In Summary

Sue Hannan, a 25 year teacher, taught in a great special reading program until it was lost to the budget cut.  Now she teaches 6th and 7th grades at Manchester’s Hillside Middle School.

What’s the status of the Common Core in Manchester classrooms?

“..we did not reject Common Core. It’s still part of what we do. We’re just going to build on it.”

What got you started down the Common Core road?

“Manchester School District principals essentially were told, “Roll out Common Core at your own school.”  So our principal, luckily for us, jumped on it and brought lots of training in.”

Do the new standards raise expectations?

“In the past, schools let it slide when a parent said, ‘My student can do this or can’t do that.’  The educational community became fearful of raising expectations. But that’s where we’ve been failing. We need to set that higher standard. The Common Core does that.

Each teacher provides a different educational experience but achieves the same standard

“…under the Common Core I retain my autonomy.”

How does teaching to the Common Core compare to teaching in the No Child Left Behind era?

“Our teaching became illogical with the advent of No Child Left Behind because we were so concerned with adequate yearly progress.  It became a data circus – became useless, really….Now it’s clear what students should know and be able to do by the end of the year.  We can move through the year in a logical way.”

What about algebra in the 8th grade?

“…once students have learned multiplication and division, they can put a variable in and make basic algebraic equations….. When they want to do algebra or pre-algebra in the 8th grade, they understand the principles and can do it.”

Now all teachers are English teachers:

“Students are starting to see that their English skills need to be used in every part of their lives, not just language arts class.”

Students are responding to the challenge:

“Ms. Hannan, I don’t want to leave your class. It’s fun and I like what we’re doing.”

Even learning vocabulary is more engaging now:

“I’ve started giving them ten minutes at the beginning of class to sit with another student and study vocabulary together.  They have to show what they know and don’t want to be embarrassed….Many more students passed most of vocabulary tests with flying colors.”

We read closely and drive deeper into the text:

“…they have to do close reading of the text, read it again and sometimes find a deeper meaning. But it’s no longer only a matter of writing.  They’ve got to be able to discuss it.”

The kids learn to write for the real world:

“You can’t write a letter to your boss and say, ‘I need a raise. The end.’”

Teach to the standards, not the test:

“You can’t teach to these tests anyway…..But we’re teaching all year long to the standards. By the time the test comes along in April or May, we should have accomplished those standards and the students will be prepared for the test.”

Parents should be thinking….

“My child needs to be challenged more. My child needs to work harder and do better.” Isn’t it every parent’s goal for their child does better than they did? And if we’re providing something that’s going to help them be better, why oppose it?

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