Anti Fed Ed Warriors, we all know the story of the “Emperor’s New Clothes”, right?
Basic themes in the story are vanity, money, and deception.
Those same basic themes can pretty much sum up the educratic shift in our classrooms across the globe. Here in America, we’ve definitely seen the greed and deception take our academics away and replace it with workforce training.
So, what happens when you take a CCSS Machine member group like IBM, attach a shiny new coat of deception to education and add it to a notoriously bad on-line school?
A slick sales pitch with a hidden agenda attached!
The “New Collar” Is Still A Servant’s Collar:
Warriors, IBM’s CEO, back in 2016, came up with a new phrase for the same old CCSS Machine alignment: “new collar jobs”. Below is her opinion column in USA Today:
Part of the CEO’s plan for ‘new collar jobs’? P-Tech Schools (I exposed them years ago). These schools are 6 year high schools which focus on industry skills at a ‘community college’ level.
Community colleges have been called ‘Camelot’ (by the CCSS Machine) for their access to all school choices intersecting and the ability to carry on (or introduce) CTE, Career Tech Education, CCs (Career Clusters), CPs (Career Pathways), STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and, Math), dual enrollment, and, concurrent enrollment.
IBM, late 2018, announced that Ireland became the first country outside of the US, to adopt P-Tech. Notice how IBM is taking credit, as well as using ‘local educators’ as the creators.
Warriors, IBM’s CEO is an appointed member of the new National Council for the American Worker (aka: National Workforce Council), here in the US.
K-12, Inc., A Long Time CCSS Machine Member Group:
Warriors, back in 2015, I showed you how K-12, Inc. was in the CCSS Machine, as well as in co-operation with the NASBE (National Association for State Boards of Education). If you followed me back then, you also know I shared with you the struggle NC (where I live) had with keeping K-12, Inc’s. terrible track record out of the State, only to allow it in the end, as a school choice. Then, there was the overreach by K-12, Inc. into homeschooling. If you read their recent “Student Impact” report, you’ll see lots of hype about increased student engagement.
So, with such an awful past, why is K-12, Inc. still in the ‘education’ business? Look below for one reason why:
This is the recent ad K-12, Inc. ran on social media:
The goal for K-12, Inc. NOW, is to be a part of building a national career readiness infrastructure. One of the ways this will happen, is ‘the right education’, not “more education”.
How will the K-12, Inc. folks know they’ve helped close the ‘skills gap’ (another CCSS Machine fallacy)? By sending “K-12 powered” students into the workforce.
As far as the partnerships K-12, Inc. is building to have all the career readiness infrastructure take off? A direct quote, “To do this, we are aligning with higher education institutions, school districts, and industry partners to offer career training. We are working to pair this training with summer jobs, externships*, paid internships, drop-in training, and part-time and full-time employment opportunities.”
(*Note: ‘externship’ is a temporary training period.) Be sure to notice which ‘top companies’ K-12, Inc. mentions to work for in the article linked above.
In that article, Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce was cited. I showed you last year (2018) how Georgetown was assaulting real education with quasi-education.
The Report the Center on Ed/Workforce has published (which K-12, Inc. is basing their infrastructure plan off of) doesn’t state ‘Hey, we’ve got a few suggestions.’ It clearly states their findings are ‘requirements’. Among those ‘requirements’? STEM jobs!
Warriors, below is WHY Georgetown University is so biased about an educated workforce:
If you cannot read the print, Lumina Foundation, Joyce Foundation, and, the Gates Foundation are the main funders of the Georgetown Center on Education for the Workforce.
So, if you’re going to change the national infrastructure to career readiness, these are a few of the groups which will be involved.
The Career Readiness Partner Council:
Warriors, if you’ve not heard of this Council, it’s been around since 2012. Housed in the Advance CTE National Association (a huge CCSS Machine group). The list of Council members is long. You’ll see all of them are CCSS Machine members, too.
CEP (Center for Education Policy):
Warriors, this CCSS Machine member group has published many CCR (College/Career Readiness) documents. Most are geared for one goal: 21st competency skills graduates.
JFF (Jobs for the Future):
Warriors, be sure to look at their “Opportunity Works” program for workforce readiness.
National Informal STEM Network:
Warriors, this Arizona State University and Univ. of MN backed on-line group, have all sorts of STEM activities (which are CCR dressed as fun)
CCREC (College and Career Readiness Evaluation Consortium):
Warriors, this group works with certain States and those States GEAR UP grants.
GEAR UP is a federal program which is 100% workforce based. It uses STEM, CCR, CCSS, and, CTE. The Consortium also partners with Act, Inc. and is a heavy student data collector.
NCPN (National Career Pathways Network):
Warriors, be sure to read their “Items of Interest” section. You’ll see CTE and STEM promoted. You’ll also see the IBM ‘open collar’ article. You’ll want to read about the German based ‘vocational dual training system’, too. (*Note: among the top items of the German study, are economic goals, social goals, and, personal goals.)
Warriors, don’t forget to change an infrastructure you have to have legislation. So Congress is an obvious CCSS Machine group to watch in all this.
Don’t forget, all the job websites (like Monster and Indeed, etc.) will have career readiness or career assessments. Our federal government gives States grants for One-Stop Job/Employment Centers. These will be huge CCR locations.
Closing:
Warriors, the last place we will need to watch for ‘infrastructure’ changes in education is the HEA (Higher Education Act) as it is readied to become re-authorized. I have shown you over the years, how the HEA is the last link in the cradle to grave workforce education chain. Career Readiness will be a huge part of the new version.
Believe me, the educratic emperors will be strutting all over the nation with THAT shiny new coat of deception.
(My article where the above image first appeared.)
**Personal note: Warriors, I’ll be offline until the first part of April due to computer issues and family business. Take care until we meet again!
Use our time apart to review any of the past week’s mega articles, jam packed with links for your Warrior’s belt.
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