EXODUS MANDATE-WV

The Common Con and Rotten (Common) Core and Partnership Poppycock

By Karl Priest November 17, 2013 (revised 8-27-15)

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Hear Common Core destroyed in 30 seconds.

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Following, in their own words, is the propaganda presented to people in order to pretend that “public schools” have potential. This is the latest revision of the con I constantly heard during my 34 years in “public” education.

First is the “summit scam”. It contains the usual conspirators, but I am cynical about the involvement of independent “faith-based groups”. The "faith-based groups are probably left-wing.  Any such connections to Bible believing groups are not innocent and will be to the detriment of those groups.

The use of the supposed success of Florida takes the place of the previous use of California for such purposes. Any informed person knows how well California is doing. It turned out that the Florida “success” was flagrantly fallacious.

U.S. students continue to perform poorly on international tests, with 15-year-olds scoring in the middle of the global pack on the latest math, reading and science tests administered by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development… Florida, however, scored significantly below the U.S. average in science and math and at the average in reading. The poor results in Florida, which has been at the epicenter of the education reform movement* for more than a decade, were a surprise, since the state matched the U.S. average in math and science for both fourth and eighth graders on a different international test, the TIMSS (http://nces.ed.gov/timss/), in 2011. (http://www.schoolleadership20.com/forum/topics/pisa-results-show-educational-stagnation-in-u-s-by-stephanie-simo)

*While admitting there were some successes in Florida, a report revealed that Governor Jeb Bush’s friend and Florida’s top education official, Tony Bennett, while superintendent in Indiana, tried to give a charter school a high rating from the state even though the school had “dismal high-school math scores”.

Florida’s legislature altered the A-F school grading formula at least two dozen times before reaching a point where it guaranteed “schools that their grades wouldn’t drop steeply no matter how badly their students did on standardized tests.” Still, a record number got an F and the D grades increased by over 50 percent.

The Florida tests were “exposed as open to manipulation” and the state board of education lowered the passing score when a lot of students failed a writing test. (http://www.politico.com/story/2013/08/jeb-bush-education-2016-95401.html)

The business sponsors are wasting their money. Investing in home and Christian schools would be better economically and eternally.

Next, the new buzz word “Common Core State Standards”--commonly called “Common Core”--is closely connected to this connsummate con. The first entry in that section poses some good points about that problem, but Common Core is seriously more severe. (See below for more CCSS links.)

Ultimately, proof is provided of the connections of the whole education establishment. Take note of Superintendent of Schools Steve Paine and the catchword “global”.

Governor kicks off education summit 11-5-13
http://wvmetronews.com/2013/11/05/governor-kicks-off-education-summit/
Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin said at a one-day education summit Tuesday the state Legislature set the change in motion for improvement in education, now it’s time to take the next step. “Education is the foundation we’ve got to have if we want to be attractive to continue to draw businesses into our state.”… “We’ve all got to work together from parents to business to community leaders,” said Tomblin. Add in educators, students and faith-based groups and the governor believes the state can improve it’s education standing.

Fla. official offers insight on education reform in W.Va 11-5-13
http://www.dailymail.com/News/201311050143
Nearly a year after state lawmakers passed a sweeping education reform package, West Virginia has moved to another uncertain phase for those reforms: implementation…Florida made a massive push for education reform in 1999, and has since made a slew of drastic changes to its education system that are largely considered a success…In the time since its reforms were put in place, Florida has improved its scores in reading and math, and shortened the gaps between average students and their peers from low-income homes or racial minorities. "The results have been pretty astounding," ( Laura Bragg, the national director for policy and implementation for the Foundation for Excellence in Education) said.

They did that by making changes to the state's school accountability system -- they shifted to a system that ranks schools with letter grades, A, B, C, D or F -- and creating an accompanying funding system to reward high-achieving schools. They also created a program for intensive reading intervention in elementary school and tightened up graduation requirements. To improve teacher effectiveness they did away with teacher tenure and developed a new, more comprehensive way to evaluate teachers… West Virginia has its own host of reforms to enact, including changes to teacher evaluations, professional development, the school calendar, a push for better reading in the early grades and a slew of other things.

The Education Alliance was established in July 1983 as the first statewide public education fund in the nation. West Virginia business executives saw the need to help businesses understand the importance of financially and resourcefully supporting the state's public schools and to give business a voice in public education. 

1983:   The Education Alliance was founded through a grant from the Ashland Oil Foundation, Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation, FMC Corporation and New York Community Trust as the “West Virginia Education Fund.” Mini-Grants for Classroom Projects was established as its first program. 

The Education Alliance is West Virginia's premier statewide, nonprofit research and K-12 public education fund. 

VISION Every West Virginia public school student graduates ready to begin a career or pursue additional education and training.

MISSION The Education Alliance is an independent voice, earnest advocate, and statewide participant that advances policies and practices to continually improve public school student achievement in West Virginia.

VALUES We want to initiate important dialogues that value open, data-based evaluations of educational issues or problems. We believe in the worth of all West Virginia children; believe each and every child deserves a quality education; and support educators having tools and skills necessary to engage students in their own success.

 Honesty, truthfulness, and integrity; Credibility through objectivity (research and fact-based); Respect for each other and for all stakeholders, regardless of background, opinions, or organization of origin; Commitment to excellence through quality, success, and achievement; Effective leadership and professionalism; Learning through education and experience; Results-Oriented based on sound data and metrics. (emphasis in original)

http://www.educationalliance.org/?ID=1&AboutUs

Common Core school standards raise concerns 10-1-13
http://www.herald-dispatch.com/opinions/x453419082/Jim-Butler-Common-Core-school-standards-raise-concerns
From the article: The West Virginia Board of Education calls it West Virginia Next Generation Standards, and we are implementing it now…This is a very complex issue and even the teachers that I have spoken to know little about it. Unfortunately teachers are very familiar with guidelines and standards that change every few years. I cannot count the times that I have been told that “about the time they learn the new system; the state abandons it and implements a new one.” I am concerned for them, the teachers, and I am especially concerned for our children…The most troubling report that I have heard is the opinion of child psychologists who say that common core standards will actually be harmful to our children in the early grades. They explain that authors of the common core standards are introducing material at a developmentally inappropriate age…We have also been told by proponents of Common Core that the standards are higher; that our children will be better prepared for college. Dr. James Milgram, a professor of mathematics at Stanford University disagrees…Dr. Sandra Stotsky, who developed standards and curriculum for Massachusetts when they catapulted to the top of international rankings also testified, and wrote, that English and language arts standards are not adequate…Data protection is also a concern; data being private information on our children.

WEST VIRGINIA LEADS NATIONAL DISCUSSION ON COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS 6-2-10
http://wvde.state.wv.us/news/2093/
From the article: West Virginia Superintendent of Schools Steve Paine, who currently serves as president of the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), released the Common Core State Standards on Wednesday as part of a national joint press event…Paine said, “With students, parents and teachers all on the same page and working together for shared goals, we can ensure that students make progress each year and graduate from school prepared to build a strong future for themselves and the country…The Common Core State Standards build upon the success of West Virginia’s 21 st century learning vision called Global21: Students deserve it. The world demands it.”

(From 3-10-10 http://wvde.state.wv.us/news/2050/) “West Virginia has taken bold steps to increase rigor and incorporate 21 st century skills into the curriculum,” said West Virginia Superintendent of Schools Steve Paine, president-elect of CCSSO. “Participating in this national initiative will reinforce that we are doing the right thing for students in West Virginia by helping them excel both in their core classes and in real-world settings so that they will be globally intelligent and resilient in today’s digital world." The K-12 common core standards in English/language arts and math are research- and evidence-based, internationally benchmarked, aligned with college and work expectations and include rigorous content and skills. Karl’s comment: On 9-9-13 this story broke (http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2013/09/19/fourth-graders-taught-about-pimps-and-mobstaz-in-louisiana/#ixzz2fNKzYWNE): Fourth grade students in Vermilion Parish, La. were given a homework assignment that included words like “Po Pimp” and “mobstaz,” but school officials said the worksheet was age appropriate based on an education website affiliated with Common Core education standards….(A parent) also took issue with the school sending home a worksheet that intentionally misspelled words… according to the Common Core standards – the material was age appropriate…(The superintendent said) “We want to make sure that our students have an understanding and teaching of real-world life experiences through words

WESTEST 2 Results Show Positive Learning Trends 8-24-09
http://wvde.state.wv.us/news/1945/
West Virginia’s school report card has earned bragging rights on the fridge. West Virginia Educational Standards Test (WESTEST 2) scores indicate that public school students are meeting proficiency levels in math and reading.  Of the 657 school accountable under No Child Left Behind, 503 (77.9%) met high levels of learning…More than 65 percent of elementary students tested in math were proficient and more than 65 percent of those tested in reading also were proficient.  Nearly 57 percent of middle school students met the proficiency level in math and more than 63 percent met the reading proficiency level. More than 57 percent of 11th grade students met the proficiency level in math and 53 percent of high school students met the reading proficiency level…(State Superintendent Steve Paine said) It is evident that Global21: Students deserve it. The world demands it. is (sic) transforming education in our state.” As part of Global21, the West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE) updated its CSOs (Content Standards and Objectives) to include rigor, relevance and 21st century performance skills. 

Ignore the next headline and notice the reality of the wretched results. Logan County is a reasonable example of most West Virginia counties.

Logan County releases 2013 WESTEST 2 results 11-10?-13

http://www.loganbanner.com/news/news/2720272/Logan-County-releases-2013-WESTEST-2-results

(snips) Red font added.

In May 2013, students in Logan County Schools took the WESTEST 2, an annual assessment designed to align to West Virginia’s 21 st Century CSO’s. The assessment results provide information about a student’s academic strengths, as well as areas that need improvement.

Students will also bring home or will soon bring home a Student Growth Report that will show his/her test scores over time, whether or not the student is keeping up or falling behind, how much growth (Low, Typical, or High,) the student is making relative to his/her academic peers, and how much growth is projected to require the student to reach proficiency in three years or by 11 th grade, whichever comes first.

According to data recently received concerning the May 2013 WESTEST 2 results, about 82 percent of Logan County Schools have shown some progress since last year. Under West Virginia’s new accountability system, 18 percent of Logan County Schools were classified as “Success” schools—the highest designation given by the WV Dept. of Education. The Success schools are South Man, Verdunville and Logan Middle.

41 percent of Logan County Schools were ranked as “Transition” schools which are schools that the majority of students either met the academic goals in math and English/language arts or the school reached its goals in attendance, graduation rate and academic success among student groups. The Transition schools are Omar, East and West Chapmanville, Hugh Dingess, Justice, Logan, and Man Elementaries.

18 percent of the county’s schools were labeled as “Priority” schools, the lowest ranking of the school designations. These schools rank among the lowest performing in the state based on the number of students at or above Mastery on WESTEST 2. Five percent of West Virginia schools were flagged as Priority schools. The Priority schools are Buffalo, Chapmanville Regional High, and Man High. These schools will receive targeted support from the county, regional RESA office, and the WV Department of Education.

Logan County had 2 “Focus” schools, Holden and Chapmanville Middle. A school could have good test scores but would become a Focus school if the learning gaps between student groups are too large. High Schools, with this designation, the graduation gap between student groups is too large.

“Support” schools are schools where the majority of students either did not meet their annual academic goals in math and English/language arts nor did the school reach its goals in attendance, graduation rates, student growth, scores on WESTEST 2 and learning gaps between student groups. These schools, Logan High and Man Middle, will receive professional development, technical assistance and interventions throughout the year to help achieve student success. West Virginia had 89 Support schools, 31 Priority schools, 97 Focus schools, 251 Transition schools , and 184 Success schools.

West Virginia’s new accountability system gives each school a score that takes into account attendance, student growth, growth among student groups, and graduation rates (30 percent of the index score) along with test scores to determine school designation and growth.

4,179 students in grades 3-11 were tested in Logan County last year. Of those students, 37 percent (WV 46 percent) were proficient (scored mastery or higher) in math and 44 percent (WV 49 percent) were proficient in reading.

Of the 37 percent of students that reached proficiency in math, 57 percent (WV 64 percent) are keeping with growth expectations, 43 percent (WV 36 percent) are not. Of the 63 percent (WV 63 percent) of students that did not meet the proficiency level (mastery), 23 percent (WV 27 percent) are catching up and 77 percent (WV 73 percent) are not catching up to their peers’ growth levels.

In reading, of the 44 percent (WV 50 percent) of students that met proficiency, 65 percent (WV 70 percent) are keeping up with growth expectations, 35 percent (30 percent) are not. Of the 56 percent (WV 50 percent) of students who did not meet the proficiency level in reading, 28 percent (WV 32 percent) are catching up, 72 percent (WV 68 percent) are not.

Soon, teachers using WVEIS WOW will be able to look at the students in their classes and will be able to print a report listing those students who are not keeping up or nor catching up. This will allow the teachers to provide targeted instruction to those students in specific areas of need.

Starting next year, the WESTEST 2 will be replaced with a new computer test called the Smarter Balanced Assessment which is based on the Federal Common Core Standards. A Smarter Balanced Practice test is available for students, parents and teachers to take at http://sbac.portal.airast.org/practice-test. To access the test, scroll to the bottom of the page and click on Student Interface Practice Test.

A Chronicle of West Virginia’s Global21 Initiative (2004-2011) September 2011
http://static.k12.wv.us/tt/2011/WV_Global21_Chronicle_2011.pdf
In 2005, West Virginia became the second state in the nation to join The Partnership for 21st Century Skills (P21). P21, an advocacy organization that includes members from the business community, education leaders, and policymakers, was developed to “define a powerful vision for 21st century education to ensure every child’s success as citizens and workers in the 21st century.”… In August 2005, the West Virginia Board of Education (WVBE) stressed the urgency and need for change in West Virginia’s school system. After the release of the state’s disappointing scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), the West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE) began to assess the current curriculum and determined that although the state’s content standards met the minimal mastery level defined in the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001, more rigor was needed to truly prepare students for a global society. Dr. Paine—joined by the governor, state legislators, educators, school systems, and businesses—signed onto the Partnership in November 2005 at a statewide event.

See West Virginia school news headlines.

Also see:

Common Core of Standards: On the Fast Track to Deculturization

CHEWV on Common Core

HSLDA on Common Core

Common Core Roots

Here is a detailed Common Core Condemnation.

In reference to the “Global Education see “The Common Thread” and its addendum.

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Anti-Christian Bias in Science
(Common Core Science--or Science Standards for Suckers)

Karl Priest September 22, 2013

POOR PERFORMANCE

It is clear that American “students don't know much about science.” That statement came from the prestigious journal Science published by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). (1) That is not news! For many years the reports have been similar. In 1998 “U.S. 12th grade students were near the bottom in science.” (2) The executive director of the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) admitted that American science scores have not improved since the mid-1990s. (3)

In 2009 Secretary of Education Arne Duncan noted that an analysis by the National Center for Education Statistics, comparing science scores of 15-year-old students in different countries reported that American students were below average in science. “It has huge implications," Duncan said. "I think as a real economic imperative we have to educate our way to a better economy." (4) PBS reported (2010) that America “received a stark wake-up call” when international test results showed other countries were doing better than America in science education. (5) A 2011 report about a national exam “revealed that fewer than one-third of elementary- and high-school students have a solid grasp of science.” Those results were released shortly “after an international science test showed U.S. students trailing their counterparts in many European and Asian countries.” (6) The next year CNN reported that American students ranked 31 out of 65 industrial counties in science and declared it a “disaster in the making.” (7) The same year “The Nation’s Report Card” (National Assessment of Educational Progress-NAEP) revealed that “more than two-thirds still lacked a solid grasp of science facts.” (8) The New York Times admitted that the “Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study” showed that “U.S. Students Still Lag Globally” in science. (9) Finally, in 2013, a study showed that the problem could not be blamed on poverty because middle class American students ranked 21 out of 40 nations (10) suggesting “the need for better education extends deeply into America’s middle class” (11) and Arne Duncan (citing another ranking placing American students 23rd) stated that "we're being out-educated." (12)

As always, the bureaucracy thinks it knows the best way to solve the problem.

SAME “SOLUTION”

Ignoring the adage that ”the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results," educators and politicians think the problem can be fixed by pouring in more money and providing more federal government control.

George Bush’s “No Child Left Behind” boondoggle transitioned into the Obama administration’s “Race to the Top” which provided the final push toward national standards. (13) The idea of a standardized curriculum sounds good on the surface, but history has shown that government control of education (not just science education) has been a dismal failure. Therefore, more government control is not the solution.

Nevertheless, in response to a Carnegie Foundation commission statement about the importance of math and science learning, (14) the National Academy of Sciences began to develop (using 18 people) the Next Generation Science Standards by developing the “Framework for K-12 Science Education,” which was released in 2011. (15) Then powerbrokers in 26 states (16) drafted the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Also, about the same time, state governors and education officials began the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) (17) which have been adopted by 45 states. Unless CCSS are adopted, states cannot compete for the huge amount of federal dollars from “Race to the Top.” (18) Ultimately, how these two initiatives blend will be up to each state. However, strong evolution advocates* such as the AAAS and the NSTA are “working collaboratively with states and other stakeholders” to achieve the final product. (19) The NGSS website declares that, “Every effort has been made to ensure consistency between the CCSS and the NGSS.” (20)

I began teaching in 1972 and completely left the system after 2006. I saw many fads and fancy names come and go. It matters little what the gimmicks are called if the students are not learning. Unfortunately, there is something worse than lack of learning and that is being pounded with propaganda.

BLATANT BIAS

A friend told me (September 2013) that he had recently substituted in a ninth grade biology class. The textbook had a section called "Pseudoscience." Both Creation Science and Intelligent Design were listed there. The book said:

'Creation Science' is not science because it does not follow scientific methods. The claim that a deity created the world cannot be tested. Thus, it is not a hypothesis." BSCS Biology- A Molecular Approach, McGraw-Hill.

The atheist led National Center for Science Education (NCSE) provides plenty of court case documentation that there is no legal remedy to the propagandizing of public school pupils with the faith destroying concept of evolution. (21) Now, the NCSE will censor any scientific evidence that disputes “climate change.” The NCSE, “which fights the teaching of creationism, announced that it's going to take on climate change denial as well…. NCSE hired climate and environmental education expert Mark McCaffrey as its new climate coordinator…‘There's a climate of confusion in this country around climate science’ says McCaffrey, and NCSE's goal will be to ensure that "teachers have the tools they need if they get pushback and feel intimidated.’” (22) In 2012 McCaffey was a keynote speaker for a group of atheists, agnostics, humanists, freethinkers, and skeptics. (23) He believes the NGSS “could measurably improve science education.” (24)

The NSTA and the AAAS want schools to teach “man-made climate change starting as early as elementary school and incorporate it into all science classes.” The standards claim that "human activities, such as the release of greenhouse gases from burning fossil fuels, are major factors in the current rise in Earth’s mean surface temperature (global warming).” (25)

The belief in man-made climate change will join the belief in evolutionism as foundational issues in science classrooms. Several states have put into place science standards that recommend both subjects be put “into classrooms well before high school.” (26)

As a former middle school teacher I focused on that level and easily found learning objectives for both dogmas. Some samples of the “Core Ideas”** follow.

Students who demonstrate understanding can:

>Ask questions to clarify evidence of the factors that have caused the rise in global temperatures over the past century. (27)

>Construct an argument supported by evidence for how increases in human population and per-capital consumption of natural resources impact Earth's systems. (28)

>Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence from rock strata for how the geologic time scale is used to organize Earth's 4.6-billion-year-old history. (29)

>Apply scientific ideas to construct an explanation for the anatomical similarities and differences among modern organisms and between modern and fossil organisms to infer evolutionary relationships. (30)

The only evidence allowed is what supports their belief. The beliefs of Christ children are being beaten down.

PLEA to PASTORS and PARENTS

May Christian pastors and parents not fall into their own version of insanity by trying to do “the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." Fighting Common Core will waste valuable time and effort. As a retired teacher I am convinced public schools cannot be redeemed. (31)

Government school academics are disastrous, but more importantly, government school activities are dangerous! The Bible Belt state of West Virginia serves as a prime example. Reported incidents (31) in West Virginia schools represent only a tiny fraction of what really goes on. Saying we should not abandon government schools is like saying the passengers of the Titanic should have stayed aboard because the band was playing good music and the captain was a good man.

Pastors and parents: “Keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called.” 1 Timothy 6:2

We must RESCUE OUR CHILDREN!

*
“The AAAS Board of Directors is deeply concerned, therefore, about legislation and policies recently introduced in a number of states and localities that would undermine the teaching of evolution…”
http://www.aaas.org/news/releases/2006/pdf/0219boardstatement.pdf

“The National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) strongly supports the position that evolution is a major unifying concept in science and should be emphasized in K–12 science education frameworks and curricula.”
http://www.nsta.org/about/positions/evolution.aspx

**
From a dictionary:

core: The central, innermost, or most essential part of anything.
idea: (combined definitions): A thought, conception, notion, impression, opinion, view, or belief existing in the mind as a result of mental understanding, awareness, or activity.

From NextGenerationScience.org (emphasis in the original):

Disciplinary core ideas have the power to focus K–12 science curriculum, instruction and assessments on the most important aspects of science. To be considered core, the ideas should meet at least two of the following criteria and ideally all four:

• Have broad importance across multiple sciences or engineering disciplines or be a key organizing concept of a single discipline;
• Provide a key tool for understanding or investigating more complex ideas and solving problems;
• Relate to the interests and life experiences of students or be connected to societal or personal concerns that require scientific or technological knowledge;
• Be teachable and learnable over multiple grades at increasing levels of depth and sophistication.
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1. http://news.sciencemag.org/2011/01/no-child-left-behind-blame-poor-science-test-scores?ref=hp
2. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1998/08/980825075401.htm
3. http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/education/2008-12-09-math-sci-scores_N.htm
4. http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/08/25/students.science.math/
5. http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/features/us/july-dec10/education_12-10.html
6. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704698004576103940087329966.html
7. http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/09/opinion/bennett-stem-education/index.html
8. http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2012/05/11/us-student-science-scores-draw-concern/
9. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/11/education/us-students-still-lag-globally-in-math-and-science-tests-show.html?_r=0
10. http://wp.vcu.edu/humanneeds/2013/04/10/math-reading-and-science-scores-of-middle-class-u-s-
students-lag-behind-other-countries/
11. http://www.americaachieves.org/docs/OECD/Middle-Class-Or-Middle-Of-Pack.pdf
12. http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2013/04/youll-be-shocked-by-how-many-of-the-worlds-top-students-are-american/275423/
13. http://www.ascd.org/publications/newsletters/policy-priorities/vol16/issue4/full/Coming-to-Terms-with-Common-Core-
Standards.aspx
14. http://www.nextgenscience.org/overview-0
15. http://www.nextgenscience.org/framework-k%E2%80%9312-science-education
16. http://www.nextgenscience.org/lead-state-partners
17. http://www.corestandards.org/resources/frequently-asked-questions
18. http://www.livescience.com/28512-science-standards.html
19. http://www.nextgenscience.org/frequently-asked-questions#3.6
20. http://www.nextgenscience.org/sites/ngss/files/Appendix%20M%20Connections%20to%20the%20
CCSS%20for%20Literacy_ 061213.pdf
21. http://ncse.com/taking-action/ten-major-court-cases-evolution-creationism
22. http://news.sciencemag.org/2012/01/education-advocates-enter-climate-tempest?ref=hp
23. http://www.meetup.com/Bay-Area-Atheists-Agnostics-Humanists-Freethinkers-Skeptics/events/57499412/?trax_also_in_algorithm=combo&action=detail&traxDebug_also_in_algorithm_picked=
combo&eventId=57499412
24. http://www.livescience.com/28512-science-standards.html
25. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-03-04/climate-change-science-poised-to-enter-nation-s-classrooms.html
26. http://www.nature.com/news/evolution-makes-the-grade-1.13318
27. http://www.nextgenscience.org/msess-wc-weather-climate
28. http://www.nextgenscience.org/msess-hi-human-impacts
29. http://www.nextgenscience.org/msess-he-history-earth
30. http://www.nextgenscience.org/msls-nsa-natural-selection-adaptations
30. http://www.insectman.us/testimony/resolution.htm
31. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nD-04NQy-mM
32. http://www.insectman.us/exodus-mandate-wv/wv-news.htm
33. http://www.hslda.org/commoncore/Analysis.aspx

In 2014 the Evolutionism Evangelistic Association (a.k.a National Center for Science Education  NCSE) hired a new editor for its Reports of the National Center for Science Education. That crusade magazine admits to striving to “ promote the understanding of evolutionary sciences, of climate sciences, and of science as a way of knowing.” (ttp://reports.ncse.com/index.php/rncse/index) The last goal, on the surface, sounds innocuous but it really relates to scientism.

Stephanie Keep could not keep from admitting that school science standards can be be a con job. In her own words (emphasis added):

An editor friend of mine asked me the other day to read an activity she’s developing for middle school, one of the soon-to-be plethora of activities aligned to the Next Generation Science Standards. This particular one was about evolution, and asked kids to look for variation in a number of human traits and then infer adaptive explanations. For example, they could measure finger lengths and then come up with a reason that longer fingers are more adaptive than shorter ones. What followed was a half-hour conversation in which I tried my best to explain why that was a terrible idea for an activity. And here’s the thing—this friend of mine, she’s super-smart and has an advanced degree in biology from Harvard University…

I have worked for the past decade-plus with scientists, science writers, and science educators, all of whom have the best intentions in the world, all of whom would have no problem declaring their allegiance to the cause of an authentic science education grounded in evolution. But—and I don’t want to point fingers at anybody here—many of them would have not batted an eye if that activity had come across their desks. And this, I believe, is one of the most important truths we have to face: many of us don’t really get evolution. It’s such a beautiful, simple, and powerful idea, but it’s also finicky, demanding vigilant attention to detail to be properly explained and explored.

http://ncse.com/blog/2014/05/new-finger-pie-0015628

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Dr. Steve Paineleft and Dr. Michael Martirano took over in September 2014. He was touted “As a risk-taker and innovator, he consistently focuses his energy on improving academic success.” (https://wvde.state.wv.us/superintendent/ ) The WV Department of Education website stated, “ All children can and will learn is the core value behind West Virginia Superintendent of Schools Michael Martirano's entry and vision plan. The plan titled One Voice, One Focus: All Students Achieving - Creating a World-class Educational System for the State of West Virginia. (emphasis in original) (http://wvde.state.wv.us/one-voice) Karl’s comment: The ten listed priorities are a great example of the “Second verse, same as the first". Watch the Common Core news beginning with 2014.

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Also see “Evolution Resolution”.

IMPORTANT: Even so-called “Christian” sites cannot be trusted!