Here in Sarasota County the clandestine plot to implement Common Core thickens.  Mrs. Shirley Brown and Superintendent Lori White never held a public hearing – the input of the parents and the teachers was apparently superfluous. The hubris award goes to Chairwoman Jane Goodwin who said with impunity that…“(Randy) McLendon is a little late to the party if his goal is to stop Common Core…”(the standards) are expected to be fully implemented over the next year, Goodwin said…That train has left the station already.” - May 2014. 

Notice that Mrs. Goodwin doesn’t defend the standards (because she can’t) but only claims impotence in taking action.  A press release from January 2011 quotes Superintendent White informing but not consulting the school community as follows: “We are excited that our district has been awarded this funding ($3.5 million) to help us begin the process of developing the reforms that are the goals of the Race to the Top program (i.e. Common Core).”  Mrs. White apparently took the “slush” fund hook, line and sinker and never looked back.

Fast forward to Friday, July 11, 2014 - the elementary and middle school grades arrive from the state that showed the Sarasota County Schools receiving mixed results. “The district received two more A's, whilemore schools earned Cs than Bs in 2014.”  It should be noted that Sarasota lost  8B-rated schools.  What is truly alarming is the silence out of Lori White’s office. Are the effects of Common Core starting to materialize?  Mrs. White, stop cowering behind your locked door and speak to the citizens of Sarasota County about these disappointing tests results.  Be a real leader and speak up!

Indeed, her school board sycophants just gave Mrs. White the highest grade possible on June 17.  Newcomer Bridget Ziegler, true to form, tried to avoid taking a stand but was ordered by the board’s attorney that she had to vote. Mrs. Ziegler fell right into line and the vote was unanimous for Sarasota’s commissar.  It seems like Don Corleone is still whispering into Bridget’s ear: “Never tell anyone outside the Family what you are thinking again.”  

Mrs. Ziegler had a golden opportunity to speak against Common Core on the Ed Channel on June 17 but refused.  Now that the results from her recent survey on Common Core are in, she is finally voicing opposition.  She gives no specifics because she has none, nor does her handler, husband Christian Ziegler.

In summary, every incumbent up for re-election this November should be tossed out of office.  Their behavior vis-à-vis Common Core has been reprehensible, and in the case of Mrs. Ziegler, embarrassing.

Where do we go from here?  One route is to consider less well known candidates running for governor like Libertarian Adrian Wyllie or Elizabeth Cuevas-Neunder, a conservative activist.

A more realistic route is to pressure Rick Scott to dump Common Core 2.0 (The Florida Sunshine State Standards).  The best way to do this is to demand that Bridget Ziegler propose a resolution calling for Florida to opt out of this national nightmare.  If she were to do this and to lobby her fellow board members vigorously Bridget would surely be elected to the board in her own right.

If she does not do this then she truly is a COMMON CORE SISTER along with Shirley Brown and Jane Goodwin.  Vote them all out.  Governor Scott will notice a successful petition since he will most likely lose this race unless he pulls the plug on Common Core 2.0 and replaces it with either the 1993 Massachusetts Liberal Arts Standards (a proven winner) or the 2009 Florida Next Generation Standards.  Charlie Crist accepted Common Core from President Obama in 2009 and took the slush fund of $700 million—these facts gives Crist a glass jaw.  Currently Crist has no fear and even has the audacity to go on an education school bus tour.

Governor Scott, meet him on that tour and unplug Common Core 2.0 on live TV. "Mr. Crist, I believe this (Common Core) belongs to you."  

Geoffrey G. Fisher is a federally designated Highly Qualified state-certified history teacher living in Southwest Florida.  He holds a bachelor's degree in History from the University of Connecticut and a master's in Public Policy from Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut.  In addition to teaching he is a former elected education official and speechwriter