States Do Not Have The Power To Change Common Core Standards And It Won't Lead To College Readiness--Get the Facts

“Dr. Sandra Stotsky’s Gift to America: An Education”

By Donna Garner

2.18.13

Dr. Sandra Stotsky, one of the foremost authorities on curriculum standards, has produced a set of English / Language Arts / Reading curriculum standards that she is offering FREE to any state and/or school district to use as an alternative to the nefarious Common Core Standards. 

Dr. Stotsky knows what students need to learn to become truly proficient in English; and her free standards document is easy to understand, is built upon the empirical reading research, and is scoped and sequenced so that big gaps do not exist from one grade level to the next.  Dr. Stotsky's ELAR document contains an emphasis on the traditional skills that help students to become well-rounded and educated adults.

Dr. Stotsky made herself available to the state of Texas when we wrote and adopted our own ELAR standards (May 2008), and her own free set that she just released a few days ago is similar in many ways.

States and/or school districts do not have to spend millions to write their own ELAR standards nor do they have to adopt the Common Core Standards which were written by people closely aligned with the Obama administration and its social justice agenda.

Here is the link to Dr. Stotsky’s free set of ELAR standards; they are a GIFT to this country given by a very generous and trusted expert who has given her life to help educate so many:

http://www.uaedreform.org/wp-content/uploads/2000/01/Stotsky-Optional_ELA_standards.pdf

To read a brief bio of Dr. Sandra Stotsky, please go to the following link:  http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/resources/html/bios/bio_StotskyS.html

I personally have great admiration for Dr. Sandra Stotsky and am constantly impressed with her courage in going out all over this country to educate the public about the Common Core Standards and their unconstitutional development and many content weaknesses.

Excerpts from the following presentation by Dr. Sandra Stotsky: 

http://www.uaedreform.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Invited-Indiana-Testimony-SB-193.pdf

Invited Testimony for a Hearing on Indiana Senate Bill No. 193

Sandra Stotsky

Professor of Education Reform Emerita

University of Arkansas

January 16, 2013

<< snip>>

1. Why Common Core's English language arts standards won’t lead to college readiness:  Common Core’s “college readiness” standards for ELA are chiefly empty skill sets and cannot lead to even a meaningful high school diploma. Only a literature-rich curriculum can. College readiness has always depended on the complexity of the literary texts teachers teach and a coherent literature curriculum.

Common Core's ELA standards have several major flaws:

Common Core expects English teachers to spend over 50 percent of their reading instructional time on informational texts at every grade level. It sets forth 10 reading standards for informational texts and 9 standards for literary texts at every grade level, K-12.  This is not what English teachers are trained to do in any college English department or teacher preparation program. College readiness will likely decrease if the secondary English curriculum prioritizes informational reading and reduces the study of complex literary texts.

Common Core’s 50/50 mandate makes it impossible for English teachers to construct a coherent literature curriculum. Common Core prevents a coherent curriculum from emerging since over 50 percent of their reading instructional time must address nonfiction or informational texts. What information are English teachers responsible for teaching? 

Common Core’s middle school writing standards are an intellectual impossibility for average middle school students. Adults have a much better idea of what "claims," "relevant evidence," and academic "arguments" are. But most children have a limited understanding of these concepts, even if Common Core’s writing standards were linked to appropriate reading standards and prose models. Nor does the document clarify the difference between an academic argument (explanatory writing) and persuasive writing, confusing teachers and students alike…

2.  Why Common Core’s standards lack a research base and international benchmarking: Common Core’s Validation Committee, on which I served, was supposed to ensure that its standards were internationally benchmarked and supported by a body of research evidence. Even though several of us regularly asked for the names of the countries the standards were supposedly benchmarked to and for citations to the supposed body of evidence supporting the organization and content of its standards, our requests were ignored.  I can only surmise that we received no reply because Common Core’s standards are not internationally benchmarked and there is no research to support the 50/50 mandate.

Reading researchers have since acknowledged there is no research to support Common Core’s claim that an increase in instruction in informational reading in English or other classes will make students college-ready. In addition, the organizations that developed these standards, as well as recent reports on the “validity” of Common Core’s standards financed by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, have failed to provide evidence that Common Core’s standards meet current entrance requirements for U.S. post-secondary institutions or major universities elsewhere.  

3. What leads to college readiness in secondary English classes: Two kinds of evidence show that the study of complex literature in the English class, not informational texts, leads to college readiness. The first is empirical: The focus of the Massachusetts 1997 and 2001 ELA standards, considered the “gold standard” among state ELA standards long before Massachusetts students scored in first place in grades 4 and 8 in reading on NAEP—and stayed there—was literary study (as Achieve, Inc. pointed out in its own reports). This emphasis is indicated by the list of white and black authors, male and female, in Appendix A. Bay State English teachers indicated approval in surveys in 1997 and 2001, and as recently as 2009 when department of education staff surveyed them to find out what changes they wanted, if any, in preparation for a routine revision. Less than a handful even bothered to reply. 

The second kind of evidence is historical: From about 1900—the beginning of uniform college entrance requirements via the college boards—until the 1950s, a challenging, literature-heavy English curriculum was understood to be precisely what pre-college students needed.  From the 1960s onward, the decline in readiness for college reading (acknowledged in the Common Core document) reflected in large part an increasingly incoherent, less challenging literature curriculum that was propelled by the fragmentation of the year-long English course into semester electives, the conversion of junior high schools into middle schools, and the assignment of easier, shorter, and contemporary texts—often but not always in the name of multiculturalism.

4. What students learn when they study complex literary texts: As ACT found, complexity is laden with literary features: It involves characters, literary devices, tone, ambiguity, structure, elaboration, intricate language, and unclear intentions. Contemporary selections on computer geeks, fast food, teenage marketing, and the working poor (suggested in a 2011 NCTE volume) are hardly the kind of material to exhibit ambiguity, subtlety, and irony. By reducing literary study, Common Core’s 50/50 mandate decreases students’ opportunity to develop the analytical thinking once developed in just an elite group by the vocabulary, structure, style, ambiguity, point of view, figurative language, and irony in classic literary texts.

Let me say something more about vocabulary.  It is well known that 18^th and 19^th century writers used a far broader vocabulary than contemporary writers do, even when writing for young adolescents (e.g., Treasure Island or The Black Arrow). The literary texts that were once staples in the secondary literature curriculum were far more challenging than contemporary texts (or the Young Adult Literature) frequently assigned.  And because the “literate” vocabulary that writers like Robert Louis Stevenson used was embedded in stories with exciting plots, students would absorb this vocabulary as they read challenging literature because exciting plots kept them reading (which we know is the main way we learn the meanings of most words).  

This vocabulary learning is in serious danger of never occurring because of the failure of Common Core’s ELA document to provide mechanisms that would guarantee students the opportunity to acquire the general academic vocabulary needed for college work. The missing components are easy to identify: no specification of the contents of literary/historical knowledge students need or the criteria for selecting texts for study; no list of recommended authors as in the Massachusetts framework; no historical period coverage requirements; no British literature aside from Shakespeare; and no study of the history of the English language. 

5.  Why Common Core’s standards cannot be changed:  The two organizations that developed Common Core’s standards have copyrighted their documents. States that have adopted Common Core’s standards cannot change one word of the standards in them, even if their teachers find the standards confusing, placed at inappropriate levels, or poorly written. States can add up to 15% of their own standards but must assess this 15% themselves. Indiana needs public schools responsive to Indiana parents, teachers, and other citizens… 

Donna Garner

Wgarner1@hot.rr.com

Resources to Research in Full What Is Common Core

PERMISSION GRANTED TO POST THIS ANYWHERE AND EVERYWHERE – DONNA GARNER

“Do Not Give in to Common Core Standards”

By Donna Garner

2.20.13

The public is finally waking up to the dangers of Common Core Standards.  People all over this country are no longer sitting back and blindly allowing the Obama administration to take over their children’s public schools with his social justice agenda. 

Information is power.  The better informed the public is, the better able they will be equipped to fend off the Common Core Standards.

To help in that effort, I have compiled a list of anti-Common Core Standards resources going all the way back to 12.11.09.  I trust that people will use these resources to help them battle this “monster-takeover” by the federal government of our public school children’s minds and hearts. I have checked these links; and as of this date, they are all active.  

Donna Garner

Wgarner1@hot.rr.com

====================

LIST OF ANTI-COMMON CORE STANDARDS RESOURCES – COMPILED FROM 12.11.09 THROUGH 2.19.13

2.19.13 – “Former Texas Chief Robert Scott Takes Anti-Common-Core Show on Road”

By Catherine Gewertz – EducationWeek.org -- http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/curriculum/2013/02/former_Texas_chief_takes_anti-_common_core_show_on_road.html

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2.19.13 – “The Other Problems With Florida’s New Education Standards And Testing” -- by Elle Moxley (Tony Bennett was Superintendent of Public Instruction in Indiana for one term. He lost his re-election bid in November 2012, and was appointed Florida's schools chief by Governor Rick Scott.) -- http://stateimpact.npr.org/florida/2013/02/19/the-other-problems-with-floridas-new-education-standards-and-testing/

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2.18.13 – “President Obama’s Education Roadmap: Linda Darling-Hammond” – by Alisa Ellis, Truth in American Education -- http://truthinamericaneducation.com/common-core-state-standards/president-obamas-education-roadmap/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TruthInAmericanEducation+%28Truth+in+American+Education%29

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2.19.13 – “Common Core resolution is the most laughable bill of 2013” – by Oak Norton, Deseret News -- http://www.deseretnews.com/article/print/765622895/Common-Core-resolution-is-the-most-laughable-bill-of-2013.html

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2.18.13 -- “Common core standards spark controversy in South Dakota House education committee” – by Allison Jarrell – Capital Journal -- http://www.capjournal.com/news/common-core-standards-spark-controversy-in-house-education-committee/article_aec2b57e-7a51-11e2-943b-0019bb2963f4.html?mode=print

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2.18.13 --“Dr. Sandra Stotsky’s Gift to America: An Education” -- by Donna Garner --  http://educationviews.org/dr-sandra-stotskys-gift-to-america-an-education/

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2.18.13 – “Bill would withdraw Georgia from Common Core” – by Joy Pullman, The Heartland Institute – http://eagnews.org/bill-would-withdraw-georgia-from-common-core/

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2.15.13 – “Anti-Common Core Bill Filed in Missouri House” – by Shane Vander Hart -- http://truthinamericaneducation.com/common-core-state-standards/anti-common-core-bill-filed-in-missouri-house/

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2.14.13 – “Critics Pan Common Core in Kansas House Hearing” – by Celia Llopis-Jensen, The Capital-Journal -- http://cjonline.com/news/2013-02-14/critics-pan-common-core-house-hearing

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2.9.13 – “Former Texas Commissioner of Education Robert Scott Testifies Before Georgia Joint Meeting of the House and Senate Education Committee” – Part 1:

http://educationviews.org/robert-scottstates-told-to-sign-on-before-common-core-standards-were-written/  and Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5fHQlj9JQw

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2.1.13 – “Alabama Withdraws From Both Testing Consortia” – by Catherine Gewertz -- EducationWeek.org -- http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/curriculum/2013/02/alabama_withdraws_from_both_te.html?cmp=ENL-EU-NEWS2

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1.25.13 – “Common Core crushing the education system” – by Chasidy White -- http://educationviews.org/common-core-crushing-the-education-system/

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1.24.13 – “Debunking Misconceptions: ‘The Common Core Is State-Led’ “ – by Shane Vander Hart -- http://truthinamericaneducation.com/common-core-state-standards/debunking-misconceptions-the-common-core-is-state-led/

==============

 

1.23.13 – “Rotten to the Core: Obama’s War on Academic Standards (Part 1)” – by Michelle Malkin -- http://michellemalkin.com/2013/01/23/rotten-to-the-core-obamas-war-on-academic-standards-part-1/

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1.25.13 – “Rotten to the Core (Part 2): Readin', Writin' and Deconstructionism” by Michelle Malkin -- http://townhall.com/columnists/michellemalkin/2013/01/25/rotten-to-the-core-part-2-readin-writin-and-deconstructionism-n1497018/print

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1.21.13 – “8th Grade History Teacher: Stop the Common Core” -- by C. E. White

http://truthinamericaneducation.com/common-core-state-standards/8th-grade-history-teacher-stop-the-common-core/

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1.20.13 – “One step to new standards, one giant leap of logic” – by Alyson Williams --

http://educationviews.org/one-step-to-new-standards-one-giant-leap-of-logic/

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1.19.13 – “Common Core -- Orwellian Lessons in Florida” – by Mary Grabar -- http://townhall.com/columnists/marygrabar/2013/01/19/common-core-orwellian-lessons-in-florida-n1490561

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1.16.13 – “Children for Sale” – by Alyson Williams, Common Core Without Representation --  http://whatiscommoncore.wordpress.com/2013/01/15/a-mother-speaks-out-children-for-sale-guest-post-by-alyson-williams/

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1.16.13 – “Who’s Writing Common Core Social Studies Standards?” – by J. R. Wilson – EducationNews.org -- http://www.educationnews.org/education-policy-and-politics/j-r-wilson-whos-writing-common-core-social-studies-standards/

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1.7.13 – “Stop Common Core: Talk Given by Christel Swasey of Utah” --  http://educationviews.org/stop-common-core/

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12.27.12 – “Why all the cool kids are reading Executive Order 13423” – by Lindsey M. Burke, Heritage Foundation -- http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2012/12/27/why-all-cool-kids-are-reading-executive-order-13423/?intcmp=trending

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12.29.12 – “Face: Huge Gaps in Common Core Standards” – by Donna Garner -- http://educationviews.org/fact-huge-gaps-in-common-core/

====================

12.28.11 – How the feds are tracking your kid” – by Emmett McGroarty and Jane Robbins --  New York Post -- http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/opedcolumnists/how_the_feds_are_tracking_your_kid_xC6wecT8ZidCAzfqegB6hL

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12.17.12 --  “Beware Homeschoolers: Common Core State Standards Initiative: Too Close to a National Curriculum” -- by William A. Estrada, Esq., HSLDA, Director of Federal Relations -- http://www.hslda.org/docs/news/2012/201212170.asp

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12.15.12 – “Thankfully Most Texas Schools Were Rejected by RTTT-D” – by Donna Garner -- http://educationviews.org/thankfully-most-texas-schools-rejected-by-rttt-d/

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12.12.12 – “Bill Ayers explains the left’s power is in schools and classrooms” – by Sibyl West, Ramparts360.com -- http://ramparts360.com/bill-ayers-explains-the-lefts-power-is-in-schools-and-classrooms/

================

12.11.12 – “Common Core Standards’ Devastating Impact on Literary Study and Analytical Thinking” – by Dr. Sandra Stotsky – Heritage Foundation -- http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2012/12/questionable-quality-of-the-common-core-english-language-arts-standards

===============

12.7.12 – “Colorado Board of Education Hears Common Core Critics” – by Ben DeGrow -- http://news.heartland.org/newspaper-article/2012/12/07/colorado-board-education-hears-common-core-critics

=============

12.5.12 – “How Much Literature Will Kids Actually Read?: -- by Shane Vander Hart, Truth in American Education -- http://truthinamericaneducation.com/common-core-state-standards/ccss-content-issues-reviews/how-much-literature-will-kids-actually-read/

===============

12.5.12 -- “Obama and Your Child’s Mind” – by Stanley Kurtz – NationalReview.com -- http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/334878/obama-and-your-childs-mind-stanley-kurtz

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11.26.12 – “Wyoming Proves That Common Core Standards Is a Federal-Led Initiative -- Not State-Led” – Truth in American Education -- http://educationviews.org/wyoming-proves-that-common-core-is-a-federal-led-initiative/

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11.20.12 – “A New Kind of Problem: The Common Core Math Standards” – by Barry Garelick – The Atlantic -- http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2012/11/a-new-kind-of-problem-the-common-core-math-standards/265444/

===============

11.16.12 – “Series of Five Videos: The Common Core Standards Pose a Real Threat to the U. S. Education System” -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coRNJluF2O4&feature=autoplay&list=PLWqL2Og4ICdvllViIJu00MBc15yaXp2UH&playnext=5

=================

10.28.12 – “Beware of ObamaCore” – by Robert Nemeth -- Worchester Telegram & Gazette --

http://www.telegram.com/article/20121028/COLUMN22/110289823/-1/column#.UI6KmYVXsy4

==============

10.15.12 -- “States’ Taxpayers Cannot Afford Common Core” – by Henry W. Burke

http://educationviews.org/states-taxpayers-cannot-afford-common-core-standards/

===============

To see a list of anti-Common Core resources that I compiled going all the back to 12.11.09 and going through 10.22.12, please go to the following link:

http://nocompromisepac.ning.com/profiles/blogs/list-of-anti-common-core-resources-updated-and-compiled-by-donna?xg_source=activity

Donna Garner

Wgarner1@hot.rr.com

Alabamians Can Only Get Out of Common Core Through HB254 and SB190--Don't Get It Confused With Flexibility Act as HB84 Can Not Undo Common Core--Use This Email List Before Too Late

List of Alabama Legislators with E-mails and Phone Numbers are below --please tell them to say NO To Common Core Standards.  Representatives must support House Bill--HB254.  Senators must support Senate Bill--SB190 to get us out of Common Core Standards!  Print and Share with friends, family, churches etc. Act now as 2014 too late! 
(click on this link with your zip code and find your legislators)
 ..http://capwiz.com/state-al/dbq/zs.dbq?dir=state-al&state=al&azip=36344&bzip=(

• Tips on contacting House.  They are in their districts on Mon and Fridays and in Montgomery Tues-Thurs.  You can call and leave a message at (334) 242-7600 and tell who answers you would like to give a message to the committee member--this is a great way as they will get that message to the member if you are calling them on Tues or Thurs.  If you call Wednesday--they are in committee meetings so call the committee clerk and give her a message. 
  Committee Clerk: Karen Reeves
  (334) 242-7251

House Education Policy Committee:  Chair; Mary Sue McClurkin, Vice Chair; Phil Williams, Ranking Minority Member; Marcel Black

Elaine Beech, Mac Buttram, Ed Henry, Thomas Jackson, Joseph Mitchell, Kerry Rich, David Sessions, Lesley Vance

Subcommittees

Higher Education

Phil Williams, Chair; Marcel Black, Ed Henry, Joseph Mitchell, Allen Treadaway, Lesley Vance, David Sessions.

K - 12

Lesley Vance, Chair; Elaine Beech, Mac Buttram, Ed Henry, Thomas Jackson, David Sessions, Phil Williams.

______________________________

• Tips on contacting Senate.  They are in their districts on Mon and Fridays but in Montgomery Tues-Thurs.  You can call (334) 242-7800 to be transferred or call their individual numbers listed below as each Senator has a secretary that can take a message to the committee member--Tues or Thurs.  If you call Wednesday--they are in committee meetings you may also call the committee clerk and give her a message.  Clerk--Micheele O'Connor (334) 242-7896.

Senate Education Policy Committee:

Brewbaker, Chairperson--334-242-7895;Ross, Vice Chairperson 334-242-7880 ;

Allen--334-242-7889, Blackwell-- 334-242-7851, Figures--334-242-7871,Holtzclaw--334-242-7854  , McGill--334-242-7858
, Pittman--334-242-7897, Sanders--334-242-7860

 

• Please send emails
• Please pass on information as we don't have much time.

So please help it is not hard and parents and teachers need to fight this to have input over education standards vs being under Washington control  Here is a list of resources the enemy do not want you to know and the majority of the mainstream media has kept hidden!! 

Remember Obama is interest in passing the allah is god curriculum that was just found out in Texas.  The plans of this administration was already voiced by Kevin Jenning --(more in this link).

"Right now, they're really focused on the academic standards. This one is much newer. We have to build understanding of the concept first." He went on: "We're not first up to bat, and I'm not troubled by that. The Common Core movement is right to start on the things where there's already widespread agreement. We're way down the road."

Seriously? A high-ranking administration official is telling us that the common standards being financed by $350 million in Race to the Top funds "start" with academics but will eventually encompass "school climate" standards too? Jennings raises further red flags when he concedes that we have not determined "the definition of school climate," though he says it "does not include air conditioning" but does include kids feeling "emotionally safe." Maybe it's my cynical streak, but that sounds like a summons to social agendas, culture clashes, and political fisticuffs. In other words, the stuff that sinks standards.

Mr. Jennings' remarks raise concerns about the old bait-and-switch. If he is speaking for Secretary Duncan and the President, they seem to have been less than truthful so far when discussing their vision for common standards. If not, a President seeking bipartisan comity might want to encourage Mr. Jennings not to suggest that the Department is covertly planning to drive a massive 48-state effort into a familiar ditch...or to turn it into a Trojan Horse."---

and with Arne Duncan as head of Education who pushed for Chicago to have their first gay high school---how can parents in Alabama afford to be ignorant..

If you don't know who your representative is use this link:

No other bill can give local control but HB254 and SB190 as anything else including HB84 called the Flexibility Act should not be confused to give parents local control and must be passed in this session as 2014 is too late. Read the bills for yourself.  Here is link to removing Common Core Bills (HB254 and SB190 and HB84-Flex Act on very end of article). Of outmost priority is to get HB254 to get out of Education Commmittee to be allowed to be voted on.  Please call and or email your below legislators and you must contact each Education Comittee members so the bill does not die.   Bills to supposedly give local control have been misused see this link so we need to compare first.  But  First things first--get out of Common Core and then we can work to make other bills to make it better but please put passing HB254 and SB190 a priority today as otherwise parents will no longer have control of their children's education in 2014.  Remember legislature ends in May so make this pass now by making your voice heard.  Please share.

 To see phone numbers better please click on share  or printer friendly links below--as it will make all of the numbers show up better.

Phone Numbers and Emails of Legislators:

_______________________

Phone Numbers for Alabama Senate

Senate:
KAY IVEY     Lieutenant Governor
DEL MARSH     President Pro Tempore
D. PATRICK HARRIS     Secretary
    


Senator     Party     District     Room #     Office Phone
ALLEN, Gerald     (R)     21     729     334-242-7889
BEASLEY, Billy     (D)     28     737     334-242-7868
BEASON, Scott     (R)     17     726     334-242-7794
BEDFORD, Roger     (D)     6     738     334-242-7862
BLACKWELL, Slade     (R)     15     733     334-242-7851
BREWBAKER, Dick     (R)     25     734     334-242-7895
BUSSMAN, Paul     (R)     4     729     334-242-7855
COLEMAN, Linda     (D)     20     735     334-242-7864
DIAL, Gerald     (R)     13     732     334-242-7874
DUNN, Priscilla     (D)     19     737     334-242-7793
FIELDING, Jerry     (R)     11     735     334-242-7898
FIGURES, Vivian Davis     (D)     33     736     334-242-7871
GLOVER, Rusty     (R)     34     721     334-242-7886
HOLLEY, Jimmy     (R)     31     732     334-242-7845
HOLTZCLAW, Bill     (R)     2     731     334-242-7854
IRONS, Tammy     (D)     1     737     334-242-7888
KEAHEY, Marc     (D)     22     738     334-242-7843
MARSH, Del     (R)     12     722      334-242-7877
McGILL, Shadrack     (R)     8     731     334-242-7858
ORR, Arthur     (R)     3     730     334-242-7891
PITTMAN, Trip     (R)     32     730     334-242-7897
REED, Greg     (R)     5     734     334-242-7894
ROSS, Quinton T., Jr.     (D)     26     735     334-242-7880
SANDERS, Hank     (D)     23     736     334-242-7860
SANFORD, Paul     (R)     7     731     334-242-7867
SCOFIELD, Clay     (R)     9     731     334-242-7876
SINGLETON, Bobby     (D)     24     735     334-242-7935
SMITH, Harri Anne     (I)     29     740     334-242-7879
SMITHERMAN, Rodger     (D)     18     737     334-242-7870
TAYLOR, Bryan     (R)     30     733     334-242-7883
WAGGONER, J. T. "Jabo"     (R)     16     726     334-242-7892
WARD, Cam     (R)     14     719     334-242-7873
WHATLEY, Tom     (R)     27     733     334-242-7865
WILLIAMS, Phil     (R)     10     733     334-242-7857

 ______________

Phone Numbers for Alabama House of Representatives

Please note prefix for all their phone numbers is area code 334

 List

Alan Baker		Baldwin & Escambia		staterep@co.escambia.al.us			242-7720
Mike Ball		Madison		mikeball@knology.net			242-7683
Jim Barton		Mobile		jbarton104@gmail.com			242-7662
Richard Baughn		Tuscaloosa, Walker, & Winston		rgbups@yahoo.com			242-7593
Paul Beckman		Autauga & Elmore		paulbeckmanjr@yahoo.com			242-7662
Alan Boothe		Dale & Pike		alan.boothe@alhouse.gov			242-7710
DuWayne Bridges		Chambers & Lee		dwwayne.bridges@alhouse.gov			242-7708
K.L. Brown		Calhoun		klbrown@cableone.net			242-1778
Mack Butler		Etowah & St. Clair		mack.butler@alhouse.gov			242-7446
Mac Buttram		Cullman		mbuttram@att.net			242-7775
Jim Carns		Jefferson & Shelby		jwcarns@yahoo.com			242-7600
Donnie Chesteen		Geneva & Houston		dchesteen@panhandle.rr.com			242-7742
Steve Clouse		Dale & Houston		steve.clouse@alhouse.gov			242-7717
Terri Collins		Morgan		terri@terricollins.org			242-7693
Randy Davis		Baldwin & Mobile		rmdavis14@aol.com			242-7724
Paul DeMarco		Jefferson		paul@pljpc.com			242-7667
Dickie Drake		St. Clair & Jefferson		ddrake1080@aol.com			242-7727
Allen Farley		Jefferson		allenfarley@bellsouth.net			242-7767
Joe Faust		Baldwin		jfaust@co.baldwin.al.us			242-7699
Chad Fincher		Mobile		chad.fincher@alhouse.gov			242-7778
Victor Gaston		Mobile		hvgaston04@yahoo.com			242-7664
Lynn Greer		Lauderdale		lynn.greer@alhouse.gov			242-7576
Micky Hammon		Limestone & Morgan		mickyhammon@gmail.com			242-7709
Alan Harper		Pickens & Tuscaloosa		salanharper@gmail.com			242-7732
Ed Henry		Cullman & Morgan		ed.henry@alhouse.gov			242-7736
Mike Hill		Shelby		mhillcolum@aol.com			242-7715
Mike Hubbard		Lee		mike.hubbard@alhouse.gov			242-7668
Jamie Ison		Mobile		isonfor101@comcast.net			242-7711
Ken Johnson		Lawrence & Winston		kenjohnsonrep@gmail.com			242-7754
Ron Johnson		Coosa & Talladega		ron.johnson@alhouse.gov			242-7777
Wayne Johnson		Jackson & Madison		waynejohnson259@yahoo.com			242-7492
Mike Jones, Jr.		Covington & Escambia		mljatty@andycable.com			242-7739
Paul Lee		Houston		pwlee@graceba.net			242-7675
Wes Long		Marshall		weslong@mclo.org			242-7511
Jay Love		Montgomery		jlove32376@aol.com			242-7716
Barry Mask		Coosa & Elmore		barry.mask@alhouse.gov			242-7782
Jim McClendon		St. Clair & Shelby		jimmcc@windstream.net			242-7768
Mary Sue McClurkin		Jefferson & Shelby		marysue.mcclurkin@alhouse.gov			242-7682
Mac McCutcheon		Limsetone & Madison		c.mac.mccutcheon@gmail.com			242-7705
Steve McMillan		Baldwin		bcld07@gmail.com			242-7723
John Merrill		Tuscaloosa		john@tuscaloosagop.org			242-7554
Barry Moore		Coffe		barry@barrymooreindustries.com			242-7773
Becky Nordgren		Dekalb & Etowah		clearimagesal@earthlink.net			353-9032
Jim Patterson		Madison		jimpattersonhd21@gmail.com			242-7531
Bill Poole		Tuscaloosa		poole@gpr-law.com			242-7691
Kerry Rich		DeKalb & Marshall		kerryrich@mclo.org			242-7538
Bill Roberts		Walker		broberts1229@cs.com			242-7694
Howard Sanderford		Madison		howard.sanderford@alhouse.gov			242-4368
David Sessions		Mobile		d.r.sessions@att.net			242-0947
Harry Shiver		Baldwin, Conecuh, Escambia, & Monroe		harryshiver@aol.com			242-7745
David Standridge		Blount & Jefferson		david.standridge@alhouse.gov			242-7475
Allen Treadaway		Jefferson		bsketa@aol.com			242-7685
Mark Tuggle		Lee & Tallapoosa		tughd81@gmail.com			242-7219
Lesley Vance		Lee & Russell		lesley.vance@alhousegop.gov			242-7687
Kurt Wallace		Chilton & Shelby		reprentativewallace@gmail.com			242-7772
April Weaver		Bibb & Shleby		april.weaver@alhouse.gov			242-7731
Dan Williams		Limestone		dan.williams@alhouse.gov			242-7741
Jack Williams		Jefferson		jack@jackwilliams.org			242-7779
Phil Williams		Madison		philhouse44@gmail.com			242-7704
Randy Wood		Calhoun & St. Clair		randy.wood@alhouse.gov			242-7700
Greg Wren		Montgomery & Elmore		repgregwren@yahoo.com			242-7764

Common Core (National) Standards-Wolf In Sheep's Clothing--Share with Churches--Key Points From Prof Stotsky and Milgram Who Were On National Validation Committee of the Standards--They Were Troubled and So Should America

Alabama Parents, Grandparents, Teachers etc. can make your voice be heard if you want input over your children's educational standards vs Washington control.  No other bill out there in the State Legislature can give local control but HB254 and SB190 as anything else including HB54 called the Flexibility Act should not be confused to give parents local control.  Read the bills for yourself.  Here is link to removing Common Core Bills (HB254 and SB190) and the Flexibility Act HB54.  Of outmost priority is to get HB254 to get out of Education Commmittee to be allowed to be voted on.  Please call and or email your below legislators and contact each Education Comittee members.   Bills to supposedly give local control have been misused see this link.  First things first--get out of Common Core and then we can work to make other bills to make it better but please put passing HB254 and SB190 a priority today as otherwise parents will no longer have control of their children's education in 2014.  Remember legislature ends in May so make this pass now by making your voice heard.  Please share.  Go to bottom and see printer friendly or share links to read complete phone numbers.

Phone Numbers and Emails of Legislators:

Alan Baker		Baldwin & Escambia		staterep@co.escambia.al.us			334-242-7720
Mike Ball		Madison		mikeball@knology.net			334-242-7683
Jim Barton		Mobile		jbarton104@gmail.com			334-242-7662
Richard Baughn		Tuscaloosa, Walker, & Winston		rgbups@yahoo.com			334-242-7593
Paul Beckman		Autauga & Elmore		paulbeckmanjr@yahoo.com			334-242-7662
Alan Boothe		Dale & Pike		alan.boothe@alhouse.gov			334-242-7710
DuWayne Bridges		Chambers & Lee		dwwayne.bridges@alhouse.gov			334-242-7708
K.L. Brown		Calhoun		klbrown@cableone.net			334-242-1778
Mack Butler		Etowah & St. Clair		mack.butler@alhouse.gov			334-242-7446
Mac Buttram		Cullman		mbuttram@att.net			334-242-7775
Jim Carns		Jefferson & Shelby		jwcarns@yahoo.com			334-242-7600
Donnie Chesteen		Geneva & Houston		dchesteen@panhandle.rr.com			334-242-7742
Steve Clouse		Dale & Houston		steve.clouse@alhouse.gov			334-242-7717
Terri Collins		Morgan		terri@terricollins.org			334-242-7693
Randy Davis		Baldwin & Mobile		rmdavis14@aol.com			334-242-7724
Paul DeMarco		Jefferson		paul@pljpc.com			334-242-7667
Dickie Drake		St. Clair & Jefferson		ddrake1080@aol.com			334-242-7727
Allen Farley		Jefferson		allenfarley@bellsouth.net			334-242-7767
Joe Faust		Baldwin		jfaust@co.baldwin.al.us			334-242-7699
Chad Fincher		Mobile		chad.fincher@alhouse.gov			334-242-7778
Victor Gaston		Mobile		hvgaston04@yahoo.com			334-242-7664
Lynn Greer		Lauderdale		lynn.greer@alhouse.gov			334-242-7576
Micky Hammon		Limestone & Morgan		mickyhammon@gmail.com			334-242-7709
Alan Harper		Pickens & Tuscaloosa		salanharper@gmail.com			334-242-7732
Ed Henry		Cullman & Morgan		ed.henry@alhouse.gov			334-242-7736
Mike Hill		Shelby		mhillcolum@aol.com			334-242-7715
Mike Hubbard		Lee		mike.hubbard@alhouse.gov			334-242-7668
Jamie Ison		Mobile		isonfor101@comcast.net			334-242-7711
Ken Johnson		Lawrence & Winston		kenjohnsonrep@gmail.com			334-242-7754
Ron Johnson		Coosa & Talladega		ron.johnson@alhouse.gov			334-242-7777
Wayne Johnson		Jackson & Madison		waynejohnson259@yahoo.com			334-242-7492
Mike Jones, Jr.		Covington & Escambia		mljatty@andycable.com			334-242-7739
Paul Lee		Houston		pwlee@graceba.net			334-242-7675
Wes Long		Marshall		weslong@mclo.org			334-242-7511
Jay Love		Montgomery		jlove32376@aol.com			334-242-7716
Barry Mask		Coosa & Elmore		barry.mask@alhouse.gov			334-242-7782
Jim McClendon		St. Clair & Shelby		jimmcc@windstream.net			334-242-7768
Mary Sue McClurkin		Jefferson & Shelby		marysue.mcclurkin@alhouse.gov			334-242-7682
Mac McCutcheon		Limsetone & Madison		c.mac.mccutcheon@gmail.com			334-242-7705
Steve McMillan		Baldwin		bcld07@gmail.com			334-242-7723
John Merrill		Tuscaloosa		john@tuscaloosagop.org			334-242-7554
Barry Moore		Coffe		barry@barrymooreindustries.com			334-242-7773
Becky Nordgren		Dekalb & Etowah		clearimagesal@earthlink.net			334-353-9032
Jim Patterson		Madison		jimpattersonhd21@gmail.com			334-242-7531
Bill Poole		Tuscaloosa		poole@gpr-law.com			334-242-7691
Kerry Rich		DeKalb & Marshall		kerryrich@mclo.org			334-242-7538
Bill Roberts		Walker		broberts1229@cs.com			334-242-7694
Howard Sanderford		Madison		howard.sanderford@alhouse.gov			334-242-4368
David Sessions		Mobile		d.r.sessions@att.net			334-242-0947
Harry Shiver		Baldwin, Conecuh, Escambia, & Monroe		harryshiver@aol.com			334-242-7745
David Standridge		Blount & Jefferson		david.standridge@alhouse.gov			334-242-7475
Allen Treadaway		Jefferson		bsketa@aol.com			334-242-7685
Mark Tuggle		Lee & Tallapoosa		tughd81@gmail.com			334-242-7219
Lesley Vance		Lee & Russell		lesley.vance@alhousegop.gov			334-242-7687
Kurt Wallace		Chilton & Shelby		reprentativewallace@gmail.com			334-242-7772
April Weaver		Bibb & Shleby		april.weaver@alhouse.gov			334-242-7731
Dan Williams		Limestone		dan.williams@alhouse.gov			334-242-7741
Jack Williams		Jefferson		jack@jackwilliams.org			334-242-7779
Phil Williams		Madison		philhouse44@gmail.com			334-242-7704
Randy Wood		Calhoun & St. Clair		randy.wood@alhouse.gov			334-242-7700
Greg Wren		Montgomery & Elmore		repgregwren@yahoo.com			334-242-7764

Alabama HB254 and SB190 on Getting Alabama Out of Common Core

We need more parents to understand and share the truth that their parental input will be gone because standards will now be coming out of Washington DC through the "Common Core (National) Standards".  Below are some key information that all parents should realize. There are the thoughts of the two professors that were asked to be part of forming those standards--learn the truth and realize this plan to nationalize education must die in our state and hopefully others also as it is very dangerous.  No matter what anyone else may say--governors etc--these educators who have dedicated their lives to working and helping students know the inside story--may America listen and learn:

Most prominent are the perspective from Professor Jim Milgram and Professor Sandra Stotsky who were in the national validation committee as part of the development of the common core standards.

 Majority of the states agreed to the common core states standards as part of their application to get "race to the top" grants-( Applications for Race to the Top funding were released by the U.S. Department of Education in November 2009 and were due in January 2010, even though most state legislatures aren’t in session during that time) 

---before the standards were published in June 2010.  And these are just some of the problems they see--will we listen?

"How can the State Boards of Education make decisions when they haven't even read the standards? Many state's Board Member had never been initiated into what was in these documents.  What were the policy issues coming out of these documents and whether these analyses were truly were in a sense legitimate academic analysis-- a really serious issue of uninformed Boards of Education in this country which they would never do on most other issues.  These are very serious issues about what self- government means at the state and local government level."--Sandra Stotsky,  professor in the Department of Education Reform at the University of Arkansas, and holds the 21st Century Chair in Teacher Quality.

Link to full explanation why Mrs. Sandra Stotsky could not endorse the common core standards

"...the requirement to automaticity on their own self- invented algorithms was one of the political issues that came in at the last moment and it's  absolutely crazy.  And then there was an entire list of similar ones, that equally made no sense whatsoever in terms of the long term development of children's mathematical capacity." --  Dr. R. James Milgram, professor of mathematics at Stanford University.

Please call your legislators and everyone in these committees and ask each to please support these two bilss HB254 and SB190 to fight Common Core and defend our children.  Belowe are links with phone numbers.

House:

Chair; Mary Sue McClurkin, Vice Chair; Phil Williams, Ranking Minority Member; Marcel Black

Committee Clerk: Karen Reeves
(334) 242-7251

Elaine Beech, Mac Buttram, Ed Henry, Thomas Jackson, Joseph Mitchell, Kerry Rich, David Sessions, Lesley Vance

Subcommittees

Higher Education

Phil Williams, Chair; Marcel Black, Ed Henry, Joseph Mitchell, Allen Treadaway, Lesley Vance, David Sessions.

K - 12

Lesley Vance, Chair; Elaine Beech, Mac Buttram, Ed Henry, Thomas Jackson, David Sessions, Phil Williams.

 Links to phone numbers of Alabama House of Representatives--Click Here

 Links to phone numbers of Alabama Senate Members--Click Here

 Seanate Education Committee:

EDUCATION
Brewbaker, Chairperson; Ross, Vice Chairperson; Allen, Blackwell, Figures, Holtzclaw, McGill, Pittman, Sanders.

HB254
By Representatives Barton, Long, Sessions and Henry
RFD Education Policy
Rd 1 12-FEB-13

SYNOPSIS:	Under existing law, the State Board of Education is directed to establish a core curriculum for every student in grades kindergarten through twelve in the state's public schools.
	This bill would prohibit the State Board of Education from adopting and the Department of Education from implementing the Common Core State Standards developed by the Common Core State Standards Initiative.
	This bill would prohibit the State Board of Education, the Department of Education, and other state bodies from compiling or sharing data about students or teachers, except under limited circumstances.
	This bill would prohibit the State Board of Education from entering into an agreement or joining a consortium that would cede any control to an entity outside the state.
	This bill would also require notice and public hearings before the State Board of Education adopts or implements any statewide standards.

A BILL
TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT

Relating to education and core curriculum standards; to prohibit the State Board of Education from adopting and the Department of Education from implementing the Common Core State Standards developed by the Common Core State Standards Initiative; to prohibit the State Board of Education, the Department of Education, and other state bodies from compiling or sharing data about students or teachers, except under limited circumstances; to prohibit the State Board of Education from entering into an agreement or joining a consortium that would cede any control to an entity outside the state; and to require notice and public hearings before the State Board of Education adopts or implements any statewide standards.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:

Section 1. (a) The adoption and funding of the Common Core State Standards Initiative are hereby repealed.

(b) The State Board of Education may not adopt, and the Department of Education may not implement, the Common Core State Standards developed by the Common Core State Standards Initiative. Any actions taken to adopt or implement the Common Core State Standards at the state or district level as of the effective date of this act are void ab initio.

(c) Beginning with the remainder of the 2012-2013 fiscal year, the State Board of Education, the Department of Education, and any other state may not do the following:

(1) Expend any funds, whether originating from Race to the Top grants or elsewhere, on construction, enhancement, or expansion of any Statewide Longitudinal Data System (SLDS) designed to track students or compile their personal information beyond what is necessary for basic administrative needs or compliance with requirements of the United States Department of Education.

(2) Share any data compiled on students or teachers, whether personally identifiable or aggregate, with any entity outside the state, including any federal agency, except as follows:

a. Student or teacher data may be shared with the United States Department of Education only when:

1. Such data-sharing is required by the United States Department of Education as a condition of receiving a federal grant.

2. The United States Department of Education agrees in writing to use the data only to evaluate the program or programs funded by the grant.

3. The United States Department of Education agrees in writing that the data will not be used for any research beyond that related to evaluation of the program or programs funded by the grant, unless a parent or guardian of any student whose data are to be so used, or any teacher whose data are to be so used, affirmatively consents in writing to that use.

4. The United States Department of Education agrees in writing to destroy the data upon completion of the evaluation of the program or programs for which the data were compiled.

5. The grant or program in connection with which the data are required is one authorized by statute or by rule properly promulgated under the Federal Administrative Procedure Act.

b. If the United States Department of Education requires, as a condition of making an educational grant to a recipient in the state, that the recipient share student or teacher data under circumstances that do not comply with paragraph a. the recipient shall notify, in writing, the parents or guardians of every student whose data are demanded by the United States Department of Education,

1. That the recipient has been required to share the student's or teacher's data with the United States Department of Education;

2. That neither the recipient nor any other entity within the state will have control over the use or sharing of that student's or teacher's data by the United States Department of Education; and

3. The contact information, including telephone number and e-mail address, of the United States Department of Education official who demands the data.

(c) Student or teacher data may be shared with any testing consortium of which the state is a member only when:

(1) The data are transmitted in nonindividual record format; and

(2) The data are limited to information directly related to the testing, such as the student's grade level and test scores.

Section 2. The State of Alabama shall retain sole control over the development and revision of school standards. Therefore, the Alabama State Board of Education may not enter into any agreement or join any consortium or other association that cedes any measure of control to entities outside the state. Any statewide school standard may not be adopted or implemented unless:

(1) A public hearing is held in each Congressional District.

(2) The State Board of Education solicits input from educators, content experts, parents, and other members of the community during an open comment period of one year.

(3) Joint open hearings are held before the Senate Education Policy Committee and the House of Representatives Education Policy Committee.

(4) The standard receives a majority vote of the Alabama Legislature.

Section 3. The provisions of this act are severable. If any part of this act is declared invalid or unconstitutional, that declaration shall not affect the part which remains.

Section 4. This act shall become effective immediately following its passage and approval by the Governor, or its otherwise becoming law.

_________________

SB190

SB190
By Senators Brewbaker, Ward, Scofield, Allen, Fielding, Whatley, Pittman, Beason, Sanford, McGill, Glover, Holtzclaw, Williams, Blackwell and Waggoner
RFD Education
Rd 1 12-FEB-13

SYNOPSIS:	Under existing law, the State Board of Education is directed to establish a core curriculum for every student in grades kindergarten through twelve in the state's public schools.
	This bill would prohibit the State Board of Education from adopting and the Department of Education from implementing the Common Core State Standards developed by the Common Core State Standards Initiative.
	This bill would prohibit the State Board of Education, the Department of Education, and other state bodies from compiling or sharing data about students or teachers, except under limited circumstances.
	This bill would prohibit the State Board of Education from entering into an agreement or joining a consortium that would cede any control to an entity outside the state.
	This bill would also require notice and public hearings before the State Board of Education adopts or implements any statewide standards.

A BILL
TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT

Relating to education and core curriculum standards; to prohibit the State Board of Education from adopting and the Department of Education from implementing the Common Core State Standards developed by the Common Core State Standards Initiative; to prohibit the State Board of Education, the Department of Education, and other state bodies from compiling or sharing data about students or teachers, except under limited circumstances; to prohibit the State Board of Education from entering into an agreement or joining a consortium that would cede any control to an entity outside the state; and to require notice and public hearings before the State Board of Education adopts or implements any statewide standards.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:

Section 1. (a) The adoption and funding of the Common Core State Standards Initiative are hereby repealed.

(b) The State Board of Education may not adopt, and the Department of Education may not implement, the Common Core State Standards developed by the Common Core State Standards Initiative. Any actions taken to adopt or implement the Common Core State Standards at the state or district level as of the effective date of this act are void ab initio.

(c) Beginning with the remainder of the 2012-2013 fiscal year, the State Board of Education, the Department of Education, and any other state may not do the following:

(1) Expend any funds, whether originating from Race to the Top grants or elsewhere, on construction, enhancement, or expansion of any Statewide Longitudinal Data System (SLDS) designed to track students or compile their personal information beyond what is necessary for basic administrative needs or compliance with requirements of the United States Department of Education.

(2) Share any data compiled on students or teachers, whether personally identifiable or aggregate, with any entity outside the state, including any federal agency, except as follows:

a. Student or teacher data may be shared with the United States Department of Education only when:

1. Such data-sharing is required by the United States Department of Education as a condition of receiving a federal grant.

2. The United States Department of Education agrees in writing to use the data only to evaluate the program or programs funded by the grant.

3. The United States Department of Education agrees in writing that the data will not be used for any research beyond that related to evaluation of the program or programs funded by the grant, unless a parent or guardian of any student whose data are to be so used, or any teacher whose data are to be so used, affirmatively consents in writing to that use.

4. The United States Department of Education agrees in writing to destroy the data upon completion of the evaluation of the program or programs for which the data were compiled.

5. The grant or program in connection with which the data are required is one authorized by statute or by rule properly promulgated under the Federal Administrative Procedure Act.

b. If the United States Department of Education requires, as a condition of making an educational grant to a recipient in the state, that the recipient share student or teacher data under circumstances that do not comply with paragraph a. the recipient shall notify, in writing, the parents or guardians of every student whose data are demanded by the United States Department of Education,

1. That the recipient has been required to share the student's or teacher's data with the United States Department of Education;

2. That neither the recipient nor any other entity within the state will have control over the use or sharing of that student's or teacher's data by the United States Department of Education; and

3. The contact information, including telephone number and e-mail address, of the United States Department of Education official who demands the data.

(c) Student or teacher data may be shared with any testing consortium of which the state is a member only when:

(1) The data are transmitted in nonindividual record format; and

(2) The data are limited to information directly related to the testing, such as the student's grade level and test scores.

Section 2. The State of Alabama shall retain sole control over the development and revision of school standards. Therefore, the Alabama State Board of Education may not enter into any agreement or join any consortium or other association that cedes any measure of control to entities outside the state. Any statewide school standard may not be adopted or implemented unless:

(1) A public hearing is held in each Congressional District.

(2) The State Board of Education solicits input from educators, content experts, parents, and other members of the community during an open comment period of one year.

(3) Joint open hearings are held before the Senate Education Policy Committee and the House of Representatives Education Policy Committee.

(4) The standard receives a majority vote of the Alabama Legislature.

Section 3. The provisions of this act are severable. If any part of this act is declared invalid or unconstitutional, that declaration shall not affect the part which remains.

Section 4. This act shall become effective immediately following its passage and approval by the Governor, or its otherwise becoming law.

Phone Numbers and Emails of Legislators:

Alan Baker		Baldwin & Escambia		staterep@co.escambia.al.us			334-242-7720
Mike Ball		Madison		mikeball@knology.net			334-242-7683
Jim Barton		Mobile		jbarton104@gmail.com			334-242-7662
Richard Baughn		Tuscaloosa, Walker, & Winston		rgbups@yahoo.com			334-242-7593
Paul Beckman		Autauga & Elmore		paulbeckmanjr@yahoo.com			334-242-7662
Alan Boothe		Dale & Pike		alan.boothe@alhouse.gov			334-242-7710
DuWayne Bridges		Chambers & Lee		dwwayne.bridges@alhouse.gov			334-242-7708
K.L. Brown		Calhoun		klbrown@cableone.net			334-242-1778
Mack Butler		Etowah & St. Clair		mack.butler@alhouse.gov			334-242-7446
Mac Buttram		Cullman		mbuttram@att.net			334-242-7775
Jim Carns		Jefferson & Shelby		jwcarns@yahoo.com			334-242-7600
Donnie Chesteen		Geneva & Houston		dchesteen@panhandle.rr.com			334-242-7742
Steve Clouse		Dale & Houston		steve.clouse@alhouse.gov			334-242-7717
Terri Collins		Morgan		terri@terricollins.org			334-242-7693
Randy Davis		Baldwin & Mobile		rmdavis14@aol.com			334-242-7724
Paul DeMarco		Jefferson		paul@pljpc.com			334-242-7667
Dickie Drake		St. Clair & Jefferson		ddrake1080@aol.com			334-242-7727
Allen Farley		Jefferson		allenfarley@bellsouth.net			334-242-7767
Joe Faust		Baldwin		jfaust@co.baldwin.al.us			334-242-7699
Chad Fincher		Mobile		chad.fincher@alhouse.gov			334-242-7778
Victor Gaston		Mobile		hvgaston04@yahoo.com			334-242-7664
Lynn Greer		Lauderdale		lynn.greer@alhouse.gov			334-242-7576
Micky Hammon		Limestone & Morgan		mickyhammon@gmail.com			334-242-7709
Alan Harper		Pickens & Tuscaloosa		salanharper@gmail.com			334-242-7732
Ed Henry		Cullman & Morgan		ed.henry@alhouse.gov			334-242-7736
Mike Hill		Shelby		mhillcolum@aol.com			334-242-7715
Mike Hubbard		Lee		mike.hubbard@alhouse.gov			334-242-7668
Jamie Ison		Mobile		isonfor101@comcast.net			334-242-7711
Ken Johnson		Lawrence & Winston		kenjohnsonrep@gmail.com			334-242-7754
Ron Johnson		Coosa & Talladega		ron.johnson@alhouse.gov			334-242-7777
Wayne Johnson		Jackson & Madison		waynejohnson259@yahoo.com			334-242-7492
Mike Jones, Jr.		Covington & Escambia		mljatty@andycable.com			334-242-7739
Paul Lee		Houston		pwlee@graceba.net			334-242-7675
Wes Long		Marshall		weslong@mclo.org			334-242-7511
Jay Love		Montgomery		jlove32376@aol.com			334-242-7716
Barry Mask		Coosa & Elmore		barry.mask@alhouse.gov			334-242-7782
Jim McClendon		St. Clair & Shelby		jimmcc@windstream.net			334-242-7768
Mary Sue McClurkin		Jefferson & Shelby		marysue.mcclurkin@alhouse.gov			334-242-7682
Mac McCutcheon		Limsetone & Madison		c.mac.mccutcheon@gmail.com			334-242-7705
Steve McMillan		Baldwin		bcld07@gmail.com			334-242-7723
John Merrill		Tuscaloosa		john@tuscaloosagop.org			334-242-7554
Barry Moore		Coffe		barry@barrymooreindustries.com			334-242-7773
Becky Nordgren		Dekalb & Etowah		clearimagesal@earthlink.net			334-353-9032
Jim Patterson		Madison		jimpattersonhd21@gmail.com			334-242-7531
Bill Poole		Tuscaloosa		poole@gpr-law.com			334-242-7691
Kerry Rich		DeKalb & Marshall		kerryrich@mclo.org			334-242-7538
Bill Roberts		Walker		broberts1229@cs.com			334-242-7694
Howard Sanderford		Madison		howard.sanderford@alhouse.gov			334-242-4368
David Sessions		Mobile		d.r.sessions@att.net			334-242-0947
Harry Shiver		Baldwin, Conecuh, Escambia, & Monroe		harryshiver@aol.com			334-242-7745
David Standridge		Blount & Jefferson		david.standridge@alhouse.gov			334-242-7475
Allen Treadaway		Jefferson		bsketa@aol.com			334-242-7685
Mark Tuggle		Lee & Tallapoosa		tughd81@gmail.com			334-242-7219
Lesley Vance		Lee & Russell		lesley.vance@alhousegop.gov			334-242-7687
Kurt Wallace		Chilton & Shelby		reprentativewallace@gmail.com			334-242-7772
April Weaver		Bibb & Shleby		april.weaver@alhouse.gov			334-242-7731
Dan Williams		Limestone		dan.williams@alhouse.gov			334-242-7741
Jack Williams		Jefferson		jack@jackwilliams.org			334-242-7779
Phil Williams		Madison		philhouse44@gmail.com			334-242-7704
Randy Wood		Calhoun & St. Clair		randy.wood@alhouse.gov			334-242-7700
Greg Wren		Montgomery & Elmore		repgregwren@yahoo.com			334-242-7764

Flexibility Act HB84--Why passed so quickly yet doesn't really give local control as it seems to indicate?  See below and compare with HB254 and SB190

Rep(s). By Representative Fincher

HB84
ENGROSSEDA BILL
TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT

To establish the Local Control School Flexibility Act of 2013, relating to public K-12 education; to authorize the establishment of innovative schools and school systems in the state; to provide legislative findings and purposes; to provide an overview; to authorize the State Board of Education to enter into school flexibility contracts with local school systems; to require the local board of education to submit a document of assurance; to require the State Board of Education to promulgate rules and regulations relating to innovative school systems; to require local school systems to submit an innovation plan to the State Department of Education in order to qualify for innovation status; and to provide for an effective date.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:

Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the Local Control School Flexibility Act of 2013.

Section 2. (a) Innovative schools and school systems may be established in Alabama in accordance with this act.

(b) The purpose of this act is to advance the benefits of local school and school system autonomy in innovation and creativity by allowing flexibility from state laws, regulations, and policies.

Section 3. (a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(1) To further the goals of public education throughout the state, each school system should be able to have maximum possible flexibility to meet the needs of students and the communities within its jurisdiction.

(2) There is a critical need for innovative models of public education that are tailored to the unique circumstances and needs of the students in all schools and communities, and especially in schools and communities that are struggling to improve academic outcomes and close the achievement gap.

(3) To better serve students and better use available resources, local boards of education and local school systems need the ability to explore flexible alternatives in an effort to be more efficient and effective in providing operational and programmatic services.

(b) Therefore, it is the intent of the Legislature to do all of the following:

(1) Allow school systems greater flexibility in meeting the educational needs of a diverse student population.

(2) Improve educational performance through greater individual school autonomy and managerial flexibility with regard to programs and budgetary matters.

(3) Encourage innovation in education by providing local school systems and school administrators with greater control over decisions including, but not limited to, budgetary matters, staffing, personnel, scheduling, and educational programming, including curriculum and instruction.

Section 4. For the purposes of this act, the following terms shall have the following meanings:

(1) FLEXIBILITY CONTRACT. A school flexibility contract between the local school system and the State Board of Education wherein a local school system may apply for programmatic flexibility or budgetary flexibility, or both, from state laws, regulations, and policies, including regulations and policies promulgated by the State Board of Education and the State Department of Education.

(2) INNOVATION PLAN. The request of a local school system for flexibility and plan for annual accountability measures and five-year targets for all participating schools within the school system.

(3) LOCAL BOARD OF EDUCATION. A city or county board of education that exercises management and control of a local school system pursuant to state law.

(4) LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEM. A public agency that establishes and supervises one or more public schools within its geographical limits pursuant to state law.

(5) SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR. A local superintendent of education or local school principal, unless otherwise specified.

Section 5. (a) Pursuant to this act, to be considered as an innovative school system, a local school system shall successfully comply with the requirements and procedures set forth by the State Department of Education regarding school flexibility contracts, which include, but are not limited to:

(1) Submission to the State Department of Education of a letter of intent to pursue a school flexibility contract.

(2) Submission to the State Department of Education of a resolution adopted by the local board of education supporting the intent of the local school system to pursue a school flexibility contract.

(3) Submission to the State Department of Education of a document of assurance stating that the local board of education shall provide consistency in leadership and a commitment to state standards, assessments, and academic rigor.

(4) Submission to the State Board of Education of a resolution adopted by the local board of education supporting the flexibility contract proposal and the anticipated timeline of the local school system.

(b) Pursuant to State Board of Education rules, each local school system shall provide an opportunity for full discussion and public input , including a public hearing, before submitting a school flexibility contract proposal to the State Board of Education.

(c) A local school system shall ensure that its school flexibility contract proposal and innovation plan is easily accessible to the general public on the website of the local school system.

Section 6. (a) The innovation plan of a local school system shall include, at a minimum, all of the following:

(1) The school year that the local school system expects the school flexibility contract to begin.

(2) The list of state laws, regulations, and policies, including rules, regulations, and policies promulgated by the State Board of Education and the State Department of Education, that the local school system is seeking to waive in its school flexibility contract.

(3) A list of schools included in the innovation plan of the local school system.

(b) A local school system is accountable to the state for the performance of all schools in its system, including innovative schools, under state and federal accountability requirements.

(c) A local school system may not, pursuant to this act, waive requirements imposed by federal law, requirements related to the health and safety of students or employees, requirements imposed by ethics laws, requirements imposed by open records or open meetings laws, requirements related to financial or academic reporting or transparency, requirements designed to protect the civil rights of students or employees, requirements related to participation in a the state retirement system or state health insurance plan, or requirements imposed by Section 16-13-231, Code of Alabama 1975. This act may not be construed to allow a local school system to compensate a current employee at an annual rate that is less than the amount the current employee local school system to compensate an employee at an annual amount that is less than the amount the employee would otherwise be afforded through the State Minimum Salary Schedule included in the annual Education Trust Fund Appropriations Act in force at the time. Additionally, this act may not be construed to allow a local school system to require any employee or future employee who attains tenure or nonprobationary status to involuntarily relinquish any rights or privileges acquired by that employee as a result of attaining tenure or nonprobationary status under the Students First Act.

No provision of this act shall be construed or shall be used to authorize the formation of a charter school.

(d) Nothing in this act shall be construed to prohibit the approval of a flexibility contract that gives potential, current, or future employees the option to voluntarily waive any rights or privileges already acquired or that could potentially be acquired as a result of attaining tenure or nonprobationary status, provided, however, that any employee provided this option is also provided the option of retaining or potentially obtaining any rights or privileges provided under the Students First Act, Chapter 24C of Title 16, Code of Alabama 1975.

(d) (e) The State Department of Education shall finalize all school data and the local school system shall seek approval of the local board of education before final submission to the State Department of Education and the State Board of Education.

(e) (f) The final innovation plan, as recommended by the local superintendent of education and approved by the local board of education, shall accompany the formal submission of the local school system to the State Department of Education.

(f) (g) Within 60 days of receiving the final submission, the State Superintendent of Education shall decide whether or not the school flexibility contract and the innovation plan should be approved. If the State Superintendent of Education denies a school flexibility contract and innovation plan, he or she shall provide a written explanation for his or her decision to the local board of education. Likewise, a written letter of approval by the State Superintendent of Education shall be provided to the local board of education that submitted the final school flexibility contract and innovation plan.

(f) (g) (h) The State Board of Education shall promulgate any necessary rules and regulations required to implement this act including, but not limited to, all of the following:

(1) The specification of timelines for submission and approval of the innovation plan and school flexibility contract of a local school system.

(2) An authorization for the State Department of Education, upon approval by the State Board of Education after periodic review, to revoke a school flexibility contract for noncompliance or nonperformance, or both, by a local school system.

(3) An outline of procedures and necessary steps that a local school system shall follow, upon denial of an original submission, to amend and resubmit an innovation plan and school flexibility contract for approval.

Section 7. The State Board of Education and the State Department of Education shall ensure equal opportunity for all school systems that apply for programmatic flexibility or budgetary flexibility, or both, as delineated in this act, and in no way shall one local school system be favored over another local school system based upon its size, location, student population, or any other possible discriminatory measure.

Section 8. This act shall become effective immediately following its passage and approval by the Governor, or its otherwise becoming law.

Education

Local Control School Flexibility Act

Board of Education, City

Board of Education, County

Board of Education, State

State Department of Education

Superintendent of Education, State

When Money and Social Engineering Together Becomes The Goal Behind Education--The Dangerous Alignment of Bill Gates and Obama

2.12.13 – The Washington Examiner

Private funding influenced public education policy

February 12, 2013 | 5:43 pm | Modified: February 12, 2013 at 5:50 pm

Michal Conger

Staff Writer

The Washington Examiner

[2.13.13 – Comments from Donna Garner:  Yes, Bill Gates is to blame for using his $173 Million to market the Common Core Standards/Race to the Top federal takeover of the public schools; but we must not forget that Gates was doing it to further the Obama administration’s social justice agenda.  

Obama, Arne Duncan, Linda Darling-Hammond, Bill Ayers, and the U. S. Department of Education are the originators of the plan; and they used Bill Gates’ millions to accomplish their goals. He, of course, was only too glad to join them in their unscrupulous and unconstitutional efforts because he supports the social justice agenda himself. 

More importantly, Bill Gates and Microsoft stand to make billions from his investment because of the technological infrastructure required to implement the CCS standards, curriculum, assessments, and personally intrusive national database that states’ taxpayers will be required to fund.

The disturbing aspect is that the Republican majority in the U. S. House that controls the appropriations could have shut down the CCS/RTTT federal grants any time they had wanted to do so over these last four years as the initiative was going forward. All they had to do was to stop the flow of federal dollars to CCS/RTTT, and the entire initiative would have come crumbling down.  Where were the Republicans in the House who were supposed to stand for fiscal responsibility? They were AWOL. Is it too late for them to stop the appropriations for the national assessments?  Without the national assessments, the Common Core Standards would be dumped. -- Donna Garner]

Education watchdogs are raising concerns over the Gates Foundation’s involvement in shaping public education policy, saying the private foundation’s influence in public education policy interferes with the democratic process and local input.

The foundation, owned by Bill and Melinda Gates, is the world’s largest philanthropy and has been heavily involved in funding states’ new Common Core curriculum, the Heartland Institute reported on Monday.

Gates has spent $173 million in grants to develop Common Core standards and win support for the curriculum, according to a Heartland analysis of the Foundation’s grant database.

The Foundation’s funding amounts to a marketing campaign for Common Core, Jane Robbins, a senior fellow with American Principles Project, told The Washington Examiner.

The Gates Foundation “has determined what it thinks education policy should be” and funded efforts to put that policy into effect, Robbins said.

“It’s the way [Gates is] doing it that we think is curious,” said Scott Thomas, dean of Claremont Graduate University’s education school, according to Heartland. “It’s an intrusion into the public sphere more directly that has not been seen before. They’re jumping into the policy process itself. That’s an interesting position, for a nonprofit to be involved in things that look a lot like lobbying.”

The problem with this expensive marketing campaign is that the policies Gates helped fund were created “under the radar,” without input from stakeholders or legislators, said Robbins. Now the curriculum is taught to students across the country.

The grants were made to nonprofit organizations whose policy-making meetings were conducted behind closed doors, including the the National Governors Association and Council of Chief State School Officers, according to Heartland.

“Nobody really knew what was going on,” said Robbins.

The timeline of states’ Race to the Top applications, which included a requirement for a standard core curriculum that essentially excluded programs other than Common Core, was also problematic, she said.

Applications for Race to the Top funding were released by the U.S. Department of Education in November 2009 and were due in January 2010, even though most state legislatures aren’t in session during that time. Common Core standards were not released until June 2010, when states were given two months to sign off on them, again at a time when most state legislatures are not in session.

Instead, states’ boards of education signed off on the standards, and the majority of legislatures did not give their stamp of approval to Common Core at all, Robbins said.

“There was no chance to look at these standards, or to sign off on them,” she said.

The lack of transparency and local input is the primary problem APP and other education watchdogs have with Common Core and the Gates Foundation’s funding of it.

“There’s no accountability there,” Robbins said. “That’s the threat to the democratic process.”

The Gates Foundation told The Washington Examiner it did not fund Race to the Top, but did not speak on the record for this story.

http://washingtonexaminer.com/watchdogs-private-funding-influenced-public-education-policy/article/2521340

Donna Garner

Wgarner1@hot.rr.com

ALGOP Request the Alabama Legislature to Repeal and Defund Common Core--so should you. See 2013 Resolution On Common Core Standards Please call your legislator today

2013 Resolution for ALGOP State Executive Committee                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          
RESOLUTION 1
Retain Local Control of K-12 Education by Parents and States

• WHEREAS, parents will lose control of their children’s K-12 education under the Common Core State Standards Initiative (Common Core), and this overhaul of Alabama’s education system will be completed by 2014;
• WHEREAS, most parents remain unaware specific details of Common Core and will be virtually unable to change programs or correct problems since education decisions will ultimately be mandated by unaccountable bureaucrats and special interests in Washington, D.C.;
• WHEREAS, Common Core invades students’ privacy by requiring the collection of personal, non-academic information, which will be shared with the federal government and private organizations without parents’ permission;
• WHEREAS, Common Core requires that students be tracked from preschool through their careers, and the collection of Alabama student data has already started and will become part of a national database;
• WHEREAS, the U.S. Department of Education is funding the development of national curriculum guidelines, modes, and materials, as well as national assessments based on the Initiative’s standards, which creates a national curriculum and testing system;
• WHEREAS, The U.S. Department of Education is violating multiple federal laws that specifically prohibit any federal direction, control, or supervision of curricula, programs of instruction, and instructional materials in the elementary and secondary schools, and this is an invasion of states’ rights;
• WHEREAS, Common Core de-emphasizes classical literature and American history, and will replace literary works about Western Civilization with informational texts such as executive orders and work manuals, which will further diminish students’ knowledge of the moral, historical and cultural foundations of our country;
• WHEREAS, Common Core violates the founding principle that parents and states, not federal government, control local education, as well as the Alabama State Constitution of 1901, Article I, Section 35, which states that “the sole object and only legitimate end of government is to protect the citizens in the enjoyment of life, liberty, and property, and when the government assumes other functions it is usurpation and oppression;
• WHEREAS, implementation of Common Core will cost Alabama taxpayers many millions of dollars to revamp state education systems, although they had no voice or vote in the matter; and
• WHEREAS, it is urgent that the Alabama Legislature exercise its constitutional authority and duty to protect its citizens against an overzealous federal government and keep education decisions local by protecting state education sovereignty, since next year will be too late; now therefore

BE IT RESOLVED BY the Alabama Republican Party Executive Committee that we request the Alabama Legislature to (1) repeal and defund Common Core, (2) prohibit the collection and sharing of non-academic information on students by Alabama schools that is inconsistent with the 1974 Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERP) or any update approved by Congress so as to protect the privacy of students, and (3) require that any new or revised statewide educational standards that vastly change the education system to be extensively publicized to ensure that members of the public, including representatives of political, education, faith organizations and non-partisan policy institutes are informed and have ample opportunity to comment before any decision is made.
Submitted by:  Elois Zeanah, Alabama Federation of Republican Women

Call your member of the House of Representatives at (334) 242-7600 and Senators at (334) 242-7800 and tell them to sponsor the bill and say NO to Common Core Standards.

Pass info to your Pastors, Youth Pastors and Church Members--we can not be silent...

But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to have a large millstone tied around your neck and be drowned in the depths of the sea. Matthew 18:6

Look up dangers Texans saw about this new world of internet learning as "allah is god curriculum" was discovered being taught through CSCOPE and Obama admin maybe passing this on to other states through Common Core.  Get more info from WND, truthinamericaneducation.com and michellemalkin.com

Go to www.cityonahill.tv for more...