kids and issues

Ya know, this world would be a better place if the kids could run it. Our nine year old ND had to write this little report on if he ran the world for a day, what would he do..  His first thing was to fire Obama. the second thing was to end common core, and the third was to return school lunch menus to their rightful place.
While all the other kids had wishful thoughts of toys, and video games, ND came out with a grown up political statement in which his teacher gave him an A.


I love to debate the issues with the both of our boys and hear their views on the world and the candidates. They know about the Hillary email issue, and  both firmly believe that if they pulled a stunt like that, they would and this is a quote: "lose their xbox for a year"   So why should she get off?

The other issue I was told is that "Gun Free Zones" should cease to exist. It was asked of me that Don't all these people know that the mass shootings happen in places that are gun free? You don't hear of these mass killings at gun shows or gun ranges do you? Noooooo you don't...always in a gun free zone!!, then if you want to stop it, get rid of gun free zones....


Another thing was to build our military back up, and add more ships, I mean we are the country that was turning ships out like tic tacs during WW11, so why can't we now?. We have an enemy out there that wants us destroyed and despite what we are told:  its not climate change....."DUH"

And the Space program!  What the heck is that about? All kids dream about being an astronaut and with one stroke of a pen and a speech that dream was crushed. .

Lastly, (and I said this to Matt in my previous blog post)...both boys would LOVE to stand before Jeb Bush during a debate and have him work an elementary school common core math problem.. and not some 1st or 2nd grade level problem...no, he needs to attempt a 5th grade problem.


 You don't think they listen to mom and dad too much do you?

 -JUGM

Common Core Parody

I saw this on an anti-common core facebook page, and had to share it.  Common Core is a travesty , and is completely "dumping down" the kids of this country. Here in South Carolina the Govenor signed the bill to overturn it, however a new panel was chosen to re-write the curriculum only they have based it off the Common Core standards and just put lipstick on a pig..

I can relate to this mom, because I too have pulled out my hair trying to help my kids with their math homework...

SC Common Core

The battle began about two years ago. When the parents of South Carolina school children began bringing home  Common Core education. The lines were drawn and parents were outraged at the "Dumbing Down" of our school kids.
I ,in Florida felt fortunate, that we did not have full implementation of this monster..we only had the math portion which is a headache enough. South Carolina and several other states have full implementation.
Common Core is not only a fight for what curriculum is taught, it is also a fight for the personal data that is being collected. Data that the federal government has no business asking.

Below is an actual questionnaire :

This is what a parent wrote in on one such questionnaire that was mailed to them from the Palm Beach County School District here in Florida:

 Now I am happy to say that Last week the voices of the people were heard, the South Carolina House and Senate struck down Common Core. The bill will go back to the house for final passage then signed by the Governor.

However South Carolina must remain vigilant. The same thing was done in Indiana and new curriculum was passed, only it was still common core with a different name to it.
That is why the Anti Common Core movement is hoping for their candidate : Sherry Few to be elected. She has promised sweeping changes to South Carolina's education system and if elected will begin working on the new curriculum in January 2015 when she takes office.

Now Florida needs to get on the bandwagon....  fingers crossed

-JUGM

Common Core

 

If you do not have a school aged child then perhaps you have not heard of it. Basically Common Core is a new government education initiative to be rolled out in 45 states starting this year. More then half are all ready teaching the standards with Alabama leading the way.

What it was created to do was bring diverse curricula to all school aged children. When the stimulus was hatched in 2008-09, the school districts were offered stimulus money to help them through the recession. If they took the money they had to commit to teaching CC. Now if a district does not teach CC, they will not be eligible for federal educational funding.
What is the worse part about CC ? Is that it is even being forced on home schooled kids..If home schooled students are not taught CC and cannot pass CC testing, they will not graduate.

As our oldest progresses through the 3rd grade, Senior and I are starting to see signs of CC. He never brings home a  book, only work sheets. He is currently working on 100 math problems to solve in 5 min. The class can not progress to the next level until every one has passed the current level they are on. So for instance:  Student A who flies through the questions and passes, he can not advance until every one else as passed as well, thus holding Student A back.
So now, because not every one has passed in our sons class, they are actually falling behind. Currently they should be doing multiplication problems, but the entire class is still stuck on subtraction.
Michelle Malkin had a typical 3rd grade CC math problem posted on twitchy today, and please note that there are no shaded areas :

The good news about CC is that support is sinking. The NY teachers union, a group composed of more then 600,000 educators has withdrawn support for it and have shown no confidence in this initiative.
 Texas, Minnesota, Alaska, Virginia, Nebraska  are charging forward and telling the federal government to stay out of the their classrooms, Four opted completly out, and MN  opted out of the english portion. South Carolina's governor; Nicki Haley is supporting state legislative action to block it as well. Florida has adopted the legislative but is opting out of the testing phases.




resources:
http://twitchy.com/2014/01/27/good-luck-solving-this-3rd-grade-common-core-math-problem/
http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/education/story/2012-04-28/common-core-education/54583192/1
http://blog.al.com/wire/2013/11/unlike_alabama_these_five_stat.html