Peoples Top Picks is a new initiative that delivers insights on how educators across the country are addressing current hot topics in education.

Monthly Spotlight: Common Core

“States that have adopted the CCSS have the option to continue administering their state-specific tests, but they must change over to the CCSS test by the 2014–2015 school year,” as confirmed on www.corestandards.org.

Peoples education wants to know your opinion!
How do you feel about the new Common Core State Standards?
Do you teach in a state that hasn’t adopted the new CCSS, and how do you feel about that?
As a teacher, do you feel that these standards will change the way you teach?

Join the conversation and tell us what you think by simply writing on our Facebook wall (find us at Peoples Education), or e-mail your thoughts to bnelson@peoplesed.com. We would love to hear what you have to say! You may also see your comments published in our December newsletter!

How has Peoples Education adapted to the changing ways of education?

Peoples Education carefully monitors the updates surrounding the Common Core State Standards, including following various news sources and consortia updates. This market research allows us to maintain the most current information and inform our product development schedule. 

Visit www.peopleseducation.com or www.measuringuplive.com for more information on our Peoples Common Core worktexts and online technology products. 
 
Have something to say? Share it! Submit your own case studies and testimonials via our Web site by clicking on Share Your Success Story under the Community section. Get a chance to see your comments posted in the Peoples Education newsletter!

Straight from the Source

Opinion Editorials by a Seasoned Educator

“Twice-exceptional students”

Since retiring from the classroom, my husband and I have volunteered to tutor, he in science and math and I in history and English. Having begun our educations in 1942 and now being the grandparents of twenty-one, we have a broad perspective on good and bad changes in instructional strategies and delivery systems across the United States.

The ongoing travesty of educational “experts” using “educationese,” i.e., renaming old and obvious concepts and teaching them for profit to captive audiences of beginning and experienced teachers, is both amusing and frustrating. One such word, however, deserves the appreciation of all educators and parents alike. As an occasional editor for graduate papers, the term “twice-exceptional,” describing bright students with learning disabilities, gained my attention as one that should have been taught to educators and parents a long time ago.

It is dangerous to one’s education to be one of these students, because, when identified early as having learning problems, they are often put into classes where their weaknesses are the only foci of improvement, while their strengths are ignored and undeveloped as being “adequate.” Likewise, if recognized early for their cleverness, they could be in gifted classes where their processing, reading, and hand-to-eye glitches remain totally overlooked, because they are doing well enough to earn tepid grades, while teachers and parents conclude that they are merely lazy and typical of the gifted who simply do not care to do what others find satisfying. The strong-willed of both improperly served sets may develop behavior problems, be identified as antisocial, and suffer behavioral modification.

The long-term solution is simple: Pay attention, parents and teachers! Consistently and individually interact with students of all levels, notice them in and out of the classroom, and strenuously be their advocates to meet their needs.

—Deborah Seigman, retired teacher from Killeen High School, Killeen Independent School District, Texas

At Peoples Education, we continually seek input from educators at all levels to improve our partnership with schools and districts. Your opinion counts! Each month we will reach out to the education community for feedback on a specific topic. We will post what we learn in this newsletter and on our informative Facebook page. 

Join the conversation on Facebook and be heard!

See you next month!

Sincerely,

Peoples Education

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