Greetings anti CCSS warriors! The beginning of a new work week. The beginning of a new day to war against the CCSS Machine. I’ve a short story for you today…one that’s full of honor among those of us who choose to fight for our students of ALL ages in ALL educational choices every single day.
The 1990s to 2009:
I’m not sure when or why you joined the anti CCSS movement, but here’s how I got involved. First off, my family had chosen (way back in the early 90s) to educate our children at home. Being that ‘out of the normal box’ family has worked well for us through the years. Knowing we were ‘different’ kept us on our toes, so to speak. We faced the ire of the local school boards when we learned they didn’t like our choice because it deprived them of per student funding. We stood firm in our decision. We’ve faced the ridicule of those who chose the more traditional route in educating their children. We stood firm in not ridiculing them.
When a new job created the need to move to NC from FL, we did so while still choosing to home educate. We moved to a city where we knew no one except each other and our dog. It was that need to find others like us which got us involved in leadership possibilities in our unique community of learners, teachers, and families. I had to learn the new laws of what constituted home education. Years passed, all was well…or so I thought. Yes, there’d been pushes here and there from national groups and local ones to further regulate home education, but every move failed.
Then one day, I find myself at a meeting full of educational leaders. Different national magazines were being shared. One of those was “Practical Homeschooling” magazine. In the particular issue from mid 2009 I was alerted to big trouble looming in the form of a push for national standards. Then I picked up a second issue of the same magazine and found an article about the globalizing of American education. Between the two articles (full of researched and credible information), I was spurred on. After reading what I had, I knew in my heart there was NO WAY I could sit by and watch our freedoms be stripped away. By ‘our freedoms’ I mean everyone’s right to choose how to educate their children. I’ve never been in the conversion business for there’s only ONE WAY to teach and learn.
From 2009 to Now:
Since digging into fighting national overreach into education (which is NOT in the U.S. Constitution, Bill of Rights, or any other foundational document for our country), I’ve met some amazing people, been privileged to speak out (and to be sought out to speak up), had many wise folks to learn even more from, and to be asked repeatedly for information, advice, and what my research has exposed. I can happily share that MOST everyone I meet, and everywhere I get to travel in this “War against the Core”, more and more people who desire honor (and are honorable) are standing up! “Practical Homeschooling” spurred me on, I’ve been able to ignite that spark in others; they will carry on to excite even more people.
Our work is FAR from over, our journey is long..it is exacting. But, as has been written ‘when courage is in our hearts it WILL appear on the battlefield’. I would encourage you, no matter WHAT educational choice you have made for your families, look at ALL the available researched and credible publications you can find. While we know CCSS overreach spans day care to career, we are learning more daily on HOW that overreach is impacting ALL the educational choices. We’ve learned it’s in STEM, STEM to STEaM, CTE, CCR, Career Pathways (includes Career Clusters and Workforce training), NGSS, C3 Social Studies, our extra curricular clubs, our community wide educational events; we’ve learned how our entire communities are being aligned via all types of ‘feel good, do good for the town’ projects, initiatives, and legislation. We’ve seen our federal Congress bend over backwards to create bills which ‘rubber stamp’ anything connected to the CCSS Machine. We’ve watched as our states have forgotten (or just been lazy in exercising) their sovereignty in protecting the citizens against federal overreach…especially in education!
My point in all this? Continue to stand firm; to fight, not because you want to, rather because you have to; be honorable in your battle, remember whom you represent; seek out those who consistently provided facts, evidence, and aren’t seeking glory, these are the folks most likely to be the ones you’d want standing with you as we proceed.
To find out more about PH Magazine, the publishers have granted me permission to share the following subscription links:
For individuals: http://www.home-school.com/catalog/pages/phs-usa-individual.php
For groups or libraries: http://www.home-school.com/catalog/detail.php3?code=PHG1
(*Note: if the links do not open automatically, you can cut and paste in your internet browser; below is the entire cover of the magazine.)
Good morning, I am a grandmother in California and I am very involved with stopping the Common Core. I just wondered if you are aware that in California they are about to pass legislation that requires vaccination of all our children. We do not believe this should be the decision of the government, but a personal choice. My daughters have both chosen not to vaccinate. Children will not be able to attend public school if they are not vaccinated. No more exemptions. In some ways, this is good. Home schools, which are already a big movement here, will grow by leaps and bounds because many parents are refusing to vaccinate. They are also going to realize a drop in their per child funding. However, this is a dramatic step in the wrong direction for our liberty. Just wanted you to know about this further encroachment on our freedoms, if you don’t already. And ask you to pray for California. There really are a lot of conservatives here in spite of what you hear about us. Thanks for what you do, Linda Gooden
Linda,
Thanks for reaching out. I’m saddened to hear that one more of our precious freedoms is being usurped. Common Core and all its components are already reaching into homeschooling, as my research continues to bare out. NO educational choice is safe. Please let me know how I may be of service to not only you, but CA. Be strong, my warrior!
Red Alert: Senator Lamar Alexander just pulled an 11th hour Every Child Achieves Act (ECAA) switcharoo. He has submitted a BRAND NEW BILL to replace the one passed by committee to the house. 200 more pages. 800 plus in total. Grandee Lamar with this substitution and no notice to the public just reeks of contempt to taxpayers and parents. http://tinyurl.com/ln3zcdk This should be at the top of every anti common core blog website.
Thank you SO much for the heads up!!