Anti CCSS/ESSA Warriors, it has been almost 2 years since I shared with you how the CCSS (Common Core State Standards) Machine is overreaching into our public libraries. In between the time I first published this news and now, what, if anything, has been going on? PLENTY! Especially with the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) as law of the land.
What Caught My Eye:
A recent weekly newspaper which comes delivered for free in my neighborhood had a brief statement. I have the screen shot below so you can see what I saw. While the location states “Denver”, it is not the Colorado city, rather a small town in North Carolina.
The EZ Literacy and Lifelong Learning Grants you see underlined are given in detail:
http://statelibrary.ncdcr.gov/ld/grants/lsta/2015-2016Abstract.htm (*Note: the partnering with local community colleges ties the Career Tech, Common Core to public places. How do I know? Previous research has shown all 58 of NC’s Community Colleges are CCSS/CTE aligned.)
The ‘Old News’ from 2014:
Here is an excerpt from the original article where I tied not only public libraries to the CCSS Machine, but private bookstores, as well.
“Here’s what NC’s state library page said about the grants: “Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) Grants are federal funds from the Institute of Museum and Library Services that are awarded by the State Library to eligible North Carolina libraries.” ”
To see the entire article: https://www.commoncorediva.com/2014/10/27/monday-musings-hitting-the-books/ (*Note: be sure to open in a new tab, the 2013 embedded document where CCSS and public libraries are to be joined together.)
What you see below is from Detroit, Michigan and is the Mark Twain Public Library. In my mind this is a great visual for how our libraries have been culled for any books which are NOT aligned to Common Core or its agenda. If your library is like my local one, almost every book BEFORE 2008’s publishing date has been REMOVED!
So, What ARE the Priorities?
From the Institute of Museum and Library Services (www.imls.gov), here are the priorities embedded in the federal Laws which are in place to award the grants to each of the US States and its Territories. Federal laws 20 U.S. C. 9121 and 20 U.S.C. 9141. The 9121 is for the reasons museums and libraries need grants; the 9141 gives the parameters for the award money.
9121: “Enhance coordination among federal programs that relate to library and information services; promote continuous improvement in library services in all types of libraries in order to better serve the people of the United States; facilitate access to resources in all types of libraries for the purpose of cultivating an educated and informed citizenry; encourage resource sharing among all types of libraries for the purpose of achieving economical and efficient delivery of library services to the public; promote literacy, education, and lifelong learning and to enhance and expand the services and resources provided by libraries, including those services and resources relating to workforce development, 21st century skills, and digital literacy skills; enhance the skills of the current library workforce and to recruit future professionals to the field of library and information services; ensure the preservation of knowledge and library collections in all formats and to enable libraries to serve their communities during disasters; enhance the role of libraries within the information infrastructure of the United States in order to support research, education, and innovation; and promote library services that provide users with access to information through national, state, local, regional, and international collaborations and networks.”
Warriors, did you see ‘workforce’? That will tie into the WIOA (Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act) as well! Did you see the ’21st Century skills’?! That will tie to the ESSA, the WIOA, and the HEA (Higher Education Act). Did you see the ‘digital literacy’? ESSA has set aside almost $850 million for nationwide digital renovations! The STEM Education Act will also be tied to every bit of this, too! I am sure other laws will also be connected.
9141: “Expand services for learning and access to information and educational resources in a variety of formats, in all types of libraries, for individuals of all ages in order to support such individuals’ needs for education, lifelong learning, workforce development, and digital literacy skills; establish or enhance electronic and other linkages and improved coordination among and between libraries and entities for the purpose of improving the quality of and access to library and information services; provide training and professional development, including continuing education, to enhance the skills of the current library workforce and leadership, and advance the delivery of library and information services; enhance efforts to recruit future professionals to the field of library and information services; develop public and private partnerships with other agencies and community-based organizations; target library services to individuals of diverse geographic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds, and to individuals with limited functional literacy or information skills; target library and information services to persons having difficulty using a library and to underserved urban and rural communities, including children (from birth through age 17) from families with incomes below the poverty line (as defined by the Office of Management and Budget and revised annually in accordance with section 9902(2) of title 42) applicable to a family of the size involved; develop library services that provide all users access to information through local, state, regional, national, and international collaborations and networks; and carry out other activities consistent with the purposes set forth in section 9121, as described in the SLAA’s plan.”
Warriors, did you notice the repeated emphasis on ‘electronics’ (aka ‘digital’)? Did you see the ‘public private partnership’ included? ESSA mandates for MORE P3 (public private partnerships) in education,as well as total community alignment in the name of support for student achievement! Much of ESSA is written with the underserved in mind., as well. In fact, much of Title One funding is being transformed to include more folks as underserved, so they, too, can be aligned! Finally, did you notice the ‘international’ and other ‘collaborations’? This most definitely fits the global aspects of the Common Core Agenda for global education, global citizens, and global workers.
To date, NC has received over $21 million dollars (from 2012 to 2016) in these Library Service and Technology Act grants. What has your State received? Find out, here:
https://www.imls.gov/grants/grants-state/state-allotments
Each State has a 5 year plan for their grant money, the federal government reviews each State Plan every 5 years as well. Among the highlights of NC’s grant money, data collection, career/workforce development, lifelong learning, and, of course, partners in the community. After all, our libraries are considered cornerstones of each community, what better way to access citizens for the alignment to ESSA/CCSS?! You can see the entire NC 5 Year State Plan,
https://www.imls.gov/sites/default/files/state-profiles/plans/northcarolina5yearplan.pdf
If you would like to see the last Evaluation NC received (2012), https://www.imls.gov/sites/default/files/state-profiles/evals/northcarolina5yearevaluation.pdf
You can find your State’s profile, https://www.imls.gov/grants/grants-state/state-profiles
Warriors, consider this fact (according to the Institute for Museum and Library Services:
there are 123,000 libraries across our Nation and 35,00 museums. Those are big numbers the CCSS Machine is using to advance community alignment. With ESSA as law of the land, we will see even more community alignment.
If you wish to see who serves as a National Board member for the Institute:
https://www.imls.gov/about-us/national-museum-and-library-services-board
To better understand how libraries and museums will continue to be entrenched in the ESSA/CSSS ways, read this excerpt, “As a federal agency administering discretionary federal programs, IMLS receives its funding through the annual appropriations process. We are one of several independent agencies whose spending limits each year are established in the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act.” See:
https://www.imls.gov/about-us/legislation-budget
Who holds the key to the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations? The US House of Representatives Appropriations Committee http://appropriations.house.gov/subcommittees/subcommittee/?IssueID=34777
AND, the US Senate’s Appropriations Committee
http://www.appropriations.senate.gov/subcommittees/labor-health-and-human-services-education-and-related-agencies
(*Note, on the Senate’s Committee, Patty Murray (‘co-cheerleader’ for the ESSA) is a ranking member. Her ‘companion cheerleader’ for ESSA, Lamar Alexander is also a serving member.)
To see the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act on the Senate’s side (S 1695): https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/senate-bill/1695
The House of Representatives’ side, H 3020: https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/3020/related-bills
To see the Congressional Report of the above: https://www.congress.gov/congressional-report/114th-congress/house-report/195/1
The Institute for Museum and Library Services also receives donations. I found evidence of the Gates Foundation awarding a grant the federal government Institute. See below:
I also found evidence of STEM, the Institute for Museum and Library Services, and a program called ‘WebWise’ (this one is from 2011). It also gives evidence to the MacArthur Foundation’s support. See: https://www.imls.gov/assets/1/workflow_staging/News/855.pdf
(*Note: be sure to look at all the speakers and other supporters.)
To see the Institute’s 2015 Progress and Accountability Report (where you will see STEM, 21st Century Community Learning Centers, WIOA, Career Tech Education, and SO much more): 2015par (*Note: Page 120 will reveal how this federal agency is able to receive private donations.)
Enter, Big Bucks and Lots of Agenda:
Helping the Institute for Museum and Library Services embed a collective, common good mindset in each community is the LISC (Local Initiatives Support Corporation). In fact, there is a Report detailing the partnership. Page 54 of this Report gives you the collective efforts for common communities. See: museumslibrariesandcomprehensiveinitiatives
Why look at the LISC? Simple, among the original donors, the Ford Foundation, a HUGE CCSS Machine member, joined others who are out to improve communities. While community improvement IS a good thing, filtering it through the CCSS Machine agenda is NOT. See the other original donorsand the top current ones. Then count how many are among the CCSS Machine’s well known members: http://www.lisc.org/about-us/supporters/major-supporters/#origfunders
To see the Education agenda LISC has, http://www.lisc.org/our-initiatives/education/
To read the rest of the Report, http://www.lisc.org/annualreport/2015/welcome.html
To see how much the Gates Foundation has given the LISC,
http://www.gatesfoundation.org/How-We-Work/Quick-Links/Grants-Database#q/k=LISC
To meet the LISC Board (notice that Strive Together is represented, as well as other CCSS Machine members), http://www.lisc.org/annualreport/2015/team.html
Why did I stress Strive Together? Good question. The Strive Together Initiative is all about 100% community alignment for cradle to career citizens. If you haven’t heard of this, here are my previously published articles. Be sure to share this news, as the ESSA will bring more programs like this.
a) https://www.commoncorediva.com/2015/02/27/fom-collective-education/ (*Note that some of the same funders are revealed.)
b) https://www.commoncorediva.com/2015/02/19/tech-thursday-cradlecareer-conference/
(*Note: this one gives you a look at the Strive Together cities already in alignment.)
c) https://www.commoncorediva.com/2014/11/12/wybi-wednesday-national-center-for-post-secondary-research-and-ccss/ (*Note: this one gives you the research behind the cradle to career movement.)
d) https://www.commoncorediva.com/2014/10/24/fom-friday-knowledgeworks-or-knowledge-quirks/ (*Note: this one ties the cradle/career efforts to iNACOL, the CCSSO, and others. iNACOL is short for the International Association for K-12 On-line Learning. The CCSSO is short for Council of Chief State School Officers, which owns half the copyright to the Common Core State Standards (aka: College and Career Readiness Standards). )
How the ESSA and Strive Together intersect:
https://www.commoncorediva.com/2016/01/04/meet-your-new-neighbor-essa-seriously/
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