Do you want … Education for Individual Liberty and Freedom or “School Choice”?

Education for Individual Liberty and Freedom:

Parents’ fundamental authority to direct the care and upbringing of their child shall not be infringed.

“School Choice”:

ONLY the “choice” as to where EVERY child receives his GOVERNMENT education.

Let’s take a look at just one bill that organizations that tout “limited government” and “personal liberty” are pushing through the 2022 Kansas legislature.

Substitute for House Bill 2615

THIRTY pages long.  Does that appear to be immediately indicative of “limited government?”

New Sections 1 through 17 (10 pages long!) is titled the student “empowerment” act.

Parents and schools making the “choice” to participate are treated to:

1.      INDIVIDUAL GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTS on EACH child.

The government directly attached to EACH child.

GROWS GOVERNMENT administrative functions.

DIRECTLY ties GOVERNMENT MONEY to EACH child.

               Are we not presently experiencing how government funding is being used to mandate injections?

2.      The GOVERNMENT defining student eligibility requirements.

3.      The GOVERNMENT defining qualifying schools.

KANSAS TAXPAYER MONIES funding non-Kansas education?

KANSAS Taxpayers funding national/regional accredited education.

REDUCED Kansas Taxpayer REPRESENTATION.

4.      The PARENTAL placement of EACH child under the GOVERNMENT IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.)

5.      The GOVERNMENT defining “allowable” uses of monies.

Any “un-allowable” uses of monies may result in loss of student eligibility.

Parents must repay any expenditures deemed to be non-allowable.

Schools must return any unused monies to the GOVERNMENT.

6.      The GOVERNMENT defining “responsibilities of a parent.”

7.      GOVERNMENT process to appeal decisions.

Wait!  What?!

Parents are not just given government money for their child’s education?

Parents are not just given government money to “choose” how to educate their child?

Does the government money “following the child” really mean that the parents just get to choose which government approved/controlled school that their child may attend?

8.      The GOVERNMENT deciding whether EACH child is “eligible” from year to year.

9.      The PARENT signing a WRITTEN AGREEMENT (contract?) with the GOVERNMENT.

10.  PARENTS and SCHOOLS reporting information to the GOVERNMENT.

The GOVERNMENT will conduct AUDITS of the accounts, thereby auditing PARENTS AND SCHOOLS.

The GOVERNMENT will conduct annual random audits of the qualifying PRIVATE SCHOOLS.

The ATTORNEY GENERAL may be notified of any MISUSE OF MONIES by a qualifying PRIVATE SCHOOL.

11.  Being included in ANNUAL GOVERNMENT REPORTING that includes the NAMES OF STUDENTS AND SCHOOLS.

New Sections 19 through 26 (10 pages long!) requires school districts to establish policies to accept students from outside the school district.

These sections establish “open enrollment” in Kansas.

School districts are MANDATED to establish policies to actively accept students residing outside the school district.

Residents of local school districts vote on bond and other taxes for school districts.

Residents of local school districts remit taxes for the support of their local district schools.

Residents of local school districts vote for local school board members.

This bill ELIMINATES LOCAL REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT.

Local taxpayer moneys will be required to financially support students who do not reside in the school district.

Local school boards will not reflect the students who attend the schools.

This bill ABOLISHES local school districts and LOCAL REPRESENTATION connected to local taxes.

Have You Contacted Legislators?

THREE things happening TODAY … Committee meetings impacting YOUR child and EXPANDING GOVERNMENT.

1.  HB2086--Allowing schools to maintain emergency medication and administer medication in emergency situations.

*Schools allowed to ADMINISTER MEDICATIONS – WITHOUT PARENT CONSENT.

*What if your child is allergic to the medication delivered by the school?  Is the school liable?

*PARENTS’ FUNDAMENTAL AUTHORITY IS MISSING FROM THIS BILL, hoping to become law.

*House Education committee at 1:30 today. http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/committees/ctte_h_ed_1/

 2.  HB2068 

*This is the “school choice” bill we’ve been posting about.

*Heard in House K-12 Education Budget committee at 3:30 today. http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/committees/ctte_h_k12_education_budget_1/

3. A hearing on the program  (HB2068) 

*EXPANSION of GOVERNMENT EDUCATION for ALL.

*Tax Credits for Low Income Student Scholarship Program

*Heard in Senate Education committee at 1:30 today. http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/committees/ctte_s_ed_1/

“School Choice” PHONY. FALSE. TRICKERY. TROJAN HORSE. DECEIT.

A response to HB2068 to expand Kansas’ Tax Credit for Low Income program.

(Because we haven’t experienced enough growth of the government…sarc on!)

People have been led to believe that school choice, via some type of government mechanism (vouchers, tax credits, tax credit scholarships, ESAs, etc.) is the solution to escaping what they may not like about public education. They contend it will foster competition between government subsidized private schools and government public schools, with parents having more choice between schools and schools working to improve.

Do entities in receipt of government subsidies, tax incentives/breaks, or savings mechanisms have the same autonomy as entities whose receipts and finances are not the result of a government incentive, subsidy, or savings mechanism? Do government designed and approved constructs come with requirements as to eligibility, qualifications, limits, allowances, reporting, compliance, etc., or are they free of such things? What example exists demonstrating the lack of government interference or control when in receipt of government funding, subsidies, tax breaks, or savings mechanisms? Where has the government infusion of funding ever not increased costs for all?

We even have statements and findings to affirm the goal of inevitable interference and control by the government. A few are nicely provided by Charlotte Iserbyt in “Choice” Mixing Oil with Water. http://deliberatedumbingdown.com/ddd/2019/03/03/choice-mixing-oil-with-water/

– George Bernard Shaw, of the socialist Fabian Society of England, said, “Nothing will more quickly destroy independent Christian schools than state aid; their freedom and independence will soon be compromised, and before long their faith.” https://chalcedon.edu/magazine/vouchers-freedom-and-slavery

– ALEC founder, Paul Weyrich: “We are radicals who want to change the existing power structure. We are not conservatives … We want change – we are the forces of change.” In 1981, ALEC mailed a proposed voucher model to 16,000 state and federal officials. https://lithub.com/how-fringe-christian-nationalists-made-abortion-a-central-political-issue/

– Thomas A. Shannon, Executive Director of NSBA said, “Tuition Tax credits for private school profoundly change the character of private education. Private schools that operate with public money will be subject to public regulations.” “The immutable fact is that what the government funds, the government regulates,” Mr. Shannon warned, “and that’s going to change the character of private schools enormously.” https://www.edweek.org/education/proposals-for-private-school-choice-reviving-at-all-levels-of-government/1991/02

– Per The Interagency Day Care Standards:

– “Any agency, public or private, which receives federal funds directly or indirectly through a grant or contract… or by way of a voucher plan” must meet all programs that are set down for public schools. Acceptance of Federal funds is an agreement to abide by the requirements.”

– In a March 1984 U.S. Supreme Court ruled that private schools are subject to government regulation because they enroll students who receive tuition money from the government. Even though the checks are payable to individual students, not the school, the Court says any scholarships, loans, or grants to students “constitute federal financial assistance.” https://thenewamerican.com/how-independent-are-private-schools/

Therefore, let’s consider Kansas’ tax credit scholarship program:

– Defines parameters on amounts and uses of scholarship monies

– Defines student “eligibility”

– Defines characteristics and state accreditations requirements of “qualifying” schools

– Lays out the KS statutes that establish the program

– Lays out all the state requirements and reporting SGOs must comply with

– Lays out all the school accountability reporting requirements

– Lays out the reporting in order to comply with federal ESSA, state board CCR metrics, state longitudinal achievement reporting, etc.

There’s certainly no lack of government regulation.

School choice marketing asserts that there can be stipulations (i.e. limits) on government regulation. But, the evidence is to the contrary. Rulings and legislation language have decisively affirmed that acceptance of or participation in government financial constructs obligates the acceptance of government regulation. What should lead any person to logically think this “school choice” to be the exception?

Look at Kansas’ own history in regard to these tax credit scholarships. How has this program alone impacted the institutions participating? Are any not state accredited? Are any operating under standards that do not meet state standards for accreditation? Are any not submitting reports to the state? Are any not required to comply with the K.S.A. 72-5170 requirement for schools to publish accountability measures as established by the KSBOE in regard to SEL, kindergarten readiness, individual plans of study, graduation, and postsecondary success?

How has this program impacted the kids attending? Are any of the scholarship recipients receiving an education not accredited by the state? Are any of the kids not compelled to participate in SEL? Are any of the kids not on individual plans of study? Are any of the kids not listed in state databases with commensurate data points?

Privately funded education schools have always had the freedom to choose who attends their schools, to choose their own academic constructs, to choose to decline social emotional and mental health programming, to choose their financial constructs, to choose their hiring policies, to choose not to report to the government, etc.

But, when a private school is directly or indirectly funded by the government, it must become more like the public schools. Evidence and history bear this out. If this is not a correct statement, what example can be brought forth?

We also experience the camel’s nose under the tent and incrementalism. The overall goal is to grow government control. HB2068 demonstrates this:

– Includes a change from “at risk” to “free or reduced lunch” student eligibility

– Expands the public schools from lowest performing to “any.”

The direction of change is certainly that of expansion.

School choice ≠ education freedom.

School choice = The choice by parents of where/how their child will receive his government education.

Government education seeks to mold citizens into compliant government servants.

The data collection and reporting requirements have propagated the government production of extensive dossiers on every American from cradle to grave.

Jeb Bush, a big supporter of the ever expanding datamining of children and a champion of Common Core standards, is also …. one of the biggest and key promoters of … wait for it … School Choice! The SAME people financing and pushing Common Core, assessments, and technology to transform public education, SUPPORT School Choice.

“My personal belief is there is no one single thing that needs to get done,” said [Jeb] Bush …. What it will require, he said, is a combination of school choice (vouchers), CC standards, rigorous assessments, consequences for anything less than excellence, and using technology to transform education ….. [Deliberate Dumbing Down of America, pg 7]

What happens with public education? Is it eventually totally eliminated? What replaces it?

The Blaine Amendments?

Title I portability?

Direct Student Services?

Non-government regulated private education?

There is so much more to understand about this heavily propagandized false illusion of freedom called “school choice.” It’s not actual freedom.

Tax-supported school choice proposals affecting public, private, religious, and home school education are the vehicle to change not only the right of Americans to choose what kind of education they wish for their children, but may also result in changing our representative form of government to an “unelected council form of government” due to one form of school choice, charter schools, run by “unelected councils. http://newswithviews.com/iserbyt/iserbyt115.htm

The Medicalization of Our Schools

I’ve been saying it from day one of kids not returning to schools in March.  The changes that kids experienced under the guise of “health” and “safety” in response to the overreaction to C19, were just the “next steps” for the direction the state was already taking education.

It’s confirmed in this article from the Kansas City Star. (See attached photos below.)

“Mastering competencies.”

Just a regurgitation of training for the workforce.

Kids don’t receive an education.

They are merely trained for some trade.

Their attitudes, values and beliefs are what is molded.

Per the article (see attached photos below):

For example, a successful pre-K through second grade student can “recognize characteristics of caring relationships and hurtful relationships and identify trusting adults” and “identify personal strengths and weaknesses.”

Mmmmm…parents send their kids to school to learn arithmetic, reading, writing, etc. Pre-K through second graders already being labeled as to their supposed strengths and weaknesses? Relationship defining? Most school materials do not emphasize a child’s parents as the primary “trusting adult.”

Success is measured by the ability of students to demonstrate “competency” in performing various actions.

If the above are just two examples of the voluminous “competencies” kids must demonstrate, how are each of these “competencies” specifically defined, and HOW will a kid be asked to DEMONSTRATE  such?

In a competency approach, less emphasis is placed on the amount of time a student receives instruction.

This really means, that less emphasis is placed on actual academics.

Some Kansas districts are already dabbling in competency-based education as part of KSDE’s efforts to redesign schooling.  Kansas Education Commissioner Randy Watson said the pandemic will speed up adoption of competency-based models, though he emphasized the guidance to districts won’t be mandatory.

Again, CONFIRMATION, that the “changes” happening in the schools were just “the next steps,” not a change in direction in response to C19. It won’t be “mandatory,” but it IS the eventual endpoint for schools. So how has this redesign been going for the districts already “dabbling” in it?

Some schools have actually dropped the platform because concerns of the parents. Here in Kansas, there are parents that have fought their school boards over this and some have even moved their children to other school districts! (But, with it being rolled out to more districts, there won’t be any other districts to transfer to.) They all noticed a severe drop in their child’s grades on the platform. There also have been reports of concerns of the personal data that is being shared online with this platform.

“Our school has created an environment that may indeed be toxic to some students, maybe even traumatic.”
http://www.salina.com/…/summit-learning-continues-to…

Wellington parents concerned about new curriculum

https://www.kwch.com/video/?vid=505226672&fbclid=IwAR0GaRqwf0NgbQ3Mti6fqIuhxZLs6oU2BTgDgSt1JfU33MEZliXbWH7mXGE

*Summit Learning – curriculum; on-line program aimed at learning at own pace

*Dozens of districts participating in Redesign plan to get away from old teaching models

*No option to opt out

*MS in McPherson

*Students learn and progress at their own speed

*Popular because is free to districts

Wellington City Council members express concern with school’s redesign curriculum

Commissioner Randy Watson has been reporting on this REDESIGN of Kansas schools occurring around the state.  file:///C:/Users/Lisa/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows/INetCache/Content.Outlook/Y3PR7SNE/2.5%20Randy%20Watson%20KSDE%20Presentation%20(2).pdf

Newton is even featured in his presentation. 

If you notice, ACADEMICS are  <25%  of what he says Kansans say they want for kids’ education.

He stated that it is intended for the REDESIGN to be in ALL Kansas schools via accreditation requirements.

The Commissioner is adept at inserting that this Redesign is uniquely Kansan.  It is not.  It is ALL training for the workforce.  AND, it is NOT NEW. It has an extensive documented history.  Global interests, governments, think tanks, and education “designers” have promoted the components of the Kansas Redesign for nearly a century:

Training children (NOT the same as educating them) for the workforce.

Individual Plans of Study (IPS) for EVERY child.

IPS is made capable via the technology in the classroom.

Parents are not inherently allowed to decide if they want their child to use technology.

“Testing” is not the same as “assessing.”  Testing determines knowledge acquisition; insuring what you are doing is working.  Assessing evaluates worth; whether a child holds acceptable values, beliefs, etc. 

Assessing is made capable via the technology in the classroom.

The technology amasses millions of pieces of data on every child, and performs analytics on that data, eventuating in a determination of every child’s future.

State accreditation requires school districts to include Social and Emotional Learning (SEL).

This results in EVERY child having some type of mental health and behavioral scheme applied to him.

Parents are not inherently allowed to decide if they want their child to be socially, emotionally, mentally, or behaviorally assessed.

Workforce training and SEL are necessarily EXPENSIVE.

It takes extensive resources to determine every citizen’s future and foster a compliant citizenry.

A couple years ago, Kansas began appropriating $10 million for a K-2 Mental Health Pilot Program.  Schools are focusing more on hiring psychologists, social workers, and counselors.  PARENTS ARE NOT REQUIRED TO BE INFORMED OR CONSENT TO SCREENING DEVICES BEING USED ON THEIR CHILD.  “A key component of the pilot project is the UNIVERSAL DATABASE.”

A Kansas Superintendent of a school district implementing SEL stated:

SEL will be integrated in the curriculum; it will not be taught separately.  It is not likely that a student could “opt out” of SEL curricular efforts.  For to do so, would be to opt out of a majority of the curriculum. 

It’s called the Medicalization of Our Schools.  Presently, academics are being replaced with wrap-around mental health services and interventions into EVERY child’s personalities, values, beliefs, and dispositions.  Personal behavior data is logged by teachers into data systems.  Out of this comes curriculum, activities, software, and programming to change the personal qualities of children and their families in order to meet government objectives – the NEEDS you hear about in Commerce and Workforce departments and committees.

Spend some time in the Commerce committees of the legislature.  You will hear much about the NEEDS of THE STATE.  You will hear children (who are ultimately adult citizens) referred to as HUMAN CAPITAL.  We are assessing our children’s worth to the planned economy.  Every child monitored and tracked via district technology for distance learning.

Is this the education you desire for your child every day they “go to school?”

Is this – along with all the new C19 “safety” measures awaiting your child – what you want your child to have to navigate beginning in about eight weeks?

Call To Action HB2016

UPDATE:  Yesterday, the Kansas House voted OVERWHELMINGLY FOR the Covid-19 Response Plan (i.e. HB 2016).  Yeas: 107, Nays: 12  http://www.kslegislature.org/li_2020s/b2020s/measures/vote_view/je_20200603210950_181372/

The bill is NOW in the Senate Judiciary committee.  The following committee members NEED TO HEAR FROM YOU.

Chair

• Sen. Rick Wilborn

Vice Chair

• Sen. Eric Rucker

Ranking Minority Member

• Sen. Vic Miller

Members

• Senate
•     Sen. Molly Baumgardner
•     Sen. Elaine Bowers
•     Sen. David Haley
•     Sen. Randall Hardy
•     Sen. Julia Lynn
•     Sen. Mike Petersen
•     Sen. Dennis Pyle
•     Sen. Mike Thompson

As well, contact YOUR Senator and Senate LEADERSHIP, as well as any many HOUSE LEGISLATORS that voted in support of HB 2016.

WHAT TO DO?

*Send emails.

*Leave messages.

*Some will call you back; some won’t.

*Be very clear as to the importance of NOT “balancing” or “compromising” or “reaching across the aisle” when it comes to your INHERENT INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS.

There is NEVER a justified basis for infringement of innate individual rights as is protected by the Constitution.  NO “balancing” the safety/health with the rights of individuals.

My health information is PERSONAL and PRIVATE.

NO person or interest beyond my personal doctor should have any of my health information.

NO person should be inquiring as to my whereabouts or associations.  EVER.

Anything not conforming to these principles will NOT BE COMPLIED with.

Again, VOTE AGAINST this bill.

Stop insulting Kansans by voting to allow the government to infringe on our innate rights that are protected by the Constitution.

Remind your representative/senator that he SWORE to uphold and defend the Constitution.

Kansans’ ability and right to worship, freely move about, provide for themselves and their families, operate a business, and have privacy and anonymity in their associations, personal information, and doings must NOT be infringed.

CC Math Re-Posting With Additional Info Specific To Kansas

Here’s the recent article about CC math. It could actually be about all of CC – the same theories are being applied across the board.

https://townhall.com/columnists/janerobbins/2018/06/05/whats-wrong-with-common-core-math-n2487580

Buzzwords: groupthink, discovery learning, work collaboratively, teachers facilitating (rather than teaching), conceptual understanding (rather than facts), problem-solving and perseverance.

This type of “teaching” leaves kids feeling incapable, confused, frustrated, etc. “… the progressivists’ requiring children to solve problems of a type they’ve never seen before, theoretically as a means of showing insight and understanding. Students struggle to figure this out (‘productive struggle,’ as touted by progressivists), much as a non-swimmer struggles to reach the side of the pool without drowning. Even if he survives, he likely still doesn’t know how to swim.” (Also, think about all the social and emotional “grading” they are doing. They are purposefully creating a frustrating learning paradigm and then documenting – and possibly suggesting interventions/services – their frustration, implying that it’s the kid’s issue, rather than a destructive education environment and methods.)

Also, note the constant “21st century” verbiage that permeates education talking points as a reason for “change.”

“… the traditional approach [of math instruction] … is inadequate for 21st-century needs (reformers never explain why necessary math skills change from one century to the next).” (Emphasis added)

Then, here are recent videos published by Blue Valley. Note the things Blue Valley is implementing – already proven to be failed teaching paradigms.

Posted by BVSD 6/5/18; Video on Blended Learning by Brad Moser

What does Blended Learning look like in Blue Valley? Take a peek inside our classrooms and you’ll see! Collaboration, teachers engaging with students, students helping one another…and at the heart of it all? Strong student-teacher relationships that allow for personalized learning. #StudentCentered #ThisIsBVBlendED #TechTuesday

Video transcription:

Blended Learning at times may look a little different than what than what we normally see in a classroom. But at the heart of it is this student-teacher relationship that allows for personalized learning and those those students to grow in the ways that they need to grow uh to become who they need to become. When I walk in a classroom before it was blended, I might see a teacher standing leading the class in a whole class lecture instruction, kids taking notes on their papers and then stuffing them in their binders and then you know going and dropping them in their locker. Well now when I walk into a classroom, a blended learning classroom, I might not even first see the teacher. I might see other students standing up in smaller groups helping each other and the teacher is maybe is collaborating with a small group. The technology is so versatile that it can meet the needs of each one of the students in the classroom and allows the teacher to focus more on the students in that classroom.

Posted by BVSD 5/29/18; Video on Blended Learning by Brad Moser

Blue Valley’s Blended Learning Impact Study provided district students and staff the opportunity to learn more about the impact of technology on learning. What did we find? Technology is a game-changer! From opening doors for students to collaborate and create, to providing a platform for all students to have a voice, Blended Learning in Blue Valley takes student-centered, future-ready learning to the next level! #TechTuesday #BVBlendED

Video transcription:

From the research, BL allows students to work together collaboratively. BL allows them not just work together face-to-face but work together with students that aren’t in the same physical space as them. BL learning opens up an element of creativity that didn’t exist before in a lot of our classrooms that maybe didn’t have a lot of creativity built into it. These tools allow them to produce and publish and share where before it was maybe a written document that was turned into the teacher. We put devices in there (smile). We’ve powered them up with some learning (smile) and sort of opened the door and let them lead us. We had a middle school kiddo that told us he appreciated the ability to have an on-line discussion, not have to raise my hand as fast as I can and get called on first by the teacher, and then everyone else just kinda sits and watches. But, he could ponder and have that time to kind of compose his thoughts and then share that. But not to share it to the teacher; share it so that every student in the class has an opportunity to read it. So, really, technology provided a voice for that student, and it’s providing a voice for all these students in our classrooms.

Posted by BVSD 5/24/18; Video on Blended Learning by Brad Moser and Kelly Ott,

“Classrooms that are loud with learning.” That’s what Blended Learning in Blue Valley is all about! Blended Learning leverages the power of technology to enhance instruction and empower students to connect, create collaborate and learn. Check out what district leaders have to say about Blended Learning in Blue Valley!

Blended Learning:

It combines Digital Media like computers, tablets and online resources.

With traditional face-to-face instruction:

Lectures, text books, and assessments.

Blended Learning:

Embodies our commitment to remain student-centered and future ready by:

Increasing access to technology …

Increasing the mobility of technology…

To enrich and personalize the student learning experience

Blue Valley School District will use the results of the ongoing blended learning study.

To determine best practices for utilizing technology as an instructional tool.

Blended Learning equips teachers with better tools while empowering students to learn anytime.

Blended Learning equips teachers with better tools while empowering students to learn anywhere.

Blended Learning equips teachers with better tools while empowering students to learn at any pace.

Video transcription:

Kelly: We’re looking at ways to leverage the power of technology with the creative mind of humans (smile) to really take kids places they’ve never been before.

Brad: BL puts together the teachers and the students and powers them up with the tools they need to become students that are future ready.

Kelly: They are re-imagining what skills and knowledge that students will need to be successful in the future. Technology is one of those skills. Using it appropriately. Using it to deepen learning. Using it to connect, to create and innovate. Technology will be at their fingertips when they step outside of our walls; so it needs to be at their fingertips when they’re inside of our walls.

Brad: We’ve already begun this process this year by implementing our impact study. Next year, we plan to power up our teachers; helping them embrace some of the platforms and tools that they already have at their disposal. We’d like to follow that up by powering up our classrooms and our students, giving them greater access and mobility. And, then finally, we focus on power up the learning and making sure that our classrooms are loud with learning.

Kelly: We knew that we needed to be very deliberate about our decisions. Make purposeful moves that are both fiscally responsible, keeping kids safe, making sure our infrastructure is robust enough to support it. But, in the end, really making a difference impacts learning so that we are not just giving them devices, but opening doors.

Call To Action–Where’s The Honor?

Where’s The Honor?

If you really want Common Core stopped in Kansas, then this is the week for you to fight like the dickens for what you want. All House leadership, House Education Committee Republicans, and YOUR representative need to hear (and read) your frustration with these shenanigans. This bill can still be saved, but it will take you and your best and continued efforts to get this done. You are the grass roots. Make your voices heard! At the bottom of this message is what we need you to ask for as well as a list of names and numbers.

Speaker Merrick purportedly sent HB2292 back to committee, after it had been passed favorably out on February 17th, to have language added clarifying AP. Representative Barton had already met with the revisor to draft that language, and had it ready for the meeting.

To start the meeting on March 18th, Chairman Highland called on Representative Grosserode who, after bringing up the same points she has brought up in previous years, had the revisors hand out and “idea – being conceptual in nature” to adopt as a substitute for the current language of HB2292.

Representatives Trimmer and Lusk were the first to be called on by the Chair. Multiple representatives were called upon to speak. Notably, Representative Trimmer spoke multiple times. Included in the discussion of the committee were multiple language changes. It was observed that Representative Barton even had his hand raised many times and was never called upon by the Chair.

By the end of the hour-long meeting, the committee asked for a couple of readings of the language of the substitute bill based on changes made per the comments of committee members. The members voted on a final reading of the language. It went from an idea/concept on paper to an oral reading of new language to passing within an hour. The language was never made available for public information or response. It was a complete Nancy Pelosi moment—“We have to pass it so we can find out what’s inside.”

The following were noted to have raised their hands in support of the substitution language: Grosserode, K. Jones, Hutchins, Rhoades, Hedke, Macheers, Lunn, Bruchman, and Bradford. Then, the same members voted the bill favorably out of committee.

On Friday, March 18th, 2016, the House Education Committee gutted a five-page bill and action that you have supported and elected people to vote for for multiple years, and substituted it with a PARAGRAPH that was not seen prior to Friday’s committee meeting, was written within an hour, and passed favorably based on an oral reading. It is clear that legislators are not serious about removing Washington D.C. education from Kansas. It was clear that the members were going to vote favorably for whatever motion Amanda Grosserode brought.

The Education Establishment (lobbyists, teacher union members and administrators being paid by YOUR tax dollars) has been putting in overtime, flooding your legislators with calls, cards, and emails. Even the PTA is promoting Common Core! We know you have been calling, as well. But, as you will see below, your legislators—especially the Republicans you elected to bring conservative principles—are only responding to the Establishment. Take note of the legislators’ actions from Friday, and unless they act to reverse their mis-informed actions, remember it this coming November. Make sure your dissatisfaction is heard at the voting booth.

Briefly, the new bill language does not address Kansas College and Career Ready Standards and all its alignments and entanglements, including assessments and data. THE NEW BILL LANGUAGE IN NO WAY AFFIRMS PARENTAL RIGHTS TO DIRECT THEIR CHILD’S EDUCATION.

It is noteworthy that while Amanda Grosserode sports a libertarian label and is “known” for her high ratings on the Freedom Index (as several fellow legislators like to bring up), she has never proactively brought any legislation since being elected to office to remove Common Core and all its entanglements and aliases from the state of Kansas. She has repeatedly, and during every legislative session with pending Common Core legislation, bemoaned the difficulty of the Common Core issue and how there just isn’t any perfect way to address it and how there are never “the votes” to do anything about it.

Her talking points have never changed. Representative Grosserode has consistently brought amendments to the committee at the eleventh hour. These are never available for public review prior to their presentation, and are always effectively used to kill legislation that would actually remove Common Core and all its entanglements from Kansas.

As well, she has stayed far away from addressing anything in regard to the massive and intrusive data collecting and profiles being amassed on kids at the state level. This data collection is required as one of the four assurances agreed to when Governor Parkinson agreed to bring Common Core into Kansas. Not surprisingly, Representative Grosserode homeschools her kids. From her desk in Topeka, she has been able to protect her kids from the things public school kids have no protection from. Does she view the protections she desires for her own children differently than those she desires for other parents’ children? She has never brought any anti-Common Core legislation at the beginning of the session; she only brings eleventh hour legislation to kill other legislation.

While many members of the legislature espouse their dislike of Common Core and their commitment to having it removed, as you can see, when it comes to actually doing it, they can only coalesce around killing legislation or passing essentially do-nothing legislation.

HB2292 was drafted over several months of work by a committee that specifically crafted the legislation to be in accordance with the Kansas Constitution. In recent weeks, THOUSANDS of Kansans have SIGNED PETITIONS in favor or HB2292. This is in addition to years of the public telling the legislature (through phone calls, emails, rallies at the capitol, statements made at campaign events, testimony submitted in support of anti-Common Core legislation, previous petitions signed, etc.) to end Common Core and all its entanglements in Kansas. The actions of legislators are contrary to what Kansans elected them to do and continue asking them to do.

THE ONLY VIABLE ACTION AT THIS TIME IS FOR THE LANGUAGE PASSED ON 3/18 TO BE REMOVED AND THE PREVIOUS BILL LANGUAGE BE RE-INSERTED. CONSTITUENTS MUST DEMAND THIS OF THEIR LEGISLATORS AND THEN LEGISLATORS NEED TO BE OVERT IN DEMANDING THIS HAPPEN, AND INSIST THEIR VOTE BE PUBLISHED. ONLY THEN WILL CONSTITUENTS KNOW FOR SURE HOW TO EVALUATE THEIR LEGISLATOR ON THIS ISSUE FOR THE UPCOMING ELECTIONS.

+Speaker Ray Merrick
785-296-2302
ray.merrick@house.ks.gov
+Speaker Pro Tem Peggy Mast
785-291-3500
peggy.mast@house.ks.gov
+Majority Leader Jene Vickrey
785-296-7662
jene.vickrey@house.ks.gov
+Assistant Majority Leader Mario Goico
785 296-7663
mario.goico@house.ks.gov
+Majority Whip Willie Dove
785 296-7677
willie.dove@house.ks.gov
+Education Committee Chair Ron Highland
785-296-7310
ron.highland@house.ks.gov
+Rep. Tony Barton
785-296-7522
tony.barton@house.ks.gov
+Rep. John Bradford
785 296-7653
john.bradford@house.ks.gov
+Rep. Dennis Hedke
785 296-7699
dennis.hedke@house.ks.gov
+Rep. Becky Hutchins
785-296-3971
becky.hutchins@house.ks.gov
+Rep. Kevin Jones
785 296-6287
kevin.jones@house.ks.gov
+Rep. Kasha Kelley
785 296-7671
kasha.kelley@house.ks.gov
+Rep. Jerry Lunn
785 296-7675
jerry.lunn@house.ks.gov
+Rep. Charles Macheers
785 296-7675
charles.macheers@house.ks.gov
+Rep. Marc Rhoades
785 296-7671
marc.rhoades@house.ks.gov

Find your representative HERE.

Call To Action–Stop the Education Establishment Politics

The education establishment is talking out of both sides of its mouth and hoping you won’t notice.

While some members of the education establishment are telling us teachers won’t be able to teach basic math if Common Core is eliminated, others are telling us Common Core has ALREADY been eliminated!

You and I know both statements are utter nonsense, but sadly, there are legislators who are falling for it!

And that’s not all. . .

Inside sources at the Capitol have alerted our team to the next stage of the education establishment’s plans to destroy, warp, and weaken our bill. You see, the education establishment knows a few outrageous statements will not be enough to stop your efforts to repeal Common Core. But their plan is for these ridiculous claims to cause enough confusion that they can sneak an amendment into the bill.

They want a backdoor for Common Core. The first stage of their plan is already complete. Just last week, Speaker Ray Merrick ordered H.B. 2292 to be sent back to the Education Committee.

There is still time to stop them, but only if we act fast.

That’s why it’s extremely important you contact the representatives listed below right now.

Demand they stand strong in support of H.B. 2292, send it back to the House floor as is, and insist on a recorded vote on the House floor.
Tell them you won’t stand for any amendment that leaves the backdoor open for Common Core.

Education Committee Chair Ron Highland
785-296-7310
ron.highland@house.ks.gov

Rep. Tony Barton
785-296-7522
tony.barton@house.ks.gov

Rep. John Bradford
785 296-7653
john.bradford@house.ks.gov

Rep. Dennis Hedke
785 296-7699
dennis.hedke@house.ks.gov

Rep. Becky Hutchins
785-296-3971
becky.hutchins@house.ks.gov

Rep. Kevin Jones
785 296-6287
kevin.jones@house.ks.gov

Rep. Kasha Kelley
785 296-7671
kasha.kelley@house.ks.gov

Rep. Jerry Lunn:
785 296-7675
jerry.lunn@house.ks.gov

Rep. Charles Macheers:
785 296-7675
charles.macheers@house.ks.gov

Rep. Marc Rhoades:
785 296-7671
marc.rhoades@house.ks.gov

Rep. Joseph Scapa
785-296-7682
joseph.scapa@house.ks.gov

Another claim from the education establishment is that our bill would get rid of AP and IB courses. The truth is our bill simply ensures accountability to Kansas standards for all courses taught in Kansas schools. While programs like AP and IB have been beneficial to students in the past, it is vital that there be proper accountability in place to ensure this remains the case. Above all else, we must protect our kids and the integrity of their education.

Unfortunately, there are already signs AP could be headed down the wrong path. You see, David Coleman — the “architect” of the Common Core Standards — is now the new president of the College Board, which creates AP courses!

If that wasn’t enough to worry you, recent changes to AP US History make this course look like it was written by Occupy Wall Street, or other radical leftist organizations.

For example:
>>> The 2014 AP US History curriculum left the Holocaust and D-Day out of World War II!
>>> The 2014 AP US History curriculum left Martin Luther King, Jr. out of discussions of the 1960’s, but included the Black Panthers.

Worse, the College Board is now creating courses for grades as low as sixth grade, to be used in lieu of regular curriculum.

It’s despicable. The education establishment is taking advantage of the good reputation of a good program and hijacking it to use as a backdoor to rebrand Common Core.

That’s right, the College Board and the education establishment wants you to allow Common Core to be repackaged as AP so it can be taught to every middle and high school student in Kansas — without any accountability to Kansans or Kansas standards!

You can be sure this will be one line of attack from the education establishment to try to weaken and warp our bill. . . and there isn’t much time to stop them.

An effort to insert an amendment to allow this kind of backdoor loophole into our bill could happen at any time.

That’s why it’s extremely important you contact the representatives listed above right now.

Demand they stand strong in support of H.B. 2292, send it back to the House floor as is, and insist on a recorded vote on the House floor. Tell them you won’t stand for any amendment that leaves the backdoor open for Common Core.

The education establishment also claims that repealing Common Core would be too expensive. The truth is there is a lot of money to be saved by getting rid of Common Core. Just one example is the $9 million we could save every year by getting rid of Common Core’s superfluous testing and related costs. The House Budget Office wants you to believe it would cost millions to write new standards and assessments, but this is only true if the most expensive option possible is selected as the path forward.

The truth is there are several excellent options for standards and assessments that are available for free if the Kansas Board of Education simply decides to use them. The pre-Common Core standards and assessments — which resulted in much higher scores than we’ve seen with Common Core — would be free!

The education establishment wants to ignore the real savings associated with repealing Common Core. And they’re telling legislators about imagined and unnecessary costs that would be caused only by really poor decisions by the Kansas Board of Education.

That is typical behavior for the education establishment in Kansas.

But without your immediate action, weak-kneed legislators will fall for it.

That’s why it’s extremely important you contact the representatives listed above right now.

Demand they stand strong in support of H.B. 2292, send it back to the House floor as is, and insist on a recorded vote on the House floor.
Tell them you won’t stand for any amendment that leaves the backdoor open for Common Core.

It should be no surprise you and I would see this kind of nonsense from the education establishment. After all, we saw the same shenanigans from them last year. But it seems there really is nothing the education establishment won’t do or say to protect the status quo.

The good news is their willingness to make outrageous claims means your hard work is making a difference. You see, attacks against H.B. 2292 by the education lobby are a testimony to the fact that this bill would completely expel Common Core from Kansas schools.

The education lobby knows they must defeat this bill to preserve their power! That means the closer you and I get to repealing Common Core, the more shenanigans we can expect.

The bad news is the education establishment has enormous resources at their disposal and already have a plan in place to sneak an amendment into our bill with a backdoor to keep Common Core.

So your hard work cannot stop now; you and I have to remain vigilant. We have to double down.

That’s why it’s extremely important you contact the representatives listed above now.

Demand they stand strong in support of H.B. 2292, send it back to the House floor as is, and insist on a recorded vote on the House floor.

This year — with your help — we will get a roll call vote on the house floor. With your help, we can pass a clean bill that is not watered down or destroyed by amendments that will leave a backdoor loophole for Common Core.

So be sure to contact the representatives listed above right now.

Demand they stand strong in support of H.B. 2292, send it back to the House floor as is, and insist on a recorded vote on the House floor.

Tell them you won’t stand for any amendment that leaves the backdoor open for Common Core.

Let’s pave the way for a victory against Common Core . . . forever.

KACC

Call To Action–Establishment Shenanigans

Dear Stop Common Core Warriors,

You won’t believe the latest claims from the education establishment in Kansas.
Here’s a direct quote from USD 259 School Board President, Betty Arnold:
“We couldn’t even teach basic math if Common Core was eliminated.”

They want you to believe Kansas didn’t have math before Common Core.
It seems there really is nothing the education establishment won’t do or say to protect the status quo.

The good news is their willingness to make such outrageous statements means your hard work is making a difference.

The bad news is, yesterday our Common Core Repeal bill (H.B. 2292) was removed from the House floor and sent back to the House Education Committee.
Our opponents are trying to destroy, warp, and weaken our bill.

That’s why it’s extremely important you call Speaker Ray Merrick and Education Committee Chairman Ron Highland right now.

Demand that H.B. 2292 be returned to the House floor immediately and given a recorded vote, without amendments.
Speaker Ray Merrick
785-296-2302
ray.merrick@house.ks.gov
Education Committee Chair Ron Highland
785-296-7310
ron.highland@house.ks.gov

Additionally, be sure to read our previous post, “Call to Action—Stop the Lies,” about the shenanigans coming from the education establishment and how your involvement can stop them.

With your help, we can fight back against the nonsense from the education establishment and expel Common Core from Kansas schools forever!

Thank you for your support-

Kansans Against Common Core

CALL TO ACTION…Stop the Lies

Stop Common Core Warriors-

Your legislators are believing Randy Watson’s lies.

You see, several members of the Kansas House have reported that Mr. Watson, the highly paid Kansas Commissioner of Education, has been lying to Kansas legislators and saying that Common Core is gone from Kansas classrooms.

In reality, Common Core standards remain in Kansas classrooms, under the name of College and Career Ready, and under other aligned standards and curricula.

In addition, assessments used in Kansas today are all aligned with Common Core!

Randy Watson knows that if our legislators know the truth, they will be much more likely to insist on passing H.B. 2292 to fully repeal Common Core!

The simple truth is that many programs, curricula, and standards are aligned with the Common Core standards, including College and Career Ready and the AP courses, to name only two. The simple truth is that Kansas schools will continue to use these and other Common Core aligned standards, assessments, and curricula until your Kansas legislature passes H.B. 2292!

Contact your Kansas representative immediately, and tell them to stop believing Randy Watson’s lies about Common Core no longer being in Kansas! (See contact info below.)

It should be no surprise that we would see this kind of lying from the education establishment in 2016. After all, we saw the same lying last year from the education establishment and from legislators who wanted to appear to support Common Core repeal, but instead worked hard only to discredit our bill.

We expected that opponents to our bill would use the same tricks and schemes on the House floor that they tried last year in the House Education Committee, including:

>>> Lying about our bill costing taxpayers, when it will actually save money;
>>> Lying about the contents of our bill;
>>> Lying about the constitutionality of our bill;
>>> Proposing large last minute amendments to gut our bill;
>>> And even proposing last minute amendments to replace our entire bill.

But we had no idea that Randy Watson would be willing to publicly state an outright lie, repeatedly insisting that Common Core is no longer in Kansas schools!
And your legislators are believing this lie!

Attacks against H.B. 2292 by the education lobby are a testimony to the fact that this bill would completely expel Common Core and all related standards and curricula from Kansas schools. The education lobby knows that they must defeat this bill to preserve their power! H.B. 2292 was written very deliberately, because your Kansans Against Common Core team did their homework. These attacks are also due to your hard work. The education lobby is running scared, because you have been sending calls and emails to your legislators demanding a full repeal of Common Core by passing H.B. 2292.

You see, over the last year, moms, teachers, and activists from all across Kansas have been going to work knocking on doors, making phone calls, writing emails, gathering petition signatures, and doing whatever it takes to force a vote on our Common Core Repeal bill.

We are proud to tell you that your hard work is paying off! Thanks to your hard work and that of grassroots activists across the state, our bill –- now officially H.B. 2292 — has been passed out of the Kansas House Education Committee! That’s right. The Kansas House now has the opportunity to pass the most thorough Common Core Repeal bill IN THE NATION.

And the education lobby is now more afraid than ever! We can expect more shenanigans, not less, from them between now and the vote on H.B. 2292 on the house floor!

So our hard work cannot stop here. If we stop now, Speaker Merrick could choose to never give our bill a recorded vote on the House floor. If we stop now, your legislator might continue to believe Randy Watson’s lies. That’s why it is so important you take action immediately!

Contact your Kansas representative immediately, and tell them to stop believing Randy Watson’s lies about Common Core no longer being in Kansas! (See contact info below.)

Repealing Common Core is now more important than ever!

With the passage of the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) last fall, Randy Watson and many others want us to believe Common Core has been eliminated by the federal government. That could not be further from the truth!

Unfortunately, the ESSA keeps the College and Career Ready standards, which are essentially Common Core. Worse, the ESSA forces states to comply with these standards to receive money from the federal government! If Kansas complies with the ESSA, the feds will control the standards and assessments in Kansas schools, possibly forever.

The feds only contribute about 8% of total Kansas spending on education, but they want to control 100% of the standards and outcomes. The good news is H.B. 2292 will fully repeal Common Core, including College and Career Ready and other related standards and curricula.

The other good news is the original 2016 bill lists 30 cosponsors in the Kansas House.

But we could lose this opportunity if your legislator believes Randy Watson’s lies!

That’s why it is so important you take action immediately!

Last year, we got a hearing on our Common Core Repeal bill in the House Education Committee, but the debate and vote were fraught with shenanigans!

This year, however, thanks to grassroots efforts, our bill has already passed out of the House Education Committee!

But you can expect that opponents of our bill are planning to use the same tricks and schemes on the House floor that they tried last year in the House Education Committee!
And you can expect that Randy Watson will continue to lie to legislators in Topeka. Our insiders are already telling us that some folks — who claim to be against Common Core — are saying our bill will cost astronomical sums, when our bill will actually save $9 million every year on superfluous and time-wasting assessments required by Common Core!

The opposition is also already telling lies about the non-existent 2017 Kansas standards. They are falsely claiming the 2017 standards would ban AP and IB courses, but these standards are well over a year from even being prepared! You can see the despair of the education establishment in their lies and shenanigans!

We will face down every one of these lies. Truth can prevail. This year — with your help — we will get a roll call vote on the House floor for our Common Core Repeal bill.
With your help, we can pass a clean bill that is not watered down or destroyed by bad amendments. We can pave the way for a victory against Common Core, forever. But this is a slow process, and winning takes hard work.

That’s why we need your help to ensure that your legislator does not believe Randy Watson’s lies. We need your help to ensure that this important bill gets a fair debate and roll call vote on the House floor.

Contact your Kansas representative immediately, and tell them to stop believing Randy Watson’s lies about Common Core no longer being in Kansas! Tell them you want them to pass this bill, HB2292, with NO amendments!

You can find contact information for your Kansas state representative here.

If you are not sure who your Kansas state representative is, you can find that information here.

Also, please contact these members of the leadership in the Kansas House to tell them to stop believing Randy Watson’s lies about Common Core no longer being in Kansas!

Speaker Ray Merrick
785-296-2302
ray.merrick@house.ks.gov

Speaker Pro Tem Peggy Mast
785-291-3500
peggy.mast@house.ks.gov

Majority Leader Jene Vickrey
785-296-7662
jene.vickrey@house.ks.gov

Assistant Majority Leader Mario Goico
785 296-7663
mario.goico@house.ks.gov

Majority Whip Willie Dove
785 296-7677
willie.dove@house.ks.gov

With your help we can expel Common Core from Kansas schools permanently!

Thank You,

Kansans Against Common Core

P.S. Thanks to the hard work of grassroots activists across the state our bill to fully expel Common Core from Kansas schools has been passed out of the Kansas House Education Committee!

Call your legislator and House leadership immediately and tell them to stop believing Randy Watson’s lies, and to assure that H.B. 2292 gets a fair hearing and roll call vote on the House floor!