This story is not specifically Common Core related, but illustrates the trust a student inherently places in their teachers at school who get them more hours in a day than their parents do. The parent and school will remain anonymous where this took place. If the school system wants to claim it is teaching critical thinking, both sides of an argument must be presented and look at source documents. When only one side, whichever it is, is presented, that’s called indoctrination, especially when the trusted teacher explains to unwitting students that they are presenting facts instead of theories.

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Three years ago my husband and I were helping with the campaigns for Mike Lee and Morgan Philpot. We met a gentleman through those campaigns named Larry. (You may even know him.) I don’t remember his last name. Larry moved here from California and warned us at that time that Utah would soon have the same standards for history and science that California has had for many years. He told us that soon the only science being taught would be political science (from liberal views) and environmental science. We had already started homeschooling our younger children, but hoped we could get our oldest daughter through high school before that happened.

Last year our daughter was in the 11th grade. She is in the concurrent enrollment program so all her classes count as college credit for generals. We found out that her (only) science class she would be taking was environmental science. We were alarmed and asked her why she signed up for that. We asked her if she knew how controversial the class would be. She said that the school did offer biology and chemistry but that those classes were only offered once and at an hour that conflicted with other classes she had to take. However, environmental science was available multiple hours. She didn’t think there would be any problem with what would be taught.

We hoped she was smart enough to see through the propaganda as we have for years joked and laughed at global warming and many other related issues. Throughout the school year my husband went through her text book with her and talked to her teacher. What we ended up with was a wedge in our relationship with our daughter.

Our once very level headed, smart and loving daughter became resentful towards our “closed minded views.” She wouldn’t speak to us for weeks. What had happened is her teacher showed Al Gore’s video on global warming. (Though laughable to us it was very convincing to her.) The teacher also presented the ideas of common wealth and for the greater good among other liberal ideas that had nothing to do with the environment. She told her class that she neither supported or was against any of these ideas, but that everyone needed to have an ‘open mind’ and consider these ideas as possibilities. She also counseled them to not to listen to their parents if they opposed such thinking! That we (the parents) had ‘closed minds’ if we weren’t open to such ideas, and are just old and set in our ways.

It was a very frustrating year to say the least and now we are hoping to make it through one last year in the public school system. Because we try to keep the lines of communication open with all of our kids, we have somewhat mended our relationship with her. She still remains confused and leans towards favoring the ‘greater good’ theory. This year in one of her classes she was taught that most illegal immigrants pay their taxes while less than half of American citizens pay their taxes. We should be grateful to the illegals for keeping our government running! This all happened here at ____ high school.

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Related articles:

Common Core social studies standards are meant to indoctrinate

Teachers can hide behind the Common Core label to indoctrinate

Just over a year ago, two state school board members told me Utah would never adopt Common Core science or social studies standards and we would only go as far as math and ELA. Here’s a bit of disturbing news on the science standards front…Brett Moulding, former Utah state office of education curriculum director, is the lead author on the science standards writing team. Now is Utah really going to turn down standards written by Mr. Moulding?  I’m not sure when Mr. Moulding was appointed, but there has been a review of these Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) a while back, showing that they weren’t actually going to teach science, but more of an appreciation for science. They aren’t about creating technology, but more geared toward consuming technology (link). Utah must avoid adopting these science standards, and root ourselves in solid science standards and curriculum.

The new Common Core Social Studies standards (CCSSS) have been released as well. Page 31 of the document starts off the Civics section with a catastrophic blunder.

CIVICS

IN A CONSTITUTIONAL DEMOCRACY, productive civic engagement requires knowledge of the history, principles, and foundations of our American democracy, and the ability to participate in civic and democratic processes.

Article 4, section 4 of the U.S. Constitution guarantees every state in the country a republican form of government, and protection from both foreign and domestic intrusion on that form of government. The United States is a Constitutional Republic, not a Democracy. The Founding Fathers were very opposed to Democracies because they led to mob rule.

Now in all fairness, these CCSSS DO actually mention the word republic a couple times in the document (unlike Utah’s current K-12 history standards), however, the way they portray it is even more alarming. (markup by me)

INTRODUCTION

IN THE COLLEGE, CAREER, AND CIVIC LIFE (C3) FRAMEWORK FOR SOCIAL STUDIES STATE STANDARDS, THE CALL FOR STUDENTS TO BECOME MORE PREPARED FOR THE CHALLENGES OF COLLEGE AND CAREER IS UNITED WITH A THIRD CRITICAL ELEMENT: PREPARATION FOR CIVIC LIFE. ADVOCATES OF CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION CROSS THE POLITICAL SPECTRUM, BUT THEY ARE BOUND BY A COMMON BELIEF THAT OUR DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC WILL NOT SUSTAIN UNLESS STUDENTS ARE AWARE OF THEIR CHANGING CULTURAL AND PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENTS; KNOW THE PAST; READ, WRITE, AND THINK DEEPLY; AND ACT IN WAYS THAT PROMOTE THE COMMON GOOD. THERE WILL ALWAYS BE DIFFERING PERSPECTIVES ON THESE OBJECTIVES. THE GOAL OF KNOWLEDGEABLE, THINKING, AND ACTIVE CITIZENS,HOWEVER, IS UNIVERSAL.

In the last few weeks we’ve heard about some awful things our children are being exposed to under Common Core. Here’s a couple recent examples:

http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/School-apology-Think-like-a-Nazi-task-vs-Jews-4428669.php

“Think like a Nazi, the assignment required students. Argue why Jews are evil.

Students in some Albany High School English classes were asked this week as part of a persuasive writing assignment to make an abhorrent argument: ‘You must argue that Jews are evil, and use solid rationale from government propaganda to convince me of your loyalty to the Third Reich!’”

http://eagnews.org/common-core-assignment-the-constitution-is-outdated/

“Welcome to the first day of civics class in the Common Core. Your first assignment? Revising the Bill of Rights in the U.S Constitution because it is an ‘outdated’ document?

The worksheet says:

‘You have been selected to work on a National Revised Bill of Rights Task Force. You have been charged with the task of revising and  editing the Bill of Rights… You will have to prioritize, prune, and add amendments.’”

We’ve seen other indoctrinating and offensive problems in math and English as well.

Why are students getting these assignments? Is it the Common Core standards? No. Common Core standards don’t instruct people to do this. The people writing curriculum for Common Core are creating these types of activities. They know that teachers without quality curriculum materials (like we used to have) look to big sources of Common Core aligned activities to choose from. Those sources are being written and funded by people like George Soros who want to tear down our country. One example is the Open Education movement which is being co-opted (https://www.utahnsagainstcommoncore.com/agenda/) and tied into Common Core. Sources such as these make it easy for teachers to grab an activity labeled as aligned to Common Core and without thinking (or perhaps even matching their own agenda) use it in the classroom on their students. Then if its discovered to be something inappropriate, they can hide behind the “it’s Common Core aligned” label. Unless Utah has direct control over the sources of curriculum and assessments, we are at risk of thoughtless teachers and administrators taking materials at face value and putting them into the classroom for students to be exposed to, just like the recent pornographic book recommendations that came from the national Common Core site that made their way into Utah students classrooms on an approved reading list.

A Utah parent posted this on his Facebook page. This is from a Common Core assessment.

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PARENTS please read this. My 3rd grade little girl was out sick for one week. Her teacher asked if she could complete a test online. Here is an example of a comprehension story with questions. THIS IS PURE BRAINWASHING. I am a capitalist and find the below completely inappropriate. What education value does the below have. I look forward to your comments. WARNING YOU MIGHT NEED SOME DUCT TAPE!

“Money Means Worries”

A rich merchant named Chen had all the money he needed. He lived in perfect comfort. His food was rich, his bed was soft, and his clothing was beautiful.

A poor potter named Li lived next door. He did not have much money. He ate simple food, he slept on the floor, and he wore old, plain clothes. His only treasure was a golden canary that lived in a wooden cage.

The merchant worked day and night. He hunched over his account books, adding and subtracting. He yelled at his clerks and made them work as hard as he did. He rarely stopped work to eat a real meal. He ate at his desk and hardly noticed the delicious food. Late at night, the tired man went to bed, but he was unable to sleep. Thinking about money, he tossed and turned in his soft bed.

His neighbor spent the day making pots from clay. At the end of the day, Li sat in his garden and enjoyed a simple supper. Then he brought his canary outside. Li played his flute while the canary sand. At night, Li slept soundly on his floor.

For years, the music from the garden had disturbed the merchant. It made him angry. One sleepless night, he came up with a plan to make the music stop.

The next afternoon, he visited his neighbor. He held out a sack of gold coins and gave it to Li. Chen said, “You have been a good neighbor for many years. Here is a gift for you.”

Li thanked Chen. Then he sat in his garden, thinking about the money. Should he hide it? Should he spend it? The poor canary cried for its owner, but Li was lost in his thoughts. He forgot about his supper. He forgot about his flute. He thought all night long.

Chen grinned happily at the success of his plan. He knew that having money would destroy Li’s simple pleasures.

Le made no pots the next day. He did not eat or play the flute. He just worried about the money all day. He worried throughout the long, sleepless night.

The next morning, his canary took pity on him. “Money means worries,” she sang. “Give it back. Give it back.”

Li heard the canary’s song. He remembered how happy he had been before the money arrived. He picked up the bag of coins and went next door.

WHY WAS CHEN ANGRY?
A. His clerks were cheating him
B. Li’s happiness disturbed him
C. His neighbors were richer than he was
D. Li made beautiful pots while he only made money

WHAT LESSON DID LI LEARN IN THIS STORY?
A. Nature is beautiful
B. People should save their money
C. Money does not buy happiness
D. It is important to be a good neighbor

WHAT WOULD BE ANOTHER GOOD TITLE FOR THIS STORY?
A. “The Magic Canary”
B. “A Mean Neighbor”
C. “Rich with Happiness”
D. “Music and Money”

Which meaning of the homonym plain is used in the following sentence?
He wore old, plain clothes.
A. Flat
B. Pure
C. Clear
D. Simple

Li sat in his garden and enjoyed a simple supper.
Which word has the same middle sound as the pp in supper?
A. Open
B. Nap
C. Rabbit
D. Pilot

Don’t miss this parent’s excellent comments to a New Hampshire district school board. At the 6 minute mark she expresses something that should be on everyone’s mind. Why is it that PARENTS are doing the research job that the paid “professional” education departments are not doing?