Life is Individual (When it comes to life and Common Core and a whole lot of other stuff mom really

Life is Individual

(When it comes to life and Common Core and a whole lot of other stuff mom really does know best)

Being the oldest child I naturally thought it was my birth right to lord over my siblings. When they did not do as directed I marched straight to my mother, hands on hips, finger wagging, and toe tapping, and demanded that she tell them to obey me! There. Done. Right? Wrong. I have one of those mothers - those think-for-yourself mothers. Her response was always the same, “Honey, life is individual. You cannot force your will on another person.” Well when you are eleven and need your little brother to put on a glove and go stand in right field those are the stupidest words you’ve ever heard. But when you are a grown up with children of your own, whose rights you are trying to protect – they are the truest words you’ve ever heard.

My mother’s words come back to me often as I ponder the push of Common Core State Standards on our nation’s children. We are told this oppressive-push (ahem, voluntary adoption) to educational commonality is for the college and career readiness of graduating high school students. So much so that states are being threatened, entire groups of people are being dismissed, parental rights are being trampled and laws are being broken. National educational experts, whose opinions were once sought after, are now being hushed by the same “think tanks” that once bowed to those very opinions. And, in concert with all of this, is the ongoing battle for information on our children that our government just cannot get enough of.

This all feels less than individual-will to me. In fact, it made me think of one of my mother’s favorite author’s, Ayn Rand. From her book Anthem:

“And the Council of the Vocations sat on a high dais, and they had but two words to speak to each of the Students. They called the Students’ names, and when the Students stepped before them, one after another, the Council said: “Carpenter” or “Doctor” or “Cook” or “Leader.” Then each Student raised their right arm and said: “The will of our brothers be done.’”

Some of you may be thinking it’s a bit of a stretch from forcing a little brother to play right field to forcing an adult into becoming a cook. Is it? Think about this statement made by Dale Erquiaga, Nevada Superintendent of Public Instruction, at Nevada’s Legislative Committee meeting on 25 February 2014, “If everyone gets sidetracked into a workforce re-training programming then we know we’ve got to make adjustments in both k-12 and higher ed. It (data) helps us to get kids in the right slots when they become adults so that there is a job waiting for them and they are not being retrained."

Since when is it the government’s responsibility to “get kids in the right slots” after graduation? Isn’t that the kid’s decision? Perhaps with a little help from mom and dad?

That would explain the pipeline to work enthusiasts like the United States Chamber of Commerce, a big Common Core State Standards cheerleader and also a big Bill Gates cash recipient. Let’s look at what the government wants to do with our children before school even begins for them (at least for now).

The Council of State Governments held a conference August 9-13, 2014. One of the agenda items was College and Career Readiness and the credo was the following:

“To be successful in today’s world, every student must graduate from high school with the knowledge and skills needed for success in college, the workforce and life. Experts agree instruction to put students on track for college- and career-readiness can’t wait to begin until kindergarten. This session will focus on policies and program solutions to ensure successful and expanded access to preschool education.”

”Can’t wait to begin until Kindergarten.” Really? Can’t wait? Those are sad words. Who are these experts that are so willing to snatch away that precious year of our children’s lives? Do you really think putting your child into a government run institution is going to make that big of a difference on the other end? Is it worth the trade off to you? Will it be worth the trade off to your child? No doubt, there are some parents reading this who are thinking absolutely where do I sign up? Personally, I’d like to get mine back into diapers for a few months.

It’s not that the idea of pre-school is a new or even devious one. What is devious about pre-school now is that the government is pushing it in the same vein that Common Core was pushed. Grants are being offered through a competition again and states may earn extra points (oh goody) if they have “competitive priorities” under: Supporting a birth-through-third-grade continuum. I don’t like the sound of that but it appears those over-achievers in Oregon are in line for extra points.

Oregon has a nifty idea to begin education in the womb. We’re not talking daddy singing ‘Ole MacDonald to mommy’s belly – we’re talking the government’s idea of education. When their Deputy Superintendent of Public Instruction, Rob Saxton, says “P through 20” he means pre-natal, “Now instead of simply working with a child from Kindergarten onward, they can begin working with the child in the womb.” Mr. Saxton refers to himself as an S.O.B. “when it comes to the expectation about what people are going to do…” I’ll take him completely at his word.

When a choice as simple as education is no longer a choice the people have a problem. When the government thinks it’s their responsibility to “slot” our children into his or her post high school graduation job the people have a problem. When the urgency to set your child on the path to college and career readiness is such that “experts” insist another year must be stripped from your toddler’s life the people have a problem. And when the government has designs on unborn babies for their own selfish ends the people have a nightmare of a problem.

The government needs to listen to my mother, “Life is individual.” Thanks mom.