February 20, 2014: Vote Yes on SBs 1095, 1121, 1310 & No on SB 1466.

Posted: 2014-02-17 EVNN

Dear Senators Yee, Begay, Bradley, Crandell, Farnsworth, Taylor, Melvin, Murphy, and Ward,

Last year a great deal of damage was done by this legislature to the general oversight of our unelected Board of Education, Board of Regents, Arizona Ready, and other non elected agencies involved in Arizona's educational system. This year you have a chance to reverse that and once again establish your fiduciary responsibility and protect We the People of Arizona who have put our trust in you. On the 20th you will be reviewing the following bills. I urge you to vote in favor of all of them with the exception of SB 1466 which will spend money to line the pockets of Pearson Publishing and do little toward the education of our children...in fact I believe that like Common Core itself, it will do great harm.

(VOTE YES):

SB1095- This state shall withdraw form the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers and may not implement the assessments aligned to the Common Core standards by that partnership. This state cannot enter or renew an agreement with any outside entity that develops academic standards and assessment for use in multiple state without approval, in writing, by the Speaker of the House and President of the Senate. (http://www.azleg.gov/DocumentsForBill.asp?Bill_Number=SB1095&Se...)

SB1121- Prevents a school district or charter school from administering a standardized test during the 2014-2015, 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 school year if a passing score on that test is required for a student to graduate from high school.(http://www.azleg.gov/DocumentsForBill.asp?Bill_Number=SB1121&Se...)

SB1310- The State Board of Education may not adopt or revise curricular standards in a manner that would effectively implement the Common Core Standards.The State board shall withdraw from PARCC and shall select an existing national administered standardized test that is currently accepted as a high school achievement and college entrance exam. (http://www.azleg.gov/DocumentsForBill.asp?Bill_Number=sb1310&Se...)

SB1466 (VOTE NO)*- Establishes a 3-yr "smart technology pilot program" to encourage the deployment of "whole-school technology" in public school. Will allow the Department of Education to spend $5,000,000 from the state general fund in support of this program. It also allows the school districts and charter schools chosen to have "temporary waivers from school finance laws" to have increased flexibility in their budgets. (http://www.azleg.gov/DocumentsForBill.asp?Bill_Number=SB1466&Se...) *This is a new bill added to our list to track and it basically "legalizes debt" to implement this program.
This is the goal of Pearson, other big publishing companies and Microsoft for all on-line textbooks, student tracking, and career mapping (deciding which career your child is suited for based on their performance) and is socialism at its finest! This bill will open up "pandora's box" for ramrodding Common Core indoctrination at lightening speed. VOTE NO on the "smart technology program.

All the Best

Wes

Wesley W. Harris

14802 N. Coral Gables Dr.

Phoenix AZ 85023

602-942-9281 602-942-5327 (fax) 602-432-2871 (cell)

www:arizonansagainstcommoncore.com

http://www.eastvalleynewsnet.com/blog.php?article=1261&category=1