Grayslake Teachers Can't Count? Community Consolidated School District 46 Common Core Math Presentation

Grayslake, IL, August 27, 2013 --(PR.com)-- The 43-second video clip that has recently gone viral of Community Consolidated School District 46’s Curriculum Coordinator Amanda August is only one, small, edited part of a 30-minute math presentation that was given to parents. The presentation in its entirety is posted on the D46 website for public viewing. People who were in attendance or viewed the entire video heard a very different message than what has been shown in that short clip. There was much more to that statement, and in fact, August stated that it is important to make sure that the answer is correct, and that students will always be corrected. In addition, the message was given that it is important to make sure that the child knows Why their answer is correct or incorrect.

CCSD 46, and Amanda August have received much fall out regarding this very short, edited clip and much criticism regarding Common Core. The district, its administrators, the Board of Education and August have been attacked and misrepresented. There have even been personal attacks made on August and her family. CCSD 46 will not tolerate personal attacks on staff and if necessary, legal action will be pursued.

The Common Core State Standards are clear benchmarks for what students should learn in each grade from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade in English language arts and mathematics. Governors and state education chiefs from more than 40 states came together to develop learning standards for English and math at each grade level. Prior to the development of the Common Core Standards, states had always set their own learning standards while schools have determined curricula or the actual lesson plans to meet the standards. Now, states that choose to adopt the Common Core standards are working with their district to develop curricula that address those standards. Common Core emphasizes critical thinking, mastery of key topics, the application of skills towards solving real-life challenges, and aligns with learning standards in other successful countries, it pushes students to learn and achieve more.

It is important to understand that state adoption of the Common Core standards is purely voluntary. The State of Illinois adopted the Common Core standards in 2010 and is requiring each school district to have full implementation of a curriculum to meet standards by the 2013-2014 school year. Adoption and implementation of these standards is tied to school funding. CCSD 46 would be in jeopardy of losing over five million dollars in funding annually.

CCSD 46 is working with the state to implement these standards for all students. Please see the District’s website (www.d46.org) for more facts about these standards.

About Community Consolidated School District 46

Community Consolidated School District 46 is located in North Eastern Illinois in central Lake County, approximately forty (40) miles north of Chicago and fourteen (14) miles west of Lake Michigan. CCSD 46 serves parts of the villages of Grayslake, Third Lake, Hainesville, Round Lake, Round Lake Park, Round Lake Beach, and Lake Villa.

The district is comprised of seven schools, four neighborhood schools – Avon Center, Meadowview, Prairieview, and Woodview for grades K-4, Park Campus for grades K-8, Frederick School for grades 5-6, and Grayslake Middle School for grades 7-8.