How The Federal Government Cleverly Played A Role In Drafting The Common Core Standards

Oh, the federal government claims they had nothing to do with writing the Standards.  They just paid for them.

But what if one of the lead writers for, say, the ELA Standards also sat on the NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) Governing Board whose members are appointed by the Secretary of Education?

And what if the Governing Board members were deemed to be "federal employees?"

We have discussed Susan Pimentel before.  She was one of the lead ELA Standards writers and a member of the Standards "Work Group."  She was also re-appointed to the NAEP governing board by Arne Duncan in September 2011.

We stated in a previous entry that Susan Pimentel was the Director or Standards Works and Achieve, Inc.

In 1999 she authored the book, "Raising the Standard:  A Eight-Step Guide For Schools And Communities."  In the book she writes about laying the groundwork for lasting school reform because genuine, long-lasting reform grows from the grass-roots.  She lists organizations that can help "guide" the standards such as Achieve and the American Federation of Teachers (AFL-CIO).  

She said, "Ours is a society that thrives on change...Reform is hard work."

Pimentel donated over $22,000 to Democrats in 2012 (mostly to Obama's campaign).  Significantly more than the $4000 donations she made in 2008.

Sneaky.

Department Of Education Working With George Soros' Open Society Foundation

Tucked inside this video of the Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, is a screen shot of a notice announcing a contest sponsored by the Department of Education, the non profit Creative Commons and George Soros' Open Society Foundation.

You can view the contest "winners" and entries here.

A closer look at Creative Commons:

Creative Commons is a non profit organization (who receives funding from Bill Gates' Microsoft Corporation) that deals with copyright licensing of "educational" materials.

Users of Creative Commons licenses include Al Jazeera, flicker, Google, Wikipedia, and Whitehouse.gov.

Creative Commons website states:

"Open Educational Resources (OER) are teaching, learning, and research materials in any medium that reside in the public domain or have been released under an open license that permits their free use and re-purposing by others....

If we are going to unleash the power of hundreds of billions of dollars of publicly funded education, research, data, and software, we need broad adoption of open policies.  For the purposes of open policies that contribute to the public good, we define policy broadly as legislation, institutional policies, and/or funder mandates."


Technical working group members of the LRMI include Microsoft, Gate Foundation, IMS Global, and of course, Creative Commons.

Creative Commons is also a co-leader for the Learning Resource Metadata Initiative (LRMI).

Here is a power point presentation by the LRMI.

InBloom was funded by a $100M grant from the Gates Foundation to contract with school districts and states to store over 400 data points which can then be shared with other non profits, companies and governmental agencies.

In this March 2013 report by the LRMI, there is a chart which shows the role of inBloom

Contributors of the report, of course, included members from the Gates Foundation.  However, the name that stood out was Steve Midgley with the U.S. Dept. of Education:

Previously, Midgley worked for the FCC as the Director of Education where he "headed the team responsible for developing the education chapter of the National Broadband Plan."  This was the broadband expansion plan funded by the Obama stimulus money in 2010.  We mentioned this "Connect to Compete" effort before.  Expanding broadband access was a requirement which laid the groundwork necessary for this effort to work.

Naturally, Mr. Midgley was then promoted to the Dept. of Education after his work at the FCC.

Throw in the George Soros connection and one might wonder what could POSSIBLY go wrong?

CCSS: Science Standards? I haven't Seen No Stink'n Science Standards.

According to the statements of Arizona State Board of Education Executive Director, Vince Yanez, he hasn't seen any full drafts of the proposed Science Standards to go along with the ELA and Math Standards which have been forced down our throats. 

 

WE'VE seen them.....

 

 

In fact, Arizona was one of the LEAD STATES tasked with writing the Next Generation Science Standards.  One of the members of the writing team is Jennifer Gutierrez from the Chandler Unified School District.  Ms. Gutierrez's bio states that she has served on several writing committees for the Arizona Department of Education working on 4th grade state assessments in science. 

 

Also, back in 2009, Ms. Gutierrez was quoted as saying that the science standards "haven't changed recently, but I still think they're rigorous....They challenge our kids at the scientific level."

Wait!  I thought we were re-writing the science standards to MAKE them rigorous.

 

And how is it possible that our State Board of Education hasn't seen the brainwashing  Agenda 21   "fewer concepts but deeper learning" curriculum set to roll out this month?  The first draft was released for public comment in May 2012.  A partner of the Next Generation Science Standards is Achieve, the same education reform organization who brought us the CCSS.  Not only that, but the Governor appointed the Chairman of Achieve, Dr. Craig Barrett, to be on her Arizona Ready Council to market the CCSS. 

 

Mr. Yanez was asked if there were any plans to implement a science standard.  (How is it that the members of the House Education Board didn't know about the proposed Science Standards when their Chairman, Rep. Goodale, sits on the National Council of State Legislators Education Committee who is PUSHING the CCSS?)  It was then that he admitted that the Board HAD seen presentations for a new science standard that would tie in to the CC.  He responded, "It's a lot to bite off all at once."

 

But, oh, it's coming.  Here's a sample of what we have to look forward to:

 

 

 

SAMPLE SCIENCE PROBLEM

"A mid-sized manufacturing company called FabCo has contacted the town council. FabCo manufactures cloth. FabCo is looking for a new location to build its company headquarters and manufacturing plant. FabCo is very interested in relocating to Wamego...
 

Many of the residents, including some town council members are concerned. They worry that FabCo could mean problems for their community. Now the land is used for agriculture. If FabCo comes to town, the use of the land will change. The land will be needed for residential, commercial, and industrial purposes. Some people wonder if this will change the river and the wildlife of Wamego. Ten miles downstream is the resort town of St. George. People use the river for fishing, swimming, boating, hiking, and camping in the area. The residents of the town are worried that the changes in Wamego might affect their lives.

As you answer the Big Question, you will also take on the challenge of giving advice to the town council of Wamego. What should they take into account in deciding whether or not to let FabCo move in? What will be the ecological advantages of FabCo building its plant in Wamego? What ecological problems might the project cause? What ecological problems do you think might arise if FabCo moves in? What do you need to know more about to give the Wamego town council advice?

Central Performance expectation:

• Students should be able to present evidence to the Wamego town council that would explain what will or might happen to the town’s water and land resources if a new manufacturing facility is built along the river.

 

Practices:

• Defining problems

• Designing solutions

• Argument from Evidence"

 Grooming future protesters/agitators. 

 

Who knows, maybe a student will be able to receive extra credit points for picketing FabCo at the Capitol or the next town council meeting.

 

 

See, the leftists who are behind this monstrosity know that math, English, and science can be effectively and subtly intertwined.  We've posted evidence of this before.  Here's another example:

 

By cutting down a forest full of beautiful trees, a logger makes $20.

(a) What do you think of this way of making money? 

(b) How did the forest birds and squirrels feel?

(c) Draw a picture of the forest as you'd like it to look

 

 

Mr. Yanez also testified in front of the House Education Committee that one of the biggest deficits that employers found was that their new hires were lacking in math and science skills.  But, he also said that the Arizona AIMS standards "actually held up very well compared to others across the nation." 

 

Remember when Mr. Yanez stated that "you have to talk Standards before you can talk assessments"...

Which is exactly why the Consortia of States got together to create the PARCC assessments  BEFORE the math and ELA Standards were even written. And why Achieve, an assessment organization, has been working with the NGSS to draft the Science Standards.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Why are our leaders willing to force us into a federal take-over of our state's education system rather than just concentrating on fixing our own state standards?  Especially when our State Executive Director admits that the AIMS standards actually faired very well compared to other states?  Why are they not working to make our state more competitive and give our high school graduates the best opportunity to stand out?  If we adopt the CCSS, what will distinguish our high school graduates from those in other CCSS states?  Or will the best colleges and universities be more eager to accept graduates from NON CCSS states? 

 

The "Common" in Common Core isn't just referring to the course material.  It refers to the fact that ALL students will be just that....common. 

 

 

 

Unfortunately, it will be 10-20 years before we begin to see the results of this leftist, social experiment.  At the expense of a lost generation.

Which Came First? The Common Core Standards Or Assessments and Accountability?

This is how the Federal Government got their grubby hands on our schools in order to force-feed us the new "state-led" Common Core Standards.
 
Many who have been out pushing Common Core have been claiming that you have to "talk Standards before you can talk Assessments and Accountability."
 
The reality is that the CCSS were developed AFTER Obama changed the reporting and accountability requirements in an effort to be more "common" among the states.  This naturally led to claiming that if you're going to have an accurate accountability system, then you need to have a common curriculum.  To be fair and all.


From the 2013 Grad Nation Report:
 
 
"NCLB marked the first time, on a national basis, that schools and school districts were held accountable for graduation rates. The accountability pressure exerted to raise graduation rates, however, was largely muted when the states were allowed to determine how they would measure graduation rates...from their schools. Not until the U.S. Department of Education’s 2008 graduation rate regulations were all states required, beginning in the 2010-2011 school year, to report a common graduation rate measure and to set ambitious graduation rate goals and rates of progress for all students and all subgroups.


As a result of the failure to reauthorize NCLB, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) responded to requests from states to create flexibility through waivers from some of the provisions of federal law. This waiver process required states to adopt a core set of education reforms—implementation of the common core standards, turn-arounds of their lowest-performing schools, and teacher and principal evaluation systems.

 

In 2005, members of the National Governors Association, deeply concerned about strategies for improving schools, reached consensus that high school graduation rates should be calculated in a uniform way across the states; then, in a pioneering compact, they generated a formula for doing so.

The formula and associated definitions were later refined in a rulemaking document released by the U.S. Department of Education in December 2008. States were expected to report graduation rates using the Cohort Rate beginning with school year 2010-2011.

With the timely reauthorization of NCLB stalled in Congress, and with NCLB in need of improvements, in 2012 the Department of Education (ED) created a flexibility policy for states (“waivers”) to create some positive revisions to NCLB in the absence of legislative action and to 'better focus on improving student learning and increasing the quality of instruction.' "

The goal of the waivers is to 'provide educators and state and local leaders with flexibility...in exchange for rigorous and comprehensive state-developed plans designed to improve educational outcomes for all students, close achievement gaps, increase equity, and improve the quality of instruction.' "

 

Within this flexibility policy, "ED is maintaining the reporting requirements under the 2008 regulations."

 

"The most recent data on graduation rates and the challenges that remain for the nation to reach a 90% high school graduation rate provide support for ED’s continued push through flexibility waivers and the school improvement grant program for dramatic reforms in high schools with graduation rates below 60 percent."

(Remember, it was Obama's Education Secretary, Arne Duncan, who said, "The fact is, higher standards will make some of your states look bad at the same time.  So, I promise to work WITH you to ensure that your states will NOT be penalized for doing the RIGHT THING.")


"These data also suggest the need for federal policy to maintain and strengthen accountability for raising the graduation rates of low-income students, students of color, students with disabilities, and students with limited English proficiency.   

 

 

As the most recent graduation rate data show, the students furthest from this goal are those who will need the most help to meet the Common Core State Standards - students who are economically disadvatages, have disabilities, or have limited English proficiency.

Although Common Core outlines standards specific to ELA and mathematics, and will eventually do so for science and social studies, many educators believe standards should be developed for other areas of study and student competencies."

 

 

The Science Standards are set to roll out this month.... 

 

Arne Duncan's View Of The Role Of Our Schools

 

Grad Nation Summit

February 2013

 

Be sure to pay close attention to how often Mr. Duncan suggests (or doesn't suggest) the role of PARENTS in the education process.

 

"Schools can't do this work by themselves.  Where schools sweep their children out the door at 2:30 and onto the streets is simply not good enough... We have 100,000 schools in this country.  Every school has classrooms, they have libraries, many have computer labs, they all have gyms, some have swimming pools.  They don't belong to me, to the Principal, or to the union or to the teachers.  They belong to the community.  We should really be opening these doors and just a very different vision of what schools should be.  Where schools truly become the hearts, the hubs of community life and family life, then I become optimistic about where children can go. 

 

So, the idea of schools being open 12, 13, 14 hours a day, 6-7 days a week, 12 months out of the year is just a VERY different vision.

 

Bringing in the non-profit partners, the social service agencies, faith-based institutions and community colleges.  Having a range of programming, academic enrichment being at the core for students with dance, and drama, and art, and music, and chess, and yearbook, and robotics, and GED programs. 

 

We served tens of thousands of students in Chicago three meals a day- breakfast, lunch and dinner because we worried about them not eating at night.

 

When schools truly become the hearts of the neighborhood, then great things happen for kids."

Once a community organizer, always a community organizer....

CCSS Partner: The Lumina Foundation

The Lumina Foundation is a Partner of the National Governor's Association and the National Council of State Legislators, Achieve and the Council of Chief State School Officers who have been pushing for the implementation of the CCSS.  Including our own Senator Rich Crandall and Rep. Goodale.  They also donate millions to leftist groups such as Soros' Tides Foundation, New America Foundation, The Brookings Institute, The Center for American Progress, and the Aspen Institute.

Arizona is a recipient of grants from the Lumina Foundation.
Phoenix College | Phoenix, AZ

$600,000 to support efforts by phoenix college to increase the number of latino students earning high quality postsecondary degrees and credentials by strengthening seamless pathways to college and tracking educational and career success of high need youth in the greater phoenix metropolitan area of Arizona.  10/01/2011 through 09/30/2015

 

University of Arizona Office of Community Relations

$280,250 to support participation of higher education institutions in southern arizona in an oecd-organized initiative.  This grant will allow personnel from higher education institutions, government, business and community-based organizations to come together to identify opportunities for productive partnerships and to understand how to develop and assess the effectiveness of those partnerships that will result in a regional action plan for moving the work forward.  7/1/09 - 6/30/11 (Coincidentally, Dr. McCallum, a professor from the UofA was working on creating the Math portion of the Common Core Curriculum during this same time.)

 

The third annual Grad Nation Summit was held at the end of February.  Grad Nation was formed after Obama announced his National Equity Goal of attaining a 90% graduation rate by 2020 in order to "significantly reduce the achievement gap for all students, regardless of race, ethnicity, national origin, age, gender, disability, language, sex, and socioeconomic status." In attendance was the VP of Strategic Impact for the Lumina Foundation, Dr. James Applegate.  Dr. Applegate made statements such as:

"A 1980 a college graduate earned 40% more over a lifetime than a high school graduate....the current rate will be about 100% by 2025.  Now, that might be great for the few, the wealthy, and the S.A.T. gifted who get to GO to college and GET that 100% premium..."

 

"We do a darn good job educating the wealthy people....."

 

"There is a class-based denial of opportunity."

 

The reality: Common Core Standards has nothing to do with implementing "rigorous" standards and everything to do with class warfare.

 

 

 

 

 

 

So, about those "rigorous" standards....

 

How does a country attain Obama's goal of a 90% graduation rate by 2020 without lowering the bar through the elimination of half of the material and slowing the pace that it is taught?

 

How is waiting until 9th grade to teach algebra instead of 7th or 8th considered "rigorous?"

 

According to the Education Secretary, Arne Duncan, there are currently 1500 failing schools in the U.S. out of a total of 100,000. It is anticipated that by 2020, there will be approximately 1000 failing schools.

 

So, once again, the federal government is imposing new regulations and funding to overhaul and disrupt a system that will help less than 2% of the involved population.

 

We've seen this story before.

 

 

Green Ribbon Schools

Skyline and Mesa High School in Mesa were awarded the Obama Administrations,   EPA,   Department of Education's "Green Ribbon" award in 2011. 

Some of Skyline's Green Ribbon projects included "informing the public about the misuse of energy," using Earth Week to "inform the masses about recycling and other aspects of the Green Movement" and encouraging students to "live a healthier life and reduce pollution by walking or carpooling to school" and then rewarding them with longer lunch breaks.

Other school projects from around the country can be seen here.


The Mesa school's Green Ribbon awards didn't come as a big surprise.  Mesa has been front and center of the global warming climate change scam for several years. The Mayor of Mesa, Scott Smith, is the Vice President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors which is a partner of the ICLEI (International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives).  Mayor Smith signed off on the U.S. Conference of Mayors "Climate Change Compact" in 2009.

The U.S. Conference of Mayors joined with the ICLEI in 2006 in an effort to "combat the effects of global warming." 

 

The U.S. Conference of Mayors has formed a new partnership with ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability USA – to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in cities through outreach, education and technical assistance. The mayors also formed a Mayors' Council on Climate Protection with the goal of providing mayors the tools they need to carry out their mission.  Formerly the International Council of Local Environmental Initiatives, ICLEI is the nation's foremost organization working to provide cities with resources to lead on climate protection in the U.S. and internationally.

 “Mayors have done a tremendous amount of work on the issue of Climate Change and Global Warming,” said Conference President Long Beach Mayor Beverly O’Neill in announcing the partnership, “Mayors have been leading the way on this issue through local efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which is a major cause of climate change.”

 

 

By 2011, Obama's head of the Department of Education, Arne Duncan, began the pilot program for Green Ribbon Schools. 

The recognition award honors exemplary achievement in reducing environmental impact and costs; improving health and wellness; and providing effective environmental and sustainability education...

As a result of the award, state education agencies now collaborate with health and natural resource agencies to support schools. Likewise, among federal agencies, through the Green Strides Webinar Series and Speakers Bureau, ED-GRS is a platform to connect all schools with existing resources, programs and grants.

 

 

Who is behind the Green Ribbon Program?

 

 

Campaign Steering Committee

Campaign for Environmental Literacy, Earth Day Network, National Wildlife Federation, U.S. Green Building Council

 

Supporting Organizations (National)

Alliance for Climate Education, Alliance to Save Energy, American Architectural Foundation, American Federation of Teachers, Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, BlueGreen Alliance, International Council of Environmental Deans and Directors, Earth Force, Green Charter Schools Network, Green Community Schools, Green Fox Schools, Green Schools Alliance, Green Schools Initiative, Green Schools Network, GREENGUARD Environmental Institute, Healthy Schools Campaign, Hispanic Access Foundation, National Association of Elementary School Principals, National Audubon Society, National Education Association, National Energy Education Development Project, National Green Schools Coalition, National Green Schools Network, National School Boards Association, North American Association for Environmental Education, Ocean Foundation, Project Learning Tree, U.S. Partnership for Education for Sustainable Development, Zerofootprint Challenge for Schools.

 

 

Green Ribbon Goals:

 

A primary goal of ED-GRS is to inspire schools to strive for 21^st century excellence.  To that end, the award recognizes schools that:

1)      Reduce environmental impact and costs;

2)      Improve the health and wellness of schools, students and staff; and

3)      Provide effective environmental and sustainability literacy, incorporating STEM, civic skills and green career pathways.

If a state or comparable authority wishes to nominate more than one public school, at least one must be a school with at least 40 percent of their students from a disadvantaged background. [1]  If an authority wishes to nominate a fourth school, it must be a private school.  No more than one of the four may be a private school.  A school may be selected as honoree only once every three years.  Authorities are encouraged to take a school’s academic achievement, achievement gaps and diversity into account when selecting school honorees.

---

[1] A student from a “disadvantaged background” is defined for this program by the CSSO of each state.  The definition must include students who are eligible for free and reduced-price school meals and may include students with disabilities and students who are limited English proficient, migrant, or receiving services under Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.  Nominating Authorities must indicate the definition used and the percent disadvantaged for each school nominated.

 

 

Their stated goal is to "invigorate and empower schools nationwide for growing the 21st-century economy. By encouraging schools to apply for this award, powerful strides will be taken to ensure we meet our shared goal of greening America's schools within a generation."

 

They continue, "Green Schools are an effective agent for enacting positive environmental and educational change in schools and communities."

 

Yes.  Agenda 21.  Using our children to "spread the wealth around."

Did we mention that nominated schools must also be in compliance with the Office of Civil Rights and not have any pending suits with the Department of Justice? (see list of statutory and regulatory requirements)

 

We smell Van Jones and Eric Holder lurking around the corner.

 

 

In 2012, two other Arizona schools  received the Green Ribbon Award. 

 

Phoenix's Roadrunner Elementary School and the STAR School in Flagstaff are among 78 first-ever U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools.

 

The STAR School stated:

The approach to education and sustainability at STAR School aims to provide a platform from which the student can step in to the world of environmental challenges, empowered to contribute to a more sustainable future.  STAR School promotes self-reliance, alternative building methods, and energy sources such as solar power.  The school also hosts workshops about sustainable living, technology, and the arts.  Sustainability education is used to complement and reinforce the oldest Navajo traditions throughout the school.  

 

Each student is expected to complete an individual or group project during the middle-school years that: 1) meets identifiable national STEM standards, 2) investigates and provides possible solutions to environmental and sustainability challenges chosen by the student, and 3) provides service to the community that meets the STAR School service-learning rubrics.

It's too bad that Roadrunner Elementary and the STAR School weren't chosen for their academic achievement. 
 

Perhaps Roadrunner Elementary and the STAR School might focus a little more on actually teaching students about basic math, reading and writing rather than recycling?  It might help improve their 1 or 2 star ratings and test scores.  

 

 

 

You can watch the head of the EPA, Lisa Jackson, along with Arne Duncan praise the 2012 Green Ribbon program winners and specifically congratulate Roadrunner and STAR school.  In true Obama Administration style, the propaganda  announcement is done in front of props  a group of elementary school children.

 

 

We already know that members of the teacher's unions have suggested ways to creatively implement liberal agendas into our children's classrooms.  So it is no surprise when our children bring home verb structure or reading comprehension assignments like these:

 

 

 

Finally, the parent decided to make their own statement:

 

 

 

Schools can be nominated by a state's Department of Education.  Should you choose, let our State Superintendent of Public Instruction, John Huppenthal, know that we do not wish our schools to participate in the Obama Administration global Agenda 21 campaign scam and further expose our children to more liberal brainwashing propaganda.