Comments on: Taking Out the Trash

By: James Harvey

James Harvey — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 07:46:10 +0000

Minnich’s statement, as quoted, is incredible. It’s hard to believe that the director of standards for the Council of Chief State School Officers could think such a thing, much less say it.

One has to wonder at the value of a process led by people with such misinformed ideas.

I don’t see the comment in the Politics Daily story. Was this comment in the actual story? Or was it something Minnich said during an AFT panel (in which Munson participated)?

If the comment was in the Politics Daily on-line story and has subsequently been removed, you’d have to wonder about more than the value of the process. You really would have to start worrying about its integrity. (And I say that as someone who tends to think national standards are probably a good idea.)

By: Common Core » Blog Archive » Can We Trust Them?

Common Core » Blog Archive » Can We Trust Them? — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 15:07:57 +0000

[...] Last Thursday, Common Core’s blog criticized Chris Minnich–CCSSO’s director of standards–for telling Politics Daily that Shakespeare isn’t important enough to be included in the national standards. His response? To somehow convince the publication to change his quote. Here’s the original: [...]

By: A Band-Aid on the Unkindest Cut? at The Core Knowledge Blog

A Band-Aid on the Unkindest Cut? at The Core Knowledge Blog — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 13:52:18 +0000

[...] has suddenly disappeared from Linda Kulman’s Politics Daily piece, which was cited by Common Core, Joanne Jacobs and the Core Knowledge Blog (HT: [...]

By: MagisterGreen

MagisterGreen — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 01:11:59 +0000

When was it that you saw this quote? Because the version of the article currently showing does not have the part about Shakespeare being “not critical.” Methinks someone ‘updated’ the page and removed that bit.

Happen to take a screen capture?

By: dangermom

dangermom — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 18:18:34 +0000

That’s so discouraging and depressing that I’m not sure what to say about it.

By: Common Core » Blog Archive » Want students to read well? Make them read more.

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 16:41:10 +0000

[...] Common Core Promoting a full core curriculum. « Taking Out the Trash [...]

By: The Bard, Barred from National Standards at The Core Knowledge Blog

The Bard, Barred from National Standards at The Core Knowledge Blog — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 14:38:19 +0000

[...] eagle-eyed Lynne Munson of Common Core spotted a troublesome quote in a piece at Politics Daily about the work of drafting common state standards. It [...]

By: former_teacher

former_teacher — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 13:17:12 +0000

Minnich says, “Most of the studies say Shakespeare is not critical.” Critical to what, I wonder? What literature will fit the bill, in his opinion? Poor Harold Bloom must be beside himself.

Of course Shakespeare shouldn’t be the only thing read, but is the field really so crowded with other important literature that his work should be shut out entirely? And what to think of a CCSSO director of standards who would utter that phrase? Has he consulted with teachers? With parents?

When I taught English lit at a high-performing high school outside of Chicago. the Illinois state standards in English/RLA were never mentioned; they were considered pathetically underwhelming. Looks like the national standards under development could be of a similar, sad caliber. What a squandered opportunity….

By: One standard shall rule them all at Joanne Jacobs

One standard shall rule them all at Joanne Jacobs — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 10:31:37 +0000

[...] We’re going to dump Shakespeare? Lynne Munson of Common Core at the eagerness to “throw out possibly the brightest star of our literary heritage and replace it with … well, we don’t yet know.” Of course, in a few years the loss will hardly be noticed, as someone wise once pointed out: “He that is robb’d, not wanting what is stolen, / Let him not know ‘t, and he’s not robb’d at all.” (Othello, Act III, scene 3) [...]