California adopted Common Core State Standards (CC) in 2010 with the plan to implement it fully by the 2014-15 school year. What you need to know as a homeschooler is that CC state standards are about mediocrity, especially as it pertains to college-readiness. If you use Common Core-aligned curriculum as I do, remember to supplement it in order to fully prepare your college-bound students.
My opinion of CC is based on warnings from Home School Legal Defense (HSLDA), a group I trust gives good counsel. I have not taken the time to read or view each resource posted nor may I ever get around to it. I created this section of my blog to assist those who want to study more about the arguments. against CC.
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coRNJluF2O4&list=PLWqL2Og4ICdvllViIJu00MBc15yaXp2UH – Stop the Common Core – This video spells out the expense and pitfalls of Common Core State Standards initiative for all taxpayers.
- http://www.commoncoremovie.com & https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjxBClx01jc – Building The Machine: The Common Core Documentary – March 31, 2014 – 39 minutes
- http://whatiscommoncore.wordpress.com/2014/05/23/common-core-update-and-simple-actions-you-can-take
- https://www.facebook.com/groups/CaliforniansAgainstCommonCore
- http://www.stopcommoncore.com
- http://www.theeducationalfreedomcoalition.org
- http://www.concernedparentsofcalifornia.com – Legally Vetted Common Core Data Mining Opt Out Form for California Parents of Students in Public, Charter and Private Schools
- http://www.corestandards.org/standards-in-your-state
- http://www.pacificjustice.org/california-common-core-data-opt-out-form.html
- http://eagnews.org/what-the-common-core-will-do-to-colleges – What the Common Core standards will do to colleges – March 18, 2014
- http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/04/04/moms-anti-common-core-stance-gets-her-suspended-from-sons-school-threatened-with-arrest – The mother of 12-year-old Christopher Duran was suspended from school property because her son distributed Common Core Opt-Out forms to his friends with his mom’s encouragement. – April 4, 2014
- http://eagnews.org/thorner-chilling-truth-behind-common-core-state-standards – May 20th, 2014
- http://www.futureofsexeducation.org/documents/josh-fose-standards-web.pdf – National Sexuality Education Standards: 4 Core Content and Skills, K–12
- http://fox4kc.com/2014/01/14/father-upset-with-terms-on-schools-sexual-education-poster
- http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/blogs-main/advocates-blog/1945-press-releasre-groundbreaking-national-sexuality-education-standards-set-the-new-gold-standard-for-sexuality-education-in-public-schools
- http://misguidedchildren.com/domestic-affairs/2014/02/sex-ed-common-core-style-is-this-what-you-want-for-your-kids/14839 – graphic pictures
- http://clashdaily.com/2014/02/sexing-kids-heres-school-4th-grader
- http://www.hslda.org/cms/?q=blog/new-sat-%E2%80%93-coming-spring-2016-0 – The New SAT – Coming Spring of 2016 – May 7, 2014
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The following is the State of California Department of Education Code regarding opting out:
33308.5. (a) Program guidelines issued by the State Department of Education shall be designed to serve as a model or example, and shall not be prescriptive. Program guidelines issued by the department shall include written notification that the guidelines are merely exemplary, and that compliance with the guidelines is not mandatory.
60615 Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a parent’s or guardian’s written request to school officials to excuse his or her child from any or all part of the assessments administered pursuant to this chapter shall be granted.” State tests are mandatory for districts to administer but optional for students to take (with parent opt out).