5.30.2014

Lobbying Group - National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE) - Says HB3399 Unconstitutional?


As hysteria about one state in the union breaking away from the hold of the federal government increases to fevered pitch, NASBE weighs in by sending Governor Fallin a letter detailing how the law (HB3399) is unconstitutional.  Seriously, this is rich.

Here in Oklahoma, I know at least two school board members (one a school board President) that do NOT want Common Core.  Travis Sallee, the President of the Guthrie School Board made news recently with the Board's very public resolution AGAINST Common Core.  Thompson Spier an Oklahoma school board member, recently made post history for views on our Facebook (over 7000) page with a heartfelt letter he penned about his school board's declining role in the education of his community's children in view of the ever-increasing mandates caused by dictates from Washington, D.C.  He is also not a Common Core fan.

In fact, several school board members have told me that they have NEVER been surveyed as to their opinion about Common Core before the state school board association (OSSBA) and NASBE decided to lobby FOR Common Core and against HB3399.  So why is it that Governor Fallin should listen to an organization that gets its lobbying power from the tens of thousands of dollars it collects in dues, over the cries of parents with anguished kids at their kitchen table?

To finish off this post, here is the comment I made to the article just because I simply had to.
Wow. Not surprising however, with all the backing NASBE has gotten from Bill Gates to shove Common Core down the throats of school board members whether they liked it or not. 
Amount: $450,675; to convene regional meetings of policymakers and leaders to increase member knowledge around the common core standards 
Amount: $1,077,960 ;to build the capacity of State Boards of Education to better position them to achieve full implementation of the Common Core standards 
Amount: $800,000; Purpose: to support a development plan for the organization and its efforts to provide training and information to implement Common Core State Standards 
Hmmm...isn't that conflict of interest? NASBE complaining about Oklahoma trying to stop Common Core when it's been paid to implement it?
Additionally, NASBE has no standing to do anything in Oklahoma other than draw attention to their complaint - and by the way, why do they care what Oklahoma does anyway?  Consequently, there is zero reason for Oklahoma to kowtow to NASBE.
It seems only slightly ridiculous that the idea of 'unconstitutionality' is even being broached here considering Oklahoma wouldn't have had need of HB3399 if the federal government didn't keep stomping on the United States Constitution via the unconstitutional nature of the DOE in the first place and the equally unconstitutional nature of the NCLB waivers handed out to states inconsistently, rather than constitutionally modifying existing law.
Wonder if I should have my lawyer write the president?

3 comments:

  1. Anonymous4:26 AM

    ROPE this is one of your best ever. I have experienced the wrath of an entity going down and the last ditch effort is to get a lawyer to cry fowl/unconstitutional/illegal (you can always find one to take any side you are willing to pay them to take on any issue you want to...

    So yes please have your lawyer write the president -- why not!

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  2. I can't help but wonder if the Governor didn't ask for their support herself. She's been behind the Common Core Standards since the beginning.

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  3. Anyway to see a copy of what they sent Fallin? We're heading into a similar showdown here in NC.

    - A.P. Dillon
    LadyLiberty1885com
    StopCommonCoreNCorg

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