A new poll of 800 teachers conducted by the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) finds that most public school teachers feel unprepared to teach math and reading to the Common Core standards, which are rolling out in 45 states and the District of Columbia, The Washington Post reports. While a clear majority -- 75 percent -- of teachers surveyed said they support the Common Core, less than a third said their districts have given them adequate training and resources to teach them. All participating states are expected to have the standards in place by 2014, when students will take new standardized tests based on them. Two states -- Kentucky and New York -- have already tested students on the new standards. In New York, teachers, parents, and students complained the tests were poorly designed, covered material that had not been taught, and frustrated children to the point of tears. Like many other states, New York intends to use the test results in decisions about student grade promotion, teacher job evaluations, and school closings. AFT President Randi Weingarten has called for a moratorium on Common Core-related consequences for at least one year until teachers and students across the country are sufficiently prepared. Among the teachers polled, 83 percent supported the moratorium. More       See the survey

Source:  Public Education News Blast

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Los Angeles Education Partnership (LAEP) is an education support organization that works as a collaborative partner in high-poverty communities.