Category Archives: EDUCATION

Common Core Aligned: The Achievement Network

Posted on October 7, 2014 by A.P. Dillon

“…to create just these kinds of tests—next-generation assessments aligned to the common core. When the tests are aligned to the common standards, the curriculum will line up as well—and that will unleash powerful market forces in the service of better teaching.” – Bill Gates, 2009 Speech To Natl. Conference of State Legislatures

The goal is to align everything so that students and the money have nowhere to go but Common Core.

Last time, we explored the ‘Common Core Quest’ app. Today we’re taking a look at what the ‘data driven’ outfit The Achievement Network (Anet) does.

KEEP READING – FOLLOW THE MONEY Continue reading →

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NC School District Sends Home Common Core Math Home To Parents

Posted on October 7, 2014 by A.P. Dillon

Here in North Carolina, parent ire over Common Core math is alive and well. Clearly, staff and school officials are hearing about it since Wake County Schools in North Carolina is apparently making an effort to teach the Common Core math strategies to parents of 2nd graders.

This speaks volumes to the developmentally inappropriate nature of Common Core math that this parent instruction set is even needed for elementary level math.

In years prior, I can attest we did not receive such instructional materials from Wake County concerning Common Core. I’ve scanned and uploaded a set of parent instructions we’ve recently received to one of my document repositories.

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College Board Sends Letter To NC State Board Of Ed On #APUSH

Posted on October 7, 2014 by A.P. Dillon

The College Board has sent a warning ‘touch-base’ letter to the NC State Board of Education, because clearly the NC State Board of Education must be confused if they are questioning APUSH. Right?

See below.

KEEP READING… Continue reading →

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Non-Profit For NC Gifted Kids Promoting #APUSH

Posted on October 6, 2014 by A.P. Dillon

One of these days, I am going to form a non-profit to raise awareness of non-profits who are raising awareness of their awareness… or something.

The NC Association for the Gifted and Talented (NCAGT) has started sending emails to educators all over North Carolina. NCAGT is promoting the idea that not allowing for APUSH by iteself to satisfy the Founding Principles Act will “seriously and adversely affect academically and intellectually gifted children in North Carolina.”
No. Just the opposite is true. The new APUSH framework is hotly contested for litany of reasons and is slanted at best. Having this course be the only basis for U.S. history would be a disaster and that would “seriously and adversely affect academically and intellectually gifted children in North Carolina.”

APUSH by itself does not satisfy the Founding Principles Act. The message from NCAGT dismisses this fact entirely. Not surprising since they don’t even have the Founding Principles Act on their legislative section of their website.

The message also says this policy change could come ‘as early as this week’. That’s not true either since the most recent State Education Board meeting just took place and has slated a debate to occur on the topic. Clearly, this isn’t going to happen overnight.

Read the email sent out by the treasurer of NCAGT below.

KEEP READING…. Continue reading →

Posted in NC Board Of Education | Tagged | 1 Comment

Opting Out Of Tests In North Carolina

Posted on October 6, 2014 by A.P. Dillon

Opting out of high stakes testing has begun sweeping through the states. More and more parents are choosing to have their child refuse the tests. This movement has started to hit North Carolina. [Related: Testing Opt Out Movement Comes To NC]

The number of questions I get from parents about opting out of testing in North Carolina has exponentially been increasing over the last few months. It’s time to do a run-down of what parents in North Carolina can do about the tests in our state.

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Remember Gates Grantee Educause?

Posted on October 6, 2014 by A.P. Dillon

Back in September, I wrote about the 2014 grants Bill Gates was handing out and the ‘automated’ and ‘personalized’ learning app companies that were getting that money.

Educause was one of them:

Educause

Date: May 2014
Purpose: to support the Next Generation Learning Challenges – Breakthrough Schools Fund
Amount: $5,100,000
Term: 20
Topic: College-Ready
Regions Served: GLOBAL|NORTH AMERICA
Program: United States
Grantee Location: Louisville, Colorado
Grantee Website: http://www.educause.edu

I’m revisiting this since I’ve also pointed out that the Common Core Academic Standards Review Commission member picked by Governor McCrory is an IBM executive.

Educause and IBM are pals — actually a team.

KEEP READING… Continue reading →

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