An Illinois HS has stirred up a hornets nest with an assignment. My first reaction is similar to some commenters. This sounds similar to how the Nazis identified the Jews and other enemies - from public records and documents. Now that we are digitized, it will be from a fed database.

http://illinoisreview.typepad.com/illino...views.html

Quote:OAK FOREST - An assignment sent home from an Oak Forest, IL high school government class is raising eyebrows among parents who are shocked by the questionnaire they and their children are required to fill out. The questionnaire (below) has the parents identify their positions on a number of highly-charged issues, and then places them on a "political spectrum."

The survey is from the textbook "U.S. Government 2", published by the "The Center for Learning".

Some parents have refused to fill it out because they fear the results will be used to target their kids for singling out. But remember, that CC has a huge data collection component and this info will no doubt be used against the more conservative parents and will end up in a Federal database.

Totally inappropriate. I'd go raise hell at a school board meeting.

Hmmmm. Which politician claimed that he'd reward his friends and punish his enemies? Common Core must be stopped at all costs.

Other than the information being recorded, which I don't like, the rest of it is fine by me. This sort of thing is really difficult to teach without coming across as being left or right. Sure, they worded more of those things with a left tint than they did right but the idea is to make critical thinkers out of them. So, what's the problem with that?

If anything, it just further reinforces the fact that parents really need to take some time and help with their kid's education. Help make your kid a critical thinker by offering a counterbalance to whatever the school teaches, weather you agree with it or not. In the chance that your kid receives a lot of lop sided BS, which they will, it's nothing but an opportunity to help open up your kid's mind.

Anybody who think only schools teach is out of touch with reality.

(12-04-2013 06:00 PM)HeartOfDixie Wrote:  Other than the information being recorded, which I don't like, the rest of it is fine by me. This sort of thing is really difficult to teach without coming across as being left or right. Sure, they worded more of those things with a left tint than they did right but the idea is to make critical thinkers out of them. So, what's the problem with that?

Let me explain something to you. In education circles, "critical thinking" doesn't mean what you think it does.

CC is mostly a left wing operation intent on squashing local control of education and providing indoctrination of kids and profit for those politically connected to it, including the data mining aspect. If it wasn't, you would be seeing protests from liberal parents about the lessons that are too biased towards the right. Have we? [/crickets]

(12-04-2013 06:24 PM)MileHighBronco Wrote:  

(12-04-2013 06:00 PM)HeartOfDixie Wrote:  Other than the information being recorded, which I don't like, the rest of it is fine by me. This sort of thing is really difficult to teach without coming across as being left or right. Sure, they worded more of those things with a left tint than they did right but the idea is to make critical thinkers out of them. So, what's the problem with that?

Let me explain something to you. In education circles, "critical thinking" doesn't mean what you think it does.

CC is mostly a left wing operation intent on squashing local control of education and providing indoctrination of kids and profit for those politically connected to it, including the data mining aspect. If it wasn't, you would be seeing protests from liberal parents about the lessons that are too biased towards the right. Have we? [/crickets]

See the rest of my post...

You're fighting a losing battle.

Opposition to CC is growing around the country, as more are finding out what is in it and how it is supposed to be implemented. AND, that opposition is not just coming from the right. Many teachers that are dedicated libs are against it, as well because the standards themselves are mostly crap and take away time from actually educating.

(12-04-2013 06:00 PM)HeartOfDixie Wrote:  Other than the information being recorded, which I don't like, the rest of it is fine by me. This sort of thing is really difficult to teach without coming across as being left or right. Sure, they worded more of those things with a left tint than they did right but the idea is to make critical thinkers out of them. So, what's the problem with that?

Baloney... it's NONE of the school districts business what political persuasion my family would be.

With "More" of a left tint? That entire sheet is a "do you believe in our propoganda or not" sheet.

Quote:If anything, it just further reinforces the fact that parents really need to take some time and help with their kid's education. Help make your kid a critical thinker by offering a counterbalance to whatever the school teaches, weather you agree with it or not. In the chance that your kid receives a lot of lop sided BS, which they will, it's nothing but an opportunity to help open up your kid's mind.

And we need our schools asking these completely partisan questions to assist with this how?

(12-04-2013 06:30 PM)MileHighBronco Wrote:  Opposition to CC is growing around the country, as more are finding out what is in it and how it is supposed to be implemented. AND, that opposition is not just coming from the right. Many teachers that are dedicated libs are against it, as well because the standards themselves are mostly crap and take away time from actually educating.

All of which I agree with.

The problem is few of those people you've named have any authority to change anything.

Not only is it a losing battle but it's one being fought in the wrong place.

If you want to fight it you have to do that at the Federal administrative level. Where you are almost certain to lose.

All I was saying in my first post is that it doesn't really matter because parents need to step into the gap. I can bet that if your kid came home with that crap you wouldn't fill it out and not say crap about it. The silver lining is it's actually an opportunity for you to make an actual critical thinker out of your kid.

(12-04-2013 06:31 PM)DaSaintFan Wrote:  

(12-04-2013 06:00 PM)HeartOfDixie Wrote:  Other than the information being recorded, which I don't like, the rest of it is fine by me. This sort of thing is really difficult to teach without coming across as being left or right. Sure, they worded more of those things with a left tint than they did right but the idea is to make critical thinkers out of them. So, what's the problem with that?

Baloney... it's NONE of the school districts business what political persuasion my family would be.

With "More" of a left tint? That entire sheet is a "do you believe in our propoganda or not" sheet.

Quote:If anything, it just further reinforces the fact that parents really need to take some time and help with their kid's education. Help make your kid a critical thinker by offering a counterbalance to whatever the school teaches, weather you agree with it or not. In the chance that your kid receives a lot of lop sided BS, which they will, it's nothing but an opportunity to help open up your kid's mind.

And we need our schools asking these completely partisan questions to assist with this how?

Come on man.

Read my first sentence.

Most parents do not have the luxury of time to try and undo all the damage and misinformation foisted on their kids. Those that do will try and opt out by home schooling. The control freaks are working on that, too, trying to force this on them, as well in the testing component.

This is a States' rights issue and each individual state is is the proper venue to fight it. Some states have reversed their decisions and decided to not adopt CC.

Poorly constructed survey.

(12-04-2013 06:37 PM)MileHighBronco Wrote:  Most parents do not have the luxury of time to try and undo all the damage and misinformation foisted on their kids. Those that do will try and opt out by home schooling. The control freaks are working on that, too, trying to force this on them, as well in the testing component.

This is a States' rights issue and each individual state is is the proper venue to fight it. Some states have reversed their decisions and decided to not adopt CC.

That why Mine will be going to Private School. I know they will be prepared after it.

btw.. you guys do remember the story about this one:

Quote:Students in some Albany High School English classes were asked to participate in the unthinkable this week as part of a persuasive writing assignment. The objective? Prove why Jews are evil and convince the teacher of their loyalty to the Third Reich in five paragraphs or less.

“You must argue that Jews are evil, and use solid rationale from government propaganda to convince me of your loyalty to the Third Reich!” read the description on the assignment, which the school superintendent said reflects the kind of sophisticated writing expected of students under the new Common Core standards and was meant to hone students’ persuasive argument abilities.