Category Archives: EDUCATION

#DM7 Article: The Unintended Transparency Of Common Core Lobbyists

Posted on September 28, 2014 by A.P. Dillon

This is a repost of my weekly DaTechGuy column: The Unintended Transparency Of Common Core Lobbyists

By A.P. Dillon

A few weeks back, I wrote a piece called The Unintended Transparency of Obama’s DOJ. This article is in that same theme of unintended transparency, only this time it’s Common Core related.

It seems that a lobbyist organization funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation was caught targeting Catholic schools over their pushback on the Common Core State Standards. It goes a little bit beyond that, with this lobbyist accidentally contacting one of the more vocal opponents to Common Core in what seems like a coordinated effort to steer the narrative. Oops.

Cardinal Newman Society reported:

KEEP READING… Continue reading →

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Gates Grants Show Push On ‘Personalizing’ Learning

Posted on September 28, 2014 by A.P. Dillon

I’ve gotten in the habit of checking out the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation grant site on a regular basis.

I recently pulled up all the 2014 ‘college ready’ grants. The amount of money being doled out for 116 grants was over $87 million. This $87 million spans only 2014 through 9/28/14.

The second largest grant was to the CCSSO for over $6 million to support the implementation of their ‘strategic plan’:

KEEP READING, See who got the largest grant… Continue reading →

Posted in A.P. Dillon (LL1885), Common Core, June Atkinson | Tagged , | Comments Off on Gates Grants Show Push On ‘Personalizing’ Learning

Common Core Pushing Governor: We Need More Truck Drivers

Posted on September 28, 2014 by A.P. Dillon

This past Thursday, NC Governor Pat McCrory made some interesting statements regarding our kids future careers while taking a stab at lawyers and journalists. The Governor said we need more truck drivers.

No, really.

KEEP READING… Continue reading →

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NC Public Schools Forum Cites Common Core Tied Group On Skill Gaps

Posted on September 27, 2014 by A.P. Dillon

In my inbox, the narrative that the U.S. and NC are behind the world continues to rage.
Common Core peddling NC Public Schools Forum had this update (down below) in it’s most recent newsletter.

Note that American Institutes for Research (AIR) stands to gain a lot financially with the continued push of Common Core. They are deep into the testing side of Common Core, which has been highly lucrative for SBAC, PARCC and Pearson.

Funny how a Vice President from AIR is now in charge of reviewing NCLB waivers. Keep that in mind when you read what AIR says about the states having control over their own standards being ‘fundamentally flawed’. I smell a NCLB trap for states trying to get out of Common Core.

Oh yeah — AIR has also received over $37 million from the Bill Gates Foundation.

Here’s the update:

KEEP READING… Continue reading →

Posted in A.P. Dillon (LL1885), Common Core | Tagged | Comments Off on NC Public Schools Forum Cites Common Core Tied Group On Skill Gaps

A Response To Public Schools First’s Common Core Propaganda Piece

Posted on September 27, 2014 by A.P. Dillon

I found this article at the Common Core pushing Public Schools First NC site linking to my site. In the article, they quote me on Common Core:

2. and 3. “The standards are dumbing down the kids”/ “The standards are too hard for the kids”


According to Glenn Beck’s website, “Many teachers, educators, and parents believe Common Core is dumbing down America’s children.” At the same time, some find the standards too hard. In a piece for WUNC, Reema Khrais featured parent Andrea Dillon who “says Common Core is not developmentally appropriate for her son. ‘Just for an example, they’re doing persuasive writing pieces in first-grade where he has to have an opening sentence, three supporting sentences and a closing argument for a text he’s read, and he has to do that on his own – he’s seven,’ she said.”

So which is it? Too simple or too difficult?

All due respect, it’s both.
The authors is gonna hurt herself trying to make parents, teachers and students who have proven this look dumb.

Teaching kids the finer points of the English language in K-3 instead of getting them reading proficiently first is age and developmentally inappropriate.

The later grades shift to more “informational texts”. This shift is not supported by current research or opinion and does little to nothing to promote ‘critical thinking’ as the standards claim.

As an English teacher, Ms. Whitley should know all of that. Then again, why should Whitley be concerned with the facts about what happens to Elementary kids under Common Core when she teaches High school? Hers are doing so well:

Making grammar practice for the kids, I used the word “wretched”. “Don’t you mean #ratchet?” they asked. “Pretty sure u misspelled ratchet.”

— Alicia Whitley (@AliciaWhitley) September 12, 2014

KEEP READING.. There is more. A lot more. Continue reading →

Posted in A.P. Dillon (LL1885), Common Core, EDUCATION, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Have You RSVP’D For The Common Core Challenge Yet?

Posted on September 24, 2014 by A.P. Dillon

This is a reminder — I’ll be speaking at an upcoming symposium hosted by the Citizens Constitutional Caucus in Cary, NC on the morning of September 27th.

Get your ticket and join us for the Common Core Challenge featuring myself, Jamey Faulkenbury and Greg Brannon.

Hit the story for details: REMINDER: NC Common Core Symposium 9/27 Continue reading →

Posted in A.P. Dillon (LL1885), Common Core | 2 Comments