This is the Formal Proposition Paper provided to the Midwest Academy of Management. This document is a work in progress and as such is the copywritten property of Terri McCormick. Please write for permission to cite the document at cpg@mccormickdawson.com. We would like to know how you will be applying this work citation in your research.
This presentation examines the theoretical propositions that emerge from the literature review – establishing what is known about policy decision making, leadership, and education reform. The paper focuses on the “Black Box of Politics” as it intersects with public policy. The setting for the dissertation to follow is on the legislative committee hearings, documents, testimony, social media, press and other archived documents – during the Common Core State Standards Debate and consideration of REPEAL of the CCSD policy.
Yuri Maltsev, PhD is a professor of economics at Carthage College. He is a former member of President Mikhail Gorbachev’s economic reform team. Professor Maltsev has been interviewed on Fox News, CNN, and PBS Newshour regarding foreign economic issues and national security.
Jerald Mast PhD is a political scientist at Carthage College. His teaching and research focus is on public policy and democracy. Professor Mast explores the ways in which public values, opinions, and participation affect democratic decision-making. He is a frequent analyst of state and national politics for Wisconsin Public Radio.
Terri McCormick is a Republican who served three terms as a Wisconsin legislator. Ms. McCormick is the author of several books, including What Sex Is a Republican? Stories from the Front Lines of Politics and How to Run for Office on a Liberty Platform. Ms. McCormick is also a Leadership Studies and Public Policy doctoral candidate.
Lena Taylor is a Democrat and a Wisconsin State Senator. She serves on the Committees for Elections and Urban Affairs and Economic Development and Local Government. Senator Taylor is a former State Representative and an attorney.
As states move to implement the Common Core State Standards, key challenges remain. One is how to make sure a high school diploma acknowledges what students have achieved. Should states adopt a two-tiered diploma, in which students who pass internationally aligned Common Core exams at a career- and college-ready level receive an “academic” diploma, while students who fail to meet that bar receive a “basic” diploma? Yes, say three prominent thinkers who have long wrestled with questions of standards, testing, equity, and excellence. Chester E. Finn, Jr., is distinguished senior fellow at the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, Richard D. Kahlenberg is author of the definitive autobiography of Albert Shanker, and Sandy Kress advised President George W. Bush on the No Child Left Behind Act.
