Let’s get this out of the way up front: the Texas Freedom Network neither supports nor opposes the Common Core standards. But it’s increasingly clear that some opponents are incapable of having a rational debate about these educational standards for mathematics and English/language arts.
A consortium of states and independent organizations developed the standards, which 44 states, the District of Columbia, four territories and the Department of Defense Education Activity have voluntarily adopted. The project is sponsored by the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers. You can read about the project on the Common Core website.
Support and opposition to the standards is bipartisan, with both conservatives and liberals split over them. But the most virulent, hair-on-fire opposition appears to come from the far right — the commies-and-gays-and-Muslims-and-United Nations-are-coming-to-enslave-us right.
Now, not all conservatives oppose Common Core. Republican Bob Riley, former governor of Alabama, has written a piece in National Review supporting the project, for example. But the tea party, wack-a-doodle right is convinced that Common Core is part of a grand conspiracy to destroy America. And that conspiracy, those opponents claim, involves other projects that have nothing to do with Common Core.
Texas Eagle Forum, the Lone Star State branch of Phyllis Schlafly’s national organization, is among the most extreme opponents. Eagle Forum fears a lot of conspiracies, of course — one-worldism, Muslim takeovers, environmental extremism, etc. But Texas Eagle Forum’s March 2014 Torch newsletter offers a real tour de force in the far right’s war on Common Core.
The article, “CSCOPE and Common Core ‘Are One in the Same,'” first ties Common Core to the state-developed CSCOPE curriculum management system used in hundreds of Texas public schools. The two programs have nothing to do with each other, but that doesn’t make for a very good conspiracy. Anyway, right-wing critics have charged that CSCOPE promotes Marxism, radical Islam and other ills while at the same time undermining patriotism and Christianity. That witch hunt caused a lot of damage before a State Board of Education-sponsored review of CSCOPE found scant evidence for those absurd claims.
The extremists over at Texas Eagle Forum apparently have ignored the findings of that SBOE review. (No surprise.) Moreover, CSCOPE remains — as they see it — part of the Common Core conspiracy, along with the unrelated Next Generation Science Standards and Future of Sex Education (the latter a project of groups like Advocates for Youth, Answer and SIECUS). So check out the crazy that vomits forth in the Torch newsletter article about Common Core:
Sexual corruption is already happening in our schools with the introduction of anti-bullying programs (loaded with the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered (LGBT) agenda); obscene, anti-Christian leftist literature; social justice; and, in the higher grades, activist opportunities. Sexual subjects already fit into Common Core through the English Language Arts (ELA) standards via obscene novels; social justice in the social studies; and data collection by asking students their sexual orientation or gender identity. Sex ed is one thing, but literature is something we think would be okay.
Dr. Michael Coffman spoke about “Common Core’s Agenda 21 and Globalism vs. Private Property and Individual Liberty.” The new Science Standards also include the “science of meditation.” It includes a step-by-step lesson on an Eastern spiritual religious practice, all billed as “focusing awareness.” The weather and climate standards include lessons that are all based on “models.” While models are very useful, the lessons present that they prove global warming is factual. The environment is peppered throughout the Science Standards. They do not test knowledge of facts, but assess where the student is on their continuum.
The bottom line is that Common Core is a top-down push for a one-size-fits-all curriculum for all students. As Bill Whittle emphasized, the concept of the individual is obliterated in Common Core. It is the concept of the individual that has made America the greatest nation on earth. Our education system used to teach children how to think. Today, Common Core tells students what to think and then measures their progress through unending assessments to see how the child is conforming to be the ideal child of the state. The elitists believe they know what is best for our children and us.
Sexual corruption, the LGBT agenda, social justice, Agenda 21, globalism, meditation, global warming, the “state,” elitists. These folks sure are frightened by a lot of things. How do they sleep at night?
Common Core, just like NCLB, is so deeply flawed as to be almost laughable…if it weren’t for the fact that it’s actually happening to our kids. That these right-o nut jobs are screaming about it solely because it was implemented by a Democrat doesn’t change that fact that – in this case – a blind squirrel found a nut. JMHO, of course.
I understand that Common Core is an issue only marginally connected to TFN’s stated purpose, but I for one would applaud for an organization so devoted to proper academic content to take a stand for proper academic instruction.
Hi Dan.
The Texas Eagle Forum and its sister organizations around the country are getting all wound up because of an outlandish Anti-Common Core “movie” that lasts about 1.5 hours and is presented in lecture and overhead slide format. I watched it on You Tube a few nights ago.
The movie claim that Common Core has plans to outfit all children in American public schools with wear-all-day electronic sweat sensor bands, blood pressure sensors, and other sorts of sensors. Some official in the school will be monitoring each kid’s readings throughout the day. When public school classrooms have discussions on homosexual behaviors, they will be watching closely to identify those children who sweat or experience a blood pressure rise because their Christian parents have taught them that homosexuality is a sin. Under Common Core, the alleged purpose is to identify those children so the school system will know which children to target for more intense indoctrination into approval and acceptance of the homosexual lifestyle. Thus, Common Core is really part of a vast “1984” plot to turn our public schools into an anti-conservative indoctrination machine to steal children from their parents and churches and reform them into liberal zombies (more or less).
The sad thing is that this movie does not have the usual well-known religious and conspiracy nutball types as its on-screen presenters. It has two very serious, academic-looking people who look the very picture of well-developed intelligence and articulation. One is a man who is faster and more articulate than his more elderly and somewhat slower co-presenter. In other words, this is a serious presentation that would not be able to fool you or me Dan—but it could fool a very large number of average and/or uninformed people.
Dan. I tried to find it again for you on You Tube so I could list the URL here. I got there on a link from the Tennessee Eagle Forum page a few days ago. I am sure the presentation is still out there on the Internet—just a matter of finding it.
As you can see above, the movie ties Common Core into issues that TFN is concerned about, and its purpose is to radicalize everyday people. Also, if I recall correctly, the movie specifically links Common Core with the “tragedy of CSCOPE.” This may be the source of the fumes you are smelling in Texas.
Dan said: “Sexual corruption, the LGBT agenda, social justice, Agenda 21, globalism, meditation, global warming, the “state,” elitists. These folks sure are frightened by a lot of things. How do they sleep at night?”
Answer: Weezuns sleeps wayul cuz theezuns is the signs of the end toms talked about in the Holy Bobble. Jeezus is a gonna rupture us outa here fore it gits too bayud.
Our education system used to teach children how to think.
I thought that was the problem, at least as far as Teaxs Republicans were concerned, and the reason why public schools thmeselves were an abomination. No need to coordinate the talking points obviously.