Three Gilbert School Governing board members (Julie Smith, Daryl Colvin, and Staci Burk) despise Common Core, so let’s encourage them to vote NO to this agenda item!
Agenda Item 7.02 does not look to me like a mere “formality” to approve the Arizona Department of Education’s new title for Common Core, “Arizona’s College and Career Ready Standards.” And even if it is, VOTE NO.
Here is the link to the Agenda for tomorrow night’s meeting. It will be held at 7 pm, Governing Board Room, Building B, 140 S. Gilbert Rd.
Agenda Item 7.02 reads “Approval of the Declaration of Curricular and Instructional Alignment to the Arizona’s College and Career Ready Standards.”
First. Why should this board, 3 of whom have expressed their strong disapproval of Common Core, willingly vote to approve any of this centrally planned, corporate and federally-dominated travesty in any way, shape, or form? What is the board “risking” if they vote NO? What “penalties” will they face? One could protest that if they don’t approve it, then Superintendent Huppenthal will withhold their funding. Really? He would, in an election year, withhold funding from the 4th largest school district in Arizona? Even the Leftist Media couldn’t ignore reporting that!
There is no time like the present for the Governing Board to take a stand against these untested “standards” that have already cost the District far more money than they bargained for.
Second. Look more closely at what each board member is being asked to approve. It’s titled Declaration of Curricular and Instructional Alighment to the Arizona Academic Standards. Not only are they instructed to approve English/Language Arts and Math, but they are also being instructed to approve Science and Social Studies Common Core Standards. This is a problem, because the Science and Social Studies Common Core Standards have not been required or implemented by the state!
That is a legal argument not to sign!
Third. What will happen if the Gilbert Governing Board (and other school boards) voluntarily sign? They will send the message to the State that local school boards and charter schools "voluntarily" signed accepting those standards when they didn’t have to! They will help Huppenthal’s argument when he says, “Local school boards all across Arizona voluntarily agreed to implement the Science and Social Studies Standards. I told you it was state driven."
Why should the Board voluntarily agree to something beyond what’s required? This is their opportunity to take a stand against this extreme lack of local control.
Fourth. There is another attachment titled “Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects 6-12." It is obviously a Common Core document. But only a small portion of it is shown in the attachment. Where is the full document? A search of the AZDOE website didn’t unearth it. Here is the portion that has been shown to the Governing Board and public by GPS Officials.
Fifth. There is another Agenda Item, 6.01. Springboard Implementation Report. Remember when the previous board approved this in spite of parental concerns about its content? The Report isn’t exactly glowing.