Administration Pushes Adoption of National School Standards; States, Parental Control at Risk

Citizen Link ^ | 7/16/2010 | Catherine Snow

[IbJensen]

'Instead of petitioning their local school boards, parents would have to trek to Washington to lobby D.C. bureaucrats on their children's education.'

What has been promoted as a state-driven, voluntary, educational standardization initiative is now being strongly pushed by the Obama administration – and raising the concerns of states-rights advocates and parents.

At issue: The administration's strong-arm tactics being used on states to rush and adopt so-called voluntary "common core" math and English standards by Aug. 2 – without congressional review or public debate.

Critics decry the government's zeal, as being a back-door attempt at forcing states and local governments to forfeit their control over key education policymaking decisions. The move could also open the door for more controversial mandates.

The Heritage Foundation criticizes the initiative as "standardizing mediocrity" and ultimately beneficial to bureaucrats, not parents.

"Instead of petitioning their local school boards, parents would have to trek to Washington to lobby D.C. bureaucrats on their children's education," reported the think tank.

To date, at least 24 states have decided to adopt the standards, motivated in large part by federal funding incentives. Minnesota, Virginia, Alaska and Texas have opted out. Many more states, including Colorado, Alabama, and Massachusetts, will be making final decisions about whether to adopt in the next few weeks.

Even though the Obama administration has promoted these standards as "state-led" and "voluntary," recent actions reveal several "strings" attached:

* The administration's "Race to the Top" grant competition gives preference to states that plan to adopt the standards, which has led many to criticize the administration for essentially "bribing" states to join the standards movement. * The administration has even proposed plans to make Title I funding, which assists low-income districts, contingent on adherence to "common" standards. * According to an Education Week article, organizers announced in May that states that adopt the standards must use the document word for word.

"What I find disconcerting is not so much the standards themselves, but the prospect of yet another federal overreach into an area that should remain a state and local issue," said Candi Cushman, education analyst for CitizenLink. "Curriculum standards have traditionally been voted upon by state elected officials who are accountable to parents and taxpayers."

Cushman points to a recent Texas school board decision as a prime example of the importance of local control. The state board voted to retain references to Christmas in the social studies standards, as well as acknowledging the Founding Fathers' respect for religious freedoms.

"That victory happened because board members responded to constituent e-mails and calls," she said. "If a state adheres to national standards, parents will lose influence over their children's education."

FOR MORE INFORMATION Read "'Voluntary' Standards Not Looking So Voluntary Anymore."

Read The Heritage Foundation's Fact Sheet, "Education Standards: The Next Federal Takeover."

Read Education Weekly's "State School Boards Raise Questions About Standards."

[DustyMoment]

One last provision that I left off - you don’t pay taxes, you don’t vote. If you don’t have an ownership stake in this country and this government, you forfeit the ability to determine its direction!!

[Starboard]

Just like in communist countries, the liberal elitists want to control the school system so they can indoctrinate our children. We dont need no thought control. Leave them kids alone!