I  am a citizen of South Carolina and I am concerned about children's education.  I have taken the time to read all the Common Core Standards grades K through 12 as well as research the problems associated with these standards. The problems are multiple in number and grave in level of concern.

Common Core Standards were NOT properly vetted. There is NO research to support their effectiveness. They have NOT been field tested. Bottom line is SC children are guinea pigs and our 2010 State Board of Education, Education Oversight Committee, Former Superintendent Jim Rex and Governor Mark Sanford have pimped SC children out to the highest bidder...Bill Gates. Bill Gates has spent close to 150 MILLION dollars to promote these standards.  Why, you may ask, did our education decision makers sell our students out? The answer pure and simple...to get Federal Race to the Top money and a No Child Left Behind waiver. Their decision was NOT based on factual information these standards were better than our previous standards.

America rose to greatness when education was decentralized and the Federal Government had no say in what the states taught. Local control has a proven record to be effective. With Common Core Standards local control is impossible.

The intrusive data tracking of personal student information handed over to the security leaking Federal Government, the loss of local control, the one sized fits all standards with an envisioned goal of producing a workforce filled with politically correct social justice robots, the developmentally inappropriateness, the loss of time spent on classic literature in favor of cold informational text and the fuzzy math teaching techniques are NOT in the best interest of SC children.  We CAN and MUST do better!

I have a Master's Degree in Early Childhood Education and, more importantly, I have 29 years of successful experience teaching 6 and 7 year old children. I consider myself an expert on this aged child. Children are unique...NOT common.  SC needs educational standards which meet the needs of each child and celebrates their individuality and freedom...NOT standards which promote sameness and statism. These standards will teach children there are no absolute truths and everything is arguable...even 2+2=4 and yes ... even the Bible.  Jesus tells us in Luke 17:2 "It were better for him that a millstone were hanged around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he cause one of these little ones to stumble."

I am telling you right now as an expert on 6 and 7 year old children, these standards will cause young children to stumble. They require young children to think abstractly and their minds are not capable of this yet. It's like showing a 9 month old baby a toy and then hiding it behind your back and expecting the child to find it.  This cognitive development won't occur till well after they are one year old.  Expecting young children to think abstractly when they are not ready is child abuse. It is causing anxiety, depression, physical ailments and an “I hate school” mentality. My own grandson now declares, "I hate math."

The SC GOP Executive Committee unanimously passed a resolution against the implementation of these dangerous standards. Republican SC Senator Larry Martin and SC Representative Phil Owens are both on decision making education committees in the legislature. Both of them should be signed on as a sponsor on SC Senate Bill 300 and SC House Bill 3943 which will stop the implementation of these dangerous standards.   They both have the power to effect change for the better in education. I wonder if they have even given any thought about being potentially liable in the future for damage to young minds?

Please call or write your legislators and demand they support both Senate Bill 300 and House Bill 3943. Governor Haley will sign those bills and we can bring back local control of education.

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