The Florida Citizens Alliance Podcast

Rick and Keith Speak to Dr. Lawrence Gray about the new Florida B.E.S.T. Math Standards. What will they be like? How will it be different than Common Core Math? How will it affect teachers and how they educate our kids? Parents in the State of Florida have waited a long time for this moment. Find out EVERYTHING you need to know about the latest exciting news in the education of our kids in Florida! Dr. Lawrence Gray: https://math.umn.edu/directory/lawrence-gray Florida Citizens Alliance: https://floridacitizensalliance.com/liberty/

Often we talk about standards, but why are they so important and what should we look for? Mark Bauerlein joins Rick and Keith on the podcast! He is an English professor at Emory University and senior editor of First Things journal. There is exciting news about the new standards in Florida, but what should we be looking for and what will be the best for our kids? Find out more on today's show. Mark Bauerlein: http://english.emory.edu/home/people/faculty/faculty_pages/bauerlein%20emeriti.html Florida Citizens Alliance Website:https://floridacitizensalliance.com/liberty/  

When A Government Entity interacts with our children, we must know and understand what is happening. Rick and Keith speak with Erin Grall, Florida State Representative from District 54, about The Parents Bill Of Rights. They discuss why this is such an important bill moving through the House and Senate this legislative session. They talk about the details and how you can get involved in helping promote parental involvement and how we can bring families back to the center of decision making. HB 1059 : http://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2020/1059/ByCategory Rep. Erin Grall: https://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Representatives/details.aspx?MemberId=4637&LegislativeTermId=87    

The health of our kids is vitally important, both mental and physical. Rick and Keith speak with Bonnie Bee from The Mustard Seed Ranch of Florida. They work to foster positive mentoring relationships with youth that are in need of support. The purpose of each interaction will be to encourage the development of healthy self-esteem, self-respect and decision-making tools. Learn more about this great endeavor and how you can help. Visit Their Website - https://www.tmsrf.org/ Visit The FLCA Website - https://floridacitizensalliance.com/liberty/

Rick and Keith have been following the Parental Consent Bill on Abortion in Tallahassee with great interest. The concern is that too many people are not following what specifically is happening at the moment. Anthony Verdugo is with The Christian Family Coalition of Florida and he joins the podcast to discuss in detail what this bill is all about. Our children have to be held closely and carefully before the age of maturity. So why is there such pushback against parental consent before having an abortion? Who are the forces fighting this common-sense legislation? Find out on today's show. Christian Family Coalition of Florida "The Christian Family Coalition works to introduce pro-family legislation at the state and local levels of government. We inform and educate citizens on where candidates stand on the issues that affect the traditional family unit." Follow HB 265  

Rick and Keith are joined by Steve Vernon, an FLCA board member, to catch up on some of the bills in Tallahassee. The first is HJR 157 which is about term limits for school board members. Next, they discuss HB 265 regarding parental consent for abortion. Also, HB 341 which talks about the study of the Bible and Religion. These are very tough and controversial bills but what exactly are the details and how good a chance do they have of passing? Follow These Bills HJR 157 HB 265 HB 341

Rick welcomes Florida State Representative Bob Rommel to the podcast to talk about the Electoral College. There has been a discussion as of late to have a National Popular Vote to control the Presidential election. Is it a fair process? What would the founders think? They go into great detail about this debate and what Florida is doing to shore up election integrity on today's episode.   Learn more about Bob Rommel Florida Citizens Alliance From Archives.Gov: "The Electoral College is a process, not a place. The founding fathers established it in the Constitution as a compromise between election of the President by a vote in Congress and election of the President by a popular vote of qualified citizens. The Electoral College process consists of the selection of the electors, the meeting of the electors where they vote for President and Vice President, and the counting of the electoral votes by Congress. The Electoral College consists of 538 electors. A majority of 270 electoral votes is required to elect the President. Your state's entitled allotment of electors equals the number of members in its Congressional delegation: one for each member in the House of Representatives plus two for your Senators. Read more about the allocation of electoral votes. Under the 23rd Amendment of the Constitution, the District of Columbia is allocated 3 electors and treated like a state for purposes of the Electoral College. For this reason, in the following discussion, the word “state” also refers to the District of Columbia. Each candidate running for President in your state has his or her own group of electors. The electors are generally chosen by the candidate's political party, but state laws vary on how the electors are selected and what their responsibilities are. Read more about the qualifications of the Electors and restrictions on who the Electors may vote for. The presidential election is held every four years on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November. You help choose your state's electors when you vote for President because when you vote for your candidate you are actually voting for your candidate's electors."  

It seems like many people talk about Standard Reform in our schools, but have a hard time understanding the details. Rick welcomes Ted Rebarber to the podcast. He is the CEO of AccountabilityWorks. They discuss how well-designed accountability and assessment systems are vital to raising student achievement and ensuring that all students receive the benefit of a high-quality education. What can standards reform really accomplish? What can we hope for with true reform? Learn how Common Core has truly affected our students and what we can do to remedy the situation on today's episode.   AccountabilityWorks   Theodor Rebarber, CEO trebarber@accountabilityworks.org Theodor Rebarber is CEO and founder of AccountabilityWorks. Before that, he was co-founder and chief education officer of a charter school management company that achieved high test score gains with disadvantaged students. Previously, Rebarber developed and passed standards and charter schools legislation as a legislative director in Congress, managed test development at a system of privately-managed public schools, developed policy on standards-based reform at the U.S. Department of Education, and researched education policy at the Vanderbilt Institute for Public Policy Studies (VIPPS).               

This is a topic that Rick and Keith are incredibly passionate about. It's The Hope Scholarship. We all want the best learning experience for our children, but what if they are being harassed or bullied? More than 50,000 students are subject to what we call bullying! Beginning with the 2018-2019 school year, a student enrolled in a Florida public school in kindergarten through grade 12 who has been subjected to an incident of battery; harassment; hazing; bullying; kidnapping; physical attack; robbery; sexual offenses, harassment, assault, or battery; threat or intimidation; or fighting at school the opportunity to transfer to another public school with capacity or enroll in an approved private school under the Hope Scholarship. Find out what steps you need to take on today's episode.   The Hope Scholarship   Hector Manley sex abuse case, Collier schools' response angers parents From the article: Parents interviewed had little to no knowledge of the Manley case; a few had heard about it, and only from media coverage. “It's not right,” Raina Antonio-Jose said in Spanish as she walked her child home from school last spring. “They should have informed the parents so that we are aware of what is going on with our kids at the school.”  Antonio-Jose heard about Manley's arrest on a Facebook post linking to an article about him. “The school did not tell me anything,” Antonio-Jose said. Parents at Parkside Elementary School say they feel in the dark because of the lack of communication from the school district about a sexual abuse case.      

Things are beginning to accelerate leading into the 2020 Legislative Session! Rick and Keith have 29 meetings in Tallahassee working for you! They talk about 5 important issues facing teachers and parents, including the Governors' teacher pay raise, The Hope Scholarship, Novel content in school media centers, the DOE listening tours, and the AIR assessment on Common Core. Find out more about these critical issues and how YOU can help FLCA today on today's episode!   Florida Standards Listening Tour Florida Standards Review Info The Hope Scholarship

It's not the teachers, it's the unions! Rick and Keith welcome Rebecca Friedrichs to the podcast. She is a twenty-eight-year public school teacher who formed "For Kids And Country". It is a national movement of parents, teachers, students, faith leaders, and citizens uniting to restore our schools and culture. She talks about how the teachers' unions are the ones who have destroyed our schools and American values. Learn about how, by overpowering the teaching profession, state and national unions have transformed our schools. What exactly is happening and what can parents and teachers do to stop this? Find out on today's episode of The Florida Citizens Alliance Podcast!   For Kids And Country Buy "Standing Up To Goliath"

The season is ramping up towards the Legislative Session in Tallahassee, and sometimes people don't realize that the legislative season is almost all year round. Rick and Keith talk about the importance of Legislative Delegation Meetings. By Law, all of the legislators of each county have to come together and have a formal hearing. Along with the help of 3 of Florida Citizens Alliance volunteers, they describe the process of these meetings in detail. How can you get involved? What is the procedure and how can you address these legislators on behalf of FLCA? Learn the details of this very important process and how you can help on today's episode!  

Many people do not realize this, but the work of the Legislature starts long before they convene in Tallahassee! Rick and Keith talk about the beginning of committee week and what it means to the process. Together, they bring up the importance of our elected officials to hear from you before session begins. Plus, they lay out the 8 issues on the FLCA Legislative Agenda, including standards, school choice, bullying, school safety, instructional materials and much more. Learn the details of their agenda and how you can help to ensure the State of Florida succeeds in providing a World Class Education to our students! 2020 Legislative Agenda Support Governor DeSantis' Executive Order 19-32 to write world-class standards and adopt aligned curriculum. These distinctively Florida standards and curriculum will focus on teaching the academic basics of reading, writing, math and civics while eliminating Social-Emotional Learning. Expand parental choice options and eligibility for the Gardiner, Hope, Tax Credit and Family Empowerment Scholarships. Make public schools safe for every child. Improve the legal definition of Instructional Materials used in public schools as textbooks and online, supplemental and library materials. Strengthen Florida's statutes to protect minors in our schools from exposure to pornographic material. Our children must be legally protected from harmful materials. Incentivize failing school districts to adopt alternative models such as proven IDEA schools and Hillsdale's Barney program. Advocate for alternate authorizers of K-12 public schools. Align teacher certification with Florida's new world-class standards and curriculum.

Rick and Keith had a chance to visit with Florida state legislators and talk about education at the Christian Family Coalition Family Legislative Breakfast in Doral. It was an exciting and informative day! Together, they had a chance to speak with Florida State Senator Dennis Baxley, Florida State Rep. Ana Maria Rodriguez and Dr. Karen Gushta about the upcoming legislative session and some of the important educational issues we face. Plus, one Florida teacher has a surprising start to the new school year for his kids!  Park Vista Community High School teacher sings a song to help shake first day jitters Learn More About FLCA  

Rick and Keith felt it was so important that parents realize the Florida educational scholarships available that they decided to spend a full episode on it! They talk to Drew Steele from 92.5 Fox News radio in Fort Myers and Naples. Together, they discuss some major changes in the reading curriculum that the Governor announced recently. Do you know about the Gardiner Scholarship? Did you hear about the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship / Family Empowerment Scholarship? How about The Hope Scholarship? These are all available to you right now and can be a tremendous help for Florida families. Find out all about them on today's episode.   The Florida Citizens Alliance

Rick and Keith begin the podcast by talking about some amazing events coming up in education that you won't want to miss! Plus, they discuss an inspiring story from Dan Bongino. He is a former Secret Service agent, Fox News contributor, and host of "The Dan Bongino Show". He talks about how educational choice in his life allowed him to be where he is today. It's an incredible story that will explain more why choice in education is so critical today. Also, Keith updates us on Florida Educational Scholarships that you may not know about! It's all on today's episode.   Get Tickets to See Dan Bongino Step Up For Students

When it comes to education, is there an unhealthy obsession with standards? Mark Bauerlein joins Rick and Keith on the podcast! He is an English professor at Emory University and senior editor of First Things journal. Together, they talk about how progressive ideas came into education and became institutionalized in our public schools. It led to the deterioration of student learning. Why was a particular common core standard supported by the professor never included in the education system? They discuss the importance of teachers focusing on ELA and how students can thrive with the right reading curriculum. It's an incredible dive into school standards on today's episode! Learn More About Mark Bauerlein Buy "The Dumbest Generation"

We begin this week's episode with an update on Mason Classical Academy in Naples and the battle with the Collier County School Board.  Joining the podcast this week is Marion County Superintendent Dr. Heidi Maier.  We touch on a number of subjects ranging from embracing the Florida state motto "In God We Trust" in her schools, the details of Pathway A and how Marion County adopted their own curriculum, which has become extremely successful in a short amount of time.  Dr. Maier discusses the importance of supporting the county's teachers while the changes were implemented.  A fascinating discussion with a true trailblazer in our state.       Learn more about Dr.Heidi Maier

Across the country, there is a battle going on over Charter Schools. What is a Charter School and why are there certain individuals and groups who want to see them go away? Kelly Lichter joins Rick and Keith on today's podcast. She is the founder of Mason Classical Academy in Naples and she knows first hand about the battles that are being fought over charter schools. Mason Classical is the Number 1 public school in the county and one of the highest performing Charter Schools in the state. So why does the Collier Country Public Schools want their charter pulled? Kelly describes in detail the issues with the district and the facts behind their investigation on this very important episode of The Florida Citizens Alliance Podcast!   Learn more about MCA Florida Citizens Alliance

Have you heard about Social Emotional Learning? Well, it's been around for a while, but now it is getting repackaged. Why should you be concerned? Dr. Karen Effrem is with Education Liberty Watch and she joins the show.  Together, they talk about how social-emotional learning (SEL) should not be part of the new standards, despite the effort to make it so. How is it being presented now? Are Common Core and SEL linked? SEL would further erode the fundamental right of parents to control the education and upbringing of their children due to unjustified expansion of the schools beyond their basic mission of academics. Learn more about SEL plus an exciting announcement all on today's podcast! An Evening With Dan Bongino Read the White Page Summary How Common Core and SEL are already tightly linked Meet ‘Social-Emotional Learning': New Education Fad, Same As The Old Fads    

Most people are concerned about standards, but many are just barely acquainted with the nuts and bolts of the process of writing standards and their application to a K-12 classroom. Dr. Lawrence Gray joins the podcast. He, along with others, wrote the Math K-12 standards in Minnesota beginning in 2007. He noticed a gap in education taking place in High Schools and what students needed by the time they entered college. He was able to develop standards that helped to close the gap and realize student potential. What's it like to write and implement them, and what results we can expect from high-quality standards? Could these same standards be implemented in Florida? Can these standards get away from the issues regarding textbooks in our schools? Learn about and read more from Dr. Gray's work and what he used to model all their standards on today's episode.   “Lessons learned in creating quality Math Standards” “Frequently Asked Questions about MN Standards”    

We hear about standards in education all the time but what do they really mean? What is the difference between skill standards and content standards? Sandra Stotsky joins the podcast! She is a nationally known advocate of standards-based reform and strong academic standards and assessments for students and teachers. Her research ranges from the quality of state standards, teacher preparation programs, and teacher licensure tests to the strength of English curricula. Together, they talk about the "Massachusetts Miracle" that had major positive results in the state. What are "good" standards and why are they so important? How can these standards help to bring major change to the state of Florida? Find out on today's episode!  Learn more about Sandra Stotsky Florida Citizens Alliance

It's graduation season and Rick and Keith talk about the many things there are to celebrate! They start with a student in Hillsborough County who scored the highest GPA the district has ever seen! A great accomplishment indeed! Keith talks about the latest on the Common Core Replacement Initiative. There have been some positive moves that are exciting for our parents and students! Plus, the latest on charter schools and oversight, fantastic news on the "Spring Challenge" fundraising objective and an Alligator looking for an education? Find out more on today's episode of The Florida Citizens Alliance Podcast! Learn more about the FLCA

Rick and Keith talk about some of the great that's being done in the state. But how are things going in specific districts with regards to textbooks? Ed Wilson has been working with FLCA in Marion County and he joins the podcast. Ed talks about how he uses the FLCA's Florida Curriculum Assessment each year to get legislators to pay attention to what's happening in the state. Questionable material in lesson plans and textbooks have shown up in many districts across the state. Recently, he had a chance to present his findings to the Marion County School Board. He talks about the board pushed back on the assessment and how it's a fight that's not uncommon. Legislators and board members need to be aware of state laws so as not to be in violation of it. How can you help in your community? Find out on today's episode. Learn More About FLCA  

Our kids are using textbooks each day Do you know everything that's in it? Would it surprise you to find out that some have highly objectionable material including pornography? Rick and Keith have a conversation with Ham Boone. He has been very active with many of the goals of the FLCA and has done an assessment of school textbooks. He talks about some of the shocking details in our books in the state and the reaction of his school board when it was brought to their attention. The answer may surprise you! How prevalent is this in the state of Florida? What do you if you find questionable material in your child's textbooks? Find out the details on today's episode of the Florida Citizens Alliance Podcast!   Learn More About FLCA

On today's podcast, Rick gives us his thoughts on the end of the legislative session in Tallahassee. How did we do in securing wins for students, parents and teachers through policies that will change the educational landscape? Plus, Domine Clemons joins Rick on the show! She is an FLCA intern and a student at Hillsdale College. She had a chance to intern in Washington for the Department of Education and Secretary Betsy DeVos. What did her time in D.C. tell her about what is happening at the federal level with education? Did the politics change her thoughts about what is possible to create real change? Find out on today's episode of The Florida Citizens Alliance Podcast! Major new research on school safety Corcoran Applauds DeSantis On Historic Year FIND OUT MORE ABOUT FLCA

Rick welcomes Keith back to the show! While away in Finland, Norway and Sweden, he had a chance to see first hand some the things that are beginning to creep into our country. His experience there will shock and surprise! Next, they talk about the latest bills they are following in the Florida Legislature. Particularly, Senate Bill 7070 and The Tax Credit Scholarship. It's critical that we bring competition into education to allow for students and families to have the best choices available. The other bill they are supporting is the School Safety Bill. It has passed the Senate and in final read in the House. Will the Governor sign? The commission that worked on school safety did an incredible job. Plus, Rick talks about a great opinion piece by Ron Mattis from Step up for Students. It talks about some of the myths about School Choice. Send FLCA your Feedback Take The Common Core Survey  

Florida Citizens Alliance is all about success and solutions, helping kids be the best they can be. Pastor Rick talks about 3 stories in particular that you need to hear. First, Rick talks about a Florida teenager, Jacob Harrison, that scored a perfect 1600 on his SAT! Wait till you hear what percentage of all students that is! Next, Rick talks about Common Core and an interesting article about the latest outcomes. Unfortunately, they are not good. Then he talks about an inspirational visit by Governor DeSantis to a Charter School in Tampa. It shows how the FTCS (Florida Tax Credit Scholarship) is truly working in the state and making a big impact in our communities. Get ready to be inspired by today's edition of The Florida Citizens Alliance Podcast!   Take The Common Core Survey  Learn More About FLCA

There is a lot of movement on school choice in Florida. One of the topics that often get overlooked is the issue of parental choice. Rick speaks with Ryan Kennedy on the issue. He is an intern with FLCA and is currently writing a paper on the topic at FGCU. Some of the numbers that Ryan has discovered are astounding. He answers many of the questions that people have been asking about. Are parents engaged when it comes to educating their children? Do they know enough to make the right choice for their kids? What about in our poorest neighborhoods? Parents need the opportunity to choose the school that suits their child best so their child has the best opportunity to learn. Get ready for an enlightening conversation on today's episode of The Florida Citizens Alliance Podcast!   Learn More About Florida Citizens Alliance

Back in January of 2019, Florida Citizens Alliance hosted an event with 4 experts in education. The event was called " A More Perfect Union: Liberty And Learning". These experts gave their perspective on K-12 education today. The guests included Lary Arnn, President of Hillsdale College, Erika Donalds from School Choice Movement, Neal McCluskey of The Cato Institute and Bob McClure from The James Madison Institute. Together, they discussed the critical steps needed to ensure quality education. Why is Florida considered to be the single most important state in the country when it comes to public policy and politics? It places a heavy burden on the state to craft education reform that can be an example to other states in the nation. What does that type of reform look like? Find out on today's podcast! Learn More About Hillsdale College https://www.hillsdale.edu/ Learn More About School Choice Movement https://schoolchoicemovement.org/ Learn More About Cato https://www.cato.org/ Learn More About James Madison Institute https://www.jamesmadison.org/    

On today's show, we get an update on the HB855/SB1454 Instructional Materials Bill. Rick and Keith go on to explain the process as it stands today and the current status. Rep. Mike Hill is the sponsor of the bill and he asked Rick and Keith to join him in Tallahassee to be present in the committee room for support. Unfortunately, the bill was changed from its original form. They discuss the changes and what happens next. Keith talks about the 9 separate bills that FLCA is supporting this session. How can you help support them? Plus some great news for students! It's the Florida Citizens Alliance Spring Challenge! Find out more about how you can get involved and learn more about this exciting opportunity on this episode of the Florida Citizens Alliance Podcast! Get More Info On The House Bill Get More Info On The Senate Bill Find out more about the Spring Challenge http://floridacitizensalliance.com/liberty/  

Rick and Keith are joined by Florida Citizens Alliance Board Member Steve Vernon. Mr. Vernon talks about his latest trip to Tallahassee and the effort to receive co-sponsors on House Bill 855, Instructional Materials. The goal was to receive sponsors from the House and the Senate which was successful. Together, they discuss the Bills that the Florida Citizens Alliance is working to fix. They also work on explaining the process and effort that it takes to get Bills fixed.   Check out Steve Vernon's Bio http://floridacitizensalliance.com/liberty/steve-vernon/   Learn more about House Bill 855 https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2019/855   Email us at info@goflca.com

When we send our children to school we tell them to pay attention to their surroundings.  Rick and Keith talk about the need for instructional materials to be the best in the nation to help Florida's youth be the best they can be.    With that in mind, In 2017, they helped write the original bill that focused on people having the opportunity to view the materials children were subjected to in the classroom.    Since the bill was passed,  62 out of 67 counties have ignored the law and haven't implemented it at all!  But why? We are now working on a companion bill that will fix the holes with this issue. We need to have a clear level of standards for classroom materials.       Objectionable Materials Curriculum Report   Learn everything about us at our website.   

What is Common Core? The FLCA has always viewed Common Core as a system that needs to change. It's a problem with standards, curriculum, and assessments. Rick and Keith talk about the Florida Governors announcement to end Common Core in the state. They take you back to the days when bringing up Common Core to politicians was toxic. So how do we get rid of it? There are many areas that need to be addressed, including textbook manufacturers and teaching criteria. Find out all the details about Common Core on today's show and please take the FLCA Ending Common Core survey at the link below.   What does it mean to get rid of Common Core and what replaces it?  (FLCA Train Meme)   More about ending Common Core   Take the ending Common Core Survey

In this episode  you'll hear an excerpt from Florida Citizens Alliance's (FLCA) "Liberty & Learning - A More Perfect Union" event (held January 16, 2019, in Naples, FL), Keith Flaugh (Founding Director of FLCA) discusses the state of Florida's educational system today, and why it's such a critical topic. Keith, Rick and a panel of leading education experts including Larry Arnn (president of Hillsdale College), Erika Donalds (School Choice advocate with optimaed.org), Neil McCluskey (director of Cato's Center for Educational Freedom), and Dr. Robert McClure (president and CEO of James Madison Institute) provide additional insights into the state of Florida's education system. Florida narrowly escaped electing a socialist Governor in the 2018 elections (a mere 33,000 votes out of the 8 million who voted made the difference). The 4 million who did not vote for Governor DeSantis voted for socialism, sanctuary cities, abortion on demand, and a 40% tax increase on small businesses. Why is that? FLCA believes strongly that it's our education system. We've had 2 generations of kids who are now TEACHING our kids that have come out of liberal colleges. Keith shares information that shows how Florida's students are consistently performing poorly academically when compared to the rest of the country. He cites examples of woefully inappropriate instructional materials that are used in many of Florida's public schools. These materials contain rampant obscenity, pornography, religious indoctrination, political indoctrination and more. It's time to stand up and put a stop to it before it's too late.

Welcome to the Florida Citizens Alliance Podcast! Your hosts Rick Stevens and Keith Flaugh talk about the reasons why they started FLCA. The establishment education system is failing America's students academically, civically and morally. Florida children are being indoctrinated in a public-school system that undermines their individual rights and destroys our founding principles and family values. They believe that through legislative action, factual and unbiased research, county-based reform groups and insightful online content, we can provide common-sense solutions for improving K-12 education in Florida. Learn how innovation, free market competition, and parental choice can help our kids achieve academic excellence and principled civic awareness. Find out more about FLCA