Blenders, Ready?

Why a blender theme? Several musings fit the CCSS Machine (at least in my way of thinking), thus making the analogies to education pretty easy.

My old blender has served me well over the years. By today’s standards, it has been replaced by something flashier, faster, and with less options. If we contrast this with what is going on in education, we can come to pretty much the same conclusion.

So, for the rest of the article, pardon my analogies to the blender cycles of old. I hope, you will not only see the points I am making, but see HOW well the blender theme works. In fact, you are already familiar with one of the CCSS Machine’s favorite ‘educratic’ buzz phrases which goes with today’s article: Blended Learning.

Chop/Grate/Grind:

Anti CCSS Warriors, we are finding education for ALL choices/all ages being thrown into the CCSS Machine (the blender), ground together with ALL kinds of products, resources, and agendas (education).

The results are SUPPOSED to resemble something palatable, easy to digest, and thus, good for us.  (college and career ready, workforce trained students)

However, when you use CCSS (and now ESSA) subjective research, lots of misuse of the legal system and the funding which combines all of the above (spoiled ingredients), we get far less than what is good for our students, our States, and our nation.

Stir/Puree/Whip:

Helping the CCSS Machine stir education up into a dreadful concoctions are many, many companies, foundations, etc. Today, I will be looking into a couple of them you may or may not know are not only willing ‘blender buddies’ of CCSS, but willing to take your students right along with them!

Edgenuity, Inc. (helping whip all educational choices into the CCSS Machine). Here is an ‘educational smoothie’ they have whipped up for America:

Edgenuity, Inc. also serves up CCSS concoctions for Teachers, School Leaders. See all their products and services on the menu: http://www.edgenuity.com/products/
You can also look below for a visual menu:

The CCSS Machine Chefs at Edgenuity? Check out the leadership and count the number of ‘CCSS Gold Card carrying organizations’ are in their recent past experiences. Access:
http://www.edgenuity.com/the-difference/executive-biographies/

Recently, the State of Alabama has had one of Edgenuity’s leaders testify against a public official. Edgenuity’s guy? Mike Humphrey, formerly of Pearson. I do not have all the facts about this case, so I will not comment. It does seem this recipe is fraught will ‘bad fruit’ indeed.

As far as Edgenuity’s authorization to be in your State’s ‘educational kitchen’, refer to their accreditation page.  http://www.edgenuity.com/the-difference/accreditation/

You will want to see who they partner with as well. AdvancED (a global education organization). Their latest Annual Report has lots of ‘recipes in the making’, as well as tried and tested ones.
To see their 2014-15 Annual Report,
http://www.advanc-ed.org/sites/default/files/documents/AE-AnnualReport2014-15.pdf

So why bring up this global group? ‘International educational flavor’ connections, my Warriors!

AdvancED has worked with The Russell Foundation for global reading resources. UNESCO is tied into this effort. See (from AdvancED),
https://www.advanc-ed.org/press-release/advanced-sponsors-worldreader-kit;
From Russell:
http://mattrussell.org/partnerships/

Mix, Blend, Frappe, and Liquefy:

For this last group of blender settings, CCSS Style, let’s look at what is being ‘cooked up’ for our little learners. After all, the CCSS Machine is most anxious to be able to offer agenda driven foods that ‘don’t look like, taste like, or smell like’ the actual slop they are!

Why would I say ‘most anxious’? Consider the ESSA (Every Student Succeeds Act), and the amount of legislation devoted to universal preschool programs; early learning services (both in home and out of the home) and resources to fit all this and more. One such group, the Ounce of Prevention Fund, has not only lined up, but ‘hit the markets’ in March 2016 will how great ESSA is for birth through early grades.

They even hosted a webinar to show how the ‘chefs’ in your State’s ‘educational kitchens’ could ‘cook up a budget friendly, ESSA based meal’. Chock full of alignment, accountability, and agenda! How do I know, I attended this webinar to gain information. Below is a screen shot you need to see.

Normally what Ounce has in the line between the child’s eyebrows and the sponge are the words “It’s amazing what they absorb before they’re five.” For the webinar, however, that was removed. To see the picture as it usually is, as well as to find out who is at the helm of Ounce, http://www.theounce.org/who-we-are/about-us

To access the Feb. 2016 Report, the Webinar was based on (about ESSA and early learning with regards to the State Accountability measures): Policy-Convo-05-Valuing-The-Early-Years-final  (*Added recipe note, the State Accountability Proposed Regulations have recently been introduced. Public comments are being taken on them. With the knowledge our little learners will be harmed the most by ESSA, we MUST know what is in the works for them.)

Below is a screen shot from their website about the States they partner with. Notice the EduCare Schools, too.

To learn just how Ounce helps these States: http://www.theounce.org/what-we-do/policy/national-policy-team

EduCare Schools are part of the Ounce Network and have been around since the early 2000s. In fact, according to their website 2005 was when an Implementation Study was conducted.
The Ounce also has a National Research Early Education  arm. What has been implemented in these schools? SEL (social emotional learning) is among the CCSS/ESSA agenda points and conveniently already in the implemented mix for the PreK crowd.

If you would like to see the ‘recipe file’ (2014) from the Ounce’s National Research, see below:

To get the Research for yourselves, National-Research-Agenda

Just so we know, the Ounce partners with the Buffet Early Childhood Foundation as well as the First Five Years Foundation.

Who helps the First Five Years? Several CCSS Machine members, including Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. As far as Buffett’s, it too is a CCSS Machine member.

To see the other First Five Years partners, http://ffyf.org/who-we-are/
To see Buffett’s, http://buffettearly.org/

Shutting the CCSS Blender Off:

Well, Warriors, there you have it, all ages in the CCSS Machine Blender. All those associated with education and jobs, are also in the Blender.

Shutting it off? We CAN do it! We must do it! Cut the Blender’s cord; throw a can of truth into the locally served CCSS slop being served daily. Get the ESSA’s recipe for control and re-write it. Fire the CCSS Kitchen staff and test chefs.