I’ve been saying it from day one of kids not returning to schools in March. The changes that kids experienced under the guise of “health” and “safety” in response to the overreaction to C19, were just the “next steps” for the direction the state was already taking education.
It’s confirmed in this article from the Kansas City Star. (See attached photos below.)
“Mastering competencies.”
Just a regurgitation of training for the workforce.
Kids don’t receive an education.
They are merely trained for some trade.
Their attitudes, values and beliefs are what is molded.
Per the article (see attached photos below):
For example, a successful pre-K through second grade student can “recognize characteristics of caring relationships and hurtful relationships and identify trusting adults” and “identify personal strengths and weaknesses.”
Mmmmm…parents send their kids to school to learn arithmetic, reading, writing, etc. Pre-K through second graders already being labeled as to their supposed strengths and weaknesses? Relationship defining? Most school materials do not emphasize a child’s parents as the primary “trusting adult.”
Success is measured by the ability of students to demonstrate “competency” in performing various actions.
If the above are just two examples of the voluminous “competencies” kids must demonstrate, how are each of these “competencies” specifically defined, and HOW will a kid be asked to DEMONSTRATE such?
In a competency approach, less emphasis is placed on the amount of time a student receives instruction.
This really means, that less emphasis is placed on actual academics.
Some Kansas districts are already dabbling in competency-based education as part of KSDE’s efforts to redesign schooling. Kansas Education Commissioner Randy Watson said the pandemic will speed up adoption of competency-based models, though he emphasized the guidance to districts won’t be mandatory.
Again, CONFIRMATION, that the “changes” happening in the schools were just “the next steps,” not a change in direction in response to C19. It won’t be “mandatory,” but it IS the eventual endpoint for schools. So how has this redesign been going for the districts already “dabbling” in it?
Some schools have actually dropped the platform because concerns of the parents. Here in Kansas, there are parents that have fought their school boards over this and some have even moved their children to other school districts! (But, with it being rolled out to more districts, there won’t be any other districts to transfer to.) They all noticed a severe drop in their child’s grades on the platform. There also have been reports of concerns of the personal data that is being shared online with this platform.
“Our school has created an environment that may indeed be toxic to some students, maybe even traumatic.”
http://www.salina.com/…/summit-learning-continues-to…
Wellington parents concerned about new curriculum
*Summit Learning – curriculum; on-line program aimed at learning at own pace
*Dozens of districts participating in Redesign plan to get away from old teaching models
*No option to opt out
*MS in McPherson
*Students learn and progress at their own speed
*Popular because is free to districts
Commissioner Randy Watson has been reporting on this REDESIGN of Kansas schools occurring around the state. file:///C:/Users/Lisa/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows/INetCache/Content.Outlook/Y3PR7SNE/2.5%20Randy%20Watson%20KSDE%20Presentation%20(2).pdf
Newton is even featured in his presentation.
If you notice, ACADEMICS are <25% of what he says Kansans say they want for kids’ education.
He stated that it is intended for the REDESIGN to be in ALL Kansas schools via accreditation requirements.
The Commissioner is adept at inserting that this Redesign is uniquely Kansan. It is not. It is ALL training for the workforce. AND, it is NOT NEW. It has an extensive documented history. Global interests, governments, think tanks, and education “designers” have promoted the components of the Kansas Redesign for nearly a century:
Training children (NOT the same as educating them) for the workforce.
Individual Plans of Study (IPS) for EVERY child.
IPS is made capable via the technology in the classroom.
Parents are not inherently allowed to decide if they want their child to use technology.
“Testing” is not the same as “assessing.” Testing determines knowledge acquisition; insuring what you are doing is working. Assessing evaluates worth; whether a child holds acceptable values, beliefs, etc.
Assessing is made capable via the technology in the classroom.
The technology amasses millions of pieces of data on every child, and performs analytics on that data, eventuating in a determination of every child’s future.
State accreditation requires school districts to include Social and Emotional Learning (SEL).
This results in EVERY child having some type of mental health and behavioral scheme applied to him.
Parents are not inherently allowed to decide if they want their child to be socially, emotionally, mentally, or behaviorally assessed.
Workforce training and SEL are necessarily EXPENSIVE.
It takes extensive resources to determine every citizen’s future and foster a compliant citizenry.
A couple years ago, Kansas began appropriating $10 million for a K-2 Mental Health Pilot Program. Schools are focusing more on hiring psychologists, social workers, and counselors. PARENTS ARE NOT REQUIRED TO BE INFORMED OR CONSENT TO SCREENING DEVICES BEING USED ON THEIR CHILD. “A key component of the pilot project is the UNIVERSAL DATABASE.”
A Kansas Superintendent of a school district implementing SEL stated:
SEL will be integrated in the curriculum; it will not be taught separately. It is not likely that a student could “opt out” of SEL curricular efforts. For to do so, would be to opt out of a majority of the curriculum.
It’s called the Medicalization of Our Schools. Presently, academics are being replaced with wrap-around mental health services and interventions into EVERY child’s personalities, values, beliefs, and dispositions. Personal behavior data is logged by teachers into data systems. Out of this comes curriculum, activities, software, and programming to change the personal qualities of children and their families in order to meet government objectives – the NEEDS you hear about in Commerce and Workforce departments and committees.
Spend some time in the Commerce committees of the legislature. You will hear much about the NEEDS of THE STATE. You will hear children (who are ultimately adult citizens) referred to as HUMAN CAPITAL. We are assessing our children’s worth to the planned economy. Every child monitored and tracked via district technology for distance learning.
Is this the education you desire for your child every day they “go to school?”
Is this – along with all the new C19 “safety” measures awaiting your child – what you want your child to have to navigate beginning in about eight weeks?
Kansans Against Common Core 