Alabama's Unified and Comprehensive System of Learning Supports Under Tommy Bice --Will It Lead Children To Stumble And Can Pastors Afford To Be Silent?

"When schools experience chronic underachievement, the reasons are most often the social, emotional, and/or physiological problems of the child and his or her family situation," Dyer said. "The work of Dr. Adelman and Dr. Taylor faces this challenge straight on by bringing the theory of mental health issues to a practice that improves the learning conditions for all students."

Above is an excerpt from an article that touts Tommy Bice's leadership in developing a Unified And Comprehensive Learning Supports that can influence many other states.

According to Linda Murphy, a nationally renowned Educator/Activist, who has studied Dr. Bice's Comprehensive Counseling Guidance Proposal (as this is part of the Unified Supports)-- "This is a dangerous expansion of the authority of public schools into the private lives of students, which has never been allowed in American schools. This plan sets goals for changes in students’ emotions, feelings, attitudes, values and beliefs. The area educators call the "affective domain" (from Blooms Taxonomy)." 

The Alabama State Plan "is an integral part of the preparation of all students to be college and career ready. It serves as a framework to guide school districts, individual schools, and individual counselors in designing, developing, implementing, and evaluating a comprehensive, developmental, and systematic counseling program."

1. It "should be used by all Alabama public schools for developing and implementing comprehensive, outcome-based school counseling and guidance programs that meet the needs of all students."

2. "All students will receive a data-driven counseling program that promotes academic achievement, career readiness, and personal/social development", which includes their "attitudes, character, values and beliefs."

3. It is "aligned with ASCA National Model and its revisions and includes four interrelated components: foundation, delivery system, management system, and accountability."

4. The "ASCA National Model: A Framework for School Counseling Programs, and three revisions promulgate national school counseling standards." 

5. It "helps students achieve their full potential through four program delivery components: School Guidance Curriculum, Individual Student Planning, Responsive Services, and Indirect Services."

6. "Comprehensive school counseling and guidance programs are data-driven by student needs and provide outcome-based accountability measures that align the school counseling and guidance program with the school’s overall academic mission."

7. "VII. RESPONSIVE SERVICES--7.1 Every K-12 student receives prevention education to address life choices in academic, career, and personal/social development."

 Rest on Linda's important summary and warnings here.

Recent examples of one size-fits all mentality that is foundational to this nationalized education aka common core (which is invalid according to Professors Sandra Stotsky and Jim Milgram--see audio link to his and her interviews) was the story of the 5-yr old from Mobile, Al who did a suicide checklist and signed a safety contract without her parents.  This, because she drew a picture of a gun and said pew pew with her crayons. 

Mobile County school system Superintendent Martha Peek said the school counselor used the system-wide safety protocol that school system officials were instructed to use in any situation in which "a student indicates they may be considering any actions such as hurting themselves or hurting someone else," she said. "Unfortunately, with this incident, the one size fits all."

Another example is where schools in Dothan, Al gave out this suicide prevention flyer to all children from Elementary to 12th Grade."This introduces a concept about something very negative that can cause depression, fear and worry that is not necessary.  In the effort to prevent these problems they are actualy creating problems with children that have no connection to that in their life"-per Linda Murphy. 

It is ironic that Common Core Standards Initiative has been known to increase stress in children.  In states like Alabama where the implementation is slower because there is a waiver for teacher's evaluation not to yet be based on student's test results, many teachers are still rallying behind it.  However, many warnings of dangers are there, such as the signed statement from 500 Early Childhood and Mental Health Experts,  Mary Calamia's testimony (she's a licensed clinical social worker who testified before New Yord's Board of Ed.), a NY teacher's testimony of the danger, Joan Landes--mental health therapist on the Psychological Damage of Common Core and video from child psychologist-Megan Koschnick.

The proposal by Alabama Superintendent Tommy Bice to pass a Comprehensive Counseling Guidance was presented to the SBOE on 9/11 worksession see pdf file on this link:https://eboard.eboardsolutions.com/Meetings/ViewMeetingOrder.aspx?S=70577&MID=1610

Note the  Preface of the document:

The Comprehensive Counseling and Guidance State Model for Alabama Public Schools (the State Plan) presents a model that helps students prepare to be college- and career-ready in the areas of academic, career, and personal/social development. Counseling and guidance is an integral part of each school’s total educational program. The counseling and guidance program helps students achieve their full potential through four program delivery components: School Guidance Curriculum, Individual Student Planning, Responsive Services, and Indirect Services. This document, The ASCA National Model: A Framework for School Counseling Programs, and its revisions should be used by all Alabama public schools for developing and implementing comprehensive, outcome-based school counseling and guidance programs that meet the needs of all students.

With that in mind look at what's in the ASCA Standards For Students:

PS:A2 Acquire Interpersonal Skills
PS:A2.1 Recognize that everyone has rights and responsibilities
PS:A2.2 Respect alternative points of view
PS:A2.3 Recognize, accept, respect and appreciate individual
differences
PS:A2.4 Recognize, accept and appreciate ethnic and cultural
diversity
PS:A2.5 Recognize and respect differences in various family
configurations

Above should be studied by Pastors throughout.

Importance of Data: Yes. Data may be the most important part of the ASCA National Model!

Research for yourself and if you don't think Alabama needs to pass Dr. Bice's Comprehensive Counseling Guidance then please call your school board and let them know and while you're at it--call Governor Bentley (334) 242-7100 and send him a fax too at (334) 353-0004 (leave paper trail.)

There is so much to learn about the Common Core Standards Initiative and we hope you will make time to listen to Dr. Duke Pesta explain to you what's in store with this nationalized education system.  Knowledge is powerful...come join us links to conferences here:  http://www.standinthegapnow.com/

Update on Wednesday, November 19, 2014 at 11:16AM by City On A Hill