This is long, but it was sent to me by a very concerned parent friend of mine (CA) that is highly involved and educated on this issue. Read every word and you will understand the seriousness of this. It will take some time, but it will open your eyes to what is really going on with this Common Core policy push. I too am still learning alot. I’m just trying to make it easy for you to find what the media isn’t talking about.
Abraham Lincoln: “Philosophy Of Classroom In One Generation Will Be Philosophy Of Government In The Next”
To whom it may concern,
Why would parents all across the nation rise up to fight standards that will supposedly help their children in school?
Well, fact is that the standards that are now being implemented were created by bureaucrats, greedy corporations, and they did not have the best interest of our children at heart.
Why is it that over 2/3 of Americans have no idea what the “Common Core” is?
Fact is that these standards were created in secret behind closed doors; never have been tested, and are now being forced down our throats. In this email I have placed links and articles for you to research. Please do so! If we do not stand up for our children, then, who will? It is time to take our children’s education back!
Attention Politicians and School board members– why have you subjected our children to these mediocre standards? Confusing, convoluted math that is age inappropriate, which has no rhyme or reason in the real world! As far as the ELA standards via CC—they, too, are weak and absolutely backwards.
Common Core is a race to the middle, not to the top. We parents are concerned, and are now all in agreement that you all either have not done your research, or are deliberately deceiving us. We have voted you in, and trusted that you would have our children’s best interest at heart. We parents are very upset over this and have had absolutely no voice in regards to this implementation. We have attended a few CC informational meetings, and the same misinformed information comes out. They tell us that these standards are so GOOD!
Why would they tell us this? Fact is that CA standards are indeed higher than the CC standards in both Mathematics and ELA –In comparison regarding grades: CA ELA got an A, and CC got a B+. In Mathematics, CA got an A and CC got an A- …why are we going backwards? Full report will be included.
We parents do not believe that you truly have not researched these standards, and are just taking in what you are being told. Shame on all of you for this! There are so many issues with the Common Core! Parents are mad! Many of us parents are now finding ourselves having to pull our children out of the public school system to now HOMESCHOOL.
This is a voting year; correct? Yes, it is….and we parents are not happy parents.
Seeing that you have not taken the time to research, we have put together a few important links for you…no excuses why you cannot research now. Oh, look, there are actually those who care and are taking notice!
“Building the Machine”, this documentary scratches the surface, but is a great introduction to the creation of the CC!
May the truth be told– http://youtu.be/zjxBClx01jc
Should one man hold so much power over our children’s education?
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/arnie-duncan-education-agenda/#the-rundown Keep in mind that the cut off dates for these state applications were all before June 2nd, 2010 when the standards were finally released. So in other words, the states had to commit to accepting the standards before they even knew what they were. Almost like, “we need to pass the healthcare bill, before we know what’s in it.” Yes. EXACTLY!
Theses Common Core standards– “were written in a manner that violates the nationally and international recognized process for writing standards. The process by which they were created was so fundamentally flawed that these “standards” should have no legitimacy.American National Standards Institute (ANSI).” Diane Ravitch —
See full article–
ANSI web site–guidelines on protocol for –standards.standards/http://www.ansi.org/about_ansi/introduction/introduction.aspx?menuid=1
The CC standards are NOT better than what we have in CA!
School boards must take action now!! Article below–
Research comparison on standards 60 page report– Refer to the white paper labeled–“Common Core Standards still don’t make the grade”–
http://truthinamericaneducation.com/resources/pioneer-institute-white-papers/
How will our ELA be affected–Sandra Stotsky speaking–
Wait-What???? Convoluted math. No need for it!
When will we ever learn???
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mark-bertin-md/when-will-we-ever-learn_b_4588033.html
Common Core Standards are copyrighted- Many do not know this, but indeed they are. And guess what, if they fail, the creators cannot be sued! HUGE RED FLAG!
The Gates Foundation gave the Thomas B. Fordham Institute $1.4 Million, including $960,000 to review the Common Core Standards. “Is it any coincidence that Fordham gave the Common Core Standards (Math and English) high ratings?” but yet CA still is higher…interesting!
http://www.math.jhu.edu/…/SOSSandCC2010_FullReportFINAL…
Why do they want to hurt our children? Grave concerns arise– Child psychologist’s concerns:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrQbJlmVJZo
I have shared the videos from this site, referring the site here for the blog information.
http://datechguyblog.com/2013/12/05/it-begins-common-core-syndrome/
“Kindergarten has come a long way — too far, some say.
Way beyond the ABCs, crayons and building blocks. The city Department of Education now wants 4- and 5-year-olds to write “informative/explanatory reports” and demonstrate “algebraic thinking.”
Children who barely know how to write the alphabet or add 2 and 2 are expected to write topic sentences and use diagrams to illustrate math equations.”
DATA-MINING: You have no power over what is being shared, no matter how many fire walls you have. If the federal government wants it, they will have it! Why was FERPA–reshaped by the Obama Administration? This is a very valid question! Their reasoning is ridiculous! No one has the right to our children’s personal information. NO ONE!
Joy Pullman explains–
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7WfxJS6iJQ&sns=em
Why do they want data on our children? From the office of Education in Tech– YOU NEED TO WATCH THIS! Advancement in technology should never mean giving up our privacy! I do not want my children’s information shared. They tell you it is good for you.
This is disturbing!
Pearson’s vision — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpQCEgEfRyc
You just cannot make this stuff up! ALL OVER THIS!
Oh, but wait! The standards are not a curriculum!!!Ummm- that’s not what Bill Gates just said! And–he needs our children’s data, so it can create a powerful market! Oh, wow.
What is his true interest in this?
Do our children work off of Google apps? I know my 3rd grader works off of Google Chrome in class. Seeing that FERPA was “reshaped” now, our children’s personal data, whatever that may be, can be shared with whomever is considered a “School Official.” Well, what a shocker. I did not realize that “Google” is now considered a “School official”. Looking at Googles terms of service- via Google apps for education… In their contract scroll down to 7.4 –
7.4 FERPA. The parties acknowledge that (a) Customer Data may include personally identifiable information from education records that are subject to FERPA (“FERPA Records”); and (b) to the extent that Customer Data includes FERPA Records, Google will be considered a “School Official” (as that term is used in FERPA and its implementing regulations) and will comply with FERPA. http://www.google.com/apps/intl/en/terms/education_terms.html
There is a lawsuit against Google for data-mining students email. If our school sets up a Gmail for students and agrees to the contract with Google, it is doing so for our students without parental consent: http://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2014/03/18/google-sued-for-data-mining-students-email/
We parents urge you to review the researched information, and see for yourselves. This is bad for our children. The states are supposed to have control over their education. We have this right given to us via the 10th Amendment.
When you tell us there is nothing you can do, that your hands are tied, tell us taxpaying parents–you have ignored the 10th Amendment and have given your (our) power over to the Government. We do not have to adopt the CC standards.
California Education Code, section 44662(a) states, “The governing board of each school district shall establish standards of expected pupil achievement at each grade level in each area of study.”
And in section 60618 it reads, “(a)The academic content and performance standards adopted by the State… Board of Education pursuant to Section 60605 that are used as standards for the purposes of this article are to be considered model standards for any other purpose. (b) School districts may use these model standards as a guideline in developing district standards” (emphasis added).
I didn’t see anything there stating the district is required to adopt/teach the state standards, did you?
To the contrary, it specifically states that “each school district shall establish standards,” with the option of using the State Standards as a “guideline.” It’s called a “local control state,” and the fact is, California is one.
http://eagnews.org/education-expert-working-with-parents-school-boards-and-lawmakers-to-fight-common-core-machine/
We need to remember that in the states where common core has already been fully implemented, there is much negative rather than positive.
Is this what we want for our children for our schools??? Will we soon be hearing stories such as this? A principal pulls his own child out of public school due to CC, and now will be homeschooling.
Teachers and administrators sharing their disgust over these CC standards–
http://dianeravitch.net/2014/04/03/what-educators-say-about-the-common-core-tests/
An article I found that is very interesting, which touches on the concern that with these National Standards “Common Core”, will indeed strip us parents and school boards of our local control in decision making. The goal is to do away with school boards and the idea of firing underperforming teachers. Thanks to the ignorance of many Governors, who seem to be following the money–The plan is in motion– Take a minute to read this article.
http://m.us.wsj.com/articles/SB122809533452168067?mobile=y
It sounds like they do not trust our school boards and teachers to do their jobs.
This is all so concerning. There is a huge picture here, and many are missing it. We parents can go on and on with the ongoing developing information on Common Core, but that would make this email super long. We parents are not only fighting for our children, but for our teachers as well.
Respectfully Submitted,
Concerned Parents
The Brady Speers Family 