Ann Eubank running as a Republican for Alabama State School Board Position – District 3
State School Board District 3 member incumbent Stephanie Bell will not seek another term, setting off a Republican scramble for the post. Conservative activist Ann Eubank is one of four Republican candidates seeking the open seat on the State Board of Education. Eubank said that no issue has been more important to her than excellence in education. Eubank said that her concern over education led to her retiring to become an unpaid full-time citizen lobbyist after witnessing what her grandson was being taught in school. Ann has dedicated the last 15 years to researching and advocating for solutions to the dismal state of affairs in the Alabama Public School System. Eubank said that Alabama public schools’ downward spiral began in 2009 when Common Core was introduced to the State School Board and was adopted the following year despite an outcry from countless parents and voters. “Running for office is the last thing I ever thought I would do, but I decided to run for state school board after Stephanie Bell, representative for School Board District 3, had not yet qualified for re-election,” Eubank said. “It’s imperative that we elect someone who will work to change the trajectory of Alabama education from the bottom of the barrel to the top of the ladder like Florida.” “Parents and students deserve State School Board members who understand this and will listen to their concerns about the serious problems we face in Alabama’s schools,” Eubank continued. “We need a new perspective on the Board. I am the only one running for this position that hasn’t been some part of the education establishment.” Eubank is a member of the Alabama Legislative Watchdogs, a group of citizen lobbyists from all parts of the state of Alabama who give in-depth analysis about legislation being put forth and passed, what it means, and how it impacts citizens. Eubank is also a member of the Jefferson County Mid-Alabama Republican Club (MARC) and has attended countless Republican club meetings all over the state as a speaker and guest. Eubank is a member of Mom’s For Liberty. “At Moms for Liberty, we understand the importance of having liberty-minded school boards throughout the country that are focused on defending parental rights and improving education,” Eubank said. “We hope to activate these types of people to public service. Every child across America deserves access to a quality education. The decisions made by school board members play a crucial role in shaping the quality of that education.” Eubank serves as Co-Chair of the Alabama Conservative Coalition. She has been a Heritage Action Sentinel since 2010. Conservative news/talk radio listeners have heard Ann in occasional radio hosting duties on WYDE and IC Radio in North Alabama. Eubank was a policy advisor for Tim James’ failed 2022 Campaign for Governor of Alabama. Eubank was a Southeastern Cruz Crew team member in Senator Ted Cruz’s presidential campaign in 2016. Eubank was a Cruz delegate at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland that year. Eubank is a member of the National and Alabama Women for Trump group. She was a member of Congressman Mo Brooks’s (R-AL05) 2018 and 2022 Senate Campaign Steering Committees. She is a member of the firearms rights group Bama Carry. Eubank is also a member of the Stop Common Core Alabama Task Force. In that role, Eubank did numerous talks on Common Core, aka National Standards, with politicians and the public. She is also a member of the Alabamians United for Excellence in Education Taskforce and one of the coordinators of the Alabama Opt-Out movement. Eubank’s efforts have been noticed. Ballotpedia identified Ann Eubank as a “top influencer by state” in 2015. She was named on Alabama Today’s 20 Alabamians who belong on any “Most Influential” list. Eubank appeared in the documentary movie “Revelation – Dawn of a Global Government” where she warned how Common Core, aka National Standards, indoctrination would turn our children into “Good Little Socialists.” Eubank has been interviewed by numerous local, state, national, and international radio, print, and television outlets. Eubank has authored many political opinion articles in numerous local and national publications. Eubank participated in Frank Luntz’s HBO Special regarding Roy Moore’s Senate Campaign that aired on HBO and Axios. Eubank, in her role as a leader of the Rainy Day Patriots, helped contribute to the 2010 Republican wave election that led to the GOP taking control of both Houses of the Alabama Legislature and the U.S. House of Representatives. She grew up in Birmingham, Alabama, and now lives in Hoover. She has been married to her husband, Jim, for 55 years. She has two daughters and two grandchildren. Kelly Mooney, former State Representative Charlotte Meadows, and Melissa Snowden have all also qualified to run for the open school board seat. The Republican Primary will be on March 5. No Democrat has qualified, so the eventual Republican nominee will likely be elected. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Donald Trump action scrambles Alabama Senate primary
Former President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw his endorsement of U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks has scrambled the Alabama Republican primary for Senate, leaving the two other frontrunners, Katie Boyd Britt and Mike Durant, competing for his nod. Britt is a former head of a state business group with impressive fundraising totals, while Durant is a businessman best known as the helicopter pilot who was shot down and held prisoner in the 1993 “Black Hawk Down” incident in Somalia. “The big question is what happens now,” said David Mowery, an Alabama-based political consultant. If Trump endorses one over the other, it would be a significant boost to their campaign, he said. “It puts Durant or Britt in a position to potentially win without a runoff. … So, the question for those two really is, ‘Who is going to get it?’” Mowery said. Both Britt and Durant have met with Trump recently, and both bill themselves as the natural heir to the endorsement. “Absolutely, we’d be thrilled to earn President Trump’s endorsement. I’ve enjoyed the opportunity to meet with and talk with President Trump a few times about our race,” Britt said in a statement as she blasted President Joe Biden and said, “Alabamians miss President Trump’s strength and America First leadership.” Durant, in a statement, said he told Trump Monday that he is “the clear America first candidate in this race.” “Other candidates have refused to even mention President Trump, but I have proudly carried the America First banner in this race and always will. I’ve got the momentum to beat the career politicians and send another Trump conservative to Washington,” Durant said. The GOP primary in the conservative state will likely decide who succeeds GOP Sen. Richard Shelby, who’s retiring. Unless one candidate captures over 50% of the vote in the May 24 primary, the top two finishers will go to a June 21 runoff. Britt served as chief of staff to Shelby, one of the Senate’s most senior members, but has leaned away from her Washington resume in recent campaign stops. Speaking to an Anniston GOP group, she did not mention Shelby’s name, instead focusing on her roots in small-town Alabama, working in her family’s hardware store and lobbing criticisms at Biden. Britt said it is important that voters know her separate from Shelby. Durant has largely run an under-the-radar campaign with fewer media appearances. Brooks is a conservative firebrand who supports Trump’s false 2020 election fraud claims. Brooks whipped up a crowd of Trump supporters at the January 6, 2021, rally that preceded the U.S. Capitol insurrection, and voted against certifying President Joe Biden’s win. But Trump rescinded his endorsement earlier this week, citing Brooks’ languishing performance in the race and Brooks’ jeer-inducing words at an Alabama rally that it was time to “look forward” from “the voter fraud election theft in 2020” and focus on the next election cycle. Brooks has said he has not changed at all, and he accused Trump of dropping him for rebuffing the former president’s entreaties to help overturn the 2020 election. He maintains that Trump’s change of heart will not doom his Senate bid and that his chances remain “pretty good” to win the nomination. Ann Eubank, a longtime fixture in Alabama GOP politics and Brooks supporter, said Wednesday that she had been inundated with text messages from people upset about Trump’s decision to walk away from Brooks. “I think you are going to have two camps. There is going to be a camp of conservatives that are furious that Trump has abandoned the conservative in the race and then of course those who are going to vote for whatever Trump tells them to do,” Eubank of Hoover said. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
Ann Eubank: Joe Biden and Doug Jones immigration policies cost Alabamians jobs
Imagine this nightmare scenario: It’s 2021 and President Joe Biden, with the support of a Democratic Congress, signs a “comprehensive immigration reform” bill granting amnesty to the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants in the United States. Republicans, having lost the White House and the Senate, would be powerless to stop it. That’s just the beginning. In his first 100 days as president, Biden has vowed to undo the Donald Trump administration’s immigration policies — from halting construction of the border wall to reinstating the Obama-era policy of “catch-and-release,” where immigrants apprehended at the border are allowed to walk free until their trial date. As you might guess, many never bother to attend the trial and slink back into the shadows. Not living in a border state, Alabamians might wonder how this agenda would affect their daily lives. First, we need to dispel the usual canards leftwing activists spout when pushing their radical proposals. They claim illegal and low-skilled immigrants take the jobs “Americans won’t do.” With unemployment near historic levels due to the Covid-19 pandemic, this claim isn’t just insulting; it’s flat-out wrong. In Alabama alone, a 14 percent plurality of the unemployed come from the service and food preparation industry. These are jobs frequently filled by illegal immigrants. Not only do immigrants take jobs Americans would gladly do, they also depress wages for Americans, especially minorities. A 2016 study from the National Academy of Sciences found that immigrants have a negative effect on the wages of high-school dropouts, with a disproportionate impact on “disadvantaged minorities and Hispanic high school dropouts with poor English skills.” This also exposes the lie that stricter immigration policies are somehow racist. The pandemic has caused an economic disruption unlike anything we’ve seen since the Great Depression. Did President Franklin Roosevelt, in his promise to get America back on track, ask Congress to provide amnesty to millions? Did he patronize Americans with specious arguments about jobs they wouldn’t do? Of course not. But that’s exactly what Joe Biden has promised. Aside from the devastating economic impact, unchecked immigration would have a deleterious effect on Alabamians’ quality of life. The national unemployment rate for immigrants is always higher than for native workers — 12.4 percent in July, compared to 10.1 percent, respectively. Legal immigrants who are unemployed further stress the state’s social services, while illegal immigrants only add to Alabama’s already high poverty rate of 16.5 percent. Without enough work to go around, unemployed immigrants would flood urban areas, driving up rents and accelerating traffic congestion and sprawl. Legal or not, immigrants cost taxpayers. They send their children to school, they have healthcare needs, and they are just as much in danger of contracting Covid-19 as everyone else. The money to pay for these costs comes from American workers. As the nation tries to pull out from the pandemic-induced tailspin, inviting millions more immigrants here is a recipe for disaster. Alabama voters have a chance to ensure that a potential Biden administration doesn’t have a blank check to pass its radical policies. A Republican-controlled Senate would be a crucial impediment to stopping the far left’s agenda. But only if Republicans can keep the upper chamber. Here in Alabama, that fight comes down to Democratic Sen. Doug Jones and Republican challenger Tommy Tuberville. Once thought to be moderate — at least in relation to his peers — Jones has proved to be anything but when it comes to immigration. Jones has voted to protect “sanctuary cities” and hasn’t sponsored or voted for any immigration-reduction bills. His record leaves no doubt as to how he’d vote under a Biden administration. Alabama voters should rightly be concerned that a Biden administration, unchecked by any Republican opposition in Congress, would turn the United States into one large “sanctuary city.” To avoid this nightmare, Alabama voters must help keep the Senate in Republican hands. Ann Eubank of Hoover is a citizen activist who serves as the chair of Alabama Legislative Watchdogs.
30+ women defend Roy Moore’s character during rally outside Alabama capitol
On the steps of the Alabama State Capitol, more than 30 women stood united in their support of Alabama Republican Senate nominee Roy Moore Friday morning. The ladies at a “Women for Moore” rally ranged from former colleagues and fellow church members, to well known figures such as Roy’s wife Kayla, Ann Eubank, the statewide co-chair of Rainy Day Patriots, and the legislative chair of the Alabama Legislative Watchdogs, and Wetumpka Tea Party founder Becky Gerritson. There, the women took turns speaking to Moore’s character and defending the former Alabama Chief Justice they claim “has faithfully served in public office for forty years.” “This is a he said-she said situation, some of which are 40 years old, that can never be proven or disproven in the amount of time we have before December 12,” Eubank said at the event. “He has been tried and convicted by the mainstream media in the court of public opinion on just allegations. There is no concrete evidence or proof. The court of law is the proper place for these allegations to have gone, not to the media.” Eubank went on to say if the ” state Republican Party decide to remove Moore from the ballot, or if they worked to disallow or decertify an election won by Moore, there would be a revolt, which she said would be ‘bad’ for Republicans in next year’s statewide election.” Kayla Moore took the mic to reiterate her husband would not quit the race. “After all the attacks against me, against my family against the Foundation and against my husband, he will not step down. He will not stop fighting for the people of Alabama,” Kayla Moore said. Moore has been under fire since The Washington Post published an explosive report on Thursday Nov. 9 with the accounts of four women who claim he sexually pursued them when he was in his 30s and they were in their teens. Since that time, five more woman have come forward with similar accusations against Moore. Moore faces the Democratic nominee Doug Jones in the special election on Dec. 12. Watch video from the event below:
Email Insights: Heidi Cruz coming to Montgomery and Mobile
There’s no doubt that Alabama is U.S. Senator Ted Cruz country. With one of the strongest grassroots efforts of all the presidential candidates (I would venture to guess the strongest in the state) Cruz has made our state a priority. Beyond Cruz’s bus tour has making stops earlier this year through out the state, he has named some power house volunteers to his team including Ann Eubank, Becky Gerritson, Chad Mathis and Troy Towns. His campaign released word yesterday that his wife Heidi Cruz is coming to visit. In a bio piece by the New York Times when Cruz was first elected to the U.S. Senate Heidi was described as, “A vegetarian with a Harvard M.B.A., Mrs. Cruz is a managing director at Goldman Sachs, one of the Wall Street firms that helped set off the populist rage that ushered Mr. Cruz into the Senate in 2012. She works for Goldman in Houston, where she lives with the couple’s two young children, and as her husband’s fame has increased — depending on the audience, he is among the most pilloried or revered members of the Senate — she has maintained a low profile.” Since then she has taken unpaid leave of her job to help her husband on the campaign trail and has even been called his “not-so-secret weapon” of the campaign. For details on where check out the email below. Heidi Cruz is coming to Alabama! She will be touring the state November 4th-5thin Montgomery and Mobile. Montgomery Meet & Greet with Heidi Cruz 4:00 pm – 5:30 pm Wintzell’s Oyster House (Back Room) 105 Commerce Street Montgomery, AL 36104 RSVP HERE Mobile Meet and Greet with Heidi Cruz 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm Half Shell Oyster House 3654 Airport Blvd Mobile, Al 36608 November 5, 2015 RSVP HERE
Email Insights: Ted Cruz names ALGOP’s Troy Towns as part of leadership team
U.S. Senator Ted Cruz has announced that Troy Towns has joined his campaign’s leadership team as the state leader for his African American Conservatives coalition. Towns currently serves as the Senior Vice Chairman of the Alabama Republican Party. Prior to his election to this post in February, Towns served as the Director of Minority Outreach for the party appointed by then chairman Bill Armisted. Towns joins a state leadership team announced in August that includes Ann Eubank, Co-Chair of the Rainy Day Patriot Tea Party, U.S. congressional candidate and Watumpka Tea Party Founder Becky Gerritson, and former candidate for congress Dr. Chad Mathis. Below is the email announcement that the Cruz team released: AFRICAN AMERICAN CONSERVATIVES UNITE BEHIND SEN. TED CRUZ FOR PRESIDENT HOUSTON, Texas – Presidential Candidate U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, today announced statewide leaders for the Cruz for President African-American coalition, including Elbert Guillory, Robin Armstrong, and Bishop Robert Smith as National Co-Chairs. “Today I’m pleased to announce a strong group of men and women from diverse backgrounds to lead our African-American coalition,” said Sen. Cruz. “These individuals are leaders in the areas of education, healthcare, faith, and governance, and can speak to how the policies of the current Administration disproportionately harm minorities in this country. Rather than politicizing race as this President has done, we seek to unify Americans around our common values of liberty, equality, and opportunity.” Elbert Guillory represents District 24 of the Louisiana State Senate. Guillory spent 43 years as a criminal defense lawyer, and served in the Louisiana House of Representatives and the Louisiana Senate. He was “Legislator of the Year” twice in his first six years and was elected to the Louisiana Justice Hall of Fame for his work in law and government. Robin Armstrong is a physician practicing medicine in Texas. He is also the former Vice Chairman of the Republican Party of Texas, serving from 2006 to 2010, and is currently a Republican national Committeeman. Robin has worked as an election judge, precinct chairman, city chair, Senatorial District Convention Chair, and delegate to the 2008 and 2012Republican National Convention. He has served as a member of the State Republican Executive Committee. He has served locally in youth and inner city missions and is active with charitable organizations nationally and overseas. Bishop Robert Smith is the Founder of Total Outreach for Christ Ministries, Inc. and Word of Outreach Christian Center and Academy, which is headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas. He has released multiple books on Evangelical Outreach and Faith and has served as a guest speaker for many college seminary courses. The African American Coalition has nine State Level Leaders across the country as well: Glen Robinson, SC Glen is a Pastor and Christian television show host. Nse Ekpo, SC Nse serves as the 2nd Vice Chairman of the South Carolina GOP. Darrell C. Porter, NV Darrell Porter is a non-denominational, full gospel evangelist. He is the Founder and Director of the Ichthus Institute for Enrichment & Christian Development and pastors the New Covenant International Ministries as he continues to work with local, national and international Bible-based, Christ-centered ministries in spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Troy Towns, AL Troy is the Senior Vice Chairman of the Alabama GOP. Troy is a small businessman and often speaks at churches, civic meetings and political events. Calvin Morrow, MO Morrow is a homeschool father and the President of the Lebanon Area Homeschoolers. He is the founder of Christians Uniting for Political Action, mobilizing Christians to re-engage in the political process. Zina Hackworth, MO Zina is a member of L.E.A.R.N, the nation’s largest black Pro-Life organization. She is also a member of The National Black Pro-Life Coalition. In 2006, Zina founded This Race Will Self-Destruct and More Rebellious Members, a Pro-Life outreach to black pastors. Henry Childs, TX Henry is the elected State Republican Executive Committeeman for Texas Senate District 19. Childs serves as the Texas Surrogate for the RNC African American Strategic Initiatives Director. He is the Founder/Chairman of the Association of Conservative Texans Brenda Battle Jordan, MI Brenda is an active member of the Genesee County Tea Party and Genesse County Republican Executive Committee. She also serves on The Resolutions and Bylaws Committee Of The Michigan Association of School Board of Director’s and is a Westwood Heights school board trustee. She has been on multiple talk shows and spoken at multiple county Tea Party events. Ken Jordan, MI Ken is a long time Genesse County Republican Executive Committee member. ###
Calling Gary Palmer: Broad coalition asks for congressman’s support to repeal Obamacare board
On May 5, more than 500 diverse groups came together to sign a letter urging members of Congress to repeal the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB). The IPAB has been a constant target of conservatives since Obamacare was passed. The Protecting Seniors’ Access to Medicare Act of 2015, U.S. House Bill 1190, repeals the IPAB board and is expected to come to the floor this week with 235 co-sponsors. From the Alabama delegation U.S. Reps. Robert Aderholt, Mo Brooks, Bradley Byrne and Martha Roby are co-sponsors. Missing from the list is Rep. Gary Palmer. The letter asks Palmer to join the rest of the delegation in co-sponsoring the bill before the vote. A Palmer spokesman said the congressman is, “Inclined to support the bill. He favors repealing Obamacare, however, he does not co-sponsor every bill that he supports.” That’s not stopping concerned groups from pressuring him. Ann Eubank from the Rainy Day Patriots, one signer of the coalition letter said, “As a senior, I am encouraged that our Alabama Republican congressional delegation is co-sponsoring, and voting for, HR 1190. This bill gets rid if the onerous bureaucratic board called the ‘death panel’ that restricts access to Medicare coverage for us. I don’t need anyone but my doctor deciding what medical treatment I need.” Having worked for a member of the Congressional Doctors Caucus before moving to Alabama, I have spoken with many in the health-care profession about the issue. Doctors and hospital administrators know firsthand the disastrous effects that the IPAB would have on the affordability and access of health care in our nation, and it’s important we listen to them. Palmer is my congressman and I join the calls to ask him to support and vote for this important piece of legislation. The letter 2015 HLC IPAB Repeal Letter says in part: The undersigned organizations – representing Medicare beneficiaries and patients, all sectors of the healthcare industry as well as employers and other purchasers of care – believe strongly that the Medicare program must protect patient access to quality healthcare. The Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB), a provision of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), not only poses a threat to that access but also, once activated, will shift healthcare costs to consumers in the private sector and infringe upon the decisionmaking responsibilities and prerogatives of the Congress. We request your support to repeal IPAB.
Sponsors of Common Core repeal bill to regroup for 2016
With the 2015 legislative session coming to a close, sponsors of a bill to repeal Common Core are already starting to rally for the next session. At a press conference on Wednesday, Sen. Rusty Glover and Rep. Bob Fincher – both retired educators — expressed continued concerns over what they described as lack of local control over the state’s education curriculum. Senate Bill 101 abolishes the Common Core education standards in Alabama and grants control of education curricula to state and local education officials. In addition, the bill prohibits state agencies from implementing any other national education standard to replace Common Core. Sen. Glover said that the proponents of the bill had been outspent this session. “It’s just really sad that a lot of what you have to say has fallen on deaf ears because […] money folks that have so much influence have disrupted our efforts,” he said. Sen. Glover also aired concerns that the portion of the Alabama College and Career Ready Standards (ACCRS) that is designed by Alabama educators would be sacrificed to reach standardized test performance goals. “When they say that this is an Alabama standard, 85 percent is Common Core and just 15 percent is created by local and state school board authority,” said Sen. Glover. “It’s outrageous to think that people are actually taking in an Alabama standard when the 15 percent created by Alabamians is largely ignored. If there’s a standardized test, there’s a lot of pressure on the teacher to do very well on that test. So you know that that 15 percent of curriculum standards will be totally ignored.” According to State Board of Education member Stephanie Bell, the curriculum has taken a toll in Alabama classrooms over the last four years. “Common Core is not just about bad education, it’s about destroying the potential of our children,” said Bell. “We have already lost some of our best teachers […] Not just 5 or ten, but hundreds.” Last month, the Senate Committee on Education and Youth affairs gave a favorable report to Senate Bill 101. The sponsors, however, have said that getting enough votes to pass the bill out of either chamber would be a challenge. Rep. Fincher said the way forward in the next session would likely rely on support from newly-elected legislators. “Our leadership in the House is not with us, some of the older members are not with us, but I have been encouraged – very encouraged – with some of the new members in the House that were just elected,” said Rep. Fincher. “We have a lot of support among the freshman in the House. A lot of them have stepped forward and signed the bill to bring about the defeat of Common Core.” “I think we’ve made some headway this time,” said Rep. Fincher. “We have not gotten where we need to be, and those who suffer will not be us, it’ll be the children of this state.” Ann Eubank, co-chair of the Rainy Day Patriots and legislative chair of the Alabama Legislative Watchdogs, told Alabama Today that her group was not surprised by the outcome. “I was not surprised that they killed the bill to repeal Common Core again,” she said via email. “They have been jerking our chain for 4 years. It ends now, no more nice tea party ladies.” Emphasizing their intent moving forward she added, “A strong group in opposition to Common Core are setting up a PAC for the next election and no one who supports Common Core is safe from a tough fight. In addition, we will be launching a program to boycott those businesses that give money to the Business Council of Alabama (BCA) which supports the destruction of our children and our country.” Updated at 5:04 pm to add quote from Ann Eubank, co-chair of the Rainy Day Patriots and legislative chair of the Alabama Legislative Watchdogs.
Ann Eubank: Looking for parents in Comprehensive Counseling plan
Thursday morning, I attended the AL School Board monthly work session where they presented the Alabama Comprehensive Counseling and Guidance Model for Alabama Public Schools. The “mission” of this program is to prepare every student academically, “socially” and “emotionally.” That sounds great on the surface. However, the question is “where are the parents in this plan?” The schools are implementing this plan with the attitude that they are better prepared to raise your child than you are. Schools are part of the government system where parental control is no longer viewed as the ultimate authority over their children. This is another tentacle of the Common Core/Alabama Plan 2020. The standards included in this program include data collection from K-12, follows to college and workforce, with or without parental consent. Ms Cindy Wiley, of Shelby County Schools, gave a very positive overview of the plan to the board without going into the possible negative impact on student and parent relationship. Are they overstepping the boundaries of the family? The entire board will vote on this plan at the June meeting. Those of us who object to the destruction of the family need to let our feelings be known. Call your Board Representative and voice your opinion. (334) 242-9950. Also call your Senator and tell them to vote for SB101 which repeals Common Core. Ann Eubank is co-chair of Rainy Day Patriots (Jefferson/Shelby County), and the legislative chair of the Alabama Legislative Watchdogs. Ann is a frequent visitor of the Statehouse and has bridged the gap between strong advocate and respected resource for members. She is also a member of the Alabamians United for Excellence in Education Taskforce and several other Stop Common Core groups.
Ann Eubank: Why the Senate should pass SB101 rejecting Common Core
One of the biggest frauds ever perpetrated on the American people is the Common Core State Standards Initiative. There could be nothing farther from the truth than the assertion that proponents constantly use “that it was state-led.” The standards actually were written by five people in a back room, led by David Coleman of Achieve, who has a degree in philosophy but no classroom experience. Instead of raising academic standards as it was touted to do, it was designed by statists inside the federal education bureaucracy to be one great big sociology experiment on our children. What accounts for Common Core Standards being accepted by 45 states are not actual facts that prove that they were “rigorous,” or that they led to “critical thinking,” but instead by a great deal of money from the Race to the Top Federal grants and wealthy private corporatists. Republican governors were suckered into adopting CCSS by the Department of Education dangling the proverbial carrot of money only if they agreed to 1) accept a common set of standards, 2) implement charter schools, and 3) set up a data collection system. At a time of severe financial crisis in many states, any money source was acceptable regardless of requirements. Very few states actually received money to help implement the standards. The main draw for the states was the illegal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Waiver. The onerous NCLB annual yearly progress goals were due and a big percentage of states were going to be penalized millions of education dollars they could not afford. So, they signed on the bottom line, “sight unseen.” Most signed on before the standards were even written. The National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers own and have a copyright on the Common Core State Standards. Contrary to frequent statements that our state could change the standards to become “Alabama standards,” not much “modification” could be done to them. Each state was allowed a 15 percent addition to the standards. However, this 15 percent would not be tested on the required national assessments. After all, if each state’s standards varied 15 percent how could they be “common” to the entire nation? All across the United States the Common Core State Standards are a failure in both implementation and assessment. That has spawned stop Common Core groups in every state. Countless academics have speculated that it will slow learning by two years. I wonder, is that why President Barack Obama now wants two years of community college to be free? Are we just extending high school to recover the length of the time lost with the implementation of Common Core? There are now more than 20 states that have either passed, or are attempting to pass bills in their respective state legislatures to withdraw from the Common Core State Standards. Alabama is one of them. Our parents and teachers, who are brave enough to go against the culture of intimidation, are fighting for their children’s minds. Supporters commonly misrepresent the fact that parents support high academic standards and therefore they support Common Core. Parents do support high standards for our children; however, a majority of parents at this point do not support CCSSI. Standards and assessments drive the curriculum, materials and textbooks. Parents are often shocked at their content. They are appalled at what their children are learning in the classroom and the homework they are bringing home. That’s why it’s so important that the Alabama State Senate takes up and passes Senate Bill 101 repealing Common Core Standards in Alabama. The only way is for Republicans to return to their conservative roots and repeal the Common Core State Standards, and then put a stop to the Department of Education from interfering with the local control of education. That’s why I encourage everyone to write and call their state senator: Tell them they must pass Senate Bill 101 to repeal Common Core and restore common sense to education. Ann Eubank is co-chair of Rainy Day Patriots (Jefferson/Shelby County), and the legislative chair of the Alabama Legislative Watchdogs. Ann is a frequent visitor of the statehouse and has bridged the gap between strong advocate and respected resource for members. She is also a member of the Alabamians United for Excellence in Education Taskforce and several other Stop Common Core groups.
