JaKell Sullivan posted this on Facebook and with permission I’m reposting it here.
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STEM. Ask yourself “WHY?”
I wish more and more parents were making the connection between the “why” of federal funding behind Common Core and STEM. If you have not read Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand, please read it and then read it with your children. The book’s “State Science Institute” actually offers us a window into the world we are now entering–state controlled science.
The federal administration is not funding STEM (and state governors are not accepting federal grants) to improve learning in those fields. They are funding STEM fields to change our children’s worldview, ie; to use technology, data and psuedo-science to further state power and control, and advance social justice.
Arizona State University is creating the ‘New American University’ (the blueprint for aligning colleges to Common Core). They are eliminating 40 schools within the college. There are no longer science disciplines in their own schools. For example: “Biology, microbiology, and plant, molecular, and cell biology merged to become the School of Life Sciences. There is also now a School of Human Evolution and Social Change, School of Earth and Space Exploration, School of Social and Family Dynamics and School of Social Transformation.”
Remember when science used to be the search for truth? And when education was about learning history and the wisdom of the ages, not advancing social justice causes?
See: http://hechingerreport.org/is-arizona-state-university-the…/
This is why federal grants are pushing and more low-income minorities (including children from Mexico) into these STEM fields. The poorest can be used to propagandize the rest. Data can hold and perpetuate the values of those in power. As more and more girls are pushed into these fields, their hearts will be turned inside out—trusting in the “science” of data rather than the still small voice that is their divine, nurturing gift as women.
See the point below about “reverse engineering the brain” in the federal Grand Challenge.
The federal government is funding the following entities who have “committed” to federal goals for what it means to be STEM educated:
• STEM Americorp
• US2020 – US2020 is expanding its city-level STEM mentoring network. The long-term goal of US2020 is to mobilize 1 million STEM mentors annually by the year 2020. (Ask yourself, why is the federal government so desperate to get 1 million STEM mentors in America?)
• Federal agencies
• Technology companies
• Early career scientists (ie; get the young teachers on board by pairing them with mentors)
• Teachers (the NOAA, NASA and Dept. of Ed are launching “teacher-led” efforts to showcase approaches addressing climate change)
• Philanthropies
• Corporations
• CEO Coalitions
• Education Campaigns
• Grant programs
• Universities and Colleges (more than 120 are committed to train 20,000 engineers to tackle the “Grand Challenges” of the 21st century. The Grand Challenge will include topics like “reverse engineering the brain” and “making solar economical.”
• Library programs
• Museum programs
• K-12 and College Curriculum
• Online assessments
• Children’s television shows and media programs (Applicants are also encouraged to develop new models of embedded assessment and learning systems that adapt as children use them.)
• Youth organizations like Boys & Girls Glub, National 4-H Council and YMCA
• Citizen Science Initiatives (track rain, hale and snow to investigate man-made climate change)
….and on and on.
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To continue with the engaging comments and additional information this post generated, please go here:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/utahnsagainstcommoncore/permalink/1841210999438302/
Another article on this topic is here:
https://commoncorediva.wordpress.com/2015/05/27/wybi-stem-to-steam-ties-to-common-core-pt-1/
It’s apparent to many however, not by all-even some of those with us in this fight against the agenda of the “hydras’ heads” that Oak quoted by Tolkien; who is behind this and their source of dark inspiration worldwide let alone in this country where now our U.S. “Constitution hangs by a thread”. I have long held the opinion as a Christian, that all the prophesies in ancient as well as modern scripture, gave ample warning and even more detailed understanding (more than for which we give them credit) about the designs of conpsiring people who are championing the cause for their power. Many are being used as pawn for their evil greater cause. Essentially the battle plan of “the dark side” for lack of better term (I’ll go Tolkien on you here) is to have so many-so many things related to their cause, in the works, that it would make anyone’s head spin trying to keep track of it all. All the organizations funded by Soros and many others like him who think they are deity, have been launched with such strategy as well as sufficient funding, that a single well informed citizen like any of us who are aware of this strategy, are overwhelmed with how to counter it all??!!
What’s a freedom loving Constitutional Conservative to do? Well, in the words of a former Vice Presidential candidate back in the early 90’s, Dan Quayle, in answering the question about what he would do should the President die and he be holding the reins: “I would pray”. Well, we need to pray and then work by doing what we can in staying informed and making our voices and votes heard, all the while being certain we keep our integrity intact lest we be hypocrites ourselves. God bless us all, which constitutes America.
Sometimes focusing on science, technology, engineering and math is really just focusing on science, technology, engineering and math.
Our kids live in a high-tech world, and I see a lot of effort trying to help kids prepare for this reality. I do not see it all as being tied to propaganda. I work with people in the STEM realm and what I see is people wanting to help more kids prepare for the future and their futures in ways that enable them to get jobs and provide for their families. There are few fields that can provide that kind of opportunity then STEM fields.
There is no problem saying we want to be strong in STEM subjects. However, the purpose behind Common Core is to align curriculum with the standards and assessments and teacher assessments (compliance mechanism) so we have one unified thought process, which is…. as JaKell outlined above. The only path to obedient global citizens is through unified indoctrination. There are many in the high tech industry who send their children to expensive private schools that use no technology because of their concerns about the use of tech in the classroom. I have a friend who never touched computers except to play games or write term papers in high school, and all of a sudden he discovered the world of programming and within 2 years he’s taken off in this field and is a fantastic programmer. The bottom line is, when a person puts their concentrated effort into something, they will excel. All the training in the world won’t make someone love and excel at a subject they don’t have any inclination for. True STEM is dead under Common Core. It’s just moving us toward indoctrination.
Mark. I agree. Prayer is a family’s most powerful tool—and we need it like we need air. Thank you for your comments.
Michelle. There are plenty of great people working as teachers in STEM fields. There is no doubt about that. Just like the teachers under Common Core, their independent views will, eventually, be stifled under a federally-funded STEM system that mandates a big-government worldview in order for teachers to be certified. On July 18, 2012, President Obama announced his plans to fund a STEM Master Teacher Corps. Below is the press release on the White House website. It reads, “The STEM Master Teacher Corps will begin in 50 locations across the country, each with 50 exceptional STEM educators. Over the next four years the Corps will expand to include 10,000 of the best STEM teachers in the nation. In joining the STEM Master Teachers Corps, these educators will make a commitment to champion the cause of STEM education in their respective communities, and will receive additional resources to mentor math and science teachers, inspire students, and help their communities grow.”
“A world-class STEM workforce is essential to virtually every goal we have as a nation – whether it’s broadly shared economic prosperity, international competitiveness, a strong national defense, a clean energy future, and longer, healthier, lives for all Americans. If we want the future to be made in America, we need to redouble our efforts to strengthen and expand our STEM workforce.”
https://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2012/07/18/president-obama-announces-new-plan-create-stem-master-teaching-corps
This is government propaganda and indoctrination—Pure and simple. A free people would be wise not to “go along” with the STEM agenda, but to call it out. And to demand that, in a free society, THE PEOPLE, as individuals, will decide for themselves what they want to pursue, study, and believe. This is a fight for the free exercise of conscience, just as it was in the days of our Founders.
You are right! “All the training in the world won’t make someone love and excel at a subject they don’t have any inclination for.” That is one thing that has bothered me about all the talk of making our children into scientists or mathematicians. As part of home school, I dissected a chicken and only 2 out of 6 were interested in knowing about the insides of a chicken. One of those actually went on into a science field. Everyone is different and has different interests. How boring would life be if we were all the same!
Diana. So true! And, not only “how boring would life be if we were all the same.” But, how suffocating it will be when we’re told how to think and what to believe.