Public School Curriculum…State education committee destroying our schools

By Brian Massie on June 9, 2019 • ( 0 )

We need your help. H.B. 239 must be defeated.

It will kill the Founding of America Documents Curriculum in Ohio schools in the 8-12^th grade. As most of you remember, in 2012 the Ohio Legislature and the Governor signed into law new curriculum requirements to strengthen American Government and History standards in all of Ohio’s 88 school districts. S.B. 165, sponsored by State Rep. John Adams and State Senators Larry Obhof and Tim Grendel, requires the teaching of the U.S. Constitution, The Declaration of Independence, The Bill of Rights, the Federalist and Anti-Federalist Papers, The Northwest Ordinance, and the Ohio Constitution in the Ohio classroom in grades 8-12 with an end of course exam requirement for graduation. One full credit hour was taken out of Social Studies and dedicated to this study curriculum of the Founding Documents.

H.B. 239 will kill what we achieved, as it will strip out the end of course exam requirement. We know that if it’s not required, they will not teach it. Ask State School Board member Sarah Fowler, as she was recently on our radio program stated just that. Here is the linkhttps://bit.ly/2KxYHqY

Here’s what we need: We need calls flooding in to the Statehouse Primary and Secondary Education Committee (formerly the House Education Committee). Here is the link to their contacts http://www.ohiohouse.gov/committee/primary-and-secondary-education We are working on a phone and email list. Will send it tomorrow.

Attached is H.B. 239 and Rep. Gale Manning’s Press release that does specifically mentions American Government and History, make no mistake that is their target.

Here’s what we have found:

The bill talks about doing away with the end of course exam with science, math and language arts, and suspiciously does not reference the end of course exam requirement for American Government and History, but it then talks about a study group with school officials and district officials for a review of testing reduction in the classroom on curriculum, i.e. kill the American Government and History standards (Founding of America Documents Curriculum) that the state legislature set in statute in 2012, The Founding of America Documents Curriculum (page 13 of the bill).

Now that I’ve been able to read the bill with a clear mind, I understand their approach. It is in response to our grassroots effort last year to kill the proposal by the State School Board. Now they’re trying to do it by way of statute through a study group comprised of school superintendents, school officials, teacher, and some parents that they hand-pick through the PTA. The teacher’s union has its hands all over it.

They will undoubtedly come up with findings that the Founding of American Documents end of course exam is not required. They will kill, by way of bureaucracy, what they cannot do away with by statute legislation, away from the public eye and away from public scrutiny and review.

We are compiling a list of those who will come in and testify against HB 239, but we need some help in drawing up the talking points. The opponent testimony hearing is Tuesday at 5 p.m. in the Primary and Secondary Education Committee, chaired by Lou Blessing. The bill has already had three hearings, sponsor, technical, proponent, and now Tuesday comes the opponent. From what we can tell, this bill is on a fast track for passage. We must alert the public on this one. Urge your networks to call the Committee to oppose H.B. 239.

Here’s what we need:

We need calls flooding in to the Statehouse Primary and Secondary Education Committee (formerly the House Education Committee). Here is the link to their contacts http://www.ohiohouse.gov/committee/primary-and-secondary-education

We also need people to come in and testify.

You can submit written testimony or come in person Tuesday at 5:00 p.m. We are compiling a list of those who will help us defeat this bill. Please keep this in prayer. So much is at stake. Our Constitution is under assault with socialism on the rise among our young people. This is our last chance effort to give them something of the U.S. Constitution and our Founding Documents. We made great progress in the last seven years in the Ohio classroom; let’s not stop now.

God bless you all,

Chris Long

Christopher R. Long

Ohio Christian Alliance

330-887-1922 phone

330-247-9902 fax

www.ohioca.org

(Note: OLC sent this as a service for our friends over at Ohio Christian Alliance. Please call your Ohio House Reps today.)