Beware the Next Generation

Sometimes it stinks to be right.

Last week, Governor Christie shook things up by insinuating that he would be pulling NJ out of Common Core (CC). Today, John Mooney reported on Commissioner Hespe's apparent moderation of those provocative comments by suggesting that the process of re-evaluating CC would be a "highly deliberative" process, and that the end product may not be terribly different from what is already in place (http://www.njspotlight.com/stories/15/06/03/hespe-justifies-review-of-common-core-suggests-changes-may-not-be-drastic/).

Even worse, Hespe took the opportunity to set the next stage in the course towards nationalization of all standards, and the elimination of local control from that equation. As I'm sure my readers already know, Common Core standards only address language arts and mathematics, which has left the question of standardization across all other subjects open for speculation. Apparently, the time has come to eliminate those questions from the minds of America's parents and their children.

Enter the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).

As a teacher, for better or worse I am often exposed to many of the educational reforms impacting our classrooms before they show up on the news, as they are implemented and promoted through professional educational networks before splashing across the front pages of newspapers nationwide. I would like to warn my readers of a new potential threat: the Next Generation Science Standards.

First of all, let's confront the absolute misnaming of these standards. The word "State" is deliberately inserted into the title, but to imply that the states independently generated these standards is disingenuous. Here is a little information on NGSS, from their own website:

"In a process managed by Achieve, states led the development of K-12 science standards that are rich in content and practice and arranged in a coherent manner across disciplines and grades to provide all students an internationally-benchmarked science education." (http://www.nextgenscience.org/development-overview)

So, states led the development of the standards, but the whole process was managed by some group known as Achieve.

Why do I feel like I've heard that name before??? Oh yeah:

As I explained in my last entry, Achieve is a non-profit funded by the Gates Foundation "to support comprehensive benchmarking and review of academic standards and assessments between states" (http://www.gatesfoundation.org/How-We-Work/Quick-Links/Grants-Database/Grants/1999/10/OPP369).

And here they go, yet again...

So, readers, be wary of anything with the title "Next Generation" attached to it- other than Star Trek episodes, that is. This is very likely the same bilk as Common Core being repackaged and resold to address subjects other than language arts and math.