Oklahoma Republican Legislators Enacted President Obama's Education Agenda During 2010 Creating Many Of The Problems We're Seeing In Public Education TODAY

As a pre-Halloween trick, this article was released in the Tulsa World - Teacher shortage milestone: New record set for nonaccredited teachers given emergency certification in Oklahoma.

Taxes, Taxes, EVERYWHERE - Governor Mary Fallin and Fellow Republican Taxaholics Are Not "Conservatives"

UPDATED with legislators opposed to the tax increase at the bottom of the post!

On the heels of her very exciting announcement that she had badgered Amazon.com into collecting sales tax from Oklahomans who buy from sellers using the platform, Governor Mary Fallin ended her 2017 State Of The State address, to a chorus of weeping, wailing and gnashing teeth from actual CONSERVATIVE Republicans in the audience. 

Does SB707 UNDO HB3399 - The Repeal of Common Core State Standards in Oklahoma?

As readers know, ROPE is not in favor of mandating the use of ACT in law. 

We believe that choosing an exit exam to be mandated for all Oklahoma students is getting the CART BEFORE THE HORSE. Oklahoma has not even created our own standards as specified in HB3399, last year's Common Core Repeal Bill, why would Oklahoma legislators and the State Board of Education decide on an exit exam before Oklahoma's new standards have even been written? 

If HB3399 is to be changed (SB707), how can that be done without deliberately SUBVERTING THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE? Many legislators ran for office in 2014 on their vote to repeal Common Core. Once these legislators are in office, can they simply renege on that vote in order to adopt a specific out-of-state test because it's popular? 

It appears that two very important questions need to be answered before Oklahoma law makers move forward with mandating ANY end of year test. 

1. WHY IS IT NECESSARY TO REMOVE LANGUAGE FROM LAST YEAR'S Common Core repeal bill HB3399? Oklahoman's voted to repeal Common Core, why should anyone seek to change the language in that bill and unhook tests from standards? Wasn't the idea to have Oklahoma tests that matched Oklahoma standards? That's what the public said they wanted.
2. Is it good public policy to NAME A SPECIFIC VENDOR in LAW when multiple vendors can meet each Oklahoma's need for an end of year exam? Isn't this why we have a competitive bidding process? If not, then I'm going out to start my own construction company and lobby to have it placed IN LAW as the only construction company that can be used on any job in Oklahoma. Doesn't make much sense when you look at it that way, does it?

ACT is a test with a long history and all students who want to take the ACT should take the ACT. It should not be MANDATED as an end of year exam. Why? Let's do some pro/con, tit/tat, to figure out exactly why, but first, let's get a handle on some basics.

What does HB3399 say about testing in Oklahoma?

Section 11-103.6a B1: The subject matter standards and corresponding student assessments for English Language Arts and Mathematics shall be solely approved and controlled by the state through the State Board of Education.

Section 11-103.6a C1: On or before the 2017-18 school year, the State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Regents for Higher Education, the State Board of Career and Technology Education and the Oklahoma Department of Commerce, shall direct the process of the development of annual high-quality statewide student assessments for English Language Arts and Mathematics as provided for in Section 1210.508 of this title that align with the college- and career-ready subject matter standards developed pursuant to subsection B of this section.

Section 11-103.6a D1: The State Board of Education shall not enter into any agreement, memorandum of understanding or contract with any federal agency or private entity which in any way cedes or limits state discretion or control over the process of development, adoption or revision of subject matter standards and corresponding student assessments in the public school system, including, but not limited to, agreements, memoranda of understanding and contracts in exchange for funding for public schools and programs.

Section 11-103.6a D3E: The content of all subject matter standards and corresponding student assessments shall be solely approved and controlled by the state through the State Board of Education. The State Board of Education shall maintain independence of all subject matter standards referenced in Section 11-103.6 of this title and corresponding statewide student assessments and shall not relinquish authority over Oklahoma subject matter standards and corresponding statewide student assessments. 

Section 1210.508 A. 1. The State Board of Education shall develop and administer a series of criterion-referenced tests designed to indicate whether the state academic content subject matter standards, as defined by the State Board of Education in the Priority Academic Student Skills Curriculum, which Oklahoma public school students are expected to have attained have been achieved. (**See below for definitions of Criterion Referenced and Norm Referenced tests)

Does this language say that no other tests can be used in Oklahoma other than the ones created to match our standards? NO. It simply says that STATEWIDE exams must correspond to our state standards. That is not the ACT or the AP, or any other national exam - all of which are VOLUNTARY.

What does Mary Fallin's Executive Order 2013-40 say about testing in Oklahoma?

2.  The State of Oklahoma will be exclusively responsible for deciding the assessment

methodology to be used to measure student performance.

6.  All assessments will be developed with input by Oklahomans. Further, final adoption of any assessment is the sole responsibility and obligation of Oklahomans, with input from Oklahoma educators, higher education and career technology centers, parents, and the Oklahoma business community.

ACT

When comparing ACT to the above, ACT simply doesn't fit current Oklahoma law as use for a mandated exit test. 

What else about the ACT?

• ACT is a NRT, not a CRT and it can't become one, but other tests on the market can.
• ACT is not as good a predictor of college readiness as high school grades. For some time it has been known that high school grades are a better predictor of college success than the ACT or SAT (1), but a RECENT study (2) echoes this knowledge.
• ACT will NOT raise our ACT scores if we give it to 100% of our kids. In fact, the Southern Regional Education Board has found that once North Carolina began giving ALL their high school juniors the ACT, they went from an average score of 21.9 to 18.7. (3)  How this doesn't make simple common sense I'm unclear. If you have kids forced to take a test they don't want to take, or are not ready to take, these scores are going to DROP the average of those who would have taken it of their own volition.
• ACT is NOT a necessity for college admission. As many as 800 institutions - including University of Central Oklahoma - (4) that traditionally relied on the ACT/SAT for admission, are now utilizing student transcripts to make these decisions. (5) In fact, according to a previous study by FairTest, colleges that do not base admissions on ACT/SAT NRT's (6) "...are widely pleased with the results. Regardless of size or selectivity, these institutions have seen substantial benefits, including increased student diversity, more and better-prepared applicants, and positive reactions from alumni/ae, students, guidance counselors and the public." 
• ACT has never been validated for use as a high school exit exam. Bob Schaeffer of Fair Test says, "The use of the ACT as an exit exam would be bad policy. The test has never been validated for that purpose. (7) Such use violates the Standards for Educational and Psychological Measurement, the testing profession's own guidelines". 
• ACT may NOT be able to provide testing results in a timely fashion. Online tests for ACT are provided by Pearson (8). FairTest has an impressive log of Pearson testing failures (9) and Diane Ravich has published information on Pearson failures in Oklahoma specifically (10). How can anyone say that ACT's results are expected in a timely fashion when past experience does not at all support this notion?
• ACT is not a fair test for minorities or the poor. ACT regularly underestimates the abilities of females (11) and the ACT also does a poor job of predicting college performance for students of color. A common sense approach would assume that advantaged families will continue to pay for ACT test prep even when state mandated, while less advantaged students who don't have that opportunity and/or simply don't care about the test may not even try to answer correctly.
• ACT is aligned to Common Core. ACT Aspire is fully aligned to the Common Core (12) and The ACT is aligned in part simply because ACT helped to create the Common Core framework. (13) Why would we want a test that does not reflect STATE standards, but those that the public voted to be rid of just one year ago? 
• ACT as an exit exam will mean nothing if no cut score is provided. What cut score will be used? Why? Using ACT's results from 2013 (14) Dr. John Thompson argues (15) that 28% of students would fail and ACT with a cutoff score of 16. If there is no cutoff score for an ACT exit exam than anyone who took the test would pass. How is there any accountability in that process? Since Oklahoma's standards would not be measured with an ACT, utilizing ACT with no cut score would have no meaning.
• ACT has been touted as be cheaper than EOI's, but where is the bidding process that would provide transparency and finality to this assertion? How can one vendor be placed in law as responsible for something as important as determining college readiness without even following the competitive bidding process?
• ACT has been denounced as an exit exam by 2 of the experts asked for testimony regarding the Oklahoma Standards Re-Write process. (16)

I'm sure there are other reasons to look at ACT for appropriateness as an end of year exam, but the point of the matter is that there are enough facts listed here that I would hope legislators would want to take another look at this option. We're not saying we don't want to use the ACT, we're simply saying:

1. HB3399 should be left as is and no language repealed as this was the bill voters wanted
2. Oklahoma shouldn't mandate in law a specific test/vendor to be given statewide 
3. A statewide test should not be chosen BEFORE the standards re-write process is complete
4. The competitive bidding process should not be circumvented for any reason because it protects taxpayer funds

Oklahoma has been here before in 2010, when a large omnibus bill (SB2033) - including Common Core - was passed by the legislature in order to be competitive for federal Race To The Top funds. Since that time, Oklahoma has found that A-F, TLE AND Common Core, were not the bill of goods sold. Let's not make another Common Core mistake. Let's not rush into ANY legislation. Let's take our time and study what is the best course of action - our standards aren't to be completed until 2015-2016 - WE HAVE TIME!

REFERENCES:

(1) https://readingdoc.wordpress.com/2015/02/11/act-vs-eoi-are-we-asking-the-right-question/

(2) http://www.nacacnet.org/research/research-data/nacac-research/Documents/DefiningPromise.pdf

(3) http://publications.sreb.org/2014/2014Policy_brief_ACT_SAT.pdf

(4) http://fairtest.org/university/optional

(5) ibid

(6) http://fairtest.org/sites/default/files/optrept.pdf

(7) http://news.yahoo.com/problem-using-act-high-school-exit-exam-191850535.html

(8) http://www.act.org/newsroom/act-to-launch-next-generation-college-and-career-readiness-assessment-system-aligned-to-common-core-state-standards-and-more/?year=archive&lang=english

(9) http://www.fairtest.org/pearsons-history-testing-problems

(10) http://dianeravitch.net/2014/04/22/fairtest-computer-test-failures-are-common/

(11) http://www.education.com/reference/article/Ref_ACT_Biased/

(12) http://www.act.org/newsroom/act-to-launch-next-generation-college-and-career-readiness-assessment-system-aligned-to-common-core-state-standards-and-more/?year=archive&lang=english
(13) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ca0QEM8NpFc
(14) http://www.act.org/newsroom/data/2013/pdf/profile/Oklahoma.pdf
(15) http://restoreoklahomapubliceducation.blogspot.com/2015/02/guest-post-dr-john-thompson-on-act-cut.html
(16) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ca0QEM8NpFc


**What is the difference between a NORM-referenced and a CRITERION-referenced test. 

A NORM-referenced test (NRT) is a test of general knowledge usually based on some kind of national standard (not locally determined standards), that provides a snapshot of how well one student performs on certain items when COMPARED to another. Results are reported as a percentage. Example: John Smith's Algebra scores shows him to be in the 75th percentile - meaning John Smith performed as well or better than 75% of the students taking that specific test. NORM-referenced tests cannot measure the learning achievement or progress of an entire group of students, just the relative performance of individuals within a group. Test questions are carefully worded to accentuate the differences among students, not determine if students have acquired specific knowledge. (ACT/SAT)

A CRITERION-referenced test (CRT) measure student performance in relation to a common set of fixed criteria - or standards. The test measures individual performance on the exam and provides a score specific to the test taker and not in relation to the rest of the group taking the exam. This test is usually given for the purpose of determining whether schools are successfully teaching students what they are expected to know and do (based on local standards). This test can determine if students have learned the standards they were taught

Common Core Conservative Re-Tread? Smart Oklahomans Won't Buy It!

WOW! Welcome to the New Year in Oklahoma, where we find the liberal Oklahoma news media ringing in their year with a tired and somewhat expected re-tread of 'Common Core as pillar of Conservative doctrine' by reproducing a blog from a former Mitt Romney spokesman, "Common Core popular in many quarters" by the Daily Oklahoman!

Goodness! Does this article coincide with the Governor Fallin-appointed Steering Committee's commencement into the re-write of Oklahoma's educational standards, ostensibly away from Common Core? Well, interestingly, yes, yes it does. Has the calendar changed over to a new year, signifying that Oklahomans will now forget the happenings of last year - including the REPEAL of Common Core - as easily as they have forgotten the color socks they wore last Tuesday?

Sadly, I imagine this thought to be the reason the Common Core indoctrination/re-education machine has begun to spin again. 

Here, former "conservative" presidential candidate Mitt Romney's former spokesman, Shawn McCoy, articulates a theme only summarized by the statement, "Conservative friends, if  “fellow Conservatives" like Jeb Bush, Mitt Romney and John Kasich LOVE Common Core, then YOU should too!" 

Yes, McCoy isn't shy in his assertions; he comes right out and says he knows for a fact Common Core is loved by all "Conservatives" because it has NOT been an election issue. McCoy tells us, "…election results nationwide have proven Common Core's popularity". To back this theory up, we’re told that 'fellow' "Conservative", John Kasich, supports Common Core and he won his state's gubernatorial election by a landslide. He "even received 26 percent of the black vote". WHAT?

This statement makes my eyeballs bleed. At what point do you consider an essentially unchallenged election as a scored point for Common Core? Please note the very first line in this article from Human Events,

Ohio Gov. John Kasich trounced a disastrous Democrat for his November re-election win, but in 23 of 88 counties Kasich received fewer votes than he got in 2010.

Later in the article, we’re given even more information about this less-than-stellar win for Governor Kasich

An Oct. 1 Quinnipiac University poll found 25 percent of likely Democratic voters planned to pick Kasich over FitzGerald. Election results suggest Kasich won tens of thousands of Democrats who would have supported a credible Democrat challenger. Every down-ticket Democrat running for a statewide executive office received more votes than FitzGerald in almost every county.

So, honestly, the Democratic challenger was SO bad that “Fox News exit polling indicated 26 percent of self-identified liberals and 25 percent of Democrats voted for Kasich” and we’re to believe that Kasich won reelection not only because Common Core didn’t matter, but because it’s popular with “Conservatives”, leading to the unspoken thesis that all “Conservatives” support Common Core?

Man, I haven’t had a ton of logic in my studies, but I can assure you THIS notion amounts to a zero sum logic game.

While there’s no great exit polling on this race like Kasich’s, it might be instructive to look at “Conservative” Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin’s reelection bid.

In 2010, Mary Fallin ran for Governor against Democrat Jari Askins. Fallin received 625,506 votes (60.45%) against Askins - a strong Democratic candidate who left the post of Lt. Governor for her gubernatorial run.

In 2014, Fallin received 460,298 votes (55.8%) against an outgoing state Representative, Joe Dorman (338,239/41%), whose campaign began after a late announcement.

During her first term, Governor Fallin served as the Chairman for the National Governor’s Association – one of the progenitors of the Common Core – and made all of President Obama’s NCLB education ‘reforms’ the center of her education ‘reform’ initiatives. Why, would Governor Fallin lose 26% of the vote for her second term, if Common Core didn’t matter and conservatives supported this and other education ‘reform’ efforts?

Then there’s the case of former Oklahoma State Superintendent Janet Barresi, a Jeb Bush Foundation for Excellence in Education, Chief For Change, who supported all Governor Fallin’s initiatives. She lost her bid for reelection in the primary election where she came in third out of three, below a candidate that didn’t even mount a campaign.

I ascribe most of McCoy’s faulty logic to the idea that Romney, Kasich, Jeb Bush and Fallin are conservative. In fact, back in 2013, as former “Conservative” Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee came out in the Common Core camp, I wrote a blog about conservativism and what it means to be a conservative (I refer to the unrepresentative label as “Conservative”, I refer to the actual philosophy in lower case without quotes). I went on to contend that because Common Core is antithetical to the definition of Conservativism, there is no way conservatives can support Common Core.  

I know as long as Common Core lives ANYWHERE in the nation and as long as voters are not well enough educated on the principle of conservatism to understand they’re being played, this argument will arise again and again. We simply must educate others about what it means to be conservative if we’re to prevent Oklahoma from producing a Common Core re-tread that real conservatives don’t want and the state doesn’t need.

The Oklahoma Standards Writing Process Must Not Be Tabled Again

Yet another state school board meeting has passed and yet again the process for creating the state's new education standards has been tabled.

Honestly, I do not know what to think.  Yes, I can call up a number of contacts and get what could be considered a "run down" of the behind-the-scenes drama (if you will) - and I have - yet none of the background noise matters.  Oklahoma is still left wanting for the start of a meaningful process.

HB3399 tells us the standards re-write process began the day the Governor signed the bill.  The Governor signed the bill the first week of June.  The State Department of Education has produced a standards re-write mechanism and the state is becoming aware of this process as I write.

Let's re-cap the events since the passage of the bill:

• NASBE (National Association of State Boards of Education) writes Governor Fallin a letter urging her not to sign HB3399 because it will take away power from the State Board of Education
• PTA, COSSA, OSSBA, Oklahoma Chamber of Commerce (who now no longer have 'education' mentioned on their website in favor of WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT - lovely) and other take out two full page ads in the Daily Oklahoman and Tulsa World urging Governor Fallin not to sign the bill (ostensibly for various reasons)
• Governor Fallin signs HB3399
• Four state school board members, parents and teachers (including the OEA teacher of the year) sign on to a lawsuit to be heard in the Oklahoma Supreme Court alleging NASBE's argument
• The same day the lawsuit is heard, it is struck down in a 8-1 ruling
• June State Board meeting - adoption of PASS and standards re-write tabled
• July State Board meeting - PASS adopted, standards re-write tabled

Reminds me a bit of Sir Walter Scott from Marmion - "Oh, what a tangled web we weave..."

I'm not of the mind to rush into a process to create new Oklahoma educational standards, frankly.  I think the faster we go, the less thoughtful the process.  However, we can't continue to table the process indefinitely. Yes, I realize we will have a new superintendent come November, but he or she will not be installed until January.  Yes, I realize the process could be started and diverted into a new process with the incoming super, however, how long do you stall before you simply run out of time to do what HB3399 tasked in the first place - the creation of new EXCELLENT Oklahoma standards within two years' time?

To be frank, I'm not a fan of the proposed standards writing process.  I think when you get too many cooks in the kitchen your dish more than likely comes out unidentifiable and inedible.  I realize that - unlike the adoption of the Common Core - everyone wants this process to be unimpeachably transparent, but I don't think it takes over 500 people to make that happen.

I have had the pleasure of coming to know Dr. Sandra Stotsky, the premier knower of all things English in the United States - widely credited with having written the best set of educational standards in the country.  What if the Governor showed up to the party and suggested that Oklahoma bring in Stotsky and listen to her describe how she created standards of educational excellence?  What if the Governor suggested we move forward, while discussing different, possibly less cumbersome, methods of creating a standards writing/review plan?

Neither the Governor nor the Board want to be accused of stalling, or rushing, because neither situation will engender positive public sentiment, further frustrating the process.  Because of the leadership vacuum created by the loss of our current superintendent in the primary, strong leadership MUST emerge in order to keep this process moving until January 2015.  It seems perfectly reasonable then, to have the leader of our state chime in and publicly nudge the process forward.  With the people of Oklahoma waiting with bated breath for Common Core to rear its ugly head as it has in Indiana - and with the process already having been stymied three separate times since the passage of HB3399 - gubernatorial suggestion may not only decrease the unease of Oklahomans but increase her sagging poll numbers as well.  No matter what, and like it or not, the law stipulates we move forward, and that we must do in some sort of productive way beginning with the August 28th State Board meeting.  Yes, let's take our time and do this right, but let's at least move forward in a productive way, now.

Is Common Core Really Over In Oklahoma?

Some time ago I created the meme above based on the notion we've been fed by the Chambers of Commerce that Common Core is necessary in order to train kids for jobs.  Since the standards were forced onto the national scene through Obama's Race to the Top application, the rallying cry has been that business in America is suffering because we are not properly educating our children to be workers.  We must have an educated workforce in order to stimulate our economy.

Once Common Core was repealed in Oklahoma, and the process created by which new standards will be established, Oklahoma is now officially free of Common Core.  Or are we?

The short answer is NO.  Common Core is the name for a set of educational standards predicated on the notion that children must be "College and Career Ready".  Sadly, this prevailing thought has been steeped through nearly every pore of the business machine through both the Chamber of Commerce and the National Governor's Association.  The standards may now be in Davy Jone's locker, but the idea behind them is not.

Take Governor Fallin's recent Oklahoma Now column, "Education Beyond High School is the “New Minimum” for Success in Today’s Economy”.  Here, she makes the case that the state should drive education in order to secure a better future for individuals when she says,

Solving this problem, however, (of “preparing our citizens to succeed in a more competitive economy”) requires state-level action. It requires a commitment to reform. Above all, it demands recognition that the status quo is no longer adequately serving Oklahoma students in today’s competitive, global job market.

It seems apparent from our Governor’s perspective that the state determines the best course for Oklahoma’s students.

In fact, she closes by saying,

My job as governor is to push forward, to demand more, and to work with teachers, parents, and administrators to ensure our students graduate high school ready to continue their education and become college and career ready. Nothing is more important to the individual prosperity of our students or the continued prosperity of our state.  

I very much disagree with her assessment of her job.  Her job is NOT to demand, it’s a parent’s job to demand.  It’s not her job to ‘ensure’ Oklahoma’s students do anything – it’s the parent’s job to direct the education of their children.  In fact, if you've been a parent, you know you can’t ENSURE anything about your children’s future – all you can do is the best you can do and pray.

Recently, I was in Enid speaking with the Sons and Daughters of Liberty – one of my favorite groups in the state.  A man attended the meeting and began to ask very pointed questions about the course of education in Oklahoma.  Sadly, he quite apparently believed it the state’s job to provide accountability for education.  In his opinion, unless we test public education students rigorously, Oklahoma will continue to suffer poor educational outcomes.

I think the only way to describe the disjointedness of this thought process is to share a comment I made to our Facebook page the other day on just this subject.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Those of us that pay taxes to support public schools are being manipulated by a growing chambercrat/statist cadre who care nothing for students excepting their ability to become employable and drive the economic engine that keeps them at the top of the food chain. If we’re not wise, we’ll soon be asked to genuflect and kiss their rings. I’m not talking entitlement – no 99%’er philosophy here – I’m talking about individual liberty and the fact that the more government grows and the more fingers it has in our lives, the less liberty we have as individuals . School reform should be local, individual and parent-driven – not predicated on automaton-generating sameness tidied up with a red bow to sucker parents into believing their children should be educated by the state solely to get a job when they graduate. True education elevates the individual and provides the foundation for a free society. Today’s education ‘reform’ is the exact opposite.

So what is my definition of education?  This is the definition I provided on my application to serve on one of Oklahoma’s new standards writingcommittees when asked to define College-, Career- and Citizen-Readiness.

Students ready to tackle the challenges of the world are the product of a well-rounded education in a school that provides an environment in which every child is responsible for his or her actions. Students should study a variety of broad, rich subjects such as world history, music, art and classic literature to expand their minds and ignite the desire for learning; however learning isn’t predicated simply upon coursework.

The creation of productive, capable individuals ready to enter the world in whatever capacity they desire requires a mixture of education and expectation. Schools must impart knowledge to students, but also the mechanics of personal responsibility.

Students not taught to take responsibility for their learning, perceive education as a job – a rote mechanical effort done becomes someone else wants it done. When students are allowed to move forward in their education without meeting the requirements of courses as prescribed by the teacher and administration, the student learns that knowledge isn’t important – that ‘school’ is a game to manipulate to their own end.

When students are allowed to behave against expectations without prescription and delivery of a reasonable, identifiable punishment for those behaviors, students are provided no framework for authority. Without a framework for authority, there is no trust. Without trust, students are unable to see the value of education in their lives and learning cannot occur.

Oklahoma can create the best set of standards in the world, but until it is understood that education is a mixture of education and expectation – and follow through on that understanding – Oklahoma will continue to see poor educational outcomes. 

Here’s how the NGA defines College and Career readiness:

A college- and career-ready student is an individual that is ready to succeed in entry-level, credit-bearing, academic college courses and in workforce training programs.  College refers to two- and four-year postsecondary schools.  Workforce training programs pertain to careers that offer competitive, livable salaries above the poverty line; offer opportunities for career advancement; and are in a growing or sustainable industry.

*National Governors Association, “Common Core State Standards Initiative: Standards Setting Criteria” (Washington, D.C.: 2009).

With which definition do you most agree?

State School Board Members and Others Sue State Over HB3399

I told you in May that the national Associations of State Boards of Education (NASBE) had sent a letter to Governor Mary Fallin explaining they would sue Oklahoma over the Constitutionality of having the state legislature sign off on the standards.  I poo-pooed the whole letter as nonsense - how in the world could NASBE - an out of state lobbying organization have standing in Oklahoma to sue us over a law our own legislature passed?

Well, apparently they didn't, so they got Oklahomans as Plantiffs and had them file a lawsuit.  Here are the willing accomplices:  Heather sparks, teacher of the year, Leo Baxter, Amy Anne Ford, William F. Shdeed and Daniel Keating, Oklahoma State School Board members.  Also Nancy Kunsman, Elizabeth Luecke, Leonardo DeAndrade (doesn't he drive formula one race cars?), Mara Novy and Charles Edward Pack, II.  I don't know anything about the last two - apparently they are either teachers or parents as described by some of the recent news stories about this.

This is the Section with which they are alleging HB3399 conflicts:

Section XIII-5: Board of Education.The supervision of instruction in the public schools shall be vested in a Board of Education, whose powers and duties shall be prescribed by law. The Superintendent of Public Instruction shall be President of the Board. Until otherwise provided by law, the Governor, Secretary of State, and Attorney General shall be ex-officio members, and with the Superintendent, compose said Board of Education.

The lawsuit alleges that the legislature is encroaching on the right of the state school board to supervise instruction in public schools by allowing the legislature to review and modify state educational standards if that is deemed necessary by the citizens of Oklahoma.  Let's review a few reasons this is ridiculous.

• What did the legislature do when they passed SB2033 in 2010? That was two whole sets of standards passed together before they were even in finalized form. So it was ok for the legislature then and not now? 
• Where does it actually say that only the state school board can oversee standards?
• The way I understand it, the legislature can already vote down the rules the state board makes to accept the standards in the first place, basically negating the standards - we just did that with the National Science Standards re-named Oklahoma Academic Standards for Science.

Here are a few other observations:

• Isn't it interesting our own state board members are filing this suit? 
• Isn't it interesting they are appointed by Mary Fallin - current chair of the NGA? 
• Isn't it interesting this lawsuit would be filed the day after the historic election in which Janet Barresi - the incumbent, the Chairman of the Board and a Common Core proponent - came in dead last in a primary? 

Does anyone wonder here whether Governor Fallin signed the bill knowing they were going to bring action against it, hoping to stop the oversight process and therefore slip Common Core back into the standards?

Yes, these are all fascinating questions upon which to ruminate.  Sadly, they all make some kind of sense in a statist, sour grapes kind of way!  The Board were Barresi supporters.  Why?  Because Governor Fallin is a Barresi supporter.  The Board serves at the pleasure of the Governor, therefore the Board does as the Governor - NOT THE PEOPLE - wishes.

Here's another gem: The filing attorneys are saying the lawsuit must be heard quickly because school starts in several months and it will create havoc for schools and teachers if it's not promptly heard. That's GARBAGE! This particular issue doesn't even apply until the standards are re-written and that can take up to two years.  Teachers are not going to be inconvenienced if this lawsuit isn't settled before school begins in the fall.  It has nothing to do with the standards themselves, just the process of completing them.  We've gone back to PASS and nothing will change that now until new standards are written.  You know lawsuits are full of garbage and hot air when they affix so much unnecessary drama to them.

It's awfully fun to point out here that our Oklahoma Constitution SPECIFIES that Oklahoma will only provide an education to children until they are 16.  

Section XIII-4: Compulsory school attendance. The Legislature shall provide for the compulsory attendance at some public or other school, unless other means of education are provided, of all the children in the State who are sound in mind and body, between the ages of eight and sixteen years, for at least three months in each year.

Why aren't high school parents suing for warehousing their kids until they're 18 or older?  Kids, you don't have to attend public school once you turn 16!  Make sure to tell your principal and superintendent you'll sue them if they call you in truant after that time.  

Not only that, but Pre-K and Kindergarten programs HAVE TO GO!  Until your child is 8 years old, the state cannot educate them!  We need to go back and remove all that money we're spending on Pre-K.  That will be an outstanding way to free up some extra cash for teachers and classrooms!

But wait!  The state doesn't have to provide Special Education classes either.  How about if taxpayers begin to sue the state for using taxpayer money to fund Special Education classes?  What would this do to legislation such as the Lindsey Nicole Henry Scholarship which most certainly falls under the category of special education?  What would it do to school choice?  Well, never mind,  I think it's a grand idea!  I'm with the state school board!  Let's follow the Constitution!  Let's just play this game all the way out.

I think ROPE should go on a campaign to make parents aware of the Constitution immediately.  Thanks for the idea of sticking to the state Constitution Fellers/Snider/Blankenship/Bailey and Tippens law firm!  Too bad our points are actually spelled out in the text of the document and yours are contrived to make a point and stymie parents that were simply trying to make their voices heard on behalf of their children and families. 

David Beats Goliath! Political Success, Meet The Underdog

Anyone remember this meme?  This meme was our absolute, hands down, most viewed of all our memes.  I think we had something like 20K views, and hundreds of shares from our Facebook page - including a post on The Five's Fan Page when uploaded to social media last year.

Why?  Because this is a true story.  David DID defeat Goliath with nothing but a rock...and great FAITH that God would return his courage in action with blessing.  For those of us professing Christians, every victory should be understood in those terms, but most everyone enjoys stories in which the underdog wins!

It is a particularly sweet victory for all us moms and dads, however - underdogs without a tenth the monetary resources of the Oklahoma City and Tulsa Chambers of Commerce, the National Governor's Association (for which Governor Fallin is the current Chair), PTA and Stand For Children.

Many Conservatives have felt increasingly disenfranchised over the years - not only by party politics - but by our inability to move our government toward that of a smaller, less intrusive footprint more in line with the Constitution and our ideals.  For many years now, we have watched those in our own party (ROPE board members have been involved in the Republican party) who, at the federal and state level, propose and enact legislation that infringes upon our freedoms and impacts our ability to live our life in the "pursuit of happiness". I know many of us have felt as though we were David's confronted by a heavily financed and funded Goliath over which triumph seemed impossible.

As I wrote this week, citizens across Oklahoma (parents, educators, grandparents...) made thousands of phone calls and sent thousands of emails and letters to our Governor asking her to sign HB3399 which would repeal and replace Common Core in Oklahoma and we won.  True, grassroots efforts - individuals working together - effected a change few would have thought possible.

I believe the momentum may be shifting.  Yesterday, Eric Cantor, a leader in the House of Representatives since 2001, lost his job.  His opponent, Dave Brat, an economics professor at Randolph-Macon College beat the heavily financed Cantor (1.5 million in campaign funds) with 300,000 dollars by benefit of grassroots support.  The National Review Online characterized his message:

Brat criticized increasing centralization in education policy (such as Common Core), crony capitalism and the skyrocketing national debt.

Monday, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing with Sam Sorbo - Hollywood conservative, wife of actor Kevin Sorbo - who has taken over for Andrea Tantaros.  Toward the end of our interview she spoke about working with director Haing Ngor - a resident of Cambodia during the Khmer Rouge's reign of terror. She pointed out that, Cambodia, just as in other Communist countries, the start of communism began with elitism - elevating individuals with money and/or power in stature over others as a way to neuter the masses.

It's not hard to find examples of elitism in America today, sadly, and Common Core presents a very good example.  Bill and Melinda Gates, Arne Duncan, President Obama - all pushing the concept of Common Core (a nationalization of education ) using their money and positions as a basis - though none are willing to enroll their children in schools teaching Common Core (in the same way our federal legislators are not bound to participate in ObamaCare).  In other words, they believe the 'masses' should be placed under rules and regulations that needn't affect those "at the top".  If this isn't elitism, I truly see no other way to define the word.

The defeat of Cantor and the passage of HB3399 are powerful beacons of hope in our fight against elitism and the re-institution of Federalism in the US.  These recent actions should give Oklahomans and Americans hope the tide is turning, but it won't continue without effort.

To be part of the tsunami, you must get involved in the political process and stay involved.  You must be willing to do more than wring your hands and pray, you must write emails and letters, make phone calls, research political candidates and then support those of your choice with your time and effort.  Don't use a lack of money as an excuse to call in sick to the fight!  Together, we can make our government work for us as President Lincoln so eloquently stated, so "that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth".

HB3399: Why Are We Arguing Over A Percent Of A Percent?

Throughout the process of educating legislators and the public about the necessity to repeal the Common Core State Standards in order for Oklahoma to keep public education local, concerns regarding the loss of Oklahoma's waiver from No Child Left Behind (NCLB) continue to arise.  Now many organizations are calling on Governor Fallin to veto HB3399 - the strongest, most thorough repeal of Common Core in the nation, primarily because of misunderstandings regarding the way Oklahoma's NCLB waiver was written, and the power of the federal government.

How Much Effect Does Oklahoma's NCLB Waiver Have On Public Schools?

Quick review:  Oklahoma assured the Department of Education (DOE) three categories worth of 'reforms' under the state's NCLB waiver:

• Our state would adopt the Common Core State Standards (check)
• Our state would adopt an A-F grading system (check - except that the calculations were horrible and the legislature disapproved the rules for them)
• Our state would adopt a grading scale for teachers - Teacher/Leader Effectiveness - TLE (check - except now we're not going to use quantitative measures)

According to the FAQ page about our state's NCLB Waiver, the second two are considered "accountability" measures.  The state addresses a loss of the NCLB waiver on their FAQ sheet:

Now that the waiver has been approved, what will happen regarding the accountability system if the waiver is rescinded? 

Because both current state law and reforms are now in the implementation phase (such as the new A-F Report Card for Schools), Oklahoma would continue efficiently transitioning to a new accountability system in a timely manner, even if the waiver were not in effect.

Here are a few facts about the NCLB Waiver

* States lose no money if they lose the waiver, they only lose the ability to DIRECT 20% of Title 1 funds, which, in Oklahoma amounts to 0.5% of the total budget

•    $5,250,065,70
            ◦   total funding for K-12 education; local, state and federal sources

•    $646,625,448

◦   total federal education funds; 12.3% of total education funding

•    $148,119,558 

◦   total federal Title I funds; 22.9% of total federal education funding

•    $27,198,000

◦   SDE estimate of the amount of federal Title 1 funds that would be required to be set aside for supplemental education services should the state lose its NCLB waiver; 

◦   approximately 20% of federal Title I funds (20% is actually $29,623,912)  0.5% of total education funding

* States do not get MORE federal government intervention with the loss of the waiver, it's simply a different kind of government intervention - telling the state how to spend a whopping total 0.5% of a FIVE BILLION dollar budget.

*Yes, if we lose the waiver, Title 1 schools labeled as "Priority Schools" under the state's waiver would be subjected to something called "The Turnaround Model" in which the state can:

1. Close the school site, OR 2. Convert the school site to a charter school, OR 3. Fire the principal and half the teaching staff/replace with new staff, OR 4. State takeover of the school." 

Here are a few facts about the "Turnaround Model":

• It was begun in Chicago by Bill Gates while Arne Duncan was still Chicago Superintendent - his association with Gates on school reforms in Chicago is one of the reasons he became national Superintendent
• Bill Gates has funded this effort via millions and millions of dollars only for it not to work - even in Chi-town where it started out
• The DOE has provided SIG (School Improvement) Grants - for which Oklahoma has applied and received 5.6 million dollars to help failing schools in Oklahoma

• The Turnaround Model - like Common Core - has been part of the package offered states for money (State Fiscal Stabilization Funds, Race to the Top, NCLB Waiver, SIG) since President Obama was elected - this is NOTHING new and we've used it in Oklahoma already, NUMEROUS times with schools mentioned in the Waiver
• Because SO MANY Oklahoma schools will be labeled "Priority" under the new 'accountability' system, it is highly implausible that the State Dept. of Education could even enforce this part of the Waiver

What Happens When We Don't Follow The Feds - Early Innovator Grant

• Mary Fallin gave back the 54 million dollar Early Innovator Grant to set up our state's Obamacare Exchange
• Cries that the federal government was going to come in and set up Oklahoma's exchange for them were EVERYWHERE with not only policy people, but legislators parroting this talking point 
• Governor Fallin sent the money back and not only did the federal government NOT come in and set up an exchange for us, many GREAT things have happened:

• Attorney General Scott Pruitt was able to use the argument that Oklahoma didn't have an exchange as a linchpin in his lawsuit against the federal government enforcing national healthcare on Oklahomans
• States like Kansas - and others - followed Governor Fallin's lead and didn't set up their own
• Now we see states that DID kowtow to the feds are struggling with their own insurance exchanges which simply don't function

What Happens When We Don't Follow the Feds - Oklahoma DHS 

In his debate for HB3399 on the floor of the House, Representative Jason Nelson recounted his work providing accountability for Oklahoma DHS, during which, he received several official letters from federal DHS warning him they would intervene in state business if he went too far. Representative Nelson continued his work "too far", and instead of intervening, the federal government backed down.

NCLB Waivers - Like NCLB Itself - Are "Crumbling"

The following excerpt is from an EdWeek article entitled, "Five Key Questions About the Ed. Department's Move on NCLB Waivers"

Margaret Spellings, a key architect of the original NCLB law who served as secretary of education under President George W. Bush, told me two years ago that waivers would be very tough to manage and oversee.
"The waivers were a mistake," she said back in August 2012. "It's a crazy quilt of a system which I think will die [on its] own." 

Because the NCLB Waiver system has been so far reaching, there will be little the DOE can do to keep states in line - there is simply no manpower to undertake a "check and punish" system for states that go their own way.  In addition, there are so many inconsistencies in the program - who gets a waiver, who doesn't - that it leaves states room to be able to argue a DOE decision on that basis alone.

As ROPE has said over and over again, Oklahoma is a sovereign state, and the Constitution of the United States is on our side.  We can talk a good game about local control of education - and Governor Fallin can write all the Executive Orders she wants decrying the hand of FedEd in the education of Oklahoma's kids - but until we put our money where our mouth is, our words are hollow.  Let's be the DO AS I DO state and do what's best for Oklahoma kids on our own turf, in our own way without genuflecting and kissing the ring of a King.

It Takes A Village...To Stop Common Core

Because ROPE has worked for so many years chipping away at the issue of Common Core, our email boxes and Facebook pages have been flooded over the last couple of days with many sweet messages congratulating us on the passage of HB3399 - the strongest bill in the nation passed against Common Core to date.  While I know all of us at ROPE (Lynn and Julia and I) really appreciate the acknowledgements and kudos, I keep reminding people the fight isn't over until Governor Fallin signs the bill, passing on links to the letter-writing campaign and the GOP petition aimed at cajoling her signature.

I also try to continue to remind people that, while we might have lain the groundwork, there is no possible way we could have continued this mission or gotten as far as we have this year - first and foremost without God and prayer - but also the countless emails, phone calls, Tweets, Facebook posts and Capitol visits made by the THOUSANDS of Oklahomans concerned about Common Core and its effects upon the children of Oklahoma.  We would be nowhere if not for you!  For that, every single person who has sent even a single email can take some sort of ownership in whatever victory we are handed.

Though grassroots have been all-important, many Oklahoma legislators have carried the Common Core ball at one time or another.  One of the legislators ROPE appreciates most is Representative Sally Kern.  From nearly the first moment we came to her in late 2010 with what little research we had developed on Common Core by that time, she was on board to stop it.  She had been in many of the meetings during which SB2033 - the bill that began many of the education 'reforms' today including Common Core - had been hashed out.  She'd already done quite a bit of research on her own and was not in favor of Oklahoma even taking a Race to the Top grant, let alone adopting standards written outside the state.

Though none of us were really sure how to attack the problem, Representative Kern wrote the first bill to stop Common Core in 2011 (HB1714).  This bill simply took the phrase "Common Core State Standards" out of law, yet the bill failed to get a hearing in either the House Education committee and died.  That October, however, Kern was back with an Interim Study where she had us - and Lindsay Burke of Heritage Foundation - present our information alongside Dr. Barresi.  I think we can call that Baptism By Fire!

In 2012, since HB1714 wasn't given a hearing, Representative Kern reinstated the bill.  Again it wasn't given a hearing at the Committee level and the bill died.

Representative Gus Blackwell wrote HB1907 in 2013 to create a task force to study the cost of Common Core.  That made it through Committee (Gus went around the troublesome Common Education Committee that had stopped 1714 and had it heard in his Rules Committee), but Speaker T.W. Shannon kept it off the floor because the Governor had said she wouldn't sign any task force bills that year.  Instead, Blackwell was offered an Interim Study even more comprehensive than Kern's.  We didn't wait for that, however.  Immediately, Gus authored HJR1011; a joint resolution against Common Core and undaunted we held a successful Common Core is NOT Ok rally and press conference (Lynn dreamed up the slogan just in time for the event!) in the Senate hallway in late March.

Though we were unable to get ANY bill, including Blackwell's HJR heard that year, over the course of four days in October, Blackwell (and Representative Dan Fisher - Vice Chair of the Rules Committee) led a veritable parade of parents, teachers, administrators and numerous out-of-state experts who testified against Common Core - data collection, cost, math standards, English/LA standards, developmental inappropriateness. We even brought in Jaime Gass from the Pioneer Institute and Dr. Everett Piper from Wesleyan University for a quick rally at the capitol prior to the start of the Interim Study to gear everyone up.

Then, of course, this year there were no less than SEVEN bills authored in the legislature against Common Core.  After much political wrangling and positioning, Representative Jason Nelson got HB3399 out toward the end, and, after much more political wrangling, the bill finished the session as the toughest CC bill in the nation.  I have yet to record all the inside baseball on that process, but I'm sure after my head stops spinning I'll find the time.

In the meantime we absolutely have to thank Speaker of the House Jeff Hickman for including us early on in the process, Representative Jason Nelson for his countless thousand hours of study and meetings about and on the bill to make it the very best it could be, Senator Josh Brecheen for having the gumption to bring a Common Core bill directly to the floor because the issue wasn't getting a hearing in the Senate Education Committee - and for his tireless defense of and work on the bill, Senate Pro Temp Brian Bingman for including us in meeting after meeting on the Senate side to help work through the process, Senator Anthony Sykes for his legal expertise on rules, and of course (though there are many others to be singled out as well) Representatives Gus Blackwell and Sally Kern for their continued desire and commitment to make Common Core a dead issue in Oklahoma.

Now, as we wait to hear whether or not Governor Fallin will sign HB3399, the amount of time and effort we've actually put into this fight comes back.  Yes, I've briefly described each previous session's bills, but what I haven't described is all that has gone on in the background - all the meetings and phone calls and research and emailing and lobbying and event planning and logistics and long-range planning and volunteer wrangling.  Then there's the traveling.  I promise, as I've traveled all over this state the last four years - from Grove to Woodward, from Skiatook to Durant - educating people on Common Core, I've put thousands and thousands of miles on my Expedition, spent thousands in gas and worn my family out.  We've set up tables at festivals, GOP rallys and conferences - all without pay - taking any gas money participants would throw our way.  We've attended the Education Policy Conference in St. Louis every year for four years at our own expense - and other conferences besides.

A thousand times for a thousand different reasons (speaking engagement, lobbying, meeting, etc.) I've dumped my poor kids off on my mom Phyllis Morrow, my mother-in-law Martha, my friend Nancy Blalock, my sister-in-law Catherine Wagner, or my friend Tammy Case and I so appreciate their understanding and constant support.  I thank Kelly McCurry, Dawn Shelton, Bobbie Wallace and all the other instructors at our Classical Conversations home school campus for their understanding and support when I've done nothing some days but ignore my own kids while I talk or text on my phone from 9am to 3pm. I've stayed up past 2 and 3 in the morning countless times (including tonight!) writing emails or papers or press releases just to have to get up at the crack of dawn and start household and farm chores that also include educating 3 kids who stay home with me all day, all the while trying to find the time to fold the 5 loads of clothes from the dryer.  I guarantee without the good graces and support of my husband, there would have been no ROPE in the first place, let alone after all these years!  Truly, I have been blessed with an unbelievably precious husband.

One of the best things about this journey has been the hundreds and hundreds of truly wonderful people I've met over the years.  People that just couldn't possibly be nicer individuals.  People that just want their government to leave them alone and quit 'helping' them raise their kids and grandkids - people like Cyndi and John McArtor with Get America Back in Grove, Jerry and Shirley Waddle of the Konawa Tea Party, Tonya Nix and her crew of PTO moms in Canton, Andie Hutchinson near Ceiling, Thompson and Gina Spier from Okemah, Gary and Celia Lanham from Osage County Republicans and Cheryl Carman and the merry band of Republican women in Miami (to name a few) - all have become like extended family and I love them dearly!

Fortunately, over this year there has been a huge influx of education activists!  Though I hate things are going so poorly for so many kids that so many moms are up in arms, it has been great to meet so many of them and watch them activate their friends and neighbors to also get involved.  Moms like Joy Collins of Bartians for Academic Freedom, Kim Wheeler of Sapulpa Against Common Core, Kristal Picolet of Owasso Against Common Core, Jama Harris of Oolagah Against Common Core, Melissa Harcrow and Dr. Barbara McClanahan of Tri-County Parent Action Committee, teacher Jaime Minter and moms Angela Little and Melissa Wilkins of Oklahoma Parents and Educators For Public Education - and so many more I've forgotten to mention - but it's been such a blessing to have them out there fighting for Oklahoma's kids.

Longtime Oklahoma education stalwarts Professional Oklahoma Educators (POE) and former Oklahoma State Superintendent candidate (and unconfirmed Secretary of Education under Governor Frank Keating), Linda Murphy, also jumped into the fray; POE providing an extraordinarily helpful survey of their teacher membership showing only a very few supported Common Core - Murphy providing historical research showing Common Core's roots in Outcome Based Education.

Though I truly believe God called me to this journey, there have been plenty of bumps along the way - Board members that have moved on, loss of friendships for reasons unknown, my apparent ability to rub the wrong way those that could have been better allies, the inevitable 'circling of the firing squad' I've seen happen over and over again to Conservatives as they try to activate toward a cause (this is the most harmful because the collateral damage from infighting ruins more than just the person or persons at which the guns are aimed - it can ultimately destroy the cause.  I've seen it happen and this, in my opinion, is why Conservatives lose so many political battles.).  I guess it matters not in the end so long as we end up helping kids and parents, but I'm only human and that part sucks.  I mean really, politics is a dirty, confusing, frustrating enough steer to wrestle all on its own, why anyone would want to make it harder or more unpalatable, I just don't understand...

Troubles are often offset by joys and it has been a joy to have met moms (and dads) fighting Common Core all across America through the Truth in American Education (TAE) network we were asked to join in 2011 - Heidi Huber in Ohio, Kristen George in Kansas, Gretchen Logue in Missouri, Yvonne Gasperino in New York, Alisa Ellis in Utah and Christy Hooley in Wyoming, Emmett McGroarty of American Principals Project and James Wilson and Shane Vander Hart of TAE to name a few.

It's also been a blast to have been flown out to be on the Glenn Beck show with Dana Loesch, talked with Wild Billl McKubby from WBYZ-FM in GA, Pat Campbell at KFAQ in Tulsa, Reid Mullins now at KZLS 1640 and get to know people like Kyle Olson of EAG News, Joy Pullman of Heartland Institute and Dr. Sandra Stotsky, Ze'ev Wurman and other amazingly smart people who have more brain in their pinkies than I have in my whole brain case.

As I wrap up at 2:20am, I need to say that no matter how far ROPE has gotten in years past, I am absolutely positive the synergy created by the working relationships formed this year after years and years of relationship building are what it took to get the job done.  This year, we not only had all our old friends backing us up - like Ronda Vouillemont-Smith of the Tulsa 912 Project, Carma Neta Morris and Karen Yates of the OKC912Project, Bunny Chambers of the Oklahoma Eagle Forum, Tracey Montgomery with ParentalRights.org - but National Republican Committee Woman, Carolyn McLarty (who wrote the RNC resolution against Common Core signed by every Committee Man and Woman from across the nation) and Holly Gerard, GOP royalty and campaign manager extraordinaire!  Joy Collins has taken over much of our calendar, event and meme-generating chores (and got her picture taken with Mary Fallin in a Stop Common Core t-shirt!) and Don Krumme of Stop Common Core in Oklahoma is doing a FABULOUS job of spreading news and action alerts far and wide across Facebook (as well as generating the most hilarious memes!).  We are also helped by one who wants to remain the "player to be named later", but without whose organizational (bordering on the obsessive/micromanagement style, lol) skills we would have been all off doing our own thing and not working TOGETHER, which is really what it is taking to finish the job.

In fact, though we've worked hard in the past, I felt this year we worked CONSTANTLY.  I mean, just when I thought I could take a break, I'd get a phone call or text to do this or that or get on a conference call so everyone could be on the same page.  Between helping coordinate capitol rallys and visits and researching/writing, I swear this seemed the hardest year of them all.  But again, all of it will be worth it when Governor Fallin signs the bill.

True story.  When I was in college, I had a microbiology professor - an old bench scientist that looked like Grizzly Adams - and I just loved him to death.  One day we were talking about a terrible grade I'd made on an Cell Physiology test and he said, "Jenni, you're never going to be a rocket scientist, but you are tenacious as anyone I've ever met.  Sometimes that's all it takes."

Even if Governor Fallin signs HB3399, the fight is not over.  We will have to stay diligent - and isn't that really our jobs as citizens anyway - to stay active and involved in the political process at a constant level - to protect ourselves from a government that won't protect us themselves?  I've seen people post comments about what a long fight it's been to stop Common Core to this point yet I'm pretty sure they mean since February of this year.  Tenacity is necessity in guarding one's liberties - like the Apostle Paul said in Hebrews 12:1, "Wherefore seeing we are also compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us and let us run with patience the race that is set before us..."  No matter what happens, "Never, never, never give up," Winston Churchill.  Our kids will ALWAYS be worth fighting for and we'll always have to be ready to defend them.