Public Testimony by NH DOE Commissioner Virginia Barry on HB 1508

Commissioner of NH DOE, Virginia Barry, loses control at today’s public hearing for HB 1508, a bill that would end Common Core in NH. She is insulting and resorts to appeals to authority instead of honestly addressing the concerns of NH citizens. In her testimony, Dr. Barry refers to opponents of Common Core as “a small, loud, misinformed group of individuals who continue to distort information regarding Common Core State Standards.”

IF Common Core is voluntary, why must all public and charter schools use the aligned Smarter Balanced Assessments?

IF Common Core is voluntary, why are districts, such as Londonderry, not given a waiver for alternative tests?

IF Common Core is voluntary, why are parents told they are not “allowed” to opt-out their children from these unverified tests in accordance with NH law and district policies?

IF Common Core is voluntary, why can’t parents keep their children’s private information out of this massive database? (Does she really believe that just removing a child’s name provides anonymity?)

IF Common Core is voluntary, why can’t the DOE tell NH citizens what the full costs of implementation are?

HB 1508 (2014) public hearing on Feb 6, 2014 testimony by NH DOE Commissioner Virginia Barry