JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jacksonville Public Education Fund will host the first of two community meetings on the common core state standards Monday night at Edward Waters College, according to Channel 4's news partner WJCT.
Common Core is a collection of learning objectives for students in kindergarten through 12th grade that will be used in 45 states, including Florida.
The standards had wide support when they were first adopted in 2010, but opposition has been mounting as the state moves closer to their full implementation in 2014.
JPEF President Trey Csar told Channel 4's news partner WJCT, one problem is that a lot of people confuse standards with curriculum.
"Common core state standards are just that, they're standards, they are the ‘what' kids are expected to learn, not the ‘how'," Csar said. "They don't impose a specific textbook or a specific way to be taught, it is the what. And curriculum is handled at the local level and common core state standards are decided at the state level."
Monday's meeting begins at 6:00 p.m. with refreshments and ends at 7:30 p.m. at the Milne Auditorium at Edward Waters College.
According to the JPEF website, panelists will include: Duval County Public Schools Superintendent, Dr. Nickolai Vitti, President of PTA, Gretchen Lynch, EWC Chair of Elementary Education, Dr. Marie Snow and student Antonio Gansley-Ortiz. The panelists will be on hand during the meeting to answer people's questions and address their concerns.
The second community meeting is next Monday, Oct. 28, at the University of North Florida's Herbert University Center.
Both events are free and open to the public but JPEF encourages people to register ahead of time so that there are enough materials to go around. Click here to register. Visit JaxPEF.org or call (904) 356-7757 for more information.