The following email was sent to the legislators who represent the Pine River area in Lansing. It was also shared with the Pine River Area Schools staff and the school board after the M-Step became a horrible reality this morning. Honorable Gentlemen, So far, the M-STEP process is a painful invasion of teaching and learning […]
Author: Karen Braun
Karen Braun is a writer and conference speaker on issues related education and family life. Her work has appeared in the American Thinker, Crosswalk, The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, WatchDog Wire, and various other websites and magazines. She has also appeared on TV and radio venues. Along with blogging, Karen also enjoys homeschooling, running marathons, and spending time with her husband, their six children, and two grand children. For more information please contact Karen at spunkyhomeschool at gmail dot com
Many parents who adamantly oppose common core state standards and high-stakes testing would like to opt out and refuse the M-STEP; however, they are cautious because they worry about penalties to the school if they refuse. Today’s Washington Post should help put those fears to rest. The threat of federal penalties turns out to be just […]
Momentum is building! Parents are becoming informed and choosing to refuse the M-STEP assessment! The Michigan PTA has added their voice support to parents and passed a resolution (MIPTA_M-Step_032815.pdf) calling for the “immediate cessation” of the the M-STEP for 2014-2015. We agree! Stop the M-STEP! Obviously, the MDE is not listening to the PTA, Stop […]
Choose to Refuse Yard Signs
Troy parent, Jennifer Halucha, has designed lawn signs to let your friends and neighbors know where you stand on Common Core and Testing. The are weather-resistant heavy cardboard. Jennifer suggests that each city should get a six ore more parents together to purchase a bunch for your area. The art work […]
Important Update on Refusing M-STEP
More GOOD NEWS for parents! Stop Common Core in Michigan received a copy of a memo from the House Legislative research division to Senator Proos office affirming that there is NO LAW requiring students to take assessments. This memo, posted below, supports the previous information we posted from the MDE which you can read here. […]
Opting out is making headlines!
The Oakland Press has written about parents who are opting out and refusing the state assessments, including M-STEP. This means YOU are having an impact. Parents are learning that they CAN opt out and sharing the information with others in their area. Here are some quotes from their article, “Parents aim to opt their kids […]
The Senate Education Committee voted to pass SB 169/170 STEM diploma bills out of committee on Tuesday. The House Education Committee is not scheduled to take up the companion bill at this time. Please continue to call and let your Senators and Representatives know you do NOT support SB 169 and SB 170 and HB […]
Action Alert: STEM Diploma Hearing
Last week was the first time the House and Senate Education Committees held hearings on the STEM Bills. We suspect they plan to vote tomorrow in the Senate Committee and Thursday in the House Committee. We believe this is being fast tracked. Why the rush? Something as important as credentialing our students should have a […]
Good news! Parents you can OPT OUT with confidence! An email from the MDE states you have the right to refuse under current law. A credible source sent us an email written by Chad Bailey at the MDE Division of Accountability Services. He wrote in response to a parent requesting information about opting out. Bailey […]
STEM and the Role of Education
Thank you to all who have been making calls to the Senate and House Education committee regarding the STEM diploma bills. Social media is abuzz and lawmakers phones are lighting up as parents realize that the goal of education has changed and a “STEM diploma” is not just about science, technology, engineering, and manufacturing. The […]