Anti CCSS Warriors, we’ve made progress in the battle for wiping out CCSS, we’re on the move to now include the adult version, CTE. After going on another ‘undercover’ research trip into the ‘world of education’ this weekend, I came away with a few muse worthy findings. These, of course, lead to questions we Warriors need to consider in this extremely important ‘War Against the Core’!
What I Discovered:
1) A definite shift in what is being highlighted at educational conventions, conferences from academics to services.
2) A distinct ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ aura. I saw this in action with one educational service where the parents, teachers, and students were drawn in like flies. The service is 100% aligned to CCSS, CTE, yet THAT fact was no where in sight. What was? Colorful prizes, discounts for signing up right away, and how much smarter your child would be by learning to read with a computer leading the way.
3) Since I’ve attended many, many educational conventions, conferences, symposiums, curriculum fairs, and the like, I know where the focus has been and is now shifting. I’ve been able to meet and interact with educators of ALL types, in all the different choices out there. Of all the folks I met with on this particular journey, less than 1 dozen noticed what I did…that educating our students in academics is being changed right before our eyes.
4) Laws in different states are also being updated to reflect the need for more accrediting from those schools which have, up to now, been just fine in graduating students. An example? Changing the scholarship requirements from ‘open to all graduating seniors’ to ‘open to graduating seniors with an accredited diploma’. For some schools, like homeschools, this will continue to be a warning sign of more control, more alignment to the ‘more traditional system’.
What’s The Solution?
In a recent conversation with a education professor who’s also an author and holds a doctoral degree, we were sharing how it’s been great to have so much information point to what’s wrong about Common Core and it’s ‘cousin’, Career and Technical Education, but who’s got a solution to offer as an alternative? This is a great question for us to not only ponder, but to get busy on. Our legislators are being bamboozled by the giant CCSS Machine, the Business RoundTable, the Chambers of Commerce on the “Who, When, Where, Why, and How” of CCSS/CTE. Very few of these elected men and women have seen the light that we, the anti CCSS Warriors have.
I’ve shared with you, as have others opposed to the CCSS Machine, there has been a credible solution offered by a dedicated group of NC citizens for the K-12 educational system. The “NC Plan” has been publicized nation wide as a worthy, CCSS free framework.
Freedom Project Education has purposed itself to be 100% CCSS free in its K-12 virtual school. However, as the professor and I were sharing in our conversation, we MUST have an alternative for the Post-Secondary CCSS/CTE overhaul. If we don’t all the K-12 CCSS free moves will be absolutely negated. The assessments, the data mining, and other K-12 CCSS tools are also in post-secondary education. We’d like to see those go away, too.
The CCSS Machine will be 100% successful in claiming all the post-secondary students it possibly can IF we, the anti CCSS Warriors, do not focus on this huge, yet under-discussed issue. Remember, post-secondary education encompasses EVERY citizen in this nation, who chooses to return to the classroom. EVERY taxpayer’s hard earned dollar is going to help fund (as it already has been doing) the CCSS/CTE alignment.
There are others out there just as purposed to freeing the post-secondary educational world of CCSS/CTE. There are a few institutions NOT CCSS/CTE aligned. However, with the rewriting of the ESEA of 1965 (Elementary and Secondary Education Act), the recent passages of BOTH the HR5 and S1177 (Student Success Act/Every Child Achieves Act, respectively), AND the up-coming bills for “College Promise” Act, updated “Higher Education” Act, any school receiving any type of federal education (and in most cases state education) dollars, will have NO choice in remaining free of the CCSS/CTE agenda. In short, all of the above cement the bridge between K-12 and post-secondary education.
We know, now, how the post-secondary educational world has been helpful in creating and continuing Common Core. We know, now, how post-secondary institutions are being turned into a grooming parlor for more CCSS/CTE drones. (examples of this can be found in my older articles about the colleges where education majors are being taught to teach only CCSS/CTE)
We know, without the shadow of a doubt our time to have a CCSS/CTE free America is short.
I urge you to contact Sen. Mike Lee, who is seeking folks like us to address the post-secondary educational dilemma. His current higher education proposal(known as the HERO Act) is a start. While, from the summary, reads like another way to streamline education, it’s an avenue for feedback, we’ve not had before. By us providing people of influence with the credible facts and research we have about the CCSS Machine in post-secondary education, I think we can make a big difference. I’ve reached out to the Senator. I hope you, as my comrades, will do the same.
If not Sen. Lee, then someone similar whom you know will help us fight the CCSS Machine. There are at least 2 other Senators, concerned about the reformation of higher education, see: http://www.goacta.org/the_forum/senators_embrace_higher_ed_reform_agenda
Remember, we have the Machine in our sights. Let’s hit the bullseye, anti CCSS Warriors!
Finally, if you know of any other legislators, state or federal level, who join us as opposed to the CCSS Machine, please leave a comment to this article sharing his or her name and contact information. We’ve got to work together to provide an alternative to a CCSS/CTE aligned education, no matter at what level it is.
