Letter: What’s all the fuss about the Common Core?
Why should Virginians care about Common Core standards? After all, Virginia is one of five states that did not sign onto Common Core. Well, as with most things, there exists a back door way of doing things. Even when states aren’t using the Common Core standards, they in effect still find themselves using the Common Core standards. Such is the case in Virginia.
An article published by the Virginian-Pilot says Virginia’s educational standards are shown to mirror the purpose of the Common Core standards. That seems appropriate since Virginia was a part of the committee to create the Common Core State Standards Initiative. The Virginia Department of Education and the Board of Education are revising academic standards to incorporate content from the Common Core State Standards into the Standards of Learning (SOLs). In doing so they say they are ensuring that expectations for teaching and learning in Virginia schools are comparable to those of the voluntary national standards.
Be aware that Virginia has a Longitudinal Data Collection System which collects data on students and student families; however we are assured that it will not be shared. Remember, that can change at any time. Learn more at a property rights meeting sponsored by The Concerned Citizens of the Middle Peninsula on Saturday March 8th at 2 p.m. at the Lighthouse Worship Center on Route 17.