ROPE Rebuttal to Oklahoman Editorial from May 22, 2013 entitled, Oklahoma lawmakers should resist push to repeal

Common Core
(http://newsok.com/oklahoma-lawmakers-should-resist-push-to-repeal-commoncore/article/3828361/?page=2)

This is the second time an editorialist for the Oklahoman has written an article referring to those of us that are Common Core detractors as misfits that needn't be heard on any level. Daily Oklahoman, the FACTS are in ROPES favor. You have YET to produce any credible evidence for your continued parroting of talking points supplied by the Foundation for Excellence in Education for whom Dr. Barresi as one of their "Chiefs for Change" has allowed this Jeb Bush-backed group to write much of the education 'reform' legislation being used here in Oklahoma. How is that local? Though I don't have time or inclination to spend much of my day ruminating over DOK editorials (especially after such a horrific incident for Oklahoma as the recent tornadoes), I feel it more than fair to point out that while there has NEVER been any credible evidence used by the Daily Oklahoman or one of their editorialist to support their position, ROPE has reams and reams and reams of citations that bolster OUR position from such conspiratorial websites as "http://www.edweek.org" and "www.ed.gov". The Common Core State Standards Initiative was NOT spearheaded by state Governors (through the National Governor's Association (NGA) of which our Governor is Vice-Chair) and state Superintendents (the Council for Chief State School Officers (CCSSO)). It was spearheaded by the Bill Gates Foundation, a man named Marc Tucker (and his pet project the National Center for Education and the Economy) and that organizations spin-off organization, Achieve. In fact, you can find a timeline for all of this directly on Achieve's website! But then, maybe that's too conspiratorial! Yes, the NGA and the CCSSO were brought in, but only AFTER the standards were conceived and partially written! So, how is that state led again? Because we have a Governor and Chief State School Officer? How does that mean 'local' again? Oklahoma did voluntarily 'adopt' the standards I guess you could say. The 'adoption' of the Common Core State Standards were accomplished through one paragraph in a 32 page bill having to do with teacher incentive pay and several other education reform issues (SB2033 -2010). Oklahoma HAD to put the CCSS (and other education 'reforms') into law in order to up their points on the Race to the Top grant for which they were applying . Yes, DOK, I agree; Oklahoma GOT NO MONEY FROM RACE TO THE TOP, but this just makes Common Core and ALL the other education 'reforms' in that bill UNFUNDED MANDATES! As for the "federal standards" argument; ROPE has never said these are federal standards. They are not. They were devised in a manner - knowing that federalized standards and curricula are against federal law - to prevent that argument by having Achieve 'partner' with the NGA and CCSSO to release them through the states. Please see this article in the VERY, VERY CONSPIRATORIAL Chronicle of Higher

Education called, "The Core Conundrum" by Peter Wood. This article outlines this situation beautifully. One more thing however found on the controversial website Common Core State Standards Initiative: Controlling Law; Forum Selection These Terms shall be construed in accordance with the laws of the District of Columbia, without regard to conflicts principles. A court of competent jurisdiction in Washington, DC shall be the exclusive forum for the resolution of any dispute between you and NGA Center or CCSSO, and you irrevocably consent to the personal and subject matter jurisdiction, and venue, of such court. Why would you have to sue over the Common Core firstly, and then secondly, why would your lawsuit only be dealt with in the District of Columbia (Washington, D.C. - the seat of our FEDERAL government)? Dr. Barresi joined Oklahoma to an organization called Partnership for College and Career Ready Assessments (note the conspiratorial citation here: PARCC). Because PARCC was given ARRA (federal stimulus) funds through a Race to the Top grant to develop tests for the Common Core, the federal government has now stepped in and told PARCC that the Department of Education must review the PARCC tests (Look out! This citation from EdWeek is very conspiratorial as well!). How is this NOT federal control when you consider that PARCC is to test for the Common Core State Standards and what is in the Standards will be on the test? If schools don't align their curricula to teach to the Common Core Standards the pupils don't do well on the tests and the schools A-F score decreases. If a school reaches a D or F in grade, the State Department of Education or one of their contractors can take over the school as per Oklahoma's NCLB waiver the DOK would be so beneficial to students. How is that local control? For what then is a school board? I think it important to point out here that it appears Superintendent Barresi has been untruthful with Oklahomans and certainly Republicans, because I believe it speaks to the issue of credibility of Dr. Barresi and other Common Core supporters. Dr. Barresi has told Oklahomans over and over and over that Oklahoma would NOT be adopting the Common Core State Standards in History and Science. On the very conspiratorial website www2.ed.gov, I found Oklahoma's addendum to their original Race To The Top application. Page 7 of this application has a letter from Governor Henry sent to the FEDERAL DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION saying that Oklahoma, through an emergency rules process, DID adopt the Common Core English/Language Arts and Math Standards, as well as Social Studies and Science as of July, 2010! 210:15-4-3. Adoption and implementation. (a) The Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts, Literacy in History/Social Studies and Science, and Mathematics shall be adopted and implemented as follows:

(1) Effective immediately, the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts, Literacy in History/Social Studies and Science, and Mathematics are adopted by the State of Oklahoma; (2) Beginning with the 2010-2011 school year, the school districts of the state shall develop and begin implementing a plan for transitioning from the Priority Academic Student Skills to full implementation of the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts, Literacy in History/Social Studies and Science, and Mathematics as described in (b) of this rule by the 20142015 school year or the school year in which common assessments aligned to the Common Core State Standards will be available, whichever is later; (3) Beginning with FY 2011, the Oklahoma State Department of Education shall pursue participation in consortia of states, as appropriate, to develop common assessments aligned to the Common Core State Standards; and (4) The Priority Academic Student Skills shall remain as the assessed standards until such time that full implementation of the Common Core State Standards are required and common assessments aligned to those standards are available. Dr. Barresi has made quite a public show (the most recent at a meeting of OCPAC May 15th where she waxed so fondly of Oklahoma's social studies standards being Oklahoman that I thought she would cry) of having David Barton come out and sit in on the gathering of social studies teachers assembled to write Oklahoma's 'new' social studies standards (David Barton did not agree with her assessment). I have read the new social studies standards and commented on them. They DEFINITELY contain the Common Core English/LA standards which have trimmed down the actual history students will learn. It is certain that Dr. Barresi gathered input from Oklahomans for the History standards. But how much of this input was used to formulate these standards? It certainly does appear that the new Social Studies/History Standards for Oklahoma follow those outlined in the RTT agreement with the federal Department of Education. Again, according to Oklahomas Race to the Top addendum: (b) By the 2014-2015 school year or the school year in which common assessments aligned to the Common Core State Standards will be available, whichever is later, the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts, Literacy in History/Social Studies and Science, and Mathematics shall be fully implemented by replacing or being added to the Priority Academic Student Skills as follows: (1) English Language Arts for grades K-12 shall replace the Priority Academic Student Skills in Language Arts for grades K-12 with the provision that the State Board of Education reserves the right to add up to 15 percent additional standards to the Common Core State Standards as appropriate; (2) Literacy in History/Social Studies and Science for grades 6-12 shall be added to the Priority Academic Student Skills in: (A) World studies for grade 6, world geography for grade 7, and United States History 1760-1877 for grade 8;

(B) Economics for high school, Oklahoma history for high school, United States government for high school, United States History 1850 to the Present for high school, world geography for high school, and World History for high school; (C) Inquiry, physical, life, and earth/space science for grades 6-8; and (D) Biology I, Chemistry, and Physics; and Please, go to the History/Social Studies standards. You can also find them through the main Oklahoma C3 standards page. Compare these standards by going to Oklahomas RTT Addendum opening it and opening Oklahomas History/Social Studies Standards and comparing them side by side. Does Oklahomas document NOT follow the addendum nearly* exactly? Page 38 of Grade 6 says, "Literacy Skills Standard 2: The student will develop and demonstrate Common Core Social Studies writing literacy skills" and "Grade 6 WORLD GEOGRAPHY". Page 42 of Grade 7 says, "Grade 7 WORLD GEOGRAPHY" Page 46 of Grade 8 says, "Grade 8 UNITED STATES HISTORY" Page 51 of High School says, "High School ECONOMICS" Page 55 of High School says, "High School OKLAHOMA HISTORY AND GOVERNMENT" Page 67 of High School says, "High School UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT" Page 78 "High School WORLD HISTORY" Page 82 "High School WORLD HUMAN GEOGRAPHY"

*I say nearly exactly because Oklahoma has added Psychology (pg 59) and Sociology (pg 63) to our History Standards. This must represent the 15% over the written Common Core State Standards we're allowed to use under the RTT grant (Pg 12). Of course there is nothing controversial introduced in Psychology and/or Sociology. In fact, why are these not separate courses OUTSIDE History/Social Studies Standards? Why are THESE in Social Studies standards? Of course there is this quote inside the standards document on page 66, Society does not consist of individuals, but expresses the sum of interrelations, the relations within which these individuals stand by Karl Marx - and this quote on page 62, Dreams are often most profound when they seem the most crazy by Sigmund Freud. There is also the issue that Oklahoma's History Standards cite the Southern Poverty Law Center, as one of its supporting documents on page 96 and refers to America as a Constitutional Democracy on page 11. In summary; It doesn't matter what anyone says - certainly not the DOK nor the Chamber of Commerce (who never cite any actual evidence but merely parrot information from PARCC, Achieve, the NGA and CCSSO) Common Core State Standards are not local, were prescribed as necessary for a federal Race to the Top grant, puts Oklahoma under federal control with the PARCC tests and are NOT OK. CITATIONS:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/29/jennifer-carter-oklahoma-_n_988260.html http://blog.newsok.com/scissortales/about-2/ http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2013/01/30/e-mails-link-bush-foundationcorporations-and-education-officials/ http://www.scribd.com/doc/138645897/Common-Core-State-Standards-Are-They-Right-for-Oklahoma http://achieve.org/history-achieve http://www2.ed.gov/programs/racetothetop/executive-summary.pdf (http://chronicle.com/blogs/innovations/the-corecunundrum/31719?sid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en http://www.corestandards.org/terms-of-use http://www.ok.gov/sde/parcc http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/curriculum/2013/04/common_assessment_groups_to_undergo_new _federal_review_process.html?qs=review+parcc+tests http://www2.ed.gov/policy/eseaflex/ok.pdf http://newsok.com/oklahoma-request-for-nclb-waiver-should-benefit-students/article/3625644 http://www2.ed.gov/programs/racetothetop/phase2-applications/amendments/oklahoma.pdf http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fp33Ko-x3Vo http://restoreoklahomapubliceducation.blogspot.com/2013/04/oklahoma-history-standards-andsouthern.html http://ok.gov/sde/sites/ok.gov.sde/files/C3-SocialStudies.pdf http://ok.gov/sde/oklahoma-c3-priority-academic-student-skills http://www2.ed.gov/programs/racetothetop/executive-summary.pdf