The other day on Twitter, @Nevada Ready responded to a tweet of mine. I went back to reply to @NevadaReady only to find their tweet was gone.

Wondering why @NevadaReady deleted this tweet? Maybe b/c def. they pt to is stil not defined? https://t.co/tHhajiUF6z pic.twitter.com/XeP1C6fdcv

— LL1885 – A.P. Dillon (@LadyLiberty1885) August 16, 2014

I went to their link in their tweet, because I’ve seen tweets like this ‘disappear’  so I had emailed it to myself. In order to read @NevadaReady’s definition of “career and college ready”, I had to download a report. So I did.
Here is what it said:

Part II. Defining Readiness
After considerable and thoughtful deliberation, the Task Force recommends the following definition for college and career readiness:

College and career readiness means the pupil who graduates from high school demonstrates the foundational knowledge, skills, and qualities to succeed, without remediation, in workforce training, certification, and degree programs.

 

Well now, they sure clarified that definition “career and college ready” of  for us.  This definition is as content free as the Core standards themselves.  This definition is likely pictured next to the definition of “boiler plate statement” in the dictionary. No answer for any of the laundry list of items in their ‘definition:

What foundational knowledge?
What skills?
What qualities?
What kind of workforce training and for what jobs, industries and trades?
What kinds of degree programs?

The definition is vague on purpose because no task force, committee, school board, non-profit education wonk site or employer can predict the future skills needed or the potential of any student.  It’s a really nice sounding talking point but it’s an empty husk.

UPDATE:

@NevadaReady tweeted to me again and again they deleted their tweet. It bears mentioning that within minutes of their tweet, the Nevada State Superintendent tweeted to me the exact same message. Who runs these accounts?

NVSuper a& NevadaReady send identical tweets mins apart. Not sketchy at all. #stopcommoncore https://t.co/f0SAob1zm2 pic.twitter.com/d0iQVLmHEN

— LL1885 – A.P. Dillon (@LadyLiberty1885) August 18, 2014