Common Core 'tour' comes to Bentonville

The state panel examining Common Core education standards will host a public forum in Bentonville today, the only Northwest Arkansas stop on the panel's "listening tour."

The Governor's Council on Common Core Review convened for the first time last month to begin studying Arkansas' use of the math and literacy standards adopted by most states, including Arkansas, in 2010. Lt. Gov. Tim Griffin is the council's chairman.

The council met for its fourth hearing in Little Rock on Wednesday.

Some Arkansans have urged the state to reconsider its use of Common Core, which education and business leaders both in state and nationally have said is more challenging than the state's old standards. Opponents frequently cite lack of local control, a quickened learning pace and cost among the reasons Common Core should be eliminated.

Northwest Arkansas superintendents, however, stand behind it. The 16 superintendents representing school districts in Benton, Washington and Madison counties signed a letter to Griffin last week declaring their "strong and unanimous support" for Common Core.

The superintendents' letter references an endorsement of Common Core by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

"The new standards will better prepare students for existing jobs, and more importantly, for jobs that have yet to be created," the letter states.

This isn't the first time the superintendents have jointly spoken out on the subject. They also wrote a letter to state legislators in February opposing a proposal to delay a new series of annual tests aligned with Common Core standards. Those tests are called the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers.

The Legislature eventually dropped that proposal. It passed a bill barring the state Board of Education from renewing the state's participation in the tests for more than a year after the 2015-16 school year or any subsequent school year.

Ken Ramey, superintendent of the Siloam Springs district, said schools have been working on implementing Common Core for four years.

"We've gotten to the point where we need to assess where we're at, and we don't want to change in the middle of the stream," Ramey said. "We've asked our teachers to change their teaching to align their curriculum in terms of higher expectations, and we just want to stay the course until we get some assessment."

A school-related commitment will keep Ramey from attending today's meeting. He said he doesn't know whether one public forum will meet the needs of Northwest Arkansas residents, "but it's better than nothing."

The governor's council consists of 16 people including educators, parents, business leaders and others. Local members include Mike Luttrell, president of Walker Brothers Insurance and Springdale School Board president; and Jonathon Guthrie, principal of Bentonville's Lincoln Junior High School.

Griffin said he's attending all of the public forums, including today's. He expects several council members to attend as well.

"We just listen," Griffin said. "We have a microphone, and people can just come and tell us what their experiences are with Common Core, what their views are."

Attendance at the first three forums has ranged between 20 and 50 people, Griffin said. He expects a big turnout today.

"I think it's fair to say we've heard a diverse range of opinions," he said. "Some people really love Common Core, some really dislike Common Core, some people have misinformation about Common Core."

He has received the letter from Northwest Arkansas superintendents, he said.

"I do have the letter and was happy to receive it," Griffin said. "It doesn't surprise me. I've heard from a lot of superintendents who have expressed the same view."

NW News on 05/14/2015