Monday Musings: “Global Readiness” and CCSS

Anti CCSS Warriors, another work week is upon us. Another week to fight against the agenda behind the CCSS Initiative. We know part of the agenda is NOT a true academic education, but a workforce based, globally minded, and career ready citizen who will be an economic ‘positive’. I’ve written much on the topic. Our students, regardless of the their age are being described as ‘human capital’, ‘talent supply’, and other disgusting phrases. We can now add the dishonorable ‘globally ready’ to this list, at least in NC. But are there other states already willing to sell out their schools? You bet!

NC, First is ‘Globalness’?

I invite you to enlarge the above screen shot. This is no joke for NC, but it’s a foolish move for the state, nonetheless. Why? Because instead of the state receiving LESS CCSS, it is continuing to LOCK CCSS into the schools!!
Here’s a quote from the page above, “In September 2011, the North Carolina State Board of Education (SBE) formed a Task Force on Global Education to assess the state’s effort to produce “globally competitive” graduates ready to live, work, and contribute in an interconnected world.” The Task Force found 6 major goals and committed to 5 of them. What are they? I’m so glad you asked! Below you’ll find the 6 goals in plain language, not the tricky double speak so often used in CCSS supportive dribble.

1) prepare students for global readiness
2) use LEAs (Local Educational Agencies) to co-ordinate and align for global readiness
3) prepare and align teachers for global readiness
4) stress global language and culture
5)  involve as many P3 (public private partnerships) to get in the ‘global push’ as possible
6) hone a sustainable, global competitive edge in communities

The 5 commitments? Again, in plain language, not pro CCSS rhetoric!
1) embedded global themes, more PBLs (problem or project based learning), and groom teachers for more globalness, not less
2) partner with HLIs (Higher Learning Institutions) for more to increase the supply of global ready teachers
3) transform schools into ‘new schools’ with the help of non-education related entities
4) expand the ‘global ready’ push to more NC school districts
5) work directly with the NC Dept. of Commerce and other external partners

To see the pro CCSS language as the State Board of Education’s Task Force stated the 6 goals and 5 commitments: exec-summary

Okay, that’s just the summary above, but what was in the 2013 Full Report?? Read on, anti CCSS Warriors, but have a ‘barf bag’ close by, you’ll probably feel your stomach begin to revolt! Oh, and I’m leaving it in their words this time. Following each quote, I’ll provide you with a plain speak articles of HOW each of these are locking in MORE CCSS, CTE, CP, STEM, and more! {*Note: CCSS is short for Common Core State Standards; CTE is short for Career Tech Education; CP is short for Career Pathways; and STEM is short for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math}

“College- and Career-Ready Standards. Like 45 other states, North Carolina is implementing the internationally-benchmarked Common Core State Standards in Mathematics and English Language Arts. In addition, unlike elsewhere, the state has also developed the new NC Essential Standards that underpins the newly developed North Carolina Standard Course of Study for all content areas.”
My recent article where you can see how sold out to CCR (college/career readiness NC is and just which groups and schools are involved):
https://www.commoncorediva.com/2015/10/10/weekend-news-collective-workforce/

“Teacher and Principal Evaluation. Beginning in 2008, North Carolina implemented new, statewide teacher and principal evaluation instruments..”
See how principals are being encouraged to align not only traditional students to CCSS, but encompass the special needs students as well!:
https://www.commoncorediva.com/2015/10/19/monday-musings-idea-when-good-goes-ccscte-bad/

“Longitudinal Data System. To enable greater levels of data-driven decision-making, the state has implemented a Common Education Data Analysis and Reporting System (CEDARS), which links students and staff and allows data to be analyzed across sources, such as financial systems, teacher licensure, student information, and testing.”
To see how well NC has covered its backside on mining student data and for how long it will go on in our student’s lives. I must warn you, other states are doing this as well!:
https://www.commoncorediva.com/2015/08/27/ccss-follow-up-system-more-than-money-will-follow-your-students/

“District and School Transformation. 118 low-performing schools and 12 school districts are receiving intensive and ongoing support to dramatically increase educator effectiveness and student achievement.”
School district alignment often involves those who are employed therein. See how the CCSS Machine has its grasp on some of the nation wide groups overseeing or helping school districts!:
https://www.commoncorediva.com/2015/10/18/weekend-news-ccss-school-officials-alignment/

“Early College High Schools. The state has 69 early college high schools in operation on community college and university campuses..”
Dual enrollment combines the last part of high school with that of the first year of college. In NC, all 58 community colleges are CCSS/CTE aligned. Most of the major universities are also helping grease the wheels of the CCSS Machine.:
https://www.commoncorediva.com/2014/10/01/wybi-wednesday-we-owe-our-souls-to-the-company/

“NC STEM Learning Network. The NC STEM Learning Network guides implementation of our state’s coordinated STEM Strategy to increase student achievement in STEM…”
Learn about the STEM Affinity Network that’s in full speed across America!:
https://www.commoncorediva.com/2015/10/29/tech-thursday-stemccss-push-making-it-american/

“ North Carolina Virtual Public School (NCVPS).  NCVPS offers over 100 courses to students across the state, including Advanced Placement (AP), World Languages, Occupational Course of Study (OCS), and credit recovery courses.”
What the NC Dept of Public Instruction doesn’t reveal is that NCVPS pulls in homeschoolers and other educational choices!:
https://www.commoncorediva.com/2015/02/23/monday-musings-two-wrongs-no-right/

“Instructional Improvement System (‘Homebase’). The state is developing this online system to help educators manage student work and assessments, classroom activities, and their personal professional growth.”
What the NC Dept of Public Instruction prefers you DON’T know about “Homebase”!:
https://www.commoncorediva.com/2015/07/19/rmt-dont-look-now-nc-ccsscte-overload/

“Early Literacy Interventions. The state is developing a comprehensive, diagnostic assessment for K- 3 students.”
To see the NC ‘homegrown’ birth to 5 year literacy, pro CCSS alignment:
https://www.commoncorediva.com/2015/11/02/monday-musings-alignment-for-wee-ones/

If you’d like the full 2013 report this juggernauts come from: final-report

Here’s a screen shot of the 2015-16 “NC Global School Ready Rubric”:

To get the entire rubric: ncglobalrub
To get the school district ‘global ready’ rubric: NCdistrictrub
{*Note: the partnerships used in creating this rubrics. Asia Society is among them. To learn where the Asia Society is housed and how it connects to the CCSS Machine, as well as the CCSS aligned teacher standards see:
https://www.commoncorediva.com/2015/05/30/sic-em-saturday-ed-leaders-aligned-standards/ }

 

Closing:

So, I’ve shown you what’s up in NC, but what about the other states? Look for phrases like ‘globally connected’, ‘global network’, ‘future ready’, and similar. If you want more information on how many states are already connected to the GEN (Global Education Network): https://www.commoncorediva.com/2015/09/17/tech-thursday-global-day-for-education/
If you’d like to learn about the Global Competency Task Force:
https://www.commoncorediva.com/2015/01/23/fom-friday-primary-source-friend-or-foe-of-ccss/

With moves like these in our states, we know LOCKING in more CCSS/CCR/CTE is a reality, not a questioned possibility. If our leaders are saying ‘no’ to CCSS, but ‘yes’ to ANY of the above, we must hold them accountable!