Florida legislation giving school districts control of which textbooks to use a bait-and-switch

Arek Sarkissian, writer for The Florida Current writes:

“A pair of bills that would place sole responsibility of textbook choices on local school districts made headway this week despite concern from lawmakers.

SB 864, by Sen. Alan Hays R-Umatilla, and HB 921, by Rep. Matt Gaetz, R- Fort Walton Beach, would maximize control of textbook choices on a local district review committee.

“This bill gives the citizens of the community very, very active role in the selection and oversight in the material that their children are being taught with,” Hays said during a Tuesday Senate Education Committee meeting, where 864 passed with a vote of 8-1.

Sen. Dwight Bullard, D-Cutler Bay, cast the only opposing vote.

On Wednesday [March 12th] , the House K-12 Subcommittee voted 8-5 in favor on party line.

Common Core opponents will not be fooled by this bait and switch!

Despite its lofty sounds, SB 864 and HB 921 are end around bills designed to make the public believe they oppose Federal intrusion and Common Core standards (see below). If all the textbooks we have to choose from are aligned to Common Core, and the students’ tests will be based on Common Core, and schools and teachers will be graded on their students’ tests, there is still no choice for school districts but Common Core aligned curriculum, most of which is produced by Pearson PLC and the College Board.

I just participated in two full days of the textbook selection committee for Lee County Schools and ALL the choices are severely flawed so long as we have Common Core Standards by any name you call them.

Senate President Don Gaetz and Speaker Will Weatherford told us in person that these are the bills they support and they will not allow SB 1316 and HB 25 to be heard in Committee. Rep. Debbie Mayfield’s bill, HB 25, is the only one that actually will stop Common Core, and they know it.

Don Gaetz and Will Weatherford, Commissioner Pam Stewart, Senator Legg, Senator Fresen, Senator Alan Hays, Chair of the State Board of Education, Gary Chartrand, and others should recuse themselves from this as they directly stand to gain or have entangling alliances with those who stand to gain money and power from Common Core’s adoption.

The data mining bills are similarly flawed, unfortunately.

There is only one simple answer for those who support our kids, the Constitution and freedom. The Governor can and should take his pen and cancel the contract, and take his phone and call Obama and Arnie Duncan and tell them what to do with their Common Core in no uncertain terms as the RPOF, RNC and RWF have recommended.

If he does not, the enormous rift caused by HIS inaction will likely result in election disaster.