Recently a friend asked what more can she do to reduce Common Core’s impact on her child’s education. Like many other parents, she sees her child’s nightly frustration with Common Core homework and worries about the increased risks to her child’s private information. She is concerned that her child is not receiving a top-quality education, notably in math and science. She has already written to her child’s school to refuse his participation in all standardized tests. She also attends and occasionally speaks at local school board meetings.
My friend is to be commended for her involvement and work to help her child. But there is more we all can do. There is a strong and growing effort against Common Core in New Hampshire and there are additional efforts that can be made.
- Talk with your neighbors and friends. Some parents think they’re the only ones with these concerns and will be encouraged when they know someone else feels the same.
- Share articles with your friends and local school board about the various concerns and problems associated with Common Core. We post many on our Facebook page to make it easy to find substantive and well-researched articles.
- Recruit, elect, and support school board members who oppose Common Core and the associated high-stakes assessments. They are your duly elected officials and are accountable to your community.
- During the legislative session, follow bills that focus on Common Core and the rights of parents to direct their children’s education. Attend the public hearings when possible or write to the committee about your position on the bills. When those bills come before the House or Senate, write to your representatives. School Choice for NH covers these bills and posts analysis and legislative updates to make it easy to stay informed.
- Vote for candidates who support school choice and oppose Common Core in the General Election on November 4th. This is the single simplest action that makes all the other efforts easier. The following grassroots organizations share these values and vetted the candidates. Nearly all of these groups support additional issues, so please take that into consideration.
Republican Liberty Caucus of NH
Our children have only one chance at an education that fits their unique needs and goals. It’s worth the effort to get involved. Thank you for investing your time and energy to help. It can make all the difference for your child and all students across New Hampshire.