Common Core Education Standards

Are we to sacrifice common sense for Common Core? Gone are the days of recess, art and gym. They don't matter in this new paradigm. Gone are the days of playtime after school! Homework takes hours every night! Gone are the days of leisure family time as projects, and homework dominate family time! Gone are lunch periods where you have a half hour to eat and at the very least 20 minutes to play! Gone are the days of freedom in education, where teachers can be creative in the classroom! Since No Child Left Behind, things have only gotten worse for American school children! Common sense says, children learn better when they have recess, art and music! Children feel better when they can eat lunch without rushing because lunch is a mere 15 minutes! Children also learn and retain information better from LIMITED amounts of homework! What has happened to our schools? A few years ago I joined the PTA only to quit after one meeting. Why did I quit? I had more interest in the curriculum and hours of homework my child suffered with than I did I selling cookies! BUT the PTA, I learned, has NO SAY in education! Why? I battled with teachers and administrators to no avail. My option was to opt out and homeschool! Across CT many families are doing the same! They are fed up, and tired of trying to work within a system that does not care how it's policies are affecting students and their families! Life has changed for me recently when my 12 yr old daughter decided to go back into public school. Now I am back in this system and I do not like it! I have no other choice but to fight, and hopefully reach other families who understand this, and are fed up! Since my daughter re entered school she's loaded with incredible amounts of homework! Honestly, the work is awful! I don't know how she does it! It's sheer nonsense that promotes a loathing of learning! Learning should not be drudgery, yes learning can be challenging, but this nonsense is not education! It's Common Core garbage! The only way to reclaim our schools is to unite and DEMAND change! All of US together.  You can learn more this Saturday, there is a statewide meeting at the Senior Center in Portland to discuss Common Core at 12:00 PM