Vos, Vuke and Icki illustrate Common Core fail

I got three quotes here, the first to show why the GOP's argument against Common Core is so foolish and hypocritical, and the second illustrates why there'd be reps saying and thinking things so stupid.

The first comes from Assembly Speaker and ALEC cabin boy Robin Vos, who said that having nationwide standards doesn't allow for local schools to have the freedom to decide their own curricula and levels of knowledge that they want their kids to have.

It’s important that our state continues to empower local school boards to decide what’s best for their students. State or federal bureaucrats should not force feed local school districts educational standards or curriculum. Our local school board members were elected and are accountable to the taxpayers for making the appropriate educational decisions for their communities.

Hmmm, Speaker Vos, that's an interesting comment, since you and your Republican colleagues had no problem with force-feeding local school boards with Act 10 when it came to how they should negotiate salaries, benefits and work conditions with their teachers. And you certainly had no problem with a top-down, hands-tying approach when it came to how much they could levy in property taxes. But because Common Core wasn't your idea, and wasn't ALEC-written legislation, NOW is the time to start talking about "local control" with schools, isn't it?

Then again, when you realize Vos refuses to subject his beloved vouchers face the same measures that public schools do, I guess it isn't all that surprising. After all, Robin Vos loves any idea that would make Wisconsin public schools mess up and look worse to the public, which would give him an excuse to privatize even more schools for his campaign contributors. ( Remember him telling Mike Ellis "I know where I can find $200 million in venture capital for schools?" I do.)

Another obnoxious Wisconsin rightie chimed in to ask that Common Core not be implemented today.

“While the Common Core State Standards may be better than what we currently have, I believe we can do better. They do not have the rigor associated with the top state standards in the US and around the world. The standards do not appropriately take into account the needs of advanced students. States are not allowed to enhance these standards due to copyright laws. They emphasize writing over reading which contradicts centuries of research. These concerns are just a few of the many discussed during this process.

Reading through the considerations of the two reports, I believe there is hope for getting Wisconsin’s educational system out from under the federally pushed Common Core State Standards." - State Sen. Leah Vukmir

Sen. Vukmir also asked for the State Legislature to have more oversight of what standards are, and to make sure the school boards follow what the Legislature hands down. Seems like she might want to get on the same page as Vos there. And yes, she was a vehement backer of fellow Tosan Scott Walker and Act 10.

Now, are Sen. Vukmir's "concerns" based on a belief that the standards are too light and aren't meeting kids' needs, or might there be something else in play?

WI's day in the limelight. @RepPaulRyan speaking @ALEC_states Thomas Jefferson Reception. Honored to introduce him! pic.twitter.com/ODcqFuoY7j

— Senator Leah Vukmir (@Leahvukmir) December 4, 2013

Ah, there's your answer! Just more ALEC bullshit to try to denigrate public schools and them eju-kated types.

No you may ask, how can people in the suburban areas that Vos and Vukmir represent not see through their hypocritical bullshit that they are trying to throw around? Probably because far too many of Vossy's and Vukmir's constiutents are weak-minded bitter folks that get their "facts" on the radio from people like this.



These are the LAST people that should be making any decisions on education, or pretty much anything else that ends past their nose. They all have to go.

EDIT: Here's an excellent summary from Wisconsin Soapbox on just how much these people want to oversee and screw up our public education system. Please read it, and pass along.