Public Forum on the Common Core State Standards Initiative

Public Forum on the Common Core State Standards Initiative
Sunday Afternoon, April 6, 2014 starting at 2:00 pm

Allenwood, NJ—Grace Classical Christian Academy will be hosting a Public Forum on the topic, “Our Answer to the Common Core.” Len Deo from the New Jersey Family Policy Council will present the dangers of the Common Core and its impact in New Jersey. Tim Eshelman, GCCA headmaster, will provide a solution. A brief Q&A will follow the presentations. The event will be held in the sanctuary of the Grace Tabernacle Bible Church on Sunday afternoon, April 6, 2014 starting promptly at 2:00 pm.

The controversial “standards”, known informally as “Common Core,” and formally as "Common Core State Standards Initiative (CCSS)" is being foisted on state governments all across the country. Even the states that refuse to join — not to mention homeschoolers and private schools — may find themselves
ensnared in the program due to national testing, college admission requirements, and more. These standards will essentially nationalize education. For now, the Common Core applies only to public schools in the 45 states that have adopted it. Federal law prohibits any federal education mandates
from applying to homeschools or private schools that do not receive federal funds. However, there is no such protection for families who have enrolled their children in programs that receive federal funds such as public schools, charter schools and virtual charter schools.

Len Deo comments, "The program was designed by federal bureaucrats and state governors without input from teachers and parents, and is being imposed across the nation in spite of massive backlash and complaints. It institutionalizes the hated notion of ‘teaching to the test’ in an unprecedented
fashion, disregarding grades, learning, and content in favor of a single standardized assessment that changes every year. It places more emphasis, even in subjects such as math, on rewarding a child for ‘correct’ reasoning, even if their reasoning led them to the wrong answer. And it opens the door wide for sex education programs that most parents would find abhorrent-especially since sex education belongs at home."

This topic is relevant to all students and parents whether homeschooling or in public, private, Christian, and Classical Christian schools. Tim Eshelman points out, “As citizens, we need to be well informed and vigilant. People need to get educated on details, ramifications, and potential Core because it will affect everyone in all U.S. schools. I would encourage parents to make it a priority
to join us on Sunday afternoon, April 6 at 2:00 pm.”

For more information please go to www.gccanj.org or contact Tim Eshelman
(732) 835-2726 or headmaster@gccanj.org
PO Box 320 4041 Squankum-Allenwood Rd, Allenwood, NJ 08720