Raising the Bar for $20K?

Anti CCSS/Fed Ed Warriors, we have heard the phrase ‘Raising the Bar’ SO many times by the CCSS Machine, it is probably one of those phrases we easily dismiss. However, I really wonder if we should.  Many pro CCSS educators/leaders/supporters will use the phrase to wax heroic over how great this year has been especially at graduation ceremonies; how the aligned education has served our school districts well (in testing, especially) and how it (lessons, alignment, and testing) will be even better next year; as well as to inspire everyone.

BUT…what are they really saying? What is really meant when ‘raising the bar’ is used to make next year (2017-18) sound ‘appealing’? From what I can tell, there is NO GOOD thing, much less, anything appealing for ANYONE in education in 2017-18.

The Truth in the Words:

“Raising the Bar” is a business phrase. NOT an educational one. The screen shot below is from a website for business people, not educators. It gives you a brief history of the phrase and its business roots..NOT educational roots.

To read the entire article, which is also mostly interchangeable in the  CCSS Machine way of ruining education, see: http://bizshifts-trends.com/2013/04/11/raise-the-bar-push-harder-dig-deeper-move-goalpost-meaningful-change-set-high-expectation-praise-results-recognize-achievement/

The business website’s article link will tell you (should you read the entire article) that minimums, averages, and being normal or traditional are unacceptable. THIS is what we are seeing in a CCSS Machine aligned education, too! Warriors, it will only continue to fail with ESSA, too. (ESSA: Every Student Succeeds Act)

 

 

Shifting Education to Workforce (Raising the CCSS/Workforce Bar):

A simple statement you can use which conveys the epic truth. CCSS LOWERS the bar in education!

For a bit more in-depth statement:

“Common Core Machine (Common Core Standards, Career Tech Ed, Career Pathways or Clusters, STEM Pathways or Clusters, American Apprenticeships, among others, with P3 backing) + WIOA (Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act) + RttT (Race to the Top) + ESSA (Every Student Succeeds Act) + HEA (Higher Education Act) = Lowering the Bar/Shift from academics to workforce!” (source: Lynne M Taylor)

 

 

Just seen today (6/9/16):

During the noon time news, the slot below was shared as not only a great achievement by the CharMeck (Charlotte-Mecklenburg) School System, but used to congratulate the newly employed students. How does ‘raising the bar’ play into this story?
The CCSS Machine member CMS Superintendent used the phrase to spur listeners on in not only hopes for next year, but in anticipation of the scores, the end of year assessments will show.

While I cannot access the WBTV clip (I think the noon news hasn’t been uploaded yet), I can show you HOW the CMS (CharMeck School System) is already well on the CCSS Machine Career Path track.

CMS’s Raising the Bar (CCSS/Workforce Aligned Education) for $20K?

The Strategy Plan (titled ‘Strategic Plan 2018’) for workforce based education is NOT exclusive to CMS. It is in every state. CMS, however appears to based their strategy on a contest.

Yes, you read correctly..a contest! GE (General Electric, a HUGE P3 CCSS Machine member) conducted a global contest with a $20,000.00 prize.

Here is an excerpt of explanation given in the Strategic Plan 2018,
“General Electric is an American company and a global giant. GE manufactures appliances, healthcare products, aviation and train engines, advanced energy  technology devices, medical equipment and more. The company’s Niskayuna, NY-based research lab draws on the expertise of its own engineers from around the world—and everyone else through online design contests. The recent GE Engine Bracket Challenge offered a reward to anyone who could design a lighter, better bracket for a jet engine to increase fuel efficiency. The prize was $20,000. The New York Times columnist Tom Friedman reports that, in all, 697 contestants from around the world – companies, individuals, graduate students and designers—competed, with a majority of them coming from outside the aviation industry. What did the GE contestants need to successfully compete? Higher-level thinking skills. Digital and technological competency and access. Literacy, numeracy and content mastery. Creativity and the ability to innovate. Motivation and the desire to compete. Communications and entrepreneurship skills to share ideas.”
“Every student in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools today will enter a workforce that requires the same skills and competencies needed to successfully compete in the GE contest. In the rapidly changing workforce of tomorrow, jobs that require easily replicated, rote skills will be gone—automated or outsourced. The factory model job is gone and it’s not coming back. The jobs that remain will be those that require creativity, agility and critical thinking. It is our challenge—our privilege and responsibility as educators, caregivers and members of the community—to ensure that every student in every school leaves CMS with those skills and competencies. Working together, we can provide the schools our students need and deserve. We can provide schools that move beyond the four walls of a classroom to offer global teaching and learning experiences, unfettered creativity and inspiration to become lifelong learners.” (Page 3 of the 32 page Plan)

So why am I showing you CMS’s Strategy? It is the biggest school district in the State where I live. Again, look at the number graduating over the next few days from CMS: 9,000. That is larger than some towns! Each and every one of these young people has been force fed in the CCSS workforce based educational system.

The Charlotte news station was BRAGGING about it! The CMS Superintendent was glowing over it! All the while, the listeners are more than likely thinking, ‘great for everyone’. Graduates with jobs already!

To see the rest of the Workforce Based Strategy:
http://www.cms.k12.nc.us/mediaroom/strategicplan2018/Documents/StrategicPlan2018.pdf

Below is a page from the Plan I just couldn’t leave unseen. Be sure to find the 6 accompanying goals to make all that appears in the highlighted portions a reality. (see Page 5)

Oh, when did all this Strategy TRULY begin? According to this CMS Plan, 2012. The date this Strategic Plan was published? 2013. I am sure if we dug deeper, we would find the foundation dates back further than 2012.

I am leaving you with one final screen shot from the CMS Strategic Plan 2018. I think you can see why. ‘Raising the bar’, whether in Charlotte, NC or elsewhere, is a BAD thing when the CCSS Machine is the force behind the educational reform. IF this is ‘raising the bar’, we are certainly ‘lowering our freedoms’.