CHICAGO SAYS NO: On Wednesday, October 22, Chicago Public Schools CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett announced her plan to cancel PARCC testing for Chicago students this coming spring. According to Politico, Byrd-Bennett referred to the test as an "unproven" exam, and wants more validation through additional field testing. Byrd-Bennett's proposed solution is to use the MAP test for accountability purposes while piloting PARCC again with a smaller group of students. While PARCC reps reject Byrd-Bennett's sentiments ("PARCC is tested and ready,"says PARCC spokesman David Connerty-Marin), others take heed of her decision and recognize its relationship to negativity surrounding Common Core. Rick Hess, an education policy analyst for the American Enterprise Institute, explains: "The Common Core is a badly damaged brand, and that's why you see public officials trying to get some distance."
