Day of Activism – Against Common Core! Monday, March 17th at the Capitol

OK-SAFE, Inc. – From our friends at ROPE and across the state comes the call for a Day of Activism – Against Common Core at the OK state Capitol, on Monday, March 17, 2014.   The event runs from 11 am to 3 pm, with free T-shirts going to the first 300 people.

Common Core State Standards (which should really be called Bill Gates’ Common Core National Standards) are the Obama Care of education reform.  Opposition to these national standards is mounting across the country (see here, here, here, and here).  Oklahoma’s opposition, and high level research on the facts of the issue, has been led by ROPE, along with courageous moms, key educators, and some better-informed legislators.

Our good friends at the Tulsa912 Project say they will be heading to the Capitol Monday with “like-minded groups, parents and concerned citizens.  If you would like to carpool and caravan with others from the Tulsa area, we will meet at the Reasor’s in Jenks (446 S. Elm, Jenks, OK).  Departure will be promptly at 9 am.  If you have questions contact Peggy at plburgess.dbo@gmail.com”.

 

Understanding Common Core Public Forum – August 10th. Hosted by Tulsa912 Project

Understanding Common Core Event – A Public Forum

Hosted by Tulsa 912 Project and KFAQ

Join us on Saturday, 8/10/13, as both sides discuss whether adopting Common Core Standards is the right educational choice for Oklahoma.

Speakers in include OK Superintendent of Education Janet Barressi, OK Wesleyan Univ. President Everett Piper, R.O.P.E. President Jenni White, a homeschool mom and more at this informative event.  More information available at Tulsa912Project.com

Date: Saturday August 10, 2013

Time: 9AM – 4:30PM

Location: Spirit Life Church, 5345 S. Peoria Ave., Tulsa, OK

Host:  Tulsa912Project.com and KFAQ

Tickets are $10 to cover costs.

Advance ticket purchase is required.

The Tulsa 912 event will feature speakers pro and con.  OK-SAFE’s position is published and clear on the matter and best summed up by this little button.  Be prepared and be informed to discuss the matter with friends and neighbors.

Additional Common Core Information Links:

What Oklahomans Need To Know About the Common Core State Standards R.O.P..E. 7/26/12

“School Choice” is NO Choice if Common Core Included OK-SAFE 2/1/13

Education and Party Unity – A Jumbo Shrimp Oximoron? ROPE Post. 2/7/13

The Common Core State Standards Initiative – by Gary Kilpatrick 4/3/13

Help Stop Common Core in Oklahoma – Calls Needed! OK-SAFE 5/17/13

Just ask a Mom! Common Core is Not Welcome in Oklahoma OK-SAFE 6/12/13

Common Core Exemplifies What’s Wrong with the Republic 7/4/13

Congressman Jim Bridenstine Applauds Education Reform 7/19/13

“Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd (wise) as serpents and innocent as doves.”

Matt. 10:16

Just ask a Mom! Common Core is Not Welcome in Oklahoma

OK-SAFE, Inc. – Note to Oklahoma’s Republican leadership:  Common Core is about as welcome in the state of Oklahoma as Obama Care – the people don’t want either one.

From ROPE’s (Restore OK Public Education) post 6/12/13:

Lies, Damned Lies and Common Core

“…It is in this vein that I present to you a word-for-word, blow-by-blow of State Superintendent Janet Barresi’s visit with the Wagner County GOP June 2013.  This was written by a woman named Karen Cuellar – an Oklahoma home schooling mom.

I refuse to edit or manipulate in any way her original email.  She hit this out of the ballpark – she needs no assistance.  Please, read, pass on and become involved TODAY!

“I went to the Wagoner County GOP monthly meeting on Thursday night to see what Barresi could possibly say to defend or sell Common Core to the public. Luckily, this was a group of very informed, anti-common core voters who had done their research. She spent a good 30 minutes on “fake fluff” – really avoiding the details of Common Core and speaking in generalities on how great it was. I could tell the audience wasn’t falling for the usual politician talk.

We were asked to write questions down and submit them to be answered to keep the crowd under control since this is a very controversial topic.

The first question chosen was mine, and it was this: “Our two Republican Senators and Speaker Shannon have publicly come out against Common Core. The RNC and the Oklahoma state GOP both have added very specific language against Common Core to the party platforms. How do you reconcile that – running as a Republican, on a Republican ticket, when your stand is in direct opposition to our party platform?”

I think it caught her by surprise. She seemed uncomfortable, fumbling for an answer, and replied that the party platforms had language about “government intrusion” but not specifically Common Core.  I held up a copy of both platforms and called her out on it. The RNC has 2 full pages that specifically name and deal with all of the aspects of Common Core, and our state platform has one paragraph, but also specifically names Common Core. I had copies of both.

She seemed irritated by that, and then continued down a path that had absolutely nothing to do with the party platform or the direct question I asked. I could tell the crowd noticed it, and was just as upset as I was that she didn’t answer the question.

There were several other questions pertaining to the reading parts of Common Core, specifically removing the Classical literature and replacing it with technical manuals. She said numerous times that the reading was optional, and only “suggested” reading material. She also said over and over that teachers have the choice to pick what they want their students to read…”

Read the rest of this account by one well-informed mom here.

 

 

Help Stop Common Core in Oklahoma – Calls Needed!

OK-SAFE, Inc. – By now everyone knows how dangerous the Common Core State Standards are for our children and state education.  (See here, here, here, here, and here.)

Everyone, that is, except OK Governor Mary Fallin, State Superintendent Janet Barresi, and Senator John Ford.

It appears that OK Speaker T.W. Shannon has come out against the Common Core state standards and is willing to run legislation (hopefully this session) to repeal one of the components of this egregious education system.  (HB 1719 may end up being the legislative vehicle for the repeal of the Common Core standards bill, but that has not been confirmed as of this writing.)

Please call your Senator and Representative and tell them you want Common Core repealed in Oklahoma.  Especially, call and email Pro-Tem Brian Bingman and Sen. John Ford and tell them to say YES to the repeal of the Common Core in Oklahoma.

• Senate Pro-Tem Brian Bingman   405-521-5528   Email: bingman@oksenate.gov
• Sen. John Ford                                 405-521-5634  Email: fordj@oksenate.gov

See this important message from ROPE (Restore Oklahoma Public Education), dated 5/16/13:

WE NEED YOUR HELP IMMEDIATELY!

A bill to separate Oklahoma from the Common Core could be coming to a vote in the Senate early next week! Remember the legislature is attempting to be out of session by next Wednesday or Thursday, so now is crunch time! Call and/or email your Senator IMMEDIATELY and ask them to pass ANY bill that comes to the senate that STOPS the Common Core. As you know, our previous bills to stop the Common Core have been prevented from being allowed even a hearing in either the House or Senate Education Committees by Representative Ann Coody and Senator John Ford.

House Speaker T.W. Shannon has now come out against the Common Core setting the tone for the House! Shannon announced Thursday that with just two weeks left in the legislative session he is unveiling a measure to repeal a 2010 law that requires common core to be implemented by Oklahoma school districts.

Please thank him via phone call 405-557-7374,   Email: tw.shannon@okhouse.gov or post to his Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/twshannon?ref=ts&fref=ts).

A bill to STOP the Common Core MUST FINALLY GET A HEARING in the Senate.

Please contact the following senators INCLUDING your own! Email, call, do whatever you can to let your voice be heard telling them, “COMMON CORE IS NOT OK!”

A J Griffin                                 405-521-5628  Email: griffin@oksenate.gov

Senator Mike Schulz              405-521-5612  Email: schulz@oksenate.gov

Senator Earl Garrison           405-521-5533   Email: whitep@oksenate.gov

Senator Kim David                405-521-5590   Email: david@oksenate.gov

Senator Greg Treat               405-521-5632   Email: Treat@oksenate.gov

Jenni White

President

Restore Oklahoma Public Education

www.RestoreOkPublicEducation.com

 __________________________________________________________

OK-SAFE Background Information – Linking Education Reform and Health Care Reform

There are no accidents in politics.  While the state of Oklahoma was implementing “ObamaCare” compliant health care reform, (Electronic Health Records, OHIET, etc.), education reform was running on a parallel track, instituted via SB 222 in 2009 (P-20 Data Council) and SB 2033 in 2010 (K-12 Common Core). These bills had the support of Republican leadership.

Think these data systems are to be kept separate?  Look at this diagram describing what the Statewide “Identify as a Service” federated identity management system (federated = single-sign on accesses several systems) would look like.  It clearly links the Department of Education system and the Department of Human Services systems.  (Diagram is from a ppt entitled “Federated ID Management & SICAM in Oklahoma HHS Agencies”, dated July 2011, accessed through OHCA records.)  More information in that power point included linking together other state agencies/systems into one interconnected system.  These agencies have information sharing agreements with agencies and entities outside the state.  Feel better now?

The Common Core “standards” concept came out of the same tech-cesspool as the ObamaCare “standards”.  In both sectors the “standards” have nothing to do with actual education or health care.  They have everything to do with the “standards” that enable these technology systems (i.e. “standardized” computer hardware and software systems technology) to be interoperable.  They are to be interconnected one with another. The standardized, interconnected technology systems are what enable an electronic “cradle-to-grave” (longitudinal) record on every single person.

For an idea of what this means for the people of this state, of this country, see the OK-SAFE image below from our pending power point presentation entitled The Architecture Defines the Policy.

OK-SAFE image

ROPE Blog – Reject the Race to the Top Money

Many of OK-SAFE’s founders have long held that today’s public education system is really about behavior modification and not about instilling knowledge or producing well-educated individuals.  Many of us have advocated for the removal of our children, particularly those who are Christian, from the public education propaganda machinery, and have instead advocated for homeschooling or, where possible, enrollment in a classical-education Christian school.

We’re fortunate in this state to have an organization that is doing real research about today’s public school system, and advocating for traditional education values.  ROPE is that organization. (Hat tip to Brandon Dutcher of OCPA, who understands  skyrocketing education costs.)

From our friends at ROPE (Restore Oklahoma Public Education), here is their latest blog:

Today’s Great Idea: Let’s Borrow Money from A Bankrupt Federal Government to Create and Administer Tests for Pre-Kindergartners

Our State Department of Education (OSDE) through Governor Mary Fallin sold the public on applying for the Race to The Top Early Learning Challenge (to pay for pre-k programming) by saying they would be applying for this grant to “…invest in upgrades to our teacher training, our data tracking and improved testing.” She also goes on to tell Megan Rolland, “We’re not establishing new programs …”

WHO ADVISES THIS WOMAN? Clearly, from Rolland’s new article today, “Entry exam for kindergartners is part of Oklahoma’s grant application” they had every intent of establishing a new program – that of TESTING INCOMING KINDERGARTNERS. In fact, after reviewing the RTT grant’s FAQ’s, it became readily apparent that this NEW program was added so Oklahoma could be more competitive for the grant:

Competitive Preference Priority 3, is Understanding the Status of Children’s Early Learning and Development at Kindergarten Entry through the implementation of a Kindergarten Entry Assessment. Applicants that successfully meet Competitive Preference Priority 2 can receive up to 10 additional points, and applicants that successfully meet Competitive Preference Priority 3 can earn 10 additional points on an “all or nothing” basis.

Rest of post here.

Question: Weren’t things in Oklahoma supposed to get better with the election of all those “conservative” Republicans?  We’re fighting all the same bad big-government policies as before, and then some.

Truth is, there is little to no difference between the leadership of either party.  Much better to address policy than party – you’ll be closer to dealing with reality.