Parents: Have You Taken A Look At Your Child's Homework Lately???

     Over two years ago, in July of 2012, I began writing of the dangers of the Federal Government in our Education system, and their attempt to nationalize the content of instruction in every public school across the nation.  I warned that Federal programs such as CSCOPE and COMMON CORE were undermining American values and indoctrinating our children.
     I followed up that post with one in February of 2013, pointing out the concerted efforts to teach our public school children that the Boston Tea Party was an act of terrorism; Christians were cannibals;  and that students were forced to draw a socialist flag while imagining a new socialist country.  At that time, I became aware that the most insidious deception involved the teachings surrounding Islam.

     The curriculum teaches our kids that "Non-Muslims in conquerored territory are allowed religious freedom (for an additional tax)."  (Try telling that to the hundreds of thousands of people fleeing from the murderous rampage of ISIS in Iraq and Syria.) But our kids will only be taught that "Allah is the Almighty God…Allah alone is the Creator, He alone deserves our devout love and worship.”
    Yes, I've been writing about the duplicitous intent of the Department of Education for over two years now.  There have been some victories for truth, and far too many defeats; and for the most part, I'm afraid that many parents may be unaware of what their children are being taught in the name of "advanced current thinking."
     Now The End Begins website reports that "Children are being forced to say the shahada, and forced to learn the Five Pillars Of Islam."  If you are wondering, "Why should that concern me?" or think there is no problem with your child learning about other cultures, I would ask you to consider this:  NTEB's report also includes this bit of information ...  "When Muslims force Christians to convert, they are forced to say the shahada (the Muslim declaration of faith). The Arabic writing on the black flag of jihad (also known as the al Qaeda flag or ISIS flag) is the shahada. This chant of supremacism and imperialism is being forced on American school kids."  Does that make you sit up and take notice?  It should!
     The article tells other stories ... about a mother helping her 7th grade daughter study her Social Studies homework, which consisted of vocabulary words like Qur’an, Mosque, Alms, Caliph, Jihad, Sunnis, Shiites.  Furthermore, she discovered that her daughter's assignments instructed her to "draw detailed pictures of the 5 pillars of Islam and write a word collage of all that is good with Islam."
     Just imagine if a school's curriculum included lessons that asked students to study words like Jehovah, Tithing, Pentateuch or Communion; or if a student was told to memorize the 10 Commandments or write a short story about all that is good with Christianity.  You would have the ACLU, the Freedom From Religion Foundation, and every anti-Christian organization in the country filing suit!
     The good news about this particular parent's experience is that she became active this year in getting appointed to a schoolbook review board at her daughter's school; educated herself on what the Constitution says about favoring a religion; and started uniting parents through social media, in a consolidated effort to make other parents aware.
     She's not the only parent who is outraged over this reeducation of our school children.  You might have seen this story on The Kelly File on Fox News.  Marine and Iraq war veteran Kevin Woods was not happy that his 11th grade daughter was asked to write a paper on the 5 pillars of Islam, Mecca (the holiest place in Islam), and the prophet Mohammad.  He called the school and reportedly told them he disagreed with his daughter being taught these subjects.  His argument was based on our inability to mention God in the classroom, say the Pledge of Allegiance, and pray before a football game.  

     But school officials say they "are not teaching religion; they are teaching world history."  You can imagine after serving our country where Islam is the predominant religion, he just might have a difference of opinion.  And being a Marine, his language was probably pretty colorful.  That got him a no-trespass order from the local police, for being "threatening."  But he's standing by his convictions, and after the school refused to give his daughter an alternative lesson, she will be refusing to submit to the propaganda and will most likely receive an F for the class.
     These stories are not out-of-the-ordinary.  What frustrates me, is this has been going on for at least two years, and is most likely deeply entrenched -- not only in your school system, but in your child's mind!  I cannot stress how this invasive curriculum is undermining our country ... it's not education; it's not world history; and it's certainly not teaching cultural diversity --- it's brainwashing and proselytizing!  And to be honest, it's being done throughout all grade levels.  It's not just your college kids you have to worry about being taught anti-American and anti-Christian doctrines.  Common Core has a curriculum for Kindergarten through 12th grade!  They are trying to change the basic belief systems of our kids!
     As long as Common Core is a continuing threat to mislead our children and change what this country has stood for, I will continue to write about it to wake up as many parents as I can.  This tactic is not new and is actually prophesied by Jesus.  In Matthew 10, He tells us that children will rise up against their parents.  What better way for Evil to infiltrate a nation or a people, than to turn the hearts and minds of the children against all that their parents have taught them?  And think how easy it is to do, when the parents aren't even aware the campaign has begun?
     I beg you, PLEASE take the time to do some research about what your children's curriculum includes.  Question them, look over their assignments and peruse their schoolbooks.  And be like these parents I've mentioned.  Speak up, and speak out!  Do not be silenced or threatened by School officials or School Boards.  There is an evil-intentioned agenda eating away at the center of our national identity, and it is stealthy and persistent.  The infection has begun, and unless we are vigilant and relentless in bringing it to light, it will succeed in poisoning us.  Time is running out!

Psalm 14:12    "There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death."
   

Aren't You Glad Your Money Is Supporting This?

     Did you know that nearly half of the abortion industry giant Planned Parenthood's budget is derived from taxpayers?  Or did you know that at least a portion of the additional $75 million per year Obamacare appropriates for “sex counseling” through the Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREP) will also go to Planned Parenthood(PP)?  That's what Breitbart.com reports in an extremely disturbing article, titled "Planned Parenthood:  Girls Experiment With Getting 'Spanked', 'Whipped", or 'Hit' ".
    I have long tried to ring the bell against the foundational principles of Planned Parenthood and its heroes, such as Margaret Sanger.  But the latest revelations are beyond horrific!  The ramifications for our society spell certain doom.  The Breitbart article references a group called Live Action, which is a pro-life group that is exposing Planned Parenthood's dangerous "counseling" practices to young teen women.  Live Action sent in an undercover investigator, posing as a 15-year-old girl asking for information on sexual practices.  I urge you to watch the video, but caution you that it will make your stomach turn.  This particular video shows PP staffers in Oregon advising this young girl "that it’s very common to experiment with different things," including "being tied up" and "whipped" and doing "the baby thing, where they will put on diapers."

     Other videos show PP staffers in Indianapolis "giving advice to an undercover investigator on how to engage in bondage/discipline and sadomasochistic sex (BDSM), in addition to accessing sex shops and pornographic websites."  Breitbart also provides info on the Denver PP office "offering suggestions, in graphic detail, of a spectrum of sadistic sexual behaviors, including 'whipping,' 'tying up,' and 'asphyxiation'. "  And my taxpayer dollars are supporting this filth!?!
      Oh, but I'm not finished yet!  Planned Parenthood's involvement with PREP proclaims that the program is “the first federal funding stream for programs that teach about abstinence and contraception for the prevention of pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs).”  You might think that sounds positive, but read on .... “These programs censor vital information from young people, who have the right to complete, accurate information that will allow them to make informed decisions about their sexual health.”   And I'm assuming that PP and PREP think that young girls need to be informed about sado-masochism, right?
     Is anyone else outraged that Planned Parenthood receives over $500 million annually of taxpayer funds to distribute this kind of toxic and aberrant sexual ideology?  There is absolutely no socially redeeming benefits for disseminating this vile instruction!
     I whole-heartedly agree with Lila Rose, President of Live Action:  "Whether you're liberal or conservative, or even pro-life or pro-abortion, tax-funded 'counseling' sessions directing kids to porn sites and sex shops, and teaching them how to beat and choke each other, are completely unacceptable."  Has Satan completely pervaded our government, our society and our moral sensibilities?  Please, God, protect this generation of young people who are being deceived.  This spiritual battle is Yours to win; we have failed miserably.

1 Thessalonians 4:3-5    "For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God;"

Our Children's Immoral Education

   

     I'm sure most of you are aware of William Baer's arrest for breaking the two-minute speaking rule at his local New Hampshire school board meeting.  Mr. Baer, who made it a habit to be involved in his daughter's education, and often frequented and spoke at such meetings, made the huge mistake of daring to question the curriculum that was selected for his daughter.

     You see, he was alarmed when a friend visiting his home picked up a book that had been assigned as reading material for his 14-year-old daughter.  When Baer took a closer look, he found graphic sexual content.  The book, Nineteen Minutes, by popular young adult author, Jodi Picoult, has as its theme a school shooting and a behind-the-scenes look at the shooter, who has been bullied in high school.  

     I'm not exactly sure why Ms. Picoult felt that the use of teenage porn would help illustrate this difficult sociological topic.  As an example, (and I'm sorry if the following passage offends you, but it is necessary to illustrate the degenerate minds that would assign such a book to high school freshmen), the text contains such explicit language as "Semen, sticky and hot, pooled on the carpet beneath her."  It was excerpts such as this that offended Mr. Baer, and why, as a responsible parent, he rose to speak at that school board meeting.

     “I was shocked when I read the passage and not much shocks me anymore,” William Baer told local news outlets. “My wife was stunned by the increasingly graphic nature of the sexual content of the scene and the imagery it evoked.”  When Baer voiced his objections to the book, the School Board asked him to sit down and be respectful of other people.  “Like you’re respectful of my daughter, right? And my children?” he countered.  He was then informed that he had violated the two-minute rule for speaking and a police officer was called in, and he was arrested for disorderly conduct.  School district officials said they normally send out notifications to parents before assigning the controversial book, but forgot to do so this time.  How convenient!

     I have to agree with this outraged father ... how do parents control what their children are exposed to?  “Many people in education and government truly believe our children are theirs,” William Baer said. “That parents are only the custodians who feed them and put a roof over their head. These school incidents are a byproduct of this ‘we know best’ philosophy. They believe they have the authority to do this. If people were more complacent, which is hard to imagine, it’d be even worse.”

     And that's the problem.  Too many parents are complacent, satisfied and uninvolved in their children's education.  I am aware of the popularity of Ms. Picoult's books, but was surprised when I went to Amazon to read the reviews of this particular book.  The reviews were all by adults, who seemed to get some kind of titillation from the subject matter, and, I suspect, the graphic language.  Of the 1,049 reviews of the book (which is considerable), over half of the people gave it the highest score, with comments like this:  "A 5 star book that has pissed off the right wing . Look folks, teenagers have sex. If you haven't had that talk already by 14.. Well your doing the parenting all wrong.. Your raising future adults."  

     To this reviewer, I would say, "Yes, sex has become a huge part of our teenagers' culture... but that's not a good thing, nor acceptable to me.  Furthermore, it is the parent that should decide if their child is emotionally and psychologically ready for such gratuitous language ... not a federally-funded government entity."  Just based on what I understand about the book, I tend to agree with those who gave the book a score of 1.   One comment was, "Not appropriate book for kids, Actually could be written without any sexual explicit scenes in it and would still be a good book. Once again "literature" is following the trash that is put on the television. Don't need a sex scene to sell a book".  Another read, "If this is ok for 14-year-old students to read in public school, then I don't know what the world is coming to!"  Perhaps the most honest comment was this:  "Every parent should be able to censor what their children are exposed to without the fear of being arrested by the state. Enough said, this isn't 1930's Germany, or is it?"

     One of the reviews quoted the entire passage from which I pulled the above obscene excerpt.  I will spare you the debauchery.  I was furious!  It read like trashy adult pornography!  Ms. Picoult may be a successful teenage author, but I question whether she is a healthy choice for the children of our nation.  I applaud her desire to explore the social dynamics of our culture, but I question if she is truly trying to help young people, or writing to sell to voyeuristic adults.  Either way, I find her inclusion of inappropriate sexual content to be a copout and a device to sell more books.

     But back to Mr. Baer's saga.  It did not end with his arrest and posting of a $700 bail.  His 14-year-old daughter, Marina, was present when her father was forcefully removed from the school board meeting, and courageously spoke out, "I just watched my father get arrested because he broke the two-minute rule, at a board of education meeting.  This just shows that you resort to force at the first turn of conflict and I am appalled. So I don’t trust you ... I honestly don’t feel safe around you people."

     The Gilford, New Hampshire School Board later apologized for the “discomfort” the controversial book assignment caused and vowed to allow parents to “accept” material rather than “opt out.”  How about taking an ethical and moral stance and not even considering such material?  

     This is the way Ms. Picoult's own website describes Nineteen Minutes:  Rich with psychological and social insight; a riveting, poignant, and thought-provoking novel.  Does that describe what teenagers are looking for in a novel?  Or is it designed to tantalize the depraved and perverse adult who appears to be a big buyer of her novels?

     I applaud William and Marina Baer for taking a bold stance.  This kind of book is not suitable reading material for 14-year-olds.  We must speak up and never cower from the mounting resistance of a Godless system.

2 Corinthians 12:21   "I fear that when I come again my God may humble Me before you, and I may have to mourn over many of those who sinned earlier and have not repented of the impurity, sexual immorality, and sensuality that they have practiced."

Beware of Discrimination Against Homeschoolers

     World Net Daily has reported a disturbing story of one Indiana-based company who withdrew a job offer to a candidate, once it was discovered that the applicant had been home-schooled.  NiSource, an Indiana-based energy distribution group with operations in Ohio, cited the legal requirements regarding a diploma, as set forth in Chapter 3313 of the Ohio Revised Code, as their reason for rescinding their job offer.
     But legal counsel from the Home School Legal Defense Association, which is representing the homeschool graduate, says there is more to this discriminatory decision than meets the eye.  It all comes back to the system that I have been warning you about since I began this blog .... Common Core.
     By now, you should be well aware of Common Core.  It is a nationalized education system that includes national standards, associated nationalized assessments, and a national student data collection scheme.  Advocates of this State-controlled education policy like to tout its “college- and career-ready” standards—standards they say don't apply to qualified homeschool graduates who don’t have a state-issued and recognized credential.   Obviously, this leads to discrimination against home-schoolers in employment decisions.

     To this argument, the HSLDA opposes Common Core's policy that discriminates against an entire class of people based on how they were educated.  Besides that,  research shows that home-schooled students are well prepared academically and socially for careers and college.  Just because they are educated in a different format doesn't mean they are not qualified for jobs.  When it comes right down to it, it is a person's dedication to learning, and the application of his educational tools, that makes a good job applicant.
     But if it is statistics you want, I've got 'em.  Home-school.com notes that in public schools, the average scores for reading, language and math is at 50 percent.  But homeschoolers score in the 89 percentile in reading, 84th in language, 84th in math and 86th in science.  As college freshman, they carry a grade point average of 3.41, compared to the 3.12 for other students. As seniors, they outscore others 3.46 to 3.16.
     Furthermore, the National Home Education Research Institute characterizes home-schoolers as "participating in local community service more frequently than the general population; they vote and attend public meetings more frequently than the general population; and they go to and succeed at college at an equal or higher rate than the general population."
     Does a home-school education guarantee success in the marketplace or life, for that matter?  No.  Like I said, success is up to the individual.  But, from what I've seen of the home-schooling curriculum and system, what it does do is this:  allows more parental involvement in the education of children; fosters personal responsibility and accountability in completing school assignments;  includes faith-based curriculum as a foundation to learning; and provides a parentally-approved social environment in which students can interact in a safe and healthy manner.  I do not believe that any of these elements can be attributed to the public school system.
     Will the growing data on home-schoolers prove that they make better citizens, employees, and role models?  That remains to be seen.  There will always be students, no matter whether privately, publicly, or homeschool educated, that do just enough "to get by".  Their college grades, employment history and personal accomplishments will likely be more a reflection of their character, drive and ambition as it will be their method of education.  But might we argue that homeschooling helps them develop those attributes better than public education?  It will be interesting to see what the data proves in the coming generations.
     But this much can be said.  The diploma that home-schoolers achieve is just as valid as any document handed out by any State Board of Education... especially if it is according to Common Core Standards.  And employers would be wise to compare the aptitudes and capabilities of potential hires; do you want an employee that has been "dumbed down" to an acceptable standard that assures "equal" results for all educated students?  Or do you want to consider hiring an applicant that has been motivated to study on his own, and knows his strengths and potential?  Let's hope the HSLDA can stop this discrimination in its tracks.

Isaiah 54:13    "All your children shall be taught by the Lord, and great shall be the peace of your children."


   

Common Core and the SAT: The Next Step in the Nationalization of American Education

     By now, you know that I am not a fan of Common Core, the federally backed national education “standards” that are supposedly designed to balance the quality of education from pre-K through high school.  From everything I've read, the effects of this education initiative serve only to dumb down our kids to the lowest denominator, while promulgating a steady diet of state propaganda.

     The New American reports that almost every state has sacrificed their individual rights to legislate education in favor of massive grants to the states that comply with this "nationalization" agenda.  Not only are education standards lowered, but students (and, in essence, their families) will be monitored and tracked in unprecedented ways from early childhood into the workforce.

     Believe me, proponents of nationalized education are good at using all the catchwords and phrases that sound good; such as “excellence” in education, “raising the bar,” and getting America’s children “ready for the workforce”.  But teachers have pointed out that the curricula for Math and English have actually been a step backwards in preparing our children to compete in the world marketplace.  As the inadequacy of these standards comes out of the shadows, critics are becoming more vocal in their opposition.

     That's why the latest efforts of the Common Core schemers to affect the implementation of the SAT college preparatory testing has come under fire.  The Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) is one of two main standardized exams generally used by colleges for admissions.  (The ACT, or American College Testing, is the other.)  As The New American points out, among the main revisions proposed by the architects of Common Core are the removal of the essay requirement and an end to penalties for incorrect answers aimed at discouraging guessing. Also sparking alarm among experts concerned about the ongoing dumbing down of American education is the fact that the SAT will be drastically scaling back and simplifying the vocabulary and math requirements.

     The proponents of these changes claim that the new SAT will contribute to “fairness,” reducing “inequality,” and “providing opportunity”.  They have long claimed that financially better-off students are able to do better on the exam because they can pay for tutors or preparation lessons.  Common Core advocates want to offer free preparation for test-takers in the hopes of reducing that alleged unfairness.  Of course that preparation will only be offered to states that align with the Common Core initiative.  

     But how are students really helped when their scores are artificially boosted by removing harder vocabulary words and math problems on the SAT in order make the tests "fair"?  How does this help advance America's future workforce in the competitive global marketplace?  With the SAT aligned with the Common Core Standards, even homeschooling families and students at private schools will be under heavy pressure to submit to this inferior curricula.

    I urge you to read this insightful article.  I think you will be amazed, as I was, to find out that by 2011, SAT reading scores had reached their lowest point in almost 40 years, according to the College Board.  The fact is that despite soaring costs paid by taxpayers, students are learning less and less, with tens of millions now functionally illiterate. The trends have actually been accelerating, with critical thinking skills and reading abilities plunging fastest.  We can no longer deny that the quality of our education in this country is declining at a rapid rate.  Nor should we fail to comprehend the results of a lack of critical thinking among our children.  

     And in case you are wondering just how important critical thinking is to the future of our nation's children, consider this:  Critical thinking, as defined by the National Council for Excellence in Critical Thinking, is "the intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and action."

     So, if you wanted to gain control over a population of people, would you want to teach the next generation to have the ability to think clearly and rationally?  Or have the ability to engage in reflective and independent thinking?  Why, they just might be able to understand the logical connections between ideas, and actually begin to (gasp!) question your motives or policies! 

     While outrage over this dumbing down of our youth is growing, there are still far too many parents and state officials who are unaware of this encroaching menace.  I urge you, once again, to research your own school district and root it out before this cancer takes hold and spreads.  Education is the key to our children's success, but it must propel them to greater heights; not subject them to a lowering of quality or knowledge to promote a political ideology.  Get in the fight --- your children and grandchildren's future depends on it!

Proverbs 4:13     "Keep hold of instruction; do not let go; guard her, for she is your life."

Beware The Common Core Subterfuge

     Once again the issue of Common Core has raised its ugly head.  I have written extensively on this topic, but in case you are unfamiliar with exactly what it is, Common Core is an educational initiative that seeks to remove local control in education in favor of national curriculum and standards.  In other words, the Federal Government seems to think that it is better qualified to dictate a uniform standard for Pre-K through college curricula; which by the way includes the collection of personal data on students that would identify them and then track them.

     First and foremost, I do not think (other than national security) that the Federal Government can administer anything better than state and local authorities; especially when it comes to how we educate our children.  When bureaucrats take the control away from parents, standards for what (and how) our children are taught become the exclusive prerogative of the State/Regime.  Then "education" is in danger of becoming biased or misleading at the least; and a powerful tool for propaganda, at the worst.

     After being unmasked for the deception it was, the Common Core initiative was beat back by vigilant parents, teachers and state education panels.  Then, as reported by the website RedState, none other than former Arkansas Governor, and Fox News host, Mike Huckabee tried to re-invent Common Core as an educational goal to be supported:  “Parents and people involved in their local schools should let it be known that core standards are valuable, and they’re not something to be afraid of—they are something to embrace.”

     But here is why RedState raised the warning flag on Huckabee:  From 2004 to 2006, Governor Huckabee chaired the Education Commission for the States (ECS), which had established the national standards for Kindergarten - High School curriculum back in 2001.  During his tenure, he made no attempt to roll back any of the reforms that removed local control.  In 2004, he participated in the task force for “Redesigning the American High School” chaired by Democrat Governor Mark Warner of Virginia. This task force was funded in large part by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation which seeks to align education standards both nationally and internationally.  (I'm sorry, but anything that the Elitist Gates is involved with, naturally raises my hackles).  These very reforms that came out of this task force are the foundation of Common Core.

     As the American public became educated on the dangers of Common Core, Huckabee was forced to tell his TV audience, back in December, that he no longer supported the standards.  HOWEVER, he sang a different tune when, as reported by Breitbart, he attended a recent meeting of the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), one of the organizations that created the Common Core State Standards (CCSS).  At the meeting, Huckabee urged state education officials to get rid of the “Common Core” name because it has become “toxic.”  Furthermore, “Rebrand it, refocus it, but don’t retreat,” Huckabee reportedly told CCSSO members.  Doesn't exactly sound like he's renounced the standards, does it?

     But it looks as if he's not the only one who is advocating a simple name change, or "rebranding", to continue the propagation of the unpopular State Standards.  Arizona Governor Jan Brewer (R) has used an executive order to purge the name “Common Core” from the standards and refer to them, instead, as "Arizona’s College and Career Ready Standards".  And, in Iowa, the Common Core standards are now called "The Iowa Core", and in Florida, the push is on to delete the words “Common Core” from official education documents and replace them with "Next Generation Sunshine State Standards."  Apparently, the Elitists in the New World Order think we can be easily fooled.  I'm sorry, you can give it a fancy new name if you want, but you can't hide this fact  .... "the deliberate diminishment of the intellectual level of the content of schooling and education" is nothing less than "dumbing down" our kids.  If they can make everyone think alike, and go along with the "State program", then free and critical thinking will be a thing of the past, and render a compliant and docile citizenry.  

      So I implore you to investigate your state and local education systems; attend school board meetings and get involved!  We must be allowed to develop free and independent thinkers; those who will challenge us to be better than average.  Perpetuating "commonness" lowers results; it does not raise the bar.  In my opinion, the Common Core standards run the risk of reducing Education to Indoctrination.  Education should promote Learning ... the excitement of discovery and reaching for new heights in knowledge, skills and practices.   Finally, we should heed the warning in 2 Timothy, Chapter 3 ... "always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth."

2 Colossians 2:8   "See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ."

     

     

Sending Negative Messages To Our Boys

     The trending story yesterday was that of 6-year-old Hunter Yelton and his abhorrent behavior.  He actually kissed the hand of a fellow schoolmate, whom he, incidentally, calls his girlfriend.  Gasp!  And  because his school has strict policies against such behavior, little Hunter was suspended for sexual harrassment!
     By now, I'm pretty sure you think this series of events is as ridiculous as I do... that it is just a case of over-reaction by school officials.  To be sure, all the hoopla qualifies for that designation.  But as it turns out, Hunter will now have a permanent record in his student file that will follow him the rest of his academic years.  For a kiss on the hand?!?

     It doesn't surprise me that his mother, Jennifer, has vowed to fight this charge and seeks to have his record expunged.  The fact that we are even using those legal words to describe a 6-year-old are remarkable in themselves!
      But what kind of message does this send to our young children?  Is there no conception of "innocence" anymore?  Does everything have to be looked at through the lens of lurid adult behavior?  To be fair, Hunter admits that he committed the act.  "It was during class, yeah. We were doing reading group and I leaned over and kissed her on the hand. That's what happened," Hunter said.  But he will also tell you that he has a crush on the little girl, and she likes him back.
     So now school officials want to make this into so much more than it is, brand this child "an offender", and perhaps skew his emotional development.  Have none of these institutionalized guardians of our children ever had a harmless school kid crush on a fellow classmate?  In fact, in a USA Today online article, Sandy Wurtele, a child clinical psychologist who specializes in child sexual development and the prevention of childhood sexual abuse, said that what Hunter did was "normal behavior for most 6-year-old boys."  She said children at that age are simply curious about the differences between boys and girls, and the harshness of his suspension will more than likely confuse Hunter more than it will discipline him.  "That really gives mixed messages, negative messages to the kids," she said. "This part of development is just as important -- if not more -- than their academic subjects."
     In fact, a January 2001 Revised Sexual Harassment Guide, distributed by the Office for Civil Rights, of the US Department of Education, had this to say:  The important thing is for school employees or officials to pay attention to the school environment and not to hesitate to respond to sexual harassment in the same reasonable, commonsense manner as they would to other types of serious misconduct.  It is also important that schools not overreact to behavior that does not rise to the level of sexual harassment. As the Department stated in the 1997 guidance, a kiss on the cheek by a first grader does not constitute sexual harassment. School personnel should consider the age and maturity of students in responding to allegations of sexual harassment.
     So what has happened to that "reasonable, commonsense manner" that was prescribed?  And what is the real agenda behind this over-the-top, excessive punishment?  What message are these zero-tolerance policies designed to send to our children?  There have always been little boys like Hunter; independent, active, energetic little boys who feel stifled in the confines of a classroom.  Do they need to learn to control their impulses, pay attention, and not disturb the class?  Absolutely!

     But it is a now a fact that Hunter has been labeled an offender and a problem child.  His normal behavior has been suppressed in an attempt to keep him in line.  After all, we can't have our boys seeking the hands of fair maidens and adopting a chivalrous attitude, now can we?  We don't want them growing up to be strong, independent males; disciplined and using their power to protect the weak and defenseless.  No, our education system seems to be fostering compliant little robots, who bend to the Master's will.  And this kind of indoctrination is already working on little Hunter.  "They sent me to the office, fair and square. I did something wrong and I feel sorry," he said.
     Meanwhile, in Florence, Colorado, just 15 miles down the road from where Hunter lives in Canon City, a transgender young man was allowed to use the high school women's restroom even when female students were present. When a complaint was filed for alleged comments the young man made to the female students, the females were told to use the restroom in the school's Main Office.  Hypocrisy, anyone?

1 Peter 3:7    "Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered."
   

One Smart Kid

     I'm sorry if you are tired of hearing me lambast the Common Core education initiative.  But until every American parent is aware of the full implication of this propaganda machine, i will keep on sounding the alarm.  But now, thanks to an article on The Blaze website, I have the words of one high school student that can articulate the dangers of this program much better than I.

     But first, you need to know that officially, the Common Core State Standards Initiative is an approach to education in the United States that details what K-12 students should know in English and math at the end of each grade. The initiative is sponsored by the National Governors Association (NGA) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) and seeks to establish conformity in education standards across the states.  Remember, that both of these organizations have been involved in either the development or the implementation of Common Core.  Plus, we can't forget that this is the, ahem, official version.
     In reality, Common Core is designed to push an education agenda that conforms to a Progressive ideology, and limits not only the individuality of our children's learning processes, but seeks to determine exactly what they are taught.  But, here, let me give the floor to Ethan Young, a student at Farragut High School in Knox County, Tennessee, who makes his case as to why he believes his school district should drop the new national education standards, a set of guidelines that were never voted on by Congress, the Department of Education nor by local or state governments.
     Speaking at a local school board meeting, Ethan said, “The president essentially bribed states into implementation via ‘Race to the Top,’ offering $4.35 billion taxpayer dollars to participating states, $500 million of which went to Tennessee.  And much like No Child Left Behind, the program promises national testing and a one-size-fits-all education, because hey, it worked so well the first time.”
     “If nothing else, these standards are a glowing conflict of interest and they lack the research they allegedly received,” he added.  Young also argued that Common Core standards display a “mistrust of teachers,” a line that prompted applause from the audience.
     “I stand before you because I care about education, but also because I want to support my teachers,” he said. “And just as they fought for my academic achievement, so I want to fight for their ability to teach. This relationship is at the heart of instruction, yet there will never be a system by which it is accurately measured.”
     Ethan went on to argue that “standards-based education is ruining the way we teach and learn.” He also revealed that legislators and administrators have told him “that’s just the way things work.”  Now, he’s daring to ask: “Why?”
     “I’m gonna answer that question: Bureaucratic convenience,” he added. “It works with nuclear reactors, it works with business models, why can’t it work with students? I mean how convenient, calculating exactly who knows what and who needs what. I mean, why don’t we just manufacture robots instead of students? They last longer and they always do what they’re told.”
     "The problem is," Ethan continued, “education is unlike every other bureaucratic institute in our government” because the “task of teaching is never quantifiable.  If everything I learn in high school is a measurable objective, I have not learned anything,” Young proclaimed. “I’d like to repeat that. If everything I learn in high school is a measurable objective, I have not learned anything.”
     Government bureaucrats will never be able to measure “creativity, appreciation, inquisitiveness” but they are the “purpose of education,” he lectured.  (Smart kid!)  “Somewhere our Founding Fathers are turning in their graves — pleading, screaming and trying to say to us that we teach to free minds. We teach to inspire. We teach to equip; the careers will come naturally.”
     Ethan Young is obviously astute at figuring out the deficiencies in the Common Core standards.  But he's not alone.  In Oregon, parents fed up with their kids’ declining math grades under newly adopted Common Core standards took an unorthodox step to remedy the problem: They pulled their children out of school for an hour a day to teach them at home.  One seventh-grader had always been an “A” student in math until this year when she brought home a “D, according to her mother.  Another mom said her daughter, previously a sold “B” math student, is now failing the subject.
     Of course, the elementary school principal where these girls attended said he’s "not surprised some students are struggling, as Common Core math standards call for fewer numbers and formulas and more word problems and real-world scenarios, along with more group work."

Let me decipher that for you: one Common Core educator took an ordinary lesson about calculating the area of a circle, and turned it into an analysis of the South Central Los Angeles community that rioted after the 1992 “Rodney King” verdict.  Students learned that in 1992, South Central L.A. had no movie theaters or community centers, but it had 640 liquor stores. That led one student to conclude, “All they want them to do is drink.” (the student never thought to ask who “they” were.)  With encouragement from their teacher, the purpose of the Common Core curriculum was to get most students to decide, “We should have more jobs and more community centers, then you wouldn’t have to worry about riots,” and “The government should put more money in (South Central).”  Get it?  Multiplication tables and math problems have been replaced with social justice agendas and propaganda.  (Click on the link to this post to see more examples of this outrageous initiative).
     So it is not as U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan reportedly said -- that some of the opposition to the controversial Common Core State Standards is derived from wealthy white mothers upset to learn their children are not as bright as they thought.  According to the Washington Post, Duncan told a group of state schools superintendents he found it “fascinating” opposition comes from “white suburban moms who — all of a sudden — realize their child isn’t as brilliant as they thought they were and their school isn’t as good as they thought it was.”  (And this is the Secretary of Education????)
     The bottom line is this:  our kids need to know the basics in math and english; they need to know how to use their minds to balance a checkbook, and to argue their position on any given subject.  They DO NOT need to be fed a steady diet of biased or misleading political points of view.  What you don't realize is that this dangerous curriculum could be in your schools and you are not even aware of it!  I urge you to investigate for yourselves and root it out before your children pay the price of our apathy and unresponsiveness.

Isaiah 28:9    "Whom will He teach knowledge? And whom will He make to understand the message?"

   

What Do You Know About FERPA?

     I'll answer my own question .... nothing.  If you were like me, you had no idea of the significance of the Family Education Rights in Privacy Act (FERPA).  But now, thanks to Anita B. Hoge, a lecturer, educational researcher, and parent, we will all be a little more educated on this important legislation.
     FERPA was signed into law in 1974, and is a privacy policy that was designed to give students (and their parents) access to their education records, an opportunity to seek to have the records amended, and some control over the disclosure of information from the records.  And according to Ms. Hoge, this is where we need to be concerned:  This privacy policy also governs how state agencies transmit testing data to federal agencies.
     In Ms. Hoge's report, she alleges that federal legislation is being prepared that changes how we teach our children. If the amended regulations to FERPA are put into place, you will see the following changes in your child's education:

• There will be no more grades like A,B,C,D or F;
• Curriculum will not be based on academics;
• Dispositions and values will be tested and remediated;
• Competition will be eliminated;
• Grade levels will be eliminated;
• The school year will no longer be based on 180 days;
• Your locally elected school board will become obsolete.

     What does this mean for your child?  Your child must meet government standards which include changing your child’s values toward socialistic values. Data is given to large foundations and corporations for free so they can develop testing, curriculum, and software to change your child’s values toward government approved attitudes and values. This is a gross violation of your and your child’s individual freedom.  To sum it up, Ms. Hoge states that your children’s personally identifiable information is being given out for FREE to large corporations to research how to "change your children into global citizens."
     Imagine how specific testing could be designed to discover your child's (and in reality, your family's) attitudes about government, social programs, personal freedom and religion/faith?  Then with all this data, is it really too crazy to think that curriculum could then be formulated to change those belief systems?  Is it really too preposterous to think that "behavioral change" is not a desired goal of this data collection?  And are you, as a parent, concerned that testing can be done without your permission, and then shared with both giant corporations and the federal government?
     Take the time to read Ms. Hoge's article, do your own research, and determine if this is just another effort on the part of Big Brother to control our education system and the minds of our kids.  Some of these policies makes Orwell's 1984 seem tame in comparison.

2 Timothy 2:15    "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that need not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."



   

The Correct Answer DOES Matter!

     Here's an exasperating story, brought to you courtesy of SHTFPlan.com.  Earlier this year, the White House released a statement in regards to improving and expanding the quality of Early Education for our nation's children.  And I have written in the past about this Administration's love affair with the Common Core educational standards (which I am proud to say, the state of Texas is dismantling).
     At a recent meeting in our President's adoptive state of Illinois, one state curriculum director gave this shocking assessment of the federally mandated Common Core standards:  "But even under the new Common Core… even if they [the student] said 3 X 4 was 11, if they were able to explain their reasoning and explain how they came up with their answer, really in words and in oral explanations, and they showed it in a picture but they just got the final number wrong, we’re really more focusing on the how and why."
     In other words, it doesn't matter if a student comes to the conclusion that 3 x 4 = 11. So long as they can explain how they made this erroneous determination they go home with an ‘A’.  But here's even more horrific evidence that our children's education is substandard; in a study done by none other than Common Core itself!

•  Only 60% of students knew that WWI was fought between 1900 and 1950 — and they only had to guess the half century!
•  One in four high schoolers think Columbus discovered the New World after 1750
•  On the multiple choice test, less than half of high schoolers knew when the Civil War was fought. They didn’t even need to know exact dates, just that it was sometime between 1850 and 1900.
•  40% of students could not identify the name of the ocean on the eastern side of the United States.
•  Nearly 60% of students could not identify the two major political parties.
•  When asked who is in charge of the Executive Branch of the United States, 70% of high school students got the wrong answer.
•  Fully 75% of high school students failed to identify the First President of the United States
     And if you need further proof that our children are being "dumbed down" by our educational system, I invite you to watch this humorous, yet tragic video.  Watch as high school students attempt to answer such simple questions as 1)  In which war did our country win its independence?  2)  Who is the Vice President?  3)  Which countries border the U.S.?  4)  How many stars on the flag of the United States?  5)  Can you name a country starting with the letter “U”?  Instead of laughing, it made me want to cry.
     In an article written for The Activist Post, Dr. Ron Paul summed up the poor state of American education in these words:  "Critics of Common Core say it “dumbs down” education by replacing traditional English literature with “informational texts”.  So students will read such inspiring materials as studies by the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, the EPA’s “Recommended Levels of Insulation,” and “Invasive Plant Inventory” by California’s Invasive Plant Council. It is doubtful that reading federal reports will teach students the habits of critical thinking and skepticism of government that the Founders considered essential to maintaining a free republic."
     I am left with the irrefutable conclusion that there is a systematic plan in place that is designed to render American exceptionalism null and void.  With this kind of garbage in our schools, just how are our kids supposed to be players in a highly competitive globalized marketplace?  The answer:  they won't play a part.  How can they, when they don't know our history?  When they can't tell you the name of the war in which we won our independence?  Because you see, it's not about independence; it's about dependence on the Nanny State.  And when our kids are willing to accept that 3 x 4 = 11, they won't stand a chance.

Daniel 5:14    "I have heard of you, that the Spirit of God is in you, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you."

What Do Math and Social Justice Have In Common?

     I stumbled across an article by Ben Velderman, a writer for an organization called Educational Action Group, and his commentary stunned me at the audacity of the Progressive machine.  To be clear, the EAG Foundation is a watchdog, of sorts, and believes the one-size-fits-all, assembly line government school system requires serious reform.  At the forefront of their perspective are the following:
•  Teachers’ unions have been successful at defending the government monopoly of education in America, to the detriment of student and taxpayers.
•  What is being taught matters.  EAG has documented activists bringing their personal political agenda into the classroom to indoctrinate students into a leftist mindset.
•  America was founded on beliefs of free markets, hard work and innovation, not a collectivist mindset promoted by union activists.
•  EAG hopes to shine a spotlight on the leftist agenda and activists, and their mission to “fundamentally transform” the United States of America through the government education system.
     This post will give you examples of the socialist propaganda that is spreading throughout our schools.  I will admit that I have a bias against this position, and will leave it to you to make up your own mind.  I merely want to portray how different the classroom is than when we were attending kindergarten through high school.
     Ever hear of an organization called Rethinking Schools?  Me neither.  But here is their self-ascribed philosophy:  At a time when racial and class inequalities are growing in our country, we believe that any vision of schooling must be grounded in "the common school."  Further research noted that this organization did not endorse the Common Core curriculum, which at first glance, was in their favor.  After reading on, I discovered the reason ... it wasn't that Common Core promoted a curriculum determined by the federal government; it was because it was too hard for urban schools.  And there lies the heart of the Progressive agenda.
     Educational Action Group is reporting that Rethinking Schools has been sneaking left-wing “social justice” lessons into America’s K-12 classrooms for nearly three decades.  Here's a perfect example:  The group’s latest effort to indoctrinate the nation’s youth is a 286-page book aimed at teachers, titled “Rethinking Mathematics: Teaching Social Justice by the Numbers.” The book is a mix of math lesson plans and essays from activist educators who explain how they’ve used their classrooms to advance a progressive political philosophy.
     So how did they do it?  First of all, the book pushes the argument that the U.S. is a hopelessly racist country that routinely oppresses “people of color.”  And how are they able to accomplish this agenda? The message is conveyed through lessons and essays about racial profiling, environmental racism, unfair mortgage lending practices of Big Banks, the “overabundance of liquor stores” in minority communities, and slave-owning U.S. presidents.  They follow that up with the viewpoint that capitalism’s unequal distribution of wealth is the root cause of the world’s suffering. Students learn to despise free market economics in lessons about third-world sweatshops, “living wage” laws, the earnings of fast food workers and restaurant CEOs, and the “hidden” costs of meat production.
     Pretty masterful, right?  It's easy to appeal to the emotions of young students who have no experience in real-world economics, by demonstrating the math concepts of ratios, averages, percentages, bar graphs, density and geometric formulas, all the while training kids to see the world in the Progressive preferred categories of “haves” and “have nots.”
     If you want to see how it works, here's a specific example.  In a chapter titled, “Write the Truth: Presidents and Slaves,” “Rethinking” editor and Milwaukee teachers union President Bob Peterson explains how he used radical South American educator Paulo Freire’s theory that "students must understand how the world’s systems work to oppress the masses before they can reform those systems."  Apparently it was easy for Mr. Peterson to apply this principle when teaching his 5th grade students: “Specific objectives for this mini-unit (about slave-owning U.S. presidents), such as reviewing the use of percentages, emerged as the lessons unfolded. But its main purpose was to help students critically examine the actions of early leaders of the United States and become skeptical of textbooks and government websites as sources that present the entire picture.
     “I figure that if kids start questioning the ‘official story’ early on, they will be more open to alternative viewpoints later on. While discovering which presidents were slave owners is not an in-depth analysis, it pokes an important hole in the godlike mystique that surrounds the ‘founding fathers.’”
     Here's another example:  In a subsequent chapter of Rethinking Mathematics, geometry teacher Andrew Brantlinger chronicles how he turned an ordinary lesson about calculating the area of a circle into an analysis of the South Central Los Angeles community that rioted after the 1992 “Rodney King” verdict.
     During Brantlinger’s lesson, students learned that in 1992, South Central L.A. had no movie theaters or community centers, but it had 640 liquor stores. That led one student to conclude, “All they want them to do is drink.” (Brantlinger says he didn’t ask the student who “they” were.)
     According to Brantlinger, most students decided, “We should have more jobs and more community centers, then you wouldn’t have to worry about riots,” and “The government should put more money in (South Central).”
     Here's the way I see it:  For these Progressive educators, it's not so much about teaching math to our kids, or elevating their quality of education.  As the article's author, Mr. Velderman points out, their strategy seems clear:  "Teach students that America was founded by – and for – racists, and they will support radicals’ efforts to transform the American system.
   In other words, if students are taught that the constitutional principles of private property ownership and free market capitalism are merely tools white people use to oppress “people of color,” they’ll eventually demand a socialist form of government."  And if they can use a few multiplication tables, or geometry problems along the way to substantiate their bias, then they're doing their job of "educating" the kids.
     The article finishes by quoting the editors of Rethinking Mathematics.  “A social justice approach to math is the appropriate type of math for these unjust times,” they write. “Other, traditional forms of math are often too abstract, promote student failure and self-doubt, and, frankly, are immoral in a world as unjust as ours. Traditional math is bad for students and bad for society.”
     I beg to differ.  All you have to do is look at the success ratio of family incomes in the years "traditional math" was endorsed.  That would be before the entitlement policies of welfare became institutionalized; when families of all races were intact and many owned their own businesses.  Today, an "appropriate type of math" would be one that teaches every student, regardless of ethnicity, how to succeed in math and in a society where he is able to reap the rewards of his own labors, rather than relying on a handout from the government.  It seems pretty clear to me; you can no longer blame the white Founding Fathers for self-imposed slavery.  Re-distribution of wealth will not guarantee that these students will keep the so-called advantage they are seeking.  They will only achieve their dreams with limited government, a free enterprise system, and a lot of sweat and elbow grease.  There is your math lesson, my friends; and it adds up to real success!

For more indepth analysis of this educational agenda, read the entire article by Ben Velderman.

Colossians 2:8    "See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ."

This Teacher Admits Defeat

     You might have seen the recent article on SHTFPlan.com, in which teacher Ellie Rubenstein lamented the sad state of American education.  As someone who had dedicated 15 years of her life to teaching, it was apparent by her comments that Ms. Rubenstein had come to the end of her rope.
     Her goal had been to teach her students to love the act of learning; to think for themselves and to use critical thinking skills to solve problems, rather than becoming victims of a substandard educational system.  Yet, like so many other teachers who desired to implement standards of their own, she found that the government got in the way.  State and federal "boards" just didn't care about the individual student --- it was all about test scores, which translates into federal money.
     In a concise and emotional video, titled I Quit, You Can't Fire Me, Rubenstein enumerates the reasons she can no longer allow her voice to be stifled.  Because she is no longer allowed to impact the learning and the lives of her students, then it is time to pack it in.
     I will admit that I am no fan of teacher's unions and feel that far too many poor teachers are protected; teachers who are only too willing to carry out the marching orders of a Progressive educational agenda in our schools.  However, I come from a long line of impassioned teachers such as Ms. Rubenstein, and it is quite evident in her video that she took her profession and her students quite seriously.  She makes it very clear that she cares more about the people her students will become than the test scores they generate.
   

These are just some of her comments:

     The emphasis in education has shifted from fostering academic and personal growth in both students and teachers, to demanding uniformity and conformity.  


     Real teachers, the ones who care about their students, the ones who teach kids to think critically and not just recite things by rote, are being targeted. Why?  Because our public indoctrination centers, also known as schools, don’t want children to think.

     They want children to learn specified “facts” in order to pass standardized tests, thus creating perfect little worker bees. They want to produce adults who will not question authority or the status quo, but merely assimilate what they are told as truth, and act accordingly.  

Because of this, the school system is losing those teachers who could make a real difference in the future of our country.

     She has hit the nail on the head!  Whether it is Tea Party groups and the IRS; the freedom of the press to report accurately; or the ability of teachers to influence and shape their students' lives through creative and dynamic teaching --- all of our belief systems and opinions are being targeted to subdue individual and independent thought.  It's "shut up and sit down" or you are singled out for retaliation.
     When I think about the spirited and inventive teachers that guided my learning, I am sad for this generation of students.  School boards across the land are eliminating field trips, guest speakers, and innovative projects because they don't improve test scores.
     I had an eighth-grade English teacher that made diagramming sentences fun, if you can imagine that!  There was always laughter in her classroom.  And a high school English teacher didn't just have us read  Alfred, Lord Tennyson and the legends of King Arthur and Camelot.  He took us to see Camelot on stage.  A history teacher taught us about the Holocaust and took us to see Billy Graham's movie on Corrie Ten Boom and the sacrifice her family made to try and save Jews.  All of this would be unthinkable in today's classrooms .... especially any promotion of anything by Billy Graham!
     But those episodes affected me profoundly!  They gave me a love for poetry and history, and I was able to hear Corrie Ten Boom, herself, speak in a monologue after her movie, and I learned how faith can move mountains.
     Our test scores were a matter of pride for ourselves, not a source of revenue for the school district.  All opinions and ideas were encouraged, and creativity and originality were championed.  Our teachers were allowed to nurture our individual talents and proclivities, and we were inspired to push ourselves to new heights.
     Unfortunately, Ellie Rubenstein has not enjoyed the same experiences.  So I fear that more teachers will be forced to make the painful decision she made, and leave a profession they loved.  But it is not only Ellie's heart that has been broken, it is the spirit of learning and enlightenment within the halls of our public school system.  And she's right .... the reality of that is going to be detrimental to the future of our country.

Deuteronomy 32:2     "May my teaching drop as the rain, my speech distill as the dew, like gentle rain upon the tender grass, and like showers upon the herb."
     

The End of CSCOPE In Texas. I Want To Celebrate, But ......

     On Monday, the Texas Education Service Center Curriculum Collaborative (TESCCC), the governing body of the controversial CSCOPE curriculum, bowed to pressure from the Texas State Senate and agreed to contact all their clients and remove the disputed online lesson plans from their website.
     CSCOPE was an educational system that had infiltrated nearly 70 percent of Texas school districts, and had come under sharp criticism for a lack of transparency from public review.  Furthermore, the lesson plans showed a bias against Christianity, while promoting and justifying Islam, along with many other cultural biases against traditional American beliefs.  Many brave teachers broke the vow of silence they were forced to honor and partnered with parents concerned over their children's education, and, together, they took their concerns to the Texas State Senate.  With the help of State Senator Dan Patrick and Attorney General Greg Abbott, they were able to stop CSCOPE in its tracks.  (See my previous post for more details on the controversy surrounding this curriculum.)

     Earlier this year, CSCOPE had agreed to make the meetings of their governing board open to the public and to work with the State Board of Education (SBOE), who would act as an oversight committee in reviewing the various curriculum.  After much testimony and review, it was determined that the State of Texas didn't like what they were seeing ... not at all!   So, according to a press release issued yesterday by State Senator Patrick, the Governing Board of CSCOPE will now notify their 875 school district clients that they are pulling all lesson plans and furthermore, there will be no new plans produced in the future.  The various Education Service Centers that provided the lesson plans will now return to their original business plan of providing a management tool for teachers to stay on schedule regarding the teaching of the required TEKS test.   The TEKS (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills) tests are the state standards by which each child is tested and evaluated in the state of Texas.  (That's another controversial can of worms!)
     Now, if you know anything at all about CSCOPE, this is undoubtedly reason to celebrate, right?  We, here in the Lone Star State, have successfully eradicated a cancer from the midst of our educational system and everything should be alright with the world.  BUT, I can't quite put my finger on it; something doesn't feel right, and I have this instinct that whoever is behind the CSCOPE curriculum isn't going to just roll over and give up that easily.
     Let me just say that I am not an investigative journalist, and far from an intrepid reporter, but in just doing a minimal amount of research to uncover the origins and the accomplices in the development of CSCOPE, there are some things that just don't add up, and others that lead down interesting paths that need more scrutiny than I am able to provide.

     First of all, CSCOPE's website states that their governing board (and essentially sales staff), the TESCCC, "is not funded by any special interest group/organization or any federal or state agency."  But the products they promote and sell can be purchased using federal funds made available through the No Child Left Behind program.  I think we have seen how the federal government can intimidate the states with threats of withholding funds.  So while CSCOPE may not be directly funded by a federal or state agency, school districts could be encouraged to purchase the curricula ... or else.  Mind you, I have no proof, nor am I making any allegations; it's just that considering the rampant corruption that surrounds lobbying in our governmental system, this scenario is not outside the realm of possibility.
     And then there is the matter of the vendor/partners that the governing body cites as just a small portion of the revenue generated from CSCOPE.  Maybe it's just me, but can't you tell a lot about a person by the people he associates with?  Same holds true for your business partners, right?
     Well, some of the vendors listed on their vendor/partner site are quite interesting.  For instance, Ignite!Learning is an educational software/hardware company that was co-founded in 1999 by Neil Bush, younger brother of George W.  The funding for his company came, naturally from Papa Bush, but also from businessmen in Taiwan, Japan, Kuwait, and a Russian billionaire (Boris Berezovsky) who was an outspoken critic of Putin and Communism, until he died mysteriously in England, where he had been granted political asylum.  And let's not forget the United Arab Emirates; those Saudi's... they just love American educational tools.
     Not that there's anything illegal about receiving your funding from foreign investors; I just find it ironic that Mr. Bush could find no Americans who were willing to invest in educational tools for American children.  But perhaps I'm just too cynical.
     Also listed among the CSCOPE partner/vendors was PASCO, a company that partners with educators around the world to support "curriculum integration, customized planning and systemic professional development".   And what seemed funny to me, was that every CSCOPE partner listed has been approved in just the last four years.  It's almost as though there has been a concerted effort in this last administration to take the curriculum and education of our children out of our local jurisdictions and take it to a global level.  Let's not forget the Common Core Initiative, whose goal is to wrest the Constitutional authority for education away from the States, localities and parents (where it correctly resides), and place it under the control of the federal government.
     So, while I applaud the Texas State Senate and the State Board of Education for taking this bold and necessary step, forgive me if I'm just a little suspicious that CSCOPE folded so easily.  When you start uncovering the layers, more questions just appear.   And I'm honestly afraid that based on the "players" and the funding sources, "they" are just biding their time until they can remap their strategy and implement a One World Educational System.  CSCOPE may be gone for today, but what will emerge tomorrow?  And just one last thought --- make sure CSCOPE is not lurking undercover in your own backyard.


Proverbs 22:6      "Train up a child in the way he should go,
And when he is old he will not depart from it."

College "Speech Codes" Mandated by Feds

     This last week, we got a chilling perspective of just how corrupt the moral and intellectual foundation of Progressivism really is.  We have the false narrative of Benghazi, which showcases a "fantasy" story of what happened the night of September 11th, 2012 and has yet to disclose the real truth behind our government's machinations in Libya.... any story will do as long as it continues the foreign policy spin that Al Queda was "on the ropes" and the Arab Spring was successful in spreading democracy across the Middle East.  The American people must not know the truth so close to the election!

     The IRS scandal shows just how fixated the Progressives are on stifling expression by anyone who opposes them.  They fancy themselves more enlightened than us "rednecks"; us "clingers".  They effectively used Alinsky methods to intimidate and shut down those groups who still mistakenly revere the Bill of Rights and the Constitution, while stubbornly revolting against an ideology that promotes an agenda of "collective social justice".  And they don't care if their methods are illegal or immoral; any means are justifiable as long as they end up getting the result they want.  Shut down the Tea Party any way you can!
     And finally, there is the issue of the AP wiretaps.  The Department of Justice, in full Progressive mode, loudly claims its rights to protect classified information, even if it means trampling on the First Amendment and the rights of a free press.  Did they go through proper and legal channels to obtain the AP phone records, and did they take measured steps to narrowly define their subpoenas, so as not to be oppressive or punishing in their actions?  That doesn't seem to be the way of Progressives.
     So now the DOJ and the Department of Education (DOE) seem to be emboldened by these tactics and have forged ahead with a new agenda against the First Amendment.  It seems that a letter from these two agencies has been sent out to all colleges that receive federal funding, mandating the institution of "speech codes."
     According to the President of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE),“The letter states that ‘sexual harassment should be more broadly defined as “any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature”‘ including ‘verbal conduct’ (that is, speech). It then explicitly states that allegedly harassing expression need NOT even be offensive to an ‘objectively reasonable person of the same gender in the same situation’—if the listener takes offense to sexually related speech for any reason, no matter how irrationally or unreasonably, the speaker may be punished.”  How ridiculous is that?  And how confusing?  There is no standard by which sexually harassing speech is measured; anyone can say that anything offends them, and the speaker can be punished!  The free speech rights of both students and faculty will be effectively hog-tied!  (Excuse me, my inner redneck is showing ... for you pointy-headed Progressive elites, that means impeded or greatly hindered!)

     The joint letter from the DOJ and the DOE was sent to the University of Montana in response to a year-long investigation by both Departments into the mishandling of several sexual assault cases by the University.  The Progressives in the government saw the opportunity and took it.  They used this investigation as the basis for broadening the federal government's rules about sexual harassment and free speech on campus.  After addressing the University's mismanagement of the sexual assault issue, the letter went on to state that only a stunningly broad definition of sexual harassment—"unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature"—will now satisfy federal statutory requirements. This explicitly includes "verbal conduct," otherwise known as speech.
     Furthermore, in their standard modus operandi, they didn't let this "crisis go to waste".  The letter also stated that because of what the DOJ and DOE were able to determine from the University of Montana case, their findings should serve as a "blueprint for colleges and universities throughout the country."
     In an Op-Ed written in the Wall Street Journal, FIRE President, Greg Lukianoff, stated, "By eliminating this "reasonable person" standard—which the Education Department has required since at least 2003, and which protects the accused against unreasonable or insincere allegations—the right to be offended has been enshrined in a federal mandate."  He goes on to relate this disturbing fact, "The letter further states that campuses have "an obligation to respond to student-on-student harassment" even when that harassment occurs off-campus. In some circumstances, the letter says, universities may take "disciplinary action against the harasser" even "prior to the completion of the Title IX and Title IV investigation/resolution." In plain English: Students can be punished before they are found guilty of harassment."
     Whether it is the Common Core curriculum in our public education, or the idiocy of these "speech codes" on college campuses, it is obvious that Progressives are intent on lowering the standards of American Education and inhibiting the freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution.  It's all about control and power.  If a failed foreign policy narrative, or a competing political and social ideology, or even a Constitutional law gets in the way of furthering their agenda, then anything is on the table in order to reach their goal, which is subjugation of the populace.
     If you are the parent of a college-age student, how do you prepare them to safeguard their freedom of speech?  Any university or college that attempts to fight back against this mandate is threatened with termination of federal funds.  How can academic freedom continue to survive?  I think we know the answer to the question; and that, my friend, is the real end game.

1 Peter 2:16    "Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God."

   
     

You Call This "Education"?!?

     In case you can't tell, I am extremely concerned about the state of the American education system.  In yesterday's post, I pointed out a couple of areas that all Americans should be aware of .... 1) that communist/socialist radicals of the 60s have infiltrated not only our highest halls of academia, but now sit on Presidential forums for the express purpose of introducing educational reform, progressive curriculum, and changing how and what we teach our kids; and 2) these educational "activists" are responsible for launching such programs as Common Core and C-Scope that suspiciously advocate the promotion of Islam and Shari'a law (please read the comments to yesterday's post by a very knowledgeable reader).  

     So, if you still have doubts as to the agenda for education in this country, let me make you aware of what one New York middle school is teaching their students.  World Net Daily reports that Linden Avenue Middle School in Red Hook, NY instructed young female students to ask one another for a lesbian kiss.  But that's not all!  In an anti-bullying presentation on gender identity and sexual orientation, boys were taught how to spot young sluts.

     The students attended a special health class, taught by college students, and were introduced to terms such as “pansexual” and “genderqueer.”  It is also important to note that parents were not informed of this special class.  And the reason is quite clear .... Some of the young female students said they were told it was common for 14-year-old girls to have sex and their parents couldn’t stop them.

     One young girl was distressed by the presentation and wondered why she’d been required to ask another girl to kiss her.  She told her mom, "We all get teased and picked on enough – now I’m going to be called a lesbian because I had to ask another girl if I could kiss her."  When the outraged mother complained, she was told the lesson was meant to “teach girls boundaries and how to say no.”  If that is so, then why did instructors pick two girls to stand in front of the class and pretend they were lesbians on a date, as this same young girl attested?  

     And the girls weren't the only ones who were taught this thinly disguised sexual propaganda.  Boys were told to determine whether girls are promiscuous by the way they dress or the number of boys they date.  They were also instructed to always carry condoms in their wallets, as well as the fundamentals on proper usage.  

     So do you still think that American Education is the best in the world?  From kindergarten through college, there is an ever-increasing and bolder strategy for controlling what your kids are learning.  This post's example focuses on sex education, but make no mistake --- there is an agenda for all curriculum; from politics to history to social sciences.  And in case you are missing the subtler message.... you are being shown that you have no say in what or how they are taught.  Pay attention!  Your children are being taught that the State knows more than you do, and should be the ultimate authority in your child's mind.  As we've seen in other areas of our national way of life, a "fundamental transformation" is underway in the public education system.  The really frightening aspect for me is this:  these "activist educators" have had a pretty good head start on us and are deeply entrenched -- from the Oval Office all the way down to your local classroom.  You must get involved before it's too late!

Proverbs 1:7       "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction."