Wow! In this well written, articulate blog, a student from South Dakota has spoken out about what adopting the Common Core has meant for students. Both father and child have given permission to post here. The first rule of education should be “Do No Harm.”   A STUDENT’S PERSPECTIVE ON THE COMMON CORE CURRICULUM FEBRUARY…

SB 64, the bill that will prevent the Board of Education from adopting any further uniform national standards for two years, has passed the House of Representatives. You can read the full text of this bill here. This bill also requires four public hearings before any content standards can be adopted. This bill does not…

I spoke with Representative Bolin a few minutes ago. He too is disappointed in how the HB 1187 vote went, but the pendulum is swinging in our favor from where he started in this battle. And he is encouraged by that. And he wants to encourage you not to give up. The number of emails…

In Part One of this series, Pioneer Institute Executive Director Jim Stergios talks about the basis for education reform in Massachusetts, and how that state-driven success model differs from Common Core national education standards. He corrects some of the myths about Common Core, drawing on Pioneer Institute’s extensive research to show that the national standards…

SB 129, a bill to overturn the Common Core in South Dakota, will be heard in the Senate Ed Committee on February 13, 2014. We don’t so much need you to come to Pierre, as we need you to email and call the senators on the Senate Ed Committee. Please urge them to vote “YES”…

On a personal note, there are some things I just don’t understand. I don’t understand the reluctance to hear a dissenting view about the Common Core Standards. Isn’t it the job of government, the people’s representatives, to hear all sides of an issue? I don’t understand that instead of listening to the concerns of parents…

SB 129 will be heard in Senate Ed Committee at 7:45 am on Thursday, February  13, 2014. SB 129 is a bill to supplant the Common Core. It’s time to contact legislators. If you are able to make the trip to Pierre on Thursday, 2/13/14, that would be fantastic. Even if you do not want…

HB 1237 is an attempt to get the failed SB 62 passed, but this time it is being brought in through the House. It creates a council to study the Common Core. This bill is in the House Education Committee on Monday, February 10, 2014. Please get educated about this bill and contact your legislators. HOUSE BILL…

Thank you to everyone who attended Legislative Coffees and Cracker Barrels last Saturday.  Your attendance was noticed!  So much so, that the opponents spent the week begging people to write and show up at the coffees and cracker barrels this week.  Last week in Sioux Falls, one legislator polled the audience by a show of hands. There was…