Common Core Standards must go!

Common Core is the name of the top-down Federal Government set of education "standards" that has been kind of snuck in under the radar with promises of "rigorous standards" and "free money" from our great benefactor, Uncle Sam. It has often been touted as having been adopted at the local level. It is disingenuous, however, to state that Common Core was adopted at the local level. Though states individually accepted the Common Core "Standards", it was done through coercion via promises of Federal money. Fortunately, five states including Texas never did accept Common Core and many others are looking at getting out. To date, 10 additional states have repealed their acceptance and 9 others have legislation pending to do the same including Idaho, Wyoming, South Dakota, Wisconsin, West Virginia, New Jersey, Maryland, Connecticut, and New Hampshire. Recently, Mississippi Governor, Bobby Jindahl issued an executive order to get rid of Common Core. It was big, rich, liberal money especially from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and other like-minded people who always seem to know better what is good for the "unwashed masses" who supported and encouraged it in the first place (Don't forget that). Like the so-called "affordable Health Care Act", Common Core standards were accepted before anyone had a chance to read the entire program! Surely, we all remember the former Speaker of the House of Representatives telling the nation that we had to pass the health care bill "so we could find out what's in it"! Once we did, the whole thing blew up in everyone's faces. The same is true of Common Core. Initially, no one knew about the mining of data that would be a part of Common Core or the revisionist history or absurd math that would also be results of the new "standards". Arnie Duncan and the Federal Department of Education were the ones making promises of free federal money if Common Core was accepted. Excuse me, but has anyone read the US Constitution lately and especially article I, section 8 wherein are listed the 20 "enumerated" powers of the federal government. Providing for or overseeing education is not one of them. While you're at it, read the 10th Amendment (Bill-of-rights) of the Constitution wherein is written, "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively or to the people."

Rick Heiberg

Coulee City