Posted on 11/16/2015 4:23:06 PM PST by Isara
ORLANDO, Fla. - Presidential hopeful Ted Cruz signed a pledge to kill Common Core if elected.
Cruz was the only one of 14 Republican presidential primary candidates at the Florida Sunshine Summit - a conservative rally put on by the state's Republican Party - to vow, in writing, to oppose any federal efforts to mandate, impose or influence standards assessments or curriculum across the country, Sunshine State News reports.
"As the Republican Party of Florida begins its Sunshine Summit, Senator Cruz's pledge provides needed leadership on the critical issue of education that so impacts the many residents and students of the State of Florida," Luz Gonzales, state coordinator for Florida Parents Against Common Core, wrote in a prepared statement.
"Florida is ground zero for the continued implementation of Common Core State Standards," he continued. "Five of the largest 12 school districts in the United States are in the state of Florida: Miami Dade County Public Schools, Broward County Public Schools, Hillsborough County Public Schools, Orange County Public Schools and Palm Beach County Public Schools."
Parents in states across the country have rallied against Common Core standards foisted on school districts through the U.S. Department of Education. President Obama, using financial incentives in his Race to the Top education initiative, enticed the vast majority of states to adopt the standardized curriculum with little to no input for parents or taxpayers.
In the years since, education experts and parents have repeatedly raised concerns a wide array of issues, from perceived indoctrination to convoluted math processes to inappropriate reading materials. Many folks have also criticized the standards as an ill-fitting one-size-fits-all approach that allows Washington, D.C. bureaucrats to strongly influence curriculum.
"We should repeal every word of Common Core," Cruz, a U.S. Senator from Texas, told Floridians at an event earlier this year, according to Sunshine State News. "We should get the federal government out of the business of curriculum."
Shark-Tank.com posted a video to YouTube in February in which Cruz talks about why he’s “passionately against Common Core.”
Ted Cruz Talks About Repealing Common Core (Video)
Many Republican presidential candidates, with exception of the Common Core-loving Jeb Bush, have condemned Common Core, and several have vowed to abolish the Department of Education, but Cruz was the only candidate at the Florida event last weekend to commit to that promise in writing, FPACC said.
"I, Ted Cruz, pledge to the students, parents, teachers and concerned citizens of the United States of America that I will stop federal involvement in Common Core and that I will oppose any efforts by the federal government to mandate, impose or influence standards, assessments of curriculum," according to the pledge, which was signed by Cruz and an witness.
The pledge drew applause from many anti-Common Core parents coast to coast, including a strong Cruz supporter and organizer at Stop Common Core North Carolina.
"Do not waste ones breath saying the U.S. Dept of Education is not involved in standards, materials or curriculum, because they have been and they still are. A former (U.S. Department of Education) official ADMITTED IT! For crying out loud people, WAKE UP. This is an agency who is suing school districts in order to dictate who gets to pee in what bathroom," A.P Dillon wrote, adding that his personal support of Cruz is not Stop Common Core North Carolina's official position.
"This pledge comes at a time when the White House, along with the US Dept. of Education, has just come out backing 'open source' materials and that they will support and 'model transition to openly licensed educational material,'" Dillon continued. "Right now, the market is flooded with 'common core aligned' materials. This is a way to ensure more of the same and make sure the same things are taught everywhere."
Dillon contends Cruz is the only candidate that been "100% consistent" in opposition to Common Core from day one, and explained what came out of a conversation with the senator in North Carolina this summer.
"I had a chance to talk with Senator Cruz face to face about it when he was in North Carolina for the NC GOP convention back in June," Dillon wrote. "In that conversation, Cruz said he planned to go after Common Core by way of bringing down the U.S. Dept. of Education. Cruz said that .... Abolishing the Dept. of Education doesn't mean 'abolishing education,' but instead returning control of education to the states."
Ted has my vote.
even if he does, I still plan on sending the kids to private or homeschool.
Put education back in local hands! End FedEd!
Another reason to vote CRUZ!
We’re homeschooling after Christmas/New Year. We’ve had enough.
.
Cruz or Lose!
Not only does the curriculum suck, but the teachers and admin are ‘low quality’.
Trump has already said he would dump the Dept. of Education.
Trump for President
Common core isn’t the real problem, it’s the dept of education and the large tax exempt foundations (Rockefeller, Carnegie, Ford, etc)
Excellent decision!
God Bless you in your new endeavor!
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Trump is my second choice. During the PA primaries, I will be voting for Ted. If he gets the nomination, I’ll vote for Ted in the general. If Trump gets the nomination, I’ll vote for Trump in general. But Ted gets my primary vote.
A potentially troubling aspect of Ted Cruz is his apparent attack on private schools and homeschooling. The Cruz campaign is coming out with “About the Child” to stop common core. It is being spearheaded by Heidi Cruz. Here is the problem: “About the Child” is really not about stopping common core, it is about Education Savings Accounts sold by.. wait for it... Goldman Sachs !
In addition Anita Hoge is leading the charge to fight his horrendous Big Brother “About the Child” legislation. Her open letter to Ted Cruz pleads with him to kill S. 306 — Enhancing Educational Opportunities for All Students Act:
Open Letter To Senator Ted Cruz -— This Fight is About Protecting Our Children
https://unmasker4maine.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/hoge-anita-letter-openlettertosenatorcruz.pdf
You, too, and best of luck! :)
HSLDA (the Home School Legal Defense Association) supports Sen. Cruz’s legislation so it is not anti homeschool. They are very careful and I trust them far more than a random person on the internet.
Put commie core six feet under Ted along with the Department of EDU.
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