To the Readers' Forum:
I was part of a very small group of taxpayers who heard a whitewash presentation about Common Core by a Frewsburg administrator on May 8 a.m. session in Jackson Elementary School. What gives here? This sounded like a done deal. How could that be though, since a major school initiative like this never was put before the taxpayers in a public referendum?
My first question concerned cost for implementing Common Core. She responded, "It's free." Sorry ma'am, but The Post-Journal had a different take on that point ("Districts Struggle To Purchase Materials For Common Core," April 1): "It has been found that the funding received by districts implementing these mandates ... is being far outpaced by the costs required to do so.'' Which is the truth? I go with The Post-Journal and past experience; taxpayers are in for a jolt!
Where is the school board's backbone? Why in tarnation is the board handing over its local control to the feds when the Constitution and law are on its side? At a Tea Party meeting we learned that under the N.Y. constitution and Education Law 1709 Sec. 3, the board has power and duty: ''to prescribe the course of study by which the pupils of the schools shall be graded and classified;'' Section 5, ''to make provision for the instruction of pupil in all subjects in which such instruction is required to be given.'' Meaningful local control, that's what we want.
Just because the commissioner of education and the board of regents lost their moral and ethical compass, should Frewsburg's board of education - and all other NYS school boards - follow sheep-like in betraying New York children? They decided that money was more important than the minds of children. Can you think of anything more pathetic than the federal government taking over educating your children? Let's see, where have we seen that done before? Oh yes, Germany in the 1930s and the Soviet Union. How did that work out for parents and children? Well, I think we all know the answer to that question.
I urge Frewsburg's Board of Education: Get a backbone. Vote to abolish any involvement with Common Core. The future of our children and for our country depends upon decisions made by lawful, elected, thinking individuals, ones who have researched the long-term negative consequences of turning over their reponsibilities to a government hell-bent on controlling what children are taught to think - in other words, mind control.