Academic Standards Public Hearings
Cloquet Academic
Standards Hearing
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Cloquet Standards Hearing
I was happy to attend the meeting at Cloquet High School. There were about 50 people in attendance, the majority having a connection to the education establishment. Only 4 people spoke who were there as private citizens.
The panel included the commissioner, 3 members of the science and social studies committees and 3 legislators (Becky Lourey, Bill Hilty, and Mary Murphy. There was no print or TV press coverage even though both the Duluth News & Tribune and The Duluth Budgeteer came out with editorials during the weekend. Our meeting was as cordial as you could get.
These are the thoughts that were express by teachers (not the private citizens) at our meeting.
1) A Hermantown school board member referred to the Shanker Institute study, wanted the social study standards thrown out and would prefer an integrated geography, history, economics etc for grades 9-12. Hates Ronald Reagan, did not want to give him any credit for anything, believed the downfall of the Soviet Union went back to the policies of Harry Truman.
2) A science teacher from Floodwood made many detailed suggestions on the science benchmarks, always referring to natural selection in his remarks. One parent asked for a clarification on how evolution would be presented.
3) A principal from Hermantown asked for a clarification on scope and sequencing for geography, how will the Federal government view the changes we have made, is federal testing in social studies on the horizon, will we jeopardize funding.
4) Several comments that many benchmarks in grades 1-4 were developmentally inappropriate.
5) A couple negative references to the students understanding the Articles of Federation.
6) Same is true of the use of privatization as politically charged and its inclusion too numerous. Similar comments on Christianity use was too often, the standards too Eurocentric even though a geography/history teacher from Wrenshall would not have time to present anyone else's history (African, etc.).
7) Opposition to the use of the word barbarian.
8) A guidance counselor from Two Harbors wanted a timelime of implementation for helping students to pick classes and career goals.
9) No use of the phrase "right wing", conservative was used, one reference to separation of church and state in the presentation of world religions.
10) Overwhelming concern for the amount of benchmarks. Commissioner restated that this is the first working draft.
11) All panel members were to express their thoughts. Actual committee members were to evaluate the experience.
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