Rep. Ben Koppelman’s (R – District 16) bill to end the Common Core State Standards has come out of committee with a DO NOT PASS recommendation. Yes, it’s true. According to two of my sources in the North Dakota House, the House Education Committee has once again sided with the status quo, led by Superintendent Kirsten Baesler, and ignored the many parents and concerned citizens of North Dakota who wanted Common Core gone.
When I say “ignored”, I mean it quite literally. Many reports are coming out of the Stop Common Core Community that only Rep. Brandy Pyle (R – District 22) responded to the many e-mails sent to the committee in favor of HB 1432. What does that say when one of fourteen committee members will respond to the people?
My sources on the vote expressed that the primary concerns of the committee were three-fold:
1. They bought the argument that because the bill forbids future standards from being based on the Common Core, this would prevent new standards from ever being written. The example given was that if the Common Core standard says Kindergartners have to count from 1 to 100 that no new standards could be written to have them count from 1 to 100. This is ridiculous. Having children count to 100 pre-dated Common Core and in no way is based off of them.
2. They accepted the argument that the Massachusetts’ standards were too old. This is another ridiculous argument. The Massachusetts’ standards are proven (unlike the Common Core). Besides, how many new ways can you teach Math in 2017? “Common Core Math” is actually the problem for many – and the butt of many jokes – not the time-proven methods.
3. The committee does not like the idea of the legislature having to approve standards each time they come up for review. Whether the legislature likes it or not, one thing that is blatantly evident is the dishonesty and deceitfulness of Superintendent Kirsten Baesler. She has proven that this office needs oversight. Is the education of the children of North Dakota not important enough to provide that oversight? Is it wise to entrust that power to one person? Apparently the House Education Committee thinks so.
I am told that the bill will now go to the floor for debate and a vote on either Monday or Tuesday. It’s now or never. Contact every member of the House and let them know that the committee showed poor judgment and that you want Common Core gone by voting “Yes” on HB 1432. In all likelihood this is the last opportunity to rid the state of the Common Core State Standards.
