Childhood lost: Schooling a workforce.
When did we shift our focus to the new 3Rs ?
With recess becoming a thing of the past in many states, a federal push for year round school and extended school days, workforce readiness data badges starting in preschool, and children having to choose college or career paths before many even go to their first boy-girl dance, what are we doing to our children? Can we even call them Our Children? They have become the workforce product that business insiders see as human capitol for a global economy.
Where has childhood gone?
(Click this link for an interactive webpage to see YOUR STATE workforce initiatives such as ICAP, aligning standards, social-emotional behavioral metrics, Career Pathways, and Engagement metrics.)
Workforce Readiness in grade school
While of course every parent wants their child to have a successful future and begin thinking about, exploring options before graduating high school, the push for children to begin a workforce or college pathway has never been greater. This pressure for a child to decide his or her workforce future has literally transformed education. Nearly every state is in lock step, passing legislation, creating and aligning workforce-education pathways. Why is that? Well, it has A LOT to do with data and it is part of a well-planned, multi-year progression. Remember Marc Tucker? Marc was the mastermind of the “wholly restructured school system”. Creating national standards for academics and standards for workforce (and national assessments for both), turning schools into workforce apprenticeship training programs, and combining community college and high school, were all part of Marc’s plan.
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What is an Individual Career and Academic Plan (ICAP) and how does it fit with workforce pathways?
ICAP, or similarly named in other states, is a plan to guide students in grades 9-12, (or younger), as they explore the postsecondary career and educational opportunities available to them, aligning course work and curriculum, applying to postsecondary education institutions, securing Childhood lost: Schooling a workforce. – Missouri Education Watchdog:
