This is part 30.
Here is a post from the California anti-radical sex ed group:
Positive Prevention Plus is MDUSD selected curriculum for 7th grade Comprehensive Sexuality Education (yes, it is “comprehensive”). This is just one of the videos your 12 year old can find on this website. The website name is given to them on a handout during sexuality education for 7th grade. Or, I should say, your teacher can give this information to your students as it is part of the curriculum our district selected for our 12 year old children. This is on Positive Prevention Plus “supplemental or additional material” handout. It includes this website as well as other websites and information, so your student can learn more. In case they have additional questions. Wink, wink. 😉 THIS IS THE REASON PARENTS ARE SAYING THAT THE SCHOOLS ARE TEACHING SEXUAL PLEASURE. BECAUSE WE’LL THEY ARE…VIA WEBSITES AND IN EVEN IN CLASS SOME CURRICULUM LIKE POSITIVE PREVENTION PLUS PROMOTE THE IDEA OF SEXUAL PLEASURE AND SEXUAL RIGHTS. Did you know your students have right to sex! A right to sex at any age! Amazing? Yet, sex at age 17 or younger is considered “child sex” and “child sex” is against the law punishable as felony and can be charged with statutory rape. HOW ARE THESE SCHOOLS ABLE TO TEACH THIS CRAP? WHY AREN’T PARENTS OUTRAGED?
Postive Prevention Plus uses CARDEA SERVICES to deliver the content to teachers in teacher training. They are also the organization our district, MDUSD used to deliver “parent night” in the year that my children were in 5th grade. THEY ARE YES SAYERS, NOT NAY SLAYERS. That means they are approved the material….ALL OF THE MATERIAL PROVIDED AS PART OF OUR chosen curriculum our BOARD APPROVED FOR 7TH GRADE. Now, do you approve? Your silence is approval. Unless you are speaking out about this, you are approving of every single element of this curriculum for your 12 year old child. And,don’t you believe your teacher, no matter how trusted and wonderful the are…they have to teach it. They are the teacher and their job is to teach ALL OF IT! In the year that my eldest child was exposed to 7th grader curriculum which might have been the first year that the district used Positive Prevention Plus…several girls in her class considered themselves questioning or born in the wrong body….what has happened since…I don’t know. Maybe they’ve worked al the kinks out of the program…who knows. All I know is that this material is not age appropriate and I don’t care how you slice and dice it…it is NOT appropriate for our school district to teacher sexual acts and sex behavior for sexual pleasure…in fact, teaching this crap is what a pedophiles does! Oh yes, they do! This i s exactly what a pedophile does. Are our teachers pedophiles…I’d say no but still they ahve to teach it anyway. It’s the law! That’s what our district staffers and board members (lawrence) say….it’s the law and we have to teach it. Really? I can tell you there is NO law that says they have to provide these resources…but they do. You just have to ask why? Why do they teach sex behavior (blood ritual, anal, oral, etc…exactly how to put on a condom and in some cases using a dildo, or veggie…oh did you know that some curriculum say that veggies are great sex toys. Oh yes, I have that hand out too. ASK QUESTIONS PARENTS AND DON’T BELIEVE ANYTHING THEY TELL YOU!
Here is a post from the Minnesota anti-Common Core group:
Minnesota’s been beating the drums for “cradle to career” for years. MinnPost featured this article in 2016. Media, corporations and non-profits keep this topic in the news constantly speaking of “gaps” to close, but they never close. No Child Left Behind did not close any gaps via it’s testing regime. The “gaps” have merely widened over the last 50 years. When do we say, “enough is enough!” Why do these initiatives continue to be funded by corporate foundations? Placing children in schools at birth, which is much of what we heard of last year, will NOT close the gap for kindergarten/pre-kindergarten readiness, if indeed we should be concerned about “pre-k readiness”.
Here is a post from the Utah anti-Common Core group:
Tag your representatives on this. Here is important info about Utah’s K-12 behavioral assessment provider, American Institutes for Research (AIR) and their steady efforts to sexualize K-12 curriculum. Lest people have forgotten, AIR was in cahoots with the Obama administration from the very beginnings of Common Core. These two pieces of info (bullets below) joined together are just one way that states and schools are being nudged into Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) curriculum. Opt out rates won’t make a dent in the trajectory of this—as California is proving and AIR knows. With the aid of Common national curriculum standards, CSE was always meant to integrate into most class subjects, as opposed to remaining in health class. The CSE blueprint was already laid bare in Africa and exposed by Family Watch.
The only solution to stop the sexualization of local curriculum is to end the power of the federal tripod: standards, assessments and accountability (school grading) laws. It operates like a noose to nationalize everything at the school level. And AIR is getting paid handsomely, from your hard earned tax dollars, to sexually groom your kids and control what teachers teach.
• AIR convened a technological communities of practice event at the US Dept. of Ed. One of AIR’s key partners in the event was the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN).
CoSN is UNESCO’s technology partner. For those that don’t know, UNESCO is the UN entity that created the International Technological Framework for Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) in order to move states from Common Core national curriculum standards into international, technologically-based curriculum standards that could integrate UNESCO’s sexual rights agenda across curriculum.
CoSN is directly influencing the data privacy policies of the State Education Technology Directors Association (school tech and privacy reps) so that online curriculum can be controlled for both teachers and students by progressive content curators. The idea is that online curriculum will be curated for teachers and students in the same way that Google controls online content for its users. Common Core reforms’ largest funder Bill Gates can be thanked for this.
https://www.air.org/project/air-convenes-u-s-department-education-s-connected-educator-month
• Here’s AIR’s resource guide to reshape the communities of practice and curriculum in schools around LGBTQ rights:
Click to access LGBTQ%20Tools%20Curricula%20and%20Resources.pdf
Utah and local schools ceded assessment oversight when we first partnered with AIR years ago. As a result, we are losing local curriculum oversight, particularly of online content. Switching assessment providers won’t stop what’s happening because the major assessments agreed to become data interoperable in 2015. States must end the federal tripod: standards, assessments and accountability (school grading) before we pass the point of no return.
Here is a post from a Colorado anti-Common Core group:
The Williamson County School System has allegedly taken a left turn politically, and that has prompted one county resident to appeal to conservatives to seek office to try to replace members of the school board.
Watch out for CRU (formerly, Campus Crusade). They have taken a Left turn toward “social justice”: https://enemieswithinthechurch.com/2019/07/31/why-is-cru-echoing-democrat-party-talking-points/
Here is a post from a Florida anti-iReady group:
Thoughts on this program? This is an email I got from my daughters new teacher. I appreciate her reaching out like this.
I wanted to touch base with you regarding some good news we found out today regarding iReady. 5th graders at Castleview will not have a mandatory iReady reading requirement this year. I know you mentioned that [child name redacted] isn’t permitted to participate in the iReady program, but would you be opposed to her using a different computer-based program that isn’t guided by the FSA?
In class, we will be using the Reading Plus program to compliment our normal reading instruction. As an educator, what I love about the program is that it isn’t tailored to a high stakes test. Instead, it helps to improve students’ reading fluency and comprehension for the purpose of being more proficient readers. The great thing is that it works for students of all ability levels and provides practice up to the college level.
I just wanted to run this by you to see your thoughts on [child name redacted] working with this program.
Please let me know your thoughts.
And some replies to this post:
RUN RUN far away from Reading Plus.
Hate Reading Plus. Say no
I haven’t heard of this program but I’d probably refuse it for my son
The only thing that Reading Plus does successfully is frustrate children to the point of ruining & destroying any love that they have for reading. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel for reading Palm Beach. They’re called books. Reading Plus is the modern day version of a book burning. All control over what & how our kids read. Disgraceful. A real low point in education.
I had no success in getting out of it because it counted as part of the class grade.
Study island is another form of garbage forced on the kids. Any success stories opting out of it?
yes in Manatee but they have made it incredibly difficult for my friend.
Ask about the 25 or so questions that measure your child’s reading motivation through sel type questions to get the program started .. no way
Reading plus is AWFUL. My child’s school dropped it after 1 year.
Agreed with all the above another way they try to wrap it up in a pretty bow and make it sound beautiful. We’ve had Reading Plus for years. And sadly it’s also another thing that counts as a grade before I found this group and was just unaware of the rights we actually do have as parents. Reading Plus was torture these kids are in school all day long have a packet of homework 1000 projects and also had to do Reading Plus as if they haven’t done enough throughout the day. And it counts as a grade it was considered homework and if it was not completed or if the student did not have at least three greens which was the color for passing then it counted against them. What about students who may not have internet at home because their parents can afford it. Take it to the library they say what about students who have parents who don’t have a way to get them to the library maybe they’re working three jobs maybe they have multiple kids again they could care less about that. What about students who have parents with language barriers. The list goes on and on. 1 year my daughter had headaches constantly. Took her to the doctor her vision was fine was sent to a neurologist had all types of testing done everything was fine what it boiled down to was the fact that my child was stuck in front of the computer all day long which was essentially causing these headaches unfortunately she had to go through all types of testing which she is actually we as the parent has to drive all over the place many doctors appointment even though I have five other kids to find out that it just has to do with the fact that she was stuck in front of the computer too often and the doctor had to write a note stating that she had to be very limited on a computer. It’s just so sad what the educational system has to come to what happened to kids just being able to be kids
Yes, they count it as part of their grade. I wish I had a doctor’s note for my kids saying they can’t participate. Good for you for protecting your daughter & getting her out of it.
It’s a horrible program. I worked with middle school kids who were forced to use it. They hated it.
Amd another post from this group:
Oh this is a doozy…I requested a demo.
KOGNITO is what teachers are being trained on in Manatee for upcoming school year.
What will your county be using this upcoming school year ?
FL: NO investment in counselors but plenty of cash to mine student data, invade privacy & blur the lines between FERPA, HIPPA & law enforcement.
Watch the demo….I didn’t know our teachers were now becoming psychologists. Are you being paid extra for this extra job ?
Parents: Think you should be concerned ?
Yes Yes you should be very concerned 😧
You have kids with behavior issues? Kids with emotional or mental issues? Kids who struggle from learning or other disabilities? Have a traumatic event in their life? It will all be tracked. And where does this data go?
TAKE THE DEMO. 👇🏼 you can also request one for middle or high school. This is elementary. copy/paste the link into Safari. It’s not compatible through linking through Facebook on mobile device.
Anyone know what other counties are using ?
Manatee and Sarasota are using Kognito
Are charters included ?
And here are the replies to this post:
Have you seen the Standardized Statewide Behavioral Threat Assessment Instrument Memo from the FLDOE?
Click to access DPS-2019-116.pdf
This should give us all pause…
Kognito is owned by The Blackstone Group Inc. and The CPP Investment Board. Both are hedge fund and impact investment groups.
Update from Manatee district:
Good evening,
Kognito is a mental health awareness training for staff. It is being implemented this year at all elementary schools including charters. It is partially online and partially in person. The staff will watch scenarios on line and come together to discuss them and what they could do should they have a similar situation in their classrooms. There is no student piece to Kognito.
Nicole Cox
Director of Exceptional Student Education
School District of Manatee County
2501 63rd Avenue East
Bradenton, FL 34203
941-751-6550 x2217
And here is yet another post from this group:
We will not be doing iReady but see our 4th grade teacher has iReady as homework weekly in addition our district has increased the daily minutes to 45 min a day. Last year it was 35 min for k-1 and 40 min for 2-5.
Anyone else seeing a new push for iReady as homework too?
This was the case when we moved here in 2016-17 and then they removed that part as Curriculum Associates stressed at the time no more than 45 min a week per subject. We spoke up at school board meeting, spoke to a reporter who did a story and now we are back to square one…
Here is a post from Karen Bracken:
In case you do not believe that Charters end game is to privatize education, eliminate elected school boards AND PARENTS;
In case you do not believe that vouchers is the funding mechanism they will use to insure ALL students in ALL education choices are taught the same thing;
In case you do not believe we are moving toward a soviet style of training for work instead of educating for individual liberty and freedom;
In case you do not believe our own government has been behind this since the 1950’s (when Eisenhower signed the first agreement with Russia to study communist school to work);
In case you believe the system truly cares about your children (they care about training human capital for the workforce;
In case you do not believe the UN/UNESCO is driving the global education bus (including here in the US);
Then you need to listen to this interview between Alice Linahan (Women on the Wall Texas) and Diana Anderson (a long time researcher). She speaks truth and has the research and documents (as many of us do) to prove what she says is true.
If you do not take the time to listen to these people you will continue to be deceived and lied too and you will deserve it. Women like Diana have done the hard lifting for you. All you have to do is listen and do some research on your own.
The problem is; we have lived in such a deceitful bubble for so long I truly believe it is too late to stop it. The only recourse we have right now is to STARVE THE BEAST and you know what that means. This beast needs only one thing to survive and that is our children. Communities need to come together and make it happen. You need to help your neighbor save their children. We have so many retirees, grandparents, retired teachers that if you just gave of yourself to your neighbor that cannot stay home to educate their children we could implode this plot to steal the hearts, minds and souls of future Americans.
Here is a post from the California anti-radical sex ed group:
I just posted a detailed post about SB 48, The FAIR Education Act and AB 493 on my local community FB Pages. I got laughed at, post got deleted by admin. Some parents were unaware of these laws and were surprised. Others laughed and said what was the big deal children need to learn sooner or later. For those parents I don’t think they know the severity of what we know will be taught in classrooms. Or do they truely not care? Either way… when admins delete my post on Nextdoor. Com, other local FB groups, etc. How is the public supposed to know about this if everything is censored? I am so frustrated. This is the link I provided them as proof this isn’t just a “birds and bees talk”.
And some replies to this post:
I don’t think parents know. It was very hard to believe when I first heard about this. Even now, over a year later of researching, learning, etc. I’m still shocked when I actually see books like “It’s Perfectly Normal!” I checked it out of the library after seeing parts of it at a Protect our Children meeting, hoping it was “not that bad”. Yes it is that bad. Stomach churning bad. I want to believe that this isn’t happening, that my grandkids are safe at school. I don’t believe they are anymore. “My people perish for a lack of knowledge” – and so do our children. Sad, sad, sad.
I had the same thing. Someone from the local school district was promoting it on the community FB page and I posted a link to informed parents with a note saying there was a lot of information for anyone who wanted to delve into it deeper. Deleted by admin.
The same thing happened with a post I wrote to our district-parent run fb group did the same. Completely censored my post that simply raised awareness of their own children’s school curriculum— what parent would not want to be aware, whether they agree or disagree? Their tactic is keeping parents uneducated and in the dark.
The same thing happened with a post I wrote to our district-parent run fb group did the same. Completely censored my post that simply raised awareness of their own children’s school curriculum— what parent would not want to be aware, whether they agree or disagree? Their tactic is keeping parents uneducated and in the dark.
That’s a beautiful reminder. I’m right there with you and I won’t give up no matter how ugly they are. If we can open just one set of blind eyes, we have succeeded!
Nobody believes me either….they want hard proof they can see not something from “fake news” as they put it. Very frustrating ☹️
If parents want proof, they should attend one of the many presentations around the state. I have a hard time believing the teachers are ok with teaching this garbage. Parents need to be aware. This is one more step on the road to ruin for our country. WAKE UP people!!
I know teachers who have actually retired early because they feel like it’s borderline pedophilia teaching children this stuff and that they’re not comfortable. Teachers of over 20 years.
When I see these posts I know immediately that they are unaware and have not read a thing on this .. then I pray for their kids.
This is the issue I find I’m facing. All kinds of websites like the one this article are from, most people are considering fake news and don’t take it seriously and refuse to research it more because it’s coming from fake news.
Well.. what about when there’s smoke there’s fire?
Maybe have to go to schools, stand just off of the property, (on sidewalk?) and handout fliers as parents are leaving, or bulk use mail. ? So sad.
Agree. That is what I did before our rally.We have to go old school on them. Nextdoor has become controlled just like Facebook and basically the whole internet. Anyone who runs an alternative site gets deleted or banned for telling the truth. The truth hurts them so spread the truth wherever you can.Talk to parents at work. Talk to parents or clergy at church. Pass out flyers at school. If we all do it we can get the word out.
Many are in denial and think we’re crazy! And then I have a lot of friends unfortunately that are so liberal and wanting to tolerate everything for peace and equality. It’s crazy.
Can someone please.let me know…yes they removed the books from the list but doesn’t it also allow for teachers to select books from different sources to cover other topics in their curriculum they have to cover? And those books don’t necessarily have to be approved by parents?
yes. Those books are called supplemental materials. Some of the most egregious material was removed from the framework, but is still available as supplemental materials. Teachers intent on furthering this ideology may use any it all of these. Be sure you include all supplemental materials, videos, worksheets, assemblies concerning sexual topics, special guest speakers on your opt out form.
And here are some more posts from this group:
12 yrs ago schools were suspending students if they felt like the kid was ADD or ADHD and the parents are not drugging them on meds. Now they’re stepping over the line more in controlling our childrens’ innocence with sexuality.
Let’s see how those schools will be funded when our children are pulled out. Public Schools get paid for every child’s attendance Daily. No children=No funding.
Totally in agreement with your statement. I have a child with ADD and it was so hard to get an IEP.
they automatically just want you to hush the child with meds and they rush to judgement if the child is not having a good day that he/she didn’t take their meds. There are other ways of tackling ADD with the right food and activities.
my child was in 3rd grade last year. He is a little ‘active’. He was 8/9 in 3rd last year. Every teacher’s meeting she tried to tell me he was ADD/ADHD. Classic symptoms, she said. I told her straight up, I am not drugging him so no need to keep talking about it. He is silly, he is super alert, he does pay attention to disruption in the class, he is looking at his friends and not staring straight ahead. He was also tested for GATE (he missed by a few points, oh well). He tested out in reading and was reading at a 7th grade level. He got almost all 4s on his report cards (4/4). I mean, is he ADD if he is acing everything the school is throwing at him, or is he bored? Hmmmmm. BTW, this is the 1st teacher in the 5 years he has been in school that stated he was ADD. I just ignored the comment and carried on.
what is GATE?
it is for Gifted Kids who are excelling in school.
Schools have no right to tell parents how to raise their children. I would have pulled my kid out, homeschooled and got her in to therapy asap. I am not a professional and not equipped to handle these matters in the proper way, and neither are schools. I wouldn’t want my child to undergo any more psychological harm then she may already have.
Man, if somebody ANYBODY thinks they are gonna talk to my kids about Gay sex or Sexuality at all just know me an my crew will be waiting. We need to take out the pedophiles, not invite them in. And if the government wont help us and the Democrats keep voting it in then we gotta do what we gotta do.
What is going on and why are we as parents allowing the state to control our minor children?? These are minors ?!!! This is madness!!!
This didn’t happen overnight. They’ve been working up to this for a very long time. It behooves us to keep abreast of what the state legislators are doing when we’re not looking.
It seems to me Planned Parenthood and the ACLU are working together in this country to remove parental rights and twist and pervert the minds of our children. We need to get a parents bill of rights drawn up to override these new changes. We have a chance now while Trump is in office. I cannot explain what is happening and why but i know it has the devil written all over it. I just want to know why no one will help us. No lawyers will stand up for the children in this state. I contacted four or five attorneys who claim to stand up for Christians or freedom and not a one called me back. This is disgusting and so unfair. Our children deserve better protections from these new laws aimed to destroy them.
I have a friend whose husband is a principal and he’s not allowed to tell the parents that their son is transgender and has changed his name at school. The parents will find out when he graduates this year.
People are going to have to decide if they are going to be complicit in this or are they going to risk everything to do what is right. My son’s principal said he is not going to do this stuff in his charter. But I fear i will send my son to the school this year and the principal will give in like a pod person. I have a really bad feeling this year.
And another post from this group:
I talked to Bonita and Arcadia school districts about the sex Ed for kG and elementary
She explained to me that there is no sex Ed for this age however they are going to take out all the classic old curriculum and impose new curriculum
I am talking about the general English and math and social studies
She gave me examples of this new curriculum
So in the reading instead of a family that has a father and a mother it will be a family that has two dads and two mums
In the history class they will talk about an athlete that had a huge rule in the women act and they will have a foot note that this woman was led in ( despite the fact the she told me there is no sex Ed) I asked her so if you are not going to teach the kids about homosexuality how are you going to explain to them that this person was lesbian she didn’t respond
Unfortunately since parents won’t have access to the text books we won’t know what material they are giving the kids.so it is not a dedicated sex Ed it is being taught in the curriculum of the English math and history classes
They are indoctrinating the kids and normalizing these acts
Unfortunately since it’s a law there is nothing you can do except teaching the kids at home and at church
Or taking them to private schools
Kudos to this mayor for doing the right thing!
https://christiannews.net/2019/08/12/nj-mayor-stands-against-homosexual-transgender-curriculum-in-schools-as-an-affront-to-almighty-god/
Here is a post from the Minnesota anti-Common Core group:
K12, Inc. Data Breach. 7 million public, private and homeschoolers are involved.
“The database contained the names, ages, and genders of students along with their respective schools — information that many parents would not be comfortable sharing publicly,” Bischoff wrote. Students’ names, states, age, birth dates, school district, genders, grades and school names were all included in the database.”
Illinois joins the states of California, New Jersey, and Oregon that are pushing this indoctrination: https://www.breitbart.com/tech/2019/08/11/illinois-governor-mandates-lgbt-history-curriculum-for-public-schools/
Here is a post from a South Carolina anti-Common Core group:
I guess this is where we will be heading since Public Education is all about creating workforce now…
Here is a post that was shared in the ParentStrike group:
This is from a training in Indianapolis Public Schools. Yup. Rigor. Grit. Get those babies away from those toys because everyone knows the best assembly line workers need to be kept in line, in a box, and unimaginative.
Shame on any Superintendents who push this garbage. They surely must know the truly creative and smart people, the innovators, are not born from this deprivation.
Fight back. Don’t allow it, teachers. You hold the power. Use it.
______________________________
And here are the replies to this post:
Speculative investment in human capital via badges (with perpetual debt) brought to you by the Lumina Foundation, based in Indianapolis.
THIS:
People don’t understand digital global labor pools. There aren’t living wage jobs now. How do they think there will be MORE jobs later when these children with the portfolios of badges are competing for gigs through algorithmic job awarders with poor people all over the globe. They just can’t wrap their mind around it.
Last year my students were given a 15 minute recess. WTH? So I stopped math 15 minutes early and took them out myself to extend to 30 minutes.
It’s the little things like this that allow us to take our power back.
They are trying to create mental illness that they can treat with their “evidence-based” social impact interventions.
so do NOT miss that bs they are always ramming down teachers throats… I retired not a second too soon …. I also would of tacked on 15 minutes of recesss… good for you and your kids!
WTF… is this poster for real???? GAH!!!!!
I’ve got a go fund me for more play material for my classroom, and met with my new principal during my
Time
Off to see if i can raise money for a painted
Peaceful playground blacktop for extra recess.
This is crazy.
No, it’s late-stage capitalism.
I believe Pritzker is funding much of Hickenloopers campaign.
We also need people to organize to stop this. We need for educators and parents to join together and speak up and refuse to be a part of this. This is not a “Donors Choose” type of scenario. We need direct action and we need for people to come to grips with the danger we are in, that all of our children are in. This is not “crazy.” This is not a “mistake.” This is not something we can “elect” away. This is transnational global capital that aims to prey on our youngest, most vulnerable people-all of them, in every corner of the globe. I am SO tired of people not trying to get what is happening. It’s time.
This makes me angry as a teacher and a parent.
Here is a post from a South Carolina anti-Common Core group:
This letter needs to go viral. I hope you will do your part in making it happen! This letter needs to be posted on every single Christian church ‘s facebook page and it needs to be read aloud by the preachers of every single Christian Church in the USA…The author NAILED IT! TRUTH!!!! Let it shine! Please share! Here it is:
Lisa Watkins is a black educator in Kansas City. She was a longtime ACLU activist but ins now a Christian educator. Here is a letter from her, forwarded to me by E. Ray Moore. – Lisa makes it very clear what is happening and why. We had better wake up!
Hello from Kansas City
I am reading with a heavy heart that Christians in South Carolina are slowly going down with the ship regarding the transition from Christian/abstinence based sex-education to a Planned Parenthood designed model of sex-education. I am not shocked that the ship is going down, because liberals have a methodical plan to devour America through the government school system… but I am shocked to see that Christians continue to have this ‘dear-in-the-headlights’ reaction to something that they have seen happen again and again and again. State-by-state, the liberals come in and take over the school boards. State-by-state, the liberals seek to remove any reference to Jesus. And state-by-state, Christians act like this is their first time at the rodeo.
Please note that the key to liberal success isn’t their genius super secret plan to take down America. Their plan isn’t genius and it certainly is a very open secret. There isn’t a conservative in America that can’t quote Saul Alinsky. The key to liberal success is the predictable reaction by Christians to their not so genius openly secret plans. The liberals can be certain of one thing. They are certain that Christians will give speeches citing their outrage. These speeches will be recited at school board hearings, on TV, on talk-radio, in beauty parlors, and over kitchen tables, and on YouTube videos…. but what will NOT happen, is that Christians will not abandon the government schools. Liberals are students of human nature, and human nature tells them that people prefer comfort to pain. People prefer the status quo to change. And the government schools give people more comfort than pain. It is easier to send your kid to the government schools than to make the financial sacrifice to pay for private schools or to homeschool. The government schools give parents a predictable, comfortable routine.
So as long as Christians continue to support the system, the system will remain in place. Christians will boycott Target, because free-markets have given us a rival system (Walmart, Kmart, etc.) But what difference does it make to boycott Target’s bathroom policy when the schools you send you children to have the exact same policies as Target? Christians are scolded to not give Target $100- per month, because the store will look at their bottom line and amend their policies. But the same Christians will give the government schools their precious children every day, each valued at $7-$20k a year by the various school districts? Using the same logic, it would follow that the school districts will also look at their bottom line and amend their policies.
Here is another example, imagine the voice of the rapist who excuses his actions by saying, “Her lips said NO, but her actions said YES”. This is where we are with Christians and the government schools. Your words say NO, but your continued support of a wicked system says YES.
Think about this little lesson on compromise that I learned as a liberal…. imagine there are 2 groups who disagree on a subject. One group wants A, the other group wants Z. They are at an impasse, so they decide to compromise. They meet in the middle. They meet at M. On the surface, it looks like no one has won, but when you scratch the surface, the Z group has really won. The Z group has the momentum. All Z group has to do is wait a little while and then make the argument for Z again. Z knows that his opponent will not agree, but his opponent might be willing to compromise again. Here is the critical part, while we have been waiting, the A group has been redefined. Their children are no longer A’s…. they are now M’s. Compromise has changed the environment that the kids grew up in. The 2 groups are no longer A vs Z. The groups are now M vs Z. So if we agree to meet in the middle again, we will be at T. And just like his forefather (A), M. is under the illusion that both sides gave up something. So again, the Z group will simply wait a while and reach out to the T group regarding their old disagreement, and again the Z group will suggest a compromise, and the T group (like their forefathers A & M) will agree to the compromise. So now they will meet at W. The Z group has victory at hand. They only have to wait one more generation before there will be no significant difference between the W group and the Z group.
Please understand that the power of Z was not only in A’s willing to compromise. The real power was in A’s willful blindness regarding how the environment was being changed all around him. Each generation that grows up under the compromise will look at the original A group as a group that is out of touch. The Z’s will turn the A’s children and grandchildren against them. The compromise conservatives (moderates or RINO’s) will have just as much contempt for the true conservatives as the liberals do. The funny part is that the A, M, and T groups will swear that they are not losing. They will drag out all the rare exceptions of how there is still hope.
It is critical that Christians understand that we are at the W stage of the game. Today’s kindergarteners will grow up in a school district where Jesus is mocked, sex is encouraged, homosexuality is celebrated, America is denigrated, conservatives are racists, masculinity is marginalized, big government is celebrated and illiteracy is accepted. Today’s school kids are the last generation. The problem is no longer limited to California and NY. Bible belt states like SC and Kansas are losing the fights in their school boards and state houses.
We are at the point where we all must look at ourselves in the mirror and ask the following….
What would it take before I will refuse to put any more energy into the current system? If you refuse to define your breaking point, it will be easy to keep moving the goal post. Ask yourself why you are still clinging to a system that hates you?
Pastor Ray is right, we need a plan. The plan exists, but it cannot work if Christians are not willing to see the need to exit the schools.
‘Hear this now, O foolish people, Without understanding, Who have eyes and see not, And who have ears and hear not: (Jeremiah 5:21)
And another post from this group, albeit from back in March:
Listen to SC Republican Shannon Erickson, Representative, SC House District 124 talk about the need to track ALL children, INCLUDING HOMESCHOOLERS, from BIRTH to the workforce.
Visit uspie.org to join the movement to Stop Fed Ed.
And some replies to this post:
And ALL our Pickens House Representatives voted FOR the 0-20 Communist Committee Committee …thank God Senator Rex Rice does not agree and helped strike this overreach Committee from the Senate version…but don’t get too happy…cause the fight to keep it out of the legislation ain’t over till the fat lady sings…
And if ANY of you actually believe that just because she RAN as a Republican, that she REALLY IS one, you need a reality check. Dems in this state can magically “turn” into a member of an opposing party JUST to get elected in a red state. They are like Muslims – “deceive if necessary” to accomplish your agenda. Molly Spearman IS a democrat just like this. If enough people would rise up and hold them accountable for their ideas NOT their party, we would have less to battle.
How about we start with not voting for them. Here’s the deal, Republicans in SC are so easily fooled into voting against the best Republican candidate that they often vote for RINO’s and worse. EXAMPLE – A pro school choice group in SC, which still exists, sent money to my opponent who announced his candidacy with these words: “My name is _______and this is my wife Suzy. We are products of the public schools and our children, when we have them will be products of the public schools.” He ran as a Republican because ours is a Republican district – but he was not registered when he signed up to run. He was pushed by his firm and parents to run. When he got the $1,000 check from this pro-school choice group, he returned it immediately. But did the group endorse me? No way – and i lost by 43 votes – winning the 6 county precincts and losing the 3 inner city precincts where I live. Just one case study of many showing why we have the representatives we have. Don’t blame them – they are just politicians, blame the people who elect them, especially those who consider themselves to be Republicans.
Sadly at the local level their political affiliations are are also hidden and most do not take the time to research vital background not covered by media. Too often Money becomes the tool of operation which invites lethal compromise that always affects conservative, constitutionally orientated people. In many ways limiting donations to ONLY individuals could actually change the direction.
Yes, because that “Christian conservative” group that preferred the well-financed, recruited, reluctant, highly paid lawyer over an eager grassroots Republican woman, an experienced campaigner with a very conservative track record, making $7,000 a year as an adjunct professor but financing her own campaign. People should be revolted by this kind of thing – but we’re used to it and so it seems normal. Watch the Dems – they don’t do this sort of thing because they are not in politics so much to get rich as to get their policy preferences enacted into law. We saw how NOT EAGER Republican congressmen were to take advantage of their political dominance in all three branches of government. NOT!!! They are in politics to get rich and they do not care about policy – they support the policies that will advance the goal of getting rich. I am very sad to say this, and am willing to listen to alternative explanations, but that’s what I see.
perhaps that is more true at the state level before they evolve to the federal level when THEY DO in fact get rich from being planted there! That’s what created the swamp in the first place!
I think a lot has to do with the nature of true conservatives and the goals and values they pursue. They are business owners, craftspeople, and positions where level of income is secondary to accomplishing their talents or dreams. They are more individualistic seeking to better their own lives and contributing to society through self suffiency. Liberals are geared towards careers of influence whether or not they actually have a talent or proclivity for it. They just seek the power and they use intellect to add to the illusion they need to fulfill this image. So they are willing to stomp over anyone else, even traditional values to reach such status. Values themselves are relative and they will Change or create them for stepping stones along the way. Not so for those of us who’s values ARE not relative and therefor obstacles that are futile to breach and involve moral compromises we know we’ll pay for in a spiritual sense. Hard to nail down in words but that’s much of it I think.
Why does one group need to follow “where these children are?” It’s none of their business. America won the cold war without this and the Soviets lost with it – go with the winning strategy – FREEDOM!
The real problem is that we ALL SEE where that would lead but not enough will commit to pointing it out, and taking the necessary action to be a powerful enough force to effectively contend it.
We are in a time when money rules! How can you get someone to run for office without a million dollars at least? The only way to get in the first time is door to door. Many communites are gated! Many people will not come to the door. Winning the first time is a tremendous task. Once you are known, you can just put some ads on TV and stay in office. If there is no imcumbent , it is an easier task to win a seat. It is very difficult to unseat someone.
Here is a post from a pro-homeschooling group:
So, Some truth comes out… apparently some of my husbands coworkers have asked if I want to homeschool because I don’t want to go back to work. This Angers me.
And here are the replies to this post:
Uhhh…. going to work would be easier! Try not to stress opinions from people who are non-relevant to your family’s decisions!
I totally disagree with this statement. I worked full time for 27 years. I retired in November at 50 years old to stay home and homeschool. I also babysit my granddaughter during the day and work online about 20 hours a week. I feel like I am on vacation every day. Working full time was so much harder!
I agree with you. I have worked for over 20 years full time. I quit my job last October to homeschool my son with learning disabilities and work as a va at home for a few hours. It is insanely hard to do that and care for my 3 year old. Not to mention mentally hard to adjust to being home all the time.
Ask him do they send their kids to public because they don’t want to parent?
Don’t be angry, just laugh because at least we want to be invested in our kids and not send them out to someone else. I cringe when I hear parents begging for school to come back in session because they can’t stand their kids being home. Often times the right thing is not the popular thing
IDIOTS!! Being a parent, more importantly a Mom, is the most important job in the entire universe!! You are working. And then the choice to homeschool your child/children is doing what’s best for them which is what we do as Moms. OMG!! 😯
It’s sad that men are being trained to only see a womans worth if she brings in a paycheck. You are doing an amazing hard job that has the best benefits money could never buy.
Because if a stranger does it and gets paid it’s a job but when you as a parent with the most love and knowledge of your own child does it, it’s not? It’s not hard work at all! Not the most important JOB you’ll ever have?!? Oy vey 🤦🏻♀️
It’s interesting. It is unacceptable for people to find any flaw in a traditional school teacher without being ostracized as if they’ve committed blasphemy, yet when a parent takes on the job, it’s considered “not working.”
Here is a post from the Florida anti-iReady group:
So I sent that email out on Sunday, that someone posted earlier about opting out of Iready this year. I just filled in the blanks with my child’s info.
I never got a response so I resent it this a.m. I got a call from the assistant principal today (whom wasn’t on the email list, I sent it to the principal.)
Now I feel like sh!@, and feel like this maybe was a huge mistake. Apparently my child is the ONLY one in the entire school trying to Opt out of Iready. I told him I have no problem with my child doing educational things (i.e.reading, paper based work etc.) during the 27 minutes of Iready each day. He asked about IXL, I told him I don’t want her using programs that mine data about my child.
He then said “oh so you don’t want her using the computers or anything at all?” I told him again, only things that mine data using her (N number) are out of the question.
He then laughed and said “okay I got it… basically you don’t want her using the computers here at school, because you know they use their N number JUST to log onto the computer!”
What? This is all getting out of hand, especially after reading today about the SEL mental health questions being asked and tracked by teachers. Ugh I’m so overwhelmed I don’t even know where to begin. Mind you, I asked him to send me things via email about what they will do to accommodate her for this situation. None of them will send me things via email.
My hubby said our daughter is now probably going to be singled out/bullied, and seen as a problem child by admin/staff/teachers.
FYI: Sarasota County…7th grade.
And here are the replies to this post:
Doing the right thing for your child is never a mistake.
I just don’t know now if it is the right thing. It really hard to hear out of more than 749 students she is the only one. He said he hasn’t had to deal with this with anyone else. He said he even had to call the school board to get info before he called me. Now(after speaking with the asst principal) taking the paper based approach teachers are going to have to get lessons and paperwork gathered just for her since she is the only one doing this. What teacher would want more work on their plate? This is why my hubby felt she will now be singled out etc….
my child was the only one too. Most parents are not informed or don’t know they can opt out. Spread the word. I was the first to opt out but I wasn’t the last.
She is NOT the only one. My 8th grader doesn’t do iReady and has not been asked to do any other programs. Your principal is being a bully and condescending to say the least. I’m also in Sarasota County. I know at least one other family of a middle schooler that doesn’t do iReady.
Not only that, logging in to a computer is NOT the same thing as logging in to a program. What a tool.
he’s just being difficult. I’d remind him that logging on to a computer is not the same as logging in to a program owned by a company that sells their data to third party companies. At the end of the day, you don’t need to explain yourself. You told him what she wasn’t allowed to do and that is that.
Do your research and do what you think is best for your daughter. You can call the school and let them know you changed your mind. Teachers will not bully your child based on this, nor will the admin. And if they do, then that is a bigger problem than refusing iready.
well, I guess I don’t know 100% that she will. I just know I have read other parents that have mentioned their child being asked/told several times to just take the tests/Diagnostics even after they opted out. That it is part of the schools tactics.
I feel the term bullying and tactics are hard to put on a school. They are technically taking orders from the district, and these words paint our schools in a bad light. I see it this way. I allow my child to participate in iready/school comp for the time being. He is not allowed electronics during the week because im more concerned about screen time than I am about the school using his data. When and if this should get out of control I will gladly speak up, and do what is neccessary for my child.
it isn’t the school using teh data that’s nearly the concern is that the companies are allowed to sell our children’s PII to any third party company requesting it.
I’m more concerned about the data tracking and data breaches that are happening with students personal info all over this country. I mean I have read reports of children having bad credit before they even are of age to get credit cards. Their info was breached and identity stolen long before they were 18. I feel this doesn’t help prevent it, it just gives crooks another easy way of getting info. Screen time is also on my mind though.
And not trying to be unkind here, just wondering why you would join a group specifically about opting out of Iready, if you said your kids participate in Iready? Just curious is all.
It is a bullying tactic. It doesn’t matter if she is the only one. You are the parent. We stand behind you. I felt like my child was the first to opt out of FSA at MSA but we ddI it and now more are doing it. Ask if she can log in as a guest so her information is not captured. Persist. It’s worth it
I am sorry he laughed at you. That is totally inappropriate. You have the right as a parent to guide her education and protect her from data mining just as you would in any other instance. Just because it is at school changes nothing. I was not used to going against a teacher or policy as I figured they know best but it turns out they may not. Make your decision and then stick by it without fear. I support you in doing what is right for YOUR child. Every parent and child is different.
I just don’t want her to be that kid with those parents if you know what I mean. They have a way of pointing things out to the entire class or making kids feel less than. Like last year (before I was aware of this group) my daughter did Iready, each time she would miss where they thought she should be by a few points. She got called into the principal’s office and asked what she think she did wrong to get these scores, what she could do to raise them, and then had to write out a small essay in the office. She said there was 3 kids in her class pulled out during class time to go through this. So the class knew who walked out. Then whenever they had celebrations for reaching the scores, her and the other children weren’t allowed to go. So it was announced in front of the class who gets to go to the pool party and icecream social, and the rest were told to stay in the classroom!
My son is the only one who did not do IReady last year, not sure about this year. My daughter was the only one in her school that opted out of FSA (son not old enough). There are plenty of programs that can be used without a unique log in ID. You may have to do some research and find one that will benefit your child.
well he laughed and said they use their n number just to sign on the computer….so he said I guess everything will have to be paper based for her….more work for the teachers 😫
the computers are interfering with the teacher doing their job in my opinion. They are there to teach not watch while the computer “teaches and tests”.
so the only way to make it eight again is to continue to push back. Not that much work to print a few paper based tests or give her a workbook. You are not asking them to redesign curriculum. I was terrified the first time we opted out of FSA. I was told no honor classes no scholarships, remedial classes. This group got me thru and none of that happened. She is in honors classes and is doing great. Got her out of remedial this morning due to “an error”. It’s all good.
we Opt Out of everything that requires a unique log in ID. If it has an option for guest user, the program is evidence based by third parties and researched and it is of value to your child then o would say go for it. The problem is that a unique log in ID is how your child’s analysis of data is mined. The unique log in ID is tied to the student portal or central network at your district, that’s what you want to avoid.
I was afraid of that. My oldest has been doing big ideas and I just didn’t know I could opt out. Now that I am learning I do not know if I want the younger one to do that. I May have to go against the grain again
I refused everything. Honestly I think it’s for the best. I personally don’t care if they have to use a book and paper. Better than a computer teaching a child. That’s why there is so much lack of common sense and no actual experience by doing. Jmo
I would rather my child pick up a book, use pencil and paper rather than be forced to participate in programs that have no value.
Last year, my kids were the only ones in each of their classes (1st, 3rd, 5th). No one was bullied (including me!) My kids got extra time with their teachers, or extra practice with math games, or read a book. I don’t even think most other students realized they weren’t on the computer. But, if it helps you feel better, get your friends to opt out. The more people the better if we ever want a change made from the top.
I don’t know how many kids are opted out at my son’s Jr high and I honestly don’t care. I did get the vibe from some of the staff that they don’t care for most of the programs on the computers either but we all know they aren’t allowed to actually say that! I spoken to other parents that didn’t know the could opt their kids out of iready and other such programs
And another post from this group:
I didn’t sign permission for my kids to use the internet at school and as a added measure I sent my opt out letter for all sites that have a unique login. I got a email today from the principal that she wants a conference with me Thursday. If they are asking parents permission for internet use and a parent says no, not sure what they can do about it. I am concerned that my kids are going to be left out of rewards like for getting AR points since they will not be doing AR this year.
And some replies to this post:
Yes, they might be left out of awards. Mine opted out of IReady, we bought RazKids and he got awards for that instead. It really does depend on how the school (really teachers) handle it. They will probably tell you there is not other option than IReady to do assessments, not true. We used the DAR. Stand your ground! I don’t know if I would even take that meeting with the principal, to be honest.
Same thing was happening to my daughter for AR she has a learning disability and it would always exclude her because she struggles with reading. I would ask for a replacement to earn just as the rest that would give a fair chance.
I would think under FAPE they would be required to come up with a solution. I suggested read books,work on a worksheet,work on things that target her areas of struggles.
And here is another post from this group. The poster posted an image, but since it gives away their first name, and I wish to keep my poster sources anonymous (to make it harder for the other side to harass and/or doxx them, I’ll type it out myself.):
Got this response back tonight from my son’s teacher… clearly she’s never had anyone opt out before 😬
Any thoughts on how to proceed?
Hi there [parent name redacted],
I hope you have had a lovely, restful weekend. I am looking forward to tomorrow! 🙂
I receieved your email regarding [child name crossed out with red ink] use of iReady in the classroom and I truly appreciate your respect for educators in this profession. I only want what is best for [child name crossed out with red ink] in his academic pursuits, and I respect your concerns about the computer program.
I plan to check with [staff member’s name crossed out by red ink] later this week about your concern. (Kindergarten doesn’t begin the program until September.) iReady had been a program in Seminole County Public Schools incorporates in our students’ learning experience as it is beneficial for the individualized instruction, growth monitoring, data tracking, and an engaging/personalized learning experience. I would love to first check with [staff member name crossed out by red ink] to verify procedures concerning omitting the learning program. I will let you know as soon as I have information regarding iReady.
Thank you so much for reaching out to me – I appreciate the communication.
Best regards,
[Teacher name crossed out by red ink]
And here are the replies to this post:
Obviously no one has ever opted out with her. Lol.
Whenever she gets back to you, just reiterate that you don’t want your son using it (or any other program that involves sending data).
Also… why is this email making me doubt my decision??? I feel like I’m a jerk for opting out of this 😬
nah. You’re good. You’ve done your part.
When she does get back with you, ask to see the peer-reviewed research to support its use. She won’t be able to
no doing what’s right for your kid isn’t always easy when you go against the powers that be…. don’t second guess
Just tell her you dnt want your child using any program that rewuires a unique log in
She should be aware if parents opting out and if not than her supervisor should have no issues with your request
I understand how you feel. I felt the same way the first time I informed of my decision to remove my kiddo from the i-Ready program. The School Staff told me the program was a great opportunity to provide individualized learning, but when I asked to see how that was possible they just talked about the data the computer program generates. At the end of our meeting, it was obvious that iReady is being used as a test prep. It was an uncomfortable meeting, but one of the best academic decisions I have made for my kiddo. He was provided with paper base work while other kids did iReady.
my son’s teacher made me feel the same way when I mentioned my concerns. I was truly shocked that a teacher who taught gifted children thought this was an excellent learning tool. I even mentioned to her as a former language arts teacher and having done my own research I disagreed with the value of it. She did not seem very happy.
it’s VERY MUCH TEST PREP! I wish more teachers would do their research and speak up to their administration and districts about the program. I have had people tell me that it’s a great time for teachers to be able to put kids on the computer and maybe get something done.
A civil disobedience isn’t “comfortable”
Just remember you are doing what is best for your child.
👏🏼👏🏼
Our teacher said that admin or someone monitors minutes and if they don’t meet it, the teacher gets in trouble. Is that true?
that’s what ours always said, but once I reiterated that my son wasn’t going to be doing 30 minutes a day at home, they didn’t say anything more.
no. There is no state mandate for number of minutes used. There is no state mandate for iReady. The assessments count towards teachers VAM (value added model).
Ask them to show you the statute.
at our school in broward county the teachers are under heavyyyy pressure from admin to rack up the minutes per child. They track them.
i said the same thing and they didn’t argue but you know what they did? They had her doing iready in class then.
I have a feeling that’s how it is in Palm Beach County too. My son just came from a private school and they only used it for diagnostic purposes and that was it and I clearly gave them enough information about the program that they were not renewing it. I was very frustrated because the AP told me they only did it for 40 minutes which I was kind of willing to except and now the teacher is telling me 60 minutes which is making me a little bit more upset. You’re telling me they’re going to put a child on it for only 12 minutes at a time if they do it each day?
it is true in Clay and Brevard. District monitors minutes. In fact in brevard teacher names with class minutes are posted on the wall in the office conference wall. Because public shaming or praising works well as a motivator?????
In Seminole County there is heavy pressure to get the 46 minutes and 70%+ pass rate. It is monitored weekly by admin and some admin question teachers and students when they don’t hit the expected numbers.
Our schools monitors the quota required of i-ready, and they get penalized if they do not follow, like no field trips. That was last year-kindergarten. I have to see what to expect this year. I am not sure they enforced it Last year but that is what we were told.
Has anyone considered the parent doing the i ready?
I have a friend who was a teacher herself and would actually do some of it for her child because she said some aspects of it were a little confusing but even questionable. My other friend who is a teacher But not an actual classroom teacher she says that the kids think it’s fun and it’s like a video game.
my son dislikes it with a passion, it is a huge argument to have him sit to do it. I do not mind having him do things that he does not like, however based on all the info i read this program is questionable on several levels. It is repetitive and he gets bored, he knows the answers and he is a creative kid, hands on. He also has trouble standing still for long periods of time. I think it is a disservice.
So i questioned if parents did it, the data collected will be inaccurate. At rhe government level nobody seems to listen. Computers and programs are tools and if used appropriately may do some good.
My son has been exposed to iready for math since 6th grade that I know of (2yrs ago) and he can’t stand it!! He says it’s hard to follow, the videos are baby like and he doesn’t retain anything.
I’ve supervised my kids at home the past year and it really has amped up my anger levels with the schools
i supervised the iready too, all the time he sat I sat with him. I also got very angry and i am upset at the school system.
All those reasons she gives for supporting iReady have NEVER been validated. We are supposed to believe iReady does all those things because Curriculum Associates says so.
Tell her instead of him getting his “individualized” instruction from a computer program, that you would prefer him getting it either from a separate “center” or more teacher interaction. Don’t feel bad about opting him out of this! This program is absolutely ridiculous and I know first hand from admitting it to students for five years… kindergarten and first grade. Do everything in your power to say NO!!
And yet another post from this group:
7th grade advanced language arts at Nolan. No mention of how much reading plus time is planned but that it is graded. Is there a recommended limit? As a parent, I never received any info last year as to how this program helped my kid. Or what progress was made. Does it track time spent? Can I access it and see if time spent exceeds recommendations?
________________________
And here are the replies to this post:
There is ZERO recommended for any child that is NOT NEEDING REMEDIATION!!! This product is being used to experiment on advanced language arts students at ANY school!
I posted it on Opt Out manatee from the Reading Plus webpage that it is a remedial program. Please do not fall for the king sized candy bars they give as treats for competing the work like little Guinea pigs in a science lab. It appears as though Nolan is the only middle who this happens to because parents say no
I wrote an email last week currently the administration is reviewing my email I blatantly refused reading plus based on the SEL questions on the data mining and the fact that we limit screen time I told him he has no permission whatsoever to partake in that program
Parents need to stand up and have their voices be heard put it in writing called him out and fight
Looks like Hinsdale District #86 in Illinois is ignoring the wishes of a father and letting his daughter identify as a boy: https://www.lifesitenews.com/blogs/dad-horrified-as-public-school-convinces-daughter-shes-a-boyand-he-cant-stop-it
Here is a post from the California anti-radical sex ed group:
Help! Just went to back to school night where I was Informed by a teacher that anti-bullying, anti-harassment would be taught. That it was mandated to be taught within the first weeks of school and that she was very uncomfortable with some of the curricula as it didn’t seem age appropriate. Does anyone have examples of this kind of curricula?
________–
And here are some replies to this post:
1.) You’re blessed to have a teacher with a moral code. And one who is honest about the changes to the curriculum.
2.) The SOGI additions (Sexual Orientation/Gender identity) were enacted to reduce bullying of a protected class. However, it goes way beyond information, all the way to indoctrination.
3.) Arrange a meeting with this teacher and ask to see the textbooks and other material she’s referring to. We usually recommend you start at the district level, talking to the Curriculum Specialist, but since your child’s teacher opened the door, why not start there.
You did not indicate the grade level…But be on the lookout for books such as ‘I am Jazz’, ‘Jack Not Jackie’, ‘A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo’ ‘Red, a Crayon’s Story’, ‘Who Are You’, for lower elementary grades.
You’re child will be taught that there are more than two genders. They can be a boy or a girl. Both, or neither. Dozens of choices now. That the gender ‘assigned’ to them at birth is not necessarily true.
https://youtu.be/g134pSNrhf0
This might be helpful…
What district are you in?
Jefferson district in Tracy
And another post from this group:
This is a post from my friend [name redacted], who is a nurse and her husband a pediatrician: please go if you are able.
Hey everyone, as most of you know [name redacted] & I have been working with a woman on the board for OC Board of Ed, regarding the sex Ed curriculum. This Wednesday [name redacted] is speaking again. Here’s the info. The meeting is at 2:00pm. The more supporters on “our side” who can show up, the better! Here’s the info:
Where? Orange County Dpt of Education
200 Kalmus Dr, Costa Mesa
Purpose: the subject of our speeches are not on the agenda.. but since OC just received a 5 million dollar grant from the state to “roll out” the health framework which will enforce more radical compliance to AB 329, we are again stressing how the curriculum violates their own rules.
BTW:
The OC superintendent entered into this 5 mill contract without board approval or knowledge. 😡👎
Here is a good news post from this group:
I am so excited to share, I just heard from a mom (one of my boys’ friend mom) that there’s over 87 kids at Betsy Ross Elementary School that are homeschooling and of course, kids are talking about missing school to protest and change the laws so they won’t be taught this crap and they’ll be able to see their friends at school again! Our kids are smart and parents are communicating to their children. It’s unfortunate that not all families see this harm and it’s unfortunate that not all families are able to homeschool or send their kids to a private school. Let’s keep on spreading and educating!!!! I gotta tell you, tears cake down my eyes, it brought me joy that parents are doing something and kids are involved too. And I am proud to say my boys are part of that number. Let the homeschooling journey begin! Prayers are appreciated! 🙏🏻 If God with us, who can be against us? 🛑 ✋ right there enemy.
Here is a post from Alice Linahn:
If this does not concern Parents, Teachers, Tax Payers, and Elected officials- IT SHOULD!! Bill Gates was a key player shifting education away from academics to values, beliefs and behaviors. Giving anyone with an agenda access to America’s children.
“Bill Gates flew from Teterboro Airport in New Jersey to Palm Beach on March 1, 2013 with Jeffrey Epstein.
Epstein, who was found dead in his jail cell on Saturday morning, had told people in the past that he was a financial adviser to Gates
A rep for Gates’ humanitarian foundation denied that Epstein ever worked for billionaire founder of Microsoft, but would not comment on the 2013 flight.
Gates and his wife have championed the education and empowerment of young women around the world through their charitable work.
Epstein had just been released from prison four years prior after pleading guilty to two counts of soliciting a minor under the age of 18 for sex.
Bill Gates hitched a ride on Jeffrey Epstein’s plane – four years after he served time behind bars for soliciting a minor under the age of 18 for sex.
Flight records reveal that Gates flew with Epstein from Teterboro Airport in New Jersey to Palm Beach on March 1, 2013, one of the few flights that year where pilot Larry Viskoski recorded the name of a passenger.
The pair had spent time together previously, most notably at the annual Edge Dinner, which each year welcomes billionaires from around the world to come together and discuss advancements they are working in on the worlds of math, science and technology.
In fact, the 2013 dinner took place just two nights before they flew to Florida, though neither of the men are pictured attending that year’s event.”
Please take note:
- In 2000, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation gave the Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA) a grant for 6.3 million dollars.
TASA and the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) are trade organizations who’ve been tied to the vendors/lobbyists for many years. - In 2004 Microsoft signed a 26-page “Cooperation Agreement with the UNITED NATIONS EDUCATIONAL, SCIENTIFIC AND CULTURAL ORGANIZATION (UNESCO) to develop a “master curriculum (Syllabus)” for teacher training in information technologies based on standards, guidelines, benchmarks, and assessment techniques.
- In 2007 the Texas Education Agency (TEA) was given a $7 million dollar grant by the Gates foundation. With the stated purpose: to provide funding towards a longitudinal evaluation of the Texas High School Project now known as “Educate Texas” funded by“Communities Foundation of Texas”, as a way to understand the effectiveness of individual projects and programs, as well as overall effectiveness.
- Interestingly, Communities Foundation is the same model Epstein was using in the Virgin Islands. It was the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands (CFVI).
(CFVI) works with Antilles School, the Clinton Global Initiative, Fintrac, and Catchafire. Aside from serving on the board of Antilles School, Pamela Berkowsky, Clarie Starkey, and two other board members served on the board of CFVI, the arms of control used to groom students for the Epstein network.
https://cfvi.net/ - In 2011 Texas legislators overwhelmingly pass SB 6. SB 6 allows textbook publishers to bypass the state adoption process.
Interestingly, SB6 was championed by Thomas Ratliff who was not only on the Texas State Board of Education (SBOE) he was, for over 13 yrs a paid lobbyist for Microsoft. The same Microsoft whose owner Bill Gates gave TEA 7 million and TASA a 6.3 Million dollar grant with the stated Purpose: to provide superintendents and principals from public and private schools access to quality leadership development focused on technology integration and whole systems change.
Total Quality Management (TQM)- Texas’ Points of Compliance in the Education System (Updated)
TASA’s High Tech High~ Changing a Child’s Mind and America’s Future (Updated): http://www.voicesempower.com/tasa_high-tech-high-changing-our-communities-changing-a-a-childs-mind_updated/
Gates Epstein article: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7350469/amp/Bill-Gates-flew-Jeffrey-Epstein-Loliota-Express-2013-years-pedophile-prison-stay.html?__twitter_impression=true
And some replies to this post:
And CSE is funded by Internationl Planned Parenthood. Bill Gates dad was a big shot with the national PP. Gates and his wife are eugenicists. They co-hosted a eugenicists conference London several years ago.
Common Core reforms have always been connected to sexual revolution. We know this because UNESCO said that their Comprehensive Sexuality Education curriculum would integrate into most subjects through national standards. Peter Greene is right. Common Core standards are data tags, and with Bill Gates at the helm, he and UNESCO can monitor children’s allegiance to the sexual rights agenda.
I wrote this article 5 years ago connecting the Comprehensive Sex Ed Standards to Texas, no one would listen.
Parents, Are You Ready for the Well Funded Battle Against YOUR RIGHTS As Parents?
parents have no clue how SEL has been integrated into every subject because no longer are there books. It is all being done through computer applications under the title “social and emotional learning.” Here is one example of non cognitive embedded in academic subjects. Texas Commissioner Mike Morath testified before the Next Generation of Assessments and Accountability (NGAA). In this two-minute clip, he explained how social and emotional skills (SEL) skills such as hard work (perseverance) and enthusiasm (tenacity) will be standardized, assessed and embedded in math and reading curriculum.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-aj7S–oks&feature=youtu.be
This is not to be believed. It’s been renamed by TDOE as Social & Personal Competency. Thank God for teams of parents/citizens/educators here as well, deep-diving and researching— it really does take a “village” or rather an army to try to follow all this insanity.
exactly right! And yet we still have all these lazy parents who won’t even go to a damn school board meeting to fight for their kids!
Bill Gates, and his Foundation, spend money to make money. Altruistic my behind,he doesn’t care who he has to cozy up with to do it. The rub; money won’t buy you a clear conscience and it sure ain’t gonna get you a free pass through those Pearly Gates.
Ed tech has never been tried and proven successful in teaching our children academic knowledge. Ed tech and google classroom are successful at collecting our children’s data, creating an algorithm for each child, using predictive analytics based on the algorithm to steer the child in a computer chosen field of interest, creating “threat scores” with the data collected and molding children’s values, attitudes, behaviors and beliefs (whole child social and emotional learning) to align with the UN’s definition of “global citizenship” through the nudging of children using computer adaptive testing like the MAPS test. Between Facebook listening to conversations, Google manipulating the election, data breaches and now THIS, parents must wake up, engage and say NO ED TECH. Return to great teachers, strong academic curriculum, books, paper and pencils.
Here is my testimony at the Texas School Senate Safety and Mental Health Hearing.
https://youtu.be/7yUM4aWT6ow
I stated this in my testimony.
“if it’s the role of the Government to legislate character development, collect mental health data on students and store personally identifiable information in Fusion Centers throughout Texas. Fusion Centers engage in surveillance of students social media and to use predictive analytics generated by an algorithm to create a threat-score for our children.”
Wonder how the audio and video they are collecting along with threat scores of children will be used in the future!?!
Our group has been preaching this for several years! We can’t get parents off their ass to pay attention! NOTHING is more important than your kids!!
and if the parent don’t want to make the sacrifices who they expect to do it! It annoys me.
Me too! I post stuff all the time that nobody will bother to read. Way too much lethargy in the Christian community, especially.
None of this surprises me one bit. Some major players were involved in this whole thing. It is time for Trump’s AG to take them down.
worth understanding considering California’s Comprehensive Sex Education aligned to UNESCO.
At a November school board meeting, the issue was still smoldering. Marie Briner, an elementary school parent, said she was alarmed to learn of the content of some books in the curriculum. As a former Dallas County prosecutor in the child abuse division, she said that if she had found the material in a police investigation, she would have entered it as evidence that a defendant was trying to “groom” potential victims.
“How is this any different than my sex offenders that have a diary of their fantasies? And I have to tell you, it’s not different at all,” she said.
Such inbreeding — they are all one.
And here is another post from her:
Many digital payments can be tracked, potentially assisting an authoritarian crackdown.
“It can be easy to take cash for granted, especially in a wealthy, developed economy. Those fortunate enough to live in a stable society usually suffer no lack of payment options. They are getting more advanced all the time, with financial technology (fintech) companies constantly developing new ways to quickly and cheaply make purchases and send money. It sometimes seems the days of old-fashioned cash, with its dormant physicality, are numbered.
Allowing cash to die would be a grave mistake. A cashless society is a surveillance society. The recent round of protests in Hong Kong highlights exactly what we have to lose.”
And a reply to this post:
there has been a push the past few years to get the remaining Americans to get a bank account. I am sure you have noticed the commercials telling people they could get their paycheck 2 days earlier if they have their account directly deposited into an account tied to the nifty bank cards. gee who wouldnt want their money 2 days earlier especially if you are living paycheck to paycheck.
i knew it was part of the scheme to get everyone to accept going cashless. bad idea especially if you need it to pay for food or medicine and it is held from you because you did not make the right healthy food choices deemed by the powers that be whom will control your money. tie that with the data collected on the grocery store cards to see what food and drink items you buy and then force you to wear fitbits to track your physical activities. soon the car insurers will get access to the black boxes in vehicles so they can charge you based on your driving habits and states can tax you for polluting/carbon in the environment based on how much you drive. its coming.
Here is a post from Alice Linahan:
This is what happens when google has a behavioral profile on an individual. Question does your child have a school google email? Does You child’s school use “google classroom” and google docs? Think about that!!
And here is the post that she shared:
Google executive was able to deliver docs and laptop to DOJ but he was Red Flagged and what ensued is insane! Vorhies is a former senior Google software engineer, who on August 5th was in the process of delivering a Google laptop and internal documents to the Justice Department’s Antitrust division.
But his whistle blowing efforts were stymied by police who stormed his neighborhood and locked down several blocks in an attempt to lure him from his San Francisco residence, at the request of Google executives.
What was Vorhies’ crime? Google executives told police that Vorhies was suicidal and a potential danger, Vorhies told True Pundit. The tech guru was red flagged by his former employer. According to news reports and witnesses, as well as video clips of the law enforcement operation from local TV news, police closed several blocks surrounding Vorhies’ Valencia Street residence.
Here is a post from the Florida anti-iReady group:
So I’m truly just trying to get a better understanding of why some of you are opting out of iReady? Is it more for the data that is being collected, the screen time, or for another reason? (Edited… I should say, the reason I’m asking is because I assumed most parents were opting out for a certain reason, and today I found out that wasn’t the main reason).
And here are the replies to this post:
Data, screen time & privacy issues
the program is not peer reviewed or evidence based, there have been numerous issues with data breaches with these companies and it is only going to get worse. You don’t know if the company will sell your childs info later or what will be done with it. Too much time taken away from instructional time, kids are getting on other sites that they shouldn’t be on and aren’t being monitored
What info do you believe they are gathering? My assumption would be, their GPA is a good indicator of where they are in school, not really seeing a difference between that and the stuff they are gathering.
race, age, name,FSA scores
When this data they collect is breached, or sold to 3rd parties then breached( which has recently happened) kids identity can be stolen and used to create false or fake accounts!
I could also share a post from another group member from today speaking about how kids ARE BULLIED from opting out if you would like I can share that along with other’s personal stories as well.
bullied by teachers or classmates?
my daughter was bullied by her teacher last year for opting out on the FSA, she was told over and over she was going to be retained( she was in 4th grade)
My idea is to homeschool. Reading about stories like this makes me want to keep her home immediatly. Just do not know how to do it and how does it work about “promotion” .
Data collection, screen time, takes away time from teacher instruction, it is used to evaluate teachers, sharing of headphones is a sanitary issue, and the program is not age appropriate, peer reviewed, or any good. It’s also used for FSA test prep, which we are against. And it’s a waste of taxpayer dollars.
For me I had my kids do it at home for the past year with my supervision.
It is supposed to be a teacher led program but we had 19 kindergarteners in it with headphones. There is no way this is teacher led even Curriculum Associates the company that owns IReady agrees.
I find it not age appropriate, questions that are not correct, asking for the BEST answer where there are multiple correct answers.
I can’t tell you how many times my 3rd grader last year who is straight As said mom I’m not sure the answer and I couldn’t tell what the answer was. I have advanced degree. I sent to my retired principal friends and they didn’t know the answer either.
I have posted NUMEROUS examples. I can tag you if you like.
For example counting scattered dots over a computer screen where my 5 year old didn’t remember where she started from was a good use of her time or taught her anything. I want my kindergartener to use manipulatives.
Thank you so much. Yes I agree, when my son was in Kindergarten I didn’t like the dots that they had to count, even in rows was hard. I did supervise set of kids on the computer while volunteering in the classroom, and found it very frustrating for their age group. 1st grade wasn’t so bad. It’s like they had enough practice to maneuver through the program a little more.
^this. It’s just trash. It was so glitchy/wrong answers/poorly phrased questions… 👎👎👎 ETA: when I tried to opt-out the hostile teacher said my gifted kid was “remedial” according to iready. Funny- seeing as how ALL her other work/tests… easy A’s
I hated iReady what my 3rd grade for ELA more than K. We used iReady scores as he opted out of FSA so we did it but no more.
He can read a book 📚 during that time and that will be more helpful. We don’t need it as test prep because we won’t take the FSA.
I opted out because I choose face to face interaction with teachers and peers over screen time every single time. More screen time does not belong in elementary schools and the research in support of this is overwhelming. The fact that iReady is a crappy program is just a cherry on top for me.
As a mom, and former teacher, my primary reason for opting out of iready is because I value teacher interaction and instruction from an educated professional.
Mainly for my daughter’s overall education decisions. She has an iep and it was being used to basically to tell her what she can and can’t do based on no proof or facts to show. Other than generic results. Went from being almost right on level to all of a sudden dropping back 2grade levels. No proof of questions asked or answers given. Just random clicking of the mouse or paper based testing that probably had no common sense meaning or answers.
I wish I could share with you the video of [child name redacted] doing iReady in 3rd grade. She hasn’t picked up a book for pleasure since, and I used to have to take books away to get her to do anything else. It’s ridiculous program, AND they can sell PII to any third party vendor they want to. Keep in mind, that could include your child’s social security number if you gave it to them when you enrolled your child into school.
I have way more faith in our teachers than I do a computer program
I’m going to opt out my kids this year because they hate it. I haven’t met a kid that doesn’t hate it. Kids should love to read and I truly believe I-Ready steals the joy from reading. I’m an English teacher, BTW.
It’s also using kids basically as test subjects for a useless scam that schools pay for. That money spent on this could be better put to use.
____–
Mine is screen time and he doesn’t seem to retain anything from the programs. With no screen, there’s no data to collect. I also worry about privacy as I don’t know what personal info is stored on him or the family. I also think the school districts could spend this money on things for the schools or teacher pay instead
I have a serious problem with the absolute void of any third party data or research to suggest that this program is any more helpful or effective than direct and skilled instruction or the myriad of other strategies teachers use to teach. The program itself says its targeted demographic is students who are struggling with reading, yet my district is having all students use it regardless of their levels of reading proficiency. Why? Until there is third party research, not paid for by the company, to suggest this program is as or more effective for ALL students at building reading proficiency or enriching it, I see no need for my proficient reader to participate. We ask our students to think critically and provide evidence based reasoning for their choices. Yet we spend millions on software that only the company has promised us works?
As a physical therapist (and one formerly working for our school district), I have a hard time allowing a program with zero data to support its use and what they claim.
Schools and accommodations are always data driven, but they don’t seem to follow suit when it comes to using these super expensive programs.
I can think of a lot more ways to use $500K in our district
my 9yr old can do the higher level multiplications as well as division. I have witnessed it at home and her tutor witnessed it. Her tutor asked her teacher about summer work and told her what she knew. Her teacher point blank told the tutor well she can’t do that here in my classroom. They had her doing below her level of work based on the online assessments and wondered why she was frustrated and upset. I told them she is bored with it.
Three years ago, My then 2nd grader was misdiagnosed by i-Ready and he’s opted out since. I’m in NY, so the stakes are not nearly as high as they are in Fla.
Do the schools in Fla send home any i-Ready reports/assessment results? Can you access them online? My district in NY sends home the generic parent report that does not tell you many specifics. Often times they send nothing home at all.
There’s an i-Ready report called, Student Response to Instruction, and it assesses a student’s performance down to specific standards. This report is what’s used to “personalize” a student’s instruction.
I’m the only parent in my district to ever request this report. This is the report that showed me my son’s education was being inaccurately personalized based on an erroneous assessment of his abilities.
Specifically, he was receiving remedial vocabulary instruction even though his vocabulary was well above grade level. His overwhelmed teacher didn’t know him well enough to even realize it. She just prescribed the i-Ready recommended strategies & interventions and moved on to the next student. Rinse, lather, repeat. 😢
In Michigan but our district uses iReady to comply with a state reading law. Appreciate everyone’s comments here. My 2nd grader has anxiety during the diagnostic testing and my 1st grader is a lefty so she has trouble using the mouse in the computer lab! I wish I had a different option.
The program is useless and has shown no real proof of its effectiveness. However, it has shown its ability to dehumanize assessments. It strips a student of any evidence of their literary thinking and mathematical identity and in its place, assigns broad, meaningless labels, labels based on a generic list of skills that students “like them” generally need. Despite lumping students into broad categories, iReady has zero hesitation when offering precise information about what a student likely can do and what their next instruction steps should be. Its reports are generated based on scores, NOT generated from the specific questions answered correctly or incorrectly. Instead generated on a generic list based on what iReady thinks a student who scored in the same range in the same domain likely needs.
The diagnostic reports are then used by school educators and administrators to determine whether a student is in need of intervention. To use reports in this manner without accurate, more specific results, seems a bit ludicrous because a teacher never sees what questions were answered correctly or incorrectly. They only know a student scored less than favorably in, for example, number and operations. Number and Operations is a broad domain, so much so to be actionable let alone to determine if a student is at risk or in need of intervention.
Here is a post from a Texas anti-testing group:
Any useful websites for a mom who’s dealing with this for the first time. My daughter is finally in 3rd grade and the first….. VERY FIRST thing my daughters teacher told her when we met her is that she’s going to prepare for this big test. I know I want to opt out but have no idea where to begin. Today was her first day and they told all the kids they can’t move into junior high if they don’t pass it. This is day 1 and my child is already anxious about it! What are some other scare tactics they will use and how do I properly address them?
Here is another post from the Florida anti-iReady group:
Our school/district (Manatee) has already started implementing the first iReady assessment 3-4 days into school year
This states from Curriculum Associates that it should be administered 2-3 weeks into school year.
Kindergarteners 4-6 weeks into school year.
Anyone else schools already start administering ?
This SEL article from the sinister Edutopia mentions SEL being coupled with “personalized learning” in schools in Vermont:
As alarming as the rest of the article was, what stood out the most was that they openly admitted that they were using SEL and “personalized learning” to push the UN’s “Sustainable Development” Goals:
“Up the road at Burke Town School, students use the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals to map their town’s assets and identify individual and collective interests. One student group has created public murals in support of mental health and wellness, another has built a community garden, and still another has set up mountain biking trails on the school campus.”
https://www.edutopia.org/article/collaboration-personalized-learning
Now it’s Maryland, New Jersey, Oregon, California, Colorado, and Illinois.
https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/more-states-pledge-to-include-lgbt-history-in-school-curriculums
Here is a post from the California anti-radical sex ed group:
My son’s 7th grade ELA teacher gave me the list of reading for this year. One of the books is “Touching Spirit Bear” I have looked on Common sense Media (our go to) for the content but it doesn’t come up….. anyone able to shed some light on this book and what is REALLY inside- not just the summary.
The Graphic Novel “Monster” is also on there…… any info on that one?
And some replies to this post:
Oh my gosh, I would NOT want my son to read Monster! Not appropriate!! I’m in Hawaii and we’re always right behind CA on social issues which is why we had to put our boys in a private catholic school to avoid situations like this.
Why is this being shoved on our kids ? Thus is the last piece of evil that Obama passed into the school system 2016 to be adopted January 2017 before Trump cam in ! Wake Up America 🇺🇸 this is an attack on our kids
Plugged In (Focus on the Family- which is too conservative for some families) does a break down of issues addressed in the book Monster. It will give you an idea of what will be in the graphic novel.
https://www.pluggedin.com/book-reviews/monster-myers
wow after reading thr book review i wouldn’t want my 7th grader reading this either. Adult book
We do the same. Actually my 10 year old usually looks things up on it before I even know about it.
I wouldn’t recommend Monster for a 7th grader.
From what I understand, Common Sense Media is a part of the agenda and cannot be trusted 100%
Wow, just read that review for Monster! How is this recommended for a 7th grader? That’s my sons age! Such adult ideas that young kids just don’t need to know about well into adulthood. If I had to find one good thing about this book I’d say that it might scare a young man off from considering a life of crime by reading about the realities of prison life… but if we raise our children correctly then this prospect should not become a reality
After reading the plugged in review…. definitely not 7th grade material to me!
Here is another post from this group:
At our school (ex, Betsy Ross Elementary) they were sneaking in a “Diversity Week” event and when asked what was the purpose of it, that was the answer, to teach ALL students to accept ALL. I asked if they were going to include to accept ALL religions and other things. I specifically said, “like Catholics, Christians, Mormon, how about Muslims, Buddhist, will you be teaching ALL kids to accept the Islamic beliefs? Jehovah witness’? Some people believe other people have the right to get angry and get a gun and go shoot that person and others that may be around?” We’re including that?
The principal & vice principal gave me a look that told me they knew that I know they are not including that and that they can’t straight forward answer me “we can’t offer that (religion) in a school setting because it may be offensive to other kids”.
That sneakiness of it and their poor transparency told me I needed out for my kids NOW!
Here is a post that was posted on Alice Linahan’s wall:
My prayer is each of you understands just how dangerous the below information is. And, that Epstein’s network along with Ed Tech’s access to our children, is what Trump and all elected officials will push to destroy.
Why is it significant that Jeffrey Epstein was close to the Tech giants?
Because they have access to our children’s private student data which they are using to create the now federally mandated Next Generation of Assessments and Accountability. With government-regulated “school choice” they have access to our private and homeschool students from Pre-K through the workforce.
Click to access Global-Ed-Reform-Packet-2.pdf
The now federally mandated, College and Career Common Core-aligned Readiness Standards and Assessments are adaptive. Meaning, they have the ability to groom and modify our children’s values, beliefs and behaviors. Which is exactly what Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell were doing via their St. Thomas Network, Community Foundation, tied to the Clinton Foundation and Elite Antilles School.
As shown here:
Total Quality Management (TQM)- Texas’ Points of Compliance in the Education System (Updated)
This happens to be the same Philanthropic business model Bill Gates set up in Texas through the Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA) and the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB)’s New Vision for Texas Public Education and is being fully implemented by Texas Education Agency (TEA) Commissioner Mike Morath and his Philanthropic advisor, Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF)’s Stacy Hock. Who happens to be a funder of the MIT Next Generation Science being developed to modify students values, beliefs, and behaviors. Need Proof watch this:
PARENTS ARE NOT OKAY WITH THAT?
It is also important to note: Epstein’s, right-hand women, Ghislaine Maxwell, has a sister who works at the University of Texas Dallas, Christine Maxwell.
“Maxwell is the creator and co-founder of Magellan, one of the first professionally curated online search/reference guides to Internet content.
After Magellan was acquired by competing search engine Excite, in 1996, she went on to co-found Chiliad:a software company involved in the advance of on-demand, massively scalable, intelligent mining of structured and unstructured data through the use of natural language search technologies. The firm’s software was behind the data search technology used by the FBI’s counterterrorism data warehouse.
She is the Program Manager of Learning Technologies at The University of Texas at Dallas[9] and is involved in Special Projects for Information Resources.
Maxwell is a former Trustee of the Internet Society[10] and The Santa Fe Institute.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christine_Maxwell
Please take under 5 min. to listen to this very wise woman’s call to action and what our mission is…
“Today in our society, we are morally blind…
If we knew we were blind we would be looking for a doctor. But, as we do not know we are blind, we believe we see, but in fact, we are blind.” Alice von Hildebrand
Alice von Hildebrand on… Technology-
Here is a post from the ParentStrike group:
“Even now that both companies have fixed the software flaws Demirkapi found, he says that his work should worry anyone who cares about the security of student data. “It doesn’t seem like there’s any interest in this from the security field, because the incentives just aren’t very high,” he says, pointing out that neither Blackboard nor Follett has a bug bounty program for rewarding security researchers who find and their vulnerabilities. “These companies say they’re secure, that they do audits, but don’t take the necessary steps to protect themselves from threats.””
https://www.wired.com/story/teen-hacker-school-software-blackboard-follett/
Here is a post from Lynn Davenport:
This Future of Privacy Forum video is shameful. Amelia Vance discusses the “unfortunate” state student data privacy laws that came about because of parental “fear and lack of information” (10 minutes).
It’s wonks like this who make it easier for people like Mike Morath to sell sensitive student IEP data to start-up edtech companies and get away with it.
Here is a post from the California anti-radical sex ed group:
Over my last 10 years of teaching we no longer had much say in what we taught or how we implemented it. . Instead of teachers being able to reach the standards in whatever way they creatively chose to while also using district texts, we were limited to curriculum from the district and not even allowed to use our own stuff. Teachers became “worker bees” in a strict and controlled environment.
Here is a post from Alice Linahan:
Interestingly, Bill Clinton was a keen supporter of the charter school idea.
Why- “With four billion dollars of funding over 25 years, the federal Charter Schools Program has turned out to be one of the larger and (in my view) more successful examples of government-supported research and development in the K–12 realm, in ways that have fostered considerable innovation.”
INNOVATION = EXPERIMENTATION USING OUR KIDS AS THEIR GUINEA PIGS!
To groom them and modify their values, beliefs and behaviors.
The question is- Whose values, beliefs and behaviors? Think about that!!
Clinton “favored (public) school choice, and was a keen supporter of the charter idea. Clinton had, as Arkansas governor, chaired the Democratic Leadership Council and its Progressive Policy Institute, which served as key boosters for the charter idea. In time, he would declare that he wanted to see 3,000 such schools in the U.S. by the year 2000. (That target was hit a couple of years later.)”
https://www.educationnext.org/federal-charter-schools-program-short-opinionated-history/
Here is another post from the California anti-radical sex ed group:
My wife’s a teacher and was dumbfounded that the first thing out of the social studies instructor for our district was that children have the right to identify with whatever gender they choose and by any pronoun.
And here is another post from this group:
There are few teachers who feel compelled to leave their job or be fired over their opposition to curriculum content.
Here is a post from the Texas anti-testing group:
Nothing like going to meet the teacher and having to sit through a speech by the staff about how opting out is not an option and you as a parent are not allowed to remove your child from a classroom to avoid a test no matter what you may see on social media!!!! UES, please quote the state law to me, we don’t opt out, we refuse and I won’t remove my child from a test but lucky for y’all it’s an assessment! 😘
And some replies to this post:
What?!? What district?
Eastland county district 14 I believe
Our principle tried to tell me last year that it was illegal not to take it 😂
Let them say scare tactics and see if they can really arrest. It’s ridiculous. Since when don’t parents have a say in their child’s learning. I want to put my kids in Montessori school but I have two kids and I can’t really afford $11,000 a year. Is there any other option?!
The option is that your kid refuses to take it. And please let’s not even dignify the discussion by suggesting that it is possible for people to be arrested for refusing STAAR. That’s just silly
They also said every Friday isn’t going to be workbook days or anything like that it’s just straight Staar preparation starting the first week of school. I said well what if your kid doesn’t plan on taking the Staar test? She said well she still has to prepare for it and do the work!
Ask for alternate assignments.
Imagine if your kid was in health and they said every Friday was sex-ed day, but you don’t want your kid learning about sex-ed from the school.
They would have to accommodate with alternate assignments and tests so that your child was not exposed to that material.
Potential fight.
STAAR measures TEKS, and all kids learn the TEKS… so it is a challenge to remove the STAAR prep…
See what it is first, then decide what battle to pick.
I allow my kids to benchmark as long as it isn’t used for a grade. If it will be, we ask for alternate assignment.
This brings up the topic I was wondering about. In the event I need to argue this point further with school district I have a question. The letter I received, indicates a parent does not have the right to remove a child from test (of course) and this seems to be standard lingo schools respond with. I know STAAR is not a test but an assessment, which IS our right to opt out of, correct? If they want to call it a test then I understand we are allowed to review it? So I would demand to see this “test” at what point? Before administration or after? I know they are not going to let me see the almighty STAAR, I just want to point this out to their face and would like guidance from someone that has asked for this.
Also this argument seems so simple in my mind. Has this not been tested in court? If so what was result? What are the flaws in this argument that it is not a test but an assessment which does give us the right to opt out of?
You are understanding the circles the language runs in.🙂
And I would demand to see the “test” (as THEY call it) BEFORE administration. Uh oh, they can’t do that because it is under lock and key. So yeah, it is an assessment your child can be removed from. (Even though the word assessment is right there in the name.🙄)
I think the devisiveness comes from the school wanting to have all the “smart kids” do the assessment for the appearance of the school. The school “numbers” are more important to them than children. So many school officials will do whatever it takes, even lie, to have students take the stupid assessment. Parents, on the other hand, want what is best for their child.
The problem at play is society’s mindset. So many people grew up with the idea of “getting sent to the office” was a bad thing and for those exhibiting bad behavior. Sure, in school some students need behavioral shaping by a principal.
Unfortunately, that thought has lingered into adulthood for many people who believe administrators are the professional “authority” in education no matter what. Now people won’t stand up to authority figures who are either dishonest or spreading false information.
Well, that is my take on it anyway. It stems from the fact that when I talk to people about homeschooling, they are floored that they don’t have to report in to anybody about their child. People weirdly want to please some authority figure, including the government. 🤨🙄THAT is mind blowing indeed!
They give me a hard time about this because my child is in gifted and talented and they even approached her and told her they were disappointed she let her school down and she could have helped her friends out but chose not to! Y’all talk about a furious mama!
what in the actual fuck! That’s BS to put that pressure on her! She should’ve told them if they are relying on me for the school to do good then they aren’t very good at their jobs
girl I was fuming mad. This is one of the reasons I got the certified letter saying I’m not allowed at the school for 2 years! The principal and I went round and round about this issue and many many more and she filed a no trespassing on me!
OMG then how the hell do you take them to school! That’s ridiculous! I can’t believe they act like that
I am allowed to drive there and drop them off and drive to pick them up. But I’m not allowed to basically get out of my car. Also I can go to pep rally and all but I get babysat by the super
This is what scares me, the school “taking it out” on my child or bullying my child to take the test. This will be our first year opting out and I have already talked with my kids about it. I may very well go “crazy mama bear” if someone says something like that to my kids!
we told the principal about it and she said she would handle it and even took it to the super and nothing was ever addressed. Our kids were never apologized to … nothing. This gets worse though because they saw our kids in the hallway and rolled their eyes 2teachers and said we can’t even stand to look at them loud enough for the kids to hear! This was just hurled at the kids who didn’t take the test
they took out a restraining order on you?
What town is this?
You absolutely have to file a grievance. That is asinine.
this is Gorman Tx. This is what started the fight!!! The lice fit i threw finished it up!! I told the school I didn’t want my kid sitting next to a certain kid here. Addressed the teacher about it. And it turned into I’m an adult bully and needed to get my act together lol I told them I was tired of spending 60 dollar a week to treat lice from my kid sitting next to a certain girl and to me it was a health issue and ALL HELL BROKE LOSE!!!
Oh, I misunderstood. I thought you meant that they took out a restraining order out on you due to opting your child our of STAAR.
I can’t speak to the other stuff.
it was that and the lice battle that they got tired of me fighting the two and so she lied a LOT and I got served lol thank God she got fired
The crazy around staar test is just that….crazy…
When teachers are given the tools and resources to teach, the kids will learn.
GIVE them a textbook to bring home instead of the students notes taken in class (which no one can read).
I’m fortunate that our school has text books to send home. 👍
Kudos to this teacher for speaking out for common sense, but it looks like Duval County Public Schools has decided to double down on the gender confusion insanity: https://myfox28columbus.com/news/nation-world/florida-teacher-refused-to-call-transgender-student-by-requested-pronouns
Here is another post from the Texas anti-testing group:
To be honest, it will be up to the parents to educate parents about optingout of STAAR. I am a retired teacher who subs. The teachers today are micromanaged , overwhelmed, and exhausted. There are only a few districts which emphasize academics and not STAAR as their priority. I agree with you [name redacted] . I know teachers in our area who spent most of their summer attending workshops.THEY HAD NO TIME OFF. They are not refreshed and under pressure
Here is a post that was shared in the ParentStrike group:
Public Education and the topic of Accountability:
(TX) Frisco ISD Develops a Community-Based Accountability System
Frisco ISD will supplement the state-issued accountability ratings with a self-reported annual holistic review of the District starting in 2020. Information in this report will include everything from data on student involvement and safety to college, career and military readiness.
Here is a post I found from someone on the Activist Mommy page:
Back to school season…
Advertising is the art of persuasion. I worked for 2 different high profile advertising agencies in LA, both in finance and media, for a number of years. We spent tens of millions of dollars suggesting why people should stay at Hilton Hotels and buy Mazda cars. Not everyone who heard/saw the ads were sold immediately, but enough were so that we could continue spending these crazy amounts of money and stayed in business. There are stats that show if you solicit the same message enough times, people will begin to believe you and they’re hooked. But that’s common sense, right? At the same time, we had numerous rules and laws we needed to abide by to keep us (fairly) honest.
Our current perverse liberalism messages are no different than advertising campaigns. When libraries and schools across the country push transgender thoughts on kids, have drag shows, have “pride” shows or parades geared to kids who don’t even know anything about sex, tell kids to “pretend” they’re gay, to write a “pretend” letter of love to a peer of the same sex, tell teens that abortion is ok, show them how to masturbate, and on and on, it’s only a matter of time before some of these kids will “buy” the message and be hooked. They have been solicited. They have bought the advertising message. And unlike rules and laws we have in the advertising agency to protect consumers, we have absolutely none here for our most vulnerable, our kids! It’s anything goes. While parents, teachers and principals are supposed to be protecting students, they’re often the “stranger danger” we should be leery of.
The current popularity rise of teenage abortion, transgender, and kindergarten homosexual feelings are NOT REAL. They are merely results of very good advertising programs targeting our kids. It’s not hard to convince adults to spend $50,000 on a car, so imagine how easy it is to convince kids to..anything.
I love seeing all the back-to-school pics on FB.
I have many wonderful teacher friends.
BUT, I don’t have all the same lovey-dovey feelings of back-to-school as I used to 20 years ago because schools are the #1 place where kids are brainwashed now. It used to just be college or high school, but now, our 2 year olds are being targeted too.
So, it saddens me to see all these pictures and KNOW that a certain percentage of them will be brainwashed in one way or another this year, in a way that will ruin their lives and families for forever.
More than ever, parents must be involved with their kids’ schools, know their teachers, go to parent-teacher conferences, know what flyers are being advertised on their bulletin boards, set expectations, discuss and debate current events, give them knowledge and confidence so that they won’t be easy prey, and more.
Here is a post from Duke Pesta:
Sherronna Bishop (@Americas Mom) discusses how Colorado schools are now indoctrinating students with a radical sex education agenda in pre-K through high school.
Here is a post from the Choose to Refuse Common Core group:
Our private high school implemented thumbprint technology for school lunch accounts. I refused to sign the permission to allow my students thumbprint to be taken.
My kids are irritated with me and I was told I was only the second parent to raise an objection. Does anyone else see this as a problem? Red flags go up for me whenever asked to sign a consent form.
And another post from this group:
NOAA Peddles Snake Oil to School Children
I THINK AS LONG AS "COMMON CORE" INDOCTRINATES" THE CURRENT CROP OF KIDS, THIS "MONSTER HOAX WILL NOT DIE"!!
I THINK IS WE GET RID OF "COMMON CORE" AND THE "MONSTER HOAX, GLOBAL WARMING", OUR COUNTRY WILL HAVE A CHANCE TO AVOID DESTRUCTION!!
----------------------------------------
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) wants to turn your kids into well-indoctrinated enviro-goofballs, and they are using your tax dollars to do it! Just trot on over to their main page at NOAA.GOV, scroll down the left side of the page, and see for yourself: (Teachers get ready for the new school year with NOAA). By luring educators into their web of misinformation with “ready-made” teaching materials, they have pretty much assured a wide distribution of fake science amongst the national student population.
NOAA’s offerings include lots of scary graphs and videos, one being: Drought Data and Projections; this gem depicts the United States being virtually engulfed by drought by the year 2095. You can even go to your particular zip code and frighten yourself with temperature projections into the next century. I’m not sure why they bothered to go that far forward after Congresswoman Melonhead informed the world that it will all be over by 2030.
Let’s take a look at real scientific malfeasance. The above chart’s red line pretends to predict extremely high future temperatures for my zip code in Texas if we don’t reduce CO2 emissions. Note the large gray area to the left covering the years 1950-2007. At first glance, you would think that a warming period began in the 1970s and accelerated into the new millennium. The blue line predicts how wonderful it could be if all of God’s children started eating lentil burgers to reduce cow farts. The green line (mine) shows the real temperature history, and a reasonable prediction for the future with nothing changed…no job-killing carbon taxes or crazy EPA regulations.
My green line is based on NOAA’s own published data for my zip code (mysteriously missing data for years after 2013). Here are the average high temps for each decade:
1950s: 77.2
1960s: 74.5
1970s: 74.5
1980s: 74.7
1990s: 74.5
2000s: 74.7
Hmmm…looks a lot like a DECLINE from the 1950s. As you can see, temperatures have actually been pretty stable since the 1960s. NOAA’s scary red line projecting a huge blistering future is totally bogus.
Unfortunately, NOAA’s misleading chart is all your kids and their teacher will ever see! Truth be damned. Drop by the NOAA site and take a look, but make sure and warn your kids to sit under their school desks when studying this material.
It worked for us during the Atomic Bomb scare in the ’60s!
https://dcdirtylaundry.com/noaa-peddles-snake-oil-to-school-children/
University of South Dakota joins the race baiting brigade:
Here is a post shared by the Stop Fed Ed National Campaign page:
In the final minutes of my last day teaching, I finally permitted a political discussion. Some students were attracted to socialism and Antifa’s violence, but they were shocked into disbelief when I mentioned that Benito Mussolini, who introduced fascismo to modern politics, was firmly rooted in socialism and communism. They were further outraged to discover that the Nazi party was steeped in collectivism and even included the term socialist in the party name, Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterparte (NSDAP).
Ignorance about slavery prevailed. Many believed it was isolated to the United States instead of practiced worldwide for ages. They were more surprised – even resistant – to discover that the word slave is etymologically linked to the word Slav and white slavery. Moreover, they somehow “learned” that Westerners were the most enthusiastic practitioners of slavery instead of being among the first to abandon it.
And here is a reply to this post:
The following article is as repulsive. If alumni would withhold their financial support, take an active role in what was actually going on, (rather than merely sharing adventures at football games)….. this would never happen!
Here is a post from the California anti-radical sex ed group:
I was curious to know if any of you have come across the McGraw Hill Impact textbook and Sanford Harmony. These were the new books that my sons school have adopted. Two separate schools both LAUSD. One is going to 1st grade the other 2nd grade. I met with the principal of one elementary today and was told they have yet to do teacher training on the new curriculum but they need to cover healthy relationships and social well being.
And here are the replies to this post:
Key words and phrases here. “Healthy Relationships” and “Social Well Being.” Boy, does that cover a lot of areas. You see how CLEVER they are in that they give such innocent sounding titles to what are really very sexually explicit and graphic curriculum. Do your level best to force the “educators” to reveal this material to you for your perusal. Good luck!
They will most def be covering “that ” curriculum. They want you to feel confident in their teachers. This should keep you on your toes . When our kids are little , we teach our kids to listen , respect and trust the teachers and now we need to redo what we taught them. If the teachers do their jobs correctly, they will not be doing our kids a favor but help our kids along in this world of perversion towards our kids .
I seriously pray for our young’ins, they are headed into a lions den with public schools . FYI my kids were also in LAUSD . Not any more thank you God for homeschooling .
well said!
the Devil knows how to do it sneaky
And these people are serving the will of their father which is the Devil
This is Spiritual battle over the Children. We need to spend more timing in prayer & fight at the same time.
Sanford Harmony is a Social Emotional Learning (SEL) program developed by South Dakota philanthropist T. Denny Sanford; mind you, there is a fine line between philanthropy and megalomania. The Harmony curriculum is designed to promote “acceptance”, “inclusiveness” and “anti-bullying”. It begins indoctrinating the very young in pre-K and continues through the elementary grades. The program teaches lessons through the exploits of a little green space creature who is not a “he” or a “she”, but goes by “zhee”. South Dakota schools deliver these lessons through group discussion circles led by COUNSELORS who come into the classroom each week and track each child’s “progress”. This gives teachers plausible deniability when they swear to parents that THEY are not teaching, promoting, or glorifying gender dysphoria. The curriculum seeks to subtly normalize the abnormal and break down the child’s natural resistance to aberrant behavior and accepted norms in order to form in them an approved social conscience, despite what the child is taught at home. Because Sanford has hot and cold running money, he has bought himself a small state and is following the Bill Gates model of global influence and social engineering by tinkering with the minds of the innocent captives of the government school system. The tentacles of these programs, as you can see by the curriculum above, even reach into private schools and homeschools due to the alignment of materials that must be used.
Here is a post from the 500 Mom Strong group:
FYI if you are concerned about what is being taught in schools. This is an email I received from Nancy Churchill in Ferry County. She asked for this message to be forwarded and that people need to be aware of what is going on with sex ed in WA schools.:
Local School Board Control?
Do you know anyone who thinks that the local school board should have final control of the curriculum taught in your schools?
The state OSPI is working to take the curriculum control for Sexual Health education away from your school district. You need to know about the Sexual Health Work Group.
Please ask your community members who want to stop Mandated Comprehensive Sex Education IN ALL GRADES (including K-8) to take this survey –> OSPI MCSE Survey
Here’s what you need to know about this survey:
Page 1 – Demographic Info
Page 2 – Describes CSE and asks for comments. Here are the KEY QUESTIONS and suggested responses.
Q5: Should comprehensive, age-appropriate, medically accurate sexual health education be required for all students in grades K-12?
Allows a Yes/No + Comments.
Please say NO
Comment points:
1) Do not want Sex Ed in K-8. (provide your personal “why”)
2) Comprehensive implies that Sex Ed would be included in ALL subjects. New curriculum for basic subjects like literature, math, science might also be necessary. We need to strike the word “Comprehensive” from this proposed legislation.
3) Focus on Funding… this is an unfunded mandate. Your district will have to research the new K-8 Sexual Health curriculum, buy it, train K-8 health teachers (and possibly hire a dedicated instructor). Since many rural families do NOT want their K-8 student to receive sex ed training, our districts will LOSE students (and funding) which hurts the delivery of basic education.
- Are changes needed to current statutes related to sexual health education (e.g. Healthy Youth Act, AIDS Omnibus Act)?
Yes/No/Not Sure
Please research this for yourself.
I selected “No” because there are no comments allowed for this section. My concern is that a “Yes” would encourage the task force to recommend trying to strengthen the Healthy Youth Act and Aids Act.
- Please describe the benefits associated with requiring all public schools to offer comprehensive sexual health education to students in all grades.
No benefit to mandating CSE in ALL grades. This mandate would divert valuable education funding from basic education.
Would also drive some families to withdraw from public schools further reducing our budget to provide basic education.
- Please describe the challenges associated with requiring all public schools to offer comprehensive sexual health education to students in all grades.
Finding the Funding for new K-8 Curriculum
Need to focus on Basic Education
Training Staff
Does not meet the needs of our community.
Example: Our school does not have the budget for new K-8 Sex Health Curriculum and teacher training. We want to focus on our Basic Education and improve our test scores so that our students can get jobs or go to college. In addition, this does not meet the needs of our community, and families would pull out of the district over it, which would hurt the entire student body.
This questionnaire is anonymous. However, most surveys have the ability to collect the user’s IP Address. It’s possible that multiple surveys from the same IP might get discarded.
Please pass this information along to anyone who is interested in preventing State Mandated Sex Health in K-8 grades. Let’s work together to keep local curriculum control in our School District and School Boards.
Reach out to your School Superintendent, School Board Members, Local County Commissioners, City Council Members, PTA members, other concerned community members.
Respectfully Yours,
Nancy Churchill, Republic WA, Ferry County
206-605-3068
Here is a post that was shared in the ParentStrike group:
Imagine a company that bribes principals to pressure parents to buy their school supplies. Actually, you don’t have to. It already exists and it’s called Yubbler.
http://nyceducator.com/2019/08/the-yubbler-business-model-and-why-ps.html
Here is a post from Shannon Joy:
Medical & Educational Tyranny ——>
“Last year, without my knowledge or consent, without any court hearings or legal process, without any involvement on my part whatsoever, a legal aid group that gives free services to low income people created a notice of emancipation for my 15-year-old son. Suddenly, my son — without any notice to me — was no longer under my supervision.
“Based on that piece of paper alone, he began receiving public assistance, including medical services and housing and food support. The St. Louis County Health and Human Services treated him as an adult. I couldn’t get any information regarding my son. Even the school refused to allow me access to his records.
“It was then brought to my knowledge that my son had begun receiving hormone replacement treatments from Park Nicollet Health Services to transition from male to female with medical assistance paying for this. I was not consulted or informed about this in any way. I had no way to give or receive any information about my son.”
CA appears to not only have LGBTQP curriculum and radical perverted sex ed but they now appear to be pushing anti-Semitic material:
Here is a post from a friend of mine:
DON’T BE LIKE CHINA.
Read how “China rules using data, AI, and internet surveillance as a powerful new tool for both gathering information and controlling culture, for making Chinese people more ‘modern’ and more ‘governable’.”
“Hu Jintao, China’s leader from 2002 to 2012, had attempted to solve these problems by permitting a modest democratic thaw, allowing avenues for grievances to reach the ruling class. His successor, Xi Jinping, has reversed that trend. Instead, his strategy for understanding and responding to what is going on in a nation of 1.4 billion relies on a combination of surveillance, AI, and big data to monitor people’s lives and behavior in minute detail…Since becoming general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party in 2012, Xi has laid out a raft of ambitious plans for the country, many of them rooted in technology—including a goal to become the world leader in artificial intelligence by 2030. Xi has called for “cyber sovereignty” to enhance censorship and assert full control over the domestic internet. In May, he told a meeting of the Chinese Academy of Sciences that technology was the key to achieving “the great goal of building a socialist and modernized nation.”
…”Early in his term, Xi received a daily briefing of public concerns and disturbances scraped from social media, according to a former US official with knowledge of the matter. In recent years, petitioners have come to the capital to draw attention to scandals such as illegal land seizures by local authorities and contaminated milk powder.
But police are increasingly stopping petitioners from ever reaching Beijing. “Now trains require national IDs to purchase tickets, which makes it easy for the authorities to identify potential ‘troublemakers’ such as those who have protested against the government in the past,” says Maya Wang, senior China researcher for Human Rights Watch. “Several petitioners told us they have been stopped at train platforms.” The bloggers, activists, and lawyers are also being systematically silenced or imprisoned, as if data can give the government the same information without any of the fiddly problems of freedom.”
…”News that a student had been turned down by a college because of her father’s inclusion on a credit blacklist recently lit a wildfire of online anger”
Here is a post from Alice Linahan:
There’s a troubling phenomenon in early childhood education. It involves aligning standards to fake play and data collection for outside companies.
Excerpts:
“Replacing Recess with Fake Play and Data Collection
One of the first things play-deniers did was get rid of recess. Recess used to be the best free-time for children. For those who understand the importance of play, the loss of recess has been the death of learning for young children.
Playworks promises to return recess and play to children in their schools. But Playworks is controlled physical education at a cost. They outline the activities that children are to do.
Lois Weiner is a former education professor, teacher, and author of the book Future of Our Schools. She says, “We don’t need rubrics for recess. And anyone who says we do doesn’t understand play.”
Here is a post from the California anti-radical sex ed group:
My daughter attended her first day at public high school today as a freshman. She said that the third class she went to they asked her what pronoun she prefers to go by. She didn’t understand what the teacher was asking and then she realized what he was asking and was in shock. She said every teacher asked her except in 2 classes. Her friends who were older said that this is the first year they have ever done that before. Welcome to high school in Santa Barbara!
And some replies to this post:
Maybe she should have said she identifies as a giraffe. 😡
Great idea! I will ask my child to choose her animal or movie character and keep playing their Game😂
Why not just let the kids that have identity issues deal with the teacher in private? The teacher could simply state that anyone that goes by a different name, pronoun, etc to please write it down and give it to her after class. Why does every student have to be subject to the craziness? What a waste of class time.
My nieces go to universities in Colorado and this was part of orientation😣. Unbelievable.
I’m a college student and one of my teachers had us write down our pronouns the first day of school.
I pulled my daughter out of her public charter Montessori school and she started 3rd grade at the private Christian school I work part time at. 4 days of school and she has already learned two bible verses. And in the student handbook it states that “We believe in two genders, as God created, and if you chose to act or dress in opposition to your biological gender, you will be expelled from school.” Best decision I have ever made.
We have to arm our children to stand up to this garbage, to challenge it and defy it. Its the only way. Then when they get sent home or reported back to us, we the parents will side with our children and continue to challenge and defy this bs.
What they want eventually is a society that people can’t tell what a person is – female or male or whatever. Also, that a person can have sex with any other person – married or not- and not determined by what they are – female, male, or whatever. Or for that matter, whatever age they are. That’s what the plan is. So the question is, what are we going to do about it?? Let this go on, or step up and do something about it. This is how indoctrination of the next generation happens by teaching this in the schools. Government schools have children 6-7 hours a day, 5 days a week until they’re 18 years old. Lots of time to lead many, if not most astray. It’s not just reading, writing, and arithmetic any longer.
I think they are scared to get sued. My sister is a student counselor and it’s very stressful because they constantly change the pronouns they want to go by and you can lose your job if you get it wrong and they are offended. It’s very sad
On Mark Levin’s show his guest was someone that was in the school system & she said teachers are afraid to say anything about the rules come down because the Teacher’s Union is so strong & LIBERAL you absolutely have to do what they say or you lose your job.
‼️😢
We should instruct our kids not to answer such questions. It is an insult. First, they imply that she is not what she seems to be. And secondly, the foundational basis of the question itself is part of the indoctrination. by answering, you validate the question. Its like someone assuming that you stole something and then asking you “why did you steal it.” In all seriousness, talk to your kids and tell them NOT justify such questions with an answer. They would risk insuring our kids at the risk of salvaging the egos of the vast minority of students. Let these fools answer their own stupid questions. The answer should be, “Please feel free to infer what you will. That question is an insult to my intelligence. Thanks.” You has a parent should write the principal and express this. They are plain a point match with us, so we have to keep striking.
Read a post from an EMT they are having all kinds of problems biological women take less of certain emergency drugs so if they pick someone up dressed as a woman they give drugs in the amount recommened for a woman if it is a male dressed as a woman it will not be enough and should it be reversed it is to much!Crazy times…
Here is a post from Alice Linahan:
WARNING! Question, when did EdTech executives become experts on SchoolShootings?
AUSTIN, Texas – Texas Gov. Greg Abbott called Monday for the help of big tech platforms in the wake of an El Paso mass shooting. Is it that they have unconstitutionally been collecting psychological data on students? RedFlagLaws Google controls our kids classrooms?
Google is listed as an “official” and has access to ALL STUDENT DATA!
As stated in Meg Bakich’s testimony found here: https://youtu.be/7yUM4aWT6ow
“if it’s the role of the Government to legislate character development (Social and Emotional Learning (SEL), collect mental health data on students and store personally identifiable information in Fusion Centers throughout Texas. Fusion Centers engage in surveillance of students social media and to use predictive analytics generated by an algorithm to create a threat-score for our children.”-
And some replies to this post:
How about understanding the side effects for antidepressants and psychiatric drugs.
https://www.ammoland.com/every-mass-shooting-in-the-last-20-years-shares-psych
WA is also starting a Student Threat Assessment program.
What is Google doing on the panel? Why are there no FFL dealers or pro 2A representatives? abbottfail
Here is a post from a friend of mine:
Legislators ask 50-plus firms to explain how they use the ‘vast amount of data’ they collect on students
By Valerie Strauss
August 20, 2019
A year ago, the FBI issued a warning that the rapid expansion of education technology in America’s schools and the collection of student data could “present unique exploitation opportunities for criminals.” Now, U.S. lawmakers are demanding that more than 50 education technology companies and data collectors explain what information they collect and how it is used.
Three Democratic senators — Richard J. Durbin (Ill.), Edward J. Markey (Mass.) and Richard Blumenthal (Conn.) — sent letters to companies such as Google, Facebook, Blackboard, the College Board, ACT, Pearson and McGraw-Hill seeking answers to questions about “the vast amount of data” being amassed on students. The information is collected through online coursework, software and electronic devices. (The College Board, which owns the SAT, and ACT are nonprofits but operate like businesses.)
“We are concerned that schools, parents, and students are at risk of having significant amounts of data stolen, collected, monetized, or sold without their permission or knowledge,” said the letter that went to data analytics firms, which collect information, package it and sell it, usually without the knowledge of consumers.
“Last year, Fordham University Law School’s Center on Law and Information Policy found that data brokers make student lists based on sensitive information ranging from Grade Point Average and ethnicity to religion and affluence, among other categories, commercially available,” it said. “This data could be used for a range of malicious purposes, including discrimination and identity theft.”
The letter that was sent to education technology companies said: “Education technologies (EdTech) can be important learning tools that allow teachers to follow student progress and facilitate collaboration. However, this technology may put students, parents and educational institutions at risk of having massive amounts of personal information stolen, collected, or sold without their permission.”
Student privacy has been a growing concern among parents and privacy activists in the digital age, with online companies collecting mountains of data on users. The FBI warning about education technology said the types of data that can be collected on students include:
personally identifiable information
biometric data
academic progress
behavioral, disciplinary and medical information
Web browsing history
students’ geolocation
IP addresses used by students
classroom activities.
In 2014, privacy activists waged a successful campaign to shut down a $100 million student data-collection project funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and operated by a specially created nonprofit called inBloom. It was designed to be a massive student database that could make it easier to share information with for-profit data-mining vendors and other third parties without parent notification or consent.
Now, some parents and students are protesting the Summit online learning system, a joint project of Facebook and a charter school network called Summit Public Schools that has provoked concerns about student data privacy. And more than 30 advocacy groups have urged Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) to stop developing a database of detailed information about students that officials say is intended to prevent school shootings but that critics say is part of a “massive surveillance effort.”
[Personal data is collected on kids at school all the time. Here’s help for parents to protect children’s privacy.]
Here’s a fuller list of many of the firms receiving the letter:
Google, Facebook, Smart Sparrow, DreamBox Learning, ScootPad, ST Math, Curriculum Associates i-Ready, Realizeit, Macmillan, McGraw-Hill, Snapwiz, Kaplan, Wiley Education Services, the College Board, ACT, Pearson, Student Opportunity Center, Cognitive ToyBox, AdmitHub, Upswing, Formative, Flocabulary, BrightBytes, Hapara, Intellus Learning, Civitas Learning, Education Elements, NoRedInk, StraighterLine, Turnitin, Cengage, VitalSource, RedShelf, Barnes & Noble Education, Canvas Instructure, Blackboard, Sakai, Moodle, D2L Brightspace, Edmodo, Quizlet, Schoology Accurate Leads, American Student Marketing, AmeriList, ASL Marketing, Caldwell List Co., Complete Mailing Lists, DataMasters, DMDatabases, Dunhill International List Co., Exact Data, InfoUSA, Lake B2B, NRCCUA and Scholarships.com.
Here are the letters:
Google Pichai by The Washington Post on Scribd
Accurate Leads Newton by The Washington Post on Scribd
And some replies to this post:
This sounds good, until one looks at the endorsers. Have you read this Markey legislation?
So, do you think CAMRA is promoting tech? I thought it was along the lines of MD screentime bill…. trying to show that screens are bad for health. No?
People cheering this on…”Other companies and organizations endorsing the legislation include: Charter Communications, Amazon, Google, Apple, Facebook, the Internet Association, American Association of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, Center for Digital Democracy, Common Sense Media, Consumers Union, Children and Screens: Institute of Digital Media and Child Development, Dr. Jenny Radesky (Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Developmental Behavior, University of Michigan Medical School), Dr. Michael Rich (Director, Center on Media and Child Health at Boston Children’s Hospital), Family Online Safety Institute, the Massachusetts Association for Mental Health, and the Center for Humane Technology, Education Development Center, Trisha Prahbu (CEO, ReThink), Dr. David Greenfield (Founder and CMO, The Center for Internet and Technology Addiction).” What a crock.
Yikes. That looks like the who’s who list for brain scans in the classroom.
I just looked at the CAMRA bill. My red flag is research by any means necessary language.
BrainCo in the wings. Let us measure your brain activity. We just want to help you learn better…
Very consistent with what I heard at a Common Sense Media briefing at the DNC in Philly in 2016.
Here is a post from Alice Linahan:
Time to WAKE UP TEXAS REPUBLICANS!
Please take notice. The article below is proof!! When are Republicans going to start talking about the EdTech data privacy issue in Texas Classrooms? Today Rep. Tan Parker, Jared Patterson, and Lynn Stucky all stated they were against “Red Flag Laws”. REALLY???
Yet, Tan Parker and Lynn Stucky voted for SB504, and HB18 and they all voted for SB11 which includes SB10. All of which are; “RED FLAG” legislation.
Now, via Gates-funded, TASA and TASB deployed “New Vision for Public Education” found here:
http://www.texaslonestaronline.org/texaslonestar/20130203?pg=20#pg20
Along with Texas, Super Highway found here: https://youtu.be/gJ6RlnicPlw
And the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) College and Career Readiness, Common Core-aligned STANDARDS and the Next Generation of Assessments and Accountability, (which is slowly replacing STAAR EOCs), found here: https://tea.texas.gov/sites/default/files/TCNGAA-Report_Final_2016-08-30.pdf
our kids are being used as human lab rats for the EdTech Artificial Intelligence (AI) industry. AND, Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF) is fully on board. Just look at what circles Stacy and Joel Hock run in and fund. Need proof click here: https://www.facebook.com/AliceL.Linahan/videos/1073281323061436/
All mandated by the federal government. Our elected officials, despite the feel-good talk, believe the role of the Government is to legislate character development (Social and Emotional Learning (SEL), and to collect mental health data on students and store personally identifiable information in Fusion Centers throughout Texas. Fusion Centers engage in surveillance of students’ social media and to use predictive analytics generated by an algorithm to create a threat-score for our children.-
WHEN will they start being honest about what they are doing?
Sorry for the rant!! Today listening to our Denton County elected officials was beyond frustrating. AND GOVERNMENT REGULATED “SCHOOL CHOICE” AND PRIVATIZATION WON’T FIX WHAT THEY HAVE DONE TO DESTROY OUR PUBLIC ED SYSTEM.
Here is a post from Lynn Davenport:
Guess where Alan Cohen used to work??? Commit and also DISD. We can’t data-drive our way out of violent crime in Dallas. Looking at data is but one tool. This is discouraging and I have little faith in this approach. It reminds me of education and the lack of common sense, not listening to the people on the ground, and elimination of time-tested strategies. The attack on police and their pensions mirrors the attack on teachers and the profession. The result of austerity budgets, wasteful spending, and treating people like human capital has led us to a crisis. Data ain’t gonna do it.
Task Force Co-Chair Alan Cohen, CEO of the Child Poverty Action Lab, says they’re focused on data-based solutions.
“We should use data that brings us toward solutions what is working – not only in pockets here in Dallas and other parts of the area, but all around the country. We should look at the very best practices and bring those to bear for our community. I think what we don’t want to do is end up in a situation where we’re looking at band-aid solutions. We really want to get to the root issues that are underlying the problems that are facing the city.”
Here is a post from Shannon Joy:
Our children are at stake. When will people wake up?
CPS covered up hundreds of sexual abuse and assault cases in the Chicago Public School System …
http://graphics.chicagotribune.com/chicago-public-schools-sexual-abuse/index.html
More “White Privilege” surveys in Colorado: https://pjmedia.com/trending/colorado-teachers-asked-to-take-white-privilege-survey/
Here is a post from the Florida anti-iReady group:
I was waiting to speak to the teacher Thursday about this at open house.
Son came home today, upset. Teacher forgot about him and he sat alone for 2 hours and missed class time. Was given the class work he missed as homework. 😭😭
For those of you refusing iReady, what are your kids doing while the class is doing it? My son was put in the lobby alone to read a book. This makes me sad and regret opting out.
And here are the replies to this post:
Don’t be sad!! I can tell you as a kid I’d much rather have been in the office reading than doing AR or other computer based reading tools
That is punitive and unnecessary. I would be at the school working it out
This is my fear about opting out of the classtime requirements. I’ve been taking with my girls about what they want and emailing the teachers about what the alternative options will be.
Do they have to be there that day of the testing?
Yes. It isn’t but an hour I think. The teacher probably will not let me find out. She wouldn’t even answer my question on when the vocabulary test is! 🤷♀️
This is not right. It’s their job to supplement appropriate learning material instead of excluding.
Very sorry to hear about your son’s experience. Having a child sit out in the lobby to read a book while others take iReady is clear evidence that the school staff lacks leadership, professionalism and respect towards the learners. When I removed my kiddo from iReady, his school staff made sure that he didn’t miss any learning time. The Principal worked with the teachers and together purchased grade appropriate Language Arts and Math workbooks to make sure that my son didn’t miss any learning/practice time. When other students practiced on iReady for Language Arts, my son practiced on the LA workbook. When they practiced Math, he practiced on the Math workbook. Your child’s school needs to and can do a better job to make sure that your child doesn’t miss any practice time. Unfortunately it looks like you will have to email the school staff with the request. If they decline, contact the School District.
My son enjoyed using the workbooks during iReady time. He said that he felt less pressure and happy not to be doing this, and I quote: “super boring computer work that makes me feel stupid.” He is a VERY shy kid, but what helped him build his confidence with this issue was having a conversation with him about what is Curriculum Associates, what is iReady used for, how it’s being used as an FSA test prep, etc. We also did some research together about the Company and its refusal to be peer reviewed.
Here is a post from the California anti-radical sex ed group:
The United States has one of the worst stats for child sex trafficking. Age 12 is the average age of a child who is sex trafficked in the USA. 7 YEARS is the average life span for a child who is sex trafficked. The end result is their death. They either die due to abuse, beatings, drugs, or suicide (which btw is the most prevalent). The evidence is pointing to many layers and levels of this issue across organizations and government workers. The layers are just becoming known. Why do the powers that be want to teach “comprehensive sexuality education” (emphasis on comprehensive) where any behavior goes? Well, this might explain a lot. If you don’t realize how pervasive this issue is and the sex trafficking of youth is…then you are just not connecting the dots. Ask yourself why the STATE DEPT of ED wants to sexualize our children? I got question and they start with the CA DEPT of ED? Do you have pedophiles in your organization because it sure looks like it? Or, are you promoting this sexuality to younger and younger children because the scheme is to sexualize our youth so they are easy pickens? What exactly are you trying to do when you list the “anus” as “sexual and reproductive” body part for 10 year old children? Exactly what are you trying to accomplish? What are your goals? PLEASE LISTEN TO THIS INTERVIEW.
And some replies to this post:
I watched this, and shared it on my FB. Only ONE person commented on it, and she said she was not aware it was so prevalent. It blows my mind that people not only are unaware, but don’t seem to care.
My grandson started K this year. I, and his mom joined the PTA, and will be active, just to see what goes on. I honestly believe things are worse than people even imagine.
yep. They want to look the other way, pretend it’s not happening, not in my backyard kind of thing.
I’m shocked myself. It’s insane that people are so ignorant regarding this huge issue. I mean really do you live under a rock because with the internet, media and social networking there is no excuse not to know
I’ve joined my kid’s high school council which includes parents.
The documentary he produced is called “8 Days”. It was produced in 2014. This interview in the main post is from August 2019
https://abc7.com/entertainment/8-days-inspired-by-real-stories-of-human-trafficking/291377/
“Atlanta, Georgia, is the No. 1 human trafficking city in the world,” said Booyens. “I want you to hear me — not Thailand or Singapore or Shanghai — Atlanta, Georgia. Houston, Texas — huge — No. 2 in the world.”
“I’m saying this is an L.A. issue. It’s a white collar crime. It’s a middle-class crime. It’s not what people think it is,” said Booyens.
Remember up to 88% of sex trafficked youth are from the foster care system.
This is horrific! Those of us who are around children. foster care or otherwise, must be ON WATCH to protect these innocent ones from these Monsters that capture and abuse them!
I’m wondering about those same questions.
The left appears to be pushing to sexualize children for their own appetites. They want to legalize their criminal behavior. Clearly they are wanting to avoid what happened to Epstein. It’s a matter of connecting the dots.
And the state of California is trying to normalize pedophila. Add politicians to this.
and they start this indoctrination early. Look at some of the cartoons that Hollywood sends out and in Kindergarten in California they are being taught to say what identity do you want. Pedophilia is now a type of sexual orientation not a crime..
Here is a post from a friend of mine:
TMLC Uncovers Tax-Payer Funded Islamic Propaganda Forced On Teachers
Here is a post from the Florida anti-iReady group:
I wrote it in 2 minutes as my daughter told me 5 minutes before going to school that today she was having IReady diagnostics! I know, it’s horrible. But I was in a rush to write something and try to opt her out. Can someone tell me if it’s ok? At least for today? She started school 7 days ago (Broward). My husband is driving her to school right now and I still have time to let him know to eventually trash it. Thank you.
______________________________________
And here are the replies to this post:
Tell her to tell the teacher to “call my mommy” & to refuse to answer the questions.
Put her head down & take a nap, pull out a book and read, request to go to the clinic…all good options if she is being forced but the call my mommy thing should work.
I’ve given my high schooler permission to Christmas tree any diagnostic or fsa if the school tries to force them to test.
And my daughter is to let the person administering the test know that she is purposefully failing it.
Yea but that gives them data, even if false. I’d rather not give them anything.
I fully agree. However, the school has really given my older two a hard time refusing to even allow them to call me. So, if it comes down to it then they will (oldest graduated) screw up there precious data.
worse comes to worse the kids can always talk out loud during testing and invalidate the entire class’s tests. Admin can mess with the bull & get the horns.
The teacher told her to do IReady diagnostics anyway as she was not able to stay in 2nd grade, or go to 3rd, not doing it. 😠
are you saying that even though you wrote the letter and the teacher read it, she ignored it and your daughter had to do the diagnostic?
Exactly!
That is a lie. The teacher lied to your child.
Looks like Northern Kentucky University is now joining the trans thought police brigade: https://www.toddstarnes.com/campus/university-students-face-punishment-for-using-incorrect-pronouns/
Here is a post from the Minnesota anti-Common Core group:
I sent a note and letter from the superintendent to HSLDA: “In my state of Minnesota, the homeschooling families who report to WCA School District 2342 (https://isd2342.org) are facing legal challenges from the superintendent. The superintendent is telling them that they are mandated to send in a packet of paperwork and report standardized testing scores to the district…none of which is required by the state’s homeschooling law.
He is also mandating that the letter of intent be sent in by September 6th. The Minnesota homeschooling law states that the deadline is OCTOBER 1st.”
https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/120A.22
https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/120A.24
_____________________________
Here is a post from an anti-Common Core group:
Does anyone know anything about this I-ready program?
And here are the replies to this post:
It absolutely ruined my child’s education. It was a nightmare!!!
Kids lose confidence real quick. My 6th grader was constantly being told he was at a 2nd grade level… he just hated it and clicked through. The teachers obsessed over. It got to the point where we pulled him out of public school. It was way too much and overly used.
Many private schools also use i-Ready.
Isn’t that what teachers are for? Just one more step in replacing them with facilitators.
Pennsylvania accepts it as benchmark proof. Our public cyber charter school relies on it heavily. They use it for daily practice, then benchmark tests 3x per year. The kids know that if they get the answers wrong, the test gets much shorter so they bomb it, which in turn makes the school look bad for false reasons. I hate iReady!
Just more test prep, tests, and data collection.
yep that’s what our son learned to do. Click through to get it over with.
the report tells the teacher if the student is just clicking through.
Yes, our teachers know they’re just clicking through but piling a 3 hour test on top of a regular school day is ridiculous for elementary aged kids so I’m up front about my kids half-assing it. They’re not graded, and the teacher knows their capabilities through close personal relationships, class participation, and other purposeful assignments. 😉
Huge waste of time and anyone who believes in it, I question their true passion for teaching. If a child isn’t engaged and actually learning from it, what’s the point?!
This is the “personalized “ learning. This is used for the RTI process too. More computerized instruction. This is what public Ed will turn into before to long.
It is awfull..I hate it..they are turning kids into little automotons who have to sit at computers and are forced to do these lessons when they dont even know how to use a computer…starting in K…It makes school so hard and so boring!
We were told years ago it was planned that teachers were to become facilitators as students used only computers. This would correct all the bad behavior for individual instruction best practices. Interesting right?
what state do you live? We are in NC and MVP Math Vision Project has caused large issues in our district with this discovery, facilitator, type rollout.
Hide or report this
The MVP Math Vision Project Vendor is suing one of our parents for speaking out about it. Www.wakemvp.com has more info, news stories, and a gofundme link for his legal fees. This trend in education is extreme and I also think this will replace teachers.
The BEST advice I can give after you read this7 is:
get your kids off the digital platform in your public school;
REFUSE ALL SURVEYS both given to your child or to you the parent;
do not allow the school to perform behavioral/mental health screening of any kind (especially by and untrained teacher in the field of mental health) on your child whether through computer programs, standards, curriculum, or teacher observations;
DO NOT take any ESA/voucher money…..they own your child’s education once you do that;
advise your school administrators and your child’s teacher if there is any issues with your child they are to talk ONLY to you they are NOT to speak to or question your child;
OPT OUT of all high stakes tests (again you will get push) back but this is critically important. Also, remember that eventually all testing will done on the computer……everyday, all day…..they will get rid of the high stakes testing making parents feel they had a victory only to test your child from the computer EVERYDAY, ALL DAY and you will never know. This is why getting them OFF the digital platform is so important. Eventually the computer will also replace the teacher with all instructions coming from the computer. This is FACT people and if you are not aware of the what the future holds in education please do some research. I really don’t want to say “I TOLD YOU SO” one day in the future.
HIPAA DOES NOT APPLY INSIDE THE WALLS OF THE SCHOOL remember that!!! Write letter to your child’s school advising them of your requests and stand FIRM. Do not allow them to intimidate you. It is time parents took back their rightful authority. The only salvation for our children are parents at this point. If you can get your kids out of the system PLEASE do so ASAP. FERPA was gutted by Obama and you have no privacy protections for your child’s personally identifiable information (PII) They do not have to advise you of what is being collected and shared. I GUARANTEE the data is being shared. Massive amounts of personal data. Parents MUST put a crimp in that data chain!!! They WILL lie to you and the WILL tell you they do to collect or share this data…….that is what they told me too until I showed them the contracts the school district and the state had to share data FOR FREE. When you submit your letter to the school principal be sure to keep a copy signed and dated to verify receipt. I advise you to bring someone with you to witness that you gave them the letter in case they refuse to initial and date your copy as your receipt.
Just say no. I have teacher friends in TN who absolutely hate this and encourage all parents to opt their children out.
I remember when students read to their teachers and the teacher would give them more difficult material to read until they started having difficulty. My son in 3rd grade back in 90s was tested by his teacher this way and he read up to the 7th grade level before he started having difficulty with reading the words. The personal touch of educating our children is gone. It’s why I homeschool my 15 year old daughter who will be graduating from high school level next May.
I had a discussion with the head of testing for a local school district when they rolled it out. I asked what it would do for them. They said (1) it would help them figure out how students would test on the SBAc;(2) It would give them more data.
I then asked how they would use the data and they said they didn’t know. They went on to admit they are buried in data that they don’t know how to use.
I wrote the article for the blog based on that experience.
Was given i-Ready to use with my students in ELA Remediation (had no choice). The online programs have gone Common Core aligned. The one that I have also had to use is IXL. is also very Common Core aligned. If Common Core is not your way to educate your child, think twice about paying for these online programs.
I use this program and have for 4 years in 6-8 grades. I personally have seen a lot of improvement. The test just helps to find where they are, where their gaps are and what they are ready to learn. I use the results extensively to make sure my kids get the one on one help they need. They also get some time on the tailored lessons that the program provides. It doesn’t replace the feedback you get from teaching, but it definitely helps. I know everyone complains about this new “Common Core” way of teaching math and here’s what I have to say. Teachers need to teach math in many different ways in order to reach many different thinkers, and yes, you will not understand some of them. But when we only teach it only one way, we leave kids behind that just cannot grasp it in that way. I’m sorry that not all teachers are allowing for the multiple ways, but that’s what it was meant to be and these methods have been around way before “Common Core” (which I am most definitely not defending). But I know math and I understand kid’s brains enough to know that they will not all learn the same way. In the end, teachers need to be ok with kids doing it the way that made the most sense to them. I personally pay no attention to whatever name is put on it because I know what my kids need.
My district replaced their district testing with iReady testing. I feel that some teachers have possibly used it to determine grades more than actual class work. They use it for assigned homework now, when it used to be optional but encouraged.. my son is sick of it and hates the voice used in the program. Scores can easily be inaccurate if a student doesn’t really try to do their best, like when they’re bored with it.
Used a lot. Because parents have opted out of the big assessments, school districts and corporations who make them, have created the constant assessment in which kids are constantly assessed and remediated.
There are 2 parts, diagnostic and instruction. Diagnostic tools are helpful BUT you need to find out how the kids sign in and what is being stored and sold using student identifiable information. If it is student identifiable it follows your child for LIFE and most likely the data is being sold to someone. Do not let them use the instruction part. This is the computer taking the place of a teacher. This is your child sitting in front of a device instead of a human. Ask a million questions. If they persist, and say they have to have the diagnostic, ask for a reading record which is a human listening to you child read and taking notes. Then the child answers questions from a human. P.S. I’ve been teaching for 23 years. They don’t need this.
Avoid it. My district uses it. Just another way to put kids on screens.
Here is a post from the Florida anti-iReady group:
I need some advice.. I just found out from my 6th grader as I dropped her off for school with tears in her eyes that she is going on her 3rd day doing her IReady reading diagnostic test. She always works herself up for tests and shes saying this is a really hard test for her. Its only her and a few other kids left taking it. I don’t understand why they would keep her out of her regular class for 3 days now for this test? Shes missing class time and Its just making her more upset. She has never ever had any issues with IReady before. Is there anything I can do? I feel like my hands are tied and my poor daughter is getting more and more upset. This is a girl who finished with straight A’s last year and usually doesn’t have an issue. Only with tests. Just seems stupid to me for a test that really doesn’t matter?? Am I missing something? 😕
And here are some replies to this post:
Opt out and from what I understand if your also opting out of FSA you need to have the teacher do a portfolio assessment and need to make sure they start doing this closer to the beginning of school. I only have a kindergartener so I’m just repeating what I’ve read. Maybe search 3rd grade on this page and see what pops up.
This is for 6th Grade… Im just worried if I OPT her out of IReady if it will hurt her in the long run?
the charter school i was at for my sixth grader was using iready as well. Such a joke. The teacher did not agree with the schools decision to use it. I pulled my son out for other reasons but that teacher also quit at the same time we left. I am homeschooling now and loving it. Iowa testing once a year is all my son takes now
we pulled our son out with two months left of school. I am using a private Christian catholic school format for homeschooling. I am not using virtual k12 because you are held to fsa testing still. The co op group is at a church. My son takes Spanish and science there. Private message me if you want help getting started. My sons attitude about school is so different now. He looks forward to his lesson and not to mention he can wear his pajamas for most of the day. I got his Iowa testing results back yesterday and he is at and above grade level since we left charter. Best decision ever.
As a 6th grader, there is no mandatory, test based retention. Her hard work and grades can promote her to 7th.
Here is a post from a friend of mine:
…”tech companies like Microsoft, IBM, and Amazon all sell what they call “emotion recognition” algorithms, which infer how people feel based on facial analysis. For example, if someone has a furrowed brow and pursed lips, it means they’re angry. If their eyes are wide, their eyebrows are raised, and their mouth is stretched, it means they’re afraid, and so on.
Clients can put this tech to use in a variety of ways, building everything from automated surveillance systems that look for “angry” threats to job interview software that promises to weed out bored and uninterested candidates.
But the belief that we can easily infer how people feel based on how they look is controversial, and a significant new [ 2 year long study] review of the research suggests there’s no firm scientific justification for it.”
And here is a reply to this post:
This and the fad-ish psychological mapping tests that HR managers love to give now to “ID the best candidates ” just make a lot of $ for the testing company and give the hiring manager a false sense of confidence that they have picked the right candidate. But they should be worrying about how many better candidates got a false “negative” from the flawed overly simplified test and were passed over.
Here is a post from the Utah anti-Common Core group:
This! The College Board is making smart kids ineligible for SAT scholarships because it can’t profit off their data through repeat test taking.
And here is the post quoted:
@thecollegeboard did this big push to promote their Big Futures Scholarship Program where any child can have the opportunity to get $40,000 towards college. It’s their way of promoting equity. As part of the process, you have to practice the SAT through Khan and then take the SAT and retake the SAT to improve your score (after the practice).
Well, I have one of those kids that scored a 1500 on their SAT the first time (without ever practicing) and won’t be retaking it because he’s pretty happy with that score and doesn’t want to be tortured by having to retake the SAT. (I don’t blame him). I called the College Board to see if they could waive that part of the process and still have him be eligible for the scholarship and they said sorry, he would have to practice on Khan and retake the SAT. So no equity for smart kids. Got it. 🤦♀️
And another post from this group:
Every parent needs to read this and understand the changes
And here are the replies to this post:
I was hoping this wouldn’t happen in Utah, but I should know better! 😢
it all boils down to $$. Obama took away funding for schools that teach abstinence only and gave $75 million in funding to be split among schools who would agree to teach comprehensive sex ed
nationalizing education and curriculum – anyone realize this ?
Be aware that when Planned Parenthood uses terminology such as abstinence and age-appropriate, it probably doesn’t mean what you think it does. One more way they deceive.
my main concern was the source was planned parenthood..
they are doing this all over the country. I am not opposed to sex Ed. I did not grow up in Utah and I believe what I received in Arizona was more than adequate. Planned Parenthood however has standards already written and ready to handover to state boards of education the minute the stuff passes. And they gladly except it. They are the driving force behind the current push.
yes and believe me there is likely money involved whether directly or in back room deals.. you can count on it with available Jones at the helm
It should be up to the parents to teach comprehensive sex Ed. School is not the appropriate place, every child matures at a different rate. Also this is a huge push to sexualize our children and to push abortion and the LGBTQ agenda. Frankly 5th grade is way too young and again not the appropriate roles of schools.
I completely agree. To me sex ed is biology and very simple health related information. I would not omit learning basic biology. But this is a completely different animal.
And they’re starting things in preschool and it’s completely integrated in other subjects. There’s no way to opt out to retain your parental rights.
And yet another post:
Dibels. Opt out?
And some replies to this post:
They don’t hurt the teacher or kid. I personally find them worthless. If you want to know how well your kid or any kid in that classroom is reading talk to the teacher, they know better than any dibel test. When my kids took it it caused them to speed read through words and not say them correctly. It was and is awful trying to get them to slow down afterwards and say it correctly at home.
It’s a worthless test that caused my kid undo stress!
The name may have changed to “Acadience Reading”. While I agree that there is a benefit to kids to be able to read quickly, I think they benefit more from practicing reading slow and accurate. The reading fluency will come.
I don’t mind diabels
I actually like the dibels. I I knew my son was running behind on reading but I had no idea how far until he took the dibels test… it was actually an advantage to us
I have always opted my daughter out of all testing. Last February I started tutoring at a local Elementary. All Acadience (Dibels) tests for is reading accuracy, fluency etc. It is quite helpful for teachers knowing which students need the extra help with reading. And we can actually see their scores from previous testing, to know if the tutoring is helping.
Again, I have always opted out, but figured this might help you decide what is best for you child.
Teachers already know which kids are struggling with reading. Parents who read with their own kids also know. Dibels tests kids on nonsense non-words which confuse kids as their little brains try to make sense of what they’re reading. While it can help in determining where kids are at with their reading, actually reading with them can do MORE good. Conversely, it can also do some damage. Not worth it in the end.
I had access to it for ten years as a teacher. It told me where my kids were deficient so I could focus on those weaknesses. (First grade) I knew how they were doing without the test. Not sure they are as effective in the upper grades.
And yet another post from this group:
anyone have experience with ut connections academy? school starts Monday but they will not continue the registration for my son because he is missing 2 shots, tdap and hpv. Why is immu required for online school to register or attend???
And here are the replies to this post:
You can opt out of vaccines in Utah.You just have to get the exemption form. You can do it online or in person @ the Health Dept. They can’t keep you out because you don’t vaccinate
http://health.utah.gov/immu/information%20for%20the%20public/immunization%20recommendations/exemptions.html
You can even hand write a note that it expresses a religious exception. Those cost 0 dollars. It is against most religions to potentially harm your children. Most religions anyway.
And the HPV vaccine is voluntary anyway. Don’t do it.
Yes, my son went there for 6th grade- total CC baloney and they wouldn’t let me register him unless I signed that he would take the end of year state tests… I ended up taking him out of SAGE anyway and educating them about the law at the time (5 years ago parents could opt their kids out with zero penalties) but the principle was sure to send out an email to all parents reminding them they agreed to have their kids test when they registered- a total propaganda message as she was dealing with me telling her she was breaking the law…I switched my son to the K-8 program of Utah Online which is a curriculum still proprietary to the school previous to the cc implimentation. Utah Online has 2 tracks -a K-8 which is the original curriculum from formerly Washington Online, and K-12 which is cc aligned…I HIGHLY recommend UOS’s K-8 if your child is 8thbhrade or younger
You can take an online module and get an exemption online at your county health department’s website.
And yet another post:
“In Blackboard’s case in particular, Demirkapi found 5 million vulnerable records for students and teachers, including student grades, immunization records, cafeteria balance, schedules, cryptographically hashed passwords, and photos.”
Here is a post from a page called Educray:
Hair-raising Class Dojo 🍏
Read past the typically uncritical reporting here to reflect on the hair-raising phenomenon being described: Class Dojo, the cutesy app for training students as though they were pets now also leverages “mindfulness” as a tool to elicit compliance.
And another post from this page:
Undemocratic power grab 🍏
The grades could determine if some of Houston ISD’s long-struggling schools should be shut down, or if its school board should be replaced by the state.
“It’s an undemocratic power grab by TEA to take over HISD and hand over our neighborhood schools to charters,” says Ruth Kravetz with Community Voices for Public Education.
“This board is mostly women, mostly of color and Democratic,” she says. “And the state, controlled by Republicans Gov. Greg Abbott and TEA Commissioner Mike Morath, have singled out large urban districts.”
TEA Board Member Barbara Cargill issued a statement saying “Houston, like all districts, can appeal its accountability ratings, so nothing is final. The commissioner hasn’t made a decision about what to do.”
Kravetz says the TEA’s recent report card confirms HISD is on the right path.
“It’s got a B plus academic rating, higher than Dallas ISD the last two years, and exactly one point lower than the prestigious Cy-Fair Independent School District,” she says.
And here are some replies to this post:
Similar happening in Colorado
every year schools will have to fail and taken over until their are very few left – happened in the UK they voted to convert the remaining public schools to charters in the end.
Folks .. this is all in the Common Core/College and Career Ready plans .. an end to local, parent involved public schools. … Public/private partnerships (politicians/and their crony donors and lobbyist) Charters, non-profits, parochial, and soon homeschools will be over-seen by ‘appointed’ Boards. You’ll still be paying school tax to Austin, of course .. and the politicians will see to it that their favorite ‘partners get the dough. “Taxation Without Representation”. Voucher, you say? … Where the government’s money goes, the government mandates go too. School choice? .. the only choice you’ll get is location and architecture. Every school is mandated to teach Common Core/College and Career Ready Standards .. or it won’t be certified. This is a Type 2 workforce apprenticeship education system .. for a workforce for a centralized government planned economy (think USSR) .. This is NOT our traditional classical knowledge-based academic system of education .. one of individual merit, choices, and opportunities. Google and read Mark Tucker’s “Dear Hillary letter — It’s BOTH political Parties people .. and it’s in ALL our States .. whether run by Democrats or Republicans.
Texas crony legislators, crony capitalist governor and lt.gov…put in legislation the law that allows TEA to do this, knowing the blind ignorance of Texas voters wouldn’t realize what they did till it was to late….
And yet another post from this page:
SB 1882 partnerships suck 🍏
In 2017, the Legislature approved S.B. 1882 that provides financial and accountability incentives for community-based school districts to partner with private organizations to operate existing schools. S.B. 1882 and TEA rules also require that any community-based school district campus with a “D” or “F” rating for 5 consecutive years must be turned over to a private charter/non- profit or closed. If neither of these occur, the community-based school district becomes subject to a State takeover.
S.B. 1882 is based upon the premise that “privatization” will improve the results of low performing campuses. However, the State’s premise is not based upon documented research or fact. For the 2018/19 school year, the 8 community-based school district campuses listed below were turned over to privately-operated charters/non-profits pursuant to S.B. 1882 partnerships. Unfortunately, most of these privately- operated campuses experienced a decline in student performance. In fact, the average academic ratings of these campuses declined by 8.25 points with private organizations at the helm. In addition, 4 of the campuses that had previously been rated “met standard” were relegated to an “Improvement Required” (“F”) rating under the control of private organizations.
Here is a post from Alice Linahan:
They are using our kids and our tax dollars for “Economic Warfare”, through our state accountability systems! Time to wake up America!
Government regulated “school choice” and “privatization” through “Blended Funding”, and public/private partnerships gives them access to private and homeschool students. It locks the P-20W (Pre-natal through the Workforce) system in place.
Through “Lifelong Learning” we are ALL students.
Just check out the “free assessments” for work placement on sites like “Indeed”. They are the same type of social and emotional learning (SEL) assessments now mandated on our children in their classrooms through mental health bills like Texas’ SB11/10.
PLEASE WAKE UP AMERICA!
Here is a post from the California anti-radical sex ed group:
Here we go! Universal Pre-K for 3&4 year olds. 🤦♀️ A chance to Indocrinate them younger and younger. I heard this from Biden as well.
And here are the replies to this post:
Argh. 3 & 4 year olds should be playing!! Statistics show playing longer creates a much higher IQ and ability to think critically and problem solve than being made to sit still for hours memorizing things.
This will not pay for church based pre schools.. just a hunch. But will cause enrollment of church based pre schools to drop significantly
it did here, lost an section of students first fall then gradually she retired. Money over quality.
It’s all about money. Every word. They dont care about our kids. The state pays money for in home childcare that is capped at 8 kids per adult. At school, they have 35 kids per classroom with 1 teacher. Do the math.
Yep. Moving through the state assembly to have them vote sooner too..
Won’t be long before the outlaw homeschooling. You will see.
that’s what I’m afraid of. Thankfully I have my credentials just in case they try to pull a fast one!
What do you mean your credentials?
licensed teaching credential. Many states seem to think of you have a worthless degree in liberal arts you are more qualified to teach than a parent without one.
Seriously !!! Parents MUST OPEN THEIR EYES!!! Not because its FREE is good Not because it comes from the gov. Means its moral!
Bush 1 started it with Goals 2000. They’ve been at this for decades.
my son is in public high school, he is not allowed to voice anything other than a liberal point of view. his teachers regular bash our president. He says there are many opposing views but if they speak out they will get a lower grade in the class or teased
With all respect, but bashing early childhood education programs like pre-k is not the answer. They are not “brainwashing” at this age. Please visit a preschool. Kids are taught some of the basics they need. Things like socializing, sharing, and get to play a lot. Yes, they are also taught how to hold a crayon, pencil, paint brush, etc… They are also taught letters, sounds, fine and gross motor skills… Both of my kids were in preschool at about age 3. They are in middle school and upper elementary school. Teach them values, faith, morals, kindness, etc… starting at home and continue encouraging as they grow.
Not all pre-school programs push gender confused agendas, but even when it doesn’t, it sets the groundwork. They separate kids from parents and break attachments so they look to their peers and government for answers. One of the first things the Nazis and communists did when they took over was to require early preschool, sometimes even at 2yr old. Indoctrination works best when you start them young.
It’s the “requiring” that’s the issue. It’s laying groundwork for indoctrination. First it was college, then high school, then middle school, now elementary. All frog in the water strategy.
Early childhood education isn’t beneficial for children. They need emotional bonding with mom. Waste of money may help for the ones in dysfunctional homes.
Next they’ll have “reprehensibles”/representatives in the delivery rooms across America to be handed your babies after you do the labor, so that they can continue parenting the children who they think cannot be parented by any other entity than the state.
Public education has gone down the drain. Not teaching them cursive( writing) oh and forget the math reading.
The government doesn’t want them to be able to read that would make them be able think for themselves… Let’s teach them education on SEXUALITY they can sure use that for a job. Or better yet be sexual abused by the bullies in the schools.
Here is a post from a South Carolina anti-Common Core group:
As New York City expands its universal pre-K program to all of the city’s three-year-olds, will compulsory schooling laws for preschoolers follow?
Here is New York City Department of Education white paper detailing a “birth-to-five system of early care and education,” granting more power to government officials to direct early childhood learning and development.
My bet is Rep Neal Collins and other progressive elected politicians in Columbia
love this idea.
Another liberty-killing, data-mining measure is being proposed (by President Trump of all people!): Health Advanced Research Projects Agency (HARPA)
Here is a post from the Florida anti-iReady group:
I have contacted the principal with the letter, as well as email requesting the statues that i-Ready use is required. I have received nothing, and my son is being forced into doing this program for 2 days now. He asks for them to call his mom, and is ignored and forced. I am drafting another letter to send to school. Should I involve the superintendent? What should I do? Thanks for any help. My son has an IEP, but this is not in it.
I have asked him tomorrow not to login. He told me that the principal came into computer lab and told him he is in charge in school and he has to do this. Today he asked for the teacher to call me, and he was ignored and told to do it.
Here is a post from the Common Core Diva:
Warriors, here is the Setting Brushfires interview about federal led educratic home from invasions. Please share with all education choices, it is that serious.
Here is a post from the anti-CBE group, albeit from over a year ago:
It is not just me…
Achieve3000
From a friend in another state…..
“I have shared this before but this is my experience with Achieve3000:
I have so much to say about Achieve3000 that I have to compose a novel here so please bear with me. Achieve3000 is owned by a venture capitalist firm called Insight Venture Partners and is based in New Jersey.
I first learned about Achieve3000 over three years ago when we were told that our school, Salt Creek Elementary, along with others schools within Chula Vista Elementary School District and Sweetwater Union High School District, would be piloting the software for the Common Core Social Studies standards. I knew at the time that there were no CC Social Studies standards so I thought this was very odd and I started researching them. I took their sample test on their website and at the end of the test a “KidBiz” email questionnaire popped up. It was set up like a chat session to ask kids questions but it didn’t provide any of the questions other than to say “tell us about yourself.” So, I called the company and asked them what types of questions they would be asking my kids. They told me that they would just be asking them what they thought of the test. When I pointed out to her that the website specifically said that they would be asking questions about the student she went dead silent and after a long pause she said, “I can’t give you those questions.” I said, “Thanks, that’s all I need to know about your company,” and hung up. It ends up that Achieve3000 did not just pilot their program in our schools, they used our children for research on their own program without the informed consent of the parents. You can order their “research” done in Chula Vista schools from their website. Their website is now closed off to previews by the public.
After asking some questions on FB about Achieve3000, a teacher in Florida privately messaged me that she logged on as a student and tried the program. The program told her that she wasn’t at a reading level to become a teacher. A Chula Vista parent told me that her daughter came home in tears every day because this program gives a message to the students who don’t pass that says, “We’re sorry, you’re not College and Career Ready.” Think for a minute on the competency of an “education” company that would even consider a message like that as appropriate for a young child. Our principal invited a rep from Achieve3000 to come to our school to do a presentation for the parents. In the slide show, she had pictures of workers along with their Lexile levels. The lowest levels showed that you could become a cashier at a grocery store with the highest levels at a doctor, etc.. It was so shockingly classist and disrespectful to families of our students and members of our community that for once, I was at a loss for words. A teacher/parent spoke up in the audience to complain that the Spanish used in Achieve3000 was not the same Spanish used in Mexico and that even with her bilingual teaching credential she had difficulty reading the 5th grade material. My son is opted out of this program but I’ve heard of two occasions in his classroom alone where students hacked into other kids’ accounts and messed things up. One time the kids knew the other kids’ passwords and the other time the kids hacked in through a back door. These are 5th graders.
This brings me to the issue of the collection of student data. Changes made to the FERPA law were done to accommodate third party data collection from companies such as Achieve3000 with a “vested interest” in the educational outcomes of our students. What types of data are they collecting? Are they collecting social behavioral data based off of the articles chosen by our kids? Are they asking students personal questions about their interests for market research through their KidBiz and TeenBiz programs? Are they selling this data? What happens if their company is acquired or folds? Who owns this data?
Achieve uses its own Lexile leveling program. Lexile leveling is criterion-referenced and only measures word frequency and word count. It also uses Bayesian methodology to level readers. Thus, the whole reason why the CCSS have an emphasis on informational text; to facilitate Competency Based Education programs like Achieve3000. They haven’t been able to create a computer reading test capable of using nuanced complex fiction texts yet. Achieve3000 aggregates articles from the Associated Press and changes the sentences and vocabulary to accommodate the Lexile level. When our principal was first trying to sell us on Achieve3000 I naively thought that they might be using articles out of National Geographic or Scientific American. By strictly using only AP articles they save on costs by avoiding payments to any magazine or book publishing companies. Money, money, money.
In Chula Vista, Dr. Nelson made a video for Achieve3000 that was up on their website for a while and he was also paid $1k to give a speech for them. After he retired from CVESD last year, he now works for Achieve3000. Follow the money.
Achieve3000 is exactly the type of Competency Based Education, CBE, program that I suspected would find its way into San Diego Unified Schools after I heard the announcement of the decreased testing last week. For those who have been following the corporate education reforms across the country, we know that the plan is to decrease district testing and imbed it in CBE for continuous real-time assessments of students.
At best, Achieve3000 is good for teaching to the test to prep for the SBAC. At worst, teachers will be ushering in their own pink slips by supporting programs like these in the classroom.
I suspect that by the time computer programs are capable of handling the complexity of fiction that the art of reading fiction in our culture may die out due to programs like Achieve3000 in our schools.”
And some replies to this post:
My heart sank reading this. What a travesty. Sharing.
My district uses this..
I think many Florida districts use this. I spoke out at a sb meeting.
contacted our board and have shared over and over with parents….Nothing. No concerns. It’s unreal. Feel like Chicken Little when it comes to the software issues like this, Iready, & Istation…and so many more.
So when teachers are forced to use Lexiles to group students, to assign books, or to suggest placement in a remediated reading class it hurts the kids. Principals want data and Achieve and iready have more than enough data to share. It’s much easier to toss out computerized data- like the baseball card in Unify, but if we could focus our time on actual teaching and stop all this computerized nonsense, then public schools could churn out kids that can and enjoy reading!!!! It irritates me when teachers talk it up so much and try to tell me why it’s so great- it’s not great, it’s easy. I get that some are so overburdened with data and accountability that easy takes over…maybe it’s all part of the long game to defunct public ed.
It is all part of “the plan”.
Or when I was told that Achieve adjusts levels and I reply that they only reduce word count in sentences and syllables in words. That’s the only difference- the vocabulary is basically the same I am met with “it accurately predicts testing” DUH- it’s a program set up like a test, it doesn’t teach reading skills… grrrr
This is why I left public education for Christian school. I will never forget teaching in public school and being called into the office by the Achieve 3000 rep telling me that I was, and I quote, “ the worst teacher in the school for usage of Achieve 3000.” I was put on a “special plan” to get my scores up. I left that same year. I now am teaching, real teaching with freedom. Just a mere suggestion to switch our reading curriculum to novels was both welcomed and encouraged . I have no data notebook and am not monitored by anyone. After 22 years of teaching children , I stood up and refused to be belittled and humiliated by a program that does not produce readers . My paycheck is way less, but my heart is full. Achieve 3000 does not make readers, it breaks them and turns them off to reading.
Here is another post, albeit from about two years ago, from the anti-CBE group:
Does anyone know anything about Imagine Learning. Our ELL kids in our county are required to do 30 minutes per day on it along with iReady 30 minutes per day. Teacher VAM is based on iReady. Teachers were told Imagine takes priority but to try and get the ELL kids on iReady as often as you can because it counts for VAM and you want the kids to be familiar with it.
I’m horrified by this. I’m so glad I never went back to teaching in our county. Manatee is desperate, has an asst superintendent of curriculum and instruction who is clueless, only taught for one year overseas and has only been a principal. She has no background in curriculum so falls back on CBE, DISTAR-Direct Instruction and Acaletics. Crap test prep every day for our title 1, ESE, and ELL kids.
And some replies to this post:
Our district told us to do no more than 45 mins per week for iReady.
I am in FL. Our kids grades K-5 are required by our district in Manatee County to do 30 minutes per day. Teachers in grades K-2 are desperate because this test is tied to pay and job security. We have annual contracts here because we are a right to work state. The day is disrupted every day because students have to take 90 minutes of their reading block to march into the computer lab, and be out before the next class shows up 30 minutes later. It’s an incredible waste of instructional time.
Here is a post from Alice Linahan:
THEY ARE IMPLEMENTING SECOND ORDER CHANGE!
Did you know, when the Columbine murders occurred, they were implementing Dr. Robert Marzano’s learning theories and teaching strategies?
I wish more people knew the truth about where those come from.
From Betsy Kraus’ 2013 Report Common Core is Hostile to Christian and Catholic Education found here:
TRANSFORMATION
Dr. Robert Marzano is a leading educational researcher, trainer, and supporter of Common Core. He stated that Common Core is a SECOND ORDER CHANGE. (SOC)
SECOND ORDER CHANGE: Educator John C. Hillary discussed Second Order Change in a 1990-91 issue of “Outcomes” (OBE). He described SOC as framing the social system causing ambiguity, discontinuity, anxiety, frustration, paranoia, cynicism and anger. The eventual outcome is a transformed or renewed organization. It requires one to violate or challenge the established culture.
Second Order Change is planned chaos to change our whole social culture from freedom to socialism:
Please be aware of the Transformative Ignatian Pedagogy taught in Jesuit and other schools, with references including the Carnegie Foundation, Robert Marzano, John Dewey, Paulo Freire, and Jerome Bruner, who conceived of Mastery Learning, OBE. (See Catholic References)
COMMON CORE aligned College and Career Readiness standards are HOSTILE TO ALL OUR STUDENTS
It is a Marxist, Socialistic, Global, Educational SYSTEM incorporating:
Behavioral and mind-control techniques through OBE, the Marxist dialectic, and Transformational Teaching. This is all locked in by computer assessment and computer cybernation.
Its aim is to provide a workforce for a Soviet-style planned economy for global
servants. *
THE COMPUTER ACCOUNTABILITY CONTROL SYSTEM USED FOR COMMON CORE IS NOT NEW. NOR ARE COMMON STANDARDS NEW. THEY WERE INSTALLED IN THE STATES WITH FEDERAL MONEY IN THE 70’S AND 80’S.
Common Core Standards are just the latest standards funneled into this air-tight system.
ONE CANNOT GET RID OF COMMON CORE OR “EFFECTIVE” TEACHING WITHOUT GETTING RID OF THE SYSTEM THAT LOCKS IT IN.
In addition to textbooks, tests and assessments, there are:
Accrediting Agencies for private, Christian, and Catholic schools which require that “Effective” Teaching be applied to classroom instruction. (Such as AdvancED)
Another factor linking Common Core to private schools is government funding through equitable distribution, which I believe has definite Common Core strings attached.
There are still more threats to Catholic, Christian and Public education:
In 2008 Louis Gerstner, Former Chief Executive of IBM, called on Obama for national standards for a core curriculum.
He went on to say:
“…I recommend that President-elect Barack Obama convene a meeting of our nation’s governors and seek agreement to the following:
“Abolish all local school districts save 70 (50 states; 20 largest cities). Some states may choose to leave some of the rest as community service organizations, but they would have no direct involvement in the critical task of establishing standards, selecting teachers, and developing curricula.” (see references)
Does this say Digital Cyber-Computer Education for all with centralized control and the end of textbooks?
How will you know what your child is being taught, or what personal information might be gathered?
SINCE THEN HUNDREDS UPON HUNDREDS OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS, AS WELL AS CATHOLIC SCHOOLS, HAVE BEEN CLOSED. WHEN PUBLIC SCHOOLS CLOSE, FUNDS HAVE BEEN ALLOCATED TO OPEN CHARTER SCHOOLS.
CHARTERS ARE PUBLIC SCHOOLS RUN BY NON-ELECTED BOARDS SO LOCAL CONTROL IS LOST. RACE-TO-THE-TOP, ARNE DUNCAN, AND OBAMA HAVE CALLED FOR INCREASED CHARTER OPENINGS.
ACCORDING TO DIANE RAVITCH, INNER-CITY CATHOLIC SCHOOLS CLOSE WHEN CHARTERS OPEN.
IN SOME INSTANCES, COMPACTS ARE FORMED AMONG PUBLIC, CHARTER, AND PAROCHIAL SCHOOLS, THUS SPELLING THE LOSS OF LOCAL VOTER CONTROL, AND PERHAPS CHRISTIAN IDENTITY.
IN MANY OF THESE TYPE OF PLANS, THE CONTROL IS TRANSFERRED TO MAYORS WHO APPOINT THEIR OWN BOARDS.
THERE ARE MANY VARIATIONS OF THIS SCENARIO. INNER CITY CATHOLIC SCHOOLS ARE JOINING THESE COMPACTS WITH THE HELP OF FOUNDATIONS LIKE THE MELINDA AND BILL GATES AND THE WALTON FOUNDATIONS.
IT IS MY SUSPICION THAT ALL OF THESE CATHOLIC SCHOOLS MUST SUBSCRIBE TO COMMON CORE.
THE ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON’S INNER CITY SCHOOLS JOINED ONE OF THESE COMPACTS AND NOW THERE IS COMMON CORE IN THESE SCHOOLS.
WON’T THAT INCUR DATA GATHERING ON CATHOLIC STUDENTS? I DETAIL THIS IN MY THIRD REPORT.
ONE OF THE MAJOR, MAJOR ORGANIZATIONS IMPLEMENTING THESE KINDS OF COMPACTS AND SCHOOL REOGANIZATION DESIGNS IS THE CENTER FOR REINVENTING PUBLIC EDUCATION (CRPE)
The CRPE is funded by the Gates Foundation, Carnegie Foundation, Walton Foundation, Broad Foundation, Annie B. Casey Foundation, National Alliance for Charter Schools, U. S. Department of Education, and more.
I will use the CRPE’s plan, IMPLEMENTED BY THE CEE-TRUST, for Missouri as an example of how these organizations are spreading their innovations across our nation to “reinvent both public and private education.”
CEE-Trust’s policy makers are CRPE and the Fordham Institute.
THE CEE-TRUST, FUNDED BY THE GATES FOUNDATION, THE JOYCE FOUNDATION, AND THE CARNEGIE FOUNDATION FOR ADVANCEMENT IN TEACHING, HAS BEEN CONTRACTED BY THE MISSOURI DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO FORMULATE A PLAN TO REORGANIZE OUR NON-ACCREDITED SCHOOLS IN KANSAS CITY AND ST. LOUIS. IT CAN ALSO BE APPLIED TO NEIGHBORING DISTRICTS OR ANY SCHOOL DISTRICT IN MISSOURI.
I believe this proposal is just one of many radical blueprints to destroy public and eventually private schools by setting up Community Education. In this plan, all power resides in non-elected officials. Local school districts are replaced by Community School Offices with an appointed advisory board. Local school boards are dissolved. (Maybe someday to be restored but with a very different venue.)
The plan, entitled the Conditions for Success, allows private schools to become “operators” under the umbrella of the Community Schools Office. Public school funds follow the student so he or she can choose ANY school, community or private, as long as the school is religion-neutral and submits to the non-elected authority of the Community School Office.
Other proposals Include:
Personalized Instruction, a longer school day, a longer school year by 50 or more days, and enforced Pre-K.
This plan specifies “Selective Admission Schools”, which appear to be elite schools for the brightest of students. Apparently, they will be given a superior education, but with the global Common Core spin. These schools will only be a very small fraction of the total community schools.
In 1987 Thomas Sticht, with the National Institute of Education, said:
“Many companies have moved operations to places with cheap, relatively poorly educated labor. What may be crucial, they say, is the dependability of a labor force and how well it can be managed and trained, not its general educational level, although a small cadre of highly educated creative people is essential to innovation and growth. Ending discrimination and changing values are probably more important than reading in moving low income families into the middle class.” (deliberate dumbing down of america. p. 216)
Are we now dumbing down the masses with Common Core for a reliable labor force, while giving a cadre of select students a real education, all in the name of equality and social justice?
The Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA) New Vision for Public Education has been fully implementing Marzano’s Second Order Change (SOC). Please see page 27 of this 2009 TASA publication.
In 2012 according to TASA, The Texas High-Performance Schools Consortium takes shape — originally 23 Texas school districts — were selected in 2012 by the commissioner of education. The Consortium began its work in October 2012 with superintendents and district teams working through the fall semester to determine the strategy for conducting the Consortium’s work as specified in SB 1557 and to produce the Consortium’s first report, delivered in December 2012.
In 2012 TASA’s Future-Ready Superintendents designed its inaugural Future-Ready Superintendents Leadership Institute. TASA’s Student-Centered Schools Future-Ready Students Document; The Moral Imperative: From Vision to Action Future-Ready Superintendents Leadership Institute The Moral Imperative: From Vision to Action If we teach today’s students as we taught yesterday’s, we rob them of tomorrow. John Dewey, Schools of Tomorrow, 1915
2012-13 TASA pushes Anti-Testing Resolution
In 2012, TASA prepared a sample school board resolution to build support for the anti-testing STAAR Opt-out movement. By January 2013, 881 Texas school districts — 86 percent of Texas districts and 91 percent of its students — had adopted the resolution. Dozens of Chambers of Commerce and PTA groups across Texas passed similar resolutions.
In 2011 Texas legislators overwhelmingly pass SB 6. SB 6 allows textbook publishers to bypass the state adoption process. Under SB 6, the Instructional materials (IM) only have to cover 50% of the TEKS (even though school districts by law are required to cover 100% of the TEKS). It is SB 6 that opened the door for CSCOPE and other Common Core-aligned College and Career Readiness instructional materials that are not aligned with the SBOE-approved-and-mandated TEKS to proliferate our public schools. In addition, for the permanent education fund (PEF) to now be used for the professional development of teachers for online digital learning.
It is very important to note as did Peter Greene: “The Common Core Standards can be understood as data tags, a way to label tasks and achievements of students. But consider a set of data tags such as the mood tags on Facebook
It is very important to understand what we are seeing is a philanthropic business model designed to access a “captive market”, students, for-profit and control. Students behavioral data is their greatest commodity. Bill Gates has been instrumental in Texas just like Missouri in setting up this philanthropic model.
In 2000, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation gave the Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA) a grant for 6.3 million dollars.
.
Texas Leadership Center Date: June 2000 The purpose of the grant to TASA: to provide superintendents and principals from public and private schools access to quality leadership development focused on technology integration and whole systems change.
In 2006 TASA’s New Mission to transform Public Education begins.
According to TASA’s timeline in 2006 public school superintendents from across the state were inspired to come together to create a new vision for public education in Texas. Meeting as the Public Education Visioning Institute for two years, they shared ideas on how to transform Texas public education to meet the needs of 21st-century students.
In 2007 the Texas Education Agency (TEA) was given a $7 million dollar grant by the Gates foundation. With the stated purpose: to provide funding towards a longitudinal evaluation of the Texas High School Project now known as “Educate Texas” funded by“Communities Foundation of Texas”, as a way to understand the effectiveness of individual projects and programs, as well as overall effectiveness.
In 2007 a new special interest group formed by Mike Moses and Bill Ratliff called, Raise Your Hand. https://www.raiseyourhandtexas.org/
In 2008, TASA created the New Vision for Public Education Document.
In 2009-10 according to TASA the “Consortium is Conceptualized”
“With a visioning document for school transformation in hand, the group sought a means to begin work to fulfill that vision. They conceptualized a network of school districts that could do the work and described it in the Guidelines for Establishment of the High-Performance Schools Consortium.
”Interestingly, this document mirrors this Gates Foundation- High Performing School Districts; Challenge, Support, Alignment, and Choice White Paper: High-Performance School Districts: Challenge, Support, Alignment, and Choice
In 2011 according to TASA Law Establishes the Consortium
The 82nd Texas Legislature made the Consortium official with Senate Bill 1557. The law established the Texas High-Performance Schools Consortium and charged it with improving student learning in Texas by developing innovative high-priority learning standards and assessment and accountability systems.
In 2015 HB 2804 created the Texas Commission on Next Generation Assessments and Accountability to “develop and make recommendations for new systems of student assessment and public school accountability.”
In Dec. 2015 Republican Gov. Gregg Abbott appointed Texas Education Agency (TEA) Commissioner of Education, Mike Morath. Commissioner Mike Morath proceeded to restructured the TEA. Putting in place, Teach For America (TFA) federally funded (thru Higher Education Act) pro-charter and Choice school organizers. |
One of the most controversial hires being AJ Crabill, Deputy of Governance of the TEA making $180k a year and whose highest attainment of education is a high school diploma:
Morath’s new deputy commissioner positions, created as part of a sweeping reorganization of the Texas Education Agency have been filled as follows.
Deputy of Governance, A.J. Crabill (Kansas City Democrat Treasurer) was also known as Airick West makes $180K
Teach for America Alumni, Deputy of Academics, (California Democrat) Penny Schwinn – $180K
Teach for America Alumni, Deputy of Educator Support, Martin Winchester – $180K
Teach for America Alumni, Deputy of Operations, (Washington D.C. Democrat) Megan Aghazadian – $160K
Deputy of Finance, Kara Belew is on the comptroller’s payroll already as an Abbott senior policy advisor at 159K as noted in this article.
Looks like it pays to work for the TEA and it looks like TFA is a recruiting ground for transformational change agents!!
“Teach for America is a $400 million “non-profit” that exists not only to save children, but also to steer public policy, and public dollars, to corporate reformers, primarily through the promotion of market-based solutions: charter district reform, deregulation of teacher education, and merit-based pay.
TFA is also, through its spin-off organization Leadership for Educational Equity, working to place alumni in administrative jobs and in elected positions, utilizing a powerful network of foundations, educational institutions, and related organizations, legislative policy groups, and individuals who are at the forefront of charter school reform efforts.”
In 2016 Texas Commissioner Mike Morath calls for new non-cognitive character standards to be put in place. Hear in his own words as he speaks at the Next Generation of Assessments and Accountability Commission Meeting. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-aj7S–oks
Here is a post from an Illinois political group:
Illinois is facing a shortage of students – and a surplus of school district administrators.
From 2014 to 2018, student enrollment at Illinois K-12 public school districts fell by 2%, reflected by a nearly identical percentage drop in those districts’ total teachers during that time.
Despite Illinois school districts losing both students and teachers, their administrators grew 1.5% during the four-year period. (from Illinois Policy)
Here is a post from the California anti-radical sex ed group:
Parents… we have seen much talk kids getting access to medical assistance (mental health and sexual health ONLY) without parent knowledge. I just received a block from our insurance on accessing ANY/ALL of my 12 year olds medical records without his consent. This appears to be an overreach by the medical insurance company. HIPPA does not support this either. Can anyone steer me to understanding this better.
And some replies to this post:
California law. It’s not the insurance company. I have kaiser and same thing. Apparently they are entitled to privacy even though we are still responsible for them. 🤷♀️
It is NOT (only capitalizing for emphasis) California law. The law is only regarding mental and sexual health. This has me blocked from ALL claims. It’s an over reach. There is no law that allows the insurance company to block all claims
hmmmm…. Kaiser has me blocked completely too.
Exactly. It’s an over reach. If they want to flag an visits that have to do with mental and sexual health, go for it. But this is all claims.
I have Kaiser as well and my older two have been blocked since they were 13 as well
That happened to us with IEHP (medical) with information throughout Mychart when my daughter turned 12
My daughter is severely disabled on a wheelchair, she is blind and can’t speak at all.
I mean is not that she will get up next week and say “I want to be in charge of my health now and on “ Is Ridiculus but that is how the system works right now 🙄
Working in pediatrics, this is the law. They can get certain lab tests done without your knowledge and my employer for example with eat the cost. It wont be billed to insurance to protect the kids privacy. It’s been this way for at least 7 years…
the law has been in place for many years. Happened to me when my almost 20yr old turned 12 as well. I got a very similar email. They can receive many forms of medical treatment without parental consent and therefore they don’t want you having access to their medical records. I used my child’s email, passwords and such to give myself permission back into them til she was 18. It’s not your insurance. It’s CA law.
I have Blue Cross Blue Shield. I called to get information on several claims we received for our 14-year-old. He is my stepson. Because his mother took him to the hospital that evening, though he is on my insurance, they would not discuss anything regarding the claim with me. I was so angry!!!!!
All I wanted to know is exactly what we are being charge for line by line.
This saddens me to no end. It’s like the government has taken away our ability to parent our kids and guide them when they need medical assistance. My son is a senior in high school and is not allowed to bring Tylenol to school, but if he was a daughter she could go and have an abortion without my knowledge or consent! If my son causes a car accident and someone is severely hurt other than him, I am legally liable and financially liable. But sure take my right away as a parent to know if my son is a danger to himself or others or may need assistance with the medical condition!
It is all about protecting abortion at all costs. It has nothing to do with concern over privacy, abusive parents, etc (unless, of course, you are so “abusive” as to not want your child to kill their unborn baby)
Here is a post from Alice Linahan:
The Taps Act HR 838
Pre-Crime Surveillance is exactly what is being set up in schools across Texas through Gov. Abbott’s School Safety plan. This is why they HAD TO PASS HB18, SB 504 and SB11 which now includes SB10.
Predictive Policing- Listen and Learn.
Here is a post from the ParentStrike group:
Indiana OptOut2020
Here is a post from the Minnesota anti-Common Core group:
What a breath of fresh air! Minnesota is also a “local control” state, but local residents and school boards have yet to truly use their right to advocacy in many districts. From [name redacted]:
“This is NOT about whether you agree with Sex Ed curriculum or not— it is whether you think State and Fed legislators should be allowed to dictate local curriculum. I am VERY interested in this as it applies to local control. Just imagine if districts had risen up and said NO to Parcc, NO to Common Core.”
“The school board of the D38 Lewis-Palmer district in Monument is opposing Colorado’s new sex ed law. Citing local control, the school board says Denver legislators should not be able to control what local educators teach, or do not teach in their classrooms.”
Here is a post from the Florida anti-iReady group:
Long post: This week is testing week at my son’s school for language art and math. He’s in 8th grade. I decided to opt out. I got a call from his teacher to talk about my concerns. She listened and didn’t make him take it but mentioned that she would let administrators know of my concerns. I got a call from the principal asking me about my concerns on Iready and FSA. After listing my concerns, he started to tell me that this was the way to assess his level and that he could be put in remedial courses if he didn’t take them. I cut him off and asked him, “You’re going to place a straight A student in remedial courses because he’s not taking these assessments? What did you do before these programs to assess students’ levels?” He didn’t answer the question but instead asked if I was willing to have him take it on paper and pencil. And I’m not because the test would be no different.
From what I’ve read, teachers do not see correct answers or incorrect answers on Iready. Iready generates a report and lumps students into categories. Because it’s not specific information on my child, how is this assessment helping him or the teacher? How can any teacher take action on such a broad category? I explained this to him and all he said is he would have to get back to me.
I’m just frustrated. I apologize for the long post. Any help would be appreciated.
And some replies to this post:
they can NOT place your child in remedial courses based on not taking the iReady test or the FSA. You may need to write a letter stating you understand that this is the recommended course of action, but you are opting out of it. They cannot use remedial courses as a “punishment”.
When you say it’s “testing week” are they taking the iReady Diagnostic Test?
yes. They are taking the Iready diagnostic. The language arts teacher mentioned it’s done over the next few days, starting today. He has it for both math and language arts.
I’ve tried to research where it says they cannot place him in remedial courses by opting out of these assessments, but I haven’t found that information. Can you point me in the right direction? I know that the school will call back and I want to be prepared with necessary documentation
every parent has to make the decision about iReady independently. My children take the diagnostic tests. They do not, however, participate in the daily classwork or homework components. The diagnostic testing is not accurate or reliable, but for me it’s not the battle I want to fight. I don’t put much weight on the results but my kids know that and they aren’t stressed. That being said, my reasons for opting out are different than those who opt out because of data collection.
Stand by and I will try to find you the documentation.
what county are you in? Orange County allows a waiver.
Orange county. I didn’t know there was a waiver.
this will help you, too.
HB 7069 removed the requirement for intensive reading/math classes. Check out this document, page 11 for the specific language for middle school students.
And another post from this group:
Ok so is anyone other than me having problems with push back from an OCPS principal? I was told today on the phone, (he really doesn’t want to email), that OCPS purchased FLKRS from renaissance so students must log into the test using a personal identifier. He also stated that OCPS has NO other provisions for assessments for students in kindergarten other than IREADY.
And some replies to this post:
Don’t believe them. They have paper FLKRS in a file! It’s been used for countless years. Everywhere
HA! IReady for K only started a few years ago. What did they do for assessment before iReady.
Heads up, KINDERGARTEN PARENTS – If you received a notification about the FLKRS test (FL Kindergarten Readiness Screener), it used to be an assessment done by the teacher. Not any more… Read this.
NO, it’s not required by law. YES, you can opt out. If you’re told you can’t opt out, ask for that law. In writing.
“Section 1002.69, Florida Statutes (F.S.), requires the Florida Department of Education to adopt a statewide kindergarten screening instrument that assesses the readiness of each student for kindergarten based on the performance standards adopted by the department under section 1002.67(1), F.S., for the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program (VPK). The screening instrument, known as the Florida Kindergarten Readiness Screener (FLKRS), must be administered to all public school kindergarten students within the first 30 days of each school year.”
“must be administered to all public school kindergarten students” Does not say kids have to take it. NOW, here’s the rub. Are they going to make Kindergarteners opt out?
And what if your child did not attend VPK, should your child’s data be used to unfairly assess VPKs statewide? Does it even associate your child with the VPK they attended? No. It does not.
Here is a post that was shared in the California anti-radical sex ed group:
After researching the Comprehensive Sexual Education (CSE) being forced onto our youth, we were able to trace its roots all the way to the United Nations. In order to try to understand why the push back to our concerns was so strong I joined a delegation of amazing women and we headed to the United Nations Civil Society Conference.
Today we finished day two of a three day conference and the things we have heard so far are very eye opening and disturbing. The UN is not even trying to hide the fact that they are targeting our youth and attacking the family unit.
I have one more day of this craziness to make it through then it’s back to the battle field back home…even more determined than ever to get this CSE garbage away from our children.. — in Salt Lake City, Utah.
And some replies to thsi post:
Global Compact For Migration. Now the CSE. What’s next from the UN?
Global police states?
They aren’t hiding it. And worst yet is many unsuspecting countries where comprehensive sex ed is being pushed don’t understand what you understand. The UN is like a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Glad you’re able to attend and see it in real time. Blessings for safe travel back home.
Agenda 2020 then Agenda 2030. Yup. It’s ALL in writing and began in the 1950’s.
Did you hear about the UN’s cancellation of the pro-life meeting there? They said it was too controversial for their sustainability goals. 🤦♀️
yes. I actually met the with one of the panelists who was supposed to speak at that meeting. Dr. Kani Diop. She is an immigrant from Africa and was going to speak about creating laws to protect young women from being forced into arranged marriages and laws to stop female genital mutilation of little girls. They found her topic “not inclusive and too controversial”.
Rather than have her fly all the way back home without delivering her message we gathered at a different location to hear her speak.
Here is a post from a Nevada anti-Common Core group:
The Adversity Score has been “modified.” From the story:
“The College Board is launching a tool called Landscape, which will provide admissions counselors with information about a student’s background, like average neighborhood income and crime rates, but Coleman said the data points will not be given a score.”
Here is a post from the California anti-radical sex ed group:
If you have kids in the early grades…be watching for how your teachers are teaching reading. I’ve had to deal with this with my own children…it’s a real issue!
And here are the replies to this post:
My son before being pulled from elementary couldn’t deal with reading and still would rather not . He sees a word and guessed it but only from the sight words he caught up until 1st grade .he is ADHD ( I hate labels ) so it’s always hard to catch words in a heap of letters . I couldn’t believe that he would skip words get a word complete wrong that merely had the first letter the same . I had taught my kids to read early because they kept asking whaz dat 😂😂
But to think that if he had continued along the path of guessing the sight words that he may never would have learned to sound words out . I cannot believe what is being taught and allowed . Our kids are failing in the public schools and this right here was one of my sons issues .
My don went through this, too.
It was harder too because
Unknown to me , they would ask him if he wanted to do his work and if he said no , they would say ” ok , we will try again tomorrow !!”
No no no , I talked with the teachers everyday I never knew this until I told them it takes him 2 hours for homework. They asked if u wanted him to only do a 1/4 of everything. No !! He needs to do it all and correctly on time . This is when we were told that they try for at least 1/4 of the work to get done and if they don’t want to do it , they can try again tomorrow .
Talk about putting kids back instead of leading them forward . Horrible !!
Well here in California we are still teaching phonics. Has always worked well!
you are very lucky if your district is choosing to do so, because most don’t.
not all of CA. My girls were all being taught this system. You only got taught phonics if you were falling way behind. You got pulled from class once a week for an extra 20 min one on one session with a resource teacher.
Also, some schools just sort of “add a little phonics” to a mostly “whole language” system. Then they say they are teaching phonics when really they aren’t…at least not very thoroughly or well.
you and other parents should get together go to school district meetings and fight for phonics. Get the reading scores for all schools in the district and also take your concens to the state department of education. Years ago our district superintendent instructed that all phonics curriculum be removed from the classrooms. Many teachers kept and continued phonics and soon phonics was again being used in grades 1-3.
My daughters school does this and it has led my child to not be able to sound words out – she guesses from the picture or from the first letter, never even paying attention to each letter 😦
truth! My son is an excellent reader, but, when he doesn’t know a word, instead of sounding it out phonetically, he just picks any word that is close to what it “looks like”. During his years of learning to read, he had a thousand “sight words”. Many could be sounded out phonetically. Now, he thinks everything can be a sight word.
I thought they had done away with this, wow anything other than phonics based hurts reading in the long run.
Here in Ca, at a fundamental school in my area, this method was taught to my kindergartener, and also the idea of “chopping” word sounds… not blending a single sound.
I have pulled her for homeschool in 1st grade and included some of the old Distar blending and practice methods that I used as a kid at my co-op homeschool program… in less than two full weeks of school she has developed as a reader more than anything the public school taught. She still chops up sounds sometimes but then has zero ability to figure out what the word is. Once she blends the sounds together… it makes sense.
No more “looking for picture clues” for us!!!
Would you mind explaining what you mean about chopping words in stead of blending? I’m not sure what that means and I want to know more so I can be watching for it if I see it.
They taught her to sound out each letter alone, and “chop” the word apart.
example word: mat
Sounding it out by “chopping up” the word :
“m / a / t”
Without regard to how the sounds come together, combining these sounds doesn’t become natural.
Instead, it becomes almost like three separate words that somehow have to magically come together without being told how. Very hard to progress through words beyond basic CVC words.
Blended:
Slowly:
Mmmmaaaaaaatt
Repeat slowly again:
Mmmmaaaaaaatt
Say it fast:
mat
Hope this helps!
Hmm. I know I taught my own kids to say the sounds individually as a first step before we blended them…and that was only a first step before moving towards the more blended way. Also, we learned something similar when learning to spell…the ability to segment the word. So, for instance, in the phonics based homeschool curriculum I used, in their spelling program we would say a short word and we would pull down colored tiles for each sound in the word made. So I would say mat (the whole word) then say m / a / t (like three separate words) and we taught my son to pull down a colored tile for each sound. Then I taught him how to break it up into the sounds so that he could turn a word like mat into m / a / t. It was imortant because it helped him hear all the sounds that made up the word, so he could pull those sounds out and spell the word. -When we moved on to words with blends like “shut” they would learn to pull down one color for “sh and another for u and another for t so they could hear all three parts (since things like “sh, ch, th” make sounds that are closer together and you just have to learn that those combinations make those sounds, so whem you hear “sh” you spell it “sh”. But that program encouraged you to go through a year of reading phonics first before working on the spelling (though I used a different program for reading so I’m not sure how it did teach that).
This is what’s happening with my son. I was told all kids do it and it’s a learning thing…funny though because I never did and neither did my peers at the time, we were all taught sounding it out slow the. Faster and faster until we could recognize the word for what it is. They are literally teaching kids to be terrible at this stuff. Turn a out most all public school kids do this not because of a development issue but because of how they are being taught
This “system” jacked up my daughter’s reading skills until 3rd grade where there were suddenly no pictures in the books at that reading level. We had to reteach everything. It made me crazy and made her feel dumb. I felt so bad for her too, but we got through it, and suddenly she enjoyed reading. I absolutely hate, hate, hate it. “Look at the picture for clues” only means, “try and guess the words” to a 5 year old.
my 6th grade grand daughter is having this issue…..
Omg the last 2 years this has been our struggle nightly and I didn’t even know it’s a thing. My daughter looks around on the page at the pictures and it would drive me insane. I didn’t know they are teaching that! Wtf! Now it makes sense! 😡
Yes , they don’t tell you and the kids don’t know the issue and how to tell us.
It’s part of the U.N. dumbing-down of America. Phonics used to be taught and we had a generation of reader’s! It’s been abandoned for “what do you think it says?” rather than sounding out the words and actually learning to read. Another plus for teaching your kids yourself.
And another post from this group:
For Spanish speaking parents. This is a legislator in Mexico condemning Comprehensive Sexual Education (CSE). Mexico also implemented CSE and as a result students began having sex earlier rather than lowering the number of young children having sex.
Here is a post from a vaccine skeptic group:
Not Vaccine related:
But First forcing vaccines now forcing kids apparently to pee on command…. wow yep just wow… kids gotta go wen they gotta go.. with holding is extremely bad!!!
(Not mine taken from another outraged parent)
News article below. found it
And some replies to this post:
I saw an update on this. The principal sent a letter, made a video and wrote a post. Apparently the teachers went rogue and sent this themselves without school approval. It will not be the policy. Crazy though
It’s BS! I had to get a special note in hs that allowed me to urinate whenever I needed from my mother and doctor. We were given 3 bathroom passes for the semester and at the end of that time if you didn’t use your pass you would be awarded 5pt each pass towards your grade. Bladder control should not be related to your grade. I absolutely disagree with bathroom privileges being under this kind of control
That is incredibly false and very unsafe. You should urinate every couple of hours if you’re properly hydrated and should drink more than a carton of milk a day. Holding it too long only increases your risk of a urinary tract infection
I had issues with this in a special needs class for my son who is Autistic.. He was 100% potty trained never had accidents, then started school they were only allowing him to go at very spesific times.. He didn’t need to go.. I emailed the lead behavioral specialist and a team was put together to accomadate him.. As soon as he came home with a diaper I was DONE! He hated it but since he could not verbalize it, they just ignored him freaking out in panic over it. Not ok
The hell that would happen with my kids. There’s 6 hours in a day st school. 2-3 min won’t take away from so much. I’ve always told my girl if she needs to go , go. She won’t be in trouble.
Speaking from someone who needs surgery due to holding in my urine and getting frequent UTIs, I’m glad I’ll be homeschooling my children.
On a friend’s post about this yesterday I shared my own encounter with a like minded teacher.
My son’s kindergarten teacher tried this. She even attempted to speak to me about my son using the bathroom before lunch. Stating “he could have waited until we got to the cafeteria and used the bathroom nearby.”
I said well obviously he couldn’t hold it and I’d never expect him to. I told my son to go ANYTIME he had to. That he wouldn’t be in trouble and that I’d deal with the teacher.
Kids need more support than they are given at school. Sure they have breaks but is a 6 year old going to always be responsible to use the bathroom on a break? nope. When given the freedom they will play instead! Even forgetting they need to go because they are distracted. Consider lengthening break time by 10 min incorporating bathroom time as a designated time before or after where everyone needs to try and wash hands. Seems adding some time would save time in the long run. That’s my 2 cents. And anyway, by the time a kid has to go they’ve usually already BEEN holding it awhile.
Umm no. I had this issue with my son’s kindergarten teacher. She would take their bear bucks away if they took an extra bathroom break. This caused me to have to take my son to the doctor for a UTI. I went to the principal and teacher and WENT OFF because they ignored my request to not prevent my son from going when he needs to. I also had to get a doctor’s note. Fight this! I guarantee there are other parents who are not ok with this.
These teachers wouldn’t like me. I’m so fed up with crappy people (to give you an idea we deal with the VA) so I have 0 tolerance for foolishness like this anymore.
What!!!!!! The control issues in schools is absolutely ridiculous!! How about just talking with kids about the amount of time they’re taking to use the bathroom, see if they’re in there talking with friends etc explain the restroom
is not for that etc.
I pissed my pants in 3rd grade because of a bathroom communist. So did others. I also blame her for my inability to poo in public places.. I’ll go days without making brown trout if I’m away from home.
One of the teachers my son had in elementary school would make him hold it during the day. He was coming home with wet pants and I thought he was just holding it because he didn’t want to ask to go. Well turns out she wasn’t allowing him to go because they were supposed to go in the morning and at lunch. She got a not so nice email! I was so pissed! Needless to say, that was the last time he had an accident at school.
i had that happen when i was in 2nd grade. i asked so many times i got put in the time out chair and pooped myself. in my memory forever. hate teachers that dont let you go potty when you need to
They want first graders to hold their pee for TWO HOURS?! That’s not even healthy for an adult to do. I would definitely be talking to the principal!!
As a Mom of a T1 diabetic, this is infuriating and dangerous. Not just for all the obvious medical reason but also because increased urination is a classic sign of T1 diabetes onset. Most children are diagnosed well into DKA. Their glucose levels are sky high and excess urination is the only way to rid the body of the excess sugar. A few weeks prior to my sons diagnosis his third grade teacher had sent a note home about him using the bathroom to “get out of lesson time”. When he was diagnosed and admitted to the hospital, I had strong words with this teacher. She went on to teach 2 more of my children. She has since put up T1 warning signs on the bathroom door.
This is disgusting. I’m a teacher and it’s shocking that they’re asking children to wait 15 minutes when they have the urge to wee. Young children often put off going t the toilet, so by the time they voice their need to go, it’s pretty much urgent! What the actual fuck.
Here is a post that was shared in a Colorado anti-Common Core group:
Mom picked her son up early from school one afternoon for some bonding time while training on her firearms. That night the police show up. The next day he’s banned from school.
This could happen to any of our kids.
Here is a Common Core Diva article that shows that the educational tyranny goes all the way back to Abraham Lincoln:
Here is a post that was shared in an anti-Common Core group:
A panel appointed by Mayor Bill de Blasio seeks to eliminate all gifted programs in New York City because they contain mostly white and Asian students.
Here is a post from Lynn Davenport:
I tried to wake up Waco ISD last year when they were considering a vote to turn over some of their low-performing schools to a fake nonprofit under SB 1882, the pro-privatization bill sponsored by former state rep Linda Koop (and Texas PTA, Commit).
Looks like there were lackluster results in Texas with these experiments. Texas Tribune reported:
“In Waco ISD, where five low-performing campuses were turned over to a new nonprofit, administrators said many teachers jumped ship at two of the schools before the partnership even began. That left the nonprofit starting at a disadvantage finding high-quality educators — a key goal of the partnership.
Those schools — J.H. Hines Elementary and G.W. Carver Middle — both improved significantly in 2017-18, but then plummeted to an F this year, with the latter dropping the equivalent of two grades.”
And another post from her:
“The NYC Department of Education has adopted the SEL curriculum of Sanford Harmony, the fastest growing SEL curriculum provider in America, serving 8 million students in 18,000 schools. In the Sanford curriculum, the norm-setting process that has traditionally been implicit and internal becomes explicit and external. Students learn to behave and relate to each other through games such as “Emotions Bingo,” to map out “think-feel-do” chains,” to role-play “communications boosters” and “communications bloopers,” and to engage in “whole-body-listening.”
“Traditionally, teachers set expectations and students absorb them — or else receive a consequence for misbehavior. But SEL eschews consequences, diminishing the teacher as an authority figure, and instead of encouraging students to internally regulate their behavior, it encourages them to rely on external games and tools for guidance.”
”But as SEL sweeps the nation, parents will likely recognize that ideology and be alarmed by it. And just as with the Common Core, their alarm will undoubtedly be met with condescension, a response that will only serve to increase civic alienation and class division — to say nothing of the substantive effect this social and emotional engineering will have on the character of our next generation.”
And yet another post from her:
“Twenty-two towns, counties and police departments in Texas are recovering after their computer systems were taken hostage just over a week ago. The state of Texas says the attacks, which happened simultaneously, were ransomware and the FBI is investigating. Ransomware locks up a victim’s files until money is paid or the users find another way to recover their data. More and more, critical public service networks are the targets. Before Texas, the city governments of Newark, Atlanta and Baltimore were hit and San Francisco’s transit authority; the Colorado Department of Transportation and Cleveland’s airport. As we first reported in May, 26% of cities and counties say they fend off an attack on their networks every hour. Perhaps even worse, dozens of hospitals have been held hostage all across the country.”
And yet another post from her:
TI and the TI Foundation both fund the destruction of public education while claiming to support it:
“For years, TI and the TI Foundation have invested heavily in education initiatives with nonprofit partners in North Texas to improve teacher effectiveness and student learning outcomes in STEM-related subjects,” Andy Smith, the TI Foundation’s executive director and TI’s director of corporate philanthropy, said in a statement. “NAEP data paints an alarming picture of why it’s so important to invest in local education, and why we can’t let students back away from math and science.”
Among the North Texas schools that have received funding this year from TI are:
• The National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI) College Readiness Program for three additional schools, Cedar Hill, Desoto, and Duncanville
• Continued support for Teach for America in Dallas
• Urban Teachers teacher preparation residency program for Dallas ISD and local KIPP and Uplift Education schools
⚠️The National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI) was founded by a group of Dallas area lawyers and businessmen. Tom Luce is identified as the founder and Rex Tillerson, the CEO of ExxonMobil and present US Secretary of State, provided the financing.
⚠️TFA corps members and alumni are the ground forces for privatizing public education the pillar of American Democracy. TFA is bad for America.
And yet another post from her:
This is a good read. It exposes an abdication of responsibility in the teaching colleges in favor of a political experiment:
“But whenever family and friends ask me about graduate school, I have to explain that rather than an academic program centered around pedagogy and public policy, STEP is a 12-month immersion in doctrinaire social justice activism. This program is a bizarre political experiment, light on academic rigor, in which the faculty quite consciously whips up emotions in order to punch home its ideological message.”
“The logic here is that if teachers are immersed in social justice ideology they will then impart these ideas to young people at all levels of K-12 and post-secondary education. This lofty aim explains why the program focuses so heavily on training students in the discourse of far-left identity politics and why it demands total intellectual acquiescence. When you consider that STEP’s ostensible purpose is to prepare graduates to become novice high school teachers, this approach in a public university is difficult to justify.”
“This focus on ideology comes at the cost of studying the craft of teaching or how to productively deal with difficult social problems on a small scale. Much of the practical teaching guidance we were given has no demonstrable efficacy or validation in the peer-reviewed literature. Most of the classes at the UW require little if any academic work and they often resemble group therapy sessions along with activities like personal journaling, which I tried to undertake with an open mind, despite my sense that these tasks are far removed from the vocational demands of teaching. STEP is a travesty in its disservice to its own students and, because the program neglects the practice of teaching in favor of pontifications on social justice, it lets down the disadvantaged children it purports to serve. Each year it sends out a cohort of graduates who, due to a lack of preparation, are likely to become overwhelmed in a profession already suffering from alarming rates of attrition, particularly in high-needs schools.”
Here is a post from the Florida anti-iReady group:
Teach For America is CHEAP for America! Ha!
Adam explains why TeachFor America should never replace credentialed highly trained teachers.
As the shortage continues and the war on public schools is carried on by our FL legislators,TFA has already started recruiting and hiring in FL.
One of Governor Scott’s state board of Ed appointees was a TFA alum who started her own company after her 5 week trading and 2 year stint in the classroom. That was Rebecca Fishman-Lipsey.
https://www.facebook.com/jeanette.deutermann/videos/10220106313476534/?t=0
https://www.facebook.com/jeanette.deutermann/videos/10220106315316580/?t=0
Here is a post from the California anti-radical sex ed group:
Parents,
Please realize how progressive our younger teachers have become and how in just a few years many veteran, more common sense teachers will be retiring.
The changes will be exceptionally radical.
- a Nor Cal teacher
And some replies to this post:
I notice the difference just between myself and my younger brother who 10 years younger and just graduated from Columbia teachers college. He’s a good guy but my goodness, I can tell that what they have learned is totally different. And that eventually will trickle down.
The United Nations, Planned Parenthood, ACLU and other enemies are on the attack you can expect radical change. They are using California as a Guinea Pig. A few Bill’s every week and they’ll have their agenda in place. They are ready set inforce schools to teach things they don’t believe in. Be informed. Protect our children and country.
So true. And the conservative teachers will quit their public school jobs before they are forced to teach ungodly things to their students. Soon, the left will totally infiltrate the public school system and America’s youth will be indoctrinated with evil and lies from them.
That’s what the Left must want: force all.of the conservative teachers & staff, out! GOD FORBID! RISE UP, MEN AND WOMEN OF GOD!!!!!
Yep. Been observing this for the past 12 years that we’ve been in public school. Just left this year.
I am so grateful you made this decision. So happy!!!!!!!!!!
- a veteran teacher
sad but true 😢had to do the same
My wife is a conservative teacher in public California schools. She has about 10-18 years left!
Our principal last year praised AOC in the monthly school letter……BLM signs posted in all classrooms..this is an elementary school!
Teachers wearing political t shirts , buttons, talking about protests, campaigns, politicians…… all left all day. Conservatives are brave if they practice the Pledge of Allegiance in class.
the pledge is said in every school in my district in California. Honesty if you all fear California so much you could move to a more conservative state you are living in one of the most liberal. Maybe Alabama, Tennesse. Not being rude but all the time you here America love it or leave it we could say the same about California you know where you live and you know it is liberal.
Why should we leave when we’ve lived here most of our lives? Just because we previously stayed quiet, people thought we were ok with changes. Many were neutral. But now it’s just gotten out of hand, and we can no longer stay silent. What pushed me to be more vocal is seeing my parental rights being taken away gradually. I won’t stand for that. No one has the right to take over my parental rights and responsibilities.
I’m a native Californian, and I love my State. It was not always, as radically liberal, as it has become in recent years. I’m here to stand against the ever increasing liberal assault, on the innocence minds of our children, by early sexualization, and indoctrination, that has crept into our education system. If you discovered that your home had an infestation of termites, would you take action to control the termites, or would you pack up and leave the home that you love? California has alway been my home. I’m staying! The radical agendas of liberalism, that have infested our schools, are termites, that need to go. I’m here to help facilitate the extermination of those policies, that are harmful to our children, and I’m here to stay!
I’m glad your district still recites the Pledge of Allegiance, but that is rare in CA public schools now. These parents are seeing a change in society fueled by progressives in schools indoctrinating students. My kids went to high school from 2009 – 2013 and I needed to go to the school board to fight a stupid requirement for freshman. It wasn’t just me, it was a bunch of parents that were fighting to make sure our kids stayed competitive for colleges. The board’s arrogance and complete lack of respect for parents/parenting was appalling. One had the audacity to tell us how their kids (3 of them) had all used an alternative we were asking for and how it didn’t work well, so they wouldn’t allow us to use it. I’m like if it wasn’t good, why did all 3 kids use it? Why not let us make the decision, instead of you? I eventually found my own loophole and worked the system, but the audacity to make decisions for all kids based on your kids experience – not even other families, just yours. Mind you, there were other parents there that had successfully used the alternative with previous kids, but could no longer. No, instead your kids should be less competitive for colleges…
This is what many are fighting on a much worse level than I did at that time. Government is usurping the parental role, not just in school (but using the school) to grant decisions to students that have no ability to make those decisions. Have you thought of how unfair a fight it is to put a child/teenager alone up against any authority in school? They want the students without parents – they’re so much easier to intimidate – to acquiesce to their agenda, not your family’s and not to your child’s best interest. Reshaping society by coercion rather than winning in the arena of ideas should tell you how bad these ideas are and why parents are fighting so hard. It’s not just about moving, it’s about how CA will shape the entire nation, because it’s not just CA, but we’re hearing this worldwide.
In April I was praying that they would not go forward with this nonsense of so called education. In May I made the decision to pull my two children out of public school (kindergarten and 1st grade) to not expose my children of an ideology that I strongly disagree with. In July I enrolled them in a small catholic school. It was hard at first because of obviously it’s expensive but aren’t my children worth it? Yes we have to give up going out to eat, going to the movies on weekends etc etc but my kids soul is far important than material happiness. I love that they talk about God everyday. Do what’s right even if it’s the hardest decision you will ever make.
It’s hard to imagine it getting worst, but it will. The radical youth that are coming out of our universities these days are 100% indoctrinated. I can see it within my own family and families of friends. According to Pacific Research group, among English teachers, there are 97 liberals to each 3 conservative ones. The odds are only slightly better when you look at Math and Science with 87 liberals to each 13 conservatives. Health is nearly 100% taught by liberals.
Experiencing it first hand this year at middle school.
elementary was fine, but middle school 🤦🏻♀️. You walk into the language arts classroom and it is filled with liberal propaganda. I noticed some of the posters she had up were produced by the CTA.
My daughter’s history teacher is woman. Told the class about her wife and how they left AZ because it’s a close minded state. She just taught them about ‘fake news’. Assignment yesterday talks about how christians killed pagans because they were ‘Satan’s warriors’.
I would be reporting her to the school district immediately! I don’t care who that teacher sleeps with, but she has no business brain washing children with her sick religious opinions. When my husband was in college his Anthropology teacher told the entire class, day 1, that God doesn’t exist….half of the class immediately walked out and complained to the school….but this was 10 years ago when there was a shred of dignity left in this country!
Yep. US History with my Junior. Woman. “Examining documents and discussing them in groups”. Great, I think… What could be bad about examining the Bill of Rights and the Constitution? Nope. Not THOSE! They will be examining writings of people that lived through the history. They started with slavery…
The only solution my husband and I came up with is private school. It’s expensive, but it will be worth it. Right now the kids are okay because they are very young, and we live in one of few Republican towns left in California (hopefully it stays this way). I figure by 4th grade for my oldest we will be able to afford it 🙏🏼
My brothers fiance just became a special education teacher. She is a conservative christian in her 20s.
I’ve seen many young new teachers. My daughter’s teacher in 5th grade was more concerned about fixing the girls hair and chit-chat than teaching proper grammar, sentence structure etc. My daughter told her she didn’t have time to finish schoolwork at home because we have her too much chores and would be mad if they weren’t done. I went to talk to the teacher and said 1. She is given plenty of time at school to do her work, if she doesn’t finish it, it’s because she’s fooling around. 2.She only had a few chores at home and kept telling us she had no homework. The teacher sided with my kid… Told me to look in her planner. Daughter wouldn’t fill out planner. I asked the teacher to email me the assignments and their due dates. She wouldn’t.
The teachers don’t want the mean ones, they want to be the kids buddies.
Found out FIFTEEN YEARS AGO that I needed one more class to get my diploma despite walking the stage with my classmates and “graduating”…. first day of said class my professor asks us to write a few things about ourselves to turn into her – what pronouns do you go by? Grrrrrrr…… really?
THIS!!!
And the young teachers are being trained in the teacher colleges as facilitators of online curriculum. They won’t even know what’s in the online curriculum most of the time.
Parents need to understand how teacher colleges have changed.
Here is a post from Alice Linahan:
Time to WAKE UP TEXAS!!
Under Texas’ SB1882 school districts with failing schools can be forced by TEA (under threat of entire district takeover) into entering into “partnerships” with startup charters or fake “non-profit” entities where the quality of education still declines. This is a LAND GRAB for public money when we see whose pockets are picked and whose pockets are now being lined…How Relay got their hands on being paid nearly $3 million from TEA in what appears to be a no-bid contract, and without any background or proven experience in Texas should be looked into.
Relay is NOT a Charter school but under 1882 they have formed an entity known as Relay Lab Schools, which run by former Teach for America (TFA)ers who are employed by Relay Graduate School of Education (it is not an accredited “Graduate” school, but a private teacher and school administrator training organization based in NYC). Raise Your Hand Texas (Todd Williams is on their DFW Board) in 2017 provided Relay with a seed grant to launch Relay’s teacher “residency” program in Texas, specifically targeting DISD and HISD. What is very telling is Relay’s portfolio of unqualified “Academic Deans”, including TFA alum Chris Fraser who was in Miguel’s Harvard GSE class in 2011-12
What is more telling is how without any background in Texas, TEA through a no-bid contract under Gov. Abbott appointed Commissioner Mike Morath’s authority began funding Relay directly as of 2017. According to the TEA check registry, Relay Graduate School of Education received the following payments from TEA: An initial $790,000 payment on 8.17.17, plus $860,000 more during the 17-18 budget year, and $1.32 million this past year, totaling $2.97 million paid out in less than two years.
Now Relay Labs is running SAISD poor-performing schools and even under Relay and all the additional cost still has terrible results. And wouldn’t you know it the champion for Relay at SAISD is none other than Mohammed Choudhury, who was the former DISD
Chief of Transformation and Innovation, Mike Koprowski’s deputy at DISD under for Superintendent Mike Miles…
“Mohammed Choudhury is a NextGen Network leader at the Pahara-Aspen Institute and a Future Chief at Chiefs for Change.”
And some replies to this post:
If anyone wants to see the havoc wreaked and damage done by Relay, just Google Relay Colorado. Especially the Aurora school district…they are some of the most destructive people in education DEform.
Figures Morath would welcome them with open arms and bags of taxpayer cash.🤬
Peggy wrote a lot about Relay and tried desperately to stop it.
Here is a post from the Florida anti-iReady group:
Do you see the what these tests mean to districts and some schools and teachers – I understand there’s many teachers that hate these tests as much as we do -but some will use them to punish kids. 😡
And a note- recess is state mandated daily for 20 min. They can not take it away for academic or disciplinary reasons.
Shared from another group
And here is the post quoted:
My child is now in the 4th grade, this morning he tells me he will not be getting recess today because he scored low on a lesson in iReady. That didn’t sit well with me, so I sent a letter stating, “he will not be missing recess due to low score on iReady. Iready is there to determine my child’s needs and to help you teachers with instructional decisions. If a child scores low that means they need HELP! If necessary I can opt him out of iReady.” I receieved back through the school app tht they would like to speak with me after school today. Any suggestions on how I should approch this after school, I don’t wnt to go in there with negative attitude from the beginning, but I am thinking about opting him out, I just never did before becuase he didn’t mind doing iRedy and he was super good at it.
And some replies to this post:
put your foot down as a parent to stop this insanity! my kid my rules
At my son’s elementary school the staff takes away recess if the kids have not completed the iReady minutes.
no way i would put up with that.. contact school board contact the news whatever you need to do
they did this to my kid her entire 5th grade year. They eventually tired of hearing my complaints about it (daily) so they relented .. eventually they’d find reasons to give her silent lunch or refuse her “fun Fridays” or any other privileges other kids were getting
That just sounds like a bunch of adults in “authority” bullying a child 😦
Recess is mandatory. I ready not so much
Here is a post that was shared in the California anti-radical sex ed group:
UPDATE: Assembly Bill 493, the teacher LGBTQ sensitivity training bill, was passed by the Senate Appropriations Committee and will now advance to the Senate floor for a final vote.
Here is post from the Common Core Diva:
Warriors, forget being censored for those “7 Dirty Words You Can’t Say on TV”, here’s a whole list of words US Homeland Security will use against us. Some of these words I have used in my articles. So I am a “bad gal”?
Here is a post from a friend of mine:
Parents are tired of their kids seeing porn and pop-up ads in schools. (And no… don’t even start with ‘blame the kids’. If supplied by the school, the school is the responsible party… says Federal law CIPA. And these kids are NOT looking for porn and ads, they just pop up.)
Ask yourself: Would tracking kids’ location and web activity, what they type, increase of pedophiles luring kids on the web, inappropriate apps and chat rooms, data profiling be such a huge problem if we limited tech in schools, and schools used books instead of 1:1 devices?
Sure teach age appropriate tech use to older kids, but don’t let the screen replace teachers teaching and grading and interacting with students. Teach tech with tech classes. Teach subjects like math and reading with books. Students remember better and score better with paper pencil/ books instead of a screen.
Teach with pencils, human teachers and textbooks please.
And some replies to this post:
Our district device installed VPN bypasses at home network security.
so, if a student takes the device home, no security?
If a parent has restricted any sites, like YouTube or Facebook etc., the VPN bypasses restrictions. Not ALL websites would be available but it certainly takes away the parents control over where their kids are spending time.
wow. Talk about overriding parent authority. And safety. JustWow.
And another post from her:
White House considers new project seeking links between mental health and violent behavior: HARPA.
By Jacqueline Alemany
August 22
The White House has been briefed on a proposal to develop a way to identify early signs of changes in people with mental illness that could lead to violent behavior.
Supporters see the plan as a way President Trump could move the ball forward on gun control following recent mass shootings as efforts seem to be flagging to impose harsher restrictions such as background checks on gun purchases.
The proposal is part of a larger initiative to establish a new agency called the Health Advanced Research Projects Agency or HARPA, which would sit inside the Health and Human Services Department. Its director would be appointed by the president, and the agency would have a separate budget, according to three people with knowledge of conversations around the plan.
HARPA would be modeled on DARPA, the highly successful Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency that serves as the research arm of the Pentagon and collaborates with other federal agencies, the private sector and academia.
The concept was advanced by the Suzanne Wright Foundation and first discussed by officials on the Domestic Policy Council and senior White House staffers in June 2017. But the idea has gained momentum in the wake of the latest mass shootings that killed 31 people in one weekend in El Paso and Dayton, Ohio.
The Suzanne Wright Foundation re-approached the administration last week and proposed that HARPA include a “Safe Home” — “Stopping Aberrant Fatal Events by Helping Overcome Mental Extremes” — project. Officials discussed the proposal at the White House last week, said two people familiar with the discussions. These people and others spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the conversations.
The attempt to use volunteer data to identify “neurobehavioral signs” of “someone headed toward a violent explosive act” would be a four-year project costing an estimated $40 million to $60 million, according to Geoffrey Ling, the lead scientific adviser on HARPA and a founding director of DARPA’s Biological Technologies Office.
“Everybody would be a volunteer,” Ling said in an interview. “We’re not inventing new science here. We’re analyzing it so we can develop new approaches.
“This is going to have to be done using scientific rigor,” he said.
But there are plenty of researchers and mental health experts who believe that mental health and gun violence aren’t necessarily linked.
Mental illness can sometimes be a factor in such violent acts, experts say, but it is rarely a predictor — most studies show that no more than a quarter of mass shooters have a diagnosed mental illness. More commonly shared attributes of mass shooters include a strong sense of resentment, desire for notoriety, obsession with other shooters, a history of domestic violence, narcissism and access to firearms.
In the immediate aftermath of Dayton and El Paso, Trump said he might support background checks for all gun purchases and “red flag” laws to deny guns to those deemed a hazard to themselves or others. But Trump on Tuesday called universal background checks off the table in a conversation with the head of the National Rifle Association, though he later denied saying that.
The president has said he thinks mentally ill people are primarily responsible for the spate of mass shootings in the United States. And this proposal is likely to be welcomed by Republicans and gun-rights activists who have argued the same thing.
“We’re looking at the whole gun situation,” Trump said last week. “I do want people to remember the words ‘mental illness.’ These people are mentally ill. . . . I think we have to start building institutions again because, you know, if you look at the ’60s and ’70s, so many of these institutions were closed.”
Trump has reacted “very positively” to the HARPA proposal, according to a person with knowledge of the discussions and has been “sold on the concept.” But it’s unclear whether the president has reviewed the new “Safe Home” component of the proposal and creating an entire agency would be a huge lift in Congress.
“Every time this has been brought up inside the White House — even up to the presidential level, it’s been very well-received,” a person familiar with discussions said. “HARPA is the health-care equivalent of DARPA, and it’s a great legacy project for the president, one he is uniquely positioned to get done.”
That person said that Trump could benefit in a variety of ways from getting behind a project like HARPA right now.
“There is no doubt that addressing this issue helps the president deal with two issues he has yet to find real success on: one is the health-care front and one is on the gun-violence front,” the person added.
Trump has a close personal relationship with Bob Wright, who founded the Suzanne Wright Foundation after his wife passed away from pancreatic cancer. Wright is the former chair of NBC and was in that job while Trump headlined “The Apprentice.”
Wright sees Ivanka Trump as the most effective champion of the proposal and has previously briefed her on HARPA himself, Wright said.
“It would be perfect for her to do it — we need someone with some horsepower — someone like her driving it. … It could get done,” said one official familiar with the conversations. “We’d be able to put every resource of federal government, from the highest levels of the scientific community to say: ‘This is how people with these problems should be treated and have limited access to firearms.’ ”
The HARPA proposal was initially pitched as a project to improve the mortality rate of pancreatic cancer through innovative research to better detect and cure diseases. Despite internal support over the past two years, the model ran into what was described as “institutional barriers to progress,” according to a person familiar with the conversations.
“He’s very achievement oriented and I think all presidents have difficulties with science,” Wright said in an interview. “I think their political advisers say, ‘No that’s not a game for you,’ so they sort of back off a bit.”
He added: “But the president has a real opportunity here to leave a legacy in health care.”
The idea is for the agency to develop a “sensor suite” using advanced artificial intelligence to try to identify changes in mental status that could make an individual more prone to violent behavior. The research would ultimately be opened to the public.
HARPA would develop “breakthrough technologies with high specificity and sensitivity for early diagnosis of neuropsychiatric violence,” says a copy of the proposal. “A multi-modality solution, along with real-time data analytics, is needed to achieve such an accurate diagnosis.”
The document goes on to list a number of widely used technologies it suggests could be employed to help collect data, including Apple Watches, Fitbits, Amazon Echo and Google Home. The document also mentions “powerful tools” collected by health-care provides like fMRIs, tractography and image analysis.
“Advanced analytical tools based on artificial intelligence and machine learning are rapidly improving and must be applied to the data,” states the document.
Those familiar with the project stressed it would not collect sensitive health data about individuals without their permission. The government is simply trying to identify risk factors when it comes to mental health that could indicate violent behavior, they said.
“Privacy must be safeguarded. Profiling must be avoided. Data protection capabilities will be the cornerstone of this effort.”
Proponents of the plan say that an agency like HARPA, which applies technology being used in other fields to develop medical breakthroughs, is long overdue.
“DARPA is a brilliant model that works. They have developed the most transformational capabilities in the world for national security,” said Liz Feld, the president of the Suzanne Wright Foundation, saying those techniques had yet to be applied to health care. “We’re not leveraging the tools and technologies available to us to improve and save lives.”
How interesting that this proposal is titled “Safe Home” – Stopping Aberrant Fatal Events by Helping Overcome Mental Extremes – Makes me think of all the Home Visit bills being pushed through. “SAFE HOME involves using artificial intelligence (AI) to look for changes in a person’s mental state that could indicate that they might become violent.
Volunteer data would be used to discover “neurobehavioral signs” of “someone headed toward a violent explosive act.”
And some replies to this post:
Aaack! All this predictive garbage. Psychology is really taking over education and has that long history of doing so. I feel they’re digging into the areas of psych that are rather dark…Skinner, Wundt, Vygotsky…Imho: “Safe” = “Not Safe” .
It’s not mental illness. It’s demonic influence. 😔
Domonic influence by the very people that are supposed to help people with emotional problems. They false label men, women and children, put them on psychotropic drugs with side effects like suicidal and homicidal thoughts, then send them into society to wreck havoc.
Psychiatrists and the Pharmaceutical companies are behind all of it while making things worse and making Billions.
cchrint.org
So this is supposed to be about keeping guns away from people with mental illness who are about to become violent? And this would solve the mass shooting problem? What does NAMI have to say about this? Are we looking at preventive detention? What could possibly go wrong? HARPA/DARPA–has an awful ring to it
Here is a post from an Ohio anti-Common Core group:
<<This year, it looked like a single tear running down the face of one of my sweetest students. When I asked her afterwards why she was crying, she told me that she worked so hard but she couldn’t figure out some of the answers. She was so, so sorry that she was letting me down. She worried that her family would be ashamed of her score.
What an awful burden to place on a ten year old.>>
Here is a post from a Nevada anti-Common Core group:
Are there any parent’s of a 3rd grader(s) here who have been able to opt out of the literacy/reading portion of the MAP test without any issues? If you have been able to may I please ask what school and what the process was?
I am currently battling my son’s school, Veteran’s Memorial STEM Academy. The principal is directing me to the WCSD Assessment Board, which is telling her that it is illegal for me to do so. My son was given the test after I was told he wouldn’t be…against my wishes and without informing me they had changed their stance. I haven’t spoken to the Assessment Board yet. They are calling SB391 from 2015 into play.
Thank you for any input.
And some replies to this post:
Ask for a link to the law
I have it. I just don’t agree with their interpretation and what they are saying it says and doesn’t say. I’ve read over and over again.
where is it ?
SB391 from 2015. I only have it in a PDF format.
They lied to you. Found no criminal or civil law. Merely approved tests. Teacher training. That’s it, in Nev admin code same way.
This may help
Wishing you much success- fighting everyone on opting out was an uphill battle and got harder every year for us. We are now at a private school with no MAP ,no SBAC, no cell phones, no chromebooks, saying the Pledge of Allegiance is mandatory, etc. worth every dollar and cent.
I still say you are owed your childs portion of taxpayer money designated for children’s education. I believe that money should follow the child. In know that belief, so far, is opposed by the powers that be but i am hoping that somewhere in the US it will get proved in court.
That sounds great [name redacted]! What part of NV are you in? Even some of the private schools around here still use things like Chromebooks when they obviously don’t have to, and I do not understand why they would do that.
I read sb391. Approves assessments, and provides for professional development. Saw nothing requiring parent to comply and remain silent. Exercise your right of refusal.
Are the opt out rules different for charter schools? Or do all parents in the state have the right to opt out?
it is very hard to opt out of charter schools..they threaten parents in all kinds of ways.. They know all kids do not get in because of the lottery pick. They want 100% participation so that they can boast they are a 5 star school.
So, I just read through our school’s updated handbook for this year and saw that they have now instituted a “No Opt Out Policy” for testing. I am NOT happy about that. Do we have any recourse if it’s a charter school?
you can talk directly to the Principal and ask what will happen if your child doesn’t show up during testing hours
But kids are being opted out at schools, besides the one my son goes too…
For the SBAC, I talked to the Principal, told her I was against it, gave her the reasons why, she gave me her reasons as to why she wants my daughter to take it (basically to keep their 5 star rating because they get points based on 100% participation, scores, etc). We still refused, we signed in my daughter late every day of the testing and everything seemed to be just fine..UNTIL, the VP pulled a fast one the following week. She pulled aside my daughter, put her to a computer, told her to sign in and out and that I SAID IT WAS OKAY. My daughter believed her and signed in and out. And there you have it, they got their 100% participation points..and my daughter received the lowest score on the test. I was outraged, we left messages, and emails for both the Principal & VP. We left the school and are not looking back. Charters think they are better than public – I think they are the same and actually think it is easier to opt out at a public school. My kids have attended both.
Here is a post from a friend of mine:
Schools spent millions of dollars on devices and programs; some question how much it’s helping
By
Betsy Morris and Tawnell D. Hobbs
Sept. 3, 2019 11:15 am ET
When Baltimore County, Md., public schools began going digital five years ago, textbooks disappeared from classrooms and paper and pencils were no longer encouraged. All students from kindergarten to 12th grade would eventually get a laptop, helping the district reach the “one-to-one” ratio of one for each child that has become coveted around the country. Teaching apps and digital courses took the place of flashcards and notebooks.
Despite the investment, academic results have mostly slipped in the district of about 115,000 students.
Over the last decade, American schools embraced technology, spending millions of dollars on devices and apps, believing its disruptive power would help many children learn faster, stay in school and be more prepared for a competitive economy. Now many parents and teachers are starting to wonder if all the disruption was a good idea.

Baltimore County public schools began going digital five years ago, with students from kindergarten to 12th grade getting laptops. PHOTO: GREG KAHN FOR THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
Technology has made it easier for students and teachers to communicate and collaborate. It engages many students and allows them to learn at their own pace. But early indications are that tech isn’t a panacea for education. Researchers at the Rand Corp. and elsewhere say there is no clear evidence showing which new tech-related education offerings or approaches work in schools.
The uncertainty is feeding alarm among some parents already worried about the amount of time their children spend attached to digital devices. Some believe technology is not doing much to help their kids learn, setting up a clash with tech advocates who say technology is the future of education.
Across the country—in Boston, Fort Wayne, Ind., and Austin, Texas—parents are demanding proof technology works as an educational tool, and insisting on limits. They’re pushing schools to offer low- or screen-free classrooms, picketing board meetings to protest all the online classes and demanding more information about what data is collected on students.
In April, a report from the National Education Policy Center, a nonpartisan research group at the University of Colorado at Boulder, found the rapid adoption of the mostly proprietary technology in education to be rife with “questionable educational assumptions . . . self-interested advocacy by the technology industry, serious threats to student privacy and a lack of research support.”
Proponents say schools must have technology. “We are moving into a time of exponential change,” says Keith Krueger, CEO of Consortium for School Networking, an association for school tech officers that also includes tech companies. “Schools are not at the leading edge of technology but technology is reaching a tipping point in the way learning happens.” He says, “Schools need to determine how to equip [students] to be smart digital citizens.”
Earlier this year, Cynthia Boyd, watched as her daughter, Jane, then a Baltimore County first-grader, poked at a keyboard on a family laptop in response to math problems on the screen, part of her public school’s math class. (She had a laptop assigned to her by the school, but first-graders don’t bring them home.) An interactive program delivered an image of a token on the screen when she completed an assignment. She could then trade in those tokens to play games.
To Dr. Boyd, a professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins, it looks more like a video game than a math class. She isn’t sure if the lessons are sticking with Jane and worries about the hyper-stimulating screen time.
“I feel like my kids have been part of a huge massive experiment I have no control over,” says Dr. Boyd, who also has two sons aged 13 and 15. Liam, the younger son, began learning on screens three years ago and Graham, the older son, began learning on them four years ago.
There is a role for technology in school, she says, but it is a matter of how much and at what age. She has seen the benefits: Her younger son learned how to type, as well as the basics of computer programming and the logic involved. Tech allowed her oldest son to build a website for a history project and enabled him to learn how to use online original documents from the Library of Congress.
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Baltimore County’s latest results on state standardized tests, released last week, were so disappointing they prompted a letter to parents from the district’s new school superintendent, Darryl Williams. In English language arts and math, “far too few of our students are meeting or exceeding expectations. …We can and must do better,” he wrote.
About 37% of the county’s students in grades 3-8 were proficient in English language arts, compared to about 44% statewide. In math, about 27% of the students were proficient, compared to 33% statewide.
Dr. Williams wasn’t available for comment. A school district spokesman said Dr. Williams and his academic team will be closely evaluating what role, if any, the laptop program has played in the district’s performance.
Baltimore County said earlier this year it would scale back the ratio of laptops in first and second grades to one for every five students. A few miles away, in Montgomery County, a new curriculum this fall will return textbooks, paper and pencils to the classroom to supplement laptops.
In both cases, school officials say they were responding, in part, to parents and teachers. Baltimore County’s early-learning teachers said they didn’t need so many laptops. Parents wanted their children to “have a mixed media experience touching paper and reading books and down on the carpet without a device in their hands,” said Ryan Imbriale, who heads the school district’s department of innovative learning.

Teachers at an elementary school in Montgomery County, Md. PHOTO: GREG KAHN FOR THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
In Montgomery County, which was due for a curriculum change, “we heard loud and clear from parents,” said Dr. Maria Navarro, Chief Academic Officer. Among other things, “they are very concerned about the amount of screen time” in school.
Technology is a useful part of learning, Dr. Navarro says. It is especially effective when it allows aspiring engineers and architects to build simulations in a high-school drafting class, for instance, or non-native English speakers to get an instant translation by touching a word in their reading assignment. “The question is what’s the best use of this tool,” she says, “and what’s the right quality and quantity.”
Montgomery County schools improved in nearly all categories in the results released last week, with average gains better than those seen statewide for students in grades 3 through 8.
Technology certainly helps solve some big problems. At a time when all 50 states report teacher shortages, instructors are being live-streamed into classrooms to remotely fill vacancies in about 180 school districts. In places such as Hot Springs, Va., Alphabet Inc. ’s Google has wired school buses, turning them into rolling study halls for students with long commutes and sometimes patchy or nonexistent Wi-Fi at home. Google says the program, a pilot which is in 15 school districts in 13 states, will be funded at least through the end of this school year.
Tech-enabled “flipped learning” is growing rapidly, embraced by many educators as a more efficient use of time. It mainly calls for students to watch taped lectures online at night and apply the new knowledge the next day, eliminating using class time to teach full lessons, allowing students to get right to work. Flipped learning is expected to be a $2.4 global billion business next year, compared with less than $500 million in 2015, according to a recent study from technavio.com, a market research firm.

Google has wired school buses in some districts so students can use the internet on long commutes. PHOTO: JASON LAPPA FOR THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
The widespread prevalence of technology in American schools, often known for changing at a glacial pace, has been jarring for large numbers of parents, teachers and administrators—many of whom were big proponents just a few years ago.
The school devices are undermining parents’ struggle to limit screen time. They say their children find ways at school to bypass their schools’ internet filters and can find their way onto YouTube exposing them to X-rated and violent content. They can kill time in class by shopping online or playing games.
It was just eight years ago that President Barack Obama signaled in his State of the Union Address that he envisioned U.S. students reading digital textbooks; soon after, his administration set a five-year goal. The call was hardly controversial; it was premised on the widespread belief that digital innovations would boost graduation rates, help close the persistent socio-economic achievement gap and keep American students from falling behind their peers in other countries.
The Trump administration’s Education Secretary, Betsy DeVos, is a proponent, saying in a statement “When applied appropriately, technology in the classroom opens up a world of possibilities for students.”
Device usage in schools is rising. A 2018 report by the Consortium for School Networking found 59% of high schools reported that all of their students had access to non-shared devices, compared with 53% the year prior. Middle schools reported 63% of all students had access from 56%. Elementary use was at 29% from 25%. In some cases, schools provide the devices and in others, students bring their own.
Alphabet Inc.’s Google has 60% of the school device market; Apple Inc. and Microsoft Inc. split the rest about equally, according to Futuresource Consulting, a market research and data analytics firm.
The digital push coincided with the rise in enthusiasm for personalized learning. Championed by advocates including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the tailored-to-the-child approach is designed to allow students to learn according to their needs and interests—at their own pace and often not in sync with classmates.
The flexibility is made possible by individually assigned laptops and tens of thousands of new digital learning programs.
“Technology is one tool—an extremely promising one if we use it well. But we have to be clear-eyed,” says Robert L. Hughes, who directs U.S. K-12 Education for the Gates foundation. He says there is still “wide variation” in performance—between classrooms, schools and districts using technology to personalize learning. “It is the very early days.”
Mr. Gates has indicated problems are to be expected in the early stages of educational software development. “The stand-alone textbook is becoming a thing of the past,” he wrote in the foundation’s annual letter in February. What happens next? “The same basic cycle you go through for all software: get lots of feedback on the existing products, collect data on what works and make them better,” he wrote.
A foundation spokesman said Mr. Gates wasn’t available to comment.
Silicon Valley’s biggest names, including Facebook Inc. Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg, Netflix Inc. Chief Executive Reed Hastings and Steve Jobs ’s widow, Laurene Powell Jobs, have also invested in their own efforts to apply technology to improve education.
The individualized learning approach assumes that if given choices and goals, children will stay motivated to do their best. Some parents say that is asking a lot of many kids.
“Put screens in front of children and they aren’t thinking ‘I can’t wait to do research,’ they’re thinking, ‘Let’s play Candy Crush,’” says Melanie Hempe, a Charlotte, N.C., mother and author of a book for parents who want to limit computer use called “Screen Strong.”
Meaghan Edwards, an Austin-area mother, volunteered to read to her son’s third-grade class last year. After 15 minutes, she says the teacher announced: “It’s free time, you can pull out your iPads until lunch,” she recalls. Ms. Edwards watched while her child played a math game on his school-issued iPad. This year, she’s going to home-school her two sons to avoid the iPads.

Jane Lucas, with her mother, Cynthia Boyd, in Maryland. PHOTO: GREG KAHN FOR THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
Maryland is one of the states grappling most aggressively with how to calibrate the role of technology in schools, this summer requiring officials to create a set of best practices for devices in the classroom. About half the guidelines address health issues like proper ergonomics and eye safety. Others remind teachers to promote student collaboration and reward good behavior with social and physical activity—not more screen time.
Many teachers support using technology broadly, but are concerned over whether it is being used too much or in the right way.
Diane Birdwell, a world history teacher in Dallas, said when she allowed students to use devices, they were not only distracted by pop-up alerts but didn’t retain information or comprehend as well when reading it on paper.
“It has hampered their ability to think on their own,” said Ms. Birdwell, a 58-year-old teacher of 20 years. “They don’t know how to calculate basic math functions in their minds. They are being mentally crippled by these things.”
Florence Kao, a Montgomery County, Md., lawyer, says that since third grade, her two sons have been using Google Slides, part of Google’s office suite, for their projects. They are now PowerPoint design experts, she says, picking colors, fonts, background images and deciding whether to put each slide in a bubble or a frame. “The ratio of time they spend writing on each slide compared to embellishing it is probably 10% to 90%,” she says. She wonders how well they’re learning to write.

Lisa Menter, a first-grade teacher, prepares her classroom in Montgomery County, Md. PHOTO: GREG KAHN FOR THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
Montgomery County schools have roughly 1,000 apps, digital curriculum offerings and other online tools that teachers have chosen to use. Until recently, there was no process in place to evaluate if they meet privacy requirements and are used only for educational purposes, among other things, according to the district. That number is about average nationwide, says Amelia Vance, director of the Education Privacy Project at the Future of Privacy Forum.
Some Montgomery County parents formed a Safe Tech Committee that now meets with the district’s chief tech officer, Pete Cevenini to report problem apps and share other concerns. He has set up a protocol for teachers and administrators to vet apps. As the start of the school year approaches, 22% have been vetted.
A report from Rand Corp. in October cited a lack of rigorous evidence showing which new education practices and tools are effective, saying the offerings are “relatively immature, fragmented and of uneven quality.” In a peer-reviewed article, the research firm described strategies to guide teachers and administrators “in the absence of proven-effective models.”
Dr. Boyd, the Johns Hopkins professor, says all her children have been frustrated by digital courses. Liam didn’t have a textbook to accompany a science class. Eventually, Jane’s math program wouldn’t let her advance and win more tokens and games.

Jane Lucas, 7, sews with her mother, Cynthia Boyd, while her brothers, Graham, 15, and Liam, 13, far right, play a game. PHOTO: GREG KAHN FOR THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
Graham was a year ahead in math when he was in sixth grade. But his math program couldn’t evaluate how well he was able to work out problems on scratch paper. An algorithmic program sent him back to fourth-grade for some skills to relearn material he had learned long before. Graham began “to think math was awful,” Dr. Boyd recalls.
Her sons have since switched to private schools where the curriculum is less technology intensive. She is glad Jane’s school district is re-evaluating and making changes.
At a gathering at a Panera in Rockville, Md., parents shared worries about how technology is impacting their children’s abilities to learn. One mother said her four children “think it is just so humorous they would put a toy in the classroom,” referring to the laptops. “Even a child knows that it is silly.”
And another post from her:
😳Thread !!!!!!!!
And yet another post from her:
Just going to leave this here for all the 1:1 chromebook and iPad schools to consider. Have you thought about the consequences when you require kids to be on devices at school? How will you protect children?
Here is a post from the Utah anti-Common Core group:
does anyone opt out of iReady? My kids are already being set up with accounts containing their picture, name, and birth dates linked to their test results. It officially creeped them out.
Here is a post that was shared in an anti-Common Core group:
Being forced into a different career path at 63 was certainly not my choice. John Marshall Middle School was not my first choice to land at as a teacher. With that said, please pray for me and the rest of our teachers.
Every day has been difficult, but yesterday was the worst. During another riot two of our female teachers were taken to to ground, kicked, and repeatedly hit. One teacher was transported by ambulance to the hospital. The other was treated at the scene. I myself was hit and repeatedly pushed around in my wheelchair while in the middle of the mob attempting to protect the teachers on the ground.
This is not the first riot like this. I have witnessed too many students taken away in handcuffs. I have been cursed everyday and truly teach in fear. Pray for God’s Spirit to fall on our school.
And here are the replies to this post:
My grandson graduated college, taught and coached 1 year and gave it up. Said the kids are too bad, and they can’t do anything about it. They need to put spankings back in schools, make the kids know they mean it. Less punishment than detention homes and prisons.
some schools still give swats, especially in rural schools. Those schools don’t have these issues. I know that’s not popular, but I know a little about students. My husband and I had a combination of over 60 years in public ed. Students get away with what they are allowed to do. Admin can’t be afraid of public opinion, they need to run the school and need to empower the teachers and staff.
I’m sorry our schools are allowing this behavior by 13-14 year olds! What will they be like when they are 18?
We raised 5 children, and they knew if they got in trouble at school, they got it again at home. I’m glad to say that they raised their children the same way. Obedience starts at home, and many parents are letting the kids make the rules.
My husband graduated from John Marshall in 1989. It was rough then. I was a middle school teacher for a while. If you need help-even making copies I’m here. pm me
This post came from [name redacted]’s page. An individual posted this:
I know one of the teachers attacked and this was a serious serious situation, This needs to be looked at and addressed. The staff and the students are unsafe and the leadership at the school is abysmal. The teacher sustained a concussion and two broken ribs. This was a serious assault and the principal did literally nothing,
Middle schools are a jungle anyways. Today’s middle schools are filled with kids that don’t respect teachers much less themselves. The language and behavior is awful. Their desire to improve their situation isn’t at the forefront of their minds. A fair portion are just trying to get through the day.
So sorry [name redacted], you nor any other teacher deserves this, this is country wide, here in Columbus, the School System has hired their own police security for the schools, separately from the regular police. Respect is not being taught for anyone today, Parents have to step up. I worry so much for my grandkids safety. Prayers for all.
My name is [name redacted]. I’m a reporter with Channel 4 in OKC. I have spoken with John Marshall. Their story is very different. We would like to report what people saw. Can someone willing to speak to us call me at [number redacted]. Thank you.
I am off the record at this point. I am waiting for advice from an attorney as to whether or not I can lose my job by talking to the news. That said, I was in the middle of the mob. I am handicapped in a wheelchair. I witnessed two teachers on the ground. One, Ms. Carla Maus, was repeatedly struck by a student. As a result, she has a concussion, and several ribs with hairline fractures. I myself was hit in the upper right shoulder. There is video of the entire episode on the school’s surveillance and there is student video. Please understand that we have a good school with some great teachers and administrators that are trying their best. Again, I am off the record for now.
adly it had been my experience that school administrations try to cover up this sort of incident . I have been told that when teachers try to file assault charges against those little thugs they are strongly discouraged by higher ups.
this is true.
It’s called lawlessness
2 Timothy 3:1 But understand this, that in the last days difficult times will come. 2 For people will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 unloving, irreconcilable, slanderers, without self-control, savage, opposed to what is good, 4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, loving pleasure rather than loving God.
What I do know is what I heard from other teachers yesterday indicates brawls are a regular event, police involvement is a regular event, the school doesn’t have the bare minimums to have any chance of success, and both the teachers and kids are being put in a “set up to fail” situation.
My kids go to school there and have never experienced the type of horror they experience since they have been attending this school. This does start at home. I had to go the school Monday and talk to one of the assistant principals about some girls trying to bully my daughter and he brushed my complaint off and really didn’t seem to care. He looked as if my complaint wasn’t that serious to him. My daughter said he pulled her and one of the girls in his office and made them shake hands. I’m praying for a the Lord to send me some kind of guidance as to how to get my kids out of there.
My kids went through the same thing at Douglass. Everything was brushed off daily. Even when the group brought knifes and tasers to school for my girls. They didn’t get suspended for the year. I was beyond shocked and had to take matters into my own hands. Sad but true
Douglass was horrible as far as the students
It’s not only the teachers that are scared..some of the kids are scared too..my son comes from Quail Creek Elementary and has never been exposed to this type of crap.. I’m in the process of trying to get him out of there
I have been reading the posts about what happened at John Marshall. I taught in rural schools for 33 years. I can’t imagine trying to have class in these conditions. Sadly many of these kids don’t have parents who really care about them. Even in small schools we saw this. It takes lots of prayer from everyone and consistency in discipline to make a change. Unfortunately it’s not a quick fix.
John Marshall Middle School used to be greystone elementary. The kids that graduated from greystone elementary 6th grade class went to John Marshall high school, now all the 7th and 8th graders have to turn around and come back to what is now called John Marshall Middle School this year after being a part of a mid high School… They turned schools Britton & north Highlands elementary in to just grades k through 4…so all those 5th and 6th graders are there at the new John Marshall Middle School… Kids from the former North Highlands elementary & Britton Elementary never really got along… Rival neighborhoods etc… Now they are all under one school.
My son attends John Marshall and he had a problem with three other boys ganging up on him. That school is ridiculous and they tried to suspend my son even though he went to the office to report it.
They closed down 19 schools in urban areas quietly over the summer these kids know what’s happening around them and they need grief counselors . I don’t condone the ignorant behavior but thses kids need help
I knew two people who quit teaching due to aggressive and abusive students. One in Bethany and another in Midwest City. This has been years ago. So very sad. One retired and the other left teaching altogether.
Do Britton Elementary students go to John Marshall Middle School? My daughter taught one year at Britton and it was so bad that she quit teaching all together. Even kindergarteners would start physically fighting in the middle of class. One kindergartener (not one of her students) stabbed the class pet hamster to death with a pencil. There’s a lot of gang activity in that area, so a lot of these kids are taught to be mean and evil from the time they’re born.
patriotmongoose 