Bradley County Commission votes NO to Common Core, Yarber gets decision

Bradley County Commission votes NO to Common Core, Yarber gets decision 

BCN Note: No one was actually hurt in the writing of this news blog. Humor was added to a very serious subject. The bout was fictional and fun, the details factual. My opinions are below based on my observations of the event as it unfolded.

2/20/14
0749 am

Bradley County TN Commissioners have echoed the efforts of the Bradley County School Board and said NO to Common Core.

Former semi-pro boxer County Commissioner Jeff Yarber, who long ago hung up his gloves, but Tuesday, took them off the shelf and delivered a show of might reminiscent of his days on the circuit.

He stood mighty tall in this setting and went the full 10 rounds and was left shuffling in his corner unscathed.

Throughout the meeting Yarber stepped up, squared up on his opponent, left hand slightly in front of the other, weaved left and right, steps in head low, chin down and delivered a barrage of thunderous blows that left the impression that Common Core is not welcome in our community in any form. Even some of his own debated him but were left in a heap on the canvas of this political arena.

As the debate continued, the formally trained athlete, was fully prepared to go the distance and he did.

The bout started with the introduction for approval of two bills getting cranked up in the House and Senate. 

A vote to back HB 2332 and its Senate companion bill SB 2405 was debated and Jeff Yarber was scrapping the whole time. He took a few jabs off his ample iron jaw while fending off blows to defeat support for these bills. The intent of these bills is to remove Common Core and it’s cronies from our children’s presence, period! The bills are not there so they can be tweaked, renamed or repackaged. They are to be REMOVED, DISCONTINUE! Period!!!

If passed, the House and Senate bills would amend Tennessee Code Annotated section 49-1-302 to say “on July 1, 2014, the state board and the department of education shall DISCONTINUE the use of the Common Core state standards in English language arts and mathematics.” 

At that time, the standards that had been in place before Common Core standards were first being implemented in 2010 “shall become the standards for use by LEAs [local education agencies] and schools until the state board develops and adopts new Tennessee specific standards for English language arts and mathematics.” 

With the final vote pending, just as the Bradley County School Board had done a couple of weeks ago, Yarber and the County Commission stepped up and knocked down the formidable Common Core opponent.

Our buddies on the education board said that Common Core “would be highly disruptive to student growth.” 

During this title match, It was also mentioned that changes like postponing of PARCC assessment tests and tying those scores to teacher licensure, student data collection and non parent or teacher involvement would not be in the best interest of our teachers and ultimately our children.

Let’s not forget the lightweight contender Michelle Rhee of Students First, the ex wife of Heavyweight TN Education Secretary Kevin Huffman and Bantam weight Bill Haslam appointee have advocated, by their support of Students First, for parents to get out of the way so Common Core can be delivered uninterrupted as stated  in past interviews with Rhee. 

How convenient would it be to get parents, teachers, school boards and elected officials out of the way so the deed can be completed. Sounds like a win-win scenario if you ask me.

Like any good story or bout in this case there is always the spoiler. Today that is twofold. Commissioner Jeff Morelock and Bill Winters are once again those wet noodle types among mighty oaks. 

Morelock expressed his understanding of the school board’s resolution was that the board was in favor of the standards as a whole, but some changes needed to be made to them. Did he read the same resolution I did? I dont believe he read the same resolution!  He continued with his drivel of liberalism and said “there were some necessary changes, doing away with the standards would not help.”

Commissioner Bill Winters, Morelocks liberal Co Co buddy chimed in. Remember Yarber is bouncing around doing the rope a dope waiting to be engaged. I know it’s suspenseful but keep reading.

Commissioner Bill Winters said he “had a problem with the fact the Commission’s resolution supported repealing the state standards.”

He sluggishly continued and said ” he would not vote to repeal Common Core because the standards being removed would “tie the hands” of the legislators working to fix the parts of the standards that were not working well.” Hello Bill? The consensus, bills and resolutions are to get rid of it, to DISCONTINUE them, not fix them! Focus! Please allow me to enlighten you in a little constitutional secret. You as an elected official are the voice of the people, you have the authority to limit government intrusion at any level, thus balancing the power! You are a microcosm of the bigger picture Bill! You can do this!

In addition, Winters went on to say he “did not think the vote would be in line with what the local school board wanted.” Really Bill? Once again and please allow me to reiterate, the vote today is to DISCONTINUE the Common Core standards, not fix or tweak them. The vote today! The one before you now! A liberal slant is not the seal of approval and doesnt change the fact that you are voting in a few minutes to DISCONTINUE the standards not fix or tweak them. 

He went on to zap out all the remaining energy out of the room room finishing his monologue “The school board did not ask us to repeal this,” Winters said. He finally gathered enough liberal strength to say “the standards “could be worked for the good of the schools.” Ooooh Yawn, please wake me Jeff Yarber.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, MAY I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION, In the red corner, hailing from Clevegas TN, weighing in at probably a different weight from his previous days, lets here it for the one, the only, the scrapper, the commissioner of all commissioners, a Commissioner every one wants to be………..Jefffffffffff Yarrrrrrrrber! ARE……. YOU……..READY……. TO RUUUUUUUUUUUMBLE?

Commissioner Jeff Yarber relying on strength and momentum from his youth, meets gloves in the middle, and lands the first punch countering  “I am  in favor of Tennessee scrapping the Common Core standards altogether and creating new standards to replace them.” Kaaaa Pooooow!

Side step, 1-2 punch amongst a flurry of undercuts he continues “this means local education would not be “tied in with” the federal government. Yes! Morelock and Winters are punch drunk but not relenting.

Winters and  Morelock countered with a few soft jabs none phasing the Yarber. Yarber counters with a flurry, “Common Core is the problem, and we can do it better!!!!”

The crowd on their feet, Winters and Morelock on their heels, to the mat. Dazzled by the display of skill and precision of this prize fighter reborn, the ref steps in with the 10 count, 1-2-3… 

Commissioner Adam Lowe steps into the ring to finish off the opponent.

The atmosphere now has changed from a prize fight to a tag team WWF wrestling match, please allow the setting to morph in your mind.

A more cautious Lowe yet equally as effective mounts the ropes and from the top rope with bare chest, tight spandex shorts he shouts….. “the state bills in question were “simple” and “straightforward,” though he was not totally certain they were “a step in the right direction.”  The frenzied crowd yells “Deliver the fatal blow Adam! Jump down and deliver the fatal blow. The cautious approach allowed Yarber to suffer a few minor blows to his seasoned jawline but unable to daze him. Lowe is a thinker! He is contemplating his next move.

Lowe balancing on the top row, chest bare, pecs glistening continues….he believes “one of the problems the field of education has been facing has been the attention paid to reforming standards rather than actual teaching methods because “standards don’t have feelings.” “We continue to try to teacher-proof the classroom,” he said.  The standards dont have feelings!” Beautiful. Great skill from such a gifted orator, give the appearence that the standards are a living breathing set of standards. Im loving this approach. The crowd sinks back to it’s seats as Lowe steps down from the top rope.

Nice assist Commissioner Lowe, we need you in Yarbers corner, he needs water and some vasoline on his left eye.

Commissioner Caywood receives the tag from Lowe!

Commissioner Terry Caywood, a little long in the tooth, but still with the vigor and stamina of the young bucs weighs in.. 

Caywood cautiously enters the ring very aware of the mood in the room, the roar of the crowd, he becomes invigorated, picks up Bill Winters and begins to spin him around the ring tossing him into Morelock, like a bowling pin they both fall and he grabs the mike and begins to shout  ” I have spoken with a teacher who said Common Core standards “took all the fun out of teaching.” Take that and put it in your pipe and smoke it, I Imagined Caywood saying that last part. The part he is playing in my mind is quite the opposite, he is really a kind gentle christian man unwilling to engage his peers this way.

And from back of the room, much like Ralphie, from the Christmas Story engaging Scut Farkus and Grover Dill in a fight that won Ralphie some respect in the neighborhood, Commissioner Mel Griffith tags in and says he was “very supportive” of the standards’ goals, but they were not being implemented well.” That splatted onto the mat like an overhydrated cow patty. 

Has he been listening to Morelock and Winters?  Somehow, are we blaming this on the teachers now? Anyway, he tried to punch but couldn’t allow the standards to be done away with, Ralphie is retired quickly.

With the fighting done and the warrior weary State Representative Kevin Brooks steps into the ring with his shiny suit, crisp red tie, neatly tucked, half windsor perhaps, hair motif perfectly aligned and undisturbed, he bounces up uncharacteristically and says “the bills would have the state completely scrapping the current standards, meaning it would “throw out the baby, the bathwater — all of it.” Was that an apology? Or did he see his baby (Common Core) just get tossed out with the bath water? Mr Brooks, the baby (Common Core) and the bath water (the standards) are what we want gone! It’s ok! It’s not a real baby.

He continued, “Instead of completely repealing Common Core, he said he was in favor of making “incremental” changes to the standards and changing the name to reflect those changes.” It is pretty clear that the message being sent is not being absorbed. Our elected bodies are saying NO to Common Core, not parts, not increments, ALL OF IT! To DISCONTINUE IT! Not tweak, rename or repackage the standards!

Question to Mr Brooks? If Common Core is fully repealed does this mean he returns his campaigns number one donor Michelle Rhee and Students First campaign donations? It’s a legit question that needs answering.

Few have worked as hard as Representative Kevin Brooks to
bring RTTT and Common Core to Bradley County. Ok, now I’m getting sweaty from that flurry of punches. Jeff Yarber I need a tag out.

Brooks continues “I have been asked what is the most-debated topic in Nashville right now,” Brooks said. “It is Common Core. (Because parents, teachers and school boards are mad and don’t want it) There’s nothing in me that wants to lower our standard, but the name……the brand……is broken.” 

Ok, do we tweak it and change the name? Florida and other states are doing this also. It does not change the facts. If it walks and talks like a duck? It’s a duck!

Ok let’s pretend this epic battle is coming to an end and my children are safely out of reach of a few of our commissioners for the time being.

The 14-member Commission passed the resolution sponsored by the ex prize fighter Jeff Yarber supporting the state bills with nine in favor, four opposed and one absent. 

Yarber has completed the bout and by KO, he chalks up another win.

Wait! There was one more breath of life left in the two on the mat. In one final expression of defiance his eyes slightly swollen, Bill Winters tarries to center ring facing Yarber and 8 other Commissioners and whispers, “I propose a substitute motion to pass a resolution simply saying the Commission supported the school board’s resolution and not mentioning the proposed state bills.” And he collapses to the mat. That motion failed!

Known as an observer and more of a ring manager Commissioner Mark Hall countered with his own motion right before the event concluded, he quips “lets have a work session to be discussed further,” As if to be saying, in other words let me delay this vote so I can find out what this Common Core thingy is. The motion failed! Several Commissioners reminded him this matter had already been discussed in previous meetings.

Enters Dan Rawls posing as the clean up crew, while lifting chairs, kicking aside popcorn boxes and candy wrappers, shouting from the observation deck, crowd dispersing around him he shouts “the passage of this resolution was “brave, calling it “a big vote.” 

The big victor tonight was Commissioner Jeff Yarber and the kids of our county. He stepped up for the teachers, Students, parents all over the county. 

Lowe deserves an assist. 

Yarber stands tall after this bout, the victor.

When all was said and done the County Commission as our elected representatives did what they needed to do.

In a big way, standing in the gap for the kids, parents and teachers who have been left out of the process but are now speaking up and winning small battles to regain our educational system from the hands of the federal government./

Source of quotes: Cleveland Daily Banner. Please continue to read this fine paper and buy it daily, they get paid to deliver the news, I report for free!

http://www.clevelandbanner.com/view/full_story/24610297/article-County-vote-opposes-Common-Core

Bradley County School Board says “NO” to Common Core

Bradley County School Board says “NO” to Common Core

2/17/14
0909 am

The Bradley County Board of Education in Cleveland Tennessee, has passed a  resolution that says no to Common Core, with all  7 board members voting unanimously in favor.

The measure was drafted by board member Charlie Rose, a long time board member with the ability to influence decision making in our county on school issues. Select members of the board to include Chris Turner, contributed time and facts to the compilation of this resolution.

The resolution addresses and cites  many concerns about Common Core implementation in Bradley County  to include cost, lack of teacher, student and parent involvement, inadequate testing components, teacher licensure and data collection of students.

Common Core has been labeled the nationalization of our schools by many critics with unique ties to socialism and a system of John Dewey and pedagogical theory. 

Many have said it is another step toward Socialism by indoctrination of our children.

The realization of a top down globalization of our schools and how the federal government plans to control every aspect of your child’s education is a big motivator for stopping Common Core in it’s tracks and our school board has taken a definite step in the right direction by signing this resolution.

Common Core is heavily centered on teaching to a test without real learning of the basic tenets of education, like the three R’s. Teachers need to have the ability to teach without constant interruptions from the federal government.

This resolution has pushed the debate beyond talk, sent a strong message to elected and appointed leaders that teachers, parents and now board members do not want Common Core in our County.

Common Cores empty promises and unproven results with Socialist overtones has forced the Bradley County Board to act. 

Local control of our schools must be established and this resolution sends that message. 

Our school system as it exists in Bradley County already has higher grade standards and results than Common Core promises to achieve. Why change to a system that will at best dumb our children down to the national standard?

It doesn’t make sense and our local school board has pointed out this truth. Is “improving” our system worth a loss to our children? 

The Bradley County School Board has responded positively to
parent and teacher concerns despite the continued efforts of Johnny McDaniel and Martin Ringstaff of their undying support of Common Core!  

The likes of Bill Haslam, Kevin Huffman, Michelle Rhee and our elected reps have made good money off this venture and stand to gain even more  if Common Core is allowed to advance.

Some detractors claim this resolution has no teeth and carries no real weight. I also heard this with the Agenda 21 resolution coming out of our TN State house early last session. Don’t dismiss this as “just a resolution.” 

Bold statements such as this carry alot of clout in this town. Many pushing for radical education change wouldn’t dare raise their heads and oppose a board that says no, political suicide comes to mind. 

With RTTT/Common Core money already spent, our reality is now we have a burdensome, costly program lingering in our midst that smells of nationalization of our public schools with still no means to pay for it. 

The Common Core debate has now been shifted from a conversation of heresay and rumors to one of confirmation with no doubt about the boards intent.

I emailed my first District school board member Chris Turner and asked for a statement from him regarding this resolution and how it was formed, 

“The board was asked by the county commission to quantify the impact of common core implementation on our students and teachers.”

Mr. Rose was tasked with authoring the resolution and I gladly offered conclusions from my research.”

 “Major points I thought should be quantified include the fact that costs for implementing PARCC have not been finalized or communicated to local school systems and the tax payers of Bradley County.”

“Also, impact on teacher evaluation of the global conversation to PARCC has no formal remedy.”

“The biggest issue to me has been the recent pro-common core message claiming improvements in test schools, such as NAEP,  as the sole result of radical reforms made by our Commisioner of Education.” 

“The real impact to these results has been the meaningful changes in state standards made in 2009 implemented by our teachers.”

” Common Core is no silver bullet, Turner continued.”

“There are no quick fixes. Ask any classroom teacher and they’ll tell you that results take hard work and time.” 

“The results we’re getting are the return on investment from the hard work of our students, parents, and our teachers,” he concluded.

These words by my representative are wise and was constructed from much thought, research, teacher input and parents concerns. These statements and the resolution were not made on a whim. It was well thought out and deliberate.

The message to all sent by this board is our kids are not for sale, our teachers are not puppets,the parents and this board are not idiots.

I believe it is important to review The main points inside this resolution and I have compiled it below. 

These main points are from the Bradley County School Board resolution, shortened somewhat but content remains, a link is provided for exact details.

The Bradley County School Board Resolution on Common Core.

Click to access Bradley_County_Board_Of_Education_CC.pdf

1) The implementation of the Common Core Standards could be highly disruptive to student growth.

2) The CCS, Common Core Standards, with current TN Standards dilutes the effectiveness of teacher lesson planning.

3) The Board recommends that the use of PARCC assessment results not be used as part of TVAAS for the purpose of teacher evaluation, licensure, renewal or removal.

4) The Board rejects the collection of personal student data without consent.

5) Rejects the sharing of Personally Identifiable Information, PII, without consent.

6) The implementation resources of Common Core Standards for the teachers of Bradley County TN schools have been variable and dependent upon the source of training and professional development.

7) The variation above has created the opportunity for inconsistency of the implementation of Common Core standards.

8) Bradley County will be tasked with implementing Common Core Standards regardless of the fact that teacher evaluation and student achievement gains will be measured with EOC/TCAP assessments based solely on current TN standards.

9) It does not have a PARCC assessment plan that assures that every student in Bradley County will have equivalent instructional time to cover and reinforce standards prior to administration of PARCC assessments. 

10) Will distort student growth data thence teacher evaluation as measured by the TVAAS system.

11) Has no money set aside for per student test adminstration for the current EOC/ TCAP test.

We the people have created this change. Concerned teachers, angry parents, tax payers and voters have spoken. The politicial puppets that beat the steady drum of Common Core regardless of the consequences on our children must now hear from you.

Let it be forever etched in every citizens mind that this week the Bradley County School Board in Cleveland Tennessee stood side by side many in the fight against Common Core. 

The result is our children and their loved ones were considered. The elected body that represents them sent a resounding message and are willing to stand up against the grain and the lure of an almighty dollar.

I hope the news of this bold stance spreads across our state and nation and more school boards do the same.

Bradley School Board member Chris Turner sums it up best when he said, 

“It (the resolution) expresses the facts and wipes away the opinions and rumors.” 

“Above our lowly school board as elected officials, time and action will tell the story.”

Links of interest concerning this subject:

http://www.chattanoogan.com/2014/2/7/269147/Bradley-School-Board-Told-It-Has-Solid.aspx

Directors of Schools hang on to Common Core despite huge opposition.

http://www.clevelandbanner.com/view/full_story/23929237/article-Directors-assess-Common-Core–McDaniel–Ringstaff-point-to-misconceptions

BCN Note- There are many that have been involved in this and many issues and my hat is off to you. Extended credit goes out to those warriors that stand and fight in local and state issues. I believe information’s the key. Keep supporting this venue. We are taking our state back one community at a time.

Chamber conducts “private” meeting about Common Core, parents forced to stand outside and protest

Chamber conducts “private” meeting about Common Core, parents forced to stand outside and protest

11/19/2013

A protest is planned this Friday as once again a closed meeting is being conducted inside a taxpayer funded (yes the COC is partially funded with taxpayer revenue) venue about Common Core away from the general public.

If this does not convince you that something sinister is happening you will never be convinced of it. This is the second time in as many weeks that “private” meetings are being held and the public is not being invited about Common Core.

It is obvious that this is a deliberate attempt to slide an agenda into place without parent or school board influence or input. Corporatism and Nationalism of our schools are one of the biggest mistakes that can be made that affects our children.

The subversive and covert actions by these sinister organizations with a hidden agenda is surely enough to convince you that something is up and you are not supposed to know about it.

Here is a support letter from the Chamber of Commerce as it relates to Common Core. 

Corporate America and Big expansive Government is now running the show and the direction of our schools. School board influence is dwindling and parents can no longer direct decision making. This is a very sad statement.

Click to access StatementK12USChamberofCommerce.pdf

A message from Karen Bracken of Tennessee Against Common Core, tnacc.net .

Friends,
 
On Friday, November 22, 2013 the Cleveland/Bradley County Chamber of Commerce will be conducting a closed meeting for members only about Common Core with representatives from SCORE.  We plan to conduct an anti-Common Core rally outside the meeting.
 
We are speaking with Channel 12 and Times Free Press to cover the rally.  SO PLEASE grab your neighbors and join us on Friday, at 8:30am.   We suggest parking by Starbucks.  We will all gather there and then walk to the area where we will conduct our rally (the Chamber office is located in the same shopping center as Starbucks).   LETS SEND A HUGE LOUD message to the Chamber and to SCORE.
 
The Cleveland Starbucks is located at 653 West Inman St., Cleveland, TN.   Throw a coat on the kids and bring them with you.
 
Please share this information with neighbors, friends and relatives in the Bradley County area that might be interested in supporting our efforts.  Thanks.
 
Karen Bracken
http://www.tnacc.net
http://www.americadontforget.com
215-692-2147

Common Core: 30 years of progressive education reform being led by Bill Ayers

Common Core: 30 years of progressive education reform led by Bill Ayers

 Ayers and his fellow “reformers” are to Dewey what Lenin was to Marx. 

Marx was an intellectual who wished to undermine Western civilization. 

Lenin was a thug who sought to bring Marxist principles into full practice through propaganda, armed revolution, and sophisticated lies. 

Likewise, Dewey hated American liberty and individualism and wished to undermine them through socialist education. 

Ayers is Dewey’s less civilized, more “practically minded” disciple.

http://beforeitsnews.com/alternative/2013/02/american-education-rotting-the-country-from-the-inside-2571798.html

On the homefront:

In Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam with an assist from Achieve, Inc are the patsies being used locally to deliver the forbidden fruit to our children!”

Governor Bill Haslam is being handed the baton of progressive education called Common Core for the state of Tennessee. He has willingly, proudly and actively accepted this challenge. 

I doubt he knows or even cares to know Bill Ayers. But one thing is for sure he is assisting him at least indirectly in it’s implementation.

His past, at least formally, with Mayor Bloomberg of New York and Multi-Billionaire Bill Gates of Microsoft, a puppet of UNESCO and a huge catalyst and contributor of hundreds of millions to Common Core and it tenets at least shows he is a willing and knowledgable host, if not a conspiring puppet.

This evolvement of a pedagogical educational system which started with John Dewey has shaped into what we now call Common Core.

For more than 30 years this gradual ascent to Common Core has  come directly from the mind of terrorist, anti American, Anti Capitalist, Communist Bill Ayers and is now being passed to our children by willing Governors who will gladly take a few dollars to implement federal mandates for a complete overhaul of our school system.

The originator of this process was masterminded by John Dewey and completed by Bill Ayers and his proteges.

Today Bill Haslam, as others, are pushing the implementation of Common Core in Tennessee for a 500 million dollar bribe under the guises of RTTT and under the watchful eye of Achieve.

Governor Haslam, using his board position on Achieve, a leftist, big money think tank and lobby front for Common Core is definitely forging the path for our children’s minds in Tennessee. Many other Governors across the nation are also participating.

This is not just a benign program only being presented in our state and across the nation as a way to “assist” our states to perform better on standardized tests.

It is a deliberate and intentional step to take over the minds of our children and prepare them for thinking and functioning inside a global world where socialism and the needs of the collective are the accepted norm and are expected above and beyond their own needs thus completing the works of John Dewey and his disciple Bill Ayers.

A world where capitalism does not exist as a means of economic growth or stability. 

A world where all Americans are on a level playing field, no reward for high achievers, just a recognition that your ability to rise above others is a form of social injustice.

I recently stumbled upon this 30 or so year history while researching this takeover of our educational system by the Feds and communists. 

This artful and skillfully put together history was the creation  of Danette Clark, a blogger and further enhanced by this blog.

Many have asked me recently “Can you make a connection to Bill Ayers and Common Core and can you correlate that with the origins of Common Core?” I believe I have managed to do that.

The following is that link, that progression to what today is known as Common Core with assorted references to support these claims.

Our state and nation is at an extremely pivotal turning point. 

The acceptance of Common Core into our public schools by progressives, communists and globalist is completely unacceptable.

The Top down federal nationalism of our school system is a tragedy and this indoctrination called Common Core must be stopped. 

I believe we are one generation, one term, perhaps 4 to 10 years from being a Socialist country. The tool will be our children and the education they are now receiving.

The Socialists and Communists have perfected the tool, the program, the curriculum, the standards, the indoctrinating tool now evolved into and known as Common Core. 

The indoctrination program is underway and being implemented in our schools today.

I realize I may not convince you of this indoctrination with one blog, I do encourage you to take a few minutes, read it and make your own decisions based on this information. 

The decision to know it exists but not acknowledge it’s origins and intent is completely up to you. I prefer to look further than on the surface.

The History

The Coalition of Essential Schools (CES), a progressive education reform model rooted in the pedagogy of Paulo Freiere and John Dewey, was started by Theodore Sizer in 1984.

http://www.essentialschools.org/resources/69

CES was originally housed in Brown University. In 1993, the Annenberg Institute for School Reform was established at Brown, with Theodore Sizer as its first director. The institute built on the work of Sizer’s Coalition of Essential Schools with a mission to expand that work to schools across the country.

In 1996, the Annenberg Foundation launched the Chicago Annenberg Challenge (CAC) education initiative, which was led in part by Bill Ayers. At the time, Ayers was already working with a Coalition of Essential Schools affiliate organization in Chicago.

(The Wall Street Journal connects the dots.)

http://m.us.wsj.com/articles/a/SB122212856075765367?mg=reno64-wsj

Ayers appointed Obama as CAC board chairman and over the next few years, they invested millions into the expansion of Sizer’s CES schools.

http://mobile.wnd.com/2008/09/76022/

Ayers’ Small Schools Workshop also received Annenberg money to aid in transforming existing schools into CES member schools (also referred to as ‘small schools’, ‘smaller learning communities’, ’small autonomous schools’ and ‘schools within a school’). Ayers and his organization provided curriculum resources, hands-on professional development, and grant development.

(Even Jared Lee Loughner attended one of Bill Ayers “small school projects”)

http://mobile.wnd.com/2011/01/249429/

A total of $500 million was donated by Annenberg nationwide, providing the first big boost to the expansion of CES schools. The most recent boost is Common Core.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_Annenberg_Challenge

In between, CES schools received heavy funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Soros’ Open Society Institute, Carnegie Corporation, and through CSR, Title 1, and smaller learning community grants from the U.S. Department of Education.

http://www.gatesfoundation.org/What-We-Do/US-Program/College-Ready-Education

CES (likely under the advice of experienced community organizers, Barack Obama and Bill Ayers) recruited ACORN workers to manipulate and elbow their way onto local school councils and scream for reform. Chicago ACORN was paid to identify and train community members to become teachers in CES schools.

http://www.nationalledger.com/news-tech/the-barack-obama-william-ayers-145570.shtml

Acorn Woodland Elementary, Oakland, CA
Established in 2000 by ACORN and the Coalition of Essential Schools

Today, CES is a nationwide network of almost 3,000 schools, all of which are provided curriculum material, professional development training, and staff support through CES regional training centers and partner universities. CES uses the Annenberg Institute “as a forum for sharing resources and amassing political weight”. Read more about CES growth and structure below.

http://www.essentialschools.org/resources/43

The Evidence

So with CES behind CSCOPE, and Linda Darling Hammond, a long time board member and disciple of CES schools, behind Common Core, does this mean Common Core is as bad as CSCOPE?

For those who don’t necessarily agree that one bad apple can spoil the whole bunch, how about several bad apples?

After reading Michelle Malkin’s recent article that places Achieve, Inc. behind Common Core, the dots finally began to connect.

http://michellemalkin.com/2013/03/01/rotten-to-the-core-part-iii-lessons-from-texas-and-the-growing-grassroots-revolt/

Linda Darling Hammond isn’t the only Common Core developer whose roots are firmly planted in the progressive agenda of the Coalition of Essential Schools.

Not only is Achieve, Inc. made up of several CES/Annenberg foot soldiers, it was literally established through an (unofficial) partnership of the National Governors Association and the Annenberg Institute.

(Our very own Governor Bill Haslam is on this board. The board has been involved all the way back to 1996. Coincidentally this progressive was also on the very liberal Mayor Bloombergs Coalition of Mayors Against Illegal Guns, but resigned in 2009 and joined the NRA….hypocritical and progressive? Another blog! Now onto Achieve, another progressive think tank with big money influence.)

http://www.achieve.org/our-board-directors

Here is the who and the how:

• Louis Gerstner, Jr., Chairman Emeritus of Achieve, Inc., was appointed to the first Board of Overseers of the Annenberg Institute for School Reform in 1995.  Remember, Theodore  Sizer, founder of CES schools, was Annenberg’s director at the time.

http://brown.edu/Administration/News_Bureau/1995-96/95-028.html

Gerstner and Tommy Thompson, former NGA Chairman and former governor of Wisconsin, called for and led the first National Education Summit in 1996 wherein Achieve, Inc. was created.

Click to access 1996NationalEducationSummit.pdf

• Jeffrey Wadsworth, Achieve, Inc. board member, is president and CEO of Battelle Memorial Institute. In 2006, Battelle partnered with the Coalition of Essential Schools, Ohio State University, and KnowledgeWorks Foundation to create a new  CES school, Metro High School in Columbus, OH.

http://www.essentialschools.org/resources/484

• Michael Cohen, President of Achieve, Inc., wrote a report in 2001 recommending smaller learning communities and refers to the Coalition of Essential Schools as a program that has “a clear focus and purpose”.

Under Cohen, Achieve, Inc. has partnered with the Alliance for Excellent Education on several initiatives. The Alliance is led by former governor of West Virginia Bob Wise, who is an advisory committee member (alongside Linda Darling Hammond) of CES’s Bay Area Coalition for Equitable Schools.

Click to access highschools.pdf

Linda Darling Hammond is an Alliance for Excellent Education governing board member.

http://www.all4ed.org/about_the_alliance/leadership/Governing+Board

http://educationviews.org/linda-darling-hammond-bill-ayers-cscope-lucy-calkins-ccs/

Although Cohen is not specifically listed or named as a board member, his photo and bio can be found on the Alliance for Excellent Education website under “About the Alliance”.

http://www.all4ed.org/about_the_alliance/michael-cohen

Don’t forget to go here to see which CES-ers are behind CSCOPE.

http://danetteclark.wordpress.com/2013/03/03/more-proof-that-ces-a-nationwide-progressive-organization-launched-in-part-by-president-obama-is-behind-recent-controversy-in-texas-schools/

So there you have it — Common Core is the culmination of a 30 year old progressive education initiative still being driven by the ‘irrelevant’ Bill Ayers and implemented by Obama as America’s national standard in education.

http://www.ousd.k12.ca.us/site/default.aspx?PageType=3&ModuleInstanceID=335&ViewID=97313D1D-A9CF-4646-A5A5-0C355FBAC071&RenderLoc=0&FlexDataID=841&PageID=543

Here in Bill Ayers own words of his plans for our schools using Common Core and it tenets: “we should be looking at what we have complete access to, our schools, classrooms, communities and farms, If we want real change!”

Read about some of the outrageous things taking place and being taught in CES schools at the links below:

Racist PB&J Sandwich Rationale Courtesy of Obama-Launched Education Reform Movement

http://danetteclark.wordpress.com/2012/11/18/racist-pbj-sandwich-rationale-courtesy-of-obama-launched-education-reform-movement/

Discovery Channel Communications Company Partners with Radical Progressives to Bring Anti-American Curriculum to the Classroom

http://danetteclark.wordpress.com/2013/02/14/discovery-channels-communications-company-partners-with-progressives-to-bring-anti-american-curriculum-into-the-classroom/

‘Radical Math’: Social Justice Indoctrination in Your Child’s Math Class

http://danetteclark.wordpress.com/2013/01/12/radical-math-social-justice-indoctrination-in-your-childs-math-class/

U.S. State Department and Department of Education Give Islamic Terrorists Access to Your Children

http://danetteclark.wordpress.com/2013/01/21/u-s-state-dept-and-department-of-education-give-islamic-terrorists-access-to-your-children/

To read about Obama’s continued involvement in the promotion and expansion of CES schools, go to Where #OccupyWallStreet Really Began — Obama’s Hand in the Movement.

http://danetteclark.wordpress.com/2012/11/18/where-occupywallstreet-really-began-obamas-hand-in-the-movement/

Also, see some of the socialists, communists, and maoists behind CES schools at Name Names (several more will be added to this page in coming weeks). These are the faces behind CSCOPE and Common Core.

Please do skip over this list of radicals at the helm of Common Core! Kathy Wilkerson (Weather underground) Howard Machtinger (Co-founder, Weather Underground), Bill Ayers (Weather Underground founder), Tim Wise, Grant Wiggins, Jeremiah Wright, Barrack Obama, Kevin Jennings, Cornel West, 

http://danetteclark.wordpress.com/name-names-2/

You can also read about federal funding of the Coalition of Essential Schools and some of the organizations and schools involved by picking up a copy of Red Army: The Radical Network that Must Be Defeated to Save America by Aaron Klein and Brenda J. Elliott.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0062069241/ref=redir_mdp_mobile/177-8664771-2336043

Source of info:

http://danetteclark.wordpress.com/2013/03/09/unravelled-the-30-year-agenda-behind-common-core/comment-page-1/#comment-495

Who is John Dewey?
http://www.who2.com/bio/john-Dewey

http://www.wilderdom.com/experiential/JohnDeweyPhilosophyEducation.html

This content is a result of my research and my opinion based on fact. I realize if you are a vested  party or willing participant, I’m perhaps not gonna change your mind, but I do want you to see these facts and realize that you one day may be held accountable for your actions in the court of public opinion.

Common Core: Our nations “money whore”

Common Core our nations money whore:

In germany it would mean “Monetengeile Hure”

In the US Urban Dictionary it means:

Someone who loves money and goes to the extremes to get it

An (politician, added for emphasis), athlete, actor, musician or person in general who only does what they do to make money.

A person considered as having compromised principles for personal gain.

To accept payment in exchange for a performed act

To compromise one’s principles for personal gain.

Tennessee has clearly met the defined requirements above to be called a “money whore!”

In conjunction with 44 or so other states, Tennessee to date, has done the deed and accepted 500,000,000.00 dollars for implementation of RTTT, ie Common Core. 

Thats half a billion folks so far to “reform” , “indoctrinate” or “nationalize” our public school system and steal the minds of our children. 

The filthy bed we have chosen to lay down in is Race To The Top with Common Core as it’s enticing dirty little strumpet. 

By accepting this ungodly amount of  federal grant money, our tax dollars, we have made the likes of Barrack Obama, Bill Gates, Bill Ayers and Rupert Murdoch our pimps with the stereotypical fur lined feathered hat, pink coat and rhine stone studded white pants with a flipped up collar. Yes, I said flipped up collar!

The streets of Education are busy tonight ladies and gentlemen and the federal education system is in business and ready to part it’s loins and receive the neatly wrapped gift called RTTT or Common Core.

“Race to the Top, abbreviated R2T, RTTT or RTT, is a $4.35 billion United States Department of Education contest created to spur innovation and reforms in state and local district K-12 education.”

“It is funded by the ED Recovery Act as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and was announced by President Barack Obama and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan on July 24, 2009.”

Tennessee was the top dollar “money whore” in a nationwide “contest point competition that clearly showed the federal that we will comply and do whatever you like for that almighty dollar. 

Delaware, another “money whore” was the other fair lady, or gentlemen that came in a distant second for their efforts.

The program or lurid transaction includes $4 billion for statewide reform grants and $350 million to support states working together to improve the quality of their assessments. 

“We received many strong proposals from states all across America, but two applications stood out above all others: Delaware and Tennessee,” 

Secretary of Education Arne Duncan continued regarding the announcement of the winners.

 “Both states have statewide buy-in for comprehensive plans to reform their schools.” 

“They have written new laws to support their policies and they have demonstrated the courage, capacity, and commitment to turn their ideas into practices that can improve outcomes for students.”

“As with any federal grant program, budgets will be finalized after discussions between the grantees and the Department, and the money will be distributed over time as the grantees meet established benchmarks.”

“The Race to the Top, Common Core, state competition is designed to reward states that are leading the way in comprehensive, coherent, statewide education reform across four key areas:”

“Adopting standards and assessments that prepare students to succeed in college and the workplace;

Building data systems that measure student growth and success, and inform teachers and principals how to improve instruction;

Recruiting, developing, rewarding, and retaining effective teachers and principals, especially where they are needed most; and

Turning around their lowest-performing schools.”

This well dressed lady of the night, ready to accept money for services rendered, looks good on the surface but lying underneath the satin skirt is a very different set of circumstances. 

This “standardization” of our school system had failed before it took flight. Her street corner is not safe and is not yielding the results that she desires. The money received from the big pimp daddy government is not being maximized for our children’s gain.

Common Core is being portrayed as a “state” program, state written and controlled. 

Common Core in fact limits state or teacher input to around 15 percent. The rest is dictated by the federal government. Thus setting up the perfect environment and portrayal of the typical pimp to hoe to John scenario.

Common Core via RTTT is a deceptive “Trojan Horse!” A national or federal program, dictating the curriculum by a national cartel, supported by Barrack Obama and the Department of Education.

Texas, Alaska, Nebraska and Virginia have refused it outright while Minnesota has adopted only the math portion. 

Texas Governor Rick Perry had this to say about why his state opted out of Common Core, RTTT,  “we would be foolish and irresponsible to place our children’s future in the hands of unelected bureaucrats and special interest groups thousands of miles away in Washington.”

Former Assistant Secretary of Education Diane Ravitch, for example, commented that empirical evidence “shows clearly that choice, competition and accountability as education reform levers are not working.”

Protective parents, covert teachers, concerned citizens all over the nation have realized this about Common Core, RTTT.

1) This baited money whore drop or mandate between the states and federal government never saw one vote cast in Congress or our state legislature for it’s roll out. Obama went straight to our Governors with the big deal and Haslam and the likes devoured the yummy goody.

2) No vote was cast in favor of Common Core by a single taxpayer. In fact, many citizens, even our elected reps didn’t know that the Common Core standards were embedded inside RTTT and are very unfamiliar with it’s contents.

3) Our Governors signed on the dotted line, sight unseen, officially branding them as the ultimate “John” accepting the favor for an exchange of money. Essentially a bribe or enticement.

4)  Waivers were granted if they signed onto Common Core, they could get out from under the belly of another money whore product called “No Child Left Behind!” 

5) The Obama administration has even threatened his money whore recipients with withdrawing “Title One Money” if they don’t comply, And with this grant money making up a huge portion of a states budget you know we are not gonna risk losing that. If I’m not mistaken, all but one school in Bradley County is a title one school. Thus our deep involvement and dependence on the pimp.

6) Cost of implementation will be right at 16 billion, possibly more by some guesstimations. We all know what happens when the federal government throws around estimates, it will be off by much. Computer and software are gonna be the biggest money whore item and we know who owns the software, the biggest catalyst of the standards, multi billionaire Bill Gates.

7) It is unconstitutional. A Nationalized, top down program is contrary to states rights and the constitution. Central control of our education system is not what our forefathers had in mind. This is how a despotic government and it’s dictators take over our children and our nation. Our forefathers deliberately left the word education out of the Constitution, the education of our children was to be left up to the states and directed locally and by the parents and local school boards, not the federal government.

8) The Department of Education Organizational Act of 1979, the General Education Provisions Act, the Elementary and Secondary Act of 1965 and the recently amended No Child Left Behind Act of 2002 spells out that “The federal Department of Education shall not be involved in developing, supervising or controlling instructional materials or curriculum!” So, why are our Governors lapping up every federal dollar to implement a nationalized government curriculum?

9) Did you know that parents and local school boards are supposed to be in charge of implementing it’s curriculum? Then why are we not assuming the wheel and driving our own curriculums?

10) Common Core will be tracking your child’s every move all the way into their adult years post graduation from college! A database is in the works to track things like fingerprints, height, weight, health status, reprimands, disciplinary action, grades and a host of other “indicators of success” throughout their lives.

11) Math standards are lowered, not improved. In fact, Algebra teaching will be delayed from the traditional 8th grade to the 9th grade. In two pilot states, Utah and Massachusetts, where Common Core math standards were implemented the scores were no change to lowered. 

12) The English standards have cut out much of the classic English literature. In fact, the standards call for a reduction to 50 percent down from 80 percent.  Anthony Esolen, a professor of English Literature at Providence College states “What appalls me the most about Common Core is the cavalier contempt for the great works of human art, thought and literary form…We are not to be forming the minds and hearts of men and women. Frankly, I do not wish to be governed by people whose hearts and minds have been stunted by a strictly utilitarian miss-education!”

13) National tests will be tied to Common Core. This forces private and homeschoolers to either conform to Common Core or be at a distinct disadvantage because the CC curriculum was not adopted and they choose to take national tests that are often requirements for higher education. Teachers are forced to teach to the test, limiting their creativity in the classroom….nationalized education!

14) Teachers much like whores are forced to be compliant with Common Core or reap the strong hand of the biggest pimp, the Department of Education. Teachers know this curriculum or standards have a high failure rate and many items are unproven. So, the teachers comply, fall in line or risk losing gainful employment by speaking up.

15) The E-Learning market is expected to grow to 6.8 billion by 2015, up from 2.9 billion in 2010. Reaking havoc on state budgets.

16) Lets look at the literary definition of “Common” shall we. Ordinary. Of little value. Lacking distinction. Belonging equally to all people. Nuff said!

17) “A cartel of Chiefs” actually put the socialist program in ink, originating from the likes and mind of Terrorist Bill Ayers. The CCSSO, the NGA, Obama, FTA, Achieve, FTA, NEA, ACT and the College Board are the cartel. Hardly sounds like a state initiative to me.

18) A “suggestion input box” from State board members was the only influence the states had on the Common Core standards.

19) Common Core is an initiative of UNESCO, a United Nations subsidiary and a component of Agenda 21. It compliments the regional program Thrive 2055 and is an important tool to share budgets within our mega region and adopt regional teaching standards and curriculum.

At this point you can see we are well into this transaction of money whoring and while the money is good, and a state or Governor is willing to partake, the services will still be rendered. 

In spite of the  light heartedness of this blog, you can see the dangers our children are facing.

We as a state and nation are being led down a very slippery slope with our federal government controlling our children and the input that they are receiving. 

Our leaders are turning a blind eye to the indoctrination for the exchange of money. Our reps are remaining silent on this issue and in reality have been bypassed. This must be an awful, fruitless place to be and must bear a heavy burden.

What can we do? Continue applying pressure on these globalist, these pimps that are seeking control of our children’s minds and holding their hand out every time a dollar us offered. 

Attend school board meetings and demand input. Call your board members, Supervisors of schools, Congressmen, Senators and Legislators, County Commissioners or City Councilmen and women. 

Be very aware that for every dollar that makes it into our states from the federal government, many strings will be attached with many hoops to be jumped through to keep the money flowing and the agenda fluent.

This is where we stray and remain a whore to our own government and it’s eventual control of our communities, our schools and the mind and hearts of our children.

We only get one opportunity to educate our children. Implementation of a known failed system that deliberately dumbs down your child and has a track record of failure is not acceptable in our communities.

Continue sharing information. The difference can only be made by the parents demanding it. 

The money has been delivered, the whore is delighted and the Johns are wanting more. A vicious cycle that must be broken. 

This cycle or habit will be a tough one to break. 

The pimps, the federal government and the Department of Education are well fed and deliver a powerful, swift hand to those hoes not willing to perform on the corner, in our communities for the minds of our children.

Have a blessed day!

Sources of info:

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Race_to_the_top#section_5

Tennessee awarded 500,000,000.00
http://www2.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2010/03/03292010.html

Tennesseans Against Common Core

http://m.urbandictionary.com/#define?term=money-whore

Common Core roll out in Bradley County reveals it’s brainchild, terrorist Bill Ayers

Common Core roll out in Bradley County reveals its brainchild, Terrorist Bill Ayers

The Common Core roll out in Bradley County is underway. Various programs with catchy titles are all the rage in Cleveland Tennessee.

A federal program that will lead to a Nationalized curriculum is taking seed in our community.

The sacrificial lamb on the socialist altar is our children and their will. A substantial federal grant was the lure that snagged the lips of our elected leaders in exchange for the minds of our children. Money and it’s influence has once again provided an evil  presence in our schools with the blessing of it’s leaders.

Even as we speak, programs and it’s structure are being created to eventually “nationalize” our educational system. 

Willing participants and useful idiots are preparing right now to make “global citizens” and “little Socialists” of your children.

The assumed blinders have been moved into place and our educational leaders are ignoring the facts about this dreadful standards initiation, its origin and eventual takeover of our curriculum known as Common Core.

Many are touting it, including a few of our County Commissioners and other elected leaders as the next best thing since sliced bread. 

The truth is quite the opposite and smells of a socialist mind meld of our beloved children to capture their innocence and trade it for allegiance to communism and socialism with a growing hatred of capitalism while propping up China as the example and model for world leadership.

Our local, state and nationally elected leaders have failed to see or recognize it’s beginnings and the people who developed these standards.

There are many layers to it’s inception and many years have been invested by the likes of Bill Ayers in its development.

As mentioned, one of the most notable  instruments in it’s development and roll out is Domestic Terrorist Bill Ayers, a good friend and confidant of Barrack Obama, Arne Duncan and UNESCO led Billonaire Bill Gates with ties to the United Nations and George Soros.

In this article I would love for you to pull up a cup of Joe, read carefully the words below and see clearly the person that is leading the charge from Race To The Top to Common Core.

Then ask yourself, Self? Why are so many bad people behind this and why are so many of our leaders supporting it? Why are so many unwilling to acknowledge it’s evil presence and stop it? Why do we yell conspiracy when the proof is out in the open.

I am not going to do the obvious here and answer that question for you, instead, I encourage you to research it your self or ask our leaders why they are supporting such an evil program and then dishing it out to our precious kids.

The seemingly haphazard delivery of this program would seem comical if it were not so devastating to our children.  Instead our leaders are coming across negligent, naive, irresponsible and derelict of their duty to protect the minds of our children.

It turns out we as a state and nation got duped and blinded into accepting RTTT, Race To The Top and the hundreds of millions of federal dollars without actually realizing that Common Core was deeply embedded in it’s deceptive package.

This initial article will hopefully spawn more articles in the near future. Today, close friends and members of select groups are meeting to meet with Arne Duncan, Governor Bill Haslam and other elected officials more on that as information comes in, but for now, perhaps refresh your mind or hear it for the first time, read about the collaborator of this evil scheme. 

A man who hates America and what it stands for, has bombed and terrified  many in the 70s and for some reason, now, gets to influence our children through our educational system…….Terrorist Bill Ayers!

William Charles “Bill” Ayers (born December 26, 1944)[1] is an American elementary education theorist and a former leader in the movement that opposed U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War. He is known for his 1960s radical activism as well as his current work in education reform, curriculum, and instruction. 

In 1969 he co-founded the Weather Underground, a self-described communist revolutionary group that conducted a campaign of bombing public buildings (including police stations, the U.S. Capitol Building, and the Pentagon) during the 1960s and 1970s in response to U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War.

After the Greenwich Village townhouse explosion in 1970, in which Weatherman member Ted Gold, Ayers’ close friend Terry Robbins, and Ayers’ girlfriend, Diana Oughton were killed when a nail bomb being assembled in the house exploded, Ayers and several associates evaded pursuit by US law enforcement officials. Kathy Boudin (Now a noted professor at an esteemed US University) and Cathy Wilkerson survived the blast. 

Kathy Boudin Columbia University:
http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/344537/columbia-university-david-horowitz

Cathy Wilkerson-Common Core Math Specialist, terrorist and served 1 year for her part in planning a bombing of a dance at Fort Dix:
http://potterwilliamsreport.com/2011/08/09/infusing-marxism-into-elementary-education.aspx

Ayers was not facing criminal charges at the time, but the federal government later filed charges against him. 

Ayers participated in the bombings of New York City Police Department headquarters in 1970, the United States Capitol building in 1971, and the Pentagon in 1972, as he noted in his 2001 book, Fugitive Days. Ayers writes:

“Although the bomb that rocked the Pentagon was itsy-bitsy – weighing close to two pounds – it caused ‘tens of thousands of dollars’ of damage. The operation cost under $500, and no one was killed or even hurt.”

Some media reports and political critics have suggested that Ayers, Dohrn or the Weathermen were connected to the fatal 1970 San Francisco Police Department Park Station bombing but neither Ayers nor anyone else has been charged or convicted of this crime.

While underground, Ayers and fellow member Bernardine Dohrn married, and the two remained fugitives together, changing identities, jobs and locations.

In 1973, new information came to light about FBI operations targeted against Weather Underground and the New Left, all part of a series of covert and often illegal FBI projects called COINTEL. 

Due to the illegal tactics[clarification needed] of FBI agents involved with the program, government attorneys requested all weapons- and bomb-related charges be dropped against the Weather Underground, including charges against Ayers.

The Weather Underground Organization (WUO), commonly known as the Weather Underground, was an American radical left organization founded on the Ann Arbor campus of the University of Michigan. Originally called Weatherman, the group became known colloquially as the Weathermen. 

Weatherman first organized in 1969 as a faction of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) composed for the most part of the national office leadership of SDS and their supporters. Their goal was to create a clandestine revolutionary party for the overthrow of the US government.

Schools became a common place of recruitment for the movement. In direct actions, dubbed Jailbreaks, Weather members invaded educational institutions as a means by which to recruit high school and college students. 

The motivation of these jailbreaks was the organization’s belief that school was where the youth were oppressed by the system and where they learned to tolerate society’s faults instead of rise against them. 

According to “Prairie Fire”, young people are channeled, coerced, misled, miseducated, misused in the school setting. It is in schools that the youth of the nation become alienated from the authentic processes of learning about the world.”
Source: Wikipedia

Further dangers of regionalism and Common Core are described beliw with Bill Ayers directing from behind the curtain using his friends to implement these atrocious standards.

Excerpt from http://www.beforeitsnews.com:

…Stanley Kurtz, in his latest book, Spreading the Wealth, maintains that a nationalized curriculum is part of an effort to replace local governments with regional boards, who would disburse local tax dollars equally among school districts. Once all schools are the same—with the same curriculum and the same funding—people will no longer have the incentive to move to good suburbs. 

While Obama’s community organizing mentor, Mike Kruglik implements the regionalism advocated by the Gamaliel Foundation through Building One America, Ayers’ close associate, Linda Darling-Hammond (Common Core) exercises “de facto control”[viii] through education.

Mike Krugliks connection to Common Core: http://www.academia.org/common-core-historic-detour/

(A conversation with Linda Darling-Hammond about Common Core, note she calls it a “curriculum” not a standard!) http://teachingmatters.org/blog/conversation-linda-darling-hammond

Both Ayers and Darling-Hammond were leaders in the small schools movement. She has published in a collection edited by Ayers. Both have been advocates of ending funding disparities between urban and suburban schools, ending standardized testing, and attacking “white privilege.” 

She has been a board member of CASEL (Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning), a group housed at the University of Illinois at Chicago, that provides studies of, and services for, Emotional Intelligence in schools—but really emotional manipulation aimed at making students global citizens…
Source: beforeitsnews.com

Our tolerance for the obvious and slow methodical transition to Socialism using the minds of our children through deliberate indoctrination and takeover of our next generation is beyond me.

It feels deliberate at the national and federal level, but my heart tells me at least at the local level that we are dealing with good people with good intentions but their judgement has been clouded by the almighty federal grant dollar.

The exchange of money for the minds of our children and eventual sworn allegiance to a future socialist, godless society free of original thought is irrehensible and every leader should check his ethics and moral compass and really look in depth at the decisions they are making today and the impact it will have on our future generations.

When the damage is done and we are looking back from a different vantage point, you will be the people ultimately  responsible for this unfortunate tragedy.

“Those who control the minds and spirit of our children today will own our future with the mindless drones they create.”

Me!

Inside the sick mind of Bill Ayers from his book about his bombings:
http://sweetness-light.com/archive/ayers-the-day-i-bombed-the-pentagon#.UV19aid5mc0

Bill Ayers and Obamas federal school curriculum Common Core:
http://www.aim.org/special-report/terrorist-professor-bill-ayers-and-obamas-federal-school-curriculum/

Video of Bill Ayers stating the Leftists should forget about the White House or Congress, focus on the schools, that is where we have easy access!

http://whatiscommoncore.wordpress.com/2012/12/23/bill-ayers-advice-to-the-extreme-left-wing-its-easiest-to-take-over-schools-and-classrooms-video-in-his-own-words/

Bradley County leaders decision to tax and spend, not sitting well with taxpayers

The Bradley County News room just received an email that I thought would make a very appropriate “Letter to the Editor” type blog to be addressed in this news outlet and shared with our 50,000 plus readers in 106 countries.

The relevance of the letter comes on the heels of a huge regional tax and spend program startup with meetings to be kicked off in the month of March.

The Local Chamber of Commerce and other NGOs will be gambling billions upon billions of your tax dollars on “economic development” for our 3 state, 16 County megaregional “Thrive 2055” growth program.

The enormity of this project will be horrendously expensive and we the taxpayer will get very little benefit and we will see very little oversight by our elected leaders as non governmental organizations run amuck with your hard earned tax dollars.

The biggest message I received from this email was our locally elected representatives are not concerned with reducing our debt, only receiving more grants to spur new spending sprees. That is a fantastic summation of where our leaders are directing us with this regional growth plan.

They all “say or preach” the right thing when the press is around or hog the print to fuss about DC when they are doing the same thing only at the local level and on a smaller scale.

It’s time the citizens and ultimately taxpayers speak up and say enough is enough. We do not like the direction our County is going and we want to preserve our children’s future not gamble it away for the next federal grant that may come our way.

I think it’s high time we take responsibility for our city and county. Act responsible and live within our means for a change, cut our debt instead of mounding it on our children’s backs, robbing them of their own ability to be prosperous.

Letter to the Editor:

Gentlemen,
Let me please begin by recalling some of your quotes that are the basis of this e-mail to you all.
 
Gary Davis quote from TFP article by Paul Leach on Jan. 11 2013:

“These are all very good signs that we are slowly but surely growing our way out of this recession and, at least in Southeast Tennessee, doing our part to generate the revenue we need without raising taxes”
 
Jeff Morelock quote from TFP article by Paul Leach on Dec. 5, 2012:

“Are we going to invest in future industry here and have growth so we don’t have to increase taxes, or are we going to tell industry we’re not interested in you coming here?”
 
J. Adam Lowe from a CDB article 2/22/2013 by David Davis:

He “absolutely despises the conversation about reducing the deficit. I want to eliminate the deficit. I want to reduce the debt”.
He said his parents would pay more in taxes if they knew it would go toward paying foreign debt.
“There is not trust it will go to that”. “Their concern is that it will continue to fund programs…”
 
Each of these articles were about different issues but I found a common thread running through each of them in your quotes. All of you rail against Washington. All of you talk about how federal debt is an issue and all you ascribe to the same basic political and economic philosophies as the solution.
 
We have our own ever increasing debt problem in Bradley County and none of you talk about it (at least publicly as I can tell). It’s always about how bad things are in Washington. As a proportion we are at least as bad as Washington in this county. Is it not hypocrisy on your part to attack Washington when our situation is approaching a mirror image? And unlike Washington, you can’t just print more money until it is as worthless as the the currency became during the days of  the Wiemar Republic just preceding Hitler.
 
Instead of remaining within the bounds of what is expected of your job you take on the task of “economic development” based on the principles of sustainable development, public/private partnerships and now regional growth. We have been at this kind of activity for over 20 years now? How has it worked for us? Have all these PILOT programs, incentives and business “attraction” produced a ballooning budget surplus yet that you have so hoped for? No it hasn’t and it never will. Do you know what else? I cannot find one study, one piece of documentation anywhere that tells us this unholy alliance between big business and bigger government works. I have multiple studies from the right wing (The John Birch Society) all the way to the left wing (The NEA) as well as many other legal and academic studies that show what you are engaging in always fails. I defy you to find me one study that shows the success of government directed economic development. Understand: I want to believe it works. I want to believe that I can turn all of life’s problems over to my government and they will create a “livable community” for me. The evidence does not bare that out.
 
“Whirlpool is still here.” “Look at Volkswagen and Amazon”: is not a study. Sorry. There are always silver shovel ceremonies and short term bubbles of economic growth (makes for great headlines and photo ops) but that bubble always bursts. Then it leads to more economic development which means more debt! You promote these deals, we provide infrastructure and services at no cost to these corporations. They take federal, state and local monies in these programs. The result: either they are long gone by the time it is time for them to begin paying their full tax burden or if they are still here, we are hit up for another PILOT agreement. You are all aware of cities that have gone bankrupt such as Stockton, Cal. The big lie in the media is that it was all about out of control public employee benefits, retirements and the SEIU. I know there is some truth in part. However the real issue in these California cities is their net bonded debt that they could not pay. This debt was created by redevelopment schemes and business attraction programs just like what is being unleashed in our area now. What makes you think you will do better this time? Regionalism? Thrive 2055 will take care of it?  
 
As stated earlier; none of you suggest addressing the spending side of the equation to solve our deficit issues and spending “needs”. All of you agree that your activity will generate growth, that will generate jobs, that will generate revenue. Once again, we have been doing this for a long time, where is the budget surplus? Where is the debt reduction? Why do you still despair over a lack of revenue?

Your quotes are essentially threats to the people: let us spend this money on economic development or we will raise your taxes. Those are the only options you give. Jeff Morelock, this is especially true of your quote. You clearly give no thought to spending reduction. You want to grow the tax base to match the size of this government that continually increases. How are any of you different than Nancy Pelosi and Barack Obama? I can’t tell the difference. These are the ones you probably all criticize and complain about “strings attached” as you continually take money in federal grants and sit back and act appalled at their behavior.
 
Let me make it simple and if you disagree, then at least I said my peace to you.
PILOT programs, TIF and other Tax abatements are wrong for four reasons: 
1. People like free stuff. Whether it is an individual or a corporation. I don’t blame them: they would be stupid for not taking what you are offering because if they don’t, their competition will. Once people or corporations start taking free stuff, they will never stop and demand more free stuff. I asked another county commissioner this  question to his face one time: Where does it end? He shook his head and muttered “I don’t know”. How sad of a response; yet he still votes for all this.

2. Corporations that have tax abatements do not pay for the services they consume. If you want to perform an experiment: let all county residents only pay the school portion of their property taxes for 6 months and see how far you get. And you don’t even have to build us a new fire station or a new road! The NEA study takes my position because they know the safeguards written into the law to protect school taxes does not work.

3. As you start using our tax money as an incentive do you not think other municipalities, regional entities, etc… are doing the same against us? I know in business when someone cuts a price, there is always retaliation against the price cutter. Soon a price war ensues. Gary Davis: I know you understand this: That is why you were caught on a YouTube video at the Walden Club asking our local municipalities to “stop competing with each other, that’s the point”. You said: “We don’t need to compete”. In business, that is a clear violation of the Sherman Anti-Trust act; In government, I guess you can create any sort of Cartel you want. You must be really excited about Thrive 2055. This is a whole new layer of unelected, unaccountable government who make decisions on what businesses will go where and what areas grow. However, this didn’t work in ancient Rome where it was pursued by Emporer Constantine in Constantinople. It did not work in the Soviet Union, and it will not work here. Central planning ALWAYS fails and leaves a trail of debt and poverty. Again, I will share multiple studies if you are interested.

4. NGOs like the Chamber of Commerce and quasi-government organizations like the Industrial Development board shop our tax money to people and corporations. I know these things are not your creation but your quotes and actions show you are more than willing participants. Again, these are unelected organizations and individuals that have no accountability to the people of Bradley County but declare themselves as our “representatives”. There were some very smart people who wrote our various state constitutions who outlawed the very activity the IDB engages in. I know full well these industrial development boards were created to get around state constitutional restraints that forbid municipalites from lending their credit to private comapnies or individuals. Again, many of these things came into being as a result of the New Deal and are not your doing, but they are still wrong. You can choose to not go along with this if you want. 
 
In closing,
We are poor. Let’s start acting like it. Stop complaing about Washington when in truth Washington is your life blood. We rely on federal grant money and you know it as well as I do. Its’ not just funding our local government directly from Washington – you can even look at our local “growth”. For example look at Spring Creek which is being built with HUD 221 backed financing. This is not real, organic economic growth and you know it. These developments are built with non-recourse loans with a lower down payment than any mortgage today. This is a formula for disaster. That’s exactly what caused the housing bubble in the first place! However there is always a recourse – The American taxpayer!!

Show Washington how it’s done. You have your own debt problem to deal with.
J. Adam Lowe: If you are serious about debt, I suggest you offer up a proposal to raise property tax rates in the county with all the proceeds to go to a “lock box” for debt reduction. Think about it – you can be the Ross Perot of Bradley County!! Remember he ran on a platform to tax a gallon of gasoline $.50 that went right to debt reduction? I don’t think you will get that far in your political career by pointing attention to our local debt load but it’s worth a try.

The truth of the matter is that all of you don’t want more revenue for debt reduction: you want more revenue for more spending. My proof is the wheel tax proposal that failed. More money for more borrowing.

Gentlemen, please consider going in a new direction. Consider these words and I am happy to reconsider where I am wrong in my conclusions. Can you say the same about yourselves? I have nothing against any of you personally as I have not met many of you. It’s not any of you as a person that drives me to write this: It is the political and economic philosophies you are following that I find objectionable.
 
P.S.
Let’s start by pulling out of that exit 20 land deal that the city and county paid about $4 millon dollars too much for. I would like a copy of the property assessment for that land by the way. can one of you please scan and send your copy to me?
 
Thank you for your attention,
 
Rob Bower 

Many Americans seeing Medical Excise Tax sticker shock as OBAMACARE costs kick in

It is true! Many Bradley Countians as well as many Americans are starting to see a new tax being applied to the purchase of many products to include medical devices as well as items that you would not think would be categorized as medical devices.

When the Medical Device Tax started hitting the retail stores yesterday, January 1, 2013, people began scratching their heads at the new tax at the bottom of their reciept of 2.3 percent. “I didn’t buy a medical device, I bought Q tips, a fishing rod and some ammo for my Ruger and I got taxed an additional 2.3 percent.” One consumer was overheard saying at the checkout counter recently.

Congress recently voted to tweak the bill because the bill came across as purely another retail tax. The ever encompassing IRS code and FDA labeling codes are what is driving the hordes of extra items categorized as “medical devices.”

When I think of medical devices I think of splints, stents, prosthetic hips and walkers. The IRS and our Federal Government sees “medical devices” as fishing rods, bows and arrows, ammo, Q tips and gas guzzling cars.

The new medical device tax started yesterday will be one of many planned taxes, that will take precious income away from many hard working Americans and place it into the US Treasuries pockets and assorted other coffers to assist in funding the dreaded unconstitutional, socialistic OBAMACARE Healthcare system.

The medical device tax is expected to raise upward of 40 billion dollars every decade to offset the cost of providing care for the influx of 30 to 40 million presently uninsured Americans.

As the OBAMACARE health system is fully implemented in 2014 with it’s many non restraints such as the unlimited pre existing provision, costs are expected to sore into the 100s of millions perhaps trillions some analysts say, over the next decade. This will leave many unemployed, broke and desolate, looking for government handout
to just survive in the environment the fake president has directed us with his hugely expensive healthcare tax.

Aside from the cost to us, our grandchildren and their grandchildren extensive job loss will be a fallout, numerous “medical device companies” closed, pack up and move overseas via outsourcing or simply close their doors.

The medical device industry employs around 420,000 state side
and millions world wide. Analysts are predicting a loss of 42,000 jobs in the first year as Americans begin to find out what items are taxes heavily and begin to dodge the tax and many companies that may only see a 2 to 3 percent profit margin will simply have to shut the doors.

Some say, just don’t label your products as medical devices and avoid the tax, well the IRS and the Feds have that covered also. If a company attempts to avoid the excise tax which to date has very loose guidelines as to what a medical device is will be faced with up to 10,000 dollars, more likely a daily fine of
1,000 dollars a day for trying to manipulate the system to their benefit.

The death spiral of our economy is just beginning and with each new tax the Senate, Congress and this fake president pile up on we are one step closer to the socialist utopia many of our elected and nonelected bureaucrats have been trying so hard to create.

Our present tax structure will be dim by comparison to the one that is coming in the next decade. I have often joked that eventually the government will receive 100 percent or more
Of my paycheck just as the Cloward-Piven strategists have predicted. Overload and overwhelm our economic system and you will have created a socialist America with Communistic overtones.

Please continue to read the links below directly from the IRS website. What you will not see in most cases is strictly medical devices but an array of assorted retail items and that list is only expected to grow as the extra capital is needed to fund OBAMACARE. what you will not see directly, but you will see higher prices for the products you purchase daily, is the import/export taxes and the extra taxes on manufacturers up to 10 to 12 percent just to make “medical devices!”

The following discussion of manufacturers taxes applies to the tax on:

Sport fishing equipment;

Fishing rods and fishing poles;

Electric outboard motors;

Fishing tackle boxes;

Bows, quivers, broadheads, and points;

Arrow shafts;

Coal;

Taxable tires;

Gas guzzler automobiles; and

Vaccines.

Q1. What is the medical device excise tax?
A1. Section 4191 of the Internal Revenue Code imposes an excise tax on the sale of certain medical devices by the manufacturer or importer of the device.
Q2. When does the tax go into effect?
A2. The tax applies to sales of taxable medical devices after Dec. 31, 2012.
Q3. How much is the tax?
A3. The tax is 2.3 percent of the sale price of the taxable medical device. See Chapter 5 of IRS Publication 510, Excise Taxes, and Notice 2012-77 for additional information on the determination of sale price.

http://www.irs.gov/uac/Medical-Device-Excise-Tax:-Frequently-Asked-Questions

http://www.natlawreview.com/article/excise-tax-kicks-jan-1-certain-medical-devices

http://beforeitsnews.com/gadgets/2012/12/the-diabolical-medical-device-excise-tax-2443956.html

http://news.yahoo.com/analysis-medtech-companies-face-job-cuts-excise-tax-190739057–finance.html
http://m.mddionline.com/node/9528

The UN globalization of our public schools

UN Globalization of Our Public Schools

“According to the UN Commission on Population and Development Conference ,reconditioning of the thought process of the child are an imperative if there is to be a social shift of consciousness toward the acceptance of globalization.”

“This anti-American and anti-Christian doctrine is designed to teach American students to focus on ‘humanism, redistribution of wealth, and is very big on pluralism and that all religions are equal.’”

Your children (grandchildren) are still in government schools?

Source: Intel Hub        
By Susanne Posel     
theintelhub.com       

September 18, 2012

This past weekend, thousands of public school teachers flooded a city park in Chicago to show their force to the union leaders and district representatives that had failed to come to an agreement that would end the walk-out that began last week.

According to negotiators, the issues involved in the protest are job security and union opposition.

As this conflict is being closely monitored by school districts and teachers across the nation, the implications for more possible disputes in other districts in different states are looming overhead.

For teachers in Wisconsin, Boston and Minnesota, this protest is worth having.

It is a clear message that the deterioration of our public school system will not be tolerated.

Globalization, under directives of the UN, has infiltrated our public school system in incremental stages which are now coming to a head – as evidenced with the strike in Chicago.

According to the UN Commission on Population and Development Conference ,reconditioning of the thought process of the child are an imperative if there is to be a social shift of consciousness toward the acceptance of globalization.

With the creation of the UNA-USA in 1964, pro-UN ideals have begun to infiltrate our societal memes through education and mobilization of Americans to support the principles of the UN which ultimately lead toward the acceptance of One World Government.

In public schools, this has manifested with the inception of the global classroom which has superseded our education programs focused on teaching about our Constitutional Republic to redirect our children’s attention to the ideals of globalization.

One example is the creation of the Model United Nations where students pretend to be UN ambassadors and debate UN agendas in a role playing exercise that is meant to inspire the idea that global governance is the future of the world’s nations.

Supported by the US Department of State , the global classroom has infiltrated more than 24 major cities public education system worldwide. Some of those cities are:

• Chicago Public Schools
• Kyung Hee University
• Lebanesse American University
• Mulberry School for Girls

At the University of Chicago’s Center for International Studies, globalization is being taught in order to “expose students to global issues, but also to empower them to think critically about their role as global citizens.”

In 2009, the ideals of globalization were inter-married with the public school system to educate students in Chicago about global issues over American ideology in order to prepare those young minds for a future where nationalism is destroyed as Agenda 21 eradicates borders and sovereign nations.

In the US there is a movement to restructure our cities into Agenda 21 megacities where private cars will be banned, forcing people to use high-speed mass transit, bicycles or simply walking to their destination.

Narrower streets and huge walls to separate the eco-city from the surrounding wildlife preserves will aid in controlling the temperature of the city.

In New York, Mayor Michael Bloomberg has initiated the construction of micro-apartment buildings in Kips Bay where 300 sq ft residences will be offered to New York residents under Agenda 21 stack ‘em and pack ‘em schemes.

Likewise, in San Francisco , 150 sq ft apartments are being built for the same purpose.

In Chicago, the reworking of public school curriculum is utilized to expand students’ knowledge of the equitable processes of the UN and therefore renegotiate politics and geo-political concepts under UN mandates for the benefit of the unification of all individual nations into the cradle of a One World Government.

Mainstream media would have the social conversation turn toward how Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel is handling the teacher’s strike. There are implications planted that this outcome will impact Obama’s re-election campaign.

The introduction of the International Baccalaureate Curriculum,(IBC) with UN funding, became operational in more than 1,000 public schools across America.

This anti-American and anti-Christian doctrine is designed to teach American students to focus on “humanism, redistribution of wealth, and is very big on pluralism and that all religions are equal.”

The purpose of the IBC is to devise “world schools” beginning in the US and expanding into other industrialized nations.

Having been founded in Switzerland in 1968, this standardized curricula was devised to create global diplomats of all school age children.

United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) provides funding for IBC under-cover of being a partner. A Continuum of International Education states that education is only worth having to create “citizens of the world” with “universal human values”.

These values are based on the UN Declaration of Human Rights as well as the UN Declaration of the Rights of the Child.

Basic educational skills that facilitate independent thought, reasoning, and deduction (such as reading, math and science) are being replaced with exploratory problems “concerning the weather, environmental protection, conservation, and energy” with a great emphasis of the global perspective, wealth redistribution and the differences between 1st and 3rd world countries.

The UN infiltration of our educational systems refer to pro-US beliefs and values as “American creed” where the capitalist system is confused with corporatism and condemned as an evidence of all that is wrong with the world where American is portrayed as a grossly wealthy nation who benefits from the expense of poorer nations.

Obama’s support of this curriculum is clear with the adaptation of federal standards that force public schools to use these educational controls or lose their funding.

Both Obama and Biden have openly supported the International Baccalaureate program with federal funding beginning in 2008.

And this is where the Chicago Teacher’s Strike meets the globalization of our schools by the UN.

Under new mandates, public school teachers can be evaluated out of their employment without evidence of misappropriation within their classrooms.

Even if the teacher follows the controlled and imposed educational demands of these UN funded programs, they will not be secured in employment due to a central policy that education is for all and if a teacher holds a position for too long, they are keeping another educator unemployed.

Susanne Posel

“Thrive 2055” gets director for the Chattanooga region

Thrive 2055 gets director for the Chattanooga region

Ron Harr talks about his vision for job growth in the region. Harr is to be the new CEO of the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce.

PLANNING PANEL

• Brian Anderson, Greater Dalton Chamber of Commerce

• Steve Anglea, Georgia Power

• Becky Barnes, Hamilton County Health Department

• Dan Bowers, Allied Arts

• Diana Bullock, EPB

• Daniel Carter, University of the South

• Bruz Clark, Lyndhurst Foundation

• Eliza DeLaughter, Alliance Physical Therapy

• Steve Dillard, Dillard Construction

• Bob Doak, Chattanooga Convention & Visitors Bureau

• Chuck Dobbins, Shaw Industries

• Gary Farlow, Cleveland Bradley Chamber of Commerce

• Vicky Gregg, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee

• Stacy Johnson, La Paz Chattanooga

• Jill Levine, Normal Park Museum Magnet School and Normal Park Museum Magnet Upper School

• Betsy McCright, Chattanooga Housing Authority

• James McKissic, Chattanooga Urban League

• Denny Mobbs, attorney

• Mike Moon, Don Moon Building and Developing

• Jeff Myers, Hamilton Health Care System Inc.

• Jeff Pruitt, Top of Alabama Regional Council of Governments

• Honna Rogers, Signal Mountain

• Matt Ryerson, United Way of Bradley County

• Janet Spraker, UTC

• Jack Studer, Lamp Post Group

• Edna Varner, Public Education Foundation

• Connie Vaughan, McKee Foods

• Tom Edd Wilson, Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce

Ex-officio staff representatives:

• John Bridger, Regional Planning Agency

• Beth Jones, Southeast Tennessee Development District

Source: Chattanooga Chamber

A first-ever 16-county planning effort for the Chattanooga region, dubbed Thrive 2055, is picking up speed with the hiring of a director and naming of a key oversight panel.

Aimed at creating a 40-year growth plan for the area over the next three years, Thrive 2055 has raised more than $2.5 million of a proposed $3 million budget, officials said.

“We’re definitely moving ahead,” said Ron Harr, the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce’s incoming chief executive.

Newly hired project director Bridgett Massengill said it’s important to engage people in the wide area that includes counties in Southeast Tennessee, Northwest Georgia and Northeast Alabama.

A 28-member coordinating committee will gather regularly, she said. The group’s meetings will be open to the public, Massengill said, and it will aid in communicating with officials in the region.

Possibly starting later this year, working groups of people will convene, she said. They’ll discuss topics the plan is to examine such as transportation, workforce, education, economic development and environmental sustainability.

Massengill, 37, formerly was executive director of the Development Authority in Johnson City, Tenn., and headed her own consulting firm.

To aid Massengill and the new initiative, a Cincinnati-based consultant, McBride Dale Clarion, will help gather regional data and facilitate the working groups.

McBride also will handle social media outreach, which is seen as another way of spurring dialogue.

J.Ed. Marston, the Chamber’s vice president of marketing, said the final product will include an “action plan” for the 16-county area.

“It’s very much like a business plan for the region,” he said.

Chattanooga and Hamilton County each have committed $500,000 to the planning effort while local foundations are investing $1 million, officials said. The Chamber also has raised $540,000 from the private sector. Work continues to reach the initiative’s $3 million budget.

published Saturday, September 8th, 2012
http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/sep/08/thrive-2055-gets-director-chattanooga-region/?local