Social Studies Academic Standards 

  Main

  Social Studies

  Science

  Updates

March 2, 2004

ACTION:
1. Please come to the hearing!
2. Order your "Postcards to support the standards."
3. COME TO THE EDUCATION LOBBY DAY, March 10th!
4. Bring people to the rally!

1. Hearing: Thursday, March 4th, the proposed science and social studies standards will face their first formal hurdle. The House Education Policy Committee will formally accept some form of standards.

THURSDAY, March 4, 2004
8:15 AM
Committee: Education Policy
Room: 200 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Barb Sykora
Agenda: HF 2558 (Sykora) Social studies and science rigorous core academic standards authorized and implemented.

The Committee will reconvene 15 minutes after session in room 200 if necessary to complete the agenda. The House meets in Session at 3:00 PM

Opposition to Citizens' Standards
The opponents of the citizens' committee standards are fomenting an uproar to stop them. The current citizens' committee standards are knowledge-based academic standards emphasizing the study of Western ideas, institutions of freedom and the principles of America's founders. Instead, the opponents believe individual rights (as proclaimed in the Declaration of Independence) must be replaced with "group rights," elevating diversity training above knowledge. They believe that the purpose of education is to "transform" our children, not to equip them with knowledge.

Yet, most Americans believe the role of public schools is to transmit knowledge, not serve as agents of radical social change.

According to the 1998 Yankelovich Public Agenda poll, 84 percent of parents agreed that the United States is "a unique country that stands for something special in the world." (See Yankelovich Public Agenda poll)

84 percent of parents overall, 81 percent of African-American parents, and 80 percent of Latino parents would be "upset or somewhat concerned" if their children were "taught that America is a fundamentally racist country." Yet the opponents to the citizens' committee standards stand on this ideology. They want this kind of thinking forced into Minnesota's standards. They do NOT speak for most parents and taxpayers, yet their voices are being magnified beyond their true numbers!

Parents United-Public School Advocacy Network, formerly Save our Schools, is circulating the following email to rally opposition to the citizen committee standards. Many parents receiving this email won't realize this group is opposed to fundamental principles of freedom and fact-based knowledge.

Their e-mail states:

"We are attempting to get as many public school parents at the hearing to show concern about the content, cost, and inflexibility of the proposed standards. We have made buttons identifying us as 'public school parents' and they will be available at the hearing."

" Please make a call to the Governor, Commissioner Yecke, and/or Rep. Barb Sykora (Chair of the House Ed. Policy Comm.) to urge them to develop better standards for Minnesota's public school children:

Governor Pawlenty, 651-296-3391
Commissioner Yecke, 651-582-8204
Rep. Sykora, 651-296-4315"

I hope you'll take their message to heart and call these people, too! But please tell them to support the Citizens' Standards!

2. Postcard Campaign Launched!
Order your "Postcards to support the standards" from us today.
Let your legislators hear from you in the weeks to come!
edaction1@lakes.com
952-361-4931

We have printed postcards for citizens to send to their legislators supporting the citizens standards. Just sign your name, return address, and the address of your legislator. (we will provide that address)

Please order your postcards today!
They are free, but you can help us defray the cost by making a contribution. Send one to your House member and your Senator. Send one to as many of the Education Committee members as you are willing. They need to hear from you!

Please be sure your own Representative and Senator hears from you and from many in your area!

Please give postcards to your friends and neighbors. How many postcards will you distribute to your friends?

We will have the postcards on our website, too. If you prefer, print off the message and send it in an envelope. It would be a terrific alternative!

3. Come to the Education Lobby Day, March 10th!
http://edaction.org/2004/022504.htm

Wednesday, March 10, 2004
9:00 a.m.
Meet in the Capitol Rotunda in St. Paul

Do you support academic, knowledge based standards that:
A. Tell the truth about America and our founding principles?
B Teach the principles of freedom in the Declaration of Independence?
C. Equip future leaders to defend our liberty?
D. Present objective, unbiased facts?

4. Pass out flyers for Lobby Day, and ask people to join you! The Lobby Day is more important than ever, because the opposition is organizing to oppose the standards that have been developed. Order copies from us. Print them off yourself.

And thank you for staying the course. Minnesota didn't replace the Profile of Learning to replace them with another version of the same thing with a new name.

EdWatch - 105 Peavey Rd, Ste 116, Chaska, MN  55318 
651-646-0646 - edwatch@lakes.com - (c) EdWatch - All rights reserved.