Ya know, its been comical to read the reactions made by critics about our Common Core lawsuit. Of course, theres the classic think of the children! argument—made several times since yesterday—that suggests we must hate kids because were attempting to hold elected officials accountable. The board member serving as the chair at the time Common Core was rushed through, Ms. Roberts, argues we should simply move on to help the children. Others have stated that were wasting time and money by seeking justice in regards to a violation of the law. I wonder if they think the same thing about the Mark Shurtleff and John Swallow scandals? (Some of them probably do…) But the funniest response so far has been the allegation that Im spearheading this lawsuit to make a name for myself. Of course, the individual advancing this argument does not know me, let alone the work Ive done and my motives for doing it all. Its simply a intellectually bankrupt attempt to voice a pathetic objection to a legitimate legal complaint. Let me offer a bit of behind-the-scenes insight on the lawsuit (of which theres a *lot*): this was, for us, a last resort. In fact, we shelved the entire thing for two months when we discovered that there would be legislation attempting to do much of what our lawsuit seeks to do. So we waited, and deferred. That legislation (House Bill 342), however, was watered down to the point of nothingness, depriving the legislature as a whole from the opportunity to vote directly on whether the school board should start over with Common Core and follow the legally required process of consulting with the affected groups (parents, teachers, school board members, etc.). In short, the legislature punted. With the Governor and school board clearly in support of Common Core, and with the legislature out of the picture, it left only the judicial branch as an option to call a time out and ensure the law was followed. But lawsuits cost money and require access to successful, intelligent legal counsel. We had both. We knew the law had been violated, and that nobody else was going to do anything about it. Yes, Ms. Roberts, weve thought of the children. Believe me, we have. But unlike you, I dont claim to know whats in the best interests of all children in Utah, because Im not arrogant enough to do so and dont claim to know something that cant really be known; as Gary Thompson often says, parents are the experts of their children—not a person who won a political popularity contest. I only know that you and your associates failed to fulfill the legal obligations imposed upon you, and as such, find it necessary to hold you accountable. Our employees, our donors, our supporters, our attorneys, and the plaintiffs—none are doing this lightly, nor for ego. But a word of advice: be careful attempting to dismiss our allegations with talking points, slogans, and excuses. You underestimate us at your own political peril.
Posted on: Fri, 01 Aug 2014 21:29:49 +0000
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