FTF: Update for STEM, Workforce, and the HEA, Part One

Warriors against the CCSS Machine. We know that Machine includes STEM, Career Tech Education, and Workforce. , it’s been very well researched and documented. We’ve seen the train wreck Congress made out of the Student Success Act, the Every Child Achieves Act. We won’t have to wait much longer to see what is revealed when the re-authorized version of the Higher Education Act appears. Today, it’s a quick review of where the bill is and then an update of what we can prepare for.

Remember, the BEST warrior is a PRO-ACTIVE warrior.

Review:

1) The HEA (Higher Education Act) was created roughly the same time as the ESEA (Elementary and Secondary Act); 1965.

2) Ted Mitchell, from the U.S. Dept. of Education has been quietly working on helping re-vamp the HEA while Sen. Alexander has been much more vocal in re-vamping ALL education to align with the CCSS Machine. How do I know this? See: https://www.commoncorediva.com/2015/06/10/wybi-sen-alexander-the-hea-and-next-america/ (*Note: In this article I began to reveal not only the ‘master plan’ for Higher Ed, but some of the pro CCSS supportive companies and organizations promoting the Alexander/Mitchell scheme)

3) In case you missed Part 2 of the Alexander/Mitchell articles, see: https://www.commoncorediva.com/2015/06/11/tech-thursday-more-alexander-hea-and-the-next-america/ (*Note: In this one, you’ll be able to see how maneuvering the Senator from Tennessee has been, the reports and studies created by pro CCSS educational groups or non-profits which are being used to help write a CCSS/CTE/Workforce aligned piece of legislation)

4) All of the rewritten, reauthorized education acts have a united purpose: WIOA
See this excerpt from my June 2015 article titled, “Halting a CCSS/CTE Aligned Workforce?”:“To the Warriors against the ‘Core’, we’ve learned over and over that the CCSS Machine has many parts to it. Those parts include Career Clusters, Career Pathways, the American Apprenticeship Initiative, Career and Technical Education, and the  Common  Core Standards (which encompass every subject, including the Arts and PE).

One of the biggest parts of the Machine? That would be the amount of legislation expressly written to protect the embedding of all this illegally based education reform!

To date one of the most important pieces of this type of legislation is the (already passed as  a law in 2014 on the federal level) WIOA. Also known as the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.”

Updates:

Where is the new version of the HEA, now? We’ll get to that it a bit.

1) Let’s see what related moves have been made. Why? Think back to the amendments offered to be attached to the mammoth Every Child Achieves Act. Much of the plan behind those amendments was to add in key pieces of language created to meet specific goals, or, in the case of the public/private partnered CCSS Machine, the agenda. When the newer version of the HEA is presented, don’t think similar tactics won’t be used. They absolutely will. How do I know?

See this excerpt from May 2015, “In a joint statement released on May 21, Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA) announced the formation of bipartisan working groups tasked with addressing four key areas within the Higher Education Act (HEA) reauthorization. The four working groups, composed of HELP committee staff from both parties, will focus on issues of accountability, accreditation, college affordability and financial aid, and campus sexual assault. Though committee staff will lead the meetings, all Senate HELP Committee members will be invited to attend. Senators Alexander and Murray noted they look forward to the bipartisan collaboration in the weeks to come as the reauthorization process continues to progress. A draft HEA bill is expected this fall.” (Source: http://www.natlawreview.com/article/senate-help-committee-forms-bipartisan-higher-education-act-reauthorization-working-)

Remember all the ‘bipartisanship’ used in HR5 and S1177? Refer back to ‘confessional’, if you will, by Sens. Alexander/Murray where the pro CCSS groups helping create the legislation were thanked publicly! (*Note, if you didn’t know it, when a legislator publicly thanks a person, group, or business, it is because they were extremely involved and partly responsible for the success of the legislation passing!)

2) “America Competes”, both the U.S. House and Senate have bills with this name (HR1806, the Republican version/HR 1898, the Democratic version/S1398, supported by both parties)

2a) HR1806:
This version has passed the House, already has 4 amendments and 11 related bills! Here’s an excerpt from Section 115 you have to read, “It is the sense of Congress that(1) in order to bolster the STEM workforce pipeline, many industry sectors are becoming involved in K–12 initiatives and supporting undergraduate and graduate work in STEM subject areas and fields,(2) partnerships with education providers, STEM focused competitions, and other opportunities have become important aspects of private sector efforts to strengthen the STEM workforce;(3) understanding the work that private sector organizations are undertaking in STEM fields should inform the Federal Government’s role in STEM education; and(4) successful private sector STEM initiatives, as reflected by measurements of relevant outcomes, should be encouraged and supported by the Foundation.” (*Note “Foundation” refers to the National Science Foundation)

Think a STEM pipeline workforce doesn’t sound like a bad thing for America? Consider that many public/private partnerships are ALREADY in place and working well in bringing about the CCSS Machine’s master plan of an aligned workforce (See: https://www.commoncorediva.com/2015/06/25/tech-thursday-p-tech-its-here-its-now-and-its-part-of-the-p3-ccss-machine/; https://www.commoncorediva.com/2015/06/19/fom-a-new-ccs-coalition-for-community-schools/; https://www.commoncorediva.com/2015/03/31/ftf-ccss-pearsonites-at-your-higher-ed-campuses-now/) Each of these will lay out for you how STEM, the Workforce, and others have already begun to reinvent elementary and secondary education to align with post-secondary education.

To access HR1806’s text: https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/1806/text?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22%5C%22hr1806%5C%22%22%5D%7D (*Note: Be sure to look at the amendments, related bills; there’s certain to be more Congressional mindset) 

2b) HR1898:
This version passed before the Memorial Day holiday and gives the National Science Foundation (NSF),  the U.S. Dept. of Energy, and other related groups MORE funding. Why? To step up STEM, especially where energy is concerned. Now, that may sound like no big deal, however, consider what many of those of us who oppose CCSS, CTE have discovered about not only STEM, but the NSF’s ties to the CCSS Machine. One of my very first articles gave you the document where it was stated STEM would be THE goal and that Common Core was to be the means to achieve that goal. Since then, I’ve given you more information about NSF. NSF has been tied to CCSS in so many ways, it should be criminal. (See: https://www.commoncorediva.com/2015/02/18/wybiupclosewithnsf/ )
To read the short summary statement of the HR1898’s text it plainly states the purpose is to improve America’s competitiveness AND other purposes. Sections 201-205 spell out the STEM, STEaM, and Workforce agenda. (STEM is short for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math; STEaM is short for Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Math). Want to see how STEM, STEaM, Workforce, CCSS, and CTE intersect? Refer to my 3 part series: https://www.commoncorediva.com/2015/05/27/wybi-stem-to-steam-ties-to-common-core-pt-1/; https://www.commoncorediva.com/2015/05/28/tech-thursday-pt-2-stem-to-steams-ties-to-common-core/; https://www.commoncorediva.com/2015/05/29/friday-special-post-part-3-stem-to-steam-ties-to-ccss/

To access HR1898: https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/1898/text (*Note: be sure to refer to the 8 related higher education bills to this. You’ll be amazed at what you see planned)

On Thursday, we’ll look at the Senate’s version of “America Competes” as well as tie in Career Tech Education, HEA, and more.

Finally, where’s the HEA now? It’s not in any one bill yet; rather there are several HEA re-authorization bills in Congress. You can find this when you access the link from Congress. However, don’t assume this link contains the only ones on the table. There are others related to them, or others with different names. Ones we need to watch will contain many of the CCSS Machine buzzwords like ‘outcome based education’, ‘reform’, ‘opportunity’, etc. Also, consider what committees these bills are coming from and are currently in. If you see ‘workforce’, that’s a big clue to what we can expect. See the screen shot to enter the exact phrase to narrow done the search:

Lastly, remember this screen shot? It was during the hype just before HR5 passed: