In addition to ongoing work in state legislatures, and the RNC approval of an anti-Common Core resolution last weekend, in Congress letters are now being circulated in the House and in the Senate asking questions and examining the premises and implementation of Common Core.
Taking action at the eleventh hour in not my idea of responsible Congressional oversight, but we are at least seeing action, no doubt because of what you and other parents and educators have been doing to fight Common Core. Please call your congressional representatives and senators this week.
In the House, from Missouri Coalition Against Common Core via the American Principles Project:
Congressman Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-MO) has written, and is gathering co-signers in Washington for, a letter expressing serious concerns with the manner in which the US Department of Education has involved itself with Common Core standards….
Our understanding from Congressman Luetkemeyer’s staff is that Common Core is a very hot topic in DC. That must mean we are on the right path in opposing it.
Please call your representative and ask him or her to co-sign the letter.
In the Senate, from Shane Vander Hart via Missouri Coalition Against Common Core:
Grassley Launches Effort to Prohibit Common Core Funding
His office in an email sent late this afternoon document the steps the Obama administration has taken to push states to adopt the Common Core.
- Making adoption of Common Core a pre-requisite for a state even being able to compete for Race to the Top funds.
- Directly funding the two assessment consortia developing tests aligned to Common Core using Race to the Top funds.
- Assembling a panel to review the work of the two assessment consortia.
- Making implementation of Common Core or coordination with Common Core a funding priority for other, unrelated competitive grants administered by the Department of Education.
- Making participation in Common Core essentially a prerequisite for being awarded a waiver from the Department of requirements in the No Child Left Behind Act.
This letter is addressed to the Chair and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education; Senate Appropriations Committee. The text of the letter is at the link.
Please call your senator and ask him or her to co-sign the letter. The deadline is April 25, this Thursday.
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Apple Core modified from Apple Stark by Roberta F. Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
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