FOM: A “New” CCS (Coalition for Community Schools)

The “Fib-o-Meter” is back and ready to bust open the fallacies, fibs, half truths, or whole truths about the OTHER CCS (Common Core Standards). Today’s look is into the IEL (Institute for Educational Leadership) and its CCS (Coalition for Community Schools). Is it tied to the Common Core? If so, how? Is it part  of the plan to have aligned communities like those in the ‘cradle to career’ movement of ‘Strive Together’? (*Note: ST is associated with the Chief Council of State School Officers, KnowledgeWorks, and other pro CCSS Machine members). Let’s crank up the “Meter” and see what we can find!

IEL, Institute for Educational Leadership:

Its website: http://iel.org/

If you visit their website, be sure to head directly to the “About Us” page and click on the word “Staff” to find the “Total Truths” of current or former associations with other groups each member has. You’ll find organizations like the NEP (National Education Policy), Workforce Development, education reformers, and a more than healthy dose of social justice causes. You still with me? I hope so. Let’s see what else “Fib-o-Meter” can find…

Their Board of Directors is a big dose of “Total Truth” or more like a who’s who among some of the CCSS Machine members. For example, Dr. June Atkinson (the president of the Council of Chief State School Officers as well as the NC State Superintendent for Public Schools), The IEL website only uses  her NC title as her employer. “Total Truth”? No way! (If you missed Dr. A’s presidency, see: http://www.ccsso.org/News_and_Events/Press_Releases/CCSSO_Welcomes_New_President_and_Board_of_Directors-x2650.html )
Other pro CCSS represented groups: Data Quality Campaign, Harvard University, Scholastic Books, Learning Matters, and many others. To find the entire “Total Truth” for yourselves, go to the “About Us” tab, and click on “Board of Directors”.

Well, are you ready to see what else “Fib-o-Meter” has uncovered about the Coalition  for Community School’s parent organization? I am!

The Gates Foundation has granted IEL many dollars from ‘before 2009’ to 2011. “Fib-o-Meter” found this “Total Truth” on the Gates Foundation Grants Page. You can too. See:
http://www.gatesfoundation.org/How-We-Work/Quick-Links/Grants-Database#q/k=IEL

Another “Total Truth” about IEL is that it is working to ensure key points are embedded in the HR5 (currently set to be back in front of Congress next week). Fib-o-Meter found this excerpt on the IEL’s “IEL@50” page.
“The Coalition for Community Schools at IEL is working to ensure that a set of key principles are embedded in ESEA reauthorization. The principles that we are advocating for include:

Incentives for results-driven public-private partnerships; Broadened indicators for states and districts to report on beyond achievement, including attendance, family engagement, student discipline, and health and wellness; Stronger definitions of family and community engagement and clarity about how they can contribute to student achievement and well-being; and Consultation by states and districts with a broader array of stakeholders including community partners.”

If you’d like to read the resource for yourselves: 
http://coalitionforcommunityschools.blogspot.com/2015/05/esea-reauthorization-is-tough-sell-in.html

Other “Total Truths” from IEL about their CCS:
1) From the resource, “Scaling Up: The Community Schools Strategy Guide”:
“The fourth reason to scale up is that the policy environment is ripe for expanding community schools. At the federal level, the Promise Neighborhoods initiative, Race to the Top Fund, School Improvement Grants, Title I, and the Invest in Innovation Fund i3 all contain elements of the community schools strategy. P-20 Councils at the state level and in some localities also call for expanded partnerships and resource alignment. They all require a vehicle—which a community schools strategy provides—to help schools and community institutions knit their wide-ranging assets into measurable improvements.” (see the rest:
http://www.communityschools.org//resources/part_one_rationale_for_a_scaled_up_system_of_css1.aspx)
2) The Benchmarking Chart for “Community Schools”: Systems Benchmarks Chart

3) The ‘equity’ factor is ever present. You’ll especially love how data collection is key to this.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNmFeh77aHA?list=PLuQpxgwXj9p96Y3bR3hkaDiWVVGlN-Yl4&w=560&h=315]

4) An IEL Framework for Community Schools: (click to enlarge the screen shot so you can see the school transformed into a community one-stop-resource for your whole family)

To get the entire “Framework”,
http://www.communityschools.org/assets/1/AssetManager/CS%20Equity%20Framework%20-%20Final%20Working%20Draft.pdf

Coalition for Community Schools, or one more ‘CCS’:

Have you noticed so far how many IEL resources have the Coalition’s address included? Well, does that mean Gates and the rest of the people in IEL are in CCS (the Coalition)? “Fib-o-Meter” has some information to share! The CCS’s website address: http://www.communityschools.org/

CCS funders do not include the Gates Foundation, but do have other pro CCS (Common Core Standards) supporters. See the “Total Truth” below:

• Annie E. Casey Foundation
• Charles Stewart Mott Foundation
• JP Morgan Chase Foundation
• Stuart Foundation
• The Atlantic Philanthropies
• W.K. Kellogg Foundation

The plan for the CCS in our communities is to use our public schools for more than education. Of course, the education has to be ‘tweaked’ to include the ‘college/career/citizen’ mantra so embedded in the Common Core way of life. See the “Total Truth” in the flyer the Coalition for Community Schools has created to help sell the ‘friendly’ services coming soon to your neighborhood. Community Schools One Pager2014

Current CCS locations? Yes, there are a few in the USA. See the picture below:

To access the CCS Survey: http://www.communityschools.org/resources/community_schools_directory.aspx (scroll down to find the ‘directory’ options)

Partners for the Coalition are many and you can easily see the CCSS (Standards) ties as you read down the list. You’ll also lots of federal overreach. See: http://www.communityschools.org/about/partners.aspx

Lastly, for how to fund a Coalition Community School (and other vital anti CCSS weapons of information), be sure to access the “Coalition Publications” on the left hand side menu. You’ll find lots of “Total Fallacy” sold as “Total Truth” in these papers.