The History of Common Core

Laus Deo July 04, 2013 Glenn Beck

July 04, 2013

Hello America,  On July 3, 1776 John Adams wrote a letter predicting that July 2nd would be “the most memorable epoch in the history of America.” His excitement after the Declaration of Independence was adopted was uncontainable. The words leapt off the pen as he foresaw a “great anniversary festival” complete with pomp and parade, shows, games, bonfires, and guns commemorating the occasion “from this time forward forevermore” in America. He was right – all except for the date, of course. Because of revisions, the Declaration wasn’t officially accepted until two days later on July 4th, and ever since Americans have made sure to never forget the day of “deliverance” as Adams referred to it. Adams was so overwhelmed with emotion he couldn’t possibly fathom anyone ever wanting to undo what the Founders had just done – so he predicted, without hesitation, that the day would be celebrated forevermore. What he couldn’t have predicted, and perhaps as a God-fearing man he should have, was the rise of those who preferred a controlled population over a free one. In the last century, progressives have fought to diminish, distort, and smear nearly all the good the Founders achieved. Instead of being revered as visionaries and thanking them for leaving us the greatest nation ever known – the Founders are painted as racists, while America is blamed for nearly every problem in the world today. Instead of celebrating America, generations of youth are being trained to be ashamed of America. In schools across the country, students are reprimanded for wearing American flag shirts in an effort not to offend foreign students. Others are reprimanded for chanting "USA! USA!" because it is considered "incendiary" language. These same students then turn on the TV and watch their President travel to foreign nations and apologize for all the mistakes America has made. No wonder July 4th has become little more than figuring out where the best fireworks display will be.

I believe this is intentional. For example, this administration has cancelled July 4th celebrations on several military bases due to alleged ‘sequester’ cuts. The State Department spent $630,000 to get more ‘likes’ on Facebook, the President spent millions flying to Africa alone – yet they deny our men and women in uniform the chance to celebrate the very freedoms they secure for millions? It’s a disgrace. There is a reason for all the pomp and parade, shows, games, bonfires (guns? not so much anymore – I’m sure Adams would be perplexed at that one) – and that reason is independence. July 4th deserves a grand celebration because freedom is the grandest gift of all. On Saturday, we are staging our very first Independence Day event, Man in the Moon. We designed this program as a vehicle to undo the decades of harm progressives have done to American history and the meaning of being American. Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness has been replaced with handouts, redistribution of wealth, and government mandated happiness. Man in the Moon is the biggest event we’ve ever attempted, but, believe it or not, what we have planned for the future will dwarf this project. Ultimately, we want to host the premiere Fourth of July celebration in America. I envision an entire Independence Week of events, not just one show. I believe the market is starving for someone to not only put on a great celebration, but to provide real reflection and meaning as to why we are celebrating. When people are reminded of how we got here and why we are (for now) free to do as we wish, they are overwhelmed with that same sense of emotion that Adams had the day after the Declaration was adopted. And that emotion will ensure July 4th remains the “the most memorable epoch in the history of America” from this time forward, forevermore. We can no longer afford to listen to the voices shaming and blaming America. We can no longer afford to listen to those who wish to fundamentally transform America into something it is not. Those who risked their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor to create the greatest nation in the history of planet Earth deserve better and so do the future generations of Americans who will live here. Happy Independence Day, America. May yours be filled with freedom, fun, pomp, and parade. Laus Deo,

‘NATIONAL STRATEGY SESSION’ PRESENTS EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT STOPPING COMMON CORE

Common Core could be the future of your children’s education, but the majority of parents in America probably don’t know a whole lot about it.

Did you know, for instance, that as part of the educational curriculum, a litany of “data points” are set to be mined?

Kyle Olson of the Education Action Group said on TheBlaze TV Thursday that these points include “blood type, voting status of their parents, religious affiliation, their income…things that have nothing to do with their children’s education.”

Olson was part of a group of parents, lawmakers, and concerned citizens who attended what was described as a “national strategy session” on TheBlaze TV about how to best explain and prevent the implementation of Common Core.

“Common Core is kind of nebulous for a lot people,” David Barton explained. “They know what it is, but they can’t define it…What are the key points that will resonate with most Americans?”

One parent, Tammy Slaten, explained that when she started informing herself about the curriculum she sent an email to other parents in her child’s class.

To her shock, she was “called to the principal’s office” where she was told to stop, and to not ask the teachers what they think.  More than that, the principal allegedly told her that they are state employees and whether Common Core is “good or bad,” it is their priority.

“You take that attitude and combine it with data mining and what does it suggest?” Barton asked.

Watch more on TheBlaze TV “strategy session,” which includes the voices of parents and lawmakers, below:

But how can concerned citizens stop the implementation of Common Core, an education program that removes control from the parents and communities and turns it over to the state and federal government?

State Senator Margaret Dayton (R-Utah) said it needs to be reiterated that the program violates the United States constitution.

One parent put the issue in another perspective: “Do you want the same government that has given us Eric Holder, Benghazi, [the] IRS enemies list, Fast and Furious, ObamaCare — do you want that government to take control of what your precious child is going to learn in school?”

Watch below to see the strategists’ solutions:

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Tea party groups mobilizing against Common Core education overhaul

Tea party groups over the past few weeks have suddenly and successfully pressured Republican governors to reassess their support for a rare bipartisan initiative backed by President Obama to overhaul the nation’s public schools.

Activists have donned matching T-shirts and packed buses bound for state legislative hearing rooms in Harrisburg, Pa., grilled Georgia education officials at a local Republican Party breakfast and deluged Michigan lawmakers with phone calls urging opposition to theCommon Core State Standards.The burst of activity marks the newest front for the tea party movement, which has lacked a cohesive goal since it coalesced in 2010 in opposition to Obama’s health-care initiative.

The movement has a renewed sense of purpose and energy following revelations that many of its groups were improperly targeted by the Internal Revenue Service, and members consider dismantling what some deride as “Obamacore” their newest cause. Unlike the health-care fight, though, organizers say the Common Core battle is winnable and could be a potential watershed moment.

“This is the issue that could change things for the tea party movement,” said Lee Ann Burkholder, founder of the 9/12 Patriots in York, Pa., which drew 400 people — more than twice the usual turnout — to a recent meeting to discuss agitating against Common Core.

Lawmakers have responded by introducing legislation that would at least temporarily block the standards in at least nine states, including two that have put the program on hold. The Republican governors of Indiana and Pennsylvania quickly agreed to pause Common Core, and Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder (R), a vocal supporter of the plan, is nevertheless expected to accept a budget agreement struck by GOP legislators that would withhold funding for the program pending further debate.

Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal (R) — who, like the other targeted governors, is facing reelection next year — said, “We didn’t see it coming with the intensity that it is, apparently all across the country.” Deal has responded by signing an executive order “reaffirming state sovereignty” over education matters, but that hasn’t stopped conservatives from trying to undo the standards.

The White House has promoted Common Core, written by governors and state education officials in both parties and largely funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, to create consistent math and reading standards from kindergarten through 12th grade. Academic standards vary widely among states, and that patchwork nature has been partly blamed for mediocre rankings of U.S. students in international comparisons.

The standards do not dictate curriculum. Rather, states decide what to teach and how to prepare children for standardized tests based on Common Core.

The standards have been fully adopted by 45 states and the District and are scheduled to be in place by 2014. Supporters fear that an eleventh-hour drop in state participation could dilute some of the potential benefits, such as the ability to compare student test scores across many states, while also creating logistical hurdles for school districts that are developing curriculum and training teachers.

‘EVERYTHING I LOVE ABOUT TEACHING IS EXTINCT’: TEACHER RESIGNS IN SCATHING YOUTUBE VIDEO TARGETING STANDARDIZED EDUCATION

Indoctrination in Common Core ELA Texts in Utah Schools

IN A BOLD MOVE, TEXAS ANNOUNCES PLANS TO ELIMINATE CSCOPE CURRICULUM PROGRAM FROM ITS SCHOOLS

It appears that the Texas has managed to remove the controversial curriculum management program called CSCOPE from the state’s educational system. Texas State Senator Dan Patrick announced the move on Monday morning via a press release and press conference.

“I’m very pleased to announce this morning that the era of CSCOPE lesson plans has come to an end,” he said.

Patrick’s office issued the following statement:

Press Release on defeat of CSCOPE in Austin

During the press conference, Dr. Kyle Wargo, a board member of the Texas Education Service Center Curriculum Collaborative (TESCCC) — CSCOPE’s governing board — made it clear: “CSCOPE is no longer doing lessons,period.”

“One size does not fit all. Those lessons, every lesson, needs to be developed on a local level,” he added.

State Senator Donna Campbell,  a member or the Senate Education Committee looking into CSCOPE, was obviously pleased with the day’s news.

Senator Patrick closed his remarks by thanking all parents who got involved in their children’s education and the state’s legislators who worked together to remove the controversial program from the education system.

In the past, CSCOPE had been linked to lessons such as asking if the Boston Tea Party was an act of terrorism.