More questions for the Common Core from Business Leaders!

Six hours!

That is some long testimony! It doesn't quite reach the number of hours Michigan kids will take taking tests that do them absolutely no good in a few short weeks but it is a significant chunk of time.

Remarkable really.

A group of adults  talked for some 6 hours about a test none have ever taken, will ever teach, or ever evaluate. At the end, when a few folks who will have to teach this test had some thoughts most of the principles had to leave because of "time commitments."
http://www.mlive.com/education/index.ssf/2013/08/marathon_hearing_on_common_cor.html

You really can't make this stuff up.

Here, of course, was Diane Ravitch -- the nation's current leading advocate of public education and most potent challenger to corporate "reform" movements that threaten to undo all public ed (that includes BHSD! no exemptions for being corporate friendly! you lose your schools, too) -- skyping in while the Michigan House refused to show this on their web telecast.

Why?

Don't know.

This is the House that wants most if not all kids to shift to on-line learning. The "brick and mortar" overflow room in Lansing was overflowing, stuffed like a second grade classroom with 37 kids. Where is our commitment to 21st Century Learning?? Accountability??? Where were the cyber academies? Don't tell me Diane Ravitch's skype appearance exhausted all their technology resources?

At any rate, the longish session did result in some Michigan style revision to the Common Core that John ("I ain't running for Governor") Austin says can be revised at any time.

Common core question #1: discuss the term "irony" in this context. Please feel free to include a discussion of Rep Tom McMillin's defense of "local control" when, in fact, he was a leading advocate of the Governor's "Any where, Any time, Any place" education reform that would effectively destroy the last vestiges of local control: school Districts.

Business "leaders" provided much of the testimony here and are actually getting more interesting than Mr. McMillen (didn't think that possible). They support the CCSS, of course, per the Governor.

Why?

Well, according to James B. Nicholson, Chairman of Business Leaders of Michigan, writing in yesterday's Detroit Free Press, education is failing Michigan. Fortunately, though, the Governor and Lansing have created the right "climate" for business success so now Education needs -- not support from Lansing like business got -- but the Common Core to improve education.

Follow? If not, you might not be "career and college ready." Business needs Government help, but education needs the help of business. Click here for remedial tutorial if needed.

So:

Common Core question #2: In two or three paragraphs discuss why the Government can help business -- per Mr. Nicholson's own words -- but why they should limit their support of public education and turn public education in to a business because "government" schools like the new BHHS can't compete in a 21st century, global economy? Please work to include your discussion of "irony" from question #1 in your response. If you get dizzy or nauseated while answering please do your best to work on your character or character education while seated.

Common Core question #3: Why do all these business leaders with time commitments suddenly have such time to commit to education? Is it that education is really bad -- or is it that the education reform business is really, really good right now?