California seems to be in a competition with Communist China to see which can have the most repressive government.
People are fleeing California in droves, but it’s not stopping state leadership from implementing more dystopian policies.
And the latest proposal from Gavin Newsom will make the government the biggest helicopter parent the world has ever seen.
Newsom announces “Cradle to Career” system
California Governor Gavin Newsom just returned from a seven-day trip to China.
According to the Governor’s website, the goal of the trip was to “deliver real climate action” and create “opportunities for future collaboration and cooperation.”
But after his return, he announced the next phase of the state’s “Cradle to Career” system.
The system utilizes billions of data points, leveraging them to “illuminate gaps and identify opportunities throughout students’ education experiences so they can ultimately reach their goals for life and careers.”
It’s important to note that the nation of China uses a social credit score system, so it’s not too far-fetched to assume that this new system in California won’t utilize something similar.
The state claims that by leveraging these billions of data points, the new “Cradle-to-Career data system will be a game-changer for improving the quality of life for millions of Californians and highlighting ways to improve opportunity in the classroom and access to the workforce.”
Part of that data will include things like “race, gender, ability, and geography” to “illuminate and address areas of strength and needed growth, and any inequities.”
But just how deep the data goes and how much constituents’ privacy is at stake, remains to be seen.
Mary Ann Bates, Executive Director of the new data system, says that the milestone “represents a significant step in our mission to establish a robust, comprehensive data system that provides a nuanced understanding of Californians’ educational and professional journeys.”
She also thanked “data partners” for their “unwavering commitment to ensuring that Californians will have validated, reliable data available to inform decisions.”
A “collective effort”
Bates says that the new Cradle to Career system is a “collective effort” that will equip the state “with the data and tools necessary to ensure that every Californian has the opportunity to succeed.”
But the question is, at what cost?
According to lawmakers in the state, the new system is designed for students, families, politicians, researchers, and policymakers to gain insights from an individual level up to the state as a whole.
It is supposed to implement new planning and application tools for students, families, and educators that would “streamline the college and financial aid processes and monitor student progress.”
There will also be new dashboards and query tools that researchers and other professionals can access and use.
In the 2019-2020 fiscal year, $10 million was dedicated to funding the system, and another $14.5 million was allocated in the 2020-2021 fiscal year.
For now, it’s not quite clear whether or not the investment in this odd Cradle to Career data system will be worth the cost, both in terms of money spent and privacy compromised.
Informed American will keep you up-to-date on any developments to this ongoing story.
