Panel of Experts on Tour across California   
Speaking Out against Common Core 4/23-29

 April 19, 2014  

Dear Eagles and Friends:  

 

Starting in San Diego and ending in Grass Valley, CA, three experts on Common Core are traveling the State speaking at six events that have been organized by various groups of concerned parents, educators and citizens.  The six groups all share the same concerns that we are not being told the truth about Common Core.

The panelists are: Dr. Sandra Stotsky, PhD, who was on the validation committee of Common Core and refused to sign off on the standards, stating that they are actually inferior to the high standards that she had helped create for the State of Massachusetts; Attorney Brad Dacus of the Pacific Justice Institute, who helped create the opt out form for parents to use to opt their children out of the Assessment tests.  His firm is greatly concerned with the data collection and invasion of privacy associated with the tests; The third member of the panel is Lydia Gutierrez, an elementary teacher, who is strongly opposed to Common Core and does not believe it to be good for children.

Darcy Brandon, a concerned mother in Carlsbad, CA and a member of the  Common Core Task Force for Eagle Forum  is the one who organized the tour.  She states, "The school administrators are sharing their viewpoint of how they think Common Core is good for our children, but we see in so many other States where they have had Common Core longer than California, a ground swell movement to try to get it out of their States.  I think it is important for parents and educators to hear a different viewpoint  in California - especially from experts.  That is why I organized this tour."

The six different groups and the locations where the panel is speaking are the following: (Most of the events are free to the public, but the sponsors urge that you register with eventbrite so they will know how many to plan on.) 

April 23, Wednesday, 7-9 p.m. Handlery Hotel and Resort, 950 Hotel Circle North, San Diego, 92108, sponsoring group Citizens for Quality Education, Tickets: http://www.eventbrite.com/e/unveiling-common-corepanel-discussion-registration-10997643247?aff=es2&rank=1&sid=825999b5b3a411e38fac12313d090650

April 24, Thursday, 7-9 p.m. California Center for the Arts, 340 N. Escondido Blvd., Escondido, CA, 92025; sponsored by Citizens for Quality Education, Tickets: http://www.eventbrite.com/e/unveiling-common-corepanel-discussion-registration-10994644277

April 26, Saturday, 7-9 p.m. Calvary Chapel, 330 W. 6th St. Tustin, 92780  hosted by Faithful Christian Servants of Orange County.  For tickets go tohttp:/www.eventbrite.com/e/unveiling-the-commmon-core-the-unanswered-questions-tickets-11204457835

April 27, Sunday, 3-5 p.m., Pacific Unitarian Church, 5621 Montemalaga Dr., Palos Verde, no cost, Hosted by Citizens for Quality Education.

April 28,  Monday, 6:30-8:30 p.m. The Glaser Center, 547 Mendocino Ave.  Santa Rosa, CA  95409, sponsoring group Eagle Forum of California and Californians United Against Common Core, cuacc.org. Tickets: http://www.eventbrite.com/o/eagle-forum-of-california-6386372853?s=23978603

April 29, Tuesday, 6:30 - 9:00 p.m. Grass Valley Elks Lodge, 109 South School Street, Grass Valley, sponsoring group - Common Core Concerns - Tickets $10 in advance or $15 at the door.  Tickets available at Briar Patch, Gold-n-Green, or Penn Valley Pony Express.  There is also a private reception "Apple Pie for the Teacher," from 5-6:00 p.m. for $35. Call 530-802-0865 to attend.

Following are some of the questions that parents have which they are hoping will be answered by the panel of experts.  Attendees are urged to bring their own questions:

• Why are the Common Core English language arts and math standards coming under a firestorm of criticism across the nation if they are supposed to be so much better, more rigorous and higher? 
• Why did four States refuse to sign on to the Common Core standards, and why did Minnesota only sign on for the English and not the math?
• Why is there a growing push back and legislation in 20 States to put Common Core on hold or to stop it completely as Indiana recently did?
• Why have five States given it a new name and are embarrassed to call it Common Core?
• Why are parents from every State opting their children out of the State assessments?  In New York, over 30,000 have opted out.
• Why are families so concerned about data collection and privacy issues being violated by CC?
• Why are an increasing number of children unhappy and frustrated and no longer like school?
• Why are more teachers resigning or retiring early across the nation - more than ever before?
• Why did the New York State United Teachers Union pull its support for Common Core?
• Why are some people calling this "Gates Ed?"   Why has Bill Gates given $millions for its creations and to bribe hundreds of groups to support it?  What does he hope to get back?
• What is a better program to replace Common Core?

More about the panel of experts:

Dr. Sandra Stotsky, PhD is a professor emerita from the University of Arkansas.  She helped create the high standards for the State of Massachusetts in 2003, known as the highest in the nation.  She served on the validation committee for Common Core English Language Arts Standards from 2009 to 2010, and recognizing them as inferior, refused to sign off on them.  She believes them to be "inferior, untested, never internationally benchmarked and states: "they will lead to a lower level of literacy for all high school students, and they are mostly empty skill sets with little substantive content."  Her topic in the panel is: "Why Common Core is not Good for Children."

Attorney Brad Dacus is the founder and President of the Pacific Justice Institute, which specializes in civil liberties and parental rights.  His firm produced the opt out forms for children to opt out of the Common Core Assessments and the intrusive data collection of students, their families, their parents, but also their teachers. He cites several education codes that authorize parents to opt their children out.  Brad's topic is "Common Core, Parent and Student Rights."

Lydia Gutierrez has been an elementary school teacher for 22 years.  She holds master's degrees in education, math, and multicultural bilingual education.  Since the five main writers of the Common Core standards never had any experience teaching in a K-12 classroom, one of Lydia's statements about them is "Those who can - teach, those who cannot - write Common Core standards."  Lydia's topic is "Foundation vs. Abstract Thinking in the Elementary Grades."

Please attend one or more of these presentations and help spread the word to other concerned parents/Americans.

Sincerely, Orlean Koehle