#DM7 Article: GOP Primary Challengers Rise In NC

Posted on April 12, 2015 by A.P. Dillon

This is a reposting of my Da Tech Guy column: GOP Primary Challengers Rise In NC

By A.P. Dillon

We’re just a four months into 2015 and already candidates are throwing their hats into the ring for 2016 nationwide and locally.

Here in North Carolina, we’ve got two candidates who launched campaigns this week. Both are running as Republicans and both are vying for seats currently held by Republicans. Perhaps North Carolina has primary fever?

One race is district NC-02, currently held by Congresswoman Renee Ellmers. This is Ellmers’s second primary challenger. Last cycle, she kept her seat by defeating Frank Roche. Ellmers then went on to defeat the Democrat nominee, former American Idol runner-up, Clay Aiken.

Ellmers’s challenger this time is Jim Duncan.  Duncan announced his candidacy on April 6th in various formats including social media and emails with similar opening statements like the one below:

Jim Duncan of Chatham County announced today that he is a candidate for the 2nd Congressional District seat of North Carolina.  “I’m entering this race because I want to serve the will of the people.  It’s time to listen to their needs, protect their freedoms and unite this district,” said Duncan.  “I do not need to build a new career in Washington DC.  I simply wish to have the honor of representing the citizens in the 2nd district.”  Duncan said upholding the Constitution, attacking the debt, and building a strong America with protected borders will be hallmarks of his campaign.

Discontent with Ellmers’s positions, coupled with a few botched encounters with constituents might be a recipe for a win for Duncan.  In the coming weeks, I’ll have more on Duncan.

Meanwhile, Rep. Virginia Foxx (NC-05) is seeing a primary challenger in activist Pattie Curran.  Foxx also saw a challenger last cycle, Phillip Doyle.  Foxx has recently drawn fire from all corners, including yours truly, for her support of flawed HR 5, “The Student Success Act”.

 

Curran, like Duncan, announced her candidacy on April 6th.  Curran’s announcement includes a video: The American Dream.

Curran is a certified social worker, a wife, a mother of two, was in the Army National Guard and is the founder and president of a nonprofit called Shwachman-Diamond America.  She’s described herself an activist on multiple fronts including religious liberty and opposing Common Core.

Will primary fever cure the implied ‘establishment’ GOP problem?

DM7 small LL1885A.P. Dillon resides in the Triangle area of North Carolina and is the founder ofLadyLiberty1885.com.
Her current and past writing can also be found at IJ Review, StopCommonCoreNC.org, Watchdog Wire NC

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , | 1 Comment

The Common Core Weekend Reads – 4-12-15

Posted on April 12, 2015 by A.P. Dillon

Common Core SharptonThese are the Common Core Weekend Reads for April 12, 2015.

This is a review of the past week of news on Common Core nationwide and in North Carolina.

Articles are organized by category.

Prior Edition of Weekend Reads: 3-29-15

 

 

NC Academic Standards Review Commission (ASRC) Updates:

NC ASRC Site 
Next ASRC meeting: April 20th, 2015
Details: Next NC Common Core #ASRC Meeting: April 20th

NC UPDATES:

QUOTES OF THE WEEK:

“I’m opposed to a widespread opt-out without real dialogue . . . If you lose federal funding, what happens to those kids?” Sharpton told The Post at the National Action Network convention in Midtown.

[…]

But Sharpton said a boycott could hurt urban kids and pointed out that neither he nor NAN chapter leaders in upstate cities such as Buffalo and Syracuse were consulted about the opt-out campaign.

– NY Post, Al Sharpton an unlikely ally in support of Common Core exams
Related: Al ‘Resist We Much’ Sharpton Lends Us His Extensive Academic Experience On Common Core Tests

LEGISLATIVE/LEGAL:

POLITICAL/PROTESTS:

HIGHLIGHTED ARTICLES:

THE WEEKEND READS:

TESTING UPDATES:

VIDEO OF THE WEEK:

TWEETS OF THE WEEK:

Posted in Academic Standards Review Commission, Common Core | Tagged | 2 Comments

Al ‘Resist We Much’ Sharpton Lends Us His Extensive Academic Experience On Common Core Tests

Posted on April 11, 2015 by A.P. Dillon

Rev. Al ‘Resist We Much’ Sharpton has summoned from his extensive experience in academics to defend Common Core’s high-stakes testing.

Yes, that’s right, we should all be listening to a man who can’t even read a teleprompter.

 

That sound you hear? It’s Common Core supporters cracking open a bottle of something really stiff after seeing that video and reading this article:

The opening to the NY Post article; emphasis added:

Supporters of the state’s rigorous Common Core tests have a surprising new ally: the Rev. Al Sharpton.

Sharpton on Friday blasted the state teachers union as irresponsible for urging parents not to allow their kids to take the upcoming standardized exams in math and English.

“I’m opposed to a widespread opt-out without real dialogue . . . If you lose federal funding, what happens to those kids?” Sharpton told The Post at the National Action Network convention in Midtown.

Government cheese! Whatever will states do without that Government cheese!  Nanny Sharpton is worried.

Real dialogue? What rock as the Rev. Al been under?

Related: Teachers Rally Against Common Core Testing

Related: How the Obamas Opted Their Kids Out of High-Stakes Standardized Tests

Posted in A.P. Dillon (LL1885), Common Core, EDUCATION, Testing | 3 Comments

Does Progress NC Have A Problem With Latinos? (Updates)

Posted on April 10, 2015 by A.P. Dillon

UPDATES:

Pete Kaliner clarifies a few things said by this ‘Progress NC Staffer‘, who was clearly talking about the GOP’s Ricky Diaz.

The NC GOP has a written transcript of the insult by a Progress NC Staffer on the “Jeff Messer” show (below).

Jeff Messer (880AM-Asheville), Host: “You picked up a little touring buddy. You know like a road comedy if you will. I met him earlier because he came on Peter Kaliner’s show over there.  A republican operative I guess. Be careful out there folks – it may be deceptive because he is a Latino and a Republican. That may be tough for people to follow along with.” ProgressNC Action Staff: “Well if you read Jeb Bush’s voter registration so apparently is he.” (laughing)

NC GOP also has asked for an apology from Progress NC. 

Posted in A.P. Dillon (LL1885), BlueprintNC, Moral Monday | Tagged | 2 Comments

Shocker: Two Pro-Core Groups Now Pushing AGAINST Rewrite Of NCLB

Posted on April 9, 2015 by A.P. Dillon

Government here to help common coreThe Blaze is reporting on two Pro-Common Core groups who are now pushing against the rewrite of the flawed NCLB.  The Blaze report is based on an op-ed at the Washington post penned by:

“Thomas J. Donohue is president and chief executive of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Wade Henderson is president and chief executive of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights.”

The op-ed opposing the NCLB rewrite is ironically titled, “Don’t undo the nation’s education progress“.

The tone deafness in the op-ed by the US Chamber of Commerce and the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights is unreal.  

The first excerpt below is especially hilarious given that the a WHOIS on the website for the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human rights (http://www.civilrights.org) comes from a K street address in Washington, D.C.

Excerpts via The Blaze:

“Are we going to bow to the special interests of adults, or will we stand strong for the special interest that has no lobby — our children?” said the op-ed written by leaders of interest groups. “We have made great progress for millions of kids since NCLB. Let’s not return to a time when these students were left in the shadows.”

[…]

“First, students must be given annual statewide assessments, which provide the only way for us to accurately measure what students are learning,” the op-ed said. “Let’s be clear: The federal law only requires students to be tested once or twice a year. Concern about overtesting is driven by local and state policies, not by Washington.”

Shorter: All our kids are belong to them and how dare parents object to labeling kids with test scores, it’s all the fault of the states… or something.

Washington Post has a brief summary of some of the changes to the 600 page bill.  One area in particular is likely the cause for such a reversal by the Chamber of Commerce and the ‘Leadership Conference’.

Excerpts from Washington Post:

Standards

The bill says states have to assure the federal government they have “challenging” standards but that’s about it. What’s more, the federal government isn’t allowed to mandate or encourage states to adopt any standards, including as a condition of competitive grants, the way the Obama administration used Race to the Top to nudge 43 states and the District to embrace the Common Core.

Accountability

States would design their own systems to hold schools accountable for educating kids. It must include graduation rates, English proficiency rates for English learners and some measure of college or career readiness. But it could include other measures, including not just students’ test scores but how much they grow academically over the course of a school year or the number of students enrolled in Advanced Placement or honors classes.

By the way, The Blaze article hyperlinks to the ‘Leadership Conference’ in their article. That link takes you to survey press release touting ‘strong support for Common Core’ and “Levels of Support Highest Among African Americans, Hispanics”.

Scroll down and see the methodology.  This ‘strong support’ is based on only 1,375 people surveyed in 3 waves of calls.  According to their own methodology documentation, these calls were made in only three states –  Georgia, Tennessee and Colorado.

Perhaps the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights needs more Gates money ?

Leadership Conference Education Fund, Inc.

Date: September 2014
Purpose: to support the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights Education Fund, Inc. to educate, inform, convene and communicate with its national coalition of civil rights advocates about the US Program’s Education Strategies
Amount: $1,730,567
Term: 18
Topic: Global Policy & Advocacy
Regions Served: GLOBAL|NORTH AMERICA
Program: United States
Grantee Location: Washington, District of Columbia
Grantee Website: http://www.civilrights.org

The US Chamber of Commerce Foundation received over $1.9 million from the Gates Foundation in 2013 for the express purpose “to support Common Core State Standards implementation”.

RELATED:

Common Core And Minority Students

Posted in Common Core, EDUCATION | 3 Comments

Former NCAE General Counsel Thinks #SB480 Is Unfair

Posted on April 9, 2015 by A.P. Dillon

Over at PR outfit, EducationNC, a former General Counsel for the NCAE thinks that HB480 is unfair. The article, penned by Ann McColl, is titled, The General Assembly has a blind spot on Advocacy.

Advocacy, eh?  Semantic substitution for ‘politicking’?

The main thrust of the article seems to be that it isn’t fair that education officials and employees should have to follow the same rules as other state employees. Therefore, Senate Bill 480 is eeeeevil.

Let’s be clear — Education officials and teachers are citizens too. They have the right to free speech and assembly just like everyone else. That’s not the question or issue here.

These items in SB480 are what other state employees are subject to — i.e., not engaging in political activities on state time, using state funds, resources or property. Ms. McColl seems to be saying that education officials or professionals who are state employees should somehow be exempt from the rules all others follow?

Ms. McColl’s passages in the article about ‘teaching civics yet not being allowed to participate in them’ is rather insulting attempt to shame the NCGA into allowing inappropriate activities to continue to occur.

Shame on the NCGA? No, shame on Ms. McColl for assuming the tax paying citizen reading the article is dumb enough to buy that strawman argument.

The levels of politicking and campaign like activities that went on in North Carolina schools on the tax payer dime during the last few years has been increasing. The NCAE and their protest arm, Organize2020, have held rallies AT schools, have gained access to teacher and parent email distribution lists to do political mailings and have gone as far as to orchestrate protests using students to ferry fliers and information home to parents.

WALK IN ORGANIZE 2020As a parent who has been on the receiving end of such campaigns and who has documented many other instances across the state, I find these activities done on the tax payer dime and in close proximity to my children to be unacceptable.

 

By the way, I noticed Ms. McColl’s profile, once you click to expand it, states she used to be General Counsel for the NCAE.

RELATED:

MORE POLITICKING IN OUR SCHOOLS:

Posted in EDUCATION, NCAE, Organize2020 | 1 Comment