Schools

The Legislature’s Pyrrhic Victory? SB1416 Strips Superintendent of Power

Anita Christy

If the Arizona Legislature succeeds in passing Senator Jeff Dial’s repulsive SB1416, this is what they will have accomplished:   

Turned Arizona’s only elected official within the Department of Education into a water boy kowtowing to the will of 10 unelected, historically incompetent and downright dangerous, wasteful members of the State Board of Education.

Arizona’s voters won’t be fooled into believing that this bill "merely clarifies statutes," as Dial states. The voters who put Ms. Douglas into office aren’t that stupid. 

This is what will be very clear to voters:   The Legislature has removed the Superintendent’s effective representation of the voter’s mandate.  The Legislature has devalued and dishonored the voters. The Legislature has told the voters to “stuff it.”   The Governor, if he signs it, will be signing one of the worst "anti-voter", anti-elected official" bills we’ve seen in a long time.

Historically, members of the State Board of Education, serving at the will of whichever Governor appointed them, love to wield power, without a shred of deliberation, debate, or accountability. (Recent Ducey appointees Jared Taylor and Chuck Schmidt are the exceptions.) Here are just a few of their thoughtless, costly, and downright dangerous actions: 

The SBE’s reputation for lowering standards.  "In 2005 the State Board, over the objections of state Superintendent Tom Horne, reduced the passing grade on the AIMS test from 72 percent to 59 percent for reading, and from 71 percent to 60 percent for math.  Even with the reduced passing threshold, and a math test that has gotten progressively easier, just 61 percent of the class has passed after three attempts."  Most State Board of Education members said lowering the scores would look as if they were lowering the bar and backing off high standards for high school graduates, but still they voted 9-1 to do it. And the Legislature, in their vast wisdom then as now, got into the act, allowing grades in class work to add as much as 25 percent to a student’s AIMS results. 

The SBE spent untold thousands of dollars developing new Math standards in 2008/2009, only to dump them for Common Core Math in 2010.  

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Vacancy on the Arizona State Board of Education’s Standards Development Committee

Anita Christy

If you would like to play an effective role in replacing Common Core in Arizona, now’s your chance!  There’s a vacancy on the State Board of Education’s Standards Development Committee for a member who is a parent of a public high school student.  The Arizona Standards Development Committee includes representation from the Board, business community, deans of colleges, parents, classroom teachers, a school administrator, and a school district governing board member. The Superintendent of Public Instruction Diane Douglas is also a member of the Committee. Members of the Committee are an equal mix of those who have and have not participated in the standards development process in the past.

More information about the Arizona Standards Development Committee can be found HERE.   

Applicants are encouraged to complete the application and return the requested documents to inbox@azsbe.az.gov by May 31, 2016.   Click HERE to print out the application.  

According to State Board Member Jared Taylor, “It would be great to get some good parents of high school students to apply.”

Are you interested in reviewing some excellent K-12 standards that already exist?  See An English Language Arts Curriculum Framework for American Public Schools: A Model  and Mathematics Content Standards for California Public Schools Kindergarten through Grade Twelve: A Model

Two addenda could be added to the California standards referenced above that elaborate on the standards themselves and deal with pedagogical and organizational issues:  1) Mathematics Framework for California Public Schools, 2000 Revised Edition; and 2) Mathematics Framework for California Public Schools, 2006 Edition."

Please contact Gilbert Watch and let us know if you apply!

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Rep. Bob Thorpe’s Letter Regarding Transgender Bathrooms

Anita Christy

Recently, Gilbert Watch published Arizona Joins Texas in Lawsuit to Stop Federal Overreach.  Arizona joined this lawsuit following a letter from Arizona lawmaker Representative Bob Thorpe (R-LD6).  Rep. Thorpe has provided the letter to Gilbert Watch, as well as the data for how the State, Local and Federal education funds break down for 2014-2015.  

Dear Arizona Superintendent of Schools Diane Douglas and Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich:

Legislators have been receiving numerous complaints from constituents who are very concerned with the threatening tone of the May 13, 2016 letter from U.S. Attorney General Lynch and U.S. Department of Education Secretary King.

The letter coerces our nation’s K-12 public schools and colleges to ensure that transgender students must be allowed to use the gender designated restrooms, changing rooms and locker facilities of their choosing, not necessarily that of their biological gender. It has been estimated that approximately 0.3% of U.S. individuals identify themselves as transgender.

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Georgia ACLU director resigns over transgender fight

Anita Christy

Liberal compassion towards transgenders ends when…..it negatively affects THEIR kids.

"Maya Dillard Smith, the head of Georgia’s ACLU chapter, stepped down this week in protest of the civil rights group’s challenge of a controversial North Carolina law that critics see as discriminatory to transgender people."

“I have shared my personal experience of having taken my elementary school age daughters into a women’s restroom when shortly after three transgender young adults over six feet with deep voices entered,” she writes. “My children were visibly frightened, concerned about their safety and left asking lots of questions for which I, like many parents, was ill-prepared to answer.”

Want to know why those guys used that bathroom?  Because they can.  

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Arizona Joins Texas in Lawsuit to Stop Federal Overreach

Anita Christy

In response to a letter from Arizona lawmaker Representative Bob Thorpe (R-LD6), Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Diane Douglas announced that Arizona will Join Texas in a Lawsuit to Stop Federal Overreach.  Co-signers of Rep. Thorpe’s letter included Sen. Sylvia Allen (R-LD6), and Representatives Brenda Barton (R-LD6), Paul Boyer (R-L20), Karen Fann (R-LD1), Mark Finchem (R-LD11), Anthony Kern (R-LD20), and Vince Leach (R-LD11).  (Please express your thanks to Bob Thorpe and the other legislators who signed his letter, as well as Mark Brnovich and Diane Douglas.  See email addresses below.)

The COMPLAINT FOR DECLARATORY AND INJUNCTIVE RELIEF concerns the May 13, 2016 "Joint Guidance" issued by the U.S. Departments of Justice and Education relating to requiring public schools that receive federal funding to allow transgender students to use whatever restroom or locker room they wish, based on how they identify their gender.  

The threat to withdraw federal funding from any school that doesn’t comply is very clear in this sentence: "Under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, schools receiving federal money may not discriminate based on a student’s sex, including a student’s transgener status."

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U.S. Department of Education’s Major Accomplishment: Staggering Illiteracy

Anita Christy

Zero Hedge recently published an article titled Department of Education – Our Work Here is Done.  A few items from that article include:

The Department of Education was created in 1979 and now has an annual budget of $73 billion, with 5,000 government bureaucrats roaming its hallways.  See U.S. Department of Education Budget Fact Sheet. 

After 37 years and trillions of dollars "invested" in our children, here is a short list of some "achievements":   1) There are six million students in the California school system, and 25% of those students are unable to perform basic reading skills.  2) 50% of adults cannot read a book written at an eighth grade level.  3) 45 million adults are functionally illiterate and read below a 5th grade level.  4) 3 out of 4 people on welfare can’t read.  5) 20% of Americans read below the level needed to earn a living wage.  6) School dropouts cost our nation $240 billion in social service expenditures and lost tax revenues.  7) 3 out of 5 people in American prisons can’t read.  8) Approximately 50% of Americans read so poorly that they are unable to perform simple tasks such as reading prescription drug labels.

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Would your Candidate Support Life, Marriage and Family, Religious Freedom?

Anita Christy

The Center for Arizona Policy (CAP) surveyed the candidates running for federal and state offices.  CAP promotes and defends the foundational values of life, marriage and family, and religious liberty. 

Find out how the candidates answered the questions.  Simply Click on the link ArizonaVoterGuide.Com.  Fill in the blanks in order to immediately obtain your personalized voter guide, and click on each number to see the survey question, and how candidates responded.  

The results might surprise you.  Candidate for Governor Scott Smith’s answers are a good example.  He would support adding "sexual orientation," "gender identity," or "gender expression" to the protected classes of race, religion, age, sex, and ancestry in anti-discrimination law.  (Question #11.)

Remember the battle against Medicaid Expansion?  The Center for Arizona Policy was cited in the following passionate statements made by Steve Smith, who was a Republican respresentative from LD11 at the time (not to be confused with Scott Smith).  Steve explains that the expansion of Medicaid would also increase the number of abortions.  Scott Smith, candidate for Governor, supports Medicaid Expansion.

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House Ed. Committee Poised to Stifle Voice of Voters: SB1313

Anita Christy

The first effort to strip our duly elected Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI) of powers was during the Legislature’s last session.  Thankfully, HB2184 was held in the House.  The second whack at our eleted SPI was brought forward this session by Sen. Jeff Dial, via SB1416.  

SB1416 has been held by Speaker of the House David Gowan, until very recently, when he caved under pressure from Governor Ducey.  Gowan is currently running as a "conservative" for U.S. Representative in CD1.  Is "caving under pressure" a trait you seek in a U.S. Congressman?  

SB1416 has now morphed into an even uglier SB1313, championed by Rep. Paul Boyer, known for his disdain for parental authority in matters relating to the education of their children.  See Rep. Paul Boyer Won’t Allow Parental "Opt Out" Bill to be Heard! , Boyer Blocking Parental Choice, Privacy Bills , and Boyer Tries To Dodge Public On SB1313, Education Overhaul  

See below for a Summary of SB1313 by Vicki Alger, Ph.D.

Very simply, THIS BILL MUST BE STOPPED!

The House Education Committee will meet on Wednesday, March 16, at 2:00 PM, to vote on SB1313.  Click HERE for the agenda.  Please call, visit, use the RTS (virtual Request to Speak), email the following Committee members as soon as possible!

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California Teacher: “Get out of my way, I have some laws to change, and no one’s stopping me.”

Anita Christy

This post appeared in Stop Common Core in California Facebook on May 6, 2016.  It was shared by California teacher, Dawn Nikisher Kelly, with her permission:  

(GW NOTE:  It may be of interest to know that, unlike Arizona, California law allows a parent or guardian to excuse a child from all or parts of the statewide assessment.  Not many parents do, however.  See 60615 of EDUCATION CODE SECTION 60604-60618.)  

 

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SILENT NO MORE: Why this Former Teacher Opted Out of the AzMerit

Anita Christy

Those of us in the anti-Common Core/AzMerit/High Stakes testing movement have long explained why teachers don’t speak out against the insane nationalization of our K-12 Education System.  Mostly, it’s because they don’t want to risk losing their jobs.  Even former teachers don’t speak out, for fear they will never work again in the public school system.  Ms. Debra Jo Borden, a former Arizona teacher, bravely went public in late April 2016 .  She is silent no more about the gagging of teachers, AzMerit, the data mining and psychoanalysis of our children, and much more.   Please read what she has to say: 

1) I disagree with the contracts teachers are required to sign that force them to remain silent.

2) I can be brave and I will speak up.

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