A Thankful Heart Is the Greatest Virtue: Informed and Involved

'A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue, but the parent of all other virtues.' --Cicero

I want to start by thanking all of you for your support throughout these past 6 years for the principles that I have tried to stand for.  It was especially felt during this past legislative session with the numbers of calls, texts, and emails that were sent to our legislators.  I am grateful to all of our legislators, even those I vehemently disagree with, for taking the many hours of time and energy and the mocks and scorns of the populace that they are oath-bound to represent.  But I am even more grateful to you, the many moms and dads, everyday people, who are willing to take a little time out of your day to defend the family, protect parents' rights, and demand that parents and teacher decide what knowledge is of most worth.

I am writing to once again enlist your aid: To Run for Public Office or to Support Another Who Shares Your Principles.  You can FILE to run up to THIS THURSDAY, March 17, at the County Elections Office (in Utah County, that's in Provo).

The point of running for office is about the principles that you are willing to stand up and defend. Do you want to defend the family?  Do you want to defend individual freedom?  Do you want to support parents and teachers deciding what knowledge is of most worth to pass along to our children?  If so, you qualify.  The goal of a government 'of the people, by the people, and for the people' is that the people are the ones who are involved, overseeing it and running it.  If you haven't served as a state or county delegate, if you haven't attended a caucus meeting, if you haven't filed to run for office, think seriously about doing so.  You are who we need in the country, not those who seek office for power or glory, but who seek it to maintain freedom and liberty.  

FIRST, for school board.  Abraham Lincoln said, "The philosophy of the school room in one generation is the philosophy of the government in the next."  I would argue that who is elected to Local and State School Board positions could have a greater impact on the direction of our country than the president.  (And as the Founders understood it, it really should.)

Alpine School District, ASD4 (PG/Lindon), ASD6 (Lehi), ASD7 (East Orem).  The only incumbent seeking re-election is Scott Carlson in ASD6.  I do not believe that any office should go uncontested, and certainly, any office where those running do not share the vast majority of your principles.  If you have ever thought, "Why don't we have anyone I like running for office", that is a call to arms.  You should be running.

In our predominantly LDS culture, we are used to taking upon ourselves leadership responsibilities and rotating that responsibility around to different members of the ward family.  In a similar manner, our Founders felt that public office should be rotated around to the different community members as a sense of civic obligation and personal duty.  It was assumed that most people would be willing and able to serve 2 - 4 year terms, and then return home to their families, their farms, and their livelihoods. Politics was never supposed to be a professional occupation.  And if you've ever wondered about why we are headed in the direction that we are, I would emphatically argue it is BECAUSE average people don't run for public office.  Many years ago, William F. Buckley, paraphrasing, said that he'd rather be governed by the first 535 names in the New York Phonebook than by the members of Congress. And yet, THAT is exactly what our Founders envisioned: everday people, representing their neighbors, their families, and their friends.

Opportunities for public service are just that, opportunities for service.  Here are several that I would ask you to seriously consider.

1. Attend your party's caucus meeting on March 22.  (An excellent article on the caucus is here.)

2.Vote in the Presidential Preference Poll (this IS the presidential primary for Utah).
3. Run for State or County delegate at your precinct or support someone who shares your principles.
4. Run for Public Office yourself, unless you find someone who shares your principles.  Then campaign on their behalf.  (Money is good, but time is better.)

Some Public Offices that are up for election this year. For more information, go here.

Local:
ASD 4, 6, and 7: If you are in one of those areas, think seriously about running for office.

County:
State Senator
State House
Utah County Commission, Seat C


State:
State School Board (My specific area is not up, but half the State Board seats are.  In UT County: 11, 12, and 13)
State Attorney General
State Auditor
State Treasurer
Governor/Lt. Governor

Federal:
US House of Representatives (all seats)
US Senate (1 seat)
President/Vice-President

Most people are unaware that every two years 100% of the US House of Representatives and 33% of the US Senate are up for election.

In Utah, 100% of the State House of Representatives and 50% of the State Senate are up for election.

We, the People, have the opportunity to completely change the direction things are going every two years, or to reinforce what is being done.  And sometimes we reinforce it by our apathy.

Informed and Involved is the only way to maintain freedom.  And it isn't once every four years by voting for president.  The most important elections are those closest to you!  It is our responsibility to be informed and then to be involved.

Thomas Jefferson said, "If a nation expects to be ignorant and free,.. it expects what never was and never will be.  If we are to guard against ignorance and remain free, it is the responsibility of every American to be informed."

Attendance Policy

This Tuesday, Oct. 27 @ Deerfield Elementary (4353 West Harvey Blvd, Cedar Hills), the Board Study Session will include a discussion with Juvenile Court Judge Bazelle about the current attendance policy.  The Study Session begins at 4:00pm, and the Judge will be there at 4:30 pm.

The regular board meeting with public comment will take place at 6:00 pm.

Why should you care?  One major issue that keeps coming up from parents and taxpayers is attendance.  I have had many complaints about the strictness of our former policies, and the inconsistencies of the application of our current policy.  Some parents have sent their kids to a different school specifically because of the harshness of some of the attendance policies.  I have not had anyone complain that our attendance policies are too lax...until now.

State Law allows certain things as valid excuses: illness, death in the family, etc.  It also allows "any other excuse established as valid by a local school board, local charter board, or school district."  In our district, our policy says, "The Alpine School District Board of Education has determined that the parent or legal guardian of a student can excuse an absence for reasons they deem necessary."

At our board meeting on Sep. 22, Board Member Taylor reported that in a meeting with Judge Noonan (who oversees that Orem area), concerns were raised that our policy is working great for about 95% of our students, but there are 5% that they can't help because our policy is too lenient.  (To listen to the audio, go to http://board.alpineschools.org/2015/09/18/september-22-2015-board-meeting/, click on 'Additional Media', and the second audio file is the Board Meeting.  The report begins about 1 hour into the meeting.)

While I have found that our district policy is not being implemented as stated, that is more of an internal issue.  However, at the end of the day, we passed the attendance policy in order to support parental rights.  We do no one a service when we try to insert ourselves into the realm of the family, prematurely, where we actually do not belong. 

In other states where there has been no distinguishing between excused absences and truancy, many children have become 'collateral damage' to a system that is hoping to make sure that increased attendance is the ultimate good. But how many innocent parents and children will be harmed in the process?   http://www.nebraskafamilyforum.org/2011/12/chambers-family-in-bed-sick-at-school.html

The question I have is whether we can find a non-judicial way to help those families that may need that help, without jeopardizing the rights of the rest of our families.  Those who find themselves in extreme circumstances do not need the added concern of the County Attorney looking for reasons why they are unfit, if the only indicator is attendance.  Attendance alone, if excused by parents, is insufficient to predict negative consequences for kids in school or later life (current internet talking points notwithstanding.) 

At the end of the day, how many good families and how many parental rights are we willing to sacrifice?  Do we start with the premise that everyone is innocent until proven guilty, unless they have children in our school system?  I think the same standard needs to apply.  Can you imagine the pain and heartache in your family if you were threatened with the loss of custody of a child?  Do you believe that only the 'bad parents' are possibly at risk? The evidence shows otherwise.

Justice Dallin H. Oaks, ruled, "Family autonomy helps to assure the diversity characteristic of a free society.  There is no surer way to preserve pluralism than to allow parents maximum latitude in rearing their own children."

Parents have the fundamental right to manage their children, including their education. Until that parent has violated that trust (and it has been proven, with evidence), the state does not get 'veto' power over parents.  The laws come from We, the People, not The State.  We either value parental rights and support them, or we subject ourselves to the power of the State.  This is an important discussion for us to have.  Please join me on Tuesday!

Debate: June 2, 2010

On Wednesday, we had a debate at the Cedar Hills Golf Course. The incumbent, Chrissy Hanneman, Zonda Perry, and myself were there. It was nice to meet people and hear their thoughts.

I will put the formal debate questions here, along with my summary answers. There were other questions provided to the moderator during the debate that I won't be able to include at this time.

1. Property Taxes: need to go up, down or stay the same? Why?
--Stay the same. Times are hard. It isn't right to make people who are struggling pay more. In a situation like this, everyone needs to do more with less.

2. What is one thing ASD is doing well? What is one thing they need to improve the most?
--The teachers and families in ASD are very dedicated to education. Improve communication with and involvement from the parents.

3. Charter Schools: good or bad? Why?
--Good. I support parents having options.

4. To what extent should homeschoolers participate in public schools, including extracuricular activities?
--As much as they want. Their parents pay taxes too. They need to meet the requirements the same as everyone else.

5. What experiences prepared you to serve on ASD Board?
--I have a math degree, own my own business, have been involved in evaluating curricula for both a Charter School and for Home Schooling. I am able to find efficiencies, and, most importantly, listen to and represent the voice of the families.

6. Why are you running? What do you stand for?
--I want to take our district from good to better. I think we can do this with greater involvement from parents and more local control in the schools. I also want to focus on academics.

7. Investigations Math: is it still being taught in ASD? Is it good or bad?
--It's not supposed to be taught in ASD anymore, but there are many reports that it is still sneaking into the classroom. I, frankly, hate it. I'm a proponent of Singapore Math (also like Saxon). But, I would like to see the local schools decide, as long as there is support for the curriculum by the parents of those in that school.

8. Should ASD be spending more or less per student? Can ASD do more with less, or do they need more?
--ASD can absolutely do more with less. We all can and do. If the families who support the district have to do more with less, then the district does too.

9. Should teacher tenure be eliminated? Is tenure good or bad?
--Bad teachers have to go. Tenure, too often, stands in the way of schools being able to get rid of teachers who don't try anymore. Of course, training, support and a fair overview of a teacher is required. But, if they cannot meet the expectations of the principal, they should be given their retirement and released.

10. Should we try to measure who are the best teachers and pay them more? How?
--Yes. There should be a tangible reward for being excellent. Peer reviews could be used to determine some form of merit pay, taking in to account the difficulty of the class(es) involved, etc.

11. Is ASD doing a good job at teaching math? If so, why are so many ASD students not prepared for college work?
--No. This is a critical area in which ASD is failing. I think that Investigations wasn't a good decision. The NCTM--National Council of Teachers of Mathematics--recently revised their standards stating something to the effect that kids need to have quick recall of basic math facts. This is a dramatic departure from where they were a few years ago. This is a rejection of investigations and "investigations light" (balanced math).

12. Do Community Councils have enough automony?
--I don't think so. If you put them in charge of the Trust Funds, then they should get input from the schools, but it should be up to the SCC's to make the final decision. Otherwise, why have a Community Council make that decision?

13. Should charter schools be overseen by ASD?
--No.

14. Does ASD need a bond for new schools? Why?
--No. We can't afford it, and I'm opposed to debt, both personally, and publicly.

15. Did you vote for or against the school choice (voucher) initiative in 2007? Why?
--I voted for it. The funds were coming from the General Fund, not the Education Fund, and it provided greater choice for parents. I like parental choice.

16. What do you think of the mission statement that includes "enculturating democracy"?
--I think it's a poor motto for a school. Not only is it factually incorrect, it misplaces the proper focus of the district. I'd like to see one that focuses on academics. I'm not comfortable with the word "enculturating" as it implies to me indoctrination. Also, this country was established to be a 'republic', not a 'democracy'. We don't teach 2+2=5 and say it's close enough. Why not state 'republic'?

Thanks to Joel Wright for organizing this one and only debate. I wish there had been more debates. It is important for these concepts to be debated in public and for individuals to have input to those who seek to represent them.