Killing Common Core could sabotage national security
Published March 26, 2015
Editorial by Fayetteville Observer, March 26, 2015.
Former military leaders tend to be pretty conservative in their politics. But a group of retired generals and admirals all but declared war last week on efforts to march North Carolina away from national "Common Core" standards for public education.
Members of Mission: Readiness, a national-security nonprofit, unveiled a study that showed North Carolina schools, including some around Fort Bragg, are lagging in achievement levels our armed services need to see in their recruits.
They warned that diluting rigorous national standards imposed by Common Core will endanger the future of our military services. Calling it a "national security imperative," retired Coast Guard Rear Adm. Steven Ratti said stepping back from Common Core "threatens the future of North Carolina military installations."
That's a threat lawmakers need to take seriously. Military spending is 10 percent of North Carolina's economy, and 40 percent of this region's. If we make it impossible for the armed forces to do business here, we're in trouble.
The General Assembly has already done too much budget-cutting and politicizing of education. Time to focus on excellence and high achievement. National security and our economic future are two good reasons.
March 26, 2015 at 9:03 am
Frank Burns says:
Good grief, that sounds like an exaggeration!
March 26, 2015 at 9:58 am
Norm Kelly says:
Let's see. When libs politicize education, what's the response? When Republicans 'politicize' education, libs go nuts? Suddenly politicizing education is hazardous to national security? Was politicizing education by the left considered hazardous to national security? If not, then why not? Because it's libs politicizing education? Seriously?!!! Anything lib, praised; anything non-lib despised?
'...diluting rigorous national standards imposed by Common Core...'. So much to cover, so little time. I get paid to work and therefore pay the mortgage and put food on the table. I don't get paid to educate libs. Not that trying to educate a lib on the real world is useful, cuz once reality, truth, honesty are brought into the picture, libs fall back on the 'racism' rant or refer to conservatives as 'stupid'. Their word(s), not mine! Reference unqualified occupant and his lacky AG.
First, standards 'imposed' by the central planners is one major concern about Communist Core. Why aren't states allowed to achieve their own high standards? When did the U S Constitution get voted down and replaced? I seem to recall the Constitution specifically says that any power NOT granted to the central planners is automatically and irrevocably granted to the individual states. And the powers granted to the central planners are specifically listed in the same document, the living, breathing U S Constitution. The powers of the individual states ARE NOT listed in the same document. Because ALL OTHER powers are the purview of the individual states. Not the central planners. So by what AUTHORITY do the central planners IMPOSE standards on the states? And when these imposed standards become the curriculum, as they have, is it still referred to as standards and therefore good? Or once it becomes an imposed curriculum does it become central planner over-reach?
Second MAJOR point to the above quoted statement: exactly WHO is proposing that we 'dilute rigorous national standards'? Which member of the state legislature has proposed diluting standards? None. No single or group legislative representative has proposed diluting any standards. Eliminating central planner control, yes. And what part of the standards created by the libs who controlled Raleigh for almost a full century were so darn good that they should be held up as anything good? Virtually any improvement in state standards would be better than what libs gave us! And what is being proposed by those who don't like Communist Core being 'imposed' upon us is simply a STATE determined set of standards, where WE can determine the curriculum that fits OUR standards. Where local people get to set the standard and the curriculum. Where WE can determine if the standards are worthwhile or if the dumbing down, gearing toward mediocrity, is continuing. Just because opponents of Communist Core desire to set state standards DOES NOT mean that we will be diluting rigorous standards. And besides, what part of having grammar school age kids read porn is a good standard? If you want your elementary school kid to read porn, then have at it, but allow my kid to not participate. Also, what part of a 14 step process to add 14+4 makes sense? When the 14 steps MUST be followed in order to achieve full credit, with NO creativity or deviation allowed by the student, then this is not a standard but a requirement. If my kid is smart enough to add these 2 simple numbers (14+4 again), then why must my kid follow your 14 step process just to get credit for the proper answer. And before you libs go nuts on me, I'm not saying my kid gets credit without showing work. But if my kid can show the work, and arrive at the proper answer, then why would they NOT get full credit for the question just because they didn't follow your foolish method of getting there?! And, trust me, the average kid does NOT need to follow a 14 step process to arrive at the proper answer for simple arithmetic. But YOUR standard requires the process be followed in order to garner full credit.
This is what happens when things are IMPOSED on free people. FREE people tend to reject IMPOSITIONs. It's the main reason socialism is being rejected across the nation. Because free people always find a way to work around or reject imposed anything. Our Constitution give US the authority to reject YOUR imposed standards and other requirements! And free people will always reject IMPOSED!
Which, I believe, unions are being rejected across the nation also. Unions usually try to make every shop a closed shop, forcing anyone who works at the company to join the union & pay dues. Why? Because those who control unions, an honest lot all, know that if given the choice the average person would NOT join/support a union. When given the choice, people across the nation are choosing NOT to belong to the oppressive union. When given the choice, people prefer to negotiate their own income/benefits with their employer. Unions tend to hold people down, restrict their ability to advance to their highest level based on their own merits. Unions, like education standards, tend to drive everyone to the middle, which is commonly known as mediocrity. Again, free people expressing their dislike of imposed.
March 26, 2015 at 11:31 am
Richard L Bunce says:
Basic false premises... spending money makes something better including education system results and imposing government education establishment standards improve education system results. We have been spending more and allowing the government education industrial complex to steer the traditional government school ship for decades... and we are in this education mess because of it.
March 27, 2015 at 11:49 am
Rip Arrowood says:
I see the retired generals and admirals have aroused the chicken hawks....
