A Visit With The Women of Broken Trust - What You Don't Know Can Hurt Your Kids and Your Family

In the video above, Sherrie tells us that because of Oklahoma government and private companies, we've essentially put price tags on the heads of our kids. We're not educating them anymore, we're selling them as commodities to vendors who want to use them to make money.

In the video below, Roberta Lewis tells the story of how her son was essentially kidnapped from her family and put into a state mental health facility because of a SnapChat post. If this doesn't show you how much power our government has - that it shouldn't have - I don't know what will.

To follow up our post, we reiterate the fact that children are not being cared for or taught so much in Oklahoma anymore, unless there is a way to make money from them. This has to stop.

Check out the full LIVE video on Rumble and YouTube. Find Broken Trust at BrokenTrust.website

Taxes And Insurance Will Break The Middle Class - Julianne Romanello

Living in the world today is becoming a rapidly unsustainable situation. Of course, before any of the truly New World Order/s can be implemented, the middle class has to be destroyed. The easiest way to do that is by mandating things that have to be paid for through household budgets and then blocking free market access to those things through legislation, rules and administrative actions. Once the cost goes up beyond the family's ability to pay - it's game over.

See the whole video on our Rumble and YouTube channels.

The Government Is Slowly Usurping Your Liberty - Julianne Romanello

A MUST SEE! Here, Julianne, Michael and Jenni talk about how just the act of buying insurance for your home or car will become nearly impossible from the private sector, all the while, the government is mandating insurance needs and then - helpfully - providing that for us...Really think about what we're saying as you watch...AND SHARE!

See the full video on our Rumble and YouTube channels!

How To Keep Your Local Government Honest - By Attending Their Meetings!

On Wednesday, May 8th, NeAnne Clinton, a resident of Enid fighting a 10k acre solar farm installation, talked about how - with a lack of transparency by both the solar company and Garfield County government - the Garfield County Conservation Coalition has been able to stay abreast of all transpiring details of the project. 

Watch this short clip to see how NeAnne - and her friends - find out what their local governmental officials are doing. 

Unfortunately, there are no Freedom of Information seminars scheduled by the Oklahoma AG's office or the Oklahoma Press Association for 2024. 

After calling the OPA it was discovered that instructional seminars only occur every other year as the Freedom of Information booklet is re-published with updated laws ad citations in those years. 

Please go to the Oklahoma Press Association Website where you can order an Open Meeting, Open Records booklet to help you understand Oklahoma's FOI laws. You can find that here: https://okpress.com/page/seminars 

Follow NeAnne's lead. The nation may be in tatters, so let's fight to protect the ground under our feet and we can only do that by attending the meetings of our local governmental entities!

ROPE Report Short - V1SUT; How Do We Get To One World Government?

Lots of people today recognize that we are moving all too quickly into a one world government scenario, but they're not sure how it's happening. This video is extremely short, but describes what things to watch for so that it's easier to see where to push back. If you have ever wondered about the concept of One World Government, this short video is for you.

Charity Linch; Brigades Are Groups Of People Who Attend Public Meetings ...

For years, citizens have had better things to do than to go to their City Council or School Board meetings - that is, until 2020, when kids were forced to wear masks and not attend school and city councils made everyone in their towns wear masks while businesses closed for lack of customers. For several years now, Charity Linch has worked to organize what she calls "Brigades" - groups of community citizens who take turns attending public meetings in their communities and then meet together once a month to update all the members. THIS is how civics should work. THIS is exercising citizen responsibility to oversee government! 

Find the full video on our YouTube -  • ROPE Report Live - Wendi Montgomery D... - and Rumble - https://rumble.com/v4askp0-rope-repor... - channels. 

ROPE2 is providing this podcast as a public service, but it is neither a legal interpretation nor a statement of ROPE2 policy. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on ROPE Report Live does not imply an endorsement of them, any entity they represent, or the veracity of any statements or claims they may make during the course of he podcast.

Julianne Romanello - Education Tax Credit; It's NOT The Economy Stupid

Julianne Romanello, on our show Wednesday January 10th, tells us that by making everything about the economy, people have focused on their pocketbooks and NOT their LOSS OF LIBERTY. She asks, why in the world should we have to get our money back from the government to have freedom?

What is Crypto Currency And Why Is That Important In The "New" Economy?

Check out the whole video here on Rumble, or on YouTube!

Sports VS Education - Do We Really Care About Education As Much As We Do Sports?

Not long ago, I off-handedly created a meme that went viral. It basically said that if Oklahomans worried more about the education of our children than who was going to be OU's next head coach, we'd start taking our country back.

The Problems With "School Choice"

Every legislative session in Oklahoma, the topic of "School Choice" rears its head. People become "School Choice" advocates because they believe the concept will put parents back in the driver's seat for their children's education. But what does the term "School Choice" actually mean?

Is Public Funding of Education Now Unconstitutional Based On Federal Discrimination Law? Bill Barr Thinks Possibly.

For years I've written about how public schools are very often indoctrinating children in ideals outside those prescribed in their homes.  I've warned parents for years to pay attention to what their children are learning in school and to attend school board meetings, yet until restrictions due to COVID-19 caused many students to stay home and learn on line, few were able.  When homework or books don't come home for view and the best you can get out of your kid about school is the following:

Mom, "How was school today?"

Kid, "Fine."

Mom, "What did you learn today?"

Kid, "Nothing much..."

How in the world do you find out exactly what is going on in your child's school?

Led By Idiots? Yes. Sadly.

This morning I read a very short article from The Federalist publisher Ben Domenech. It's called, "Consider the Possibility That We Are Led by Idiots". This is a very short read and very skeptical, but I can corroborate every word he's written just from the knowledge I've accumulated at the very low level at which I've worked trying to influence government.
Here is a bit of the opening paragraph:

I have seen cabinet secretaries who type with two fingers. I have listened as senior staffers with authority over constructing legislation in a particular scientific field engage in debate on whether or not the moon landing was a hoax. I have seen a man charged with revolutionizing incredibly complex government information technology systems who did not know how to use a thumb drive.

Senate HHS Committee Votes YES on SB83 - Because, Well, It Supports Parental Choice AFTER Parents Jump Through Hoops

Why am I continually surprised at the lack of knowledge our government officials possess about the principles of good government?

Today, as I watched a live feed, the Senators in the Senate Health and Human Services Committee voted to PASS SB83 (video from a life Facebook feed below). This bill by Senator Ervin Yen ORIGINALLY revoked the exemption for children to attend public school if their parents didn't want to subscribe to the precise vaccination schedule as dictated by the CDC and Oklahoma State Department of Health. 

Common Core Repeal Is...Political?

Since the repeal of Common Core in Oklahoma, I have noticed a spate of articles/editorials advancing the talking point that its demise was POLITICAL.

Here is a favorite - "Politics Are Crushing The Standards" by Dave Powell, a professor at Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania.

My guess is that they fear the common core not because it represents a "federal takeover" of education, but because it might allow us to draw true comparisons between the educational performance of students in different states—comparisons that cannot be so easily explained away....For all their limitations, standards at least hold the promise of bringing real accountability to the people who, for too long, have made rules and regulations about education without ever being held responsible for providing the resources needed to make their endless pronouncements a reality.

And another favorite - this time from the Chamber of Commerce Foundation - "Oklahoma Puts Politics Before Students".  This one is really rich because it is attached to a 'pledge' that you can sign to 'pledge' your support for "college- and career-ready standards".  It's also a perfect example of the Pot Calling the Kettle Black.  Yes, Chamber, we realize YOU have not used Bill Gates money to put pressure on the Oklahoma legislature and Governor to get them to PASS AND KEEP Common Core; it's only us poor parents that are engaging in a political battle.

These articles got my blood up and made me want to know exactly how politics is defined.  So what is politics?  I looked up the definition in Merriam Webster’s online dictionary.  The first subset of definitions was:

a :  the art or science of government

b :  the art or science concerned with guiding or influencing governmental policy

c :  the art or science concerned with winning and holding control over a government

Though I was surprised at how many forms of politics there have been invented (identity politics, power politics, party politics…), after looking at the entire page of definitions, I began to wonder if something hadn’t been overlooked.  The government of the United States was created by the Constitution.  The first line of the Constitution reads,

“We the People of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish the Constitution for the United States of America.”

Every shot fired in the “War against the Core” has been fired by regular, plain old, “we the people” citizenry.  The parents crowding into forums on Common Core lead by citizens themselves, or staying up half the night researching the initiative on their own because they are dealing with kids crying over math homework for which they can provide no help, are not power brokers who can afford lobbyists, three color mailers or 30 second spots on CNN.  These are ‘We the People’.  If these are ‘We the People’, how do they become ‘political’ simply for entering the political arena – defined as the art/science of government.

I guess this is where I disagree with good old Mirriam-Webster.  Citizens can’t ‘guide’ or ‘influence’ governmental policy – THEY ARE THE GOVERNMENT.  “We the People” ARE the government.  How can you influence yourself or win and/or hold control over a government when you ARE the government.

The Chamber of Commerce is NOT the government.  They, like so many organizations of the same ilk, are a body formed to DILUTE the effect of ‘We the People’.  Instead of accepting that each ‘People’ is the government (through their elected representation) and that individuals have the power of the government as stated in the Constitution, they have found that influencing government ‘People’ through large sums of money provides greater results.  This is the influencing and controlling of government officials that has come to be called politics.

Sadly, because we call a thing something, it becomes that thing it is called.  Today, people truly believe they have no power in their own government because they don’t understand the concept of “We the People”.  In fact, it’s almost bizarre to some folks that individuals can influence their government.

Some months ago I was interviewed by Motoko Rich of the New York Times.  Our initial conversation went something like this:

MR: So, Jenni, how do you support ROPE?

JW: Out of our own pockets.

MR: Oh, so you have corporate sponsors.

JW: No, we use our own personal funds.

MR: Ohhh, so you get grants and loans.

JW: No, whatever we have in our personal bank accounts we spend.

MR: I see, so you have private donors.

JW: Yes, his name is David White.

After I said that, Rich gave a sort of forced laugh and set out on the quest for another answer, but I felt like I’d been waterboarded.  It was entirely clear Motoko Rich had no idea what it meant to be a “We the People”.  She only related to ‘politics’ as the process of money and power influencing the course of government.

I hope that the three very large fights won this year in Oklahoma (passing HB3399 and repealing Common Core, electing a new superintendent and winning a lawsuit against the bill) – not with the help of lobbyists or money or influence other than being “We the People” – will allow people to believe in the concept.  I hope “We the People” will now rise and commit to the jobs we’ve neglected for so long, BEING THE GOVERNMENT.

What's The Fight Against Common Core Really All About?

Today I find that Mike Petrilli of the Bill Gates-money-accepting Thomas B. Fordham Institute in Ohio has been a busy bee!  He's not only been banging away at his computer blogging about Indiana and their failed attempt to rid themselves of Common Core, but writing our Governor to explain how important it is for Oklahoma to 'stay the course' and keep the Common Core State Standards in the face of 'opponents' (something he's done more than once).

His article from today, "Common Core: The Day After", was quite enlightening.  Here he scares us into believing it's just too expensive for states to stop utilizing the Common Core - particularly when you factor in all the money that would be lost to bailing states via federal Title 1 funding as states lost their NCLB Waivers.

Reading the article, I became more and more irritated as I began to internalize the notion that this whole Common Core Standards garbage has nothing to do with standards and everything to do with government itself.  As I was telling my friend Emmett McGroarty from the American Principals Project this afternoon, this is an 'us against them' argument.  This is civil rights and class warfare all rolled up into a neat little package wrapped with a complete lack of understanding of the origins of government in our country and tied with a bow of civics ignorance.

My comments on the article, I hope, indicate my full level of frustration:

Here’s what I always find interesting about your defense of Common Core Mike; why do you really care how states other than Ohio educate their kids? What difference does it make to the students in your state what Oklahoma does to educate Oklahoma students? You obviously care enough to continue writing our governor, ‘encouraging’ her to ‘stay the course’, but why?

Ohio – on its own – could create such cherry-on-the-top-of-the-standards-sundae standards, insuring ALL kids in Ohio were so well educated and so workforce competitive that families from across the nation wanted to move to Ohio just so their kids could compete in our fabulous new global economy! You don’t need the rest of the nation to be on board for you to do that!

Oh, wait, I forgot….Ohio can’t be trusted to do that. Ohio, just like every other state in the union must be overseen with a giant educational fly swatter of sorts to make them do the ‘right’ thing by their citizens, parents and students because they cannot do so utilizing their state’s educational devices.

So what’s ‘right’? Maybe we should define what ‘right’ actually is in terms of education. Yes, Fordham (Achieve, CCSSO and NGA) clearly knows what’s ‘right’ for the nation in terms of education, but is it really up to you to create that definition?

Doesn’t it seem at least plausible that people in their own states would best know that definition of a ‘right’ education for their own state? If not, then why have states at all? Why don’t we just open up all borders and allow every state to be ruled by one central government that knows the best definition of ‘right’ for the entire country?

Oh, sorry! I forgot! That’s what we’re on our way to doing now in education (and healthcare…and environmental protection…)! It is becoming obvious, however, that actual, factual, taxpaying citizens don’t like the idea of borderless states, or one large central government. In fact, I’m pretty sure most Oklahomans wouldn’t be super happy about being lumped into any one category with New York city folk. Isn’t that really what we’re seeing right now? The outcry from that notion?

The absolute worst problem with any of your arguments about Common Core, Mike, is that you have no idea about the actual nature of – not only people themselves – but the principals on which this nation was founded.

Yes, you can yammer all day about the importance of education ‘reform’ and how important ‘accountability’ is to this notion of ‘reform’, but the only ones to whom ANY school needs to prove educational relevance and accountability are those parents and students actually served by that school in that community. That was the greatest notion in all the ideals during the creation of America – the fact that no one was going to have the definition of ‘right’ for any state or individual. That the individual first, and then the state, had the best idea of ‘right’.

I find it nothing less than hilarious that, in the course of your Common Core apologetics, you began by saying, “This is ‘state led’”, intimating that states have all the Common Core decision-making process in their laps. Now that citizens, parents – and even students – have said NO to Common Core, your argument must originate from a different level. Now, the states can’t be trusted to make a case against Common Core because we’ll all end up with crummier standards. No matter what, so long as states are saying no to Common Core, you will find the Common Core monster in the closet that offsets that effort.

I love this line: “But it’s clear that many policymakers are under pressure to demonstrate that they are hearing and heeding opponents’ concerns.” I think it pretty much sums up the derision you have for the regular citizen Mike. We’re ‘opponents’ – saboteurs – reactionaries – idiots who are kicking at our leash because we’re simply too stuppid to understand that you really know what’s best for us. Gack.

Maybe it’s not the standards that are the problem here. Maybe it’s the fact that us ‘idiots’ are sick and tired of being told we’re too stupid to make decisions for ourselves and we should just shut up and listen to you and Bill Gates and NGA and Exxon tell us how to run the lives of our own children.

I truly suggest that before you continue down the road with your arguments aimed at nationalizing education (all the while saying you’re not in favor of that), you get a handle on basic civics and US History. Out here in flyover country, we don’t cotton much to being told what to do by city folk and we’re too stupid to think outside the box that holds our Constitution and our Bible. You’ll never get anywhere with us until you do.

Jenni White
Restore Oklahoma Public Education

Should We Hate HB3399 - the Repeal of Common Core State Standards in Oklahoma?

Thanks Joy Molina Collins of Bartians For Academic Freedom!

Here is my Sunday editorial.  I would like to say a few things about some discussions I have read on Facebook regarding HB3399.  

I realize people are skeptical of their government today.  I absolutely believe we should be!  Many of us abdicated an active role in our government over the years, because we thought those for whom we voted would maintain our best interest.  I was in this mode until 2008.  Unfortunately, without an ACTIVE citizen voice in government, two things have happened:

1.   Those with an active voice in government – i.e. lobbyists, such as those with The Chamber of Commerce - have had the ear of those in power.  Generally, paid lobbyists are not paid to represent the good of the individual citizen, but the interests of individual businesses or corporations.  

2.   Without an active voice in government, many of our representatives have become statists - people who believe government can solve all issues.  Without individuals actively asserting their civic duties and proclaiming their individual rights within the organization of government, it has become easy for those who represent us to come to the conclusion citizens should be told what to do – or at least managed.  

In the case of HB3399, it appears we have a paradox:  If the governor has acknowledged the bill in a press release, and the senate will hear it, the bill is somehow bad.  However, if the bill is perfect, the senate won't hear it and the governor would veto it if it was heard, so what would be the point of having a bill?  What is the goal here?  What is the perfect bill?  What does that look like?  Whose definition of 'perfect' are we using?

We had SEVEN Common Core bills when we began the legislative session this year.  We have ONE bill now – past the midpoint of the session.  There is no way now to introduce a new bill.  A committee amendment can be made during the Senate Education Committee hearing and a floor amendment can be made from the floor of the senate, but we can’t create a new bill.  Do we want PERFECTION or do we want something that will stop Common Core from becoming fully implemented next year?  I hate to say it, but if you want perfection, I’m in complete disagreement.  

Last year, ROPE helped write HB1989 - the data privacy bill that made national headlines.  The bill was NOT what we wanted when it was signed – and we weren’t happy about it – but it was a starting point – guidelines upon which we are continuing to build.  If you believe you can tear down a wall it took four years to build (Common Core, etc) in ONE bill in ONE session you’re expecting the Easter Bunny next month.  Why not be happy there is a process?  Why not celebrate at least some small victory in the process?  I do not understand this mindset.

The group that has worked tirelessly on this bill has done just that...I mean this entire group - including the lawmakers - have spent HOURS on the phone trying every possible scenario in which to make something work.  Why in the world would we do this?  None of us in the grassroots are making any money off this bill.  We have all lost time with our families and our homes and schedules are in disarray.  What exactly do we gain from trying to “make a deal with the devil” as is being intimated?  Are we really that stupid?

I’m not a professional lobbyist, legislator or attorney; neither are Lynn Habluetzel, Ronda Vuillemont-Smith (Tulsa 912 Project President) or Carolyn McClarty (National Republican Committee Woman) – yet we are doing what we can in the hope of BENEFITTING children and parents in this state.  We’re not being ‘used’; we didn’t fall off the turnip truck yesterday; we all have some knowledge of the process.  We have worked TOGETHER with others, not believing that one person has all the answers.

We sincerely believe this bill is doable this session (even while our Governor is the head of the NGA) and that it will PREVENT IMPLEMENTATION OF COMMON CORE next year, or all those involved wouldn’t have spent so much time on the effort on the task.

As I said in my email – this is NOT a perfect bill.  None of us like the idea of the State School Board developing the standards, but the process cannot happen behind closed doors and there is no way to get PASS as named while Governor Fallin is NGA Chair.  Politics has become a dirty word, but politics is really the ability to work with a wide coalition of people to come to a consensus.  This isn't an easy process.

HB3399 is the FIRST STEP in a long process.  We will need to be wise in casting a vote for State Superintendent and Governor, for example.  We will also have to stay engaged to keep our state school board moving AWAY from Common Core, but in this case, necessary law is in place to prevent that from happening if we stay involved.

Again, I could go on and on, but I’m going to stop here.  If you REALLY can’t stomach this bill, that is certainly your prerogative, however, please make sure that everyone with whom you share your thoughts also understands that, this session, it’s HB3399 or NOTHING.

HB3399 Summary:

• This bill DOES REPEAL COMMON CORE FROM STATE LAW.  It also repeals PASS and leaves in language the term, "subject matter standards".  This is a good thing.  We do not want ANY specific set of standards in state law - this is best addressed via school code.
• It allows the new standards to be reviewed and acted upon by the State Legislature after creation by the State School Board (SSB). This brings representative government back into the process.
• The new standards will be college and career ready as designated by the No Child Left Behind waiver.  For those that don't know, the waiver allowed for two options - one = Common Core, the other = standards created by the state in conjunction with career tech and higher education.  We will do the latter.
• Prevents the SSB from 'ceding' the authority of the state for standards to any outside entity - meaning we can't use Common Core (or OAS) in the future because they have a national origin and were created outside our state.  In addition, our TESTS must be designed, owned and controlled by the SSB, though schools will have the opportunity to take the ACT and other 'extra' tests.
• Forces the SSB to remove itself from any current situations in which Oklahoma is not in control of its standards and/or testing.
• Reinforces that schools can use any curricula, books or instructional materials, etc., they decide.
• Provides for parents to be able to look at all their public school child's instructional materials.
• The new assessments can't contain 'emotive' questions.
• The new standards must be reviewed (among other things) for developmental appropriateness and the final draft must be compared to the old standards (OAS for math and English/LA)

Parental Rights VS The Collective - Or Tyranny VS Freedom

How do you feel, as a parent - or even a grandparent - about this statement?  It was actually uttered by U.S. Federal Judge Melinda Harmon

"In a court ruling concerning parents who sued a school district when their son was forced, by a female Texas Children's Protective Services worker, to strip naked and answer questions designed to determine if the boy's parents had paddled him."

Just recently, America's own Attorney General, Eric Holder, has said parents have no fundamental right to school their children at home.

This week I read a paper provided me by ROPE Board Member Jo Joyce.  Jo is Catholic and has been fighting the IAF (Industrial Areas Foundation) and their movement in the Catholic church, for years.  The paper she gave me, "Change Agents, Alinskyian Organizing Among Religious Bodies" was written by a woman who has become a friend (Stephanie Block) as they have both fought the issue.  Everyone needs to read at least the portion of Stephanie's paper that covers education.

I have been working in grassroots politics for only about 5 years now and have had time to think out my ideas on public education.  This paper made connections for me that I had not yet formed - it was that amazing.

For example; ROPE has had a problem with the word "stakeholder" for ever.  All you have to do is search our blog for numerous posts on the issue.  It wasn't until I read Stephanie's paper that I put this together.  Here is a quote,

Stakeholders, some of whom are parents, who attend an IAF Strategic Planning Meeting are asked, “What is the role of parents and the community in that mission [of the school]?”

Without much effort, a seemingly innocuous philosophical foundation has been created, one on which the IAF’s Alliance schools – models of education reform – depend. The parents have accepted themselves in the “role” of one “stakeholder” or “collaborator” among many in their child’s education.

What happened to the rights of parents?  What happened to the concept that PARENTS were those people who had charge of their own children - adopted or birthed?  If you're a Christian, you believe your children to be a gift from God and you believe your Biblical charge to "Train a child up in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it" (Proverbs 22:6).  There is no Biblical mention of losing your parental rights the moment you drop your child off at school, however, this is quickly becoming the way of the world.

I posted several comments about this on our Facebook page the other day.  I thought it important to share these.

Jenni:  I just read the most interesting paper describing the shift away from the rights and responsibilities of the parent to educate their children to the responsibilities of the COLLECTIVE (what are 'stakeholders' anyway?) in conjunction with education 'reform'. When we hear people in 'authority' positions describe the ways in which 'stakeholders' should determine the course of public education, we MUST begin to ask those people - publicly if possible, "Since when did it become the job of the COLLECTIVE to determine how my child is educated?" The course of public education is STILL - and always should be - charted by individual parents through their ELECTED school board representative at the local level where it can best reflect the needs of parents and the local community. I will post the paper under this post later this morning so everyone can read. It is truly enlightening the way Community Organizing has turned public education into an engine for social change!

Niky:  I still always come back to all those kids whose parents can't or won't be that guiding force. What do they get? Our children are blessed with good homes. In Oklahoma, the poverty rates of children are climbing. Whose taking care of them and helping make sure they break the cycle? What parental figure do we get to blame when they don't?

Jenni:  Niky, I understand, I really do - and I know you have the very best desire to care for all children - the only problem is that the line between individualism and the collective is a thin one and the idea you are espousing - while worthy - is on the slippery slope toward the latter. I wrote a blog once about the Straw Man argument that education reform has become. At once many say parents are not doing enough for their children, while at the same time making certain the system favors anyone but the parent. How else do you explain State School Board meetings that will go on endlessly - where APPOINTED officials intone their desire to mold education to be a system for everyone - yet parents are allowed THREE MINUTES to make any kind of comment at all?

We all agree that ALL children should be educated, but we also have to realize that this is not reality. Many children do not have advocates to speak for them. Some of these children grow up to be very productive citizens that are very self-reliant. That is not a bad thing.

I think that in America today - we have SO MUCH - that we have begun to believe that every system REQUIRES a safety net. Now, we have 'safety-nets' for everything from health care to education. FAILURE IS A GOOD THING. Failure teaches us all what NOT to do. This idea that we can't have failure in America anymore is driving the idea of socialism - the idea that we'll all be better off if we'll just circle the wagons and form a collective only works with zebras, not human individuals who are all very different and who all have very different needs.

We must begin to realize that failure IS an option - and not a bad one at that - and let the great American EXPERIMENT work as was planned in 1776.

Elena:  Life is not fair and things happen that seem wrong; but do you really think the Chinese system provides a higher quality of life than allowing children to learn, think and take advantage of the freedoms in the US? I know many people that had nothing, that now have everything. Struggle makes you stronger, makes you appreciate what you have and get. Thinking that the government is the solution is why the rest of the world has known so much misery.

Gina:  This reminds me of the MSNBC promo/commercial I saw where they say.... we must stop thinking about our children like they are our own and begin to think of them as the communities responsibility. This is where we are headed and if you don't accept this mind set you are labeled heartless or uncaring.

Jenni:  Exactly Gina! I think people truly want to help children, but we've lost our way. We don't remember how to do that without the government doing it for us and we don't understand now that to have government doing it for us takes away our autonomy and when we have no autonomy, we can't help ourselves and if we can't help ourselves we're helpless and if we're helpless we'll fail. Make sense?

Niky:  We have a lot of failure in this country.

Jenni:  Yes, I agree, but not failure because of lack of opportunity, failure due to federal and other micromanagement in the system which has bent the whole thing in the direction of collectivism. Look at ACT scores. When did they begin to plummet? During the late '60's and early '70's AFTER LBJ's federal interventionist program into schools called the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Until that time, schools - for the most part - thrived. Heck, we put men on that moon!

Have you studied the early colonists? They weren't able to survive as a collective. The only way for them to thrive was utilizing individual skills and effort. Both of these instances are well-documented and provide excellent examples of why collectivism cannot work. By its very nature, education MUST be as individual as humanly possible because each child has God-given skills and personalities. The only way to provide that is when government is as close to the people as possible, in the most local possible ways.

If we are careful and wise, Americans will begin to learn from history that these experiments in educational collectivism will continue to fail. We can throw off the cloak of failure by allowing parents the PRIVILEGE of caring for their own children and not subsidizing failure by providing government-sponsored programming that continues the cycle of failure. Individuals (and churches) must be allowed to pick up the mantle and provide for those in need so the federal government can return to its sole enumerated powers. Further commitments to the failed collective system will produce nothing more than continued failure.

James:  We have the idea that poverty dooms kids, that ineffective and underfunded public schools doom kids, etc. ad infinitum. I grew up poor and was fifth in my class due to slacking off my senior year; my best friend was from a poorer, broken home and was valedictorian. I didn't have air conditioning or a television in my home until I was 14 in southern Georgia.

Having little money, a broken home, or a thousand other excuses has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with parent's ability to love, nurture, and encourage their children to succeed, nor with children's ability to receive that input and run with it.

Schools have ONE purpose: when the students show up, teach them rigorously and effectively in the academic fundamentals. Teach each student to be accountable for only their own actions in their studies and send them home for the day.

Bottom line here:  If parents do not wake up and begin to regain their parental rights, the collectivists will win - and it won't matter if your kid is autistic, or super smart, or perfectly able but perfectly lazy - there will be no individualism left to allow these children to bloom into the precious INDIVIDUALS they will one day be.

COMMON CORE WILL NEVER BE OK!