Noted Common Core Opponent To Speak In Rockford [AUDIO]

It's topic we've discussed on the show a number of times, but one that still is surrounded by some level of confusion and uncertainty. It's Common Core, the new K-12 school curriculum standards in Math and English.

There's an opportunity soon to learn more from an expert on the topic. A nationally-known opponent of federal education standards, including Common Core, Dr. Duke Pesta will be in Rockford on Friday, September 19 to deliver a speech entiteled, “Fighting Common Core: Round 2”. The event starts at 6:30 p.m. at the Hoffman House Convention Center on East State.

Dr. Pesta currently is a professor of English at the University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh, and the Academic Director of Freedom Project Education, a non-profit which provides online classes and a classical curriculum to home school families.

So what's his problem with Common Core?

Parents should be concerned because first and foremost it’s a radical encroachment on parents’ rights, local school board rights, teacher rights. It’s a huge encroachment in that…more than ever before, these standards run technically through the federal government.

All the testing…that Common Core will do, is all nationalized. All of the textbooks have gone Common Core, which means that even though standards are standards, they actually are a curriculum as well. All these standards have been put together into all these textbooks—that are the only Common Core textbooks you can buy. The standards themselves…have been curricularized. The tests themselves require conformity to a certain pedagogy and a certain approach to be able to pass those tests or to even take them. That’s a huge problem for parents.

Here's our full conversation with Dr. Pesta:

Since the Common Core standards have gone into effect in 45 states and the District of Columbia, people have became alarmed that the “rigorous” “college and career ready” standards were not what they seemed. There's also new stories every day about how it's impacting young students across the country.

You can find out more with Dr. Pesta on September 19 at Hoffman House. There's no charge to attend, though a free-will offering will be taken. Seating is limited and you're encouraged to reserve your place here.