Common Core in A Nutshell

This is a guest blog by one of ROPE's Board members, Julia Seay:

"How do I explain Common Core to another parent in one sentence that will make them want to look into this, and not just go along to get along?"   Jenni and I were asked that question by a mom at the Reclaim America conference this weekend.   We love to learn from our friends who stop by our table. Then the mom answered her own question.  It’s the Government replacing parents.  Here is one sentence that I believe will convey the urgency: 

·         Common Core will put Government in the place of parents the same way Welfare has put Government in the place of Churches.

Big Government is growing exponentially while the power of the church and the family is shrinking.  It’s a competition for influence over this generation.  We are facing a battle between those that love liberty, and those that lust for tyranny.

 The Church was once the center of almost every community in America, and the main source of charity.  Colleges and Universities were established by Churches.  Hospitals were established by Churches. Laws were based on the Bible.  Civility and dignity was expected from grown-ups. People believed their children would inherit a better world. 

Then LBJ spread the rumor that politics and church don’t mix, because pastors were talking about his poor character from the pulpit.  Facing the threat of taxation, many pastors started dumbing down their message. Fiery pastors stopped lifting people (especially elected officials) up to the highest of standards and teaching freedom through Christ and Biblical principles.   Pastors once led their congregations into battle for freedom from tyrants. Now many won’t even mention the rampant evil that is flourishing in our government, or encourage their church members to VOTE Biblical principles, much less run for office.  

Children of Christians are leaving the Church in droves.  Watered-down truth isn’t truth.
The Church sits silent as abortion wrecks the heart and soul of our nation, and the strength of Family is destroyed.  Poverty grows and the poor turn to the Government, not the church for help. 

No pastor-led congregations show up in the courtroom as the decision is made to take the 10 Commandments out of schools and the public square.  Anything Church can do, Government does better… but the price we pay is our freedom.

Government now provides health care, decides which businesses are allowed to succeed, dictates if a bug has more right to your property than you, picks the news and entertainment you hear, mis-educates, and decides who gets a scholarship, and just flat throws our money out the window or lines their pockets.  Church?  Shhhh….  Don’t offend anyone.

The Government will shackle the people who work hard and give the fruits of their labor to those who hold out their hand.  That is theft.  That is slavery.  They will then take credit for the gift, and demonize the true giver as selfish and greedy for not giving more. No hard work or morality is expected to receive that pilfered gift; no dreams required; no inspiration to become better or pass the blessing to others.  You don’t even have to be nice to anyone.  They have warped societal thinking to the point that no morality is expected even from elected leaders.  Corruption is working well for a ever-increasing segment of our society.  The Government shadow has hidden the light of Church.

Now the Government wants to replace Family.  The elitists want to mold your children into compliant Human Capital.  To both parties, it is their dream come true:   Big Government for the Democrats; Big Business for the Republicans.  Both have an enormous appetite for a skilled workforce.

 To a parent who wants their children to become all God created them to be, or to become a high achiever, it is your worst nightmare.  What is family anyway?  The Government will teach a Global worldview.  Your child can strive to be common with every other child in every other state, and become all MicroSoft needs them to be.   After all, it takes a village… 

The State will decide what your child will eat.  The State will decide what your child will learn.  The State will decide what vaccinations and medications your child will need. The State will assess what job your child is suited for. The State is working to grow itself in a partnership between Big Government and Big Business.  The family will be largely shut out of the process.  Even homeschools and private schools, while they still exist, will be subject to Government’s testing.  The ACT, SAT and College Entrance exams are being re-written to follow Common Core.  What.is.Common.Core? 

Teachers in Oklahoma – OKLAHOMA! – told David Barton “No, thank you.  We can’t do that.” to his suggestion of teaching the History of American Exceptionalism.  The History Standards are based on America being a “Constitutional Democracy.”  WE ARE A REPUBLIC and AMERICA IS EXCEPTIONAL!  But that doesn’t fit into the Global worldview or the cookie cutter image your child will be molded into.  The American Dream will have to be oppressed to have Global equality.  They can’t possibly teach our American Heritage and Constitution.  They aren’t following it!

Janet Barresi, Oklahoma Supt. of Schools, and PAARC board member (where we buy our tests…Is that a problem?) is giving speech after speech saying that we have not accepted Common Core in History and Science.  It only takes a Google or two to figure out SHE IS LYING. 

Parents will not be allowed to see what their children are tested over.  Not allowed to see the content of what they are teaching our children?  Even teachers are not allowed to see some of the assessments.  An assessment is an opinion that is formed, not a test of knowledge.  They don’t care what students know; they care how they think… 

“Teaching them to think critically” is the buzz-phrase there.  It is code for physiological data is being collected.  They want to know how you live.  The assessments go straight to the database.  You will never know who “assesses” your children and your lifestyle or to whom that information is sold to or shared with.  Why worry about hackers?  Your children are giving their pristine information to strangers, and creeps in our midst are shamelessly being exposed every day.  

We asked why they want this data system.  The answer:   Somebody might move. “We’re a mobile society and parents don’t always take the transcript to the new school” said Ok. Sen. Clark Jolley (and by now we have heard this same phrase about a dozen times).   I said, “You mean to tell me that we are going to spend $Millions collecting intricate data on students because a parent may not pick up a packet fast enough for you?”  He ran away from me, and left Lynn and I standing there shaking our heads. 

Clark Jolley, who ran as a self-proclaimed Conservative Republican in OK, his campaign ads just short of a halo over his head…. the most powerful Chairmanship in the State of Oklahoma wants to collect your children’s information for the use of Big Government and Big Business.  And while I’m in the mood to out people, add Senator Ford to that list, and Reps Ann Coody from Lawton and Lee Denney from Stillwater to the BS list.  You see, according to Common Core proponents, teachers apparently cannot teach children that move without knowing their blood type and the family’s voting history

Now this is personal:  If a child ever had a run-in with a teacher and the family decided to move to a new district, that bad behavior tag will follow that child for the rest of his or her life.  Have you ever been in a teachers’ lounge?   Some teachers just do not like some kids.  A parent could do nothing about it.  Are you as a parent going to risk having your child’s record tainted forever by complaining about a teacher?  They have your information.  They have control. 

Our tax dollars are being spent to tell pretty little lies about Common Core to our teachers. Teachers’ jobs depend on their compliance. We have educators come to us all the time horrified by Common Core, but afraid to speak out.  I learned of another teacher today afraid to talk about the abuse in our Special Ed department.  He is certain he will lose his job if he talks.  Barresi says that ALL the teachers tell her they love Common Core.  I bet they do!  They love it or risk getting their district’s funding cut or losing their job. 

The Government will feed your children.  They will decide what your child will eat and WHEN the child will eat and how much your child will eat.  Every meal will be served at school.   If they ask a parent to send a snack and a parent sends the “wrong” snack, the child will not get to have a snack and a note will be sent home telling the parent the snack was not on the Government-approved list.  Think about that.  The Government withholds food, and then corrects the parent via the child. That is already happening in at least one elementary school in Yukon, OK.  A teacher had implemented this program after learning it in her National Merit classes. Teachers are offered a $5000 reward for those classes.

The Government will decide the books your child should read.  Some of the books that are on the suggested reading list are books that go against everything you hold dear.  There are psychological questions on the assessment that your child must answer correctly according to the Government, not according to the parent’s values.  In the last two days, we have come across some sick books on the approved list, for instance:  “'The Bluest Eye’ which is full of INTENSE child molestation content. The author's intent is to establish empathy FOR THE PERPETRATOR.”  (Thank you, Ann-Marie Murrell)  Their thinking must align with “Global” thinking. Parents just don’t get it, after all.   They don’t even care about carbon footprints.   

Younger and younger children will be given problems to solve and questions to be answered to assess your lifestyle.  The adaptive testing will then reform their thought processes into a more Global worldview, a.k.a. indoctrination.

If your child believes in God and believes in American Exceptionalism, you are in big trouble already. You already know students are taught lies in History and Science, but now the teachers and schools will be graded on how well your student does on these so-called rigorous assessments, higher standards and critical thinking. Although there is zero evidence that any of this will be good, since it has never been tried anywhere, the educrats will assure you that your guinea pig child will be COMMON with all the other guinea pig children across the nation.  Now there’s something to work for!

Do you think you will have any input?  If a school’s assessments are low according to these assessments that parents cannot see, it will be taken over by the State Dept. of Education (3 minutes if it works for the State)  and your local school board will have no voice.  Your new board will either be the State itself, or an assigned board that might be a business looking for some good little workers.  

Do you think the elitists in the State Dept. of Ed or at the Chamber of Commerce will be interested in your child’s dreams and visions?   We’ve talked to them.  They are not.  John Kramen from the OK Dept. of Ed, formerly with Achieve in D.C., actually said on July 10 to a group of 5 of us, “I do not care about the children.  I care about getting my job done.”  His job is to collect data on our students.  Parents, do not remain silent!

When your school is taken over, good luck finding someone to talk to about a problem you might have with what your child is learning or the books they are required to read. To speak to the OK State Board of Education, you MAY have 3 minutes to speak IF your child’s problem is regarding something on their agenda. During this time, Supt. Barresi and the State school board appointed by Gov. Fallin will watch the 3 minute clock tick down so they can pronounce that your time is up. 

 The U.S. Senate has already written legislation for a National School Board, so you can see where this is going. Imagine trying to talk to the National School Board members, even if you could manage a trip to D.C.  You will have zero input in your child’s education.  Government has replaced Family in your child’s education and career choice.  The College entrance exams require Common Core, so homeschools, private schools, church schools as well as public schools and charter schools are all involved.  

·         Parents, please do not remain silent.  Join us in our fight.  Plan to show up to our events or the events in your state. Restore Oklahoma Public Education has a FB page, and you can get the latest information there.  There are also many other groups nation-wide.  Almost every state has them.  We are friends with many of them on our page.  #stopcommoncore #RopeOK