Welcome to Kansans Against Common Core.
What is Common Core?
The Common Core State Standards are a set of national core content standards common k-12, in English language arts and math. The purpose is to impose “rigorous standards” so our students will be better prepared for competing in a global economy,and allow comparison of performance across states.
Why are we against the Common Core State Standards?
This is nationalized education without representation. Because curriculum will be tied to the standards,and assessments CCSS violates the 10th amendment, and the three statutes that keep the federal government from creating a nationalized curriculum. Because of the way these standards were adopted parents, teachers, principals, school districts, and even state boards have no control over what is being taught in our schools.
This was said to be a state led initiative, which simply isn’t true. The CCSS were created under the auspices of two D.C. Based trade organizations that have nothing to do with legislation. These organizations were the National Governors Association (NGA), and the Chief Council for State School Officers (CCSSO). These organizations were funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation to jump start this initiative.
How did states get involved?
In 2009 secretary of education Arne Duncan announce the Race to the Top grant application process, which was funded by the stimulus bill. In order to be considered for this grant money states were required to adopt the CCSS and national tests aligned with these standards.
In July of 2009 KS Gov. Mark Parkinson, and Kansas Education Commisioner Alexa Posny signed a memorandum of agreement to participate in Race to the top. The state Board of Education never saw this MOA, and the Legislators knew nothing about this education initiative. Please keep in mind the legislators are not even in session June through November to here testimony on such an idea, which was the plan all along . Also keep in mind in 2009 states were cash strapped looking for ways to fund education.
Kansans Against Common Core 
Thank for letting us hear your thoughts about opting out of the common core assessments. I hope we can all stick to the facts when we are discussing this much debated topic, so there is no confusion. It is easy to be emotional when talking about the future of our children, but we must be diligent with the facts.
Common Core is not a curriculum. It is a set of standarda to be implemented so states will stop dumbing down their standardized tests. The local school district decides the curriculum and books to be used. The idea that the feds are trying to control local education is paranoia. Not adopting Common Core will let teacher unions and politicians continue to dumb down tests. Just wait for the first set of standardized tests that reflect Common Core standards to be administered in Kansas. Expect a 25% reduction in scores because Kansas current tests are too easy.
We would agree with you that common core is not curriculum. They are standards that are tied to national assessments(2014) which will drive the curriculum. The local districts do choose the textbooks currently, but as the standards become tied to the national assessment there will be less and less choice of curriculum. It is a given that the teachers will be teaching to the test which is nationalized to the same national standards. There will be an expected 25% reduction in Kansas scores, not because the standards are better, or our state test is inefficient, it is the low cut score our state school board lowered in order to comply with NCLB. Our state currently has meeting the standard,or proficient, for math at 65 and reading 68.
Thank you for your comments
If the Federal Government is involved I’m against it. All they do is create bureaucracies and waste money. I ask every teacher I meet “What does the federal Dept of Education do for you in your classroom. Answer every time: NOTHING. I rest my case.
How have the opt-out forms worked in your state? I live in Ohio and we are pushing back against Common Core. I am considering using the opt-out form from your site. What has been the result with the opt-out forms?
Thanks for contacting us! The Opt out form has had mixed review. I think there are a lot of success stories, but a few principals and teachers that have not wanted to comply. In Kansas it is completely legal to opt out. Please use our opt out form, as it is universal, but I would also suggest getting someone of authority(like your education commissioner?) on record saying parents do have legal authority to opt their children out of year end assessment tests.
Good luck and please keep in touch and tell us how things are going in your state!
I find it quite interesting that no one is questioning these “assessments” or “testing” that is determining how poorly all states are doing. We are just assuming the students are receiving an inferior education or the teachers aren’t teaching what they should. I’ve seen my son’s homework/textbooks and how poorly some of the common core questions are written. I’ve heard about teachers throwing out math questions and not counting them in the child’s grade because the kids, the teachers or others don’t even understand what the question is asking. I’ve also seen where common core doesn’t teach math facts (seems like the teachers are doing this anyway–I’m assuming because of the 15% extra option) yet then ask for answers to multiplication problems that haven’t even been covered in the textbooks.
Yes we should ALL be questioning the assessments, and the common core wording of questions!
Just sharing this link. My friend Alisa is speaking in Kansas this week about Common Core. http://whatiscommoncore.wordpress.com/2014/01/28/utah-mother-of-seven-alisa-ellis-to-speak-this-week-in-kansas-and-wyoming-about-common-core/