Jimmy Lindblom and LaCinda Lewis Endorsed by Pro Common Core, Anti-Parent "Stand for Children"

Stand for Children/Arizona has just endorsed Jimmy Lindblom, who is running for a Senate seat against Warren Petersen in LD12, and LaCinda Lewis, who is competing against Eddie Farnsworth and Travis Grantham in the House.

A review of Stand for Children/Arizona’s website indicates that this group proudly supports the entire Common Core agenda, aka Arizona’s College and Career Ready Standards, including AzMerit.

Stand is proud to have defeated a litany of anti-Common Core legislation, as well as other bills that parents have fought for, including the defeated SB1455. This bill would have acknowledged that parents know more than the State about what’s best for their own children. These parents wanted to opt their children out of the unvalidated, secretive AzMerit. Stand would have none of it. See "Top Legislative Results."

Parents and their children suffered verbal and emotional abuse at the hands of school administrators, teachers, other parents, and other students for daring to opt out of AZMerit. Remember? See Sen. Allen calls for schools to respect parents over assessment concerns, The Schools’ War On Arizona’s Children: Part 1, The Schools’ War on Arizona’s Children: Part 2 Online Charter Schools The Schools’ War on Arizona’s Children: Part 3 Emotional Child Abuse.

Voters should be wary of groups that "sound" wonderful. Scratch the surface, and you discover how pro-Statist and anti-Family they truly are. Expect More Arizona is another such group. See Is Expect More Arizona in it for the Money?

According to Stand’s website, they have "partnered" with Expect More in their legislative lobbying efforts. Both groups are very well funded and include staff who are highly paid to lobby legislators on a regular basis.

Paul Luna is on the Advisory Board of Stand. He’s also the Chairman of Expect More Arizona. He’s also the President and CEO of Helios Foundation. Helios contributes at least $500,000 per year to Expect More Arizona. According to Helios’s 990 filed for 2012, Paul Luna received nearly $500,000 in compensation and benefits.

Craig Barrett is on the Advisory Board of Stand. He’s the former CEO of Intel and Chairman of the Common Core group Achieve, Inc. Achieve, Inc. is primarily responsible for the development of the Common Core Standards. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has pumped over $44 Million into Achieve in support of Common Core. Craig Barrett is well known for his advocacy of the Common Core Machine, including High StakesTesting (AzMerit). See The Cult of Common Core Admits its Designs on our Schools’ Cult of Common Core.

The Stand for Children organization includes both a 501(c)(4) advocacy organization called Stand for Children, as well as a 501(c)(3) training organization called Stand for Children Leadership Center. Over the last few years, the Leadership Center has received over $17 million in grant money from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Bill Gates has spent billions of dollars in grants to organizations all over America to keep the Common Core Machine in place. See Stand for Children 2014 Annual Report

In stark contrast to these highly paid lobbyists are unpaid, but very dedicated, parents, grandparents, and concerned citizens, many of whom are members of the "Mommy Lobby." They are fighting very hard for "the best education possible for their children." Others helping them include groups with no or little money, such as Arizonans Against Common Core, Opt Out AZ!, and blogs such as Gilbert Watch and Gila Watch.

Whenever you see the term "School Choice" denigrated by special interest groups and some legislators, remember this: Schools don’t choose the children they want in their schools. Parents choose the schools that are best for their children. This isn’t just a right; it’s every parent’s responsibility!

Take a look at Stand for Children/Arizona’s Endorsements. Is your legislator on the list? Chances are, he/she will do all possible to retain Common Core and force every child in Arizona to take AzMerit, or some other "high stakes" test that benefits educrats, publishing companies, test makers, and special interest groups….not students.

With legislators lining up with groups like Stand for Children/Arizona and Expect More Arizona, you may decide that it’s time to Stand Up for Your Children and enroll them in private brick and mortar schools, or private online schools, or you may decide it’s time to home school.