Q: My charter school is following the State Board’s training and change over to the new Utah Core Standards. [These are new math and language arts standards based on the Common Core State Standards the Board adopted in August 2010] I personally think the Common Core is a Communist plot (same root words). Do I have to teach the new Utah Core Standards? —Educator Against the Core
Do I have to teach the new Utah Core Standards?
A: Yes. You are a charter school employee and a public employee. You have a strong directive to teach what your employer directs you to teach. USOE has created a pamphlet about the Core Standards which might be helpful and debunk the anxiety of it being a Communist conspiracy—it is not. [Link: http://www.schools.utah.gov/core/DOCS/coreStandardsPamphlet.aspx] On April 26, 2012 the State Board of Education hosted a public forum and an archive of the event will be made available on the USOE Website. A response to the comments and questions raised during the forum will also be posted on the website.
What is UPPAC? UPPAC is a committee of nine educators and two community members charged with maintaining and promoting a high standard of professional conduct and ethics among Utah teachers. It is advisory to the Utah State Board of Education in making recommendations regarding educator licensing and may take appropriate disciplinary action regarding educator misconduct.
For more information about UPPAC or to submit your questions to the UPPAC Q&A, contact William Spiegel at william.spiegel@schools.utah.gov or by phone at 801-538-7500.
Read the UPPAC newsletter, “Utah School Law Update,” for more Utah public education legal news and information.
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