The Alaska State Senate held hearings on January 7th and 8th on the Alaska State Standards and the Common Core curriculum. Most of the speakers at the hearing were officials from the Chief State School Officers and others affiliated with the process of drafting the state standards. Most of those who testified were direct beneficiaries of the Alaska Department of Education in some way, or in some way connected to a foundation that receives substantial sums from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
There were a few exceptions.
One of the highlights of that hearing was the testimony by Dr. Sandra Stotsky and Dr. James Milgram regarding the Alaska State Standards and the Common Core. Both served as members on the validation committee for the Common Core and refused to sign off on the standards. According to Dr. Stotsky those who were involved in the development of the common core standards lacked the credentials to be involved in the process.
Dr. Stotsky highlighted the involvement in the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in states where the Common Core had been adopted.
Toward the end of the testimony, there were some fireworks between Mr. Chris Minnich, Executive Director of the Council of Chief State School Officers made a personal attack against Dr. Sandra Stotsky. She responded appropriately and pointed out that Mr. Minnich was reading the introductory material to prove Alaska’s Standards were rich in literary content, and not the standards themselves. Essentially, she makes short work of him.
According to a correspondence by Patrick Gamble to Arne Duncan, the state of Alaska began writing the standards in 2010 through the involvement of Achieve Inc. As Gamble wrote, [http://stopalaskacommoncore.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/UA-letter-on-standards.pdf]
“…Alaska Department of Education and Early Development Staff coordinated with Achieve, Inc in the initial planning stages, of the standards revision process in 2010. Staff from Achieve reviewed Alaska’s revision plan and provided feedback via phone conversations and teleconferences. Achieve provided critical guidance for consideration of appropriate stakeholders, identifying key decision makers, and process-specific tasks, which Alaska incorporated into the review.”
New information revealed today is that in October of 2010, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation donated $1.65 Million to the Alaska’s Department of Education and Early Development (AK DEED). [http://www.gatesfoundation.org/How-We-Work/Quick-Links/Grants-Database/Grants/2010/10/OPPLi011]
Thus, it seems that Dr. Stotsky was vindicated. The initiation of the Common Core in Alaska did coincide with a donation from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
About the Publisher
Joe Miller was the 2010 Republican nominee for the US Senate from Alaska. He is a West Point graduate and decorated combat veteran from the first Gulf War. A former judge, Joe graduated from Yale Law School and was later awarded an advanced economics degree from the University of Alaska. He is currently a candidate for the U.S. Senate from Alaska. Read more about Joe by clicking the "About Joe" tab above.
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