Stop Core Curriculum Bashers

Core Curriculum is not the Devil. Education reform has to start somewhere. If we had a national curriculum that could be discussed with our friends on the other coast, then we might have children discussing what they learned in school that day. Kids are not just friends with their school mates or kids in their neighborhood. This is where our culture has changed and education has not. They have social media that allows them to stay friends with kids all over the country.

I have a church that has the same idea. It's curriculum or teachings are the same anywhere in the world. They may have different discussions and the teacher may take it in a different directions, but it is the same idea. K-12 had the basic units of learning that could be discussed on a nationwide level. This would get the kids more involved with education and the teachers couldn't be accused of being lazy. 

Half Days School Week...

The average school year is 180 days or 1,098 hours per year.  Some schools only require a number of days and not hours, so a full day may be counted if it is six hours. For example, a school may let kids out early once a week and it still fulfills its number of days of instruction. In New Mexico, Utah, Georgia and many other school districts they have Early Release days. This is when kids get out early by 1 or 2 hours once a week. This also gives the school districts time for prep or development meetings.

Then we have the four day week. There is not any studies about how this will work because it hasn’t been done. And because it hasn’t been done….why not. It saves fiscal money for the school districts. And this is just what Colorado has started this year.  What will kids do with their extra time?

Progressive Education Era was taking place during this time. John Dewey, the father of progressive education was influencing that changes that would take place into the 1900’s.  Education seemed to be for the wealthy, and the PEA wanted an education that helped each American do their civil duty and be a part of a democracy.  In early 1900 it was a big deal to graduate 8^th grade.  Then in 1906 vocational schools were brought about by labor demands and a industrial society by the National Society for the Promotion of Industrial Education (NSPIE).  The 1917 Smith-Hughes National Vocational Education Act was the result of the NSPIE pushing for federal funding for the labor shortages. The Vocational schools did not prepare people for their field because of the varying curriculum and did not help the individual economically. Also, the numbers of enrolled students never reached the numbers they hoped <20%. Finally, the child labor act came in 1916 in American and 1918 in England because of the labor shortage due to the war in 1914.  England decided to take a less book style to teaching and America had Dewey’s publication pushing for a school that prepared kids for a democratic society.  During this time mother’s could count on their child living and began keeping track of their milestones in a baby book. One of those milestones, according to the History of Childhood, recorded when a child’s first discipline happened. In 1912 the U.S. Children’s Bureau was inundated with letters from parents for help raising babies. The people depend on the government to help them raise their child.

Adults are working in a more industrialized America. This wasn’t just week days, this was Saturday too. In the 1900’s adults are working an average of 10 hours a day. During the 1900’s education was 99 days of the year. By the 30’s, adults worked an average of 44 hours a week, which was reduced to 40 hour work weeks with the help of Unions by the 40’s. Education said good-bye to the 1 room school house and started going to school 158 days a year. Thirty- eight percent of our children are graduating kindergarten and 35% graduate college. College graduates is up 10% from a decade ago. Each time the days of school went up the graduation rate increased. We finally see the 45 minute 7 periods a day for schools in the 50’s. Countries want a more rigoriious education because each wanted to be the first to land on the moon. This would happen finally in

Americans were fighting for higher wages, while Europe was fighting for shorter hours. By the 50’s it was past the depression and parents were working less than they ever had. They had more time with their children and 19% of mom’s are working. People as a whole in America have more free time and are wasting time and teachers are accused of becoming lazy. The television is invented and the baby boomers are entering the world.

During the 60’s it was a war on race. Sixty-nine percent of kids are graduating, but only 16% are black. The rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer. Lyndon Johnson declared a War of Poverty. By the 70’s the Watergate lost the trust of the American People to depend on the government to help raise their kids. Now the government is not doing enough in the school and expectations are not where they should be for education. The panacea of all problems in the school is that the teachers are lazy and there needs to be more discipline in the schools.

When the 80’s hit we no longer keep track of graduation percentages, but drop-out rate. That means we were doing better of course, but then started focusing on the drop-outs and not the successes. Teachers are still lazy and are not getting paid fairly. Teachers are burned out and students are burned out.

Maybe we should have listened, because the school violence hits us hard in the 90’s. School violence is an epidemic. One other number that is worth noting is 80% of moms work. This is up 61% from the 50’s. What did we have in the 50’s that we don’t have now? 

Half days are not for our generation unless the kids are doing something useful. Parents are working and are not watching their kids. Why keep cutting the budget and not take the money from Planned Parenthood? Solve the problem, don't just eradicate it. 

Compare Utah and New Jersey High School requirements

Bottom Line: New Jersey gives more choices to their students for electives. Even required areas like Computer Tech and Financial Lit students have a choice. This is why their graduation rate is higher in my opinion.

Utah simply required 1 more year of an elective. I think they do this so they can get an office aide or a peer tutor.  Peer Tutoring can be looked at as Volunteer time and office aide is child labor. This kids just sit there and do nothing.

Kids want to be done and burn out happens. Kids should not feel like they have to take a class just because. If schools want to increase their graduation rate give more choices and don't make them waste their time. Kids want to get on with their life.

I'm also not a fan of the block scheduling because high school is too young to sit for nearly 1 1/2 hours. Teachers have them finish assignment in class that could be done at home. Many times the smarter kids are done while the other kids waste their time. . 1 1/2 hr  classes are okay for college because you go, listen to the teacher and leave to do your homework and those classes are only a semester or 10 weeks. Adults! Imagine sitting in English for 1 1/2 hours 2-3 times a week. The block schedule in any high school is a way to force kids to get homework done. Again, less choice, and kids get burn out.

180 days is the average for schools and is the same in Utah (990 hours) and New Jersey, but New Jersey averages 185 days with no weekly early out days. Jordan High School is set to begin a late start beginning in 2015-2016 school year and start each day earlier. What's the point? Utah also requires 990 hours, and if figured that only means a full 165 days. The rest do not have to be full days, only 4 hours to count as a day.


click here for the hours required per state: http://www.ecs.org/clearinghouse/77/14/7714.pdf  last update 2007

The link will tell how many days: http://www.ecs.org/clearinghouse/95/05/9505.pdf  last update 2011

Early out days are quite popular in the western states. I had never heard of them until I moved to NM. I simply couldn't get my mind wrapped around the early out once a week. Then I moved to Utah and they have late start. The kids start at 9:30 am versus 7:50. This is for middle school and at some high schools. Do you really think the kids accomplish any thing on a late start day or early out day? It simply throws the working parent into a tizzy trying to juggle the schedule now.

Now, I am not a fan of simply saying kids don't need a break and teachers don't need more planning time, but I feel like the time they have is precious and it should be used the most efficient way possible. Most of the time the districts okay an early out day so they can have district meeting. Are they meeting efficient and improving education that much more by having the meetings?

And then you look how each high school schedules their day and see differences. There is the ABCD day to fit 13 classes through the year.
HOMEROOM 7:30 A.M. - 7:40
A.M. PERIOD 1 7:45 A.M. - 8:27 A.M.
PERIOD 2 8:32 A.M. - 9:14 A.M.
PERIOD 3 9:19 A.M. - 10:01 A.M.
PERIOD 4 10:06 A.M. - 10:31 A.M. LUNCH
PERIOD 5 10:36 A.M. - 10:48 A.M.
PERIOD 6 10:53 A.M. - 11:18 A.M. LUNCH
PERIOD 7 11:23 A.M. - 11:35 A.M.
PERIOD 8 11:40 A.M. - 12:05 A.M. LUNCH
PERIOD 9 12:10 A.M. - 12:22 P.M.
PERIOD 10 12:27 P.M. - 12:52 P.M. LUNCH
PERIOD 11 12:57 P.M. - 1:09 P.M.
PERIOD 12 1:14 P.M. - 1:39 P.M. LUNCH
PERIOD 13 1:44 P.M. - 2:26 P.M.


 There is the block schedule that has classes at near 1 1/2 hours long.

Period 1 (7:50 AM - 9:19 AM)

Period 2 (9:25 AM - 10:49 AM)

Period 3A (10:49 AM - 11:54 AM)

Period 4 (1:00 PM - 2:25 PM)

 Periods 1-4 on A day and 5-8 on B day.
If they want to give kids more time then just give them a four day week of class and Wednesdays off. This way they can fit extra curricular and other things into their lives and teachers aren't left with wasted class time because there is nothing a high school student hates more than doing NOTHING in class.

Here is a quote from a study:http://www.centerforpubliceducation.org/Main-Menu/Organizing-a-school/Time-in-school-How-does-the-US-compare

"If considering block scheduling, look at the research.  Block scheduling is intended to increase time on task, but the research results are mixed, with the 4X4 block producing the least gains. However, block scheduling can also provide time for teachers’ professional development or pull-out time for struggling students.

Low-cost options, like four-day weeks, can prove beneficial to achievement as well. The research isn’t definitive, but some districts that have tried this are seeing unintended benefits in the form of higher test scores, decreased disciplinary problems, greater collaboration among teachers, and higher morale."

What credits are required?

Utah School                                                                          New Jersey School

English/Language Arts 4.0 Credits Social Studies 3.5 Credits 1.0 credit Geography for Life 1.0 credit World Civilizations 1.0 credit U.S. History 0.5 credit US Government and Citizenship Mathematics 3.0 Credits 2.0 Foundation/Core credits 1.0 additional Foundation/Core or Advanced Applied, or Foundation (AAF) credit Science 3.0 Credits 2.0 credits from two different:Earth, Biology, Chemistry, or Physics 1.0 additional Foundation/Core or Advanced Applied, or Foundation (AAF) credit Healthy Lifestyles 2.0 Credits 0.5 Health 0.5 Participation Skills & Techniques 0.5 Fitness for Life 0.5 Physical Education Elective Arts 1.5 Credits Computer CT : 2 credits Career & Technical Ed. 1.0 Credits Computer Technology 0.5 Credits General Financial Literacy 0.5 Credits *Elective Courses 8.0 Credits *TOTAL CREDITS: 27.0 Credits

English 4 years/ 20 credits Social studies 3 years / 15 credits US History World Cultures Mathematics 3 years/ 15 credits Algebra I Geometry Algebra II Science 3 years/ 15 Biology Chemistry and / or Environmental Earth and  /or Physics PE HEALTH 1 year/ 5 credits World Languages 2 years/ 10 credits ELECTIVES: 12.5 credits (ARTS with choices) Financial Lit   ½ year/ 2.5 credits - Visual /Performing  1 year/ 5 credits - Computer Tech or Career  1 year / 5 credits *35 credits/7 classs electives 130 for graduation

27 required classes in Utah! 19 required classes in Utah + 8 electives:  Requires ½ Government and Citizenship and 1 yr more  of Heath/ PE, and ½ year more arts,

Utah has government and citizenship, more PE and more ARTS and 1 more classes of electives which include office aide and Peer Tutoring.

26 in New Jersey: requires ½ more of Computer tech, and 2 years world language

NJ has 2 years of world language.