Current Status Of Common Core Legislation (3/7/2014)

We started the legislative session in Oklahoma with 7 bills relating to Common Core.  I documented all the bills and gave a brief synopsis prior to the legislative session, however, now here we are - not even half way through the legislative session and we're already down to ONLY three survivors:

1. HB3399 by Speaker of the House Jeff Hickman (formerly Jason Nelson)
2. HB3167 by Gus Blackwell and
3. SB1310 by Eddie Fields

• SB1310 was the only bill by Fields to pass out of the Senate Education Committee (he had two - SB1146 was a repeal bill - SB1310 is a Task Force Bill).  Unfortunately - as I told Senator Ford - we have studied Common Core in some capacity for two separate years (2011, 2013), there is absolutely no reason to 'study' it further.  This bill is alive and scheduled for a vote in the full Senate.

• HB3167 is a full repeal bill that provides six years in which districts may try any form of standards and curricula they desire.  A Fiscal Analysis has been attached to the bill that states a repeal could result in a significant loss of federal funds.

• HB3399 as currently written does a number of things:

• It prevents the Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE) or any state entity or agency from ceding control over standards, curricula, tests or data to an outside entity, ie; the federal government or private entity.

• It forces the state agencies and individuals that are party to federal grants, agreements or contracts having to do with public education to amend the agreements to get out of them.

• It STOPS Common Core AND Common Core testing implementation for two years.

There has been much confusion regarding these bills.  This morning I was talking to the creator of Bartians for Academic Freedom, Joy Collins.  Below, I am pasting a section from her Facebook page today because she has so aptly described the situation there is no need for me to reinvent the wheel:

HB 3167 - Removes the state mandate and leaves a choice for the schools to keep the standards in place (personally I don't see my school district removing them, how about yours? And does this end the nightmare of the ACT and the SAT?) I acknowledge it is a start, but it is not an complete answer to our prayers. There will be a lot work left to do.

My cousin, who teaches in Texas, has been dealing with C-Scope (the evil step sister of Common Core) in her classroom, and she can attest that just because the state removes the mandate, doesn't mean the standards go anywhere. Her school district holds the opinion that they have spent too much money and aren't getting rid of C-Scope in the schools.

HB 3399 - Freezes the mandate for implementation for two years, removes the Common Core testing mandate, and puts the PASS assessments back in place until 2016-2017, and prevents federal intervention in state education. If PASS is the test, then PASS will more than likely the be curriculum. It gives us the opportunity to see the lame ducks go, vote for people who reflect our ideals into office, and get rid of this horse manure once and for all. 

Some say, Governor Fallin wants to sign HB 3399 to be a hero in her campaign for reelection. I say…praise God! With more time we will continue to educate and get better legislation in place. Whoever thought this would this would be short journey clearly didn't pack enough clothes. In the meantime, as we continue to educate and demonstrate. We must also quit assuming we know what is going on with politicians behind closed doors. A little less he said/she said would go a long way. Who knows, maybe with a little authoritative prayer, Governor Mary Fallin might just come through for us. I am only a political novice who is learning by the day, but slandering any politician without clear evidence weakens our movement and cheapens our integrity.

We agree!  Is the issue STOPPING Common Core or backing a bill number?  ROPE has been lobbying, studying, writing, and speaking all over the state to anyone who would listen in order to STOP Common Core, since 2011.  We will back ANY legislation that STOPS Common Core BEFORE it is fully implemented in Oklahoma by law next year.

Unfortunately, Common Core is like a hydra. There are way too many heads to cut off by a simple repeal.  In addition, Governor Mary Fallin, is the head of the National Governor's Association.  She has touted these standards as an accountability measure since she came into office.  According to a conversation Joy had with the Governor last night - where a group staged a protest outside her new campaign office in Tulsa - our Governor believes her Executive Order on Common Core STOPS Common Core.  Of course it does nothing of the kind, however, we have also been told she will VETO any Common Core repeal bill - especially if there is a negative fiscal impact.

We understand from numerous sources who have been to the capitol, that Katie Altshuler (the Governor's Policy Director over education) has been speaking directly to legislators - lobbying against efforts to STOP COMMON CORE.

ROPE has ALWAYS determined to assist parents in their efforts to protect their children and retain their parental rights by STOPPING Common Core, whatever that looks like, whatever the bill number is, whomever is the author. If a bill can be cobbled together that will not only pass the Senate from the House but be SIGNED by the Governor - we're IN - but it will take a UNIFIED voice to get there.  

If you want to STOP Common Core, continue to help us with emails to Katie Altshuler's office, YOUR PERSONAL Senator and Representative and the Governor.  Sign up for our emails. We will give you ideas as to how to take action.  Thank you for ANY assistance in our battle to STOP Common Core in Oklahoma!

The Politics of Common Core Part 2

Recently I gave you a rundown on the way I see the basic politics at play for the upcoming legislative session here in Oklahoma.  Since that time one very important thing has happened - Speaker of the House T.W. Shannon has declared himself to be considering a run for Senator Tom Coburn's Senate seat.

This changes things a bit.  If Shannon declares himself as a candidate for the seat, he would most probably leave his post as Speaker to campaign.  If he leaves his post as Speaker, we're not certain who would carry his bill, nor can we be certain who the next speaker would be.  There are several we have heard of that have indicated their interest in the post (among others) and the new Speaker's relationship with the governor may put he or she at odds with the grassroots desire to stop Common Core.

Currently, there are SEVEN bills relating directly to the Common Core - 5 in the House and 2 in the Senate.  

Two are simple repeal bills that delete the ONE PARAGRAPH in the 32 page SB2033 that made Common Core law in Oklahoma.  These are:

HB 2786 - authored by Representative Jadine Nollan 

http://webserver1.lsb.state.ok.us/cf_pdf/2013-14%20int/HB/HB2786%20int.pdf

HB2849 - authored by Representative Dan Fisher

http://webserver1.lsb.state.ok.us/cf_pdf/2013-14%20int/HB/HB2849%20int.pdf

There is no reason to think we cannot pass these bills with sufficient enough citizen pressure. Though our main opposition appears to come from two term limited senators - one, Clark Jolley has higher political aspirations and the second, John Ford, has to return to his small community of Bartlesville where a Common Core forum will occur tomorrow night (1/28/13) that has gotten media attention from the Tulsa World and the Pat Campbell show.  For the rest of the non-term-limited senators, we must remind them that this is an election year for some.  If we can't prompt them nicely to do as we ask, then they needn't be re-elected.  In fact, it is our plan to push FULL FORCE FOR REPEAL.  

We have heard these bills may have trouble in Committee because they provide no 'back-up' plan for standards outside the Common Core - they repeal the standards, but put nothing in their place.  In fact, we have long provided TWO OPTIONS:

1.  Return to PASS until new standards - developed by actual Oklahomans - can be created.  Don't forget, the stink that helped cause all this education 'reform' nonsense in the first place was created when it was learned that state superintendents across the nation, including Sandy Garrett, had lowered the cut scores on the yearly state tests (an 'A' would have been 85 and up, rather than 90 and up, for example) in order to make it easier for kids to do well on their exams in order to satisfy the requirements of No Child Left Behind.  So was NCLB repealed?  Oh no instead the feds simply began to apply a whole new set of mandates for states through Race to the Top and NCLB waivers to make up for the bad law!  What is it that's said about insanity?

2.  Dr. Sandra Stotsky, known for her participation in writing the 2001 Massachusetts' educational standards that made MA's standards some of the very best in the entire country (as determined via standardized testing), has released her standards FOR FREE on line.  She has made it possible for EVERY STATE who would like to use them to use them without copyright or strings of any kind.  Why not start with the best?  Oklahoma educators can certainly add or subtract as desired, but these are FREE AND EXCELLENT as opposed to poor and untested!

Senator Eddie Fields has authored TWO bills.  One is a repeal bill that also includes direction to the State Board of Education to remove all alignment in the standards to the Common Core, stop Common Core assessments and require the state board to revise their agreement with the feds that will allow Oklahoma to get out from under the standards.

SB 1146 -  authored by Senator Eddie Fields

http://webserver1.lsb.state.ok.us/cf_pdf/2013-14%20int/SB/SB1146%20int.pdf

Fields' other bill would establish a task force the purpose of which would be to "review curricular standards approved by the State Board of Education and make recommendations to the Legislature regarding new curricular standards."

SB 1310 - Establishing Curricular Standards Task Force

http://webserver1.lsb.state.ok.us/cf_pdf/2013-14%20int/SB/SB1310%20int.pdf

Speaker of the House Shannon's bill prevents the Department of Education from entering into any agreements with the Federal government that would align Oklahoma standards to the Common Core - directs the OSDE to amend any agreements with the feds so that Oklahoma may be released from using the Common Core standards.  Shannon's bill reads similarly to Fields'.

HB3331 - authored by T.W. Shannon

http://webserver1.lsb.state.ok.us/cf_pdf/2013-14%20int/HB/HB3331%20int.pdf

Representative Gus Blackwell also has a bill that repeals the standards and then puts in place the "Local Curriculum Standards Pilot Program" in which ANY school district could adopt their own standards (even if they do not align with state standards) for five years.  After that time, there will be a comparison made among schools using the state standards and those using their own local standards using standardized, criterion-referenced tests.  This is a truly LOCAL CONTROL of education bill.

HB 3167 - authored by Representative Gus Blackwell

http://webserver1.lsb.state.ok.us/cf_pdf/2013-14%20int/HB/HB3167%20int.pdf

Representative Jason Nelson also has a bill.  This bill starts by preventing federal control over state standards.  It requires any agency using federal money or programming - including those collecting data on students - to amend existing agreements to extricate themselves from any agreements that would cede control over K-12 education from outside the state. This bill would not repeal the Common Core, but instead, puts the standards on 'pause' for a full year during which the state assessments will reflect PASS and not CC.  It directs the state board to examine the English/LA and math standards, and then compare them with PASS in 9 different areas.  A written review of the comparison must be submitted to the House, Senate and Governor for their own review.

HB 3399 - authored by Representative Jason Nelson

http://webserver1.lsb.state.ok.us/cf_pdf/2013-14%20INT/hB/HB3399%20INT.PDF

Though, again, we will push for repeal, this is an excellent bill if a repeal is made completely unfeasible by Senator John Ford not hearing repeal bills in his committee and these bills not finding another avenue for hearing.

Now that you have bill numbers, IMMEDIATELY begin calling, emailing and visiting your Representatives and Senators.  Tell them you expect them to vote FOR any and all of these bills (overlapping bills are sorted out by the legislative legal staff after session ends and they know which ones the Governor will sign) and that you will be watching for their vote.

If you are still unaware of who those people are, please go here.  This is the link to the opening page of the Legislature.  On the bottom of that page is something that says, "Find My Legislator".  USE THAT!  Type in your address information and you will be rewarded for your time with a list including the names of your local Representative and Senator.  Once you have that - USE IT!  If you can't figure out how to navigate the website for our state legislature, watch this tutorial I made before Christmas.

As we begin session in February, begin to watch for emails from us (if you haven't signed up for email alerts from us, you can do so on the front page of our website in the top right hand corner) giving you an update on where the bills are in the process and asking you to make targeted legislative contacts.

As Lynn points out, there are NUMEROUS bills and shell bills regarding TESTING and school code - as well as a couple of bills regarding student privacy and data collection - one on which we are assisting Representative David Brumbaugh.  

It is going to be extraordinarily hard to keep on top of ALL that is going on at the Capitol this year, but we MUST.  In our opinion, the federal government is completely out of control.  We have the most control over our government from our own back yard.  We MUST do what we can right outside our backdoor!  We must make our state government work for us!