Connecting Connections Academy to Common Core
Parents searching for a tuition-free online program so their children can be schooled at home may discover "Connections Academy" by Pearson, a company that bills itself as "the world's leading learning company." It wasn't always so — Pearson began as a construction company in Yorkshire, England, in 1844 — and is much more than a "learning company" today, having grown, diversified, and globalized during the 177 years of its existence.
Before seriously considering Connections, parents should be aware that Pearson collaborated with Bill Gates in the development of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). As Education Reporter readers know, Common Core has since its inception been roundly criticized as a dumbed-down, one-size-fits-all set of standards that incorporate leftist 
indoctrination such as LGBTQ propaganda and Critical Race Theory (CRT).
An article in The Washington Post of Sept. 23, 2015 includes a lengthy excerpt from the book Common Core Dilemma: Who Owns Our Schools? by Mercedes K. Schneider. The excerpt provides a wealth of information about Pearson and the company's involvement with CCSS, focusing on the enormous profitability of the large-scale, one-size-fits-all approach to education.
Connections Academy does not advertise Common Core; however, its website provides a question-and-answer section that attempts to put a positive spin on the CCSS. Question one asks: Who created Common Core standards? The misleading answer omits the Pearson/Gates connection: "The Common Core State Standards Initiative was a state-led effort that was coordinated by a partnership between the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers. A team of teachers, school administrators, and experts developed the Common Core State Standards in English language arts and mathematics to provide a clear and consistent framework to prepare students for college and the workforce." According to Schneider, Gates financially supported the many organizations he used to promote the CCSS.
The answer to question two — Does the federal government force states to adopt the Common Core State Standards? — contains the following admission: "Although most states adopted the standards initially, the standards have become a point of contention among parents and voters, and four states have since withdrawn from the program. In addition, a dozen states are considering adopting their own state standards — and of these states, some have drafted standards that are nearly identical to the Common Core." Unfortunately, this last statement has proven to be for the most part true.
The answer to question four — What are the Common Core State Standards designed to do? — is telling. It states in part: "The Common Core State Standards were designed to promote equity by ensuring that all students have access to the same high-quality education." This response follows an admission that "some states had rigorous standards, while others set a lower bar. Not only could states cover different topics, but they could also teach them at various grade levels. This made it difficult to ensure that all students across the United States were learning skills and objectives at the same difficulty level or pace." The implication is clear that it was important for the creators of Common Core to lower the bar across the board for all students so that no public school or district could escape the mediocrity or propaganda.
The bottom line is that Connections Academy may not be a solution for parents seeking a favorable homeschooling experience for their children. In fact, it's exactly the type of "connection" with brick-and-mortar public schools that Arline Helms and other concerned parents warn about. Although Common Core supporters deny that it is a curriculum, the standards drive curriculum. In her Washington Post excerpt, author Schneider describers a 2014 market analysis meeting during which the then-CEO of Pearson, John Fallon, admitted that "the CCSS 'leads' the states — and specifically, the curriculum in those states."
Connections Academy
Connections Academy Answers to Parent Questions About Common Core
The Washington Post 9/23/2015
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