You know, the old saying, “You learn something new everyday” is a real truism for me, and it’s especially true when I go deep into the bowels of the Dominionist sewer.
Now, I’ve known for some time that much of the homeschooling movement is being promoted by the religious right who hold nothing but great disdain for the whole separation of church and state idea and those who wish to rewrite our history and science curriculum to present their whacked out versions. However, it wasn’t until recently that I learned of the “Exodus Mandate.”
E. Ray Moore
The Exodus Mandate comes to us out of Columbia, South Carolina and is an Evangelical Christian Movement advocating a mass withdrawal of students from the public school system into ChristianSchools or homeschools. It’s run by E. Ray Moore, Jr. and is a project of Frontline Ministries, Inc., a Dominionist outfit which seeks to “impact culture with the Christian faith.” It appears that the major focus of Frontline is on our children. That isn’t surprising since Moore believes that if they can control the children they can control the world.
E. Ray Moore is an extremist, to be certain. Referring to the Public School System as “Godless and Pagan,” Moore offers a one-year plan to “rescue” our children and calls it “The Call to Dunkirk.” I kid you not.
Appealing to Christian families to remove their children from the public education system, Moore cautions them that if they do not do so they will be considered a “failure” in their parenting:
“After your kids spend 12 years in public schools, there is a 70% chance that when they leave home, that they will quit going to church. In other words, there is a 70% chance you will be considered a failure at raising your kids if you keep them in public schools.”
Linda Harvey
At its conception the Exodus Mandate movement endorsed the “School Risk Audit Program” that was spearheaded by Mission America, Linda Harvey’s anti-homosexual organization which has been designated a Hate Group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.
The School Risk Audit Program investigates schools looking for any signs of LGBT tolerance or support, including anti-bullying programs, and safe-schools programs that include lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgendered students, as well as anti-discrimination policies that include LGBT students, faculty, or staff.
Posturing that American Public Schools present a “clear and present danger to our children,” Moore rails against any form of “Common Core” curriculum. This isn’t all that surprising since truth and accuracy in presenting materials to young people is not the intent or, even, the desire of the Dominionist Christian, as is evident in the recent battles of the last few years over textbook bastardization to reflect Christian values to the exclusion of all others.
Moore applauds and links to a recent interview conducted by “Renew America,” another ultra-right-wing entity dedicated to furthering the same kind of quasi-Christian propaganda. The interview quotes Christina Michas, Founder and leader of the Palm Springs Patriots Coalition and President of the Palm Springs Eagle Forum. (That, in and of itself tells us a whole lot.) Micahs was also the recipient of the 2010 Salvatori Award from the Heritage Foundation for her instrumental work in the Tea Party Movement.
When given the opportunity to address the idea of a “Common Core Curriculum,” this is what she had to say:
Common Core is a Nationalized Federal government takeover of our Education system which of course is against the law, as the Federal Government is not allowed to set any educational curriculum standards – a right reserved to the States. Least of all do they have the power to create a one size fits all complete take over of education on all levels. This is a States rights issue. The Federal Government has standardized the education curriculum that will apply to all public schools, charter schools, private schools, Christian schools and homeschooling. No one is safe from this new mandate. Common Core Standards are being mandated and implemented by the Federal Government via organizations such as National Governors Association, Achieve, and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO).
What makes common core so dangerous to our children and us is becoming more evident each day. First of all, it is a one size fits all, education takeover. So, let’s say your child has a learning disorder. He or she will be left behind, as CC has no provision for helping those that can’t keep up.
The comparison of Nazism and Common Core (CC) are uncanny. One such comparison is that Nazism had Leaders and Master Teachers in the National Socialists Teachers League that visited schools and kept data files on Teachers. The Obama Administration funded 10,000 Master Teachers (MT’S) to train Teachers on CC and the MT’s will keep data files on students and Teachers. Students were taught to spy on parents and teachers. CC will have students as young as 5 participating in the evaluation of Teachers. In Nazism, the curriculum was rewritten to provide a Nazi (government) approved curriculum.. Common Core curriculum is being rewritten to provide a global approved curriculum. Nazism kept huge data files on students and teachers and Common Core will data mine the students with over 400 different data points on each child, their family and teachers from pre-kindergarten to workforce…And one final comparison is Nazism had strong Teachers’ Unions (NSTL). We have but to look at how powerful the Teacher’s unions are in our country and only growing stronger in power and influence under this current Obama Administration’s unholy alliance with them at America‘s expense and the expense of the education of our children.. The quality of the educational standards of our children has suffered at the hands of these Teachers’ Unions. Common Core is no different. Our children will suffer at the hand of a government controlled education system. They will no longer be able to have dreams and goals but only those that the government wishes them to have (UNESCO – A21). If this isn’t Nazism, Communism, Marxism and all the “ism’s,” I don’t know what is. The worst part is they are lying to parents and teachers about what Common Core really is and the effects it will have. Teachers don’t even realize that their jobs are in jeopardy for, if they do not conform, they will be removed.. But, then again, were not the people of Russia, Germany etc. all deceived until it was too late??
You asked why it is dangerous? In addition to the above, according to the Dept. of Education’s own document, Grit, Tenacity and Perseverance, they outline the data mining methods that will be used on the children. fMRI’s will be used through their computers to scan the child to see how they react to different stimuli (pg. 32)…On page 44 of the same document, they show the different technologies that will be used such as Facial Expression Camera’s that will be on the computer, Posture Analysis Seats, Pressure Mouse and Wireless Skin Conductance Sensors.. All of these methods, along with the other data they will collect on families, religious affiliations, voting affiliations, health records, whether or not families own guns etc. are just a few of the data points they want to collect from the children. Children will be encouraged to spy and report on what their families do at home…Sounds like one of the famous “ism’s” to me. Big Brother will know everything about how you and your children live, work and play… None of the technology being used has been tested to see what effects, if any, it will have on the children. And, if that is not enough, the Master Teachers will be instructing the Teachers to not teach our nations framework or any form of nationalism. Instead they will be trained to be “good global, sustainable citizens” prepared for a global world not our proud heritage as we were taught. They will become a “managed work force” for the New World Order…Many will be forced to choose a career path by 9 years old based on the data mined on each child.. Children will be separated based on how their data is analyzed to see if they will comply or be rebellious and will be placed into groups accordingly…Communist China has this method. The Chinese government decides what “career” you will have.. No longer will a child be able to strive to achieve his or her own goals.. They will be “managed.”
Children will no longer be taught the usual math, literature, history or social studies. The curriculum, as designed, will change how children learn as much of our history has been distorted or eliminated by the authors of Common Core.. Teachers will teach to the test only.. They say that it is to the child’s benefit not to teach them critical thinking and problem solving, but rather to memorize desired information; teaching to tests only.. It will be the dumbing down of our children.
Many of our states currently have superior curriculum to CC but it will be discarded in favor of the inferior CC Curriculum.. California is one State believe it or not.. The adoption of Common Core Curriculum Standards will be substantially identical across all states, “a one size fits all” and does not address the unique individuality of each child. It is teaching children all the same thing at the same time regardless of their developmental or language differences.
These are just a few examples of what Common Core is and why it is dangerous for our children and us. Many corporations are lining up at the gravy trough as they will be poised to make a bundle especially the tech industries.. Microsoft, Google, AT&T, and many others are signed on along with Exxon Mobile, Walmart, General Electric, Warren Buffet, and George Soros. William Ayres of the Weather Underground Terrorist organization along with his good friend, Linda Darling Hammond, both far left radicals; Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation; Jeb Bush is a strong proponent.
Mark Tucker, President of the National Center on Education and the Economy is another radical from the Clinton era and was instrumental in the development of this plan. His plan in a letter to Hillary Clinton in Nov. 1992 lays out his goal to “remold the entire American system” into a seamless web that literally extends from cradle to grave” and is the same system for everyone (Common Core). Tucker’s plan would change the mission of the schools from teaching children academic basics and knowledge to training them to serve the global economy in jobs selected by workforce boards. Hence all the corporate involvement.
Tucker’s plan was implemented in 3 laws and passed and signed by President Clinton in 1994. “The Goals 2000 Act,” “The School-to-Work Act” and the “Reauthorized Elementary and Secondary Education Act.”
Arne Duncan, Sec. of Education is a strong proponent with UNESCO. So are the Pearson Foundation and Gulen Foundation (Charter Schools in the US), just to name a few.
Now, I guess we could just chalk this up to another rant by another right-wing zealot. However, to do so might just not serve us well. In the years 2011-2012, approximately 1,972,433 kids were homeschooled in the United States. Another 5.5 million were enrolled in private Christian schools. With the current push to either Christianize our public schools, or to remove students from public education, the number of students who could be affected by this is almost unfathomable.
The byline of Frontline Ministries is “Taking Every Thought Captive.” Yet, public school opponents claim that our children are being “indoctrinated.” Of course, this sort of hypocrisy is one of the staples of the Dominionist movement. However, the indoctrination of the greatest asset that we, as Americans have, into a cult-like belief system that warps and bends all sense of logic, and as the end result produces a populace that moves in lockstep to a theocratic dogma is a frightening scenario. Our children represent the future, and the future depends on the present.
Crooked Crosses 