Washington state Dems reject national education standards known as Common Core

SEATTLE –  Leaders of the state Democratic Party have passed a resolution condemning the national education standards known as the Common Core, nearly five years after the state adopted the new learning goals.

At a party meeting in Olympia on Saturday, the Democrats approved a resolution saying the state was unfairly pressured into adopting the new standards.

They are asking the Legislature and Superintendent of Public Instruction Randy Dorn to back away from the Common Core and return to a similar list of education goals created in Washington state.

Dorn said Tuesday that he continues to support the Common Core and wonders why Democrats are taking this stand now. He said national standards make sense because mobile families, including those in the military, should get a similar education for their children no matter where they move.

“I do not believe that most people understand what this is about. It’s become a political propaganda issue,” Dorn said. “This wasn’t just done overnight. This was done over a long period of time with a lot of input from teachers and administrators, and top education researchers.”

The Common Core is a list of math and English learning goals for every grade level. For example, the standards say when students should learn how to work with fractions. The new standards were adopted in Washington state in 2010, and some school districts have been using them for more than two years.

The state Democratic Party says the new standards give too much power to federal interests. The Democrats’ resolution says the Council of Chief State School Officers and the National Governors Association were influenced by millions of dollars from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and other groups to support the Common Core.

The resolution says the U.S. Department of Education improperly pressured state legislatures into adopting the Common Core.

The resolution approved by the Democrats is similar to a resolution passed by Washington Republicans a year ago. The resolution mentions the new tests to gauge how much children are learning under the new standards, but the tests are a separate issue.

Dorn said he’s been pushing for national education standards for more than 20 years and believes the Common Core is beneficial to school children everywhere.

“This levels the playing field,” he said.

He said the new national standards are similar to Washington state’s previous standards but more challenging than standards in some states.

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Washington state Dems reject national education standards known as Common Core

Bureau of Standards issues recall on JSW fans

The Bureau of Standards Jamaica (BSJ) has issued an immediate recall of a shipment of standing and wall fans, under the brand name JSW due to a safety hazard.

The fans bear the model numbers: JF-87; JF-822; JF-88; JF-865FR and JWF-86.

In a release on Saturday , the BSJ said, during tests,the fans were severely burnt as a result of the absence of a thermal fuse to regulate the heat generated while in operation.
The fans were imported by Norinco International Limited.

The BSJ is advising persons in possession of the fans, to immediately stop using them, and return them to the point of purchase.
Any adverse reactions should be reported to the Consumer Affairs Commission.

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Bureau of Standards issues recall on JSW fans

Window narrows for athletes seeking ‘B’ standards

MONTEGO BAY, St James — Time could be running out on a number of Jamaican athletes seeking to achieve at least the ‘B’ qualifying standards to the IAAF World Championships in Moscow, Russia, set for August 10-18.

With three weeks to go to the July 29 deadline for athletes to achieve the standards to be selected by the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) for the championships, several athletes are still short of the ‘B’ standards required.According to the qualification rules set out by the IAAF, each event has an automatic of ‘A’ qualifying standard and a ‘B’ qualifying standard.Each federation is allowed to enter a maximum of four athletes in most events, except the marathon, either all with the ‘A’ standard or up to three ‘A’ standards and a ‘B’. A maximum of three will be allowed to participate plus a fourth if that athlete has a bye through being the defending champion or the IAAF Diamond League champion from the previous season.In the case where no athlete has achieved the ‘A’ standard, the federation is allowed to enter two athletes with the ‘B’ standard, but only one will be eligible to compete.The standards must be achieved between October 1, 2012 and July 29 this year for it to be accepted by the IAAF, the rule also states.National senior discus throw champions Chad Wright and Allison Randall, both of whom won their events at last week’s XXIV Central American and Caribbean track and field championships in Mexico, as well as triple jumper Wilbert Walker are still short of the mark, as well as former World Youth discus throw bronze medallist Traves Smikle. Triple jumpers Shanieka Thomas and Trecia Smith are also among those hoping to make the standards in the time left.Shot putter O’Dayne Richards threw a personal best 20.97m to win the gold at CAC on Sunday, well past the ‘A’ standard 20.60m to secure his place, and Raymond Brown, who has personal best 20.13m, just over the 20.10m ‘B’ standard.Wright is mere centimetres from the ‘B’ mark of 64.00m after throwing 63.74m earlier this year. He won with 62.35m at the JAAA/Supreme Ventures National Senior Championships, but had just 60.79m in Mexico.Jason Morgan has already achieved the ‘B’ standard after a season-best 65.94m, and has thrown over 64.00m many times this season, but did not compete at the Championships due to an emergency. He has since written to the JAAA explaining why he was not able to make it, but was left out of the CAC team.Smikle, the national record holder who also competed in London last year, has had injury setbacks this season and has a season best 63.48m set in April.Randall, who competed at the Olympic Games in London last year, is also within touching distance after throwing 58.97m to retain her title at the Championships, just outside the 59.50m ‘B’ mark.Like Smikle, Thomas will be hoping for a second visit to Russia this year and has a season best 14.15m just behind Smith’s 14.18, as both seek the ‘B’ mark of 14.20m, and the ‘A’ mark of 14.40m to join Kimberly Williams, who already has the ‘A’ mark.Thomas is into Thursday’s final of the triple jump at the WUG after jumping 13.48m in the preliminaries.Walker won the men’s triple jump at the Senior Championships with a windaided 16.40m and must make it to 16.48m to have a chance for selection.

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Window narrows for athletes seeking ‘B’ standards