Gov. Snyder's vision for P20 Education

Below is a video from the 2013 Mackinac Policy Conference where Governor Snyder explains his vision of P20 education from "prenatal to life long learning."  

"I want to emphasize a vision of P-20.  A PRENATAL to life long learning.  We have to get beyond the old models of saying there are silos for  for K12,  silos for community college, for higher ed,  for preschool.  They shouldn't be separate.  They can be separate institutions.  not to threaten the institutions. But shouldn't we make it a seamless system.  Where a student in that system doesn't have to figure out all these tough choices but can just focus on success...and understanding it starts even at the prenatal stage and looking at is the expectant mother getting the right diet, the right primary care..."

Gov. Snyder, you are not our parent!  Tough choices are part of the learning and maturing process.  An expectant mother does not need her diet monitored by you; and students with their parents should be deciding what classes or career based on their dreams, not the state based on data. 

But there is still one "tough" choice within our control, our vote for Governor this November.  Vote them all out!

Smarter Balanced Update

Governor Snyder signed the School Omnibus Budget Bill on Tuesday.  Included in the budget was a provision that appears to have blocked the implementation of Smarter Balanced for one year by extending the MEAP.

This is obviously a good thing in many ways.  Thanks to your calls and the the hard work of lawmakers against the Common Core, we were able to cause enough of a stir and provoke a delay.
But what happens next is not clear.  Last year at this same time we had a delay in Common Core funding but by fall HCR 11, a meaningless resolution, was gaveled through by voice vote in the Senate restarted implementation.   There still remains the possibility that the “new” MEAP could contain content SBAC content.   So with good reason, we remain skeptical and cautious.

At this time, we are still encouraging parents to opt-out of all assessments and to vote out any lawmakers who support the Common Core.

A new opt out form will be available later this summer for you to use in the 2014-15 school year.
An Election 2014: Roll Call on the Common Core is available and continually updated to find out where candidates stand on the issue of Common Core.

I will post a follow-up with more details on the assessments and possible outcomes as I research and talk to key lawmakers.  Stay tuned.

Common Core: A cradle-to-career pathway to servitude

Governor Snyder said in his 2011 State of the State Addresss,

"We’ve been spending money without delivering the results to give our young people a bright future. It is time that we view our educational system which runs from pre-natal to lifelong learning. It’s time to start talking about P-20 instead of just K-12. We need to establish a system that focuses on real achievement for all of our children. ”

Holland Public Schools has hopped on board Governor Snyder's P-20 train through the Cradle-to-Career Initiative.  The graphic on their website,  copied below says it all.



Looking at this graphic makes it easier to understand many of the recent initiatives enacted in Michigan. The initiatives listed below may appear disconnected but together they build the P-20 cradle-to-career education pathway envisioned by President Obama, Governor Snyder, major corporations, and many others.

•  The Early Learning Challenge,
• Common Core State Standards,
• Kindergarten Entry Assessments,
• Smarter Balanced Assessments (pending),
• Third-Grade Reading Retention,
• Educational/Career Development Plans,
• Michigan Merit  Exam with ACT  and WorkKeys (Career Readiness Certification),
• Teacher evaluations
• College and university quality standards

The cradle to career scheme is designed for a managed economy that meets the demand of the state not the dreams of the child.  As students travel the P-20 pathway, their data is collected and stored in Governor Snyder's P-20 State Longitudinal Data System and shared with whoever may have a legitimate educational interest.  Data drives the decisions from birth into the workforce.



The Data Quality Campaign (DQC) insures that their education data will be connected to the workforce.

DQC encourages states to securely link their prekindergarten through grade 12 systems with postsecondary and workforce systems. This way states can better understand student pathways from early childhood programs through K–12 to postsecondary and as they enter into their careers.

Cradle-to-Career education for workforce development is wrong
and contradicts the very purpose of education as defined in the Michigan Constitution.

“Sec. 1. Religion, morality and knowledge being necessary to good government and the happiness of  mankind, schools and the means of education shall forever be encouraged.”

Hillsdale Professor Daniel Coupland correctly identified exactly where this all leads in his lecture on common core:

 “As long as students are told that the end of education is a job or a career, they will forever be servants of some master....We are not programming machines. We are teaching children. We are not producing functionaries, factory-like. We are to be forming the minds and hearts of men and women… to be human beings, honoring what is good and right and cherishing what is beautiful.”

Common Core and the entire P-20 cradle-to-career scheme destroys true school choice, local control, educational freedom, and our children's minds and hearts.  This will affect homeschoolers! We must defeat it now or forever be enslaved to it. 

Action Plan:
1.  Opt-out of any common core aligned assessment.  This includes pilot assessments, state assessments, interest surveys, career development plans, SBAC, MEAP, and any other Common Core aligned assessment that helps build the P-20 pathway.  A model form for opting out is available here:  MI_opt_out_form-1

2. Vote-out any pro-common core lawmaker or candidate.  Common Core must be the litmus test issue in all races.  See our Election 2014: Roll Call on the Common Core for a complete list.  Keep checking back as it is frequently updated as new information becomes available.

3.  Organize a Stop Common Core event in your area.  Speakers are available and ready to help make this issue front and center in your community.

4. Use Facebook, Twitter, and other social media to inform your friends and family about Common Core and the cradle-to-career education scheme.   Share our posts and help make 2014 the year Michigan repeals Common Core!

Homeschoolers Rally Against the Common Core!

Associated Press political journalist, Kimberley Hefling reports on the impact homeschoolers are making against the Common Core. 

Home-schooling mom Jenni White gave some of the loudest cheers when Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin signed legislation to repeal the Common Core education standards....

...n Oklahoma and elsewhere, home-schooling parents, often with their kids, are a frequent presence at legislative hearings and other political functions representing anti-Common Core forces. Sometimes, as in White's case, they are even leading the opposition."

The news out of Oklahoma is great and to know that a homeschooler helped lead the charge is outstanding.  Despite what some may still believe Common Core will affect homeschooling.  Kimberly Hefling references Shane VanderHart of Truth in American Education and Emmett McGroarty of American Principles Project on the concerns homeschoolers have with the Common Core. 

"McGroarty said there is a concern that the ACT and the College Board, which owns the SAT, are moving toward aligning with the standards. That, he said, would leave home-schooling parents no choice other than to follow the standards if they want their kids to do well on the college entrance exams.

An ACT official said the company supports the Common Core standards, but the exam hasn't changed because of them. The College Board, which is revamping the SAT, has said the new version of the exam isn't aligned to a single set of standards.  

The ACT and the College Board were both partners in the development of the standards.  So the idea that the College Board isn't aligning to a single set of standards is misleading and not quite accurate.  The report, Common Core State Standards Alignment produced by College Board states:

From the Report:

The College Board has been a strong advocate for and played an active role in the development of the Common Core State Standards. As part of this collaboration, the College Board helped draft the standards and helped shape the initiative by providing executive guidance on the Common Core Advisory Committee. The goal of the Common Core State Standards — to establish a common set of rigorous expectations to prepare students for college and career readiness — strongly reflects the guiding missions and values of the College Board, as well as of our programs and services....

...The College Board actively works with states and districts as they build their Common Core implementation plans, and we continue to provide guidance and technical assistance in the areas of:

• comprehensive alignment services;
• benchmarking standards, assessments and performance level indicators against college
outcomes;
• Common Core implementation plan development; and professional development.

 Add in the fact that one of the lead architects of the common core, David Coleman, is now President of College Board and the fact influence of Common Core on the assessments and implementation of the Common Core is strong and the potential harm to homeschoolers is great. 

Hefling also references HSLDA attorney Mike Donnelly in her piece.

Mike Donnelly of the Home School Legal Defense Association, based in Purcellville, Virginia, said there isn't anything "inherently objectionable" in the Common Core standards, but there is concern that if the standards become more mainstream, there will be more pressure for home-schooled students to conform to them.

 Recently, I've been critical of the HSLDA but I'm going to give Donnelly the benefit of the doubt that this is a  a misquote or he was taken out of context.  HSLDA's own Common Core website provides information on the objectionable philosophy inherent within the Common Core.

"Three threads of philosophy weave through the Common Core—statism, moral relativism, and progressivism, which are revealed both by what is proclaimed and what is omitted. The statist goals of the Common Core are implicit in the lockstep uniformity that is the central thesis of the program. All children in all states will learn the same content in the same manner so that the children may become useful workers. Traditionally, education has been premised on the notion that all education of value is designed to know truth that only can be fully known in God. The omission of the pursuit of truth as a core goal of the Common Core demonstrates its alliance with the dominant philosophy of modern education that there are neither absolute truths nor absolute values. Finally, we see progressivism in the view that all that is new is inherently superior to that which comes from prior generations of human knowledge.

The obvious influence of progressivism and relativism in the structure and goals of the Common Core reveals a view of education that is contrary to the desires of parents and educators who have chosen to pursue homeschooling, private schooling, and other forms of educational choice.

 Overall, the article presents the case that homeschoolers are making a difference and changing the narrative on the Common Core.   And that is good news!

Update:  HSLDA Attorney Mike Donnelly confirmed that the quote is not accurate.

 Related:
HSLDA's "Cobelligerency" with David Coleman
Does taking the SAT Harm Homeschoolers?

Does taking the SAT harm homeschoolers?

In a recent email and webinar, Homeschool Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) asserted that 

"At this time, we have not seen any evidence that the redesigned SAT will harm homeschoolers in any way."   

Is that a valid statement?  Simply by looking at the documentation provided on the Common Core website written by HSLDA, the answer is clearly NO.

In their FAQ, Question #7 asks, "Will the common core affect homeschools and private schools."

"The current impact of the Common Core on home and private education is revealed in the expanding state longitudinal databases, shifting college admissions expectations, newly updated curricula, and revised standardized tests. All these are fulfilling education historian Diane Ravitch’s prediction that “no one will escape [the Common Core’s] reach, whether they attend public or private school.”²....

...Perhaps the most immediate threat to homeschool and private school students is the expansion of statewide longitudinal databases. The designers of the new systems fully intend for homeschool and private school students to be part of the massive data collection. At the National Conference on Student Assessment in 2011, officials from Oklahoma explained to CCSSO how the challenge of meeting the data requirements of federal and state education policies are motivating them to “Include student groups not now included (e.g., home-schooled) in the data system.”³

In light of the growing revelations that the government is engaging in massive invasion of privacy in spheres other than education, it is utterly impossible to believe that these databases will not be mined and misused to serve the ulterior purposes of a centralized government intent on growing its own power."

The problem is those pesky homeschoolers won't cooperate!  As freedom loving homeschoolers we don't see the value of being in a P-20 cradle to career data tracking system.

So somehow they are going to have to manipulate us into joining the machine. How do they do that?  Easy peasy.  All Coleman has to is find a credible source that homeschoolers trust to tell us there's no harm in taking the test.

What is tested is what is taught, what is taught is what is thought.  And as an added bonus they get data on us too.

 So Coleman, who already enjoyed a cordial relationship with HSLDA, showed them just enough "evidence" that the content of the SAT is not harmful and together they produce a webinar to preach the good news to the masses."At this time, we have not seen any evidence that the redesigned SAT will harm homeschoolers in any way."  But 

Voila' homeschoolers will fall in line and take the test and by default put into the system.  And that's exactly what happened. 

After listening to Coleman, one homeschool blogger wrote,

"First of all, I’m hopeful that Mr. Coleman is honest and forthright about his claims with regard to the new SAT and its independence from Common Core.  Assuming this, I think many home educators should breathe a sigh of relief about changes to the SAT. If you are focused on establishing a good foundation for your students in math, reading and writing, then your student should be well-prepared for the SAT. "

Mission accomplished.


Once the homeschoolers are lured back into the system, College Board can do whatever it wants with the content.  HSLDA knows this,

The alignment of standardized tests with the Common Core may not seem alarming, because homeschool students consistently score much higher on standardized assessments than public school students. However, as information about the content of newly designed curriculum begins to surface, it is becoming clear that the Common Core’s focus on informational texts makes it easy to accentuate particular schools of thought. For example, English language arts curriculum in Utah inculcates the welfare-state mentality and characterizes a parent’s directions as “nagging.”¹³ Students taking the SAT, ACT, or the Iowa Tests could soon encounter progressive ideologies including social engineering and alternative lifestyles.

But hey, HSLDA says there's nothing progressive in the evidence they've seen so go ahead and take the test, get your kids data in the system, and help build the machine. But remember, once the P-20 cradle to career machine is built there is no going back to educational freedom.

Coleman said he didn't want to rile up homeschoolers.  Convincing HSLDA is just the way to do it. But  I'm going to do my best to make sure we are riled up and I hope HSLDA will join me in the fight instead of promoting Coleman's propaganda.

Planting the seed that SAT is not harmful is hard to undo once said.  Coleman knows this and will likely at some point begin using HSLDA's own words to defeat them too.  After the test content is changed and HSDLDA is forced to sound a warning, all Coleman has to do is pull out this webinar and their statement.  "Sure," they may say.  "But that was then but this is now. " And everyone will ask but how did HSLDA not know that he was a snake oil salesman? Everyone was saying it and yet they chose to believe him anyway?  The damage is done and HSLDA's credibility is gone.

The evidence is clear.  Don't be fooled, the current and future harm to homeschoolers is great.   Fight on! Don't help build their machine, destroy it!

Related Posts:
HSLDA's "cobelligerency" with David Coleman

Testing and Common Core

HSLDA's "cobelligerency" with David Coleman

Homeschool Legal Defense Association (HSLDA)  hosted a webinar with College Board President, David Coleman, last Friday.  If you were hoping for a take-down of Coleman it didn’t happen.  The email sent out by HSLDA President Mike Smith before the event gave us a hint at the tone,

At this time, we have not seen any evidence that the redesigned SAT will harm homeschoolers in any way. David Coleman, the president of the College Board, and his team have been incredibly helpful in providing us with comprehensive information about the redesigned SAT, and we are continuing our review.

How HSLDA  can say there is “no evidence” of harm “at this time”  is confusing and misleading.  The test isn’t out yet and the “harm” isn’t just in content, but with the data tracking, and the way exams factor in the P-20 European style education reforms.   Lindsay Burke at the Heritage Foundation articulated many of the concerns with the SAT that she believes will affect “non-Common Core states, private schools, and homeschoolers.”

I talked to an HSLDA representative at length about the webinar on Monday.  In my opinion, HSLDA apears to be listening to Coleman and his Gates paid hack Mark Rodgers, when they should be listening to Churchill instead.

‘An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last.’ Winston Churchill

HSLDA appears to think that by engaging Coleman they can keep the test “safe” for homeschoolers. Naive or deceived? I’m not sure which. But Coleman doesn’t give a “S#@%” what any of us think or feel. That’s his famous quote. And yet, HSLDA thinks they can work with him to make sure homeschoolers are not harmed.

HSLDA constantly reminds us that they are against the Common Core.  Philosophically that could be a true statement.   But the fact that they have to keep reminding us means that they are doing things that make it appear to be the exact opposite.  The webinar is the latest example in their confusing history.

The webinar began with Mark Rodgers, a consultant who has done work for Bill Gates, warmly welcoming Coleman.  Rodgers is the head of the Clapham Group and I was told by HSLDA that Coleman is his client.    Rodgers put on a symposium at Wheaton College in the Spring of 2013 with Coleman hoping to convince Christian leaders to find the good in Common Core.   It appears to have worked.  Christianity Today proclaimed  “The Good News of the Common Core.” and in essence declared the Common Core the the coming messiah for bible literacy.  Find common ground and disarm the opposition is their tactic.

Coleman is a slick salesman and with the help of Rodgers it appears they are using “cobelligerency” as an argument to persuade people to their side.

In June of 2013, Rodgers wrote a blog post  titled, Cobeligerency and the College Board,

“Wilberforce coined the term “cobelligerency” to describe his willingness to  work with people he disagreed with on specific causes they shared common concern over.  Several years ago, on a project I worked with for the Gates Foundation, I met David Coleman, currently head of The College Board.  Although we may disagree on a a number of issues, we did agree on C. S. Lewis’ analysis of the decline in reading expressed in his book An Experiment in Criticism.”

Farris did not attend the event but he had a cordial conversations with  Coleman a few months later.  Has HSLDA or Farris adopted the “cobelligerency” mindset with the College Board as well?  Farris wrote,

He acknowledged some good ideas that I shared, and I did the same.
I strongly oppose the Common Core for reasons I shared with him in detail. But I want to do my best to avoid demonizing those who promote it. He is motivated by what he truly thinks is best for education and for kids. I think his plans are unwise, especially when coupled with government coercion. But I will not question either his motives or his character.
We came away believing that each of us is acting in good faith. I think we make better policy decisions when we avoid the invective and simply look to the substance. That much, David Coleman and I have in common..

But, but many say they made the movie Building the Machine. Doesn’t that count for something?  Indeed they did. But it was a documentary that presented both sides and ended with the charge, “So, regardless of which side you support in the reformation of America’s schools…Be involved.”    Is that the charge you would expect from a defense attorney trying to win his case?  Not at all.  I’m told that even some within HSLDA believed the movie was weak and a mistake.   But at least they presented both sides and some of our best voices against Common Core like  Joy Pullmann, Sandra Stotstky, and Ze’ev Wurman were featured.

The webinar was a a one-hour infomercial for Coleman to spew his propaganda unchallenged by experts.  I’m told by those on the call, (it was members only) that Coleman actually apologized for not including homeschoolers in the discussions on Common Core and promised to include a “founding document.”  How humble and gracious of him!  Regrettably, the credibility of HSLDA combined with Coleman’s  fork-tongued rhetoric  appears to have worked on some homeschoolers.   After listening to Coleman, one homeschool blogger wrote,

“First of all, I’m hopeful that Mr. Coleman is honest and forthright about his claims with regard to the new SAT and its independence from Common Core.  Assuming this, I think many home educators should breathe a sigh of relief about changes to the SAT. If you are focused on establishing a good foundation for your students in math, reading and writing, then your student should be well-prepared for the SAT. “

Blasting  homeschoolers with the message that there is “no evidence that the redesigned SAT will harm homeschoolers in any way.” is misleading and mitigates one of the strongest arguments homeschoolers have to fight the Common Core: testing and data.   But hey, at least we found common ground on the founding documents! The case that the SAT will harm homeschoolers is easily made using the words and actions of Gates and Coleman.

• Gates said, “When the tests are aligned to the Common standards, the curriculum will line up as well.”   Does HSLDA know and believe this? They should they posted that exact quote on the Building the Machine FaceBook page on May 14, 2014.
• Coleman said , “”If you put something on an assessment in my view you are ethically obligated to take responsibility that kids will practice it 100 times.” And then there’s the harm caused by data collection.  Coleman loves data and how it can will be used in education to drive the reforms he wants to see.

Why is HSLDA playing the game instead of fighting it?  Why are they blasting the others sides message instead?  The pro-cc side has deep pockets thanks to Gates, the feds and others.  HSLDA relies on membership dues, trusting that the attorneys are representing and defending their interests.  But are they?    Does a good defense attorney present both sides?  No! they are hired to represent their client.   Why are homeschoolers paying for this kind of “defense?l?”
  
I was once told that Coleman doesn’t want to “rile” up homeschoolers. Thanks to HSLDA he is getting his way. As a homeschool mom of six who has been in the trenches fighting this for years, the blatant undermining by HSLDA on this is a betrayal of trust.  Are they appeasing Coleman to protect their interests at the expense of homeschoolers and educational freedom?  It could be their need for approval from College Board for Advanced Prep distinction at Patrick Henry Prep, the Romeike case, the Constitutional Convention, the Parental Rights Amendments, or something else entirely but something appears to be interfering with the ability to fight the Common Core with clarity and strength. I was around when School-to-Work was defeated in the 90′s.  HSDLA was strong in the fight.   I’m wondering now, where is the HSLDA of old?

Related Posts:
Does taking the SAT harm homeschoolers?

Upcoming Speaking Events

Many have asked where I'll be speaking next.  Here is a tentative schedule for the month of June. 

• Common Core Community Meeting -  Lyon Twp. LIbrary June 9 at 6:30 PM
• Common Core event with Pat Colbeck -  Plymouth Cultural Center June 17 at 7 PM
• Common Community Event - Troy Community Center - June 18 at 7 PM RSVP here

All events are open to the public.  Invite your friends!

You can also learn more at

Stop Common Core in Michigan.
Or at my Facebook Page SpunkyHomeschool

If you would like to have me come speak at your event you can contact me at
spunkyhomeschool at gmail dot com

President of charter school resigns over Common Core

Brian Polet resigned as as board president and from the board of directors of Eagle Crest Charter Academy.  Below is his stinging resignation letter.  Please read and share this letter.

Dear Eagle Crest Charter Academy, National Heritage Academies, and Central Michigan University,

Effective June 30, 2014, I officially resign as board president and from the board of directors of the Eagle Crest Charter Academy. Having been a part of the ECCA board since 1998, I have enjoyed watching it grow from a fledgling 100+ student body to a well respected institution of learning, not only in the West Michigan area, but in the state as a whole. Throughout those years, the challenge of  this board has been to ask the question, “Is it good for our children?” We have now reached a “no” as the answer to that question: Common Core State Standards and its Orwellian sibling, Smarter Balance Assessments. Over the past few months it has come to light that this Academy has suffered the chaos over the past two years of what is commonly called Common Core. Equally apparent is the vim and vigor that CMU and NHA have shown in supporting implementation of CC despite a lack of national testing, trials and experience.

This copy-written, corporate-driven education model has been developed by non-teachers and edu-crats from Washington to Lansing to the detriment of students, parents, taxpayers and local school boards. Without control of curriculum and a limited control of budgets, CC has effectively removed local control from parents and put it the hands of ESPs, the Dept. of Ed and state boards.
As a logical conclusion to this hokum, ECCA has fallen victim to this Soviet-style education. The chaos that has ensued is not the consequence of bad management by NHA, but a result of a flawed educational system.

More disturbing to me is the inability to guarantee the data privacy of our students. Neither NHA or the State Board will be able to protect a child’s data from corporate vultures, marketers, and political interest groups from being used in a malevolent way. Equally troubling is the ability for educational personnel to manipulate tests and assessments to move any student into certain fields or vocations and to modify behavior without consent or knowledge of the parent.

Sadly, as a volunteer I have no “skins” in this game. This puts the board and its individual members at a decided disadvantage against the combined efforts of CMU and NHA. With this in mind, I want no part of a lousy educational model and I refuse to sign my name to a product that confuses, disorients, diminishes and fails to protect our students.

In conclusion, my conversations with CMU and NHA has made it quite clear that this is the model they want. They can have it. With CC, we no longer have the Socratic model of education, but a new Bill Gates vocational schooling for worker bees and drones. Plainly, I have not left education, education has left me and more importantly, our students.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve these many years.

Sincerely,
Brian Polet
Eagle Crest Charter Academy Board President

It's time WE teach Lansing a lesson!

Parents and teachers:  It’s time WE teach Lansing a lesson…we’re in charge of our children’s future.  Please read this post and contact your legislators TODAY!

Yesterday, I encouraged state lawmakers to withdraw HB 5581 and SB 0945  until we knew what assessment Governor Snyder supports. We still don’t know.  Instead, lawmakers in both the the House and Senate Education Committees voted the bills out of their respective committee.   The bills move authority for assessments to Treasury (which reports to the Governor) and require the MEAP be administered next year.  From Mlive,

Legislators are framing the move as an attempt to give control of testing the state’s students to a “more responsive” department, as Rep. Bob Genetski (R-Saugatuck) phrased it while testifying in support of his bill, House Bill 5581.
“The legislature has had some challenges in dealing with the department of education, most recently with the testing of our students statewide and the assessments we are obligated to do through the federal government,” Genetski said.

But according to Ben Smith at MLive that isn’t all that is moving to treasury.

The House Fiscal Agency analysis of the Genetski bill, and comments Genetski made this morning, suggest that the MDE’s testing staff would be transferred to the Treasury department to “change the culture” at MDE (Genetski’s words.)

So we’re going to move the non-responsive culture at MDE  to Treasury?  Brilliant.  What test will Gov. Snyder try and convince the non-responsive staff to implement?  Will we get the “new” MEAP suffed with SBAC content?

The legislature may believe they are standing up against the MDE and teaching them a lesson when they are likely giving away complete control over assessments.   Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle do not like SBAC;  many would like to see ACT implemented.  MLive Education reporter Smith confirms that this is a possibility in another comment

“It looks like the idea is to expedite a bidding process to contract out the actual test questions and scoring, which would make the ACT Aspire exam a likely candidate because it’s one of the options not developed through a consortium (i.e. Smarter Balanced or PARCC).”

Implementing ACT Aspire is far worse.  The ACT Aspire is common core aligned and purchased as written.  Michigan loses complete control.  What is tested is what is taught, what is taught is what thought.  Michigan parents and teachers know that if we lose control of the assessments we lose control over what is taught to our children.   Lansing does not seem to care about parents, pleasing the feds is their priority.

It is not just the MDE that has been non-responsive to the legislature;  the legislature has not been non-responsive to parents and teachers who do NOT want Common Core or any assessment aligned to it! 

It’s time Michigan parents and teachers teach Lansing a lesson they won’t forget:

1.  Contact the HOUSE and SENATE and tell them to vote NO on HB 5581 and SB 0945.  Tell them NO to SBAC, ACT, or any other Common Core aligned test. (Contact HOUSE and SENATE)

2.  Contact Governor Snyder and ask him what assessment he supports. Tell him NO to the SBAC, the ACT Aspire, or any other Common Core aligned tests. Phone: (517) 373-3400


3.  OPT OUT of SBAC, ACT Aspire, the “new” MEAP, or any Common Core aligned tests.

4.  Share this post with everyone you know.

Do not let Lansing play politics with our children’s education and future.

Where does Gov. Snyder stand on testing?

There's a brawl brewing in Lansing over which test will replace MEAP.

The Michigan Department of Education (MDE) wants the Smarter Balanced Assessment (SBAC).

Business Leaders and the Chamber of Commerce want SBAC.

Lawmakers in the legislature are divided.  Some want SBAC but others are concerned about cost and the loss of control if we go forward with SBAC.   Given that they are in charge of funding, they have managed to challenge them through an appropriations bill that would require schools to use "new" MEAP.   The MDE says that is not possible.

To break the stalemate, Rep. Bob Genetski has introduced a bill,  HB 5581,  which would move the authority to determine the assessment from the MDE to the Treasury Department under Gov. Snyder.  A hearing is scheduled tomorrow.  I am sure the sparks will fly on both sides.

But does changing the location break the stalemate and resolve the concerns of lawmakers and parents who dislike SBAC or "new" MEAP with SBAC content,  and do not want to lose control of testing?

I don't think so. Given Gov. Snyder's strong support of the Common Core and his alliance to the business community. it is reasonable to assume he will is for the SBAC assessment.

But why are we forced to assume?  Shouldn't we know where Gov. Snyder stands before we vote to give him the authority over the assessments?   We already believe the MDE wants to stuff  a "new" MEAP with SBAC content, would Gov. Snyder pull the same trick?

Rep. Genetski's bill promises to give us more transparency but shouldn't we have that transparency either way?  Why do we have to pass this bill to find out where the Governor stands?

Gov. Snyder what assessment do you support for Michigan schools?

Please contact the Governor's office TODAY at 517) 373-3400 and ask what assessment he supports for Michigan schools.   Please let me know what they say.

Common Core Workshop

I have done many workshops and talks on the Common Core in the last year.  I am routinely asked for my slides for future reference.   I finally have it done.  Thank you for your patience.   These slides are for reference only.  Please do no alter or duplicate.   Thank you!

Common Core Presentation Slides (PDF)

Please note that the slides may be slightly different than a version.  I am routinely updated and revising my slides as new information becomes available. 

You can also find me at Facebook to keep up on Common Core news and info.

And also at Stop Common Core in Michigan.  

The Quest for the Common Test

The United States is being transformed from a decentralized educational system to a national system from P-20 right before our eyes.  In 2010, 45 states adopted Common Core, a standard of college readiness for math and English Language Arts. Logically, ONE common standard cannot have FIFTY state tests.  The question became what test would become THE Common Test aligned with the Common Core to provide the framework for the P-20 education to the workforce system?   

A little known but significant fact in answering that question is that the ACT and College Board were partners in the development of Common Core.  ACT was already the test of choice in many states for  their high school exit exam   In 2012, David Coleman became President of the College Board signalling that College Board was also integral to the new P-20 system.  Clearly, ACT and College Board were not going to just roll over and watch their companies crumple into pile of ovals and fade into history like the #2 pencil.  But for the time, each state had its own assessments.  Also worth mentioning, Pearson with CEO Sir Michael Barber, is a player who is "always learning" new ways to capitalize on common standards and assessments in the global marketplace.

After the Common Core was adopted, two testing consortia were set up, SBAC and PARCC.  Pearson was awarded the contract to create the new assessments.  Remember "state-led" standards require the same cover for"state-led" testing.  States now had a choice between SBAC and PARCC for their  assessments.   But ONE standard cannot have TWO tests forever and ACT and College Board are still around and working behind the scenes. College Board also announced a complete overhaul of the of the SAT and Advanced Placement (AP) Exams. In 2012, ACT launched ACT Aspire (with Pearson) to go along with their flagship ACT exam with WorkKeys.  WorkKeys has been adopted by many states in order to grant a National Skills Readiness Certificate (NCRC) to students.  So the stage is set for the common assessment pathway from P-20, education for the workforce but who will emerge the champion in the quest for the test?
  
A year ago, Chester Finn at Fordham was very positive about the long-term prospects of ACT and College Board and predicted SBAC and PARCC would  "fade away"

 "eclipsed and supplanted by long-established yet fleet-footed testing firms that already possess the infrastructure, relationships, and durability that give them huge advantages in the competition for state and district business."

So it should be not great surprise that many states are rethinking their participation in the consortia.  Michigan adopted the ACT with WorkKeys as our high school exit exam in 2005 and is debating assessments. An  ACT rep was present at  hearing to let lawmakers know just how great the Aspire would be for our state.  South Carolina is the latest to pull out of SBAC and adopted WorkKeys and considering ACT.   EdWeek reports that participation in SBAC and PARCC is declining.  

"The most recent tally shows that 13 states do not belong to either the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers or the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium. At the peak in 2010, PARCC claimed the membership of 26 states, and Smarter Balanced had 31. Currently, 16 states and the District of Columbia are sticking with PARCC, and 22 are in Smarter Balanced." 

ACT, with the full force of its reputation, is lobbying to be the test of choice for states and providing the cover against federalism.  In the end states are still left with mediocre common national standards and assessment they do not control with a national work skills certificate (NCRC) as a bonus. 

Time will tell.  The question we should all be asking ourselves is this, are parents and students ready to opt out of the ACT or College Board in order to defeat the Common Core and halt the transformation of education from P-20?

Homeschoolers Need Not Apply

Back in 2005 I wrote a post called Conviction or Preference.  At that time, I asked at hypothetical question based on my knowledge of national standards, 

If your child or children were prevented from getting into college because they didn't have the right credentials due to the fact that they were homeschooled would you still homeschool them through high school or would change what you are doing to meet those new requirements.

Before you question the validity of question, let me give you a little more information. (I have so much research on this but finding it on the internet is difficult and time consuming.) Many schools disctricts are moving toward an "endorsed diploma" or "certificate of initial mastery" (CIM) as a part of a high school diploma.

Nearly, ten years ago it seem unimaginable that a homeschool student would be rejected for anything or that their diploma would be challenged.  But that was then and this is now.  Thanks to national standards, now known as Common Core, the validity of "nontraditional" or homeschool diploma is being challenged.  Consider two recent news stories

• The NCAA no longer accepts coursework from 24 high schools.  The high schools operate as virtual academies using K12. 
• HSLDA Attorney Mike Donnelly posted a story about NiSource, an Indiana based company will not hire homeschoolers.  "This applicant was offered a job initially, but NiSource withdrew the offer when it found out he had a homeschool diploma."

While I acknowledge that K12 is "pubic school" it is still a "non-traditional diploma" and the same issues apply.

In 2010, colleges were required to determine the "validity" of a high school diploma for federal funding. The validity of my own sons' diplomas were challenged by the US Marines.   I know  of other students who were rejected from cosmetology school and employment in heathcare field because they had a homeschool diploma.  These stories are not isolated but part of a growing trend to standardize education and create a seamless pathway from P-20.  Only those that meet the requirements set forth in this new system will be able to advance. 

The system is not complete yet, but Marc Tucker an early and strong proponent of a managed system for a managed economy describes the system based on exams or assessments.
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In such a system, the purpose of the exams is to determine whether a student is qualified to go on to work or to the next stage of his or her education.  The standards for moving on are clear. The question is whether the student has met them.  Because the colleges, universities and employers have agreed to the standards in advance, there is no dispute about what the students’ performance on the exams means or about what it takes to move on.

--> Excellence for All How Board Examination Systems and Education Gateways  Will Greatly Improve High School Student Performance, Prepare More Students for Success in College, Enable Graduates to Get Good Jobs  and Reduce the Costs of Our Education System 

 Assessment providers ACT, Inc.and College Board, both partners in the development of the Common Core, are working  is working with states to make sure that states have the assessments and state longitudinal data system necessary to take a child from cradle-to-career...P-20.   Anyone outside the system with a "non-traditional" diploma need not apply. 

Fordham outrage at opting out

It appears the Fordham Foundation is getting a bit frustrated with the rising opposition to the Common Core. In a recent article Chester Finn, Jr. is going so far as to ask if "opting out" of testing is "acceptable" and "probably illegal."

Tough questions urgently arise: Is it legal to opt your child out of state tests? Should it be legal? And if it’s not—and ought not be—legal, is it a legitimate act of civil disobedience to refuse to obey such a law?

The recent surge of activity has more than one source. Partly it’s a response to broad concerns about too much testing and disquiet over curricular narrowing and test-prep overkill. Partly it’s a reaction against the Common Core standards, which have lately become controversial. And partly it’s just old-fashioned Rousseauian romanticism about the ends of education and the proper metrics by which to determine whether the right ends are being attained.

Yes, it’s understandable. But is it acceptable?

Fordham is a think-tank so it is natural that Chester Finn would be thinking about such questions. But it is strange that Finn questions parents opting out but not the feds opting IN and overseeing the development of the assessments. Fordham has also been paid by the Gates Foundation to peddle the Common Core. So it is no surprise that Finn wants to deny parents the ability to opt-out of tests and the control they need to direct the education of their children under Common Core.

As for parents, think about the parallels. Is it OK to opt their kids out of vaccinations before coming to school? Out of attending on Thursdays—or on their birthdays? Out of going to math class? Submitting a lab report in chemistry or a book review in English?

Testing is more serious than lab reports, for it goes to the core of society’s interest in ensuring that its own next generation is educated—not just making them spend time in school but making certain they actually gain the skills and knowledge that they and their society will need to thrive in decades to come....

...Better tests are coming, but that doesn’t excuse “opting out” now. It’s not a legitimate form of civil disobedience. And it’s probably not legal, either. If you really find state tests odious, put your money and time where your mouth is—and stop asking taxpayers to educate your children."

The push-back against parents indicates that opting out is exactly what parents MUST do to stop Common Core and regain parental and local control of education. It is federal oversight of testing that is illegal and illegitimate! It is time to let the feds and Bill Gates know their involvement in education is NOT ACCEPTABLE. Parents OPT-OUT!

Common Core Curriculum is Coming

Fordham produced a series of reports after examining the districts considered to be "early implementers" of the Common Core. Their findings published in "Common Core in the Districts: An Early Look at Early Implementer" are predictable and set the stage for a call for common curricula to go with the Common Core, the desired goal all along. Take particular note of #3 and #4:

This up-close look at district-level, school-level, and classroom-level implementation yields several key findings:

1. Teachers and principals are the primary faces and voices of the Common Core standards in their communities
2. Implementation works best when district and school leaders lock onto the Common Core standards as the linchpin of instruction, professional learning, and accountability in their buildings
3. In the absence of externally vetted, high-quality Common Core materials, districts are striving—with mixed success—to devise their own
4. The scramble to deliver quality CCSS-aligned professional development to all who need it is as crucial and (so far) as patchy as the quest for suitable curriculum materials
5. The lack of aligned assessments will make effective implementation of the Common Core challenging for another year

In short, districts are in the near-impossible situation of operationalizing new standards before high-quality curriculum and tests aligned to them are finished. Yet the clock is ticking, and the new tests and truly aligned textbooks are forthcoming.

Translation: Time is short. School districts are scrambling. Tests are coming. The situation is "near-impossible." Common Curriculum "truly aligned" is coming. According to an article in Education Week, the report claims teachers support a more centralized approach to curriculum.

Even as they steer clear of the marketplace's dubiously "aligned" materials in favor of writing their own, there is a shift to a more centralized approach, Cristol and Ramsay found. "Letting a thousand flowers bloom isn't consistent with ensuring that all teachers are using high-quality and well-aligned materials," they write.

Lawmakers and state school officials who still push the myth that Common Core was just about a higher standards hat won't tell teachers how to teach are wrong. Centralized common curriculum "truly-aligned" to the Common Core was the goal all along.

Governor Snyder cedes control to the feds.

Last fall, I had the privilege of being a part of a WOODTV's Live Town Hall with Governor Snyder. (Video at link could not be embedded.) My question centered around the fact that when we adopted the Common Core our PUBLIC school standards became PRIVATELY owned by the NGA and the CCSSO. It appears from Governor Snyder's answer that we have ceded our authority role in education and become a mere "voice" at the table. Here's a brief transcript of my question and his answer:

Karen Braun: My question to you Governor Snyder is that the standards are copyrighted. They are owned by a private trade organization. They are no longer owned by the State of Michigan. Governor Snyder, how did we cede control of our standards, public standards, to a private trade association? Governor Snyder: If you step back and look at it, it was a consortium of states working together. And that is the way we can manage this. Cause again we don't have to do this. But if you have a case of you have 45 states coming together I think there is a pretty good consensus that people believe there is something good here. Otherwise it wouldn't be happening. It's an evolving thing so it's not like we've ceded control of everything. We're having this dialogue right now about do we want to be part of it or not. Again, we have a voice at the table to say what these standards should be. And again the federal government is not dominating this discussion. They are highly involved and that can be a challenge at times. But the states really made this thing happen. And I think we should be proud that we are raising the standards on what we expect out of our kids.

Michigan is now a "voice at the table?" in determining our PUBLIC school standards? Prior to adopting the Common Core Michigan was the final voice and authority in determining our standards. Now we are merely a "voice in the table." Governor Snyder is correct, we haven't ceded "everything" we've just ceded the primary thing -- our authority position in Michigan education. As a member of the consortium of states, we are allowed to "ask" or "advocate" for change but the decision is not ours alone. Governor Snyder also admitted that the federal government is "highly involved and it can be a challenge at times." Wow. Arne Duncan said just the opposite in a speech a few months ago, "

I believe the Common Core State Standards may prove to be the single greatest thing to happen to public education in America since Brown versus Board of Education—and the federal government had nothing to do with creating them. The federal government didn't write them, didn't approve them, and doesn't mandate them. And we never will. Anyone who says otherwise is either misinformed or willfully misleading.

So is Governor Snyder "misinformed" or "willfully misleading"? I think he is neither. He is informed and actually told the truth -- the federal government is "highly involved" in Common Core. There was no ability for a follow-up. But I wanted to ask Governor Snyder a couple more questions: 1. Where is the table located and who else is sitting with us? Currently according to the Common Core website, they are not telling who is going to manage the standards.

Who will manage the Common Core State Standards Initiative in the future?

The Common Core State Standards Initiative was and will remain a state-led effort. In addition to supporting effective implementation of the Common Core State Standards, NGA and CCSSO are committed to developing a long-term sustainability structure with leadership from governors, chief state school officers, and other state policymakers. There will be an ongoing state-led development process that can support continuous improvement of the standards.

So Michigan has a voice at a table but it apparently hasn't been built yet or they are keeping it under wraps for a little while longer. Shouldn't Michigan know the governing structure and WHO is on it BEFORE we go forward with Common Core? Before Common Core, Michigan elected those who would govern our education standards but will governing structure be accountable to the people of Michigan? And if not, who will hold this "structure" accountable? Which leads to my second follow-up question, 2. Governor Snyder said the federal government is "highly involved" and that can be a challenge at times. How do we know that the federal government won't be a "voice at the table" in the management of the standards and eventually become the lead voice?" Already we see that the federal government's heavy hand in "reviewing" the SBAC assessments.

The Technical Review is one component of the Department’s Race to the Top Assessment Program Review, which is the way we are working with both consortia to support and provide oversight of their work.

Support and oversight? Wait a minute! I thought this was a "state-led" effort by the Governors. Why is the Department of Education overseeing their work? And if they are allowed to be the overseer of the assessments will they one day be allowed to oversee the work of the "structure" that manages the Common Core?

Remember, Governor Snyder said this is an "evolving process." Governor Snyder's answers last night were insufficient and lead to even more questions. As the Governor and a member of the NGA, he is the only leader in Michigan who can answer these questions. He MUST answer them. Unless we have a satisfactory answer to this fundamental question of why our PUBLIC school standards are PRIVATELY owned; and know with certainty who will manage them and the process for changing them, we should NOT go forward with the Common Core. Call the Governor (517-373-3400) and your state lawmakers today and tell them you want to retain our authority in education standards and permanently stop common core in Michigan.

Video testimony to Repeal Common Core in Michigan

My April 2013 testimony on HB 4276 to repeal Common Core in Michigan.  So much has happened since then. We were railroaded last summer and ended up with a meaningless resolution. Common Core must be the litmus test for the 2014 elections so that we get a legislature that has the courage to say no to the feds.   You can get more frequent updates on Common Core via my Facebook page.  

In 2014, the courage to opt-out is finally gaining momentum.

The war against the Common Core has kept me busy.  I have been blogging at Stop Common Core in Michigan.  I kept thinking I'd get back over to cross-post but never did.

I started this blog in 2005 to fight national centralized common standards.   It is hard to believe it is 2014 and Common Core has been adopted in 45 states (with various levels of repeals pending.)    People are starting to learn more and parents are starting to opt out of testing.    In 2006, I wrote a post called "Are you Pro-testing?" 

I believed even then that protesting the tests was the only way this would ever truly be stopped.  I still do.  Bill Gates and the feds may control the purse strings but parents control the shoe strings.  Refusing the test and opting out will bring this to a halt, fast.

 It's sounds so simple. and it is; but it is not easy.  Even now, when the issue is more obvious parents still struggle with fear and intimidation from local school administrators who pressure them to take the test.  But take a look at New York.  It is testing week and nearly 6,000 students have opted out of their tests.   Their courage is an inspiration to us all.

Courage, is exactly what is needed by all parents no matter how they educate or where they live.

Do you remember Tiananmen Square of 1989? The bravery of one Chinese citizen to stand before the column of tanks halted their progress and inspired the world. We must exhibit the same courage to stand up to the federal takeover of education and centralized control of our child's future.  

We will direct our children's education not an army of educrats in the government and their battery of tests.

Parents don't have to homeschool to halt the reforms. (But it helps!). They just have to be willing to say "no" to the test just like this young man stood before the tank. I have yet to meet one parent in our area, homeschooling or not, who likes the time and emphasis spent on the exams.  Testing is a key component and very profitable part of the reforms. 

We need a Reagan moment in education,  "Parent tear up that test."

Pilots for the Smarter Balanced and PARCC assessments are already in piloted in many states.  Michigan hopes to replace its high school exit exam with the new assessments in 2015.   The tests are the oil that drives the engine of these reforms and the P-20 database tracking and data mining.

What will the history books record about this generation? Will they see images of parents standing in front of the tests or standing on the sidewalks as the school bus rolls on by?