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Common Core & Charter:
A Dangerous Concoction
A Dangerous Concoction
Two major educational campaigns are merging to create a perfect storm
in Georgia and America. In 1930’s under the Hoover Administration,
there was a published plan to change the American economy into a
planned economy . In this plan, the American education system was
going to be the vehicle to implement planned economics by modifying
the faith in economic individualism and free markets. This plan
implements the acceptance of unelected boards, like the state charter
school commission. Philanthropic organizations such as Carnegie,
Rockefeller, and Ford Foundations were often used to finance this
agenda in the last century.
Fast forward 55 years later with many education policies enforced and
the creation of the U.S. Department of Education. The Carnegie
Foundation funded the Education Commission of States, a powerful
unelected council; a regional government. The Heritage and Carnegie
Foundations facilitated and funded the national agreement between the
US-Soviet Education Exchange in 1985. Presidents Reagan and
Gorbachev signed the agreement to merge and share education policy
and curricula . Some of the information implemented in the agreement
is global curriculum and school choice models for school-to-work training
adopted from the Soviet Union. By accepting this agreement, Reagan
appointed a task force to create partnerships between the private and
public sectors. The Reagan Administration thought that our free market
system should not be so rigid; therefore, using the Soviet school choice
model using the idea of charter schools to create a new school system
which unites the public and private sectors.
President George H. W. Bush’s America 2000 plan called for a “New
American School System” and demands “new national standards for the
five core subjects” when he addressed Congress in April, 1991.
President Bush stated that “we will develop voluntary national tests” to
see how well our students are doing in these new schools. In addition,
Bush said “Governors will honor communities with this designation if the
communities embrace the national education goals.” Also stated was
the concept of school choice: “We can encourage educational
excellence by encouraging parental choice. The concept of choice
draws its fundamental strength from the principle at the very heart of the
democratic idea.” Finally, Bush presented the idea that corporations
should “take the lead in creating a voluntary system of world class
standards” .
After Bush’s defeat in 1992, the Clinton Administration renamed this
agenda Goals 2000. Goals 2000 amplified the effects of the 1994
Elementary Secondary Education Act (ESEA). ESEA requires that states
submit to the U.S. Department of Education a State Improvement Plan
that includes the adoption of challenging content standards and aligned
assessments for Title I students . Goals 2000 created the blueprint for
the most horrible piece of social engineering and legislation passed by
Congress, No Child Left Behind (NCLB).
The blueprint for a planned economy and nationalized curriculum
standards is a Holy Grail for corporations like Pearson and K12.com
hiding under the guise of public-private partnerships. Race to the Top
(RTTT), NCLB waivers, Common Core Standards, and Charter Schools
are being touted as the way to solve our education problems by creating
“competition” among schools. President Obama has been pressing
hard for all 50 states to adopt the Common Core Standards. These
standards “equalize” the playing field, but are skeptical in increasing
student achievement. The Common Core may equalize education
opportunity and continue the mediocrity of student performance we now
have. Why is standardized curriculum a problem? From a historical
perspective, a centralized curriculum serves the goals of a totalitarian
state. Didn’t Thomas Jefferson warn us about that? These standards
are untested and they are based on bad theory of direct instruction
pedagogy which is known to constrain critical thinking development.
As stated in the American/Goals 2000 plan for a “New American School”,
demands “new national standards” and “national testing” will insure
performance. Nationally developed Common Core Standards are being
reviewed and redeveloped by appointed state councils and paid for by
the Gates Foundation. The Gates Foundation is also paying to evaluate
the standards along with creating computer programs for Pearson to
implement online classroom curriculum packages . The programs will be
sold by Pearson to virtual schools both public and private. Corporations
and foundations are writing these standards and the country and
professional educators have lost total control of these standards .
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Page 1 2
in Georgia and America. In 1930’s under the Hoover Administration,
there was a published plan to change the American economy into a
planned economy . In this plan, the American education system was
going to be the vehicle to implement planned economics by modifying
the faith in economic individualism and free markets. This plan
implements the acceptance of unelected boards, like the state charter
school commission. Philanthropic organizations such as Carnegie,
Rockefeller, and Ford Foundations were often used to finance this
agenda in the last century.
Fast forward 55 years later with many education policies enforced and
the creation of the U.S. Department of Education. The Carnegie
Foundation funded the Education Commission of States, a powerful
unelected council; a regional government. The Heritage and Carnegie
Foundations facilitated and funded the national agreement between the
US-Soviet Education Exchange in 1985. Presidents Reagan and
Gorbachev signed the agreement to merge and share education policy
and curricula . Some of the information implemented in the agreement
is global curriculum and school choice models for school-to-work training
adopted from the Soviet Union. By accepting this agreement, Reagan
appointed a task force to create partnerships between the private and
public sectors. The Reagan Administration thought that our free market
system should not be so rigid; therefore, using the Soviet school choice
model using the idea of charter schools to create a new school system
which unites the public and private sectors.
President George H. W. Bush’s America 2000 plan called for a “New
American School System” and demands “new national standards for the
five core subjects” when he addressed Congress in April, 1991.
President Bush stated that “we will develop voluntary national tests” to
see how well our students are doing in these new schools. In addition,
Bush said “Governors will honor communities with this designation if the
communities embrace the national education goals.” Also stated was
the concept of school choice: “We can encourage educational
excellence by encouraging parental choice. The concept of choice
draws its fundamental strength from the principle at the very heart of the
democratic idea.” Finally, Bush presented the idea that corporations
should “take the lead in creating a voluntary system of world class
standards” .
After Bush’s defeat in 1992, the Clinton Administration renamed this
agenda Goals 2000. Goals 2000 amplified the effects of the 1994
Elementary Secondary Education Act (ESEA). ESEA requires that states
submit to the U.S. Department of Education a State Improvement Plan
that includes the adoption of challenging content standards and aligned
assessments for Title I students . Goals 2000 created the blueprint for
the most horrible piece of social engineering and legislation passed by
Congress, No Child Left Behind (NCLB).
The blueprint for a planned economy and nationalized curriculum
standards is a Holy Grail for corporations like Pearson and K12.com
hiding under the guise of public-private partnerships. Race to the Top
(RTTT), NCLB waivers, Common Core Standards, and Charter Schools
are being touted as the way to solve our education problems by creating
“competition” among schools. President Obama has been pressing
hard for all 50 states to adopt the Common Core Standards. These
standards “equalize” the playing field, but are skeptical in increasing
student achievement. The Common Core may equalize education
opportunity and continue the mediocrity of student performance we now
have. Why is standardized curriculum a problem? From a historical
perspective, a centralized curriculum serves the goals of a totalitarian
state. Didn’t Thomas Jefferson warn us about that? These standards
are untested and they are based on bad theory of direct instruction
pedagogy which is known to constrain critical thinking development.
As stated in the American/Goals 2000 plan for a “New American School”,
demands “new national standards” and “national testing” will insure
performance. Nationally developed Common Core Standards are being
reviewed and redeveloped by appointed state councils and paid for by
the Gates Foundation. The Gates Foundation is also paying to evaluate
the standards along with creating computer programs for Pearson to
implement online classroom curriculum packages . The programs will be
sold by Pearson to virtual schools both public and private. Corporations
and foundations are writing these standards and the country and
professional educators have lost total control of these standards .
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Page 1 2
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| The opinions expressed in this article reflect those of the author, and do not necessarily represent those of EmpowerED Georgia. |
Jeremy Spencer has been teaching
biological sciences for 13 years in
Georgia. He currently the education
policy adviser for his elected state
house representative.
biological sciences for 13 years in
Georgia. He currently the education
policy adviser for his elected state
house representative.