The Utah State Office of Education is pushing to have Utah adopt the national “Next Generation Science Standards” which is Common Core for science (and happens to be rated much lower than our current science standards). To do this, they have been deceptive with the public and the parent review committee telling everyone these standards were written by Utahns when in reality they are national standards. We have been promised that Utah would not adopt these science standards (or for social studies or health), but the current people at the USOE are forging ahead, handing the public a stripped down version of the standards to avoid “overwhelming” them, but planning to give teachers the full set of standards once approved. It’s Deja Vu all over again… Listen to them in their own words on this video.
Please write your school board member and legislators and tell them the USOE is violating their promise by trying to push national science standards on Utahns.
Here is where the USOE posted on their website that the math and ELA adoption would not be a slippery slope to adopting the science, social studies, and other Common Core standards.
http://www.utahpublicschools.org/
(click to enlarge)
Check out Alisa Ellis’ side-by-side comparison of the science standards here. You can see how the USOE merely renumbered them to tell people they are Utah standards, but used the NGSS/Common Core science standards verbatim.
UT vs NGSS 6th
**********
Audio and video for the video above was pulled from these sources (and special thanks to those of you who go to these meetings and listen to them online to bring these things to light. Thank you for being involved.)
Alpine School District Training (first file, 38 m 45 s)
http://sbs.alpinedistrict.org/cgi-bin/WebObjects/eAgenda.woa/wa/displayMeeting?meetingID=850
Education interim meeting (2 h 7 m)
http://utahlegislature.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=2&clip_id=7992&meta_id=230368
Vernal USOE meeting
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPXdr4TQVXY&w=560&h=315
Letter from Diana Suddreth and Sydnee Dickson about national standards
https://www.utahnsagainstcommoncore.com/usoe-wants-national-standards-limits-to-parental-powers/
Hoping that parents go to these meetings. But if Core Curriculum is passed then I advice you do the following since the school system will be losing funds for every student that is being homeschooled.
Utah parents should pull out their children out of school and into homeschooling. When they see them leaving by the droves it will force them to see that Utahns will not just go along with Core Curriculum. Parents may want to pick up the Iron Rod Curriculum and teach them out of the best books and join a Homeschool support group. Don’t let them manipulate the Utah public school system. Parents need to unite.