Education commissioner's view on national standards

Congressional hearing raises concerns about national standards

AUSTIN – Commissioner of Education Robert Scott applauded the comments of congressmen and witnesses who today acknowledged the risk of making the Common Core Standards Initiative mandatory standards for all public schools.

The mathematics and English standards being drafted by the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers were the subject of a hearing before the Committee on Education and Labor today in Washington, D.C. Adoption of the standards counts heavily in the competition to win Race to the Top grants from the U.S. Department of Education and could be easily incorporated into the upcoming reauthorization of No Child Left Behind. Texas and Alaska are the only states that have not agreed to adopt these national standards and national tests.

Source: Press release from the Texas Education Agency

NY Times features Canadian and other tidbits

Wildcat spirit captures national attention

The New York Times wrote a story about the school spirit for the Canadian Wildcats and the town's refusal to become a desolate small town. Reporter Jere Longman quotes Laurie Ezzell Brown, editor of The Canadian Record, as saying "We specialize in being audacious."

See the story here.

Canyon ISD announcement

State Rep. John Smithee, R-Amarillo, is expected to speak during the dedication ceremony of the new Hillside Elementary School on Wednesday. The ceremony is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. at the school, 9600 Perry Ave. off of Soncy Road.

From Fritzwire, an education newsletter:

The National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers have released the first official public draft of college- and career-readiness standards in English-language arts and mathematics as part of a Common Core State Standards Initiative, a process being led by governors and chief state school officers in 51 states and territories. The NGA Center and CCSSO are encouraging those interested in the standards to provide feedback, which must be supported by research and evidence, by October 21 at http://www.corestandards.org/.

This is part of a movement to create national standards for education. Texas officials are paying attention, but so far have declined to participate. See the June story from the Dallas Morning News for more background.