https://www.utahsrepublic.org

Archive for the ‘Media Coverage’ Category

Click this shortened link to go to the Provo Daily Herald for an article on ASD’s motto fiasco as reported last week. Please feel free to make comments.

“District parents angry over radical Web link”
https://bit.ly/bkRg9o
Also of interest is this story…

I came home tonight and had an email from a family in Highland who read the email I sent out last week, showed it to their teenage son, and asked him if Democracy ever came up at school. He replied that he hadn’t really heard about it much. Today in his English class, his teacher was giving out assignments to write essays and one being assigned was entitled “Education in a Democracy.” He came home with a new perspective on education and his parents had a productive discussion with him. Score one more for the parents!

Her note ended with this:

“I guess the point of my e-mail besides–yes its in the classroom–is that parents will have to teach their children and in turn they are the ones that will probably need to stand up and say “wait.”  Or pick the topics to write contradictory essays.  So, thanks for your hard work and keeping us informed.  I would not have known but for you, and in turn I can teach my children.”

Red-Meat-Radio-Republic-ASD-Link-1-20-2010

[podcast]https://www.utahsrepublic.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Red-Meat-Radio-Republic-ASD-Link-1-20-2010.mp3[/podcast].

This morning I was on air with Senator Howard Stephenson and Representative Greg Hughes on their radio program, “Red Meat Radio” discussing how the administration at Alpine School District (ASD) is promoting a change of government from a Republic to a Democracy. Listen to the interview above and then make your voice heard by emailing the board members at ASD as well as letting others know about this issue. Sign the petition to stay updated on what is happening around Utah on restoring basic constitutional education.

Be sure to read the details on how ASD is giving its endorsement to a radical Green party member who believes Christ was a vampire.

This morning I was on Red Meat Radio with Senator Howard Stephenson and Representative Greg Hughes talking about the problems with our recently adopted K-2 social studies standards. The first 2 minutes are a little talk about the first segment of the show and then we get into the meat of the subject. Total running time is 14 minutes (or 12 if you skip the first 2).

Red-Meat-Radio-Republic Segment-1-9-2010

Here’s the action plan. With public exposure on what has transpired, our plan will be to do as Senator Stephenson asked and have everyone write your State School Board member a letter asking why public suggestions weren’t used in the final document. Use the letter below this post as a perfect example of great suggestions that were ignored. Include in your letter, your name, address, and phone number and send it to all board members (but send it to your own separately with a comment in the subject line identifying you as a constituent) and CC your state representative and senator and myself so I have an archive of the letters. Representative Hughes said if we are ignored they will hold hearings so we need to get everyone to write a brief letter and document responses.  We the people can hold our education office accountable through this method.

To get the email address of your State Board Member go here: https://www.usoe.k12.ut.us/board/

For email addresses for your Representative and Senator go here: https://www.utah.gov/government/legislative.html

If you don’t know what to write, here’s a sample letter you can customize or copy:

Subject: K-2 Social Studies standards {I am a constituent—for your own member}

Dear {state school board member},

You recently voted to approve K-2 social studies standards for the state of Utah. Prior to your approval there were a few public hearings where comments were made regarding the draft. I know there were a few people that made comments at these meetings and I am aware that over 50 email letters were sent in with specific suggestions to improve the standards but almost none of these responses were taken into consideration or included in the final draft.

For example, in discussing our founding documents, the only requirement in the approved standards for K-2 is to learn “Declaration of Independence” and “Constitution” as vocabulary terms, and to be able to “identify” the document. This is completely inadequate. One letter that was submitted showed specific ways to incorporate our founding documents into the standards in a very easy to integrate way. Some of those suggestions were to slightly modify draft standards to use founding document references as follows:

**********

Kindergarten:

Self, Family, and Classroom, Standard 1 (Culture):  Objective 1   e. Explain that the Declaration of Independence teaches us all people should be treated with respect because they are equal.

Self, Family, and Classroom, Standard 2 (Citizenship):  Objective 1 f. Explain that the U.S. Constitution teaches us to respect the rights of others.