Yesterday, 72 business corporations published a full-page advertisement in the New York Times supporting the Common Core State Standards.
The ad asserts that the CCSS will prepare all children “to be successful in a competitive global economy.” How do they know that since the standards are only now being implemented and have never been demonstrated to be successful?
The ad says that “the need for a strong employer voice is greater than ever.” Why would that be? Is it because so many educators are concerned that the Common Core standards will bust the budgets of their district?
The ad says that the big corporations support “these new, tougher academic standards that are currently being rolled out in classrooms across the country.” Are they concerned that tougher standards might widen the achievement gap?
The ad gives no indication that any of its signatories has ever read the CCSS.
This ad is very curious.
Why would business leaders take out a full-page ad to urge support for something that 46 states and the District of Columbia have already agreed to do?
I am reminded of the wacky report from a task force of the Council on Foreign Relations a year ago (co-chaired by Joel Klein and Condoleeza Rice), which claimed that the public schools posed a “very grave threat to national security.” Its three recommendations: 1) open more charters and vouchers; 2) adopt the Common Core standards; and 3) create a “national security readiness audit” for every school. Thus: privatization and the Common Core are necessary for our survival as a nation.
All very puzzling. How will the Common Core standards protect our national security?
Why are 72 corporations lined up to pledge support for standards that are already adopted but never field-tested?
Do they sell products that have never had a trial?
What gives?
Diane Ravitch's blog 
The ad states the standards are based on evidence. What evidence? Perhaps the business community senses(fears) a backlash brewing?
My hunch is that this ad suggests insecurity. The people pushing Common Core are aware that some educators are pushing back. So the promoters lined up business corporations that have no idea what is in the CC. The support indicates weakness, not strength.
All children, except of course the children of the top corporate executives, who no doubt send their kids to private schools, which are almost all totally ignoring the CCSSs.
Who are the “Student Achievement Council” members? Are they ALEC associates?
Student Achievement Partners is the business founded by David Coleman, the architect of the Common Core standards. I don’t think there are any students involved. It’s a business. I think McGraw Hill bought it for a reported $14 million.
If you go to their links you find out that they link to Student Achievement Partners, founded by David Coleman.
I find all of this so patronizing. I hope that years from now, it will seem comical. I’m sure if I dig any deeper I’ll find seizure inducing venn diagrams. It’s like some kind of a brochure entitled, “Asbestos is Our Best Friend” published by Johns Manville. (I was raised in Bound Brook, NJ).
Plutocrats and big business. How many of these businesses have shipped jobs overseas or don’t pay their fair share of taxes? These taxes which would pay for decent schools.
Hypocrites.
The more I research all of this, the more I realize how much of a dinosaur I am.
My letter to the NY Times, sent yesterday, agreeing with Diane as to the reason for the ad:
What are the business leaders afraid of?
Sent to the NY Times, Feb 12, 2013
Why has the business community posted a full-page ad in the NY Times praising the “tougher” academic standards and more “rigorous” expectations of the common core? (“Open Letter from 73 Business Leaders,” Feb. 12).
Maybe it is because there is greater awareness that harder standards and increased testing do not help students, and greater awareness that American academic performance is high: Test scores of American students not living in poverty rank near the top of the world.
Maybe business leaders fear that more of the public will learn this, and that the substantial profits to be made from the common core will no longer be theirs.
Stephen Krashen
Krashen hunch is something to ponder! Money….
I just read this document on the inBloom website which gives a good illustration of why the Common Core is important to business: https://inbloom.org/sites/default/files/learning-standards-alignment.pdf
I’m imagining a world where 72 teachers sign a letter supporting policies and standards they thought businesses should implement.
I like that idea! They ignore their own best management processes, so perhaps we could instruct them.
They broke out radio ads supporting the common core in Oregon yesterday. What is up with that??? Keep pushing back folks!!!!
I agree with your hunch, Dr. Ravitch. I believe the corporatists are trying their best to convince a skeptical and wary set of national and local government officials to hold fast and continue the false narrative of “reform.”
(Nearly two years ago, soon after mayor Emanuel was elected, I called a state congressman’s office and said that the “reformers'” cover story was too thin and would never hold. But who am I?)
The Mayor’s proposed closing of 100+ schools and opening of 60 charters has caused an eruption of thousands of parent and teacher protesting every evening that CPS schedules a meeting!
The inevitable scandal regarding UNO charters’ cronyism has finally come to light.
At the same time, among the explosion of murders we saw the terrible killing of a lovely young King College Prep student. Her funeral was attended by Duncan, Valerie Jarrret, and Mrs. Obama. Here’s hoping that at least a few of their friends bent their ears on how bad the situation is in CPS.
Perhaps they realize how many ordinary people understand the chasm that lies between “reformers’ ” rhetoric and the reality in our schools: more seat time for excessive standardized testing, more test prep, more narrowing of the curriculum, and students who are now unhappy and less likely to succeed.
And poverty matters.
Can we ask Coleman how many of these business leaders have actually read the common core?
How many have read each standard for math and language arts for all grade levels?
I doubt any have read them…they receive a script or press release from a non-educator and they sign along not even knowing what they are promoting.
One thing they all know for sure….it won’t affect their children or grandchildren.
They shouldn’t have to just read it, but explain it and demonstrate it use. We should at least be able to evaluate their understanding of complex text across disciplines.
Wouldn’t it be great if the corporate leaders who signed the ad were required to take the Common Core assessments? And publish their scores!
Make corporate leaders who signed the ad take common core tests? YES! Great idea, Diane. I don’t think they could get through the middle school tests.
I would bet my right hand they are all members of the Chamber of Commerce. In Indiana, a bill in the Senate to halt Common Core implementation was predominantly opposed by the Indiana Chamber and organizations supported by the Gates Foundation, like the Mind Trust and Stand for Children. By the way, the bill passed the Senate Education Committee today 7-4. Looks like the Chamber has some competition in Indiana-the parents!
I think the Tea Party types are also pushing back: they don’t like the federal government telling them anything… BUT… they also believe CEOs are omniscient… My hunch is that the business leaders are protecting their right flank with these ads and trying to reassure the Tea Party types that DC isn’t pushing for this, the “business community” is…
It seemed like the members of congress weren’t thrilled about Obama’s take on education during the state of the union.
This would never appeal to the Tea Party. They don’t see big business as “for the people.”
Thanks for the link to inBloom, Tom
It is a great example of how the Gates Foundation spreads its tenacles into edubusiness endeavors.
It will be a help to me in my “complaining career” and letters I write. 🙂
Seems like the the pirateers pocketbooks are inBloom! 14 mil, come on! No wonder the video clip I saw of Coleman looked like a slick Apple ad. Could he be an IT tycoon wannabe?
What gets me is the CCSS close reading training I attended where the procedure called for reading a complex text cold, no building background, no personal connections, no hook, purpose setting, no intro of academic vocab for your students who will only hear Charlie Brown’s teacher. I believe Coleman & Pimental retracted directions to read text cold, but that wasn’t shared. Disappointing. Just the fact that they initially intro’d the strategy in this way makes me wonder what research they’ve read or conducted regarding accelerating the learning of students in need of language development.
Ooh! “Big Brother” companies are trying to scare us. *biting nails*
I’m so sick of bullies . . .
This is because these “educrats” want Deltas not Alphas in their workforce!
This is from a Fordham Professor, Mark Naisson
OUR EDUCATIONAL STASI
The Bill Gates vision of Public Education, now made official by the Obama Administration and Governors of most states, is a place where Departments of Education from the national to the local set themselves up as Educational Stasi (East German Secret Police) who subject students to constant testing- from Pre-K on up- and teachers to constant evaluation and observation. Just heard from a friend that he teacher he communicates with expects to be observed 75 times a year! And that kindergarten students in some school districts are being tested almost weekly. The results: Creativity-GONE! Imagination-GONE! Spontaneity- GONE! Play- WHAT IS THAT? All in the service of creating an obedient labor force for the billionaires of the future, and making huge profits for test companies and educational consultants. Welcome to the New America- drones in the sky, drones in our schools, drones in our workforce. If you aren’t angry, you aren’t paying attention.
POSTED BY MARK NAISON AT 1:58 AM
You might also want to check out his
Vision for Revitalizing Public Education
http://withabrooklynaccent.blogspot.com/2013/01/my-vision-for-revitalizing-public.html
My
‘What gives’ is a combination of
arrogance, if not hubris,
ideological dispositions
class solidarity
and emerging business models in the privatizing world of public education.
actually, correct the post above — delete ‘What gives’
replaces with ‘What takes’