Please read the resolution, included below, adopted at (CFRW's) 2013 Spring Conference in Redding, CA. Talk to members, family and neighbors about Common Core. Please send letters to the editor and contact your elected representatives, especially your local school boards. This is another grab for power by taking over our school system and dramatically changing how and what our children are taught!
Thank you for all you do,
Roseann Slonsky-Breault,President
CFRW Northern Division
Defeat National Standards for State Schools
WHEREAS, The national standards-based “Common Core State Standards” initiative is the centerpiece of the Obama Administration’s agenda to centralize education decision at the federal level;
WHEREAS, The Obama Administration is using the same model to take over education as it used for healthcare by using national standards and boards of bureaucrats, whom the public didn’t elect and can’t fire or otherwise hold accountable;
WHEREAS, National standards remove authority from States over what is taught in the classroom and how it is tested;
WHEREAS, National standards undercut the principle of federalism on which our nation was founded;
WHEREAS, There is no constitutional or statutory authority for national standards, national curricula, or national assessments and in fact the federal government is expressly prohibited from endorsing or dictating state/local decisions about curricula; and
WHEREAS, The Obama Administration is attempting to evade constitutional and statutory prohibitions to move toward a nationalized public-school system by (1) funding to date more than $345 million for the development of national curriculum and test questions, (2) tying national standards to the Race to the Top charter schools initiative in the amount of $4.35 billion, (3) using the Common Core State Standards Initiative (CCSSI) to pressure State Boards of Education to adopt national standards with the threat of losing Title 1 Funds if they do not and (4) requesting Congress to include national standards as a requirement in the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary School Act (No Child Left Behind);
BE IT RESOLVED, That California Federation of Republican Women, Northern Division in session at the Spring Conference in Redding encourages all Federated members to become educated about this take over of local control as recommended by the vote of the National Federation of Republican Women in its October 1, 2011 Biennial Convention.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That local club presidents ask their members to (1) write their CA Superintendant of Public Instruction and the State Board of Education members and request that they retain control over academic standards, curriculum, instruction and testing, (2) write their Congressional Members and request that they (a)protect the constitutional and statutory prohibitions against the federal government endorsing or dictating national standards, (b) to refuse to tie national standards to any reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, (c) defund “Race to the Top” money, and (d) prohibit any more federal funds for the Common Core State Standards Initiative, including funds to assessment and curriculum writing consortia, (3) write their Governor and state representatives to refuse federal funds and mandates and (4) spread the word about the threat of a federal government takeover of education.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That upon adoption, California Federation of Republican Women, Northern Division issues a press release with copies sent to each club president for club publicity person to disseminate to local media including Facebook and Twitter accounts.
Submitted by: Karen Klinger, Sacramento RWF and Liz Froelich, Ygnacio Valley RWF
HISTORY:
Passed Unanimously at the NFRW 36th Biennial Convention, Kansas City, MO – October 1, 2011
Passed Unanimously at the Alabama GOP State Executive Committee Meeting,
Birmingham, AL – February 25, 2012
Similar Resolution to shut down Common Core passed unanimously at the RNC Spring Meeting in Los Angeles, April 12, 2013 Final “Resolved” states:
RESOLVED, the 2012 Republican Party Platform specifically states the need to repeal the numerous federal regulations which interfere with State and local control of public schools…and, therefore, the Republican National Committee rejects this CCSS plan which creates and fits the country with a nationwide straitjacket on academic freedom and achievement.
