News

Common Core Tyranny Continues in Cradle of American Revolution

July, 2016




Karen R. Effrem, MD  - Executive Directort

Massachusetts, cradle of the American Revolution did not expand its cherished history of standing up to tyranny. Just days before America celebrated its 240th birthday; the state's Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) blocked a citizen petition to replace the highly defective Common Core standard with highly acclaimed and effective Massachusetts English and math standards from appearing on the 2016 ballot.

Per Jane Robbins of The Pulse 2016, the most depressing part of the issue is that the lawsuit was likely funded by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation money:

The SJC thwarted this citizen-empowerment effort based not on the substantive issues presented by the petition, but rather on the technical question whether the different provisions of the petition were sufficiently "related" to satisfy the statute governing such initiatives. The opinion was written by Justice Margot Botsford, who was appointed to the court by the governor (Deval Patrick) who brought Common Core to Massachusetts.

Regardless of technicalities, the most significant -- and depressing -- aspect of this case is that the powerful interests behind Common Core were able to crush a citizens' revolt against the scheme. Money apparently was no obstacle to the ten individual plaintiffs who sued to derail the petition. The law firm representing them, Foley Hoag, is a silk-stocking firm that doesn't come cheap, but the towering legal bills didn't seem to be a problem. Wonder why?...

...And sure enough, one thing these groups have in common is boatloads of money from the ubiquitous Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Education blogger Andrea Dillon has followed the money trail and discovered that since 2012, Gates has poured over three quarters of a million dollars into MBEA. The largest donation, $350,000, came as the anti-Common Core petition was being circulated and certified. As Ms. Dillon asks, could a lawsuit be part of the "operating expenses" for which this generous sum was given?
 
Shane Vander Hart of Truth in American Education quoted the deep disappointment of End Common Core Massachusetts in their statement:
No emotions can express how disappointed we are with the decision of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court today.

Parents, educators, and concerned citizens collected over 100,000 signatures to put this critical question on the ballot, and their voices have been silenced by this disastrous ruling.

This ruling is an example of big special interest money using intimidation tactics with scores of lawyers and public relations machines to do what is best for them and drown out the voices of the people.  The special interests behind Common Core do not want an open and fair debate about education in Massachusetts, so they rely on legal maneuvers and technicalities to control public education in Massachusetts.

The ones who really lost are the students.  They are the ones most negatively affected by this ruling.
We are not sure what the next steps may be, but we are exploring all of our options.  There was never a doubt in our mind that if the truth was brought before the voters in November, Common Core would have ended in Massachusetts and the very best standards in the nation would have been restored.

The special interests may have won this time, but ultimately the people will prevail and overcome a corrupted system that does not represent the children and their future.
We will continue to fight for our children and try to make sure Massachusetts has the best possible education for our students.
 
These parents will not give up and neither must we. Just as the Patriots of Lexington and Concord did in 1776 against overwhelming odds, the parents of Massachusetts and America must be willing to sacrifice "our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor" to protect the minds and hearts of our children and grandchildren in order to have "education for a free nation."





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