Posted on 07/16/2010 4:57:31 AM PDT by 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."
This president and his retinue of evildoers have worked overtime to destroy this nation and they've practically accomplished their Soros-Satan mission. How can true Americans allow this to continue festering, ruling and ruining their lives and their nation?
While the 'Silent Majority' has been sleeping or otherwise having their attention directed to another crisis, America is now down the list of 'Most Free Nations' and America is no longer the 'breadbasket of the world' as the extinction of farmers is being rolled out of Congress at this time. Everything we eat will cost much, much more after the evil regime's Congress gets it's satanic work completed.
Thanks newly-elected Scott Brown for joining the two RINO imbecile sisters from Maine in stabbing America in the back. Americans also need to watch the complicit Chuck Grassley and chuck his sorry arse out ASAP!
Never. They'll put up with anything, as long as they can stick someone else with the cost of minding their kids.
We have the loosest standards for homeschooling in the US.
I guess, not anymore.
wow, yesterday financial reform now this comes out today....he is attempting to takeover everything....if that isn’t socialism i do not know what it is....
They got us because we have spent our time thinking about the next election cycle stopping this.
I don’t think so. Now they have your kids.
we are past too late
This is a trojan horse. Once States sign on how long before the Fed demands that state schools begin teaching mandatory pro-gay sex ed and pro gay marriage propaganda under the guise of diversity. Once the states are hooked on the money they have little choice but to comply. All part of the liberal humanist socialization plan for our children.
Can their own methods be used against them? For instance, if the communists take over control of education now, when we throw out the bums in November can the “standards” be altered so they mandate the exposing of the communist movement in education, etc?
Two can play at this game, and if two DO play at this game it makes any side a little more wary of grabbing control that will potentially end up in the hands of the other “side”.
I think we need to start over altogether. This country is irreparably broken. But until we start over, maybe if we fight fire with fire it will teach some folks a lesson about why too much control in one place is always a bad thing.
ping!
The more local the control, the better the schools will be.
In my county we have schools that are succeeding and schools that are failing so naturally there’s a push to combine them all into one district so they can all fail.
This is disgusting. When the 9/12 project started, I was motivated to bo back to school at 46 to get my Master’s in education. I felt we needed more conservative educators to be in our public schools as watchdogs and filters for the propaganda that is stuffed in their heads. I am half way done with my degree. I am sick that my state is among those willing to sell our souls. Why in the world are we pushing diversity training etc, while at the same time we are pushing a vanilla, one size fits all curriculum and standards? That seems contradictory to me.
It shouldn’t affect us, since it’s tied to Federal money.
Just my opinion, but I don’t think your scenario is likely. There have been Democrats running things, and then there have been Republicans running things, but the trend in schools during my lifetime (I’ll be 44 next week) has been steadily toward lower academic outcomes and more leftist indoctrination.
It’s the only way the socialist, marxist indoctrination can be accomplished.
Well, they can, but unfortunately the GOP does not engage in that sort of thing. When the Left has power, they push as hard to the Left as they possibly can. When the Right has power, they try to hold the line. This is the "ratchet effect" that Margaret Thatcher spoke of. You never move to the Right, you just move Left either slowly or quickly.
There's no electoral solution to this political problem. But, as von Clausewitz said, "War is politics by other means".
Might want to check that. If the standards apply to the whole state so the whole state can get federal money, then all schools in the state, regardless of whether THEY get federal money, would have to accept the standards. Or at least that’s my fear. I supposed it would depend on your state’s measures for testing home-schooled kids or approving the planned homeschool curricula. They have ways of sticking everybody with their standards.
Notice that the once free state of NH is one of the earliest adopters.
The communists have completely taken over this state.
The people are fat, lazy, ignorant, and stupid.
All they want is their next fix of beer and chips and American Idolatry.
They will cede everythig to the government just so they don’t have to do anything.
By the time they wake up, if ever, it will be far, far too late.
Stupid.
North Carolina has very limited authority over homeschool (and other private schools’) curriculum. That could be changed by the state legislature - mostly Democrat scum - but they and the permanent state apparatus aren’t eager to take on the numerous, well-organized, and militant homeschoolers. Too much work, interferes with stealing ...
Maybe we need to encourage the Republicans to make an object lesson out of this. Maybe have them include whereas-es which explain that to illustrate the effect of centralized control and power-grabbing, the centralized power is going to mandate something entirely opposite what was intended by the power grabbers so that people can genuinely consider whether they want a centralized power that can so easily dictate everything that is done in the country. Maybe say that these particular standards will be in effect for 2 years, at the end of which time the entire centralized standards law will self-destruct. Put in stiff enforcement measures so the states will see what strong-arm tactics really are.
But make it absolutely clear that the measures will expire at such-and-so time because it is ONLY A TEACHING TOOL for the US public, to teach them a lesson about tyranny and how it takes root.
Good for you guys! Sounds like your diligence has paid off. I hope and pray it stays that way.
You’re right. All the standards will be dictated from the top down, and college entrance requirements will reflect them. Watch home schooling become illegal if home schoolers don’t reflect these standards as well.
The NEA and AFT will want this of course. The good thing is that Texas isn’t signing on, and they shouldn’t because they already drive education nationwide. Same for California although they appear to be undecided.
If this passes it will be horrible.
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