A Common Core Worksheet from Missouri and a First Grade Social Justice Text from Utah

A Missouri parent sent this in from her 3rd grader's workbook.  Time for Kids is a Common Core aligned curriculum provider:

TIME For Kids is committed to helping teachers meet Common Core State Standards, National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies and National Science Education Standards. Click here to learn more about TIME For Kids and national learning standards.

Regardless of what the Science/Social NATIONAL standards are, Time for Kids will support them and are committed to help teachers meet those standards via Time for Kids common core aligned curriculum.  A private company doesn't really know what these standards are, but gee golly, Time for Kids will be there to align the curriculum to meet those standards.  See how this works?

More time in school will be taken up in test taking (think "NCLB on Steroids").  "Hannah" thinks "it's good that kinds in many other states will take the same tests".  Why do you think Time for Kids would portray being common as a good thing?  Since welcoming/accepting the idea that students should learn from common standards is paramount for CCSS proponents, the students have a lesson from Time for Kids instilling that message.  Yay!  Common Core!

Notice the math problem?  The "old" way of answering is multiple choice which is dependent on the student knowing his/her math facts.  The common core way is language dependent and has less to do with math facts than it does with explaining how you came to the answer.  Remember, this is 3rd grade.  Note that this student prefers multiple choice because he/she can "think" about the possible answers. 


Keep those worksheets coming into Missouri Education Watchdog.


In the meantime, watch this video from Utah with material from a common core aligned textbook for 1st graders teaching them how to be social justice activists:





Just a question: Does having the "Common Core Aligned" stamp on the cover gives these publishers, whose vision is social engineering, a pathway into the schools?  Just who is writing the curriculum? Is Common Core the vehicle for not only data collection but also for political theories?

Message to DESE: "Occupy Mayflower". Teach THIS to Missouri Students.

What is the purpose of DESE? From its Mission Statement:

The mission of the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is to guarantee the superior preparation and performance of every child in school and in life.

How does DESE guarantee" the superior preparation and performance of every child in school and life"? We've had issues with DESE's standards (particularly Social Studies and its skewed version of history) and the emphasis the department places on international education vs learning about America's laws and founding principles.

As we near Thanksgiving, I wondered what students in Missouri might be learning about the landing by the Pilgrims and other settlers from England. Would they be learning this was in fact a "divided" community (Puritans vs non-Puritans) in which the people had to design their own form of self-government to live peaceably?

The roving and increasingly scattered population found it difficult to attend the General Court, as the governing meetings at Plymouth came to be called. By 1639, deputies were sent to represent each town at the other General Court sessions. Not only self-rule, but representative government had taken root on American soil.

I can't tell from the DESE Special Calendar of Events that the department has any interest in teaching why Americans celebrate Thanksgiving or the importance of the Mayflower Compact (image above). The link to "Thanksgiving" leads to this:

Public holidays.

9.010. The first day of January, the third Monday of January, the twelfth day of February, the third Monday in February, the eighth day of May, the last Monday in May, the fourth day of July, the first Monday in September, the second Monday in October, the eleventh day of November, the fourth Thursday in November, and the twenty-fifth of December, are declared and established public holidays; and when any of such holidays falls upon Sunday, the Monday next following shall be considered the holiday. There shall be no holiday for state employees on the fourth Monday of October.

The only mention of Thanksgiving on the website is the regulation deeming it a holiday for the citizens. Why is the Mayflower Compact important in 2011 anyway? Since DESE teaches students they live in a "constitutional democracy" then I propose DESE downplays (or ignores) the historical knowledge of the reasons the Puritans made the trip. How society was formed with Puritans and non-Puritans alike is not worth mentioning even though it impacted the governing structures of the country in the future.

What does DESE mention on its site for students, educators and parents? What DOES DESE find important to highlight on its calendar with information and teaching resources? (Here are some sites with accompanying information through 2011):

June 5 World Environment Day
June 12-16 National History Day Contest
August 1-31 Children's Eye Health and Safety Month
August 26 Women's Equality Day
September 1-30 Library Card Sign-Up Month
National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month
September 8 International Literacy Day
Sept. 11-17 National Arts in Education Week
September 11 Grandparents' Day
September 16 Constitution Day
September 24 Worldwide Day of Play
September 26 Family Day
October 1-31 Disability History and Awareness Month and UNICEF Month
October 6 Read for the Record
October 9-15 Fire Prevention Week and National Educational Office Professionals Career
National Metric Week
National DECA Week
October 20 Lights On Afterschool
October 22 Make a Difference Day
October 23-31 Red Ribbon Week
October 24 United Nations Day
November 13-19 American Education Week (Nov. 16-Education Support Professionals Day; Nov. 18-Substitute Educators Day)
November 14-18 International Education Week
December 1 World AIDS Day

These sites have information primarily from lobbying groups (such as the NEA and the American Library Association) or federal government sites. The sites with no information except the notation that it is a holiday set by either the state or federal government include:

June 14 Flag Day
July 4 Independence Day
July 27 Korean War Veterans Day
September 5 Labor Day
September 11 Schools must display flags at half-staff for September 11 Anniversary
Emergency Services Day
Emergency Personnel Appreciation Day
September 16 POW/MIA Recognition Day
September 17-23 Constitution Week (September 17-Citizenship Day)
October 10 Columbus Day
October 19 Missouri Day
November 11 Veterans Day
December 7 Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day

Schools must display flags at half-staff

A few thoughts come to mind while comparing those holidays or special days/week and wondering why some have teaching resources/information and others are just noted with the legal notice from state laws:

• Is DESE is too incompetent to write up information on holidays such as Independence Day, POW/MIA Recognition Day, Veteran's Day, Pearl Harbor Day and September 11? Wouldn't it be a good idea to explain on the calendar WHY flags are being flown half-mast on that date? Why is "Grandparent's Day" given a link with resources on September 11 but the explanation of what happened on that date (with nearly 3,000 people dying in a terrorist attack) is not mentioned?
  
• Does DESE believe in American exceptionalism? If so, why are the resources scant for those holidays recognizing that trait of our founding documents and persons exemplifying this belief?
  
• DESE highlights the increasingly centralization and special interest lobbies present in education. Read the mission of the UN under the United Nations Day link: "Let us unite, seven billion strong, in the name of the global common good."
  
  

  Message for UN Day 2011 by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

Does The Mayflower Compact and its importance in American governmental structure pale by comparison to the "global common good"? Our students are not learning so much about America, rather, they are learning how to become "good global citizens" and focus on the "global common good". I wonder what William Bradford would think about this turn of events. I wonder if Missouri students even know who William Bradford was and his important contributions via the Mayflower Compact.

DESE has seemingly forgotten why and how we are founded. What's listed on its calendar and what is linked (and what is not) does not place much emphasis on American history. To remedy this turning away from America, DESE should teach "Occupy Mayflower". It would be a study of how a representative government was created and how that representative government formed our future historical documents. Looking at this calendar, a taxpayer would think the Missouri standards are currently concentrated primarily on global studies, special interests and social justice. I doubt this is education that will "guarantee the superior preparation and performance of every child in school and in life."

What You Probably Didn't Learn in School about Libertarianism Presented in a Nifty New Website.

Can it be argued true education teaching critical thinking and political theories may not be occurring in many schools today? We've written about how the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's standards are to teach students they live in a "constitutional democracy", not a republic. We'll be writing more about that in the next few days and the response from DESE (it doesn't see the distinction between a democracy and a republic) but in the meantime, we wanted to tell you about a new site dedicated to libertarianism.

It is a project from the Cato Institute and a resource for those students (in school and out) who want to know more about libertarianism . From Cato's website:

I’m pleased to announce the immediate launch of Libertarianism.org, a new project from the Cato Institute.

Libertarianism is more than a set of policies about education, health care, defense, and trade. Libertarianism is more than a set of policies about education, health care, defense, and trade. Behind those, providing their foundation, are ideas and history, the writings and actions of great men and women who have argued and fought for liberty. The mission of Libertarianism.org is to express and discuss those ideas directly.

There’s a great deal to explore on the site. You can watch never-before-seen videos of talks by Friedrich Hayek, Milton Friedman, Murray Rothbard, and Joan Kennedy Taylor, and read the first in a new series of weekly columns from George H. Smith.

I’ve written an introductory blog post with highlights–but I encourage you to just click over and look around.

And over the coming days, weeks, months, and years, we’ll be adding much more to Libertarianism.org, including new videos, books, and essays. If you’d like to stay up to date, we’re on Facebook and Twitter.

So welcome to Libertarianism.org. I hope you’ll stick around for a while, come back often, and join us in exploring the theory and history of liberty.

This site could be a valuable resource for students. I doubt they are learning much of what is on this site. If our state social standards writers don't understand we aren't structured as a constitutional democracy, rather, we are structured as a republic, I doubt students would have much instruction on libertarianism:

Libertarianism got a major boost in scholarly respect in 1974 with the publication of Anarchy, State, and Utopia by the Harvard University philosopher Robert Nozick. With wit and fine-toothed logic, Nozick laid out a case for rights that concluded that

a minimal state, limited to the narrow functions of protection against force, theft, [and] fraud, enforcement of contracts, and so on, is justified; that any more extensive state will violate persons’ rights not to be forced to do certain things, and is unjustified; and that the minimal state is inspiring as well as right. (emphasis added)

That doesn't sound much like the United States today, does it? All students of political theory (in school and out) should check it out from time to time and learn about an ever increasing political movement in the country. Perhaps you should forward the site to any politician in your state who voted for Obamacare which violates persons' rights and forces them to participate in a program they do not wish to participate or need. Maybe he/she could be educated in libertarian thought as well.

Social Studies Standards from Missouri DESE: "This is what Democracy (not a Republic) Looks Like!"

Is this what democracy looks like? From National Review Online youtube video:



He states his college should be paid for because "it's what he wants". He believes he has every right to ask for stuff and say what he wants because that is what he thinks. He sees no problem with "putting it out there" like a Christmas list.

What is the definition of "democracy"? From Merriam-Webster:

plural de·moc·ra·cies

Definition of DEMOCRACY

1

a : government by the people; especially : rule of the majority b : a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodically held free elections

2

: a political unit that has a democratic government

3

capitalized : the principles and policies of the Democratic party in the United States Democracy — C. M. Roberts>

4

: the common people especially when constituting the source of political authority

5

: the absence of hereditary or arbitrary class distinctions or privileges


Presented with multiple choice, this young man would probably pick definition number 4 to back up his actions and demands. Perhaps he believes he has political authority just because he is common? Definition number 1 probably wouldn't appeal to him in that the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised through a system of representation.

I wonder what form of government DESE is holding out as a standard to teach students in Social Studies? Do you remember a posting we had a few weeks ago from a concerned school board member after he read a Social Studies textbook and the word "republic" never appeared in the text?

Not long after that, I received a link from a concerned taxpayer about the standards taught in their school. The information is from Eaton Online and Eaton is used by several Missouri school districts:

Educational Alignment Tool Online

The Educational Alignment Tool Online (EATOnline) is a software package that enables Missouri school districts to create curriculum, and then align that curriculum to the Missouri state standards. Reports can be run on that aligned curriculum and compared to the results of standardized tests to reveal the strengths and weaknesses of the curriculum, and to identify opportunities for improvement.

The reader was concerned about some of the standards presented to students and after reviewing them, I was concerned as well. Reviewing the actual standards from the DESE site, the main objective for all grades was to learn:

Knowledge of the principles expressed in documents shaping constitutional democracy in the United States

The word "democracy" appears 12 times in this document. The word "republic" appears...0 times. It's no wonder the word "republic" doesn't appear in the Franklin County social studies textbook! It's not expected to be taught America is a constitutional republic by DESE. DESE's standards state schools should teach America is a constitutional democracy.

I spoke with Mr. Bill Gerling at DESE, Assistant Director of Assessment, on September 29, 2011. I was not at home and did not have access to the DESE site and we ended the phone conversation with the understanding I would pose my questions and concerns in a letter.

I wrote him on October 4 with these concerns (excerpted letter):

This list is from the DESE website social studies standards and lists the goals. Note the first goal:

1. principles expressed in the documents shaping constitutional democracy in the United States

We were not founded nor shaped in "constitutional democracy", rather, our country was founded and shaped in a constitutional republican form of government. What is the distinction?

From lexrex.com:

These two forms of government: Democracy and Republic, are not only dissimilar but antithetical, reflecting the sharp contrast between (a) The Majority Unlimited, in a Democracy, lacking any legal safeguard of the rights of The Individual and The Minority, and (b) The Majority Limited, in a Republic under a written Constitution safeguarding the rights of The Individual and The Minority

As I read the standards currently in effect for the state, I note the concept for Social Studies standards: "Principles of constitutional democracy in the United States". In fact, the heading on the form states the goal is for "Knowledge of the principles expressed in documents shaping constitutional democracy in the United States". This is false premise I would like to see addressed by DESE and corrected. To be historically correct, the goal should read: "Knowledge of the principles expressed in documents shaping a Republican form of government (Article 4 Section 4 U.S. Constitution) in the United States".

As noted above, there is an important distinction and here is another explanation: Our Constitution is thoroughly representative in nature and designed around balancing the powers of the Executive, against the Legislative against the Judicial, branches, each having some hand and say so in the operations of the other - keeping them honest by being jealous of the power each has in the other's realm - and all are designed around a hierarchy of powers and abilities. That structure was dealt a blow with the 17th amdt, but it still stands, and would collapse without it.

A Democracy, whether a Representative one (England's) or not, cannot maintain that balance for long, in the end it has to give way to 'the will of the people', majority rule, and that will become the tool of those who can stir up popular emotion for one cause or another. Our system maintains multiple levels ('the House is the heat of popular demand, the Senate the saucer which cools it off', the Executive moderates, and is moderated by, the Legislative branch, and the Judicial sees to it that neither forgets the rule of law or their constitutional restraints upon their power). A democracy cannot maintain for long any constitutional restraints against the 'will of the people', they are supreme and will soon amend away anything in their way - and Individual Rights (probably unintentionally (to 'the people' anyway)) will vanish before that unrestrained majority will. The Individual, the Right to be an individual, believing what you do, possessing what you do and acting as you see fit, no matter the views of your fellows, is the imperiled minority in any form of Democracy, and the Founders did everything in their power to ensure that we would NEVER become a Democracy, in any way shape or form.

I am concerned DESE is setting the standard for Missouri students that America was formed as a constitutional democracy. It was not. The government of the United States of America republican in form if not specific name. A democracy is ruled by the majority. A republic safeguards the rights of the minority and the individual. Nowhere on the DESE site do I note the word "republic". You may think I am splitting hairs, but I assure you, I am not. The distinction between these two forms of government is fundamental and our students deserve to know America is under republic rule, not democratic rule.

Could you please advise me, if in fact, the Missouri standard IS to teach that America is a constitutional democracy or a constitutional republic? From a layman's viewpoint, I read it as DESE setting the standard for districts that the country is a constitutional democracy vs a constitutional republic. (the purple additions have been added for clarification)

I received this automated reply from Mr. Gerling: I will be out of the office on the afternoon of September 23rd and all day on September 24th. I will return on September 27th.

I thought that was an odd reply as my email was sent on October 4 and Mr. Gerling's response was dated after he was to return to his office.

I sent a followup email on October 7 with the same questions and as of today's date (October 12), he has not answered if Missouri standards are that America is indeed a republic or a democracy.

If students are indeed being taught we are a constitutional democracy, does it give them the right to espouse their wants (however silly and ridiculous they may be) as the young man in the OWS video and expect them to be fulfilled? This young man truly believes he should get what he wants because he wants it. He has every legal right to petition and protest. What he doesn't have the right to do is to take property from another because he believes he deserves it and wants it. But isn't this one of the goals of OWS?

"This is what democracy looks like!" What does a constitutional republic look like? Taxpayers and citizens might want to review their district textbooks and determine how the history their children are learning. Do you wonder if the Pledge of Allegiance will be amended to read..."and to the Democracy for which it stands?"

And I can't wait to see what the common core history/social studies standards will teach. If you think it's difficult to get answers from a state agency such as DESE, what will the odds be you'll receive any response from a 26-state consortium deciding standards for Missouri students?