Letter: Exposing Common Core

Dear Editor

In a recent Gallup Poll  http://pdkintl.org/noindex/2013_PDKGallup.pdf it was revealed almost two out of three Americans have NEVER heard of Common Core Standards (CCS). Further alarming is the fact nearly 33% of those who have heard of it don't understand it.

South Carolina Parents Involved in Education (SCPIE) is a group of which I am a member and we are working very hard to correct these statistics.

I recently sent a letter to ALL principals and Dr. Kelly Pew, Superintendent of Pickens County Schools, requesting the opportunity to hand out a flier to parents at their next PTA/PTO event with well documented facts exposing problems with Common Core Standards. Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has donated over $1million dollars to PTA's across the United States to support these standards. That donation has effectively cut off involved parents in finding out the problems associated with these standards.

Dr. Pew has refused to allow SCPIE the opportunity to hand out these informative fliers. Her response, “We will share the information that is given to us by the SC Dept of Ed, The Education Oversight Committee and our Instructional Dept. The SDPC cannot endorse information from others who are inconsistent with our state adopted goals and standards.”

Last time I checked we still live in a democratic republic. Denying taxpaying citizens the right to disseminate accurate information about their child's education which has been well researched is without a doubt..DENYING US FREEDOM OF SPEECH.WE THE PEOPLE do pay for education of our children through our tax dollars and this is an example of taxation without representation!

At present 20 states are in some form of opting out of these dangerous educational standards, and Maine's Governor LePage has issued an Executive Order to stop implementation in his state.

Governor Haley and SC State Superintendent Mick Zais have both expressed opposition to these standards.

This proves there is something amiss about these Common Core Standards.
Please call your child's school and demand to hear SCPIE's reasons for wanting to STOP COMMON CORE STANDARDS. You can also go to our website: www.scpie.org for more information. 
Johnnelle Raines
South Carolina Parents Involved in Education member
Pickens