I believe that I’m and open-minded and thoughtful person. I don’t tend to jump to conclusions, but rather spend a lot of time investigating things. Well, at least that’s true unless I think the kids have done something wrong. I tend to jump to conclusions and then often have to backtrack with them. But in most other things, I’m pretty deliberate.

This school year, Kansas adopted the CCR Standards (College and Career Ready Standards). Despite the marketing attempt, this is the Kansas variant of Common Core.

Now don’t knee-jerk into either a positive or negative mode about Common Core. Let’s be rational here.

The stated goal is to make sure our kids are all educated with the same material, in a measurable way, that has a stated progression. For the teeny, tiny percentage of kids who move between schools in vastly different areas of the country, they won’t fall behind. They’ll just pick up where they were. So for a small minority it’s an advantage.

But what about for the vast majority of kids who progress through a single school system from Kindergarten through High School?

I’m still on the fence, although I’m starting to lean.

Back in November, a friend of mine posted a link on Facebook that opened a discussion about Common Core, and specifically about the impact of our Kansas variant. A couple of really great educators and educational consultants chimed in and opened my eyes. Prior to their input, I had no idea that there were both content standards and practice standards. The content standards provide guidance on what needs to be covered at each grade level. The practice standards guide educators on how to present and teach the material. Then both students and teachers are going to be assessed and measured. The effectiveness of the teaching model is going to be measured on how well the kids do on standardized tests. I’m still not really clear how the effectiveness of the teachers is going to be measured. I’m still researching that.

I’ve also had kids in school since what feels like the dawn of time. When you have eight kids spread out over as many years as mine are, you see standards come and go. You see methods of measurement rise and ebb. You see teaching methodologies evolve and grow.

I’m also all about data measurement. I’m a nerd at the core, and I believe that it’s useful to know when progress is being made, when (and where) improvements are required, and generally how to get from where we are to where we want to go.

On the other hand, I recognize that kids are not commodities. They cannot and will not all fit into the same mode. Heck, I have twin daughters, and they are as different as they can be. They might be able to wear the same clothes, and they both have the same basic vocabulary, but they are as unique in their personalities, learning styles, and approach to life as anybody on the planet. If one-size doesn’t fit them, how could we ever expect that one-size will fit any two individuals?

So why the long-winded post? Because our Parent-Teacher-Student conference is scheduled this afternoon for my youngest daughter and her teachers. They grade cards are no longer sent home, but rather available online for printing. They haven’t been available yet this year until a few days ago, which was unfortunate. I probably would have been more prepared for the PTS conference if I’d been able to see her grading prior to today.

Mind you, I’ve had three kids who were valedictorians of one of the largest high schools in Kansas. Four kids have gone on to college and been at the top of their classes. They’ve kicked butt academically. They are well-read, well-spoken, and critical thinkers. The three in high school are upholding the family tradition well. Four of my kids have gone through the rigorous process to be identified gifted students. We’ve seen the way those assessments are done, and we understand what it means to be academically identified gifted. We expect excellence in the classroom, in sports, and socially. The kids have risen to those expectations without exception. They are all differently gifted, but they are in the stratosphere of society, quite honestly.

So when a grade card is presented that shows my daughter as “Making Progress”, I get a bit worried. You see, we can’t compare a “2” on the current grade card with a “C”. We’ve been told they’re not the same thing. But she only received one “Advanced – Applies and Extends Knowledge” out of 73 areas measured…I question whether this is the same kid we see at home. She’s the brightest one we’ve had yet. She’s had the experience of keeping up with older siblings since the day she was born. She’s witty, articulate, socially adjusted, and a great student. She doesn’t have to work hard to achieve, it’s just part of who she is.

So I’m a somewhat loaded for bear for this conference. We’ll have 15 minutes to discuss the process of getting her from where she’s being assessed to where we believe she can be. We’ll have tiny bit of time to talk about goals, ways to measure them, and why the assessments have been like they are. And this has to be done in a calm, rational, and adult manner…all in front of my daughter.

So you could say that I’m a bit on edge.

I’m sure you’ll be hearing more about my experience after we have the conference. In the meantime, keep me in your prayers. Being a parent is tough. Change is tough. And raising kids it tough.

I just hope I’m up to the challenge this time around…