Public Schools or Public Screwels? Part 6

Le Penn warns us

I’ve decided to make a part 6.

Here is a post from a Texas anti-Common Core group:

The truth is- the new commodity is DATA.

Whether it is TASA, TASB and the Straus crowd using Texas students and teachers to get it or Abbott, Patrick and Morath using Texas students and teachers. It is all about access to the data. Not actually educating the next generation of Texans to give them an equal opportunity at success in life.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/schoolboard/2017/07/28/why-schools-should-be-wary-of-free-tech-products-and-startups-shouldnt-make-them/amp/ 

___________________

And here is a reply to said post:

Data IS psychological profiling for future workforce placements from a very early age. But is there more to data collection than workforce placement? If so, what?

_____________

________________

Here is a post from a Washington anti-Common Core group:

I am being told by a local teacher.
“…CCSS seems to be a passionate subject for you…which is great. I would assume you have looked at the standards, including the Claims and Targets and the Depth of Knowledge (DOK) of each question…..I have spent hours in training around CCSS. I do not like the high stage nature of SBA, but find the standards themselves to be pretty reasonable. Perhaps some adjustments are needed as is the case with anything. Just would like to get away from the constant posting of what “expects” say. Teachers and principals know the standards very well and they know how to instruct, so that all students can get the support they need….”

_______________

And here are some replies to said post:

I actually have no words for that. Wow!

___________________

That is exactly what the teachers around here say as well. I think they are actually talking points they are given in the CCSS training sessions.

____________

There are people who are not categorically against CC. The reality of today. It’s accepted and even embraced. Then along comes [name withheld, though they were referring to themselves] and gets told , well it’s not all evil. So then I’m forced to parse which standards don’t I like and to stop relying on expert opinion. [name withheld, though they were referring to themselves] has been talking about CC for years and not much to show for in results except some supporters. Easy to ignore [name withheld] – until one day he decides to run for school board. Then all of the sudden the CC embracers in the schools get nervous!

________________

They shouldn’t be nervous because you can’t get rid of it yourself. All you can do is tell the truth which, in my experience, is not always welcome in school districts.

_________________

My eyes were opened wide when I started attending school board meetings and meeting with district administrators (oh, and looking at documents from public record requests).

Teacher says: “Here’s a 4th grade ELA standard. I’ve been in education for 28 years and standards have always been a part of our work. In looking at the standards, I cannot see where they are a departure from what we have always wanted our kids to be able to do…think critically, analyze, compare/contrast, problem solve, etc. In a healthy society, I hope our children can master these skills.” Person wants to know which standard do I object to and why.

anti-cc image

_______________________

here’s the WA Educators Review of CC ELA Standards when they were adopted:

http://www.k12.wa.us/CoreStandards/pubdocs/WAAlignmentDocumentmathematics.pdf

http://www.k12.wa.us/CurriculumInstruct/CCSS/default.aspx

______________

I’m in my 11th year of teaching (mostly middle school LA/SS) and I find the ELA CCSS a mixed bag. There are some things that a reasonable and would be found in any standards (using supporting evidence, themes in literature, etc.). Others are not so great. I particularly don’t like the emphasis on informational texts and away from literature. In practice that is largely ignored.
And one little pet peeve. The word “thesis” has been used for centuries having roots in ancient Greek. Replacing it with the word “claim” is a little annoying.

______________

This is why it remains. This is why those of us exposing it are reduced to sideline fringe. Sad.

___________

A tweak here and there ignores the underlying roots.

__________

Different students learn differently. The standards expect people to reach particular levels at particular age targets. Not all students are there. Many of the conceptual tasks they expect students to accomplish are beyond the ability of many students in that age group.

_____________

________________

Even Alternet, hardly a Right-wing site, agrees that the push for “College and Career Readiness” in preschool is wrong:   http://www.alternet.org/education/cruel-and-pointless-push-get-preschoolers-college-and-career-ready#15015473408052&action=expand_widget&id=0&data=

_______________

A caller who is a teacher on the Levin Show from Nevada said that they force them to teach identity politics and that even the kids hate it and that they are forced to teach Common Core and almost got fired for speaking out against it.

_______________

Here is a post from a Utah anti-Common Core group:

Parents: In the Standards and Assessments committee on Thursday, we will be discussing different adverse scenarios of parents opting out, on students, parents

If you have had such experiences, would you please share them with me?

___________

And here are some replies to said post:

I have one from UCAS.

_____________

I have one from UCAS too. It will take me some time to write it all down though.

_____________

Mine too! It involved a pizza party for those who took it and sending out my son who didn’t!

____________

More than once, as I’ve turned in my son’s opt-out form, the receiving secretary(ies) have said, trying to persuade me to change my mind, “You know, he’s the only one in the school who won’t be taking the test.”. 1. That wasn’t true. 2. I don’t care if he’s the only child on the planet not taking the test, I’m not putting him in harm’s way just because everyone else is doing it!

____________

___________

Here is a post from a Florida anti-Common Core group:

“Republicans are pitching to conservatives the idea of school choice vouchers and charters as a solution when that is not the case. In every piece of legislation and every state, including Texas which voted it down just recently because of this, every voucher program, every choice program requires that the user of that voucher or that choice education institution must be aligned with the federal standards. Those standards are Common Core,” Joy said.”

http://www.glennbeck.com/2017/06/09/buyer-beware-school-choice-and-voucher-programs-require-alignment-with-common-core/?utm_source=glennbeck&utm_medium=contentcopy_link 

__________

And here is a reply to said post:

I used to be in favor of charters. I understand them better now. Trojan horse, despite the best intents.

______________

__________________

Southwest Methodist University takes down a 9/11 Memorial with US flags for fear of offending Muslims:  http://pamelageller.com/2017/08/911-memorial-removed-submitting-islam.html/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter 

_______________

Here is a post from a North Dakota anti-Common Core group:

WHAT JUST HAPPENED?????
“Only one state, North Dakota, misses the mark entirely, earning three weak ratings.”

According to Fordham Institute:

“Analyzing the First 17 ESSA Accountability Plans………
For each of the three objectives, states can earn grades of strong, medium, or weak. Three states—Arizona, Colorado, and Illinois—earn strong ratings across the board. Four others—Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Tennessee, and Vermont—receive two strong marks and one medium. Only one state, North Dakota, misses the mark entirely, earning three weak ratings.”

My Thoughts (Ida Frueh):

How did this happen especially after all the:
1. UN leaning speakers and desire to turn students into global citizens references (Profile of a Graduate) heard at the June 8th ND Governor’s Innovative Education summit (See Part 1,2,3,-9 on NDPIE on this);
2. new form of behavior modification training that will be provided to our ND teachers through School Retool to “hack” problems and “shadow” students so that in 5 to 10 years all ND schools will be “reimagined”;
3. now requiring ND students to be “Choice Ready (by 2020)” (must pick a career, academic, military, or life ready path);
4. still clinging onto the Common Core State Standards (just changed some verbs);
5. pushing ND schools to use PBL (Project Based Learning) that has “no empirical proof it works and may take 10 to 15 years to see if it even works”;
6. pushing for personalized learning (all computerized),
7. ND using the Next Generation Science Standards (evolution and environmentalism will dominate science instruction);
8. ND definitely following the blueprint from the Obama White House Next Generation High Schools (transformation of education): https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/…/progress_report_on_n…
9. and more…………………….
How come ND is the only state rated as “failing” by Fordham???? Is the ND ESSA Consolidated State Plan still not liberal enough???

https://edexcellence.net/publications/rating-the-ratings?utm_source=Fordham+Updates&utm_campaign=018a143935-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_04_18&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_d9e8246adf-018a143935-71483209&mc_cid=018a143935&mc_eid=8ed8055c4f 

______________

A Michigan school was banning American flag T-shirts:  http://pamelageller.com/2017/08/michigan-flag-ban.html/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook 

_______________

Here is a post from a Utah anti-Common Core group:

Anyone have any information on Provo school district sending out a note to parents indicating teachers will now be visiting students at home?

________________

And here are some replies to said post:

Wow, that really happened? I’d never be ok with that.

____________

I am trying to find out if it did really happen.
 _____________
The principle and assistant principle of the jr. high came to our house to see my son who has an iep and is going into 7th grade this year. Unannounced. In the morning.
 ____________
What did you do?
 _______________
I talked to them on the porch, and had my son come out onto the porch to talk to them. I hadn’t put a bra on, lol. And they could tell we were cooking breakfast. If they’re going to show up unannounced, that’s what they get. And i told them I was going to send him to a charter school probably, lol.
_______________
What was their purpose for visiting you at home?
________________
To say hi to my son and tell him school is gonna be great and show me how to register online. He has an IEP, and I’m sure they want to get a feel for us. Who knows what the notes about us say.
______________
Is this legal? This is so so wrong!
______________
If it happens, don’t answer the door.
_______________
They have been doing that for pre-school programs. Also it is slowly being encouraged to “get to know parents” because parents supposedly are not coming to parent/teacher conferences. What is not being shared is that observations are being made, data is being gathered. I have been told that that claim is not being done, but at the LEA level I know it is.
________________
ESSA requires every state education plan to have a “family engagement” plan. Home visits are not explicitly required but are mentioned as an option. There were a lot of grants offered through the bill for “social and emotional learning” and I’m wondering if there is a grant motivation for this. I’d call the district and ask.
______________
I will add, that those “family engagement” grants are a required 1% of Title 1grants, otherwise the states will not receive title 1 funding.
_______________
Be sure to thank Senator Hatch for this “local control” eh?
___________
So tired of Hatch. He needs to retire and get a hobby that doesn’t harm others.
____________
I’ve had experience with this not via Provo E but others. I know there are some with good intentions and some who have questionable intentions. We did not let a charter school visit us – we simply told them that while we are happy to be interactive/social at school we like to keep home separate. I may have also mentioned that we like to decide who we let into our home and if we are interested then they’ll get invited by us.
_______________
And I bet all of that went into their databank somewhere. 😡
_____________
When I came to Provo over ten years ago, I did home visits to visit parents and kids and to have them meet me and ask questions before school started. I didn’t get paid for this, I did it on my own. I still keep in contact with many of those parents. Ten years later, this one thing those parents remember as being so positive.
______________
I wish I could rely on teachers nowadays to be so trustworthy. They do work for the government, and the good teachers seem to be quitting in droves.
______________
thank the legislature! I think if the profession was respected like it was when we were in school, than many wouldn’t be quitting in droves.
_______________
I thank Common core. My parents were teachers, and got by. Teachers are required to teach methods and agendas they don’t believe in, and in onur specific case, work for administrators who push agendas rather than help kids.
_________________

There are pros and cons. Not all teachers think this. Do I think there are things to improve, yes. I also believe it’s taking time to build relationships with educators at the local school.

I thank your parents for being educators. My great great grandfather was an educator and superintendent. I read articles written about him in his local newspaper – back in the early 1900s – and he was greatly respected.

_________________________

Administrators nowadays don’t have the same values they did back then.
________________
I agree, just like in all professions there are good and bad. Everything starts at the state house. Even the state school board don’t have a clue how to enact ridiculous laws and regulations.
______________
Well, that’s true. Except what is happening in education is the good teachers are tired of having their hands tied and still working for a pittance. People who want better pay for teachers are right, but they are also missing the point. Teachers are required to teach crap now. 16 teachers left my kid’s elementary school year before last year. Got a new administrator with a more pleasant personality and the same agenda. The state house gave the state school board pretty much the run, so we have an education board that does what it wants with pretty much no oversight except the parents, and they shut out the parents easily enough. Until the state legislature gets serious, the board will continue with common core because they want the funding, and teachers will continue to quit. Bad teachers will take their place, and new teachers who have been taught at the college level that common core is the bomb.
___________________

Well, I don’t agree with a lot that was written. Money and curriculum are two things that tie directly to the legislature. If we paid more attention to who is running instead of voting for the incumbent with a certain letter after their name we would all be better off! This, of course, goes with the state school board as well.

__________________

This all affects education.

The turn over is a reality and the shortage is a reality. Instead of promoting the profession positively, then bashing it, maybe we would get people to enter it. This is all self-inflicted.

_______________

It’s one thing to have good teachers who voluntarily go out of their way to get to know and interact with students and parents. It’s a whole other thing to have the government coerce schools through funding schemes to spy on families and report on themto the government. This is not their job nor their right. A friendly, dedicated teacher is one thing. But, once private family information is reported to the school or past that, that teacher is no longer friendly and dedicated, but a mere extension of unlawful and unwelcome government interference.
_____________
I wonder what information they are collecting to submit to the government? Honest question.
______________
Conditions of the home environment. It’s the same agenda behind test questions like, “Do you have a refrigerator in your home” or “Do your parents take you to the doctor when you are sick?” Irrelevant to education. There is a battle raging worldwide between whether parents or government has authority over the children. This was the whole issue behind the Charlie Gard case in England. If government wins this battle, we have a Socialist state. If parents win this battle, we can maintain our freedom for another day.
______________
Started in Granite School District last year.
_____________
The camels head is under the tent. Conditioning parents to be comfortable with this.
______________
EXACTLY!
 ________________
______________________
 Here is a post from a Texas anti-Common Core group:

Sorting and Ranking under Common Core/College and Career Readiness Standards is the precursor to Digital Badging.

Teachers in Texas are first for the digital badging program. Students are soon to follow.

What could possibly go wrong?

(And this post below was shared as part of the post:

An honest and difficult post to read. To me, this author exposes the problem with ranking and sorting children. I read this and thought of #Databadges, determining children’s potential based on SEL scores, setting workforce goals at a young age… it is all so subjective. And biased. And wrong. And most parents don’t know or are too busy just trying to manage a busy life to see it happening.

https://medium.com/march-for-public-education/is-a-pleasure-to-have-in-class-c3c14d0812dc

_____________________

And here is another post from said group:

For those who still aren’t sure if we use common core as an interventionist I have access into the database for Texas State assessments that clearly show that we do.

___________________

Here is a post from a Colorado anti-Common Core group:

Colorado just hosted a Pro-Common Core conference, called #CoreAdvocates and some of their tweets?… wow. Parents and teachers don’t like CC bc they are afraid and illogical. CC math fails bc teachers don’t understand math. https://mobile.twitter.com/manateespir…/…/860998934906494977

Click to see tweet thread, parents, Stotsky reply, or add your own comments.
https://mobile.twitter.com/cherki…/status/861073880596623362 

___________________

Here is a post from a Florida anti-Common Core group:

The overwhelming goal in many Florida Districts such at St. Johns County is to maintain high test scores. Many families move to this District based on test scores. Unfortunately, too much is sacrificed in order to maintain the facade of superior educational opportunities.

If a student fails the standardized testing in 3rd grade, even if that same student excels in all class work and class tests, failure on standardized testing dictates that student is a “mandatory hold back.” I.e., the student will not be allowed to advance to 4th grade & will repeat the 3rd grade.

Teachers’ salaries are tied to students’ performance on standardized testing. Too many resources are diverted into maintaining high standardized test scores but to what end? On 5/18/12 The Washington Post wrote “Florida’s standardized testing program is being misused & has severely impacted student learning.”

So many resources are diverted into maintaining high standardized test scores, that there are woefully insufficient resources allocated to ensure School Administrators & Directors are trained in student safety programs such as SESIR & the District’s own Code of Conduct.

Clay & Duval Counties report SESIR incidents at a much higher rate than St. Johns County schools. I do not believe this is because there are fewer incidents in St. Johns County. I believe this is because such incidents are under reported based on my own recent experience with a JCE Administrator and Director, one of whom admitted she had no training in & therefore no awareness of the existence of SESIR; the other was aware she was a Mandatory Reporter but had no idea of the existence of SESIR.

The safety of children should be of paramount concern and priority. Even if the test scores were not an invalid indicator of later success, what would it matter if schools are unaware & untrained in executing their duty to keep children safe?

_____________________

Here is a post from a California anti-Common Core group:

If you are a parent or grandparent, and don’t believe that the state is collecting data on your students hand over fist take a quick look at the creation of “CALPADS” within the “Ed Code”.

This was created as a by product of “Race To The Top” grant funding in 2009.

The fundamental problem besides the fact that they are collecting and storing student data is that “FERPA” the federal provisions to protect student data does not take into account technology.

The other huge issue here is that this “Ed Code” was written long before California created the “Student Online Personal Information Protection Act (SOPIPA) of 2015.

The state department of education is collecting data without a single reference to the rules and guidelines of SOPIPA and the SBAC testing consortium is doing the same and forwarding all data back to the Feds based on the acceptance of grant money which gets them around FERPA.

Opt out of annual statewide standardized testing to protect student data and understand there is nothing of value in the test results that can or are being used to place students.

Thank you [name withheld]! [name withheld] is a school board member in Modesto, CA.

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?lawCode=EDC&division=4.&title=2.&part=33.&chapter=10.&article 

_______________

Here is a post from a Massachusetts anti-Common Core group:

Another ridiculous piece of CC.

http://nyceducator.com/2017/08/close-reading-is-child-abuse.html?m=1

_________________

And here are some replies to said post:

What is close reading?

____________________

Close reading, in a nutshell, is reading and rereading passages to infer specific meaning. On its own, you might think, well, what’s wrong with that? After all, it’s important to understand what you are reading. The main issue is that, when this becomes the focus, it essentially kills a student’s love of reading. The goal is to focus on less books but read the ones you do more closely and to pick apart the text. Research overwhelmingly shows that the more students read, the greater their comprehension. As a parent, I want my kids to love reading and to read whatever interests them, not to pick apart books line by line.

_________________

Let’s be honest here. “Close” reading, like the idiotic Common Core math that dispenses with classic algorithms in favor of 20 superfluous steps, is intended to hold the best and brightest back while the “disadvantaged” catch up. The child who comprehends the meaning the first time must now go through exercises in futility for the benefit of those who need three passes to get it. Like Common Core math, they can pretend that it is for deeper understanding, but it is intended to produce equal outcomes despite unequal inputs, just like everything else liberals push.

______________

Agreed! Equality is the catch phrase of liberalism. Equal misery, that’s what the socialism/communism gets you.

Exactly disgusting !

_______________

Completely agreed…it’s to artificially close the education gap between students with “privilege” and those deemed without. Engineered “equality”.

_____________

_________________

Here is a post from a Washington anti-Common Core group:

I have a prediction to make and it’s one that I hope to be proven wrong about. I believe the day will come when state assessment scores will be tied to some % of the teacher’s evaluation. There are lots of classroom teachers that love the Smarter Balanced Assessment and dismiss school board candidates like myself that have issues with the SBA. They say that it’s not perfect but not all evil either- which is a rather “safe” answer of them to weasel out in this debate. OSPI will be releasing scores in a week or two and we need to follow the trends. BTW- here is the basis of my prediction.

Reykdal is referenced about his thoughts on testing, per the article:
“There’s been a lot of rhetoric around Smarter Balanced in Washington, but they’re ultimately good because they’re aligned with the Common Core. There are, though, too many tests. The state should stick with Smarter Balanced and “get rid of pretty much everything else.”
All states are going to have to challenge the “last great hypocrisy” in the Every Student Succeeds Act that grants an affirmative right to opt out of tests but requires states and districts to maintain a 95 percent participation rate. Thinks states could perhaps count Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, SAT or ACT exams to hit the 95 percent target.
Thinks the examples from other states makes clear that test scores shouldn’t be tied to teacher evaluations. “I think the research is clear we’re not there yet. Maybe someday we’ll find the algorithm that works better,” he says.”

https://www.the74million.org/article/funding-crisis-charter-war-teacher-shortage-who-would-want-to-be-wa-state-schools-chief-these-five 

_________________

Looks like a school in Virginia is using skin color as a determination for honors classes.   Someone ought to tell them about Brown vs. Board of Education:  http://www.toddstarnes.com/column/school-honors-classes-will-be-decided-by-skin-color-not-intelligence 

________________

Here is a post from a Texas anti-Common Core group:

We warned people this was coming it’s part of a master United Nations Unesco plan.

http://www.itemonline.com/news/local_news/hisd-trustees-approve-agreement-with-proximity-learning/article_e0afa899-e1f8-5987-b66f-a81993e5673f.html 

____________________

Here is a post from a Utah anti-Common Core group:

The ACT invests $10.8 million with Ed Tech venture capital group, New Markets Venture Partners. The article states that the ACT is venturing into open online curriculum (an Obama administration global initiative tying online curriculum to Common Education Data Standards), professional credentialing (aligning teacher credentialing to Common Core objectives) and non-cognitive assessment (behavioral profiling).
https://marketbrief.edweek.org/…/act-invests-venture-capit…/

Essentially, what this means is that the SAT, ACT and others are profiting off of our children’s non-cognitive information and then using that information to control what is taught and assessed. We are no longer using education tests. We are using education ASSESSMENTS. There’s a big difference between the two.

NWEA researchers (Utah is part of NWEA) recently won an award for developing new kinds of assessments to assess social-emotional skills:

https://marketbrief.edweek.org/marketplace-k-12/act-invests-venture-capital-firm-cites-alignment-ed-tech-equity/

____________________

A Minnesota school won’t let parents opt out of the transgender indoctrination for their kids:  http://www.dailywire.com/news/19490/k-12-schools-new-gender-inclusion-policy-includes-paul-bois?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_content=062316-news&utm_campaign=benshapiro 

____________________

Here is a post from a Utah anti-Common Core group:

I have a new kindergartner this year. I just received an email stating that all new kindergartners are required to take a State mandated test upon entering and leaving kindergarten. The assessment is called KEEP. I have never heard of this. Anyone have information? Should this scare me? Am I required to have my child take this assessment? Is there a way to opt out?

From the email…

“Kindergarten is a very important year for your student. This year there is a new state mandated assessment for kindergarteners called “KEEP”. It lets us track academic progress with developmentally appropriate games. It is required that every student begin this entrance profile assessment at the beginning of the school year and repeat an exit profile exam at the end of the year. This assessment is expected to take 20-30 minutes per child and is done one on one.”

__________________

And here are some replies to said post:

Mandated for the schools, not the students. All state funded tests qualify for opt out.

________________

Is there a form somewhere for me to take to the school to opt out of this?

_______________

The State Board is supposed to put one out every year. Ill have to look up this years.  It doesn’t seem to be listed on the form, however the law says all state mandated tests so you might want to add it to the form.   Sorry that was last years form. But I did find this:https://le.utah.gov/…/Title53A/Chapter15/53A-15-S2003.html     (5) A parent or legal guardian may decline participation of the parent or legal guardian’s kindergarten student in an eligible school’s kindergarten supplemental enrichment program.

Since this program administers the test –see (3). (3)(a), and (3)(a)(v) — then it makes sense that opting out of the program also includes opting out of the test.

_________________

It’s up to you but this test goes over their knowledge of ABC, colors, reading, math, etc. Some teachers have the parents stay and watch it. It gives them a base line to see what they have learned throughout the year. I can’t find my copy of the test but I was given one so I knew what to help my kindergartener with.

_________________

personally i would not have my child participate in this assessment because it assesses social/emotional skills (pg.53) & that data is entered into the Data Gateway (pg.56), so it is leaving the classroom & going to the state. the assessment itself doesn’t seem so bad, but i want that information to stay between the teacher & me, as the parent.

______________

https://www.schools.utah.gov/…/86da295d-5b5b-43bc-83bf… (i saved this document to my computer for future reference)

_______________

like [Name withheld] said, you can decline to participate. if it’s not added to the Opt Out Form, i think just writing a letter stating that you want to decline would be enough.

________________

more info on the Data Gateway: https://www.schools.utah.gov/data/data

_______________

________________

Apparently the name “Lynch” is so politically incorrect that two schools in Oregon have removed it from their name:  http://www.kgw.com/news/education/lynch-removed-from-name-of-two-centennial-schools/463293264 

__________________

Stanford University has a course on “eliminating whiteness”:  http://bit.ly/2hW5v4U

_______________

More info on psychological profiling being done on students at schools:  https://emilytalmage.com/2017/07/14/the-real-reason-your-child-is-being-psychologically-profiled-at-school/ 

_______________

Here is a post from a New York anti-Common Core group:

I pulled my child out of public school 3 years ago and sent him to a non common core Christian school. He takes the Terra Nova tests at the end of the year. I have always received the results in early July. The school has informed us that NYS has taken the test results and the school doesn’t have the results.
The school takes no federal or state money. They no longer give regents exams. The students will graduate with a local not NYS diploma.
What right does the State have to my childs test results and withholding them from the school? Is there anything I can do?

__________

And here are some replies to said post:

Wow. Talk about overreach

______________

I am going to ask my principal. Maybe because last year the test changed? I thought they made it common core based? You are lucky to take them at end of the year! My kids do in October and I think it is so unfair because there is material they haven’t learned yet.

____________

Actually when you take terranovas in October it is usually the prior years level.

_____________

I’m not sure. This year my daughter was in 3 grade and there was division on it. She didn’t learn that until mid year.

______________

I guess it depends on yourschool and state. Here in NYC catholic schools they give the cc version of terranova in oct but it is the prior years work to see how well you retained what you learned. At one time they offered a non cc version of terranova. I just went to terranova website, funny, they took the words CC off of everything

_____________

local diploma doesn’t exist anymore

_____________

Yes there is

___________

You can only get a local diploma if you are a student with IEP

and even then it’s not an actual diploma – thus the fight for that as well

_________________

A local diploma absolutely exists in NYS & it is 100% an actual diploma. It is open to both spec ed students as well as gen ed students. You should be careful not to disseminate information that is not accurate

_____________

My school has local diploma we are private-independent non common-core. Regents are optional.

_____________

It’s still an option all over the state! I posted it above and I also posted the 33 page document on how to get a diploma

___________

Isn’t that crazy…a 33 page document! Let that sink in.

_________

12 years, pass each grade assessed along the way…can’t trust that learning actually occurred must muddy the rules with 33 PAGES of hoops.

__________

There is a Pathways group to navigate how convoluted the process has become…

_____________

Terra Nova 3 is the ‘transition’ test to full CC-aligned tests, and TN does have those now as well. My daughter took TN3 in her Catholic school in CT….we did get the results, and it clearly has ‘Common Core’ listed on the top of the page (even though the principal repeatedly told me, ‘We don’t do CC!!” You should get test results back. Go on the TN website and call your region’s rep and ask them about this…..

___________________

______________

Here is a post from a Colorado anti-Common Core group:

USDOE doesn’t like Colorado’s law that protects opt outs. USDOE objected to several elements in Colorado’s ESSA state plan, including opt out. Tell us again how ESSA supports local control. /Sarc
ESSA is supposed to leave accountability up to the states, right?

https://www.chalkbeat.org/posts/co/2017/08/14/feds-to-colorado-you-must-count-students-who-opt-out-of-standardized-tests/ 

__________________

And another post from said group:

I have a weird question and I’m wondering if anyone can help me out or point me in the right direction.

New school year=New bullshit to deal with.
My family refuses all standardized testing, but last year my kids got tested or “assessed” on Galileo. I was told it was to see if the kids were actually retaining anything they learned. To me it just seems like more bullshit unnecessary testing.

I just need a list of ALL Colorado testing. From the most stupid of test to the big bad daddies. So when I rewrite my refusal this year, they can’t try and weasel around it.

And if none of you know about this, can you direct me to someone who does?

______________

And here are some replies to this post:

The bottom line is that your school will add as many of their own assessments as they choose beyond the state required ones. You should contact your school and ask for a detailed list of any and all assessments they will give per grade (as they may differ). And I’m your refusal specify that your child is not allowed to take ANY online assessment, test, or benchmark without prior parental consent. Additionally i would speak personally with the teacher and explain your expectation as per this, as well as I would explain to your child that he/she can and must tell the school to call you if they feel they are being tested. Sadly you Have to come at it in many directions. The Teacher can be your best assets if handheld kindly, and clear expectations.

_______________

Thank you so much! I didn’t think to add a contact addendum to my refusal letter about all testing questions!

________________

The teacher is the first person to ask what assessments (including online hidden/embedded “personalized” assessments) are used. The teacher can be the first line of defense, if the teacher is aware of your concerns and respects your wishes. Interesting partners with Galileo. http://ati-online.com/

___________________

can you ask for a copy of the school’s contract with Galileo? (if they have a contract with the school, by law they have to provide you a copy and also tell you data points collected and how shared.) I don’t see a privacy policy posted for Galileo–which is odd. Unless I am missing it, this is all I see. http://ati-online.com/ati/privacypolicy.php

_________________

You have found more than I have! It’s very complicated to navigate around all that. All these websites seem to be hiding information, being very secretive! The thing is, all it does for our school is to dumb down/slow down all the proper teachings that should be happening because not all kids are up at the same place/pace as the rest of the class. Honestly they (schools) cater and coddle these kids too much. Back in the day if you didn’t know what you should have, you went to summer school. And if you still couldn’t figure it out you repeated that grade.

________________

I am against state testing, but I like MAPS testing. It shows the growth of the student. Important!

_____________________

If technology is accurate and transparent, it can be helpful and can be one option in the tool box. However, many have said these online apps are still not great at measuring or predicting. Do you know, if a parent asks, does MAPS show data elements collected and who shared with? I would love for a parent to ask to see their child’s data collected and analyzed via MAPS.

___________________

sorry. I don’t mean final score. I mean the key-stroke data collected, pages visited, the actual data points (algorithms used to analyze and predict) and which sub contractors have access to this data. The first place to start is the contract with the school/district.

______________

______________

Kudos to these families in West Virginia for standing up to the gender benders:   http://familypolicyalliance.com/issues/2017/08/15/families-stop-gender-identity-ordinance-west-virginia/

_____________________

Great Lakes Public Schools in Michigan is allowing people to use bathrooms of the opposite sex:  http://www.faithfamilyamerica.com/school_district_wants_adult_males_and_first_grade_girls_to_share_the_same_bathroom

_______________

Clemson University RA training now includes info about “microagressions”:  http://dailycaller.com/2017/08/21/want-to-be-an-ra-this-school-year-first-learn-how-to-combat-microaggressions-and-trigger-warnings/?utm_campaign=atdailycaller&utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=Social 

_____________________

Here is a test from Flour Bluff ISD, Corpus Christi, Texas that shows more anti-American indoctrination:

AmericahatingTest

____________________

Kindergartener traumatized by “transgender transition ceremony”:  https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/kindergarten-celebrates-5-year-old-transgender-transition-kids-traumatized 

___________________

At the same school as the incident above, a first grader was sent to the principal’s office for “using the wrong gender pronoun”:  https://www.toddstarnes.com/column/first-grader-sent-to-office-investigated-for-pronoun-mishap 

____________

Some North Carolina school districts are banning the Confederate flag:  http://myfox28columbus.com/news/nation-world/north-carolina-school-district-bans-confederate-flag-other-symbols 

________________

A teacher in Indiana sent a note home to parents telling them to tell kids not to talk about God in the classroom.  I hope the parents tell their kids to talk about God even more!  http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/08/25/indiana-teacher-demands-parents-tell-kids-stop-talking-god-class/ 

______________

Here is a post from a Nevada anti-Common Core group:

Does anyone know what MAP testing is??? Our school is doing it over the next 2 weeks for middle school/High school.

_______________

And here are some replies to said post:

Before Common Core I let my kids take the MAP, for several years my kids have been opting out of MAP testing. The first paragraph of their website says: “LEARNING MADE VISUAL MAP® Growth™ measures what students know and informs what they’re ready to learn next. By dynamically adjusting to each student’s performance, MAP Growth creates a personalized assessment experience that accurately measures performance—whether a student performs on, above, or below grade level. Timely, easy-to-use reports help teachers teach, students learn, and administrators lead.” There are a couple buzz words in this statement that concern me, i.e. “By dynamically adjusting to each student’s performance…personalized assessment…” It could be harmless but when SBAC does this it is to collect student and influence kids, so to be safe I keep my younger kids out of MAP testing. See next post as Dr. Luksik discuss this. https://www.nwea.org/map-growth/

_____________________

The only standardized tests you must take that I wish we could opt-out of are the high school End of Course exams. Personally I never opted my older kids out of any test, until Common Core came in. Now I opt my younger kids out of ALL standardized tests, but none of the local teacher created tests.

______________

The biggest issue is probably the 1:1 Devices which allow third parties direct access to your children’s school work plus lots more. Experts on the left and right have written about how the profiles third parties are creating on your children may affect their future:https://nebula.wsimg.com/010dee154b8f4f4193c11fef31ed26ea…

_______________

My kids just started 3rd grade this year and I will defiantly be opting them out of all standardized testing this year. I know several parents at my kids school that wanted to opt out and they were told by administration that they would lose state funding, they are at a charter school. So they went ahead and let them take the tests. I’m not going to allow my kids to suffer through those tests. 😊

______________

In NV some charter schools have been hard core on allow opt-outs, some haven’t. As far as we know no school in the country has lost a penny becuase of opt-outs, but schools have been threatened. In NV it is the NV DoE that has threatened schools. Incline Middle School (IMS) has been over the 5% opt-out of SBAC testing, thanks to our efforts, for three years in a row. The threat from the NV DoE was initally – a school would automatically be a One-Star school if over 5% opted out of SBAC testing. Last year they changed their threat becuase of IMS. The NV DoE may have to change their threat again because of IMS was over 5% opt-out again…

______________

what charter school do you go to? We go to Somerset Skypointe and I opted my girls out of ALL State testing last year (3rd and 5th Grade) and did not have any issues. It was a very easy process and I did not get any negative backlash. 😊

_________________

_____________

I seem to have hit the jackpot on “education reformers” and other Big Money guys funding corporate reform (or so they call it):  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Tepso6absy1QQXD0_EkuBcgP35dirvvjJq2J_0-0gAI/htmlview#

__________________

Butler University is offering a course on anti-Trump resistance:   http://www.foxnews.com/us/2017/05/04/anti-trump-course-at-butler-university-offers-strategies-for-resistance.html 

_________________

Here is a post from an Alaska anti-Common Core group:

I just want to reassure everyone that this is the 6th year my daughter (a junior) will be opting out of ALL standardized test including the Map. The principle would try and talk us into it but we refused. She has also never taken an AMP test or any surveys of any kind. She will still
Graduate she will pass to the next grade and be able to pick her classes. She will not be held back or failed like
Some of her teachers would tell her. We’ve been “bullied” and made to feel weird and odd because we refuse the standardize testing. Stand your ground. You have the final say in your child’s PUBLIC education. After all we pay big dollars for that education. Hang in there parents.

________________

And here are some replies to said post:

By 11th grade there is no need for standardized tests outside of college or career tests such as SAT, ACT, ASVAB, and WorkKeys.

_______________

Like the above comment, you can opt out but she will be required to do ACT, SAT etc to get into college.

__________________

Ug, more political correctness!  A school in San Antonio is changing its name from Robert E Lee High School to something else.   Shouldn’t they be worried about more important things, like Hurricane Harvey?   http://insider.foxnews.com/2017/08/30/robert-e-lee-high-school-change-name 

__________________

____________________

Students in West Virginia got suspended for two days for protesting the school removing “one nation under God” from the pledge:  https://www.christiannewsalerts.com/wv-students-suspended-for-jesus/?utm_content=buffer3cba8&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer 

_________________

A high school teacher makes  a kid take off a pro-Trump T-shirt:  http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2017/09/insane-high-school-teacher-forces-students-remove-pro-trump-shirts-like-swastika-video/ 

__________________

Here is a post from an anti-Common Core group:

Substitute teaching in a high school Science classroom in Chandler. Flag shoved in a corner, mandated US Constitution poster hidden behind a stack of drawers and anti-president Trump propaganda, prominently displayed. Not cool!

climate change lies

_____________________

A New Jersey school has removed an Abraham Lincoln art piece in order to avoid offending anyone (or so they claim.  We know it’s really just more destruction of American history):  http://www.theamericanmirror.com/nj-school-removes-lincoln-art-piece-avoid-potentially-offending-anyone/ 

________________

Now we have a school lesson calling God a mythical creature like a unicorn:  https://www.toddstarnes.com/column/school-lesson-describes-god-as-mythical-creature-like-a-unicorn?utm_source=Todd+Starnes+American+Dispatch&utm_campaign=3154e4c999-Charlie+Daniels&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_92d26c77ee-3154e4c999-102669493

____________________

Kudos to these kids in Minnesota who stood up to their school’s tyrannical flag ban:  http://www.inforum.com/news/4324063-backlash-against-school-officials-minn-high-school-students-protest-american-flag

_________________

Here is a post from an anti-Common Core group:

Update on Hamilton High School teacher who is spreading anti-American hate in his classroom. Here is the email I sent to the principal and Vice Principal and here is his response, late this evening. He also CC’d Camille Casteel who is the Chandler District Superintendent.
Meanwhile, this teacher has had anti-American posters on his walls for at least 10 years. I’m not satisfied.

“Hello,
I was out of the office all day today. This situation has been resolved and Mr. Miner was very apologetic. If you sub at Hamilton again please stop to introduce yourself to me.
Thank you”

From: [Info withheld to protect from Communist retaliation]
Sent: Wednesday, September 6, 2017 10:34 AM
To: James, Ken <james.ken@cusd80.com>
Subject: Corky Miner- Science teacher
Mr. James,
I am a substitute for the Chandler School District and have a problem I observed in your teacher’s classroom, yesterday.
I was a teacher in the Paradise Valley and Higley School Districts for many years and know what boundaries a teacher must walk within and what is outside those bounds. Mr. Miner has political, anti-US president posters on his walls. As well, he has shoved the American flag in a corner and covered the US Constitution poster, which must be prominently displayed.
I would like to speak to you personally, today and am available to talk or meet in person.
I thank you for your attention.
[Name Withheld]

_____________________

Here is a post from a friend of mine from New York:

They want your kids! Age 3! All day, year round! 36 months old!

“NY. Mayor Bill de Blasio today announced 3-K for All, the most ambitious effort in U.S. history to provide universal, free, full-day, high-quality early childhood education for every three-year-old child regardless of family income.”

Oh and 12 credits in college, paid for by them and YOU are a certified teacher! TADA!

Keep reading, it starts at SIX WEEKS old! To align with second grade standards. Churn out human capital don’t ya know? You will conform.

[Excerpt]
“With support from ACS, Human Resources Administration (HRA), and the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), and a planning process involving providers and early childhood care and education experts, these programs will shift to management by DOE as part of 3-K for All, enabling consistent high-quality standards under a single agency by the fall of 2018.

This will also provide greater curricular alignment through second grade, a single contracting relationship for early childhood education providers, integrated data collection, and seamless connections between early childhood development and 3K-12 education.

EarlyLearn programs serving children from six-weeks-old through three-years-old will also shift to management by DOE.”

http://www1.nyc.gov/office-of-the-mayor/news/258-17/mayor-de-blasio-3-k-all#/0

__________________________

Here is a post from a Nevada anti-Common Core group:

BRIGANCE, I’m researching…. haven’t had a kindergartener in quite some time, is this something anyone else knows anything about?

SEL Nevada

SEL Nevada p1

sel Nevada p2

__________________________

Here is a post from a Massachusetts anti-Common Core group:

Is Massachusetts providing every student with chromebooks now? I am not sure how I feel about this. My son came home with a brand new lap top. I have concerns about it and I am not even sure where to begin. I feel as though it is just another tracking device 😞 I intend to cover up the camera!

___________________

And here are some replies to said post:

Maybe take the tinfoil hat off?

_______________

What is that supposed to mean? I am sure I am not the only parent who is concerned with data collection in this forum

______________

I don’t think it is necessary to provide every child with a laptop. They should provide computers at school. I would rather see the tax dollars spent on other educational necessities

________________

The state absolutely IS collecting data on our kids via MCAS and other surveys/assessments. Chromebooks make it easy for Google and other corporate entities to collect data on our kids. Google has actually admitted to mining students’ school email accounts. Anyone who thinks these ultra cheap laptops are available to our students out of the goodness of these corporate reformers hearts is naive. http://www.edweek.org/…/2014/03/13/26google.h33.html

______________

You are correct,I wasn’t referring to that.. the post talks about “covering the Camera” so basically they are filming and collecting data by observing your child?? No,that’s not what’s happening.. hence the tinfoil hat comment

_______________

I have read articles about schools being caught recording children in their homes from the cameras on school issued laptops. I have also read instances of testing sessions recording children’s facial expressions etc. it makes me uncomfortable. Do you have children Cameron? Also, if you are a member of this group I would assume you do know a little about the data mining. I was not expecting a comment like yours in this group because most of us know about the spying. I asked if Massachusetts is providing every school with this technology? I am going to search for the answer to the tax dollars too. I don’t believe tax payers are footing the bill for the chromebooks. I’m pretty sure it’s coming from government grants. Which makes sense. They want every child to have one because they want data on every child.

________________

dead on accurate! It’s not a tin foil hat thing. It’s an admitted fact. Covering the camera is only a minor element. Every log on is recorded. Internet usage is logged. Another concern is the amount of screen time these kids are exposed to. There are studies linking some behavioral issues as well as medical issues. We’re in uncharted territory. Tired of the kids being used as guinea pigs so Bill Gates came become even more wealthy.

_____________

I don’t know about your schools but most of my children’s assignments are on google docs. They are using school issued accounts for everything. What’s the difference if the chrome book is school issued or I have to buy it? They’re tracking the same info either way.

http://pgbovine.net/OET-Draft-Grit-Report-2-17-13.pdf?fref=gc&dti=1415021325383836 

_________________

when our local schools were sending home iPads, the IT guy literally told parents that he can access the camera and mic from their office at any point in time. they 100% are tracking your kids and what they do. No tin-foil hats needed.

______________

Even the most recent FBI director called covering the laptop camera with duct tape a “common sense” security move.

_________________

search “Lower Merion School District” in Philadelphia. They were ordered to pay $610K after they were sued for spying on students at home via the webcams on their school issued laptops.
I don’t deal in tin foil, just facts.

__________________

It is hard to decipher whether someone is sarcastic or insulting someone when it is typed out. Most of us are concerned parents/grandparents/caregivers who feel pretty isolated with our worries when it comes to Common Core and our children’s education.We have forums like this to be able to talk to others who have this in common. I am one of the very few parents in my district that has these concerns. I often feel like an outsider. With that being said, speaking about those concerns here is usually met with reassuring comments. When someone instantly comments back in a negative way, it’s unexpected, at least for me. So that’s why I was annoyed. I know that doesn’t normally happen here. If I brought this up at a school function I would be ready for a tin foil hat comment! Lol

_________________

same for me. People in Massachusetts are generally trusting of government, and that’s especially true of parents in high performing school districts. They seem to think their kids are some how buffered from these external factors. I have kids ranging from 11 to 16 yrs old, and have seen the steady erosion of classroom instruction over the last several years. My two older kids learned cursive, had pretty traditional education. The principal at our elementary school has shifted to “exhibitionary learning”, eliminated homework, and brought in chromebooks to every student in grades 3-6. Kids don’t learn cursive. My youngest didn’t get exposed to Shakespeare last year, like his older sibs did at that age. It’s really gone down the shitter but no one cares. Never mind the data mining and threat to our children’s privacy….

________________

that’s exactly how I see it too! My kids range from ages 20-8. I have 4. The differences I have experienced from my oldest to the youngest are unbelievable! This could be why not all parents can relate. They may only have 1 or 2 children and they are younger, so they have nothing to compare it to. It’s real, it’s happening and it is continuously sliding towards abusive. That may sound extreme to some parents, but to me it is true.

___________________

Google funds a lot of these things, and their compensation is the tracking info on the kids. They will collect and transmit to Google every website that is accessed by that laptop..which is spying. They have every right to, because they own it. They can also remotely activate the microphone to listen to what people are talking about in the home to target ads. None of this is tinfoil hat stuff, and that is a rude, insulting and asinine comment.

_________________

If I were you, I would isolate that laptop at all times. Make sure your child uses it only for homework, then put it somewhere away from all of you til morning, like in a closed closet.

____________________

Isn’t it funny how “free Chromebooks for all” just happens to coincide with students needing a device for PARCC/MCAS 2.0. And if you don’t think data mining is taking place, you’re not paying attention.

So true

__________________

Exactly. It’s going on so much that I’m feeling very overwhelmed as a parent. There are so many responsibilities that go along with raising children. Now we have to monitor what our schools are doing. We used to be able to send them off to school basically worry free. Not anymore

_______________

It’s scary. You have to be so diligent. I swear my photo was on the wall of the school office. I question everything and voice concerns when I think the schools are overstepping their bounds.

________________

Not to mention my teacher friends in Western MA said they are sending them home with kids that have very difficult lives expecting the kids to keep track of them when many of the households can manage to keep track of a pencil. Causing many problems and stress according to them (and they are in the classroom to see it).

_______________

Be thankful your district went the smart route of not over paying for Apple crap.

________________

Like in Beverly High school! There is no way I could ever afford that, even if I could start saving now. My daughter is going into 7th grade.

_______________

Beverly has payment plans as well as help for low income (I do not have a child there my niece went there like 6 years ago)

_______________

That’s awful!

_______________

the payments are ridiculous. If they need them as part of their education, they should be supplied.

_________________

Yes I agree.. plus even though I paid for the insurance they wanted $200.00 to fix a screen on it

_________________

No way. Absolutely not. I would not foot the bill for that. My kids can use my laptop for assignments

______________

I hate it. These kids don’t even know cursive. Their faces are always buried in a chrome book. 😡

_______________

Teach them cursive then.. I’ve taught my kids. We don’t have to leave everything up to the teachers. If you feel they aren’t being taught something then do it.

_______________

I have been.

_________________

Parents need to take matters into their own hands and stop relying on the school system.. you see something wrong,fix it.. You want them to learn something,teach it. At the end of the day it’s up to us.

_____________

That is why I homeschool my 2 kids, 6th & 8th grade.

________________

My wife and I did for the past 2yrs.. we are considering it this year with my 9yr old. It’s difficult with work schedules though,not everyone has the luxury of a one income family or a two income family with the right hours to pull it off.

________________

we are sending them for an education and a means to a successful future.. Sometimes you can’t always get what you want (love The Rolling Stones) so it our job to make sue all the puzzle pieces fit. Amright?!

_______________

Huge reason why we chose to do homeschooling in CT P20-WIN data collection begins in preschool. http://www.ct.edu/initiatives/p20win

_____________

Same!!

________________

The more you research the facts the more disturbed you will become. Zero regrets here
______________
I am not a fan of homeschooling or private schools. But you need to realize EXACTLY what is happening in our schools and how you plan t o protect your child. It is serious.
_________________
And health evaluations and Medical records gathered in schools are not protected under Hipaa they fall under Ferpa which has been dissasembled.
_______________
Most schools require them for certain classes and make the students leave them in the building. I personally don’t have a real problem with it, as schools are cutting expenses by using PDF and online formats. The issue that I see is making parents pay for the chromebooks that I have heard in some places.
_______________
The screens do not exist to save money. They make control easier
______________
I would definitely cover the camera. Did you watch Snowden? It shows how the camera can be accessed. The thing I find so upsetting is that it has been proven children learn better reading from books rather than off a screen and have better recall. Schools are trending through pressure to purchase online books with a goal to no longer purchase textbooks in hard copy. This is truly appalling. My children’s schools often tell my kids they don’t have enough copies of books for the students, but they will load it online and if they really want a textbook they can sign one out. They hate online reading and always request a book. In the classroom, kids are always pretending to work on their assignment, but are constantly getting off track with the computers. It is a big time killer.
________________
 You are absolutely right
_______________
I would definately cover the camera. Also, be sure to check out what, if any school ‘contract’ the student may have signed in order to bring it home. If something goes wrong, you might be expected to pay for the damage. As for data mining, I absolutely believe it will be a source for that. I think I remember seeing an article on FB about how school-issued devices have been programmed(?), to collect data without the user being aware of it. I’m sure you can Google it, if someone doesn’t already provide in through a comment.
_______________
I would certainly question the legality of have a student(minor) signing a contract without the presence of a parent……..legally they cannot be questioned by authorities without a parent so I would think signing a contract would fall into the same realm………I don’t see how that contract is legally binding.
_______________
I’m not sure of the arrangement between the student and the school, but I doubt they issue them without stipulations. Who knows?? I absolutely understand your pont, but I have seen schools do a few unscrupulous things in the past, and therefore nothing surprises me.
________________
We refused to take it home. He did his work on our desktop. No keystrokes no losing it or dropping it. When homework was done, screen time was over.
_________________
My kids started school before the corporate-profit tech-craze took hold. In their early elementary school years (2003ish,) TEACHERS were lecturing parents to, “PLEASE limit screen time,” (TVs, computers, hand held devices, etc.) What the heck happened?? There’$ money to be made in ‘education.’
______________
so did mine. We are getting caught in it midstream. My 15 & 13 yr olds prefer physical books to online texts, I now have to pay for both. They learn better with books and taking notes shorthand. Period. Teachers and doctors were telling us to limit the time, I was always limiting it. Now I’m fighting with teachers and doctors to reset the limits. Its malpractice. They’ve caved to the tech industry and non educator “experts”
______________
I feel your pain. My story is very similar. I mine have one and two years left. Aside from the acces to devices, I wonder when we will see significant changes in reported eye strain, carpal tunnel, etc. My kids prefer books as it’s easier for them to flip back and forth through the pages for reference. Lastly, in New England we occasionally have storm-related power outages, which doesn’t fare well on homework nights. I wish more parents would see that technology should be used in moderation.
_______________
I’m in RI. My kids play sports, we are on the road a lot. No WiFi to do homework during travels, we used to be able to do it enroute 😢 Kids are up later and their eyes are bloodshot. They are addicted to their phones and devices. Our kids are growing up in the most physically and socially damaging generation ever. We need to turn the tides, quickly. In the schools where parents were the ones who pushed for 1:1 devices, we should be able to fight to rid of it.
______________
Agreed. We are being tricked into behaving against our own best interest and those of our children and yes, we can and must stop it!
__________________
 In my area, Greater New Bedford, I’m pretty convinced that parents don’t want to ‘see’ it. I keep trying so in the end no one can cry, “But I didn’t know!!!!” And I’ll think to myself, oh yes, the ‘signs’ were right in front of you.
_______________
You are so right sadly. Nothing is more important than our children. I can’t decide between weeping and screaming
______________
My daughter is starting a Voc school tomorrow and will be recieving one, I plan on taping that camera like no ones business. They are not just data mining the kids they are spying on families.
________________
My son (8th grade) got his chrome book last year, as I see a little bit of your frustration you have to understand it’s the world we live in now everything is based around technology, every one of his classes require work to be done on the computer and they use their google classroom as their learning tool , times have changed a lot since we were young and they will only continue to change they still teach cursive (or at least my younger kids do) be happy we didn’t have to be required to buy each of our kids a laptop and the schools were blessed enough to give the kids them to use 🙂
________________
Or be careful what you wish for. That’s always the reasoning…”we live in a technological world.” I think feeding the mentality by having so many assignments using devices will lead to eventual regret.
________________
Exactly! My child got an excellent education in Scituate Public schools, and I worked as a teacher in public schools all my life.What is happening now is a deliberate attack on the institution of public education. Computers are just tools. Very useful tools. But children are not nurtured or challenged or inspired or comforted by machines. Please listen to these reformers and decide if what they have planned is what you want for your precious children.
________________
I had to buy one for my son last year…..after I bought an Apple! I fought and fought to NOT buy the Chrome book, I lost.
_______________
My daughter is at a voc school. Entering her junior year, and this year they are starting the chromebooks there too 😡 I don’t think the voc schools should be issuing them. Students choose vocational schools for the alternative learning environment. At least they used to. I see this only making it harder for the students who struggle academically. You and I already know that they are falling through the cracks in public schools. Vocational schools provide an alternative for those students. It’s so frustrating.
_________________
My three excel academically and still chose to attend our regional VT school. Our VT school was only a few years ago the gold standard of the community as it provided both an excellent academic and trade education. Unfortunately, I see it changing year after year, as it aligns more deeply with Common Core. They are directing more and more students (I believe the goal is ‘all’) into college, which is not the best path for ALL students. I fear it will only get worse as time goes on.
_________________
yes, I agree. And I am a big promoter of Voc Tech schools! I think graduating with a trade is a big advantage these days 😊
________________
Most, perhaps. But one of the three towns eligible to attend my regional VT school is New Bedford (MA), and currently that district is falling apart with level 4 and 5 schools and therefore parents are seeking accessible alternatives to the city’s high school. My VT currently receives over 1100 applications each year, but can only accept about 550. What I see happening currently is that the school is more focused on getting kids “college” ready than “career” ready. I might be wrong, but mark my words. Time will tell.
________________
They average age for many tradesmen is in the 50s. With little to no back up coming out for plumbers etc…
_________________
I would love to see more money and growth opportunities being put into the vocational schools. There is a wait list to get into these schools. Students are also discovering that college is expensive and graduating with a trade, ready to join the workforce with strong tools to be successful and earn a good income, is suddenly more appealing! And like Marie stated above, the generation of tradesmen is in need of young, new skillsmen. College is great too, but schools need to acknowledge and encourage students to explore ALL paths to a career. We are starting to see a shift. If they put more money into expanding vocational schools, more students could attend.
______________
Let me add that if the student wants to go to college, learning a trade should be their first step. They will graduate with work skills that can be used to earn funds to go to college……..In the end not only do they have a wonderful trade that will probably carry them thru most of their adult life but a college degree……how could it get any better. Lots of work but accomplishes so much.
_______________
Right in the pdf student policy handbook I read today: “(5) Administrators’ Access to Files
Electronic mail transmission and other use of electronic resources by users shall not be
considered confidential. Without limitation, all e­mail files and other Internet files and records
may be monitored, accessed and examined at any time by designated staff to ensure appropriate
use for instructional, educational and administrative purposes, including the need to ensure that
these Internet Guidelines are being adhered to. Administrators will also cooperate in providing
access to student e­mail and Internet files and records to law enforcement authorities. Users
should not assume that uses of the School District Internet access or email will be private.” https://www.mursd.org/…/2016-17Family-SchoolHandbook.pdf
________________
Parents have very limited access to what is being taught
_______________
We parents do ask, be ready to feel as tho there’s something wrong with you for asking
_______________
I’m used to that 😞
___________________
I know it can be hard…It might help to realize that many of them don’t like it either but they are afraid too!
_______________
________________________
Here is a post from a Utah anti-Common Core group:

All those who have kids in Weber school district. I just want ticket you know the SUPER INTENDENT is for common core. Yep FOR. I sent a very nasty email last week. ( I can attach it if you want). But it sounds like he is for it. I’m very pissed.

________________

 And another post from said group:
Asking for a friend, regarding ALEKS (I did a search on the group, but couldn’t find a clear answer): can we opt out of ALEKS? It’s not a state mandated assessment. But she has found that it’s particularly ineffective for her child, based on past use. When the school sent home the parental consent form, she declined to consent, and now the school is telling her that her child HAS to do it, or lose points.
______________________
And here is a reply to said post:
these are my thoughts on it. yes, she can absolutely opt out of it, but her child will probably lose points. i would still push to make sure that points are not lost though. they asked for parent’s consent & that was not given, so they should respect the parent’s wishes & perhaps give an alternative assignment instead. here’s what State Board Rule & Utah state law says, hopefully some of it will help her make her case:

State Board Rule R277-404.7 says “(7) Any assessment that is not a state required assessment, the administration of the assessments, and the consequence of taking or failing to take the assessments is governed by policy adopted by each LEA.”

but it also says (& this part is the most important part because it’s true & valid even if it wasn’t written in an official “rule”): “(1)(a) Parents are primarily responsible for their children’s education and have the constitutional right to determine which aspects of public education, including assessment systems, in which their children participate.”
https://rules.utah.gov/publicat/code/r277/r277-404.htm

this is backed up in state law (but again, even if it wasn’t in state law, it would still be true): “(1)(a) A student’s parent or guardian is the primary person responsible for the education of the student, and the state is in a secondary and supportive role to the parent or guardian. As such, a student’s parent or guardian has the right to reasonable academic accommodations” https://le.utah.gov/…/Chapter15/53A-15-S1403.html…

& if you need more back up as to why parents have the right to opt out of any assessment or any portion of their child’s education that they feel does not benefit their child, just use Dr. Gary Thompson’s words: “Parents are, and must always be, the resident experts of their own children.”

________________________

A useful article that I found on more Common Core/CTE stuff

This is a guest post article from a concerned parent. It is a follow-up to a previous article: CCS and honor societies _________________________ Common Core Standards Usurp Leadership Clubs in our Schools You may have fond memories of your days in school where you attended, especially if you were a member of clubs such as FFA (Future Farmers of America) or the FHA (Future Homemakers of America, which by the way has been re-named

via Guest Post: Common Core Standards Usurp Leadership Clubs in our Schools — Lady Liberty 1885

The RINO List

This is, of course, not a list of all the RINOs, but only those that have committed particularly anti-Republican acts.

Refuse to Repeal Obamacare

1) Lisa Murkowski (Alaska)
2) Lamar Alexander (Tennessee)
3) Rob Portman (Ohio)
4) John McCain (Arizona)
5) Susan Collins (Maine)
6) Shelley Moore Capito (West Virginia)
7) Dean Heller (Nevada) 

 

Wouldn’t End Transgenderism in Military

Justin Amash (MI)

Jack Bergman (MI)

Mike Coffman (CO)

Barbara Comstock (VA)

Paul Cook (CA)

Ryan Costello (PA)

Carlos Curbelo (FL)

Jeff Denham (CA)

Charlie Dent (PA)

John Faso (NY)

Brian Fitzpatrick (PA)

Darrell Issa (CA)
John Katko (NY)

Steve Knight (CA)

Leonard Lance (NJ)

Frank LoBiondo (NJ)

Tom MacArthur (NJ)

Tom Reed (NY)

Dave Reichert (WA)

Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (FL)

Bill Shuster (PA)

Elise Stefanik (NY)

Claudia Tenney (NY)

Supported the Iran “Deal”

Bob Corker (TN)

Immigration Losers

Thom Tillis (NC)

Marco Rubio (FL)

Lindsey Graham (SC)

Ron Johnson (WI)

Orrin Hatch (UT)

Leadership Losers

Mitch McConnell (KY)

Paul Ryan (WI)

Cheaters

Thad Cochran (MS)

 

Other Knuckleheads

Roger Wicker (MS)

 

Every Child Achieves Act Supporters

America Forward
Big Picture Learning
Blue Engine
Bottom Line
CASEL
CAST
Center for Secondary School Redesign
Clayton Christensen Institute for Disruptive Innovation
College Forward
CoSN
CUE
Foundation for Excellence in Education
Generation Citizen
Genesys Works
iNACOL
Jobs for the Future
KnowledgeWorks
New Classrooms Innovation Partners
Matchbook Learning
The Learning Accelerator
Transforming Education
Virtual Learning Academy Charter School (VLACS), New Hampshire
Waterford Institute

Source:  http://www.competencyworks.org/policy/23-groups-call-for-innovative-assessment-flexibility-in-esea-reauthorization/ 

AFT

NEA

AASA

NASSP

CCSSO

Association of School Business Officials International

National Association of Elementary School Principals

National Schools Boards Association

National PTA

NASBE

Source:  https://www.nsba.org/newsroom/press-releases/national-education-groups-continue-push-congress-get-esea-done-begin

First Focus Campaign for Children

Source:  https://campaignforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/07/Support-for-the-Every-Child-Achieves-Act.pdf

Business Roundtable

Source:  http://businessroundtable.org/resources/brt-letter-the-every-child-achieves-act-2015 

US Chamber of Commerce

Source:  https://www.uschamber.com/letter/letter-members-committee-health-education-labor-and-pensions-regarding-every-child-achieves

SEL Guys

These are the guys pushing Communist Brainwashing “Social Emotional Learning” in “Education”

The National Commission on Social, Emotional, and Academic Development Buddies

The Aspen Institute

The Learning Policy Institute’s Linda Darling-Hammond

Business Roundtable President John Engler

Special Olympics Chairman Tim Shriver

Jim Shelton, president of education for the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative 

Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe

 Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Joyce Foundation, the Einhorn Family Charitable Trust

CASEL

Source:  http://missourieducationwatchdog.com/sel-commission-standards-rating-sorting-children-based-on-emotion/ 

Mr. Jorge Benitez
Former CEO, Accenture North America

Mr. Laszlo Bock
Senior Advisor, Google, Inc.

Mr. Hugh Price
Former President and CEO
National Urban League

Ms. Karen Pittman
President, CEO, and Co-Founder
The Forum for Youth Investment

Governor Brian Sandoval
Governor of Nevada; Vice Chair, National
Governors Association

Mr. James Shelton
President of Education
Chan Zuckerberg Initiative

Mr. Gene Wilhoit
Executive Director
National Center for Innovation in Education

Mr. Antwan Wilson
Superintendent
Oakland Public Schools

Dr. Nancy Zimpher
Chancellor
State University of New York

Dr. Pamela Cantor
Chief Executive Officer
Turnaround For Children

Dr. David Osher
Vice President and Institute Fellow
American Institutes for Research

Ms. Ellen Galinsky
Chief Science Officer and Executive Director,
Mind in the Making, Bezos Family Foundation

Alliance for Excellent Education

National Association of State Boards of
Education

American Association of School Administrators

National Conference of State Legislatures

American Federation of Teachers

National Council of La Raza (NCLR)

Association for Supervision and Curriculum
Development

National Education Association

National Governors Association

Council of Chief State School Officers

National PTA

Council of Great City Schools

National School Boards Association

Edutopia/George Lucas Educational Foundation

National Urban League, Inc.

National Association for the Advancement of
Colored People (NAACP)

Source:  https://assets.aspeninstitute.org/content/uploads/2016/11/NCSEAD-MEMBERSHIP-LIST-11-18.pdf 

Partners

  • Afterschool Alliance
  • Alliance for a Healthier Generation
  • Alliance for Excellent Education
  • American Association of School Administrators
  • American Federation of Teachers
  • American Youth Policy Forum (AYPF)
  • America’s Promise Alliance
  • ASCD
  • AVID
  • Boys and Girls Club of America
  • Center for Character and Citizenship
  • Center for Supportive Schools
  • Character.org
  • Citizen Schools
  • City Year
  • Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL)
  • Communities in Schools
  • Consortium for Educational Change
  • Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS)
  • Council of Chief State School Officers
  • Council of Great City Schools
  • The David P. Weikart Center for Youth Program Quality
  • Edutopia, produced by the George Lucas Educational Foundation
  • Every Hour Counts
  • The Forum for Youth Investment
  • Foundation for Excellence in Education
  • Generation Citizen
  • Girls, Inc.
  • Higher Achievement
  • Learning Heroes
  • MENTOR
  • Moms Rising
  • NAACP
  • National Afterschool Association
  • National Alliance for Public Charter Schools
  • National Association of School Psychologists
  • National Association of State Boards of Education
  • National Center For Learning Disabilities
  • National Conference of State Legislatures
  • National Education Association
  • National Family Engagement Alliance
  • National Governors Association
  • National Human Services Assembly
  • National League of Cities
  • National Network of State Teachers of the Year
  • National PTA
  • National School Boards Association
  • National School Climate Center
  • National Summer Learning Association
  • National Urban League
  • National 4-H Council
  • Playworks
  • Rennie Center for Education Research & Policy
  • Rodel Foundation of Delaware
  • School Social Work Association of America
  • SparkAction
  • Special Olympics
  • Transforming Education
  • Trust for America’s Health
  • Trust for Early Learning
  • UnidosUS
  • Urban Libraries Council
  • WINGS for Kids
  • YMCA
  • The 50-State Afterschool Network

Source:  https://www.aspeninstitute.org/programs/national-commission-on-social-emotional-and-academic-development/partners/

CASEL Buddies

1440 Foundation

1440 Foundation’s mission is to support programs and best practices that cultivate authentic relationship skills in education, wellness and the workplace.

Einhorn Family Charitable Trust

The Einhorn Family Charitable Trust’s mission is to help people get along better. By investing in evidence-based programs and in partnership with national organizations, it seeks to inspire a movement of empathetic citizens who, with mutual respect and understanding, ultimately build an increasingly civil society.

Institute of Education Sciences

The mission of IES, the research arm of the U.S.Department of Education, is to provide rigorous and relevant evidence on which to ground education practice and policy and share this information broadly.

McCormick Foundation

The McCormick Foundation seeks to foster communities of educated, informed, and engaged citizens.

NoVo Foundation

NoVo Foundation is dedicated to catalyzing a transformation in global society, moving from a culture of domination to one of equality and partnership. The foundation supports the development of capacities in people—individually and collectively — to help create a caring and balanced world.

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is the nation’s largest philanthropy devoted solely to the public’s health. Its efforts focus on improving both the health of everyone in America and their health care — how it’s delivered, how it’s paid for, and how well it does for patients and their families.

Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors

Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors (RPA) is a nonprofit organization that currently advises on and manages more than $200 million in annual giving by individuals, families, corporations, and major foundations. Continuing the Rockefeller family’s legacy of thoughtful, effective philanthropy, RPA remains at the forefront of philanthropic growth and innovation, with a diverse team led by experienced grantmakers with significant depth of knowledge across the spectrum of issue areas. Founded in 2002, RPA has grown into one of the world’s largest philanthropic service organizations and has facilitated more than $3 billion in grantmaking to nearly 70 countries.

The Allstate Foundation

The Allstate Foundation and CASEL are collaborating to raise awareness of youth voice and to focus the country’s attention on what is possible in American education. A youth report shared findings from student interviews and a national survey of youth in an effort to improve schools to be engines of learning and opportunity. The Allstate Foundation generously sponsored CASEL’s 2018 Cross-Districts Learning Event. The annual convening provides an opportunity for CASEL’s partners to expand and share their SEL knowledge and experiences with one another. The Allstate Foundation helps create more prosperous communities where people are empowered to fulfill their hopes and dreams by inspiring the next generation of leaders, breaking the cycle of domestic violence, closing the nonprofit leadership gap and honoring Allstate volunteers. Through its Good Starts Young program, The Allstate Foundation enables youth to build social and emotional learning skills and become the next generation of leaders.

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is providing CASEL support to engage in a strategic business planning. Guided by the belief that every life has equal value, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation works to help all people lead healthy, productive lives. In developing countries, it focuses on improving people’s health with vaccines and other life-saving tools and giving them the chance to lift themselves out of hunger and extreme poverty. In the United States, it seeks to significantly improve education so that all young people have the opportunity to reach their full potential. Based in Seattle, Washington, the foundation is led by CEO Dr. Susan Desmond-Hellmann and Co-chair William H. Gates Sr., under the direction of Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett.

Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation

Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation is generously supporting the Assessment Work Group, a collaboration with CASEL and leading researchers and practitioners in the field of PreK-12 education, assessment, SEL, and related fields. The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation grant will support the development of key design principles to guide the creation of practical social-emotional competence performance measures as well as an annual design challenge for performance assessments. Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation helps individuals attain economic independence by advancing educational achievement and entrepreneurial success.

LG Electronics USA

CASEL is partnering with the LG Electronics USA Life’s Good: Experience Happiness initiative to equip youth with the essential life skills and supportive learning environments to become knowledgeable, caring, contributing and happy adults, citizens, co-workers, friends and family members. LG funding will support CASEL partner districts’ membership into the Collaborating Districts Initiative, which helps districts across the country implement curriculum, share best practices and challenges, and helping to ensure the long-term sustainability of high-quality SEL across all aspects of the school community. LG also will also join CASEL’s 2019 National Conference, engaging 1,200 educators, scholars, policy-makers, and others committed to high-quality SEL programming for all students. Together, the partnership supports an education that prioritizes academic, social, and emotional learning, including the promotion and advancement of sustainable happiness skills, for all youth. The LG corporate social responsibility initiative was launched to enrich the lives of 5.5 million youth in the United States over five years.

Pure Edge, Inc.

In 2016 Pure Edge, Inc. provided generous support to expand CASEL’s Collaborating States Initiative (CSI) to include the participation of eleven additional states. CASEL and the states are actively partnering on the development of policies, learning competencies or goals, and guidelines to support statewide implementation of social and emotional learning. Pure Edge, Inc. builds partnerships with school districts, academic research institutions, and government entities to influence the national conversation around the impact of health and wellness on children to develop policies that make health and wellness an essential component of the education system.

Raikes Foundation

The Raikes Foundation is supporting the Assessment Work Group, a collaboration with CASEL and leading researchers and practitioners in the fields of PreK-12 education, assessment, SEL, mindset science and related fields. This critical effort is focused on developing practical tools for educators in assessment of inter- and intra-personal competencies and developing the future direction of inter- and intra-personal assessment for the field. The Raikes Foundation works toward a just and inclusive society where all young people have the support they need to reach their full potential. The foundation focuses on youth-serving systems, seeking to make them work better on behalf of the most marginalized young people in our society.

The Spencer Foundation

Spencer Foundation is generously supporting the Assessment Work Group, a collaboration with CASEL and leading researchers and practitioners in the field of PreK-12 education, assessment, SEL, and related fields. This effort focuses on developing practical tools for educators in social and emotional (SE) competence assessment and developing the future directions of SE competence assessment for the field. Spencer Foundation is committed to supporting high-quality investigation of education through its research programs and to strengthening and renewing the educational research community through its fellowship and training programs and related activities.

Stuart Foundation

Stuart Foundation generously sponsored CASEL’s 2017 and 2018Cross-Districts Learning Event. The annual convening provides an opportunity for CASEL’s partners to expand and share their SEL knowledge and experiences with one another. CASEL and Stuart Foundation also worked together on planning for the Collaborating States Initiative. The Stuart Foundation is dedicated to improving life outcomes for young people through education. They work to ensure that education systems in California and Washington provide opportunities for students to learn, achieve and thrive.

Tch Legacy, Inc.

Tch Legacy, Inc. provided funding to CASEL to support the development of professional learning opportunities for teachers, school teams, and district teams to support the implementation of schoolwide and districtwide social and emotional learning (SEL). The field has been asking for greater support and specifics on how to do the work, and through this effort, we are addressing that need and protecting the quality of implementation. Tch Legacy, Inc., formerly known as the Teaching Channel, is a California non-profit public benefit corporation that has been dedicated to helping K-12 educators improve their professional practice for the benefit of all students since 2011. Recently, the Teaching Channel management team acquired the assets and operations of the organization. As the result, Tch Legacy, Inc was able to make grants to other organizations who share their philosophy of helping educators improve their practice for the benefit of all students. CASEL received one of those grants.

The Wallace Foundation

The Wallace Foundation and CASEL are collaborating on aligning SEL implementation strategies during in-school and out-of-school time. As part of the partnership, the foundation is also supporting strategic communications and the development of knowledge products and platforms for dissemination. Based in New York City, the Wallace Foundation is working nationally to answer important questions that, if solved, could help strengthen practices and policies within a field. Its mission is to foster improvements in learning and enrichment for disadvantaged children and the vitality of the arts for everyone.

Chan Zuckerberg Initiative

Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) is providing support to CASEL to engage leading scholars and practitioners in a collaborative process to ensure SEL reflects the latest science and best practices and policies in the field. Findings will inform the continued development and refinement of CASEL’s suite of practical resources to support schools and school districts nationwide in promoting social and emotional learning. CZI is a a new kind of philanthropy that’s leveraging technology to help solve some of the world’s toughest challenges – from eradicating disease, to improving education, to reforming the criminal justice system.

S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation

S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation is supporting the Assessment Work Group, a collaboration with CASEL and leading researchers and practitioners in the field of PreK-12 education, assessment, SEL, and related fields. This critical effort is focused on developing practical tools for educators in social and emotional (SE) competence assessment and developing the future direction of SE competence assessment for the field.

Source:  http://www.casel.org/funders/ 

Getting Smart

Source:  http://www.gettingsmart.com/2017/05/parents-sel/

Partner Districts

ANCHORAGE

ATLANTA

AUSTIN

BALTIMORE CITY

BOSTON*

CHICAGO

CLEVELAND

DALLAS*

DENVER*

DUPAGE COUNT

EL PASO

GUILFORD

MINNEAPOLIS

NASHVILLE

OAKLAND

PALM BEACH*

SACRAMENTO

TULSA*

WARREN CITY

WASHOE COUNTY

Source:   http://www.casel.org/partner-districts/

Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence Buddies

All Our Kin

Born This Way Foundation

Brewster Academy

Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL)

Dalio Foundation

Einhorn Family Charitable Trust

The Faas Foundation

Facebook

Fundación Botín

GreatSchools

Greater Good Science Center (GGSC)

Institute of Education Sciences (IES)

NoVo

Partners of ’63

Seedlings Foundation

Social-Emotional Learning Alliance (SAM)

Social and Emotional Learning Special Interest Group, American Education Research Association (AERA)

The Stepping Stones Project

Tauck Family Foundation

TED

William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund

William T. Grant Foundation

Source:   http://ei.yale.edu/who-we-are/partners/

SEL4MA Buddies

Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (www.casel.org)

Consortium for Research on Emotional Intelligence in Organizations (www.eiconsortium.org)

25 SEL providers and advocates are members of the Social-Emotional Learning Alliance for Massachusetts:

Beginnings School
Since 1985, Beginnings School has been committed to helping young children develop the social and emotional competencies that are critical for learning and lifelong success. With its unique curriculum based on the emotional foundations of learning and cognition, Beginnings School provides opportunities for children as young as infants through kindergarten to learn the fundamentals of social and emotional intelligence.

Clueberry World
Clueberry World is a social-emotional learning board game for kids.

Coexist Learning Project
Coexist is a documentary film about government-mandated reconciliation following the Rwanda genocide, told from the point of view of victims, perpetrators, bystanders, social commentators, and public officials. The film, four-lesson Teacher’s Guide, and teacher workshops serve as an entry-point to important conversations with educators and students on how to use the teaching of genocide to cultivate forgiveness, compassion, and upstanding in our own lives.

Education for Democracy Institute
Peace and Democracy Discussions and Peace and Democracy eBooks and Digital Games Pilot Project  Peace & Democracy eBooks and Digital Games provide digital versions of multicultural literature, along with digital games, activities, and curriculum, that can help children and adults discuss how to prevent violence and improve our democratic society. Published by The Education for Democracy Institute. Builds on theVoices Reading, Voices Literature and Writing, and Voices Leveled Library programs. We are looking for pilot sites to test the new digital prototype.

Engaging Schools
Engaging Schools’ collaborates with educators to create school communities where each and every student develops the skills and mindsets needed to succeed and make positive contributions in school, work, and life. Our practical strategies are grounded in the values of equity, community, and democracy. We offer professional development and resources in the areas of schoolwide discipline and student support, instructional improvement, classroom management and engagement, and student advisory. With a small staff in Cambridge and a network of nationwide consultants, we have published more than 40 educational resources, collaborated with several thousand schools, reached hundreds of thousands of teachers, and touched the lives of millions of students.

exSEL
Excellence through Social-Emotional Learning is a statewide campaign launched by a coalition of the associations representing Massachusetts superintendents, School Committees, elementary and secondary principals, and educational collaboratives. The campaign is designed to promote social-emotional learning in every school and classroom across the Commonwealth, in order to graduate students who have the social and emotional skills needed to succeed in school, career, and life.

GetPsychedSports.org
Working with the Social-Emotional Learning Alliance for Massachusetts to provide a student-centric youth and school sport model through humanistic coaching that trains decision-makers and problem-solvers.

Leaders and Learners
Education consultants providing professional development, program development, and coaching for the whole child, whole adolescent, whole teacher, whole administrator, and whole school. Leaders & Learners helps schools with SEL, advisory, inclusion; leadership coaching, faculty communication and teams, instructional practices, and school culture.

Lesson One
Lesson One provides professional development that helps public, private and charter schools establish and design themselves for successful School Cultural Development.

Louis D.Brown Institute
“The Louis D. Brown Peace Institute serves as a center of healing, teaching and learning for families and communities dealing with murder, trauma, grief and loss.”

Massachusetts Character Education Partnership
Massachusetts CEP, In partnership with Boston University’s Center for Character Education and Social Responsibility, the Character Education Partnership accepts applications from public and private schools and districts throughout the state of Massachusetts for the State Schools of Character (SSOC) program.

National School Climate Center
NSCC’s goal is to promote positive and sustained school climate: a safe, supportive environment that nurtures social and emotional, ethical, and academic skills.

Open Circle
Open Circle is an evidence-based social and emotional learning program for Kindergarten through Grade 5 that helps schools develop safe, caring and highly-engaging learning communities that proactively develop children’s skills for recognizing and managing emotions, empathy, positive relationships and problem solving.

Panorama Education
Over 1,000 schools use Panorama for Social-Emotional Learning to grow and measure their students’ social and emotional skills and supports. Panorama makes its 22 research-based measures of social-emotional learning available as a free, open-source resource for educators. Download the SEL measures at https://www.panoramaed.com/social-emotional-learning.

Parents Forum
Parents Forum is a non-profit, community-based organization that provides workshops focusing on emotional awareness.

PEAR Institute: Partnerships in Education and Resilience 
PEAR’s mission is to create and foster school and afterschool settings in which all young people can be successful. Dedicated to “the whole child; the whole day; the whole year,” PEAR continuously integrates research, theory, and practice for lasting connections between youth development, school reform, and mental health.

Playworks
Playworks offer an essential opportunity for children to explore their imaginations, to connect with other kids and to stretch and grow physically, emotionally and socially.

Project Adventure
Since 1971 Project Adventure has been supporting development of growth oriented and sustainable communities through active learning. These programs are advanced by custom training, consulting on implementation, challenge course design/installation, and wildly innovative products and publications. The approach is grounded in experiential and adventure learning theory and practice. It is effective and widely embraced due to a radically inclusive, fun and empowering approach to group facilitation with use of engaging activities. SEL-supporting programs and services for schools include training and consulting on K-12 models for Physical Education, classrooms, school culture, behavioral settings, and athletics.

Responsive Classroom
Responsive Classroom is an evidence-based approach to elementary education that leads to greater teacher effectiveness, higher student achievement, and improved school climate.

Ruler
Developed at Yale’s Center for Emotional Intelligence, the Ruler Approach is an evidence-based, social and emotional learning program dedicated to enriching the lives of educators, students, and families.

Sanford Harmony provides teachers with extensive resources to help PreK–6 students build stronger, healthier relationships — at no cost. Developed by researchers at Arizona State University and underwritten by philanthropist T. Denny Sanford, the program includes fully-planned lessons and activities that encourage communication, collaboration and mutual respect. Preliminary research suggests a correlation between Harmony and improved empathy, school enjoyment, and achievement in math and reading as well as decreased stereotyping and bullying/aggression.

Second Step
Committee for Children’s program is working globally to prevent bullying, violence, and child abuse.

Six Seconds
At Six Seconds, we believe emotions are valuable signals that help us survive and thrive. When we learn how to use them, emotions help us make more effective decisions, connect with others, find and follow purpose — and lead a more whole-hearted life.

Teachers 21
Teachers 21 mission is to develop leadership and learning cultures where all educators embrace constant learning and the adaptations required for continuous improvement.

The Wellbeing Alphabet™
The Wellbeing Alphabet™ is a new parent and child-developed program created in Britain. The aim is to develop emotional literacy through ‘wellbeing words’ and creative activities from   A to Z- incorporating film, art, storytelling, drama and music. Appropriate for children aged 4-7, or up to secondary education for learners with complex needs. Our organization, La Linguistica, are members of The Council of British International Schools. Following a recent visit, we would like to pilot the program in Massachusetts. Enquiries to: info@thewellbeingalphabet.com.

Trauma Sensitive Schools
The Trauma and Learning Policy Initiative’s (TLPI) mission is to ensure that children traumatized by exposure to family violence and other adverse childhood experiences succeed in school. To accomplish this mission, TLPI engages in a host of advocacy strategies.

Voices Literature & Writing
Voices Literature & Writing is a supplemental, social-emotional-learning, and character-education resource delivered through a unique, integrated language arts approach.

William James College
William James College strives to be a preeminent school of psychology that integrates rigorous academic instruction with extensive field education and close attention to professional development. We assume an ongoing social responsibility to create programs to educate specialists of many disciplines to meet the evolving mental health needs of society.

Yoga 4 Classrooms
Yoga 4 Classrooms is a low-cost, simple, effective, and sustainable school program, grounded in mind-body practices and addressing the whole child by fostering students’ physical and psychological well-being.  Yoga 4 Classrooms is anchored in well-validated classroom pedagogies, developmental science, cross-sectional research in cognitive affective neuroscience, tenets of positive psychology and secular contemplative practices.

In addition, other programs from around the country are available:

The Morningside Center for Teaching Social Responsibility
Founded in 1982 in New York City, partnering with the NYC school system.

PATHS Curriculum
A Penn State Program of the Prevention Research Center for the Promotion of Human Development.

Success for Kids
Success for Kids, Inc. (SFK), an international non-profit organization, is dedicated to empowering at-risk children and adolescents to become resilient, productive citizens by delivering innovative research-based programs that enhance four personal strengths (interpersonal skills, emotional intelligence, problem solving skills and self-sufficiency) and give students a greater sense of purpose in their lives.

Source:  http://www.sel4ma.org/links/ 

 Measuring SEL Buddies

Collaborators

STEERING COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Noah Bookman 
CORE Districts

Dale Blyth
University of Minnesota

Katie Buckley
Transforming Education

Laura Hamilton
RAND Corporation

Stephanie Jones
Harvard University

Sara Bartolino Krachman
Transforming Education

Clark McKown
xSEL Labs

Brian Stecher
RAND Corporation

Jeremy Taylor
CASEL – Project Director

Roger Weissberg 
CASEL – Principal Investigator

WORK GROUP MEMBERS

Dave Calhoun
Fresno Unified School District

Susanne Denham
George Mason University

Camille Farrington
University of Chicago

Ben Hayes
Washoe County School District

Rob Jagers
University of Michigan

Pat Kyllonen
Educational Testing Service

Eric Moore
Minneapolis Public Schools

Ray Pecheone
Stanford Center for Assessment, Learning, and Equity

Michelle Steagall
CORE Districts

Marty West
Harvard University

Jean Wing
Oakland Unified School District

EXPERT ADVISORS

Marc Brackett
Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence

Linda Darling-Hammond
Learning Policy Institute

Angela Duckworth
University of Pennsylvania

John Easton
Spencer Foundation

Mark Greenberg
Pennsylvania State University

Kenji Hakuta
Stanford University

David Osher
American Institutes for Research

Jim Pellegrino
University of Illinois at Chicago

Funders

S.D. Bechtel Jr. Foundation

Einhorn Family Charitable Trust

Spencer Foundation

Wallace Foundation

Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation

Overdeck Family Foundation

Raikes Foundation

Source:  http://measuringsel.casel.org/our-initiative/#work-group

SEL for Washington Buddies

3DL Partnership
AG Bell PTSA 2.8.10
Alpac PTA 9.2.6
Bellevue Special Needs PTA 2.3.165
Children’s Campaign Fund
ARC of King County
ARC of Snohomish County
ARC Spokane
Ashoka
Boys & Girls Clubs of Washington
Childrens crisis outreach response system
City of Bellevue Parent Teen Mediation Program
Committee for Children
Community of Mindful Parents
Compassionate Schools Network
DDC Council
Department of Early Learning
Eastlake High PTSA 2.8.88
Eastside Pathways
Empire Health Foundation
Everett School District Parent
King County Parent Coalition
League of Education Voters
Ferndale School District
Lewis & Clark PTSA 11.5.15
Luminous Minds Project
Marysville School District
Mead School District
Mercer Island Martial Art

NW PBIS
Office of the Education Ombuds
Ohana Wellness Center
Open Doors for Multicultural Families
Parent Map
PAVE
Pioneer PTSA 7.1.30
Puget Sound ESD/Race to the Top
Ready Nation
Rural Schools Alliance
Schools Out Washington
Seattle Indian Health Board
Seattle Public Schools Principal
SEL Consultant
Shoreline PTA Council 6.12
Skyline PTA 10.9.215
Snohomish County ECEAP
Sound Discipline
Spokane School District
Superintendent of Curlew School District
Treehouse
UW Center for Child and Family Well-being
Washington State Special Education Coalition
WA Association of School Psychologists
WA Association of School Social Workers
Yakima Neighborhood Health Services
Youth Eastside Services
Youth Ambassadors
Youth Development Executives of King County

Source:  http://www.selforwa.com/sel-for-wa-coalition.html

More SEL Guys

ACT Tessera

ProExam

Center for Innovative Assessments

Source:   http://connect.proexam.org/blog/affirming-and-advancing-sel-the-evidence-is-here

Edutopia

Source:   https://www.edutopia.org/core-concepts

Committee for Children

Source:   http://www.cfchildren.org/blog/2017/05/social-emotional-learning/

Afterschool Alliance

Wallace Foundation

Source:  http://www.afterschoolalliance.org/afterschoolSnack/Social-emotional-learning-heats-up_06-25-2015.cfm

Compass at Valor Collegiate Academies

Source:   http://valorcollegiate.org/compass/compass/

Forum for Youth Investment

David P. Weikart Center for Youth Program Quality

Source:  https://casel.org/wallace-sel-districts/

Big Thought

Dallas Afterschool

The Momentous Institute

City of Dallas Parks and Recreation

Commit

Source:  https://www.bigthought.org/socialemotional/

Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF)

Clinton Global Initiative

Source:  https://novofoundation.org/pressreleases/lions-quest-to-expand-in-u-s-school-district/

Education First

Source:  https://education-first.com/social-emotional-learning-innovation-fund/

Project Presence

Source:  http://www.projectpresence.org/social-emotional-learning

The 74

Source:  https://truthinamericaneducation.com/social-emotional-learning/responding-to-the-74-jumping-on-the-social-emotional-learning-bandwagon/

exSEL Buddies

Source:   http://www.exselmass.org/who-we-are/

Character Lab Buddies

Foundations & Organizations

As well as

Baiyor-Handler Charitable Fund
E&SS Foundation
Glenn Greenberg and Linda Vester Foundation
Lowenstein Foundation
Rise8 Foundation
Watts Family Foundation


Individuals & Organizations

John Abele
Steve Arnold
Shari Aronson
Drew Cohen
Angela and Jason Duckworth
Mark Gallogly
Donald Kamentz
Gaurav and Sonia Kapadia
Chien Lee
Ryan Smith
Ron Trichon
Anthony and Nanar Yoseloff

Source:  https://www.characterlab.org/donors