It’s being reported that the Republican National Committee just unanimously passed an anti-Common Core resolution in their Spring meeting in Los Angeles, CA. This is a significant development which will help encourage other states to follow suit. There is a resolution which will come up at the state GOP convention in May here in Utah, which is similar to this. Please contact your state delegates in your local precinct and share this post with them and encourage them to vote to pass the anti-Common Core resolution in their meeting.
Here is the original resolution text found on the Truth in American Education website. Below the resolution text is an awesome video from a Georgia press conference showing the efforts by legislators and experts on getting Georgia out of Common Core. The momentum is building.
4/18 – Updated language on this resolution to the final approved version
RESOLUTION CONCERNING COMMON CORE EDUCATION STANDARDS
WHEREAS, the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) are a set of academic standards, promoted and supported by two private membership organizations, the National Governor’s Association (NGA) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) as a method for conforming American students to uniform (“one size fits all”) achievement goals to make them more competitive in a global marketplace, (1.) and
WHEREAS, the NGA and the CCSSO, received tens of millions of dollars from private third parties to advocate for and develop the CCSS strategy, subsequently created the CCSS through a process that was not subject to any freedom of information acts or other sunshine laws, and never piloted the CCSS, and
WHEREAS, even though Federal Law prohibits the federalizing of curriculum (2.), the Obama Administration accepted the CCSS plan and used 2009 Stimulus Bill money to reward the states that were most committed to the president’s CCSS agenda; but, they failed to give states, their legislatures and their citizens time to evaluate the CCSS before having to commit to them, and
WHEREAS, the NGA and CCSSO in concert with the same corporations developing the CCSS ‘assessments’ have created new textbooks, digital media and other teaching materials aligned to the standards which must be purchased and adopted by local school districts in order that students may effectively compete on CCSS ‘assessments’, and
WHEREAS, the CCSS program includes federally funded testing and the collection and sharing of massive amounts of personal student and teacher data, and
WHEREAS, the CCSS effectively removes educational choice and competition since all schools and all districts must use Common Core ‘assessments’ based on the Common Core standards to allow all students to advance in the school system and to advance to higher education pursuits; therefore be it
RESOLVED, the Republican National Committee, as stated in the 2012 Republican Party Platform, “do not believe in a one size fits all approach to education and support providing broad education choices to parents and children at the State and local level,” (p35)(3.), which is best based on a free market approach to education for students to achieve individual excellence; and, be it further
RESOLVED, the Republican National Committee recognizes the CCSS for what it is– an inappropriate overreach to standardize and control the education of our children so they will conform to a preconceived “normal,” and, be it further
RESOLVED, That the Republican National Committee rejects the collection of personal student data for any non-educational purpose without the prior written consent of an adult student or a child student’s parent and that it rejects the sharing of such personal data, without the prior written consent of an adult student or a child student’s parent, with any person or entity other than schools or education agencies within the state, and be it finally
RESOLVED, the 2012 Republican Party Platform specifically states the need to repeal the numerous federal regulations which interfere with State and local control of public schools, (p36) (3.); and therefore, the Republican National Committee rejects this CCSS plan which creates and fits the country with a nationwide straitjacket on academic freedom and achievement.
References:
2. Federal Law 20 USC 1232a-Sec. 1232a. and The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Pub.L. 89-10, 79 Stat. 27, 20 US.C. ch. 70.
http://us-code.vlex.com/vid/prohibition-against-federal-control-19195093
Check out this great video showing clips from a Georgia press conference featuring experts Jane Robbins, Sandra Stotsky, Ze’ev Wurman, and others.
And everyone was told how easy it would be to get out of this if we changed our minds.
Well – if you reject it, what are the alternatives?
Will the states still get Fed gov’t. money to support the states in education.
Will students still get a diploma?
Jennifre
Jennifer, if we reject Common Core, why would you think there are no alternatives? We’ve been teaching children for a long time. We even know what works best. States like MA, CA, and IN, had some of the best standards in the country. Teachers have always tested students. There is no reason to think that the latest education scheme couldn’t have competition for education.
The feds give us about 13% of our money for our education system. Imagine what would happen if the feds quit giving states money for education? We could lower federal taxes and increase state or local taxes. That helps bring accountability to the system because taxpayers have greater influence when taxation is local. At the federal level, you and I don’t really have any say in how we are taxed or how the money is spent.
Students get diplomas from local schools and districts. Even homeschoolers can award diplomas to their children.
Dr. Sandra Stotsky, who is arguably the foremost authority in the country on ELA standards, and helped Massachusetts to develop their top standards, has offered her standards for free to any of the states. (http://educationviews.org/dr-sandra-stotskys-gift-to-america-an-education) For math standards there is Saxon Math and Singapore math, both excellent and both proven. The constitution does not allow the federal government to interfere in education, but the states have been asleep and have not fought back. Case in point: Up until about 50 years ago welfare was handled by the counties. Then the Fed said they would do it, and we now have over 180 welfare programs, and almost half of our children in this country are being born into poverty because of these inducements to have children out of wedlock. We don’t want Fed gov’t money–that’s money they have taken from us, or have added to our backs as massive debt. Common Core will not call a diploma by that name anymore–they’ve chosen another one.
I found it, Certificate of Initial Mastery (CMI), which is designed to replace the high school diploma.