Niagara Falls parents and teachers were the latest to speak out against the relentless push continues against the Common Core and high-stakes testing.Again in a Thursday night meeting at Niagara Falls High School, there was an alliance of parents and teachers against the Board of Regents push for the Common Core and testing.
Regents have somewhat backed off on the program but the curriculum is still being put into place. Objections range from the limiting effect on teaching to no proof that it's going to work.
Liz Framciosa is a Niagara Falls third grade teacher with a third grade daughter.
"A one-size education does not fit all. Some kids need to be enriched and some kids need extra help and we're only teaching one way," Framciosa said.
"We're taking the creativity out of it, the fun out of it. They're eight-years old and these kids are taking six-days of testing, at 90-minutes a day.
State Senator George Maziarz was one of the sponsors of the meeting. Maziarz says Regents are getting scared by the public reaction against the Common Core.
"They should have a two-year (implementation) moratorium to start off with, absolutely a two-year moratorium," Maziarz told WBFO News.
"You can see the Board of Regents is starting to move back now because they are up for re-appointment and they can see the sentiments growing, Long Island, the cities, the urban areas, Upstate areas are all against the four incumbent Regents. So, suddenly they have had this Epiphany where they're moving back on the Common Core. They should have done this six months ago."
Terms are running out for four of the Regents; opposition candidates have been announced. The re-appointment process usually amounts to a rubber stamp of approval for incumbents by state legislators.
