and how federal govt abused its power to force this on all states, and for a number of other reasons, but I would never use that for this local race of real and honest representation versus the political patronage that now exists with virtually all the rest of them on the BOA. This kind of thing is a harmful deflection and does not deserve air time. Our city is in a huge crisis of corrupt management. While this man may have views that differ from our own, so does Monica, but both are the best shots we have for turning around this mess of local governance. This man also has a doctorate in education and a law degree, and he's got the kind of versatile and facile intelligence that makes him immensely capable on his feet. This makes him uniquely qualified to synthesize all the crap that normally flies at those meetings and instead come up with the exact and succinct analysis that is needed--and he doesn't need to hire a consultant to do any thinking for him!! He can do it on the spot, and his skills are desperately needed now more than ever.
Maybe JD's views have changed on Common Core....? The majority of those who proposed CC in the beginning have changed their minds after CC proved not to be the "answer" sold....(how much $ do the testing groups/companies/consultants make on this endeavor?)..You will see lots of pushback about JD from the "political elite" in the coming weeks....MBMM,and MZ are getting very nervous.... One of them will lose to JD, MM and DC ... All have our votes......We voted for Zwirko the last time but his Override Push has cost him now.....can't vote for MBMM... Will cast only 3 votes for Alderman at Large
I think we got our answer in the Weekly News. J.D.'s taking credit in a fancy graphic for nationwide financial aid, lower costs for full day kindergarten and then he's taking credit for "thousands of students in Massachusetts attending better public schools." He's very proud of his work for Duval Patrick, and Common Core was part of that. He might think the public schools are better because of Common Core, but I respectfully disagree. Still voting for 3 instead of 4.
He didn't work for "Duval" you Dufus (Deval). He worked in Washington, D.C. for Ted Kennedy writing education policy. Don't know which "3" you think you're voting for, but J.D., Monica and Don are the only intelligent choices for At-Large.