Common Core: Arne Duncan speaks to “white moms” opposing reform, “your child, not as bright as you thought they were”

Common Core: Arne Duncan speaks to “white  moms” opposing reform, “your child, not as bright as you thought they were”

On Friday, November 15th, 2013, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, in a meeting with state education chiefs and Superintendents spoke regarding opposition to the Common Core State Standards. 

Speaking to parents, “white moms” upset with test results and weaknesses within the educational system Duncan had this to say:

“I  find it fascinating that opponents include “white suburban moms” who — all of a sudden discovered that their child isn’t as bright as they thought they were, and their school isn’t quite as good as they thought they were.”

Duncan apologized on Monday afternoon for the remark.

According to CNN, Duncan said: “My wording, my phrasing, was a little clumsy and I apologize for that.”

Soccer moms, those “white moms”, dads, parents, teachers and basically anyone concerned about how Common Core will affect their children have been completely dismissed by Duncan and with one comment has shown his insensitivity for parents concerned or opposed to Common Core.

The failure of the elite left swept up
in their own personal bubble of self righteousness have once again failed to listen to the populace that speaks against their so called weak reform measures.

Duncan is talking to concerned parents, who happen to be white, injecting race unnecessarily into a bitter fight over common core, deliberately talking down to parents as if to shame them into shutting up? Where is his shame?

Duncan fails to recognize that these “white moms,” these suburban moms, are mothers that care deeply about their children and what they are exposed to on a daily basis. Did he directly infer that “black moms” or other minorities don’t care about the education of their children? 

The disconnect of the education elite to not be sensitive to parents and teachers concerns is mind boggling to me. 

It seems in a perfect world the steam roller approach to education reform would not be necessary to apply. It seems a collective approach encompassing all would be the preferred, less controversial approach to reform.

One could argue that this block of mothers are driving the successes we have today and why are you trying to shame them into submission? 

To somehow minimize this concern and underhand a mothers efforts to assure her child receives a top notch education is beyond conceptual thought.

This recent “verbal blunder” by Duncan shows a willful intent to nationalize our educational system and concerned parents are not gonna stop him. 

It is evident that they will leave no one standing that dares to stand in their way of it’s implementation, fully revealing it’s purpose.

Duncan by his actions and speech confirms that the US Department of Education is not concerned with parents concerns about common core, its going forward regardless, instead focusing only on the standards and raising test scores, not well intended opposition.

We have seen this locally also where many “private meetings” are being held without parent input or allowed attendance. Parents! You are not a necessary ingredient in this recipe of reform!

Duncan revealed  his true feelings when he said “their child isn’t as bright as they thought they were, and their school isn’t quite as good as they thought they were.” 

This seems to echo Michelle Rhees type reform measures passed down to Tennessee Education Czar, her ex husband, Huffman and his little lap dog TN Governor Bill Haslam, where the impetus is that teachers and parents are why education in the US is so bad.

The top down bashing by the Secretary of Education speaks volumes of his agenda. 

There is a bigger picture and we got a glimpse of it Friday and it is bigger than you and I. 

We are in the way and the education plow is going to get you out of the way so their agenda can be fulfilled, regardless of how you think. 

My immediate questions are this and I would like for you to ponder these thoughts.  How are education reformist going to explain Common Core failures to a group of angry moms that tried to tell them it wouldn’t work in the first place?” How can raising standards assure academic success? Doesn’t  it take a village to educate a child? Doesnt it take an engaged white mom, or any mom or dad to raise the level of their childs education by being deeply involved in their education?  I would love to be a fly on the wall when that day arrives as poor results trickle in and parents realize that indeed, our kids are not as smart as we thought they were.

White moms and dads, everyone regardless of race, everywhere, stay engaged. Continue to attend school board meetings and demand your voice be heard on this issue. Write blogs, contact your elected officials and post info on social websites and make more people aware. This is our only defense. Get more active, stay active.

For Duncan to make such an insensitive racial comment shows me we are over the target, where the flak is heaviest and we are being heard!

We are where we need to be!

Sources of info:

CNN reports on “White Mom” comment.
http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/18/politics/duncan-comment-controversy/index.html

(Video) Fox News Megan Kelley reports on Duncan white mom comment.

Politico reports on “white mom” comment.
http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=9F5C9690-85F5-4951-897F-8C7215D66382

Secretary of Education Arne Duncan apologizes for “White Mom” comment.
http://www.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/us/2013/11/19/dnt-marsh-arne-duncan-white-moms-remarks.cnn.html

Haslam and Huffman sweep into a public school, select taxpaying citizens ousted with police escort.

Haslam and Huffman sweep into a public school, select taxpaying citizens ousted with police escort.

Breaking News:  11/8/13

Governor Bill Haslam and TN Secretary of Education Kevin Huffman whisk into town, the general public is not allowed in their vicinity.

It could be called “Gestapo” like as taxpaying citizens were profiled then escorted out of a public school library where Huffman and Haslam were within minutes of speaking.

The site, the Cleveland Middle School in Cleveland Tennessee, the provocateur principal Mike Collier.

A couple of concerned parents, who happen to be Veterans who fought in foreign wars, taxpayers and coincidentally independent reporters  were attempting to attend a public meeting of which they wanted to attend, to gather information. 

Mike and I have covered events across the nation and have even ventured where most men dare trod to get you the truth. 

We were immediately given access to the building then denied the right to stay and listen to the Governor and his Secretary of Education because many labeled us a disruptive or combative although our records are clean of that charge.

A sunny afternoon it was and the mood in the main office area jovial with many suits and a strong police presence felt in room. 

When entering the room my escort and myself were met with many friendly faces and were asked if we were with the press, we signed in, were given our pass, our sticker which we quickly attached to our lapels of our shirts.

Police quickly shuffled us in as the guest speakers were soon to be arriving. 

The ease of entry was surprising which left  me and Mike at ease because after all, a publicly announced meeting inside a taxpayer funded school should be this easy. Concerned, law abiding citizens should be able to gain entrance into a public school where they plan to distribute info that may directly affect my children.

Our soul intent was to attend the meeting, gather, video and assimilate information out to a very hungry public. 

After all, if it’s coming from the Governor and the Secretary of Education why should it be kept secret and why should it be a private meeting. Why should we not be allowed to attend?

As we are setting up our cameras for the big media event, a lady enters the room and says I’m so sorry we must ask everyone for their press credentials and she turns to me and Mike Mallard with Tin Ship Productions (a nationally known documentary team) and myself, a staff writer of BCN with near 150,000 readers in 164 countries to display our credentials.

Mike and I were quickly encircled with Principal Mike Collier, the lady, and two policemen at our sides. It was obvious by the lack of activity outside this rather small group that we were the only ones being asked for credentials and quite frankly the only ones that needed them. So we searched our pockets, our wallets no credentials found and no one else in the room were being asked. So we knew the mood was fixing to change a very public lynching was to ensue.

We were approached by very aggressive principal that started making demands for us to leave as it was obvious the conservative “right wing”, independent reporters were not welcome and clearly had no say so in this debate. He must have read the latest DHS memo on Christians and right wing terrorists destroying the country.

After asking several pointed questions of which no defining answers followed we were told this is not open to the public and that we were not welcome.

At the crescendo and the principal obviously tiring at having his “authori-ty” questioned he lunged toward me and said “we do not allow combative people like you into these meetings!!!” I chuckled as evidently I asked one to many questions and replied “Sir, I’m not yelling at you so I do not expect you to yell at me!” “I’m just trying to find out how I can attend this meeting!” 

I changed the tempo a bit and slid around to his left, leaving his forehead and his hands shaky for some reason. I said “at this point I would like to be considered a concerned parent and a taxpaying citizen and would like to stay and not video but take notes of the planned speech by our duly elected Governor and his appointee” at which time he flashed his hands in a sweeping motion and said forcefully like a child exiting his office “GET THEM OUTTA HERE!!!”

As we exit the heavily guarded entrenchment with police escort, the library at our backs and into the main office I hear a familiar female voice squeaking condescendingly “That sure didn’t take you long! Is it over?” The laughter around her clearly displayed that the intent of her comment was relayed to me and Mike that we were not welcome in this very public building.

The walk to the exit to the end of the awning was very pleasant and as our escort turned verbal we met a very nice and friendly officer, last name Mason. He was very accommodating and apologetic stating he was not trying to squelch our rights. But our rights were violated! His willingness to honor someone eliminating my ability to peaceably gather and redress my government, to have freedom of the press stripped and to somehow impede the balancing of the powers of our federal government and their representatives, yes their was an assist here!

Yes, unknowingly perhaps but being the escort that gives these self appointed elite the ability to rewrite the Constitution and enforce their assumed power, yes, yes, you did participate in that classless action by providing a means for them to weld their unchecked tyrannical behavior.

Mike and I and several others soon resign to the partitioned “grassy knoll” to watch as the Governor, the Secretary of Education and their lap dogs arrived like rock stars and enter unscathed, unquestioned and uninhibited through the halls and the path we, who just moments ago exited under police duress. From this public domain they will now spew their well timed rhetoric to a liberal press that will filter till the info is unrecognizable and is palatable enough for all the sheep to lap up and digest!  

I’m sure the lead in story on all newscasts will be about their strong support of the unproven common core federalized standards. The propaganda spin cycle is on and completely unfettered by a concerned public attempting to dispel the agenda of the federal machine. Spin the nightly news will you please?

As a vocal or better known outspoken American you will never know the feeling of loss as when you lose your rights at the barrel end of a gun and witness a government completely out of control, unbridled and ready to pull the trigger.

Ponder these thoughts and observe the happenings around you! We are losing our rights and many more don’t care or are simply uninformed.

I’m becoming very accustomed to this type behavior and all too familiar with my rights not being honored. I’m still thinking this is not such a good thing! Right?

To contact this Principal I would encourage you to call or email him. Please be civil, nice and I do not condone violence or any threats.

I think it would do a world of good to let him know there are many out there that feel that the Constitution is still intact and many are still willing to speak up for those rights and believe in full disclosure, especially if our kids are involved!

Principal Mike Collier:
Cleveland Middle School
Cleveland Tennessee.
423-479-9641 ext 8002
mcollier@clevelandschools.org

Common Core: Dumbing down our children one dollar at a time

Common Core: Dumbing down our children one dollar at a time

Bradley County as well as many other states participating in Common Core are starting to see money trickle in to their systems for education reform.

A hundred thousand here and eighty thousand there and we have a system bribed by the federal government to implement socialistic education reform changes! Who knew it would take so relatively little to coax radical change?

Race to the Top, locally in Tennessee it’s called First to the Top. This delivery of radical reform uses the Common Core standard spearheading the nation and it’s educational system toward socialism, much in the way the government has taken over the healthcare apparatus.

Many questions remain unanswered about Common Core. One particular concern to many parents and teachers is the deliberate dumbing down or teaching to the lowest denominator and is it really necessary?

With the top down governmental approach to education reform as the  catalyst to reform it’s leaves few with little doubt that this will be the end result and the intended consequence.

The focus on readying our kids for the workforce and to survive a two year stent in college while the American dream of working hard to get ahead eludes us. 

This leads many to believe that the least effort, with the least grey matter exercised will yield the same result as a parent expecting their child to succeed at a very high level. This dualistic exchange speaks volumes of the intent of RTTT and Common Core.

Just the name “Common Core” says we are teaching to the least in the class and expecting the high achievers to come to the middle so there will be no social disparity shown delineating natural selection and tapping into the reserves of the fertile mind.

Common Core means “Common,” 
as Webster defines common as 
basic, simple, rudimentary, having no rank, not of the upper class!
http://www.yourdictionary.com/common

With the recent move of the Bradley County Schools to integrate  special education into classrooms for
80 percent of the day it clearly shows that the intent is to teach to
the lesser of students while exceptional children halt their heightened learning. To literally step back and grasp rehashed information perhaps from prior grades and experiences is unfair and does not serve the population fairly. No longer does advanced learning or teaching up to those with a gift seem a priority.

The end result is gifted students will be forced to dumb down to the least common denominator taking away drive and enthusiasm to excel. Think it doesn’t happen? Observe your gifted student as I have melt into obscurity where a system that used to revolve around them achieving at a high level now wants them to be equal to all others. Gifted kids are often rendered the role of a tudor or a classroom assistant to bring lesser students to the middle where socialism ferments! Totally missing the opportunity to fertilize a growing mind in need of nurturing. This deliberate shake down of greater intelligence should be condemned instead it is embraced by School Supervisors all over the nation. Because to speak out would mean a shortened career.

This is  leaving many bored and unchallenged by a system that is no longer allowing the cream to float to the top.  Natural God given ability to rise to the top is now a foreign substance sinking to the bottom of the education food chain. Our children are being asked or shamed by a system to not be as smart as you can be because a socialistic set of reformers somehow deem it unfair to others to simply attain heights within their ability without
propping them up. It’s the “let’s give everyone a trophy” syndrome that has locked us into a politically correct environment looking for equality of the masses. This is surely the greatest form if injustice.

The comment below shows the intent of the reformers. The lopsided opinion that because your child has a gift he or she must share with all for the “common good” of a society is unjust and steals autonomy from a creative spirit  Stifling those with the ability to contribute to society unfairly shrinks the abilities of high achievers while diminishing their full impact or fingerprint on the global scene.

An excerpt and quote from the Cleveland Daily Banner this week sheds a new light on the goal of Common Core and reflects the dumbing down of our children so everyone can attain mediocrity. The article quotes this supervisor shortly after announcing the acceptance of funds from RTTT and Common Core. “Supervisor of Student Services Dr. Joy Hudson has been working with teachers throughout the system to move more of the special education students into the general education classrooms for up to 80 percent of the day.”  “The model currently being pursued is co-teaching by placing a general education teacher and a special needs educator in the same classroom.” “A component being added by CCS is feedback provided by students.” 

When Common Core was first implemented the thought that dumbing down to the lowest common denominator was a theory based on an observation of the material presented. Now that theory has been proven and is no longer a conspiracy as evidence based research is being revealed as reformers are taking the radical steps to implement the changes.

Now before you jump on the liberal bandwagon and accuse those informing to become vilified allow me to make this statement. I believe we are all Gods children and all our children are special and loved by all parents. 

This should not be so much about a child but about all children and the system that is pulling them down together. When the finger is pointed to one child another child becomes disadvantaged. In this case, both parties are in a situation that is less than optimal because the bar is being set at mediocre or common! 

As you desire a special needs child to become functional inside a classroom there is a parent that wants their child to reach beyond the stars and not be held captive by a system that will only allow them to be common or mediocre, a far less expectation of their God given ability.

http://www.clevelandbanner.com/view/full_story/23773815/article-Local-schools-given-Race-to-Top-funds

Tn Gov Bill Haslams appointees worked for the same law firm, changing the face of our state

Tn Gov Bill Haslams appointees worked for the same law firm, changing the face of our state

TN Governor Bill Haslam hires Sharia Compliance expert Samar Ali, an Obama White House intern, who worked for the IAB (International Arab Bank) that funneled 90 million dollars to Hamas (Muslim Brotherhood) via 200,000 transactions totaling 90 million dollars while she worked there and  implemented as co-conspirators in the Holy Land Foundation trial in New York, convicted, fined and several imprisoned.  

A few months later, TN Governor Bill Haslam needs an Education  Commissioner for the State of Tennessee, hires Kevin S. Huffman as the Secretary Commissioner of Education from the same law firm?

Hogan, Hartson and Lovells of which it was known till a merger renamed the firm Hogan and Lovells International.

Why is it that the Governor seems to find his candidates for office from the same controversial law offices. 

Is this the only pool of which to pull new hirees from? Is this the only place to find a state leader? Why does he keep going to the same bank? Connections? Good ole boy network?

Does It have anything to do with his family company who relies heavily on middle eastern oil and has made billions from these transactions?

The liberal decline of our state only deepens knowing his latest appointee Kevin S. Huffman was married to Michelle Rhee and have two children in our TN school system. This seems like another benign decision till you view the implications.

Rhee is mockingly called the mother of extremist education reform, who happens to be anti union, pay based in merit pay, a pro charter school advocate that rids school systems of boards of education, who just happens to be implicated in the largest scandal in DC history as the Commissioner of Education.
http://www.therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=10102

The title of a fraud and a cheat is her legacy when dealing with raising school standards and she also happens to be a strong advocate for Common Core? 

Have you noticed the recent acts by Huffman has Rhees fingerprint all over out state education policy pushed by Huffman and Haslam? 

Michelle Rhee is also the CEO of Students First who seems to have many funds to pay off our elected officials to get her radical education reform ideas enacted.

 State Representative Kevin Brooks and State Senator Todd Gardenhire have received 5,000 dollars each to their campaigns to implement school reform, ie, Common Core in Tennessee. 

She is a little too close to the action for my comfort. Her money influence can only be led to believe that her ex husband and father of her children are influencing his decisions while giving her the inside track on spearheading radical education reform in Tennessee.

I’m sure Kevin Huffmans ears are hurting from his ex wife steering him in the direction she wants.

How can we allow State Representatives, State Senators and Governors to receive money while gambling on the lives and futures of our children. 

This hiring of questionable characters by our Governor is irresponsible and leads to many decisions that we have not felt yet. 

The idea that we must provide an environment for sharia compliance while radically reforming our educational system does not seem to be the direction our state needs to take.

Governor Bill Haslam, State Representative Kevin Brooks and State Senator Todd Gardenhire by big money proxy are allowing our state to be radically changed by progressives. You can easily see how the simple actions of a liberal governor and it’s elected leaders can change the environment in which we live?

You wanna get mad? Call them today and ask them “why did you
make a deal with the devil in exchange for your child’s soul?” 

Read below to see the level of involvement of leaders in our state and their connection to this latest fad.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hogan_%26_Hartson

“As a lawyer at the Washington D.C. law firm of Hogan & Hartson, Huffman represented school districts, state departments of education and universities, working on policy and litigation matters including challenges to state FINANCE (Sharia Compliance?) systems, desegregation litigation and special education hearings”
http://tn.gov/education/AboutCommissioner.shtmlrials.

Haslam education reform refers to change in teacher pay, merit based pay.
http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/jan/14/governor-bill-haslams-agenda/?print

Haslam and Huffman making our educational system a laughing stock to the nation.
http://www.schoolsmatter.info/2011/11/how-huffman-and-haslam-made-tn.html?m=1

Samar Ali Linked bio:
https://touch.www.linkedin.com/?sessionid=5074112256933888&as=false&rs=false#public-profile/http%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fpub%2Fsamar-ali%2F5%2F715%2F994

Merger between Hogan, Hartston and Lovells:
http://www.vault.com/company-profiles/law/hogan-lovells-international-llp.aspx

200,000 wire transfers were made by the International Arab Bank totalling more than 90 million dollars was made through the same law firm that employed Education Secretary Kevin S. Huffman and Samar Ali, both hired by Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam!
http://tn4politicaljustice.wordpress.com/2012/06/22/newsletter-22-the-islamic-international-arab-bank/

The Hogan Lovells DC Office: Just a few blocks from the White House!
http://m.hoganlovells.com/washington-dc/

Vanderbilt professor employed by Hogan and Hartston:
http://law.vanderbilt.edu/faculty/faculty-directory-archived/michael-p-vandenbergh/download.aspx?id=576

Look what a little money from Students First CEO MIchelle Rhee can make a state rep say.

State Rep Kevin Brooks lauds Huffman and his visionary style.

http://www.clevelandbanner.com/view/full_story/12714918/article-Legislative-leaders-welcome-new-education-commissioner

Sure, it’s a tangled web we weave and of course our Governor “coincidentally” pulling our state leaders out of the same lawyer gene pool may seem benign and harmless, but look at the level of influence on our state these two hirees have had on our state……fundamentally changing our state as we speak.

This begs me to think how much more does this liberal progressive Governor have up his sleeve?

Who will be the next leader pulled from this cess pool of liberal elitist?