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Friday, June 20, 2014

Public Education as Workforce Training. Is WorkKeys in Your State? | Missouri Education Watchdog

Public Education as Workforce Training. Is WorkKeys in Your State? | Missouri Education Watchdog:



Public Education as Workforce Training. Is WorkKeys in Your State?

cradle to career

The above graphic comes from Holland (Michigan) School District and was provided by  Karen Braun.  She writes at spunkyhomeschool.blogspot.com and she believes the P-20 pathway is the path to servitude.  I hope a Holland, Michigan student tests well by 8th grade as he/she will be labeled as positioned for post-secondary and career success or not.  Imagine that.  By the age 14, your chance of success to either post-secondary education or career path can be predicted.  She provides a quote about what happens when the ultimate goal of education is career planning:
As long as students are told that the end of education is a job or a career, they will forever be servants of some master….We are not programming machines. We are teaching children. We are not producing functionaries, factory-like. We are to be forming the minds and hearts of men and women… to be human beings, honoring what is good and right and cherishing what is beautiful.  Hillsdale Professor Daniel Coupland echoing the words of Professor Anthony Esolen.

Missouri is one of seven states promoting the WorkKeys tests developed by ACT.  The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) released a press release which contained this statement:
“The initiative is a voluntary effort guided by community leaders to align workforce and education to meet the economic needs of the state and local communities.”
It’s voluntary now but does include a cost borne by the companies to join.  Joining WorkKeys might become a necessary cost to do business in the future which will help bankroll local chambers.  Anne was able to cut through the press release half-truths and delve into the real reason and outcome for WorkKeys:


This is a fabulous business plan. Develop a product that promises to shift risk from the employer to your business. Get business and government leaders together to give them the marketing pitch for your product. Get government to subtly start pushing public agencies to use your product. This will allow you to shift the burden of 
Public Education as Workforce Training. Is WorkKeys in Your State? | Missouri Education Watchdog: