Full length video of the Hudson Valley Parent Education Initiative’s Forum, starring Anna Shah, Tom Sipos, Kieran Lalor, Andre Barnett, Anne LaValle and Dr. Peg Luksik.–Poughkeepsie, New York. February 5, 2014.
Dr. Peg Luksik provided an easy to understand and follow explanation of the federal government’s involvement with and how states committed to the Common Core Standards. She used official documents from New York State, such as grant applications, and the federal government. The State and Regents have no qualms lying to the people, but consider the consequences when preparing official documents looking for grant money from the feds.
In the Common Core structure, the State sets the standards, creates the curriculum, delivers the curriculum, defines successful performance, develops the assessment tests, administers the tests, scores the tests, and reports on the results. This closed “internal audit” is the only evaluation method made available to parents, teachers and taxpayers. This is unacceptable.
Every child is assigned a unique identification number which enables that child to be tracked from pre-school through college and into the work force. Data includes academic, financial, and health information on each student and family. There is no parental consent before student information is collected, or shared. This is unacceptable.
Common Core mandates that every child achieve every standard at the specified level. There is no requirement to go beyond that level. That makes the mandated minimum achievement levels the goal of every school. This is unacceptable.
Every district must teach the one curriculum that is aligned to the one assessment that measures the one standard or face negative consequences for students, teachers, and schools, there is no local input or control. This is unacceptable.
Other speakers included Tom Sipos, radio host @ WKIP, Assemblyman Kieran Lalor 105th, Andre Barnett, poised to run for the NY 18th Congressional District and Anne Miller LeValle, parent activist.
The message is very blunt and to the point from every speaker; get the federal government out of our schools and away from our children. Time to take back our educational system, bring it back to the state and local levels.
Schools of Thought Hudson Valley, NY 
I really wish I had been able to attend this forum! The weather just did not cooperate. Thank you Anna for posting the video so I can see what Dr. Luksik has to say about New York. I have heard her speak about her home state of Pennsylvania and the information was eye-opening.