Reports: Teachers’ unions in revolt over Common Core State Standards

Last week the National Education Association, the largest teachers’ union in the country, made major headlines in its annual meeting with the passage of a call for the resignation of the US Secretary of Education (See New Business Item 23 here). Serious problems that are surfacing with the implementation of the Common Core State Standards, which the NEA previously identified, probably played a role in that incredible action.

Now, Politico reports that the American Federation of Teachers, the next most prominent teachers’ union, is taking an almost equally astonishing action regarding Common Core with “plans to give its members grants to critique the academic standards — or to write replacement standards from scratch.”

Politico adds:

“It’s a sign that teachers are frustrated and fed up — and they’re making their anger heard, loud and clear.”

Resolutions to be considered at the AFT annual meeting include one citing inappropriate political influence in the standards, administrative bungling, and corporate profiteering. Another vote may be taken to call for complete, outright opposition to the standards.

It’s hard to see how Common Core can survive without teacher support. Historically in Kentucky, both our old KIRIS and CATS assessments ultimately crashed when Kentucky teachers finally had enough of them.