Because it’s worked out so well so far, right? Note the involvement of the Center for American Progress.

Spencer Irvine of Accuracy in Academia reports.

Extending Common Core

The deputy assistant secretary for elementary and secondary education spoke at the left-wing think tank Center for American Progress this past week. After his remarks, several leaders of afterschool nonprofit programs participated in a panel discussion on the expansion and value of afterschool programs.

Jonathan Brice, deputy assistant secretary at the Department of Education, told the audience, “In education, everything matters. Curriculum matters, assessments matter, professional development for teachers, access and opportunity to higher level coursework matters for all children.” He pushed for extending the normal school day in order to increase “the role that community partners play to make schools successful.” He thought that all educators should believe that“every child…has both the access and opportunity to quality preschool to postsecondary experience.”

One measure of success, for him, was a “focus on early learning schools” and giving schools access to new technology like broadband Internet. Brice pushed for “state-developed, college and career-ready standards” that will help in “high-paying and rewarding” jobs in the future. “So,” he said, “extended learning time matters.”

He said that snow days and standardized testing take valuable time away from the classroom, at least in the state of Maryland. He claimed that standardized testing took about ten class days.

Brice also argued, “Extended learning matters because in some cases it could be the only reason young people come to school.” He added that it “exposes young people to individuals” whom students would not have been exposed to previously without afterschool programs; and is “a way to get kids to learn, but having them think it’s all about fun.”