How to Stop Common Core 2nd Edition

How to Stop Common Core

2nd Edition

Dave and Marian Armstrong

Smashwords Edition

This book is available in print at most online retailers.

We admit that we are ideological and believe that there is a culture war between liberals and conservatives in our country. It is our struggle, therefore, to NOT see Common Core in political or ideological terms. Regardless, much of what we see in Common Core is a desire for our government to control the thought of our future generations. We reject that.

However, we have made every attempt to try to present a fair picture of Common Core and the people that are pushing it. We claim no conspiracies or some evil intent. Many good people believe in the benefits of Common Core and we respect that.

Even the best of intentions can be wrong. We believe that if you dig into the forces behind Common Core you cannot help but to reject it. We hope we have presented this in a fair and balanced way. We also hope you share this truth and will help us push back against this failure of American education.

We would like to thank Arlene Roemer da Feltre for her wonderful editing in the early days and our friends, Michael Daley and Drusilla Omri for their support and encouragement.

Dave and Marian Armstrong

How to Stop Common Core 2nd Edition

Published by

Armstrong Publishing and Smarty Pants Books

504 N Main St

Livingston, MT 59047

Copyright © 2013 by Armstrong Publishing and Smarty Pants Books, Livingston Montana 59047

Print ISBN: 978-0-9911845-0-7

eBook ISBN: 978-0-9911845-1-4

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What is New in This Second Edition?

We have an online webpage at http://goo.gl/8TqqaD that provides letter and email templates as well as many of the flyers and forms mentioned in this book. We will constantly be adding new links and videos so visit often.

We have added two new chapters on how to automate the sending of letters and emails to the decision makers of Common Core. A single click can send personalized letters to hundreds or even thousands of people you wish to influence.

These new chapters give you step-by-step guides that will help you to effectively communicate to your local, state and federal representatives. You will learn:

1. Instructions on how to Google the names of your local school board members, county officers, teachers and state representatives. We provide a ready to use Excel spreadsheet to hold that information.

2. How to build a list of names, addresses and email addresses in an Excel spreadsheet. You can use this list to mail merge letters or to broadcast emails in your Microsoft Outlook.

3. How to create a simple, but effective personalized letter in MS Word format that you can mail merge to the many local and not so local Common Core decision makers.

4. How to write and personalize an email. With a Microsoft Outlook and few clicks you can broadcast to everyone on your list.

5. Not everyone has Microsoft Office, so we show you how to blast out emails using Gmail and Google Docs. If you use Gmail, you may want to go this way.

The odd looking web URL underlined above is a shortened version of a longer URL.

For example, this:

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/05/28/everything-i-love-about-teaching-is-extinct-teacher-resigns-in-scathing-youtube-video-targeting-standardized-education/

Becomes this:

http://goo.gl/fQCjPa

These shortened links are much easier for you to accurately type. Note that these short URLs are case sensitive and must be typed exactly as shown. Case is important.

You will see many of these short links in this book. All lead to wonderful web sources that will help you build your case against the implementation of Common Core.

Table of Contents

1 - Common Core Standards

2 - Common Core Curriculum

3 - Data Tracking

4 - National Testing

5 - End Goal of Common Core

6 - Legality of Common Core

7 - Cost of Common Core

8 - Players Behind Common Core

9 - Unions and Common Core

10 - Common Core with Private and Home Schools

11 - What Common Core Means for Our Children

12 - Students Belong to the State/United Nations

13 - Legislative Action Dropping Common Core

14 - Forces Converge to Defeat Common Core

15 - CSCOPE vs. Common Core

16 - Is Common Core a Part of U.N. Agenda 21?

17 - Responses to Common Core

18 - Actions to Remove Common Core

19 - People to Contact

20 - Resources and Links

21 - Two Sided Flyer Handout

22 - Our Online Resources

23 - Reach and Influence Thousands with Just MS Office

24 - Reach and Influence Thousands with Just Gmail

Epilog

Preface

Who would argue against a program that claimed the following?

The Standards are designed to build upon the most advanced current thinking about preparing all students for success in college and their careers. This will result in moving even the best state standards to the next level. In fact, since this work began, there has been an explicit agreement that no state would lower its standards. The Standards were informed by the best in the country, the highest international standards, and evidence and expertise about educational outcomes. We need college and career ready standards because even in high performing states, students are graduating and passing all the required tests and still require remediation in their postsecondary work.

The Standards refer to the Common Core State Standards that are being implemented throughout the United States. Why did five states opt out when the program was first presented and presently lawmakers in sixteen additional states are proposing legislation to block the implementation of Common Core? Why are parents expressing outrage about falling math skills and scores or educational content, and becoming involved in the political process to press their states to back out of Common Core? Why are states signing onto a program that overrides their states’ rights to control education? Why are citizens throughout the country shocked by the connection between Common Core Standards, federal funds, and the establishment of a database containing immense quantities of private data on students including political affiliations of the student or parent; religious practices, affiliations, or beliefs; sexual behavior or attitudes?

The following document has been written to provide you with information and answers about the Common Core State Standards. In the chapters that follow, you will find out what it is, who created it, and why many educators and parents are troubled by it. If after reading this information, you decide that Common Core is not the way to raise educational standards and that the risks may far outweigh the benefits, then be assured that there is a way out. You will find in these chapters, action points, contact information, and resources to help you take concrete steps.

Two moms led the fight against Common Core in Indiana and succeeded. In the words of one of them, We were up against so many powerful groups with so much money. We fought against all odds, tons of money, a slew of paid lobbyists. All we had was the truth, the facts, and a passion to protect the future of our children. Our victory is proof that our American system of government still works.

1 Common Core Standards

They tell us these are only standards, Common Core Standards. We soon learn there will be testing, lots of testing. Actually they like to refer to the testing as assessments. They are better known as high stakes testing: testing that will determine many things in the life of your child not to mind a teacher's position and salary, a principal's job, whether your school is a failing school or not. Many, many things will be determined by the results of the tests and to pass the tests, we need curriculum which is coming.

It is a stealthy, federal takeover of the educational system in the United States. We are talking about the same standards, same high stake tests, and same Common Core curriculum for every student across the United States. Most parents have not heard of the Common Core program which their governor and state school superintendent signed them onto in return for applying for Race to the Top funds and a possible federal waiver from meeting standards of No Child Left Behind.

Common Core was developed without the U.S. Constitution and state legislative authority. In this one-size-fits-all program, schools across America will be controlled by a 'central authority' with no local input concerning what our children learn. In the end, states, parents, students, teachers, communities, or local schools will have NO input. Federal bureaucrats will control