Common Core Concerns, Testing, Education and Homeschool

Decided you don't like Common Core? What do you do? Here's some suggestions.
Do your own homework and get empowered!
Dig into the facts and find out what concerns you have and why. It doesn't take as long as you might think, and it will make your conversations with people much more effective.

Inform your friends and neighbors.
While emails can be a great way to communicate, a personal discussion is much better. Some write letters detailing why they are concerned and hand-deliver them to friends and neighbors.

Consider hosting a presentation – many great speakers are willing to come to your home, group or church.
Link up with others! Have contacts both in your neighborhood and with individuals in other areas or who could alert you about things from a higher level.
Contact your legislators and governor.
Meet with them in person, if possible, and express your concerns. Consider bringing a friend or two. Be courteous, persuasive, and positive.
Also, share your concerns with your child's teacher.
Be respectful and calm as you make your case. Most who are part of the legislative or educational system are not responsible for bringing Common Core to your school. Many teachers believe it will help them do their job better. Being combative will hurt your progress. Use the facts and your principles to win them over.

Opt your Kids out of Surveys and Standardized Testing.

California Opt Out Form

Be confident. These are your children and your tax dollars. Nobody has more business discussing this than you do!

Don't look for central leadership. This started as a grass-roots movement and that is its power. A big group moving in unison and sending form letters is much easier to ignore than individuals working on their own. Find web sites that give useful information and calendar events but don't wait to be told what to do.

Be creative and take initiative. Get with others in your community and figure this out. Use your influence to gather and share information. Look for ways to get the word out and do the things that will make a difference.
taken from Utahns Against Common Core Take Action flier.

QUALITY WEBSITES/ARTICLES THAT ARE WORTH READING

Start Here for a clear summary of

WHY I MUST FIGHT Common Core & why you should too. (with research) by Kristina Toddy

Parents didn't get to vote on it. It was pushed on us by officials that wanted waivers from No Child Left Behind and promises of grant $$. Plus, the states had to accept it before they were even finished writing it! Federal control over education is unconstitutional -- look up US Code Title 20 Education Chapter 48 Section 3403 and read under the section titled Relationship with States you will see why it is unconstitutional.
It was not written by Educators, but special interest groups that stand to make $billions by cornering the market on publications/textbooks that EVERY school will require, and by over testing of our children. Follow the money trail:http://michellemalkin.com/2014/03/21/get-to-know-the-common-core-marketing-overlords/
Common Core is using our children as guinea pigs! This curriculum has never been tested, zero data exist on it’s effectiveness. Child Development Psychologists are saying that it expects the wrong skills at age levels- which will stifle creativity and frustrate children instead of teaching them.http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2013/07/30/do-math-common-core-massive-risky-experiment-on-your-kids/
The inappropriate data mining on our children! There are over 145 points of data to be collected and stored on each child. Parents don’t have access to it, and it follows the child from K-Career. Law enforcement agencies have access to it, marketing companies, social services, and it can even be sold possibly to potential employers & 3rd parties-- but not the parent- we can't even see the data!! Can you imagine? This violates our right to privacy! http://truthinamericaneducation.com/privacy-issues-state-longitudinal-data-systems/privacy-invasiondata-mining/the-u-s-department-of-educations-data-mining-efforts/ and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPlBcQJzYIM and http://watchdogwire.com/colorado/2014/06/23/student-data-parental-access/
It rewrites History with a left leaning indoctrination. Common Core has paved the way for the new AP US History framework, governed by the College Board, whose President is David Coleman, the chief architect of Common Core. Early evidence shows that this curriculum minimizes our founding fathers roles in early America:Minimizes our founding fathers: http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2014/05/28/The-College-Boards-Attack-on-American-History Inaccurate statements about Government in the assignments: https://flic.kr/p/oJuxad , one mother stated, “I went to elementary school in Poland during communism. This is exactly what I was forced to learn.”https://flic.kr/p/oGuzHW The liberal & antiAmerican theme is showing up in History and Science. http://stopcommoncorenh.org/sccnh/2014/07/10/common-core-rewrites-u-s-history-with-an-anti-american-bias/ One assignment teaches that the Boston Tea Party was a terrorist act, misrepresents Reagan’s role in the Cold War, and on and on. http://www.wnd.com/2013/02/parents-gain-access-to-secret-school-curriculum/
Diminishes Parental Rights & Privacy. As a parent we have the right to bring up our children using our value system, determining what we expect of them- what is age appropriate etc, but common core strives to impose it’s own “lack of value-system” on our kids. Just read this mom’s response to an inappropriate writing assignment:https://flic.kr/p/os3opw . I wish that was the only example, but there are many. Here is a really bad instance where every Jr High student was given this pornography to read as an assignment: http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/09/12/Arizona-School-District-Pulls-Sexually-Explicit-Book-Recommended-by-Common-Core-Standards “this National Core Curriculum is based on a one size fits all education and will make our local schools accountable to Washington DC and not to our parents. Parents have a right to decide what their children need to learn as well as when they need to learn it. After all, it is our hard earned tax dollars paying for our child’s education. As a parent one should be able to go to your local school board if I am having issues about the curriculum being taught to my child…I shouldn’t have to go to Washington DC to address my problems.” This is scary and shocking as a parent: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPlBcQJzYIMRead more about how our children are given personal surveys and the school decides the terms: http://restoreoklahomapubliceducation.blogspot.com/2014/07/student-privacy-what-privacy.html

You can opt your children out of standardized testing and surveys RIGHT NOW! using either one of these OPT OUT / PRIVACY PROTECTION forms -

Opt your Kids out of Surveys and Standardized Testing.

California Opt Out Form

The Standards are NOT rigorous- as they are being touted! Dr. Sandra Stotsky English scholar from validation committee for English is opposed to Common Core- she & the only mathematician on the validation committee believe the standards are going to do irreparable damage to our educational system! This is unlike fads from the past, teachers will BE FORCED to "teach to the test" even though CC proponents claim they aren't mandating curriculum- teacher’s jobs will depend on it! http://pioneerinstitute.org/blog/why-do-they-lie-and-why-do-others-believe-them-by-sandra-stotsky/ http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2014/08/06/Berkeley-Math-Professor-Ratner-Common-Core-Will-Move-U-S-Closer-To-Bottom-In-International-Ranking
Cost of implementation. America is broke! AND we already spend $809 billion per year- way more than other countries who all score much higher in literacy, math and science! Our systems are overloaded with the influx of illegal immigrants from Mexico and South America, Obamacare is costing millions more than it was supposed to, the deficit is out of control and THIS is going to cost billions!http://truthinamericaneducation.com/common-core-state-standards/state-costs-for-adopting-and-implementing-the-common-core-state-standards/

TALKING POINTS PRINTABLES:
- Turn the Helm printable
- CWA Tri-fold Brochure with points about impacts on home schoolers
- Talking points with links Executive Director and Senior Fellow of the Beverly LaHaye Institute, Dr. Janice Shaw Crouse, compiled these Common Core talking points as a reference guide to the background and future of Common Core.
- NICE Graphic found at Utahns Against Common Core. PDF file and printable
- Fact vs Myth
Dig Deeper

ARTICLES:
Common Core Learning the Ineffective Way
Common Core Magnet from politichicks
Warning Signs: The Common Core Straight Jacket
A Scheme to Rewrite Education
Common Core Concerns - easy to read summary of Common Core concers

Stay Informed
WEBSITES and GRASS ROOT ORGANIZATIONS:

MORE Resources:
Fight the Common Core list of web articles, sites, groups, stats...

Spread the Word

Need help getting the conversation started? Here are some products designed to get people asking questions about Common Core. Practice your answers in the mirror until you feel confident.

View more gifts at Zazzle.

HOW did COMMON CORE end up in your child's classroom?

Concerns about Testing and Common Core

as AWESOME as the information in the above HOUR long video is - reality is most people dont' have time for consuming it in one sititng. If you are concerned about TESTING and its affect on your kids watch this segment from her Q & A

HOME SCHOOLING is AFFECTED TOO!

Detailed site that provides summative information about more than 2,000 homeschool-oriented resources. In the process, we hope to encourage and equip homeschooling parents as they disciple and educate their children.