News
Challenger Miller Supports Parental Rights While Incumbent Altman Supports National Standards in SD 16
August, 2014
In a recent state senate candidate forum in District 16 (Indian River area), incumbent Senator Thad Altman and challenger Monique Miller were asked a question about Common Core that showcased two very different perspectives on the role of education in our society.
When Miller was asked about Common Core, she said that the biggest problem with the system was that parents' fundamental right to direct the education of their children was being infringed upon by the standards, tests, and data collection system.
Although Altman gave lip service to local control, his response still prioritized national standards, saying that they were needed "to provide those basic skills." That is a frank slap in the face to the schools and teachers in his district and in Florida, because he is saying that the local schools are incapable of providing even the basic skills.
Our nation has had locally developed standards and therefore locally developed curriculum for its entire history until 1994 when federal legislation required statewide standards. That has done nothing to improve education and frankly has made it worse. Taking the standards national will further deepen the problems. When in history has nationalizing anything improved a situation?
Altman is either unaware or hiding the fact that national standards and local control of education are completely mutually exclusive. One cannot have both. States and districts are already learning the extent of the loss of their control over standards, tests, and curriculum. Hopefully, people will assert their rights as parents and citizens to direct the education of their children and control education at the local level.
[You must click on the video itself to watch on You Tube. The ability to watch on other sites has been disabled. The Common Core question begins at 12:25]
When Miller was asked about Common Core, she said that the biggest problem with the system was that parents' fundamental right to direct the education of their children was being infringed upon by the standards, tests, and data collection system.
Although Altman gave lip service to local control, his response still prioritized national standards, saying that they were needed "to provide those basic skills." That is a frank slap in the face to the schools and teachers in his district and in Florida, because he is saying that the local schools are incapable of providing even the basic skills.
Our nation has had locally developed standards and therefore locally developed curriculum for its entire history until 1994 when federal legislation required statewide standards. That has done nothing to improve education and frankly has made it worse. Taking the standards national will further deepen the problems. When in history has nationalizing anything improved a situation?
Altman is either unaware or hiding the fact that national standards and local control of education are completely mutually exclusive. One cannot have both. States and districts are already learning the extent of the loss of their control over standards, tests, and curriculum. Hopefully, people will assert their rights as parents and citizens to direct the education of their children and control education at the local level.
[You must click on the video itself to watch on You Tube. The ability to watch on other sites has been disabled. The Common Core question begins at 12:25]
