Common Core Concerns
Editor:
Will the federal government have access to your child’s personal data? Yes.
The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) assessments will provide the federal government access to student level information on your children. Student level means information would be tied directly to a specific child.
The federal, “Race to the Top (RTTT) Assessment Program” awarded a $169 million grant to the “Partnership for the Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers” (PARCC) to develop tests aligned to the CCSS. Maryland has an agreement with PARCC.
The Cooperative Agreement between U.S. Dept. of Education & PARCC, offers some troubling terms:
Page 3 Item 5 reads … “including, but not limited to working with the Department of Education to develop a strategy to make student level data that results from the assessment system (PARCC) available on an ongoing basis for research, …”
Page 10 Item 6 reads, “The Grantee (PARCC), must provide timely and complete access to any and all data collected at the State level to Education Department or its designated program
monitors, technical assistance providers or researcher partners …”
In short, the government wants to collect a dossier on every child, containing highly intrusive, personal information, without asking permission or even notifying parents.
If you are concerned with the federal government having complete access to your child’s personal information, contact your state and local school boards, governor, state and federal legislators and ask them to withdraw from PARCC.
F. Gebhart
Berlin
Support Was Incredible
Editor:
On behalf of the Lower Shore Chapter of the American Red Cross and the Society of Women Leaders, the First Annual Summer Crush Golf Classic Committee would like to thank the business community for the incredible support, which made this first-time event such a success.
The weather was perfect, auction items were fantastic, a 50/50 prize which was donated back to the Red Cross from winner Chris Adams and over 80 golfers helped raise over $12,000 for disaster relief and emergency training.
We would especially like to mention the following businesses and individuals who continually demonstrate their community support through generous donations and participation in this and other charitable events: Deer Run Golf Club, OC Elks, Value One Carpet, Fish Tales/ Bahia Marina, Apple Drugs, Castaway Waterfront Campground, MarcPark, Sherwood on the Shore, Midway Chevrolet, Carey Distributors, Pepsi Bottling Ventures, Reliable Churchill Distributors, Adams-Burch, Em-ing’s, Fresco’s on the Bay, Myers Tool Rental & Parties Your Way, PRMC, OC Parrothead Club, Eastern Shore Golf Magazine, D3Corp, Minuteman Press, Comcast Spotlight, A Perfect Face, Allegany Aggregate, Anderson Generation Resort Properties, Berlin Nursing & Rehab Center, Clarion Resort Fontainebleau Hotel, Coconut Malorie, Delegate Charles Otto, Delegate Michael McDermott, Delmar Nursing & Rehabilitation, Elizabeth’s Treasures, George’s Bloody Mary Mixes, First Shore Federal, Judy Jameson, Jerry Truitt, Jr., Katy Durham & Rick Meehan, Kim Lucido McCabe, Mann Properties, Lucille & Mark Rudnick, Inn on the Ocean, Mary Beth Carozza, Mid Atlantic Health, OC New Wave, Ray Grant, VFW Post#8296, State Farm/Claudia Nicholls, Trond Pools, William, Moore, Shockley & Harrison, LLP, J. Robert Smith & Stacey Smith Dowd, Gary Williams, Phillips Seafood, Coastal Coffee, and Captain’s Table.
Karen Tomasello
Ocean City
(The writer is chair of the Summer Crush Committee.)