The PUBLIC & Stenhouse submit testimony OVERWHELMINGLY in support of bill to repeal RIDE’s curricula mandate powers
The Ocean State Current has obtained the testimony below, as submitted earlier today by Mike Stenhouse from the RI Center for Freedom & Prosperity …
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March 23, 2023
TO: House Committee on Education
FROM: Mike Stenhouse, CEO, RI Center for Freedom & Prosperity
SUBJCET: My testimony & the Public’s testimony in support of H5498
Parents and the public overwhelmingly support this legislation. On the following pages you will find over 100 personal remarks (as of 11 AM today) from most of the 125+ citizens who submitted written testimony to your committee via an online tool provided by my organization … all in just the past 3 days.
These concerned citizens are universally in support of this bill (H5498), which would simply repeal the related 2019 enabling legislation, and return curricula decisions to local school districts and communities.
At this link, is an updated compilation of such testimony, including those submitted after 11 AM this morning.
At this link, you can view comments from, and the names and cities/towns of, the over 250 Rhode Islanders who previously signed an e-petition in support of H5498.
Speaking for myself, as a proud graduate of Cranston HS East and with a degree in Economics from Harvard University, I am grateful for the quality public school education I received – straightforward, based on fact, and unbiased.
However, since the General Assembly in 2019 granted authority to the RI Department of Education to develop and mandate curricula to every school district, the quality of a public school education has suffered greatly and is certain to continue to shortchange students and teachers … even more so if this bill is not passed.
As just one example, the 52-page February report issued by our RI Center for Freedom & Prosperity – in partnership with the National Association of Scholars – (Taken for a RIDE), highlighted the overly-politicized, inaccurate, divisive, and unprofessional standards that RIDE has developed when it comes to standards for future social studies curricula. We also know that similar inappropriate curricula are being pushed by RIDE when it comes to English and Sex Ed.
In my view, RIDE and its Commissioner, Angelica Infante-Green, have proven to be wholly ineffective, irresponsible, and unworthy of the authority granted to it by state lawmakers. RIDE has continually sought to infuse agenda-driven and controversial political theories into K-12 curricula … and to infringe on parental rights and on the authority of locally-elected school committee members.
RIDE should develop and recommend curricula standards, but they should not be able to mandate, force, or coerce local school districts to adopt them.
For these reasons, along with the hundreds of submitted written pieces of testimony, summarized below, I ask you to reverse course from 2019 and to return curricula decisions to local school districts and communities.
Below are pages of the personal remarks from the more than 125 people who submitted written testimony in support of H5498:
| Please return local control to our communities! Having been a very involved parent, school committee member and friend of yea hers, I understand how much this bill is needed. Please support it so those on the front lines can respond to what they see firsthand related to students needs and response to curricula. |
| I support bill H5498, the state should not mandate curriculum to towns.
Catherine A Bay |
| I support this. |
| As a retired elementary teacher, with 30 years experience, plus 12 years as a RIC Supervisor, I must strongly urge the passage of legislation to overturn the 2019 RIDE Bill. Karen Kent |
| Jaclyn Ornazian
I am submitting my testimony in support of house bill NO 5498 an act relating to Education Curriculum. |
| I am writing to ask that you repeal H5498 in order to return authority to local school districts the power to write and control curriculum. As a state certified teacher with many years of experience teaching at the middle and high school level, I want to share that academic standards have dropped in favor of politicized curricula that push a radical ideology. I am totally in support of teaching history, warts and all, but am not in favor of creating activists rather than civic participants. |
| I support bill H5498. Since 2019 our schools have suffered a downward trajectory by teaching radical activism instead of concentrating on the mission of our schools, which is: To prepare our children with the tools to be successful in adulthood. For far too long, social justice activism has replaced the de-emphasis on math, reading, and technical skills. We see the results every day in our youth. The inability to use critical thinking and logic have spiraled our test scores downward. Please vote for this bill to save our future. |
| I firmly support House Bill H5498 to repeal that 2019 law because I believe such over-reach is unconstitutional and usurps cities and towns of their rightful obligations to care for their constituents. I am also opposed to twisting young people’s minds with this ‘CRT’ style power grab. |
| Support H5498 |
| The rights of parents and their locally elected officials should not be infringed upon or usurped by any other individual or organization/entity. |
| The state should not dictate curriculum to individual districts. Return the curriculum decisions to the districts!! |
| Please reverse the General Assembly’s 2019 decision to allow the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) to develop curricula for various subjects to every school district in the state. It removed the authority from Cranston and from all local school districts and, instead, granted near-absolute power to RIDE to dictate what is taught to our children. RIDE and its Commissioner, Angelica Infante-Green, have proven to be wholly ineffective, irresponsible, and unworthy of the authority granted to it by state lawmakers. RIDE has continually sought to infuse controversial political theories into K-12 curricula and to infringe on parental rights and on the authority of locally-elected school committee members. |
| I am asking that you support House Bill 5498. Our state is not a one size fits all state nor should the education be. We need to bring the power back to the local city and towns to figure out what is best for their community. Parent and citizens of the area should have more input. Infante Green has not improve our schools and it’s time we as the people make this great change to provide our youth a better brighter future than the part laid out currently. Please pass this Bill so we can start to fix what is broken in our state. |
| I am in support of House Bill H5498. The Rhode Island General Assembly should repeal the establishment of statewide academic standards for core subjects and the implementation into the curriculum of all public schools. |
| There needs to be less regulations on the state level and leave it to local government. Too much control at the state level will result in is less equity as more people will continue to pull their children out of public schools and those who can’t afford to do so will be left without any other options. |
| Please support Bill 5498. It is imperative that we get the power back to our local elected officials regarding our children’s education. Their safety and futures depend on it. Thank you. |
| I support this bill |
| Please stop poisoning our children. Our education system in this state is flawed on so many levels. Please do not continue to ruin every single thing you can possibly control in this little stupid state. You are destroying children’s futures. Stay out of it since you cannot manage what you already do sadly control. |
| Please overturn this very dangerous 2019 bill and give the educational decisions back to the individual cities and towns. Every child is different, every town is different and a one-size-fits-all curricula that is mandated by the state is not the way to improve public education. How many years is it going to take for RIDE to realize that RI’s public education is failing? Stop blaming Covid, that excuse is no longer valid. The system has been declining for years, Covid clearly uncovered the truth and made learning and teaching more difficult for students and educators, but Covid also created an opportunity to realize the failures and change course before we have an entire generation that can’t read, write or think. “Teach kids how to think, not what to think” is one of the most powerful statements. One only has to look at the reading and math scores to know we are setting our kids up for failure. Please pass H5498 and give our kids the opportunity to be successful, productive adults. |
| Good Morning, I’m am a resident of West Warwick, RI and a mom of 3 (soon to be 4). I am absolutely disgusted by the education system RI is now offering to our children. Instead of focusing on the fundamentals of math, reading, and other vital subjects, RI under Angelica Infante-Green is forcing the schools to teach radical gender theory, radical sex ed, radical race theory that pits races against each other. Many parents have no choice but to send our kids to these deplorable schools. Now RIDE wants to convert schools into 24 hour hubs so kids can defy their parents guidance. OUR CHILDREN DO NOT BELONG TO YOU!!! We need to decentralize our education and actually put people who in charge who aren’t radical and can actually teach our children how to function in society and not be activists. Pass House bill H5498 and repeal this law. Our children deserve SO MUCH MORE than what you are wasting our tax dollars on.Thank you, Shannon Randall 46 Pine St West Warwick, RI 02893 |
| Mandates from RIDE, while their intentions may be admirable, often are out of sync with what the local School Committees see as their priority areas. RIDE should be advisory not compulsory. |
| My name is Mary Alice h o u l e I am writing to support house bill 54 98 t o overturn a law that gives r i d e the power to develop mandated curricula and remove Authority from local school districts. |
| The books that are being proposed for our children are straight porn and disgusting! |
| Hello Representatives, Please support H5498 as I believe education decisions should be made at the local level. |
| I Support House Bill 5498. |
| please return school control to our local elected officials. |
| I am writing to offer my strong support for H5498. Back in 2019, virtually all curriculum approval responsibilities were stripped from the people and their elected representatives; local school committees. These responsibilities were consolidated into the hands of one unelected official, the commissioner of education, which soon thereafter became Angelica Infante-Green. Since that time, the performance of Rhode Island students has been abysmal. Opponents of this bill would have you believe that Covid was the reason for poor performance, but that would be untrue. Proficiency of Rhode Island students still has not caught up to pre-Covid performance. It is wrong and harmful to take power away from the people under any circumstances and consolidate it into a non-elected body, or person. This current law must be repealed as soon as possible, and curriculum approval authority, returned to the people, where it belongs. I strongly urge support of H5498. |
| I am in support of house bill no.5498 |
| Parental rights should override any government officials. Trying to take over the concerns of any parent and change a childs sexuality without input of loved ones and those who have custody is absurd. |
| RIDE is a bureaucratic organization that is intent on destroying not only our nation’s history but the education of our children. The Education Commissioner, Angelica Infante-Green is completely irresponsible in her role as commissioner. Her demonstration as commissioner is a sorry one and has not moved the RI schools forward. This bill needs to be repealed. Thank you. |
| I am writing in support of bill 5498 the committee should repeal this act for education of our children . Local school departments should set curriculum for their students not RIDE |
| I am in support of house bill no. 5498 |
| The further the decision-making process for education is removed from the family, where it belongs, the less accountability and more outside political agendas intervene. Educational decisions should remain as local as possible. Thank you. |
| Local School Boards are giving authority under Title 16 to identify educational needs in the community. And define goals and objectives of the school system And to establish policies governing curriculum ,courses of instruction and textbooks . RIDE in establishing mandatory curriculum overrides any and all local control and renders the local authority null and void in making educational decisions for their community |
| I am in support of house bill no. 5498 |
| Decisions regarding curriculum should be under local control with parental input heard and respected. |
| Hello Members of House Committee, I Adriana Bonilla , I am submitting testimony in support of House Bill No. 5498 AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION — CURRICULUM.The Rhode Island General Assembly should repeal the establishment of statewide academic standards for core subjects and the implementation into the curriculum of all public schools. Please vote to move this critical piece of legislation out of committee.It is concerning to me to read RIDE is openly planning to tear-apart families, by converting school buildings into 24-hour service centers for students they successfully “emancipate” from their own parents. That alone should be concerning and bring you the representative to support this bill.Best Regards , Adriana Bonilla |
| I am in support of house bill no. 5498 |
| Keep curriculum in the hands of local school committees. State driven agenda will not be accountable to parents. I have seen examples of RIDE mandates and they are counterproductive. |
| RIDE has proven itself an utter failure as Rhode Island spirals further and further into academic oblivion. It’s time to remove control from the hands of people more interested in promoting bogus sex-education than formal education on minors. |
| The Rhode Island General Assembly should repeal the establishment of statewide academic standards for core subjects and the implementation into the curriculum of all public schools. Please vote to move this critical piece of legislation out of committee. |
| I am in support of house bill no. 5498 |
| Warwick school curriculum clearly shows that World history is to focus on colonialism, socialism, perceived iniquities and class warfare. Explicitly asking students whether or not violent activism is effective is indoctrinating students and encouraging violence. D-day is not taught, but students are asked to formulate whether or not American interventionism in WWII was necessary. Last I checked, defeating the Axis of Evil has given progressives the freedom to burn down cities across the country and also preserved our freedoms. Millions of American MEN died for freedom, yet they are viewed as part of the patriarchy that is “oppressive” to the perceived proletariat. While test scores are falling and students are being dumbed down, students are to be successfully emancipated from their parents and made a product of a fascist school system. I support House bill H5498. |
| I am in support if house bill no. 5498 |
| My name is Joseph Evans, and I am on behalf of my support of House Bill No. 5498 AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION — CURRICULUM. As with too many other things, our state’s government has utterly, miserably failed us, the people of RI, in their takeover of our public education system. Since RIDE has taken over our failing public school system, things have only sunken worse for our children. Central Falls has nearly 0% of children who can perform math at their respective grade levels. How does this happen? How does it get so much worse in only 4 years? It’s time to restore some autonomy to the local municipalities and their respective communities to solve these severe problems in their kids’ education and for government to return to the only thing it’s proven to be good for, being detached from local problems and keeping to themselves in their ivory towers looking down on the rest of us. So far all we have to show for RIDE’s disastrous takeover are students who know how to protest but not actually think for themselves. We need critical thinkers in order to keep our society going. NOT critical feelers. I therefore, urge the RI General Assembly to reverse our disaster course by moving this key piece critical legislation for our future survival out of committee. Thank you. |
| I am in full support of this bill!! |
| Hello, my name is Melanie Moe I am submitting testimony in support of House Bill No. 5498 AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION — CURRICULUM. The Rhode Island General Assembly should repeal the establishment of statewide academic standards for core subjects and the implementation into the curriculum of all public schools. Please vote to move this critical piece of legislation out of committee. |
| I support house bill number 5498 |
| As a highly educated, college graduate, working-class, Catholic parent and Cranston resident, I find it disgusting, the level of this nonsense RIDE are trying to pollute the public schools with. It will lead to a continued mass exodus of public schools in this state. I am so close to pulling my child from school and many of my colleagues have in favor of Catholic schools. It is up to the parents to teach their children the proper morals and any over sexualized content in health class for younger and younger children is not welcome. Focus on getting them not to vape or drink and a healthy diet with physical fitness (which prevents CoViD by the way, so while you’re at it, stop preaching about fake mrna gene therapy injections that are not vaccines) I urge you to support HB5496 and require RIDE to focus on the core subjects of math, reading and writing. What happened to music…? If and only if you can succeed at the core subjects than teaching actual history and tradition are more than welcome. But, spare us the Marxist bs you are trying to pass off as learning. You will not corrupt my child’s mind nor influence a future voter to adopt Marxist ideals.
Sincerely, David Spirito |
| I am submitting testimony in support of House bill 5498 an act relating to education – curriculum |
| I support bill 5498. |
| In support of this bill to Return the curriculum back their local towns |
| I am asking the RI legislators to REPEAL the 2019 law which empowered the RI Dept. of Education to overreach and dictate the “academic standards” taught to RI school children. These standards promote shaming kids based on the color of their skin, uses the classroom as a place for social experiments, exposes kids to gender fluidity at inappropriate ages and promotes an atmosphere of division between students and their parents, utilizing teachers and administrators as trusted people students can confide in relative to sensitive topics implying that these sensitive issues should not be disclosed to the parents. Schools should never take the place of parents and schools are overreaching in this regard. I as a parent, do not parent my child WITH the school system and for a school system to think they have a place in my parenting is extremely concerning to me. I support House Bill H5498 and ask that you do the same. |
| Our schools are worse off now than they were when the state stepped in. Time for the state to step back out!! |
| I have a Masters in Education. During my education, it was taught that the local community provided the curriculum for grades K-12. Did that make some schools systems better than others? The state does not control the local school system curriculum. Equity comes from the superintendents and the principles. They need to commit to the philosophy that their profession is to set curriculum based on the input from the local citizens that attend the local schools. This is what occurs in private schools and this needs to happen in public schools.
We have teachers that are highly educated, and administrators with PHD, who’s salaries reflect their educational. I support the House Bill 5498. |
| I am writing to ask you to vote to REMOVE RIDEs ability to mandate curricula to every school district in the state. A top-down, one-size-fits-all, centrally-planned power that removed authority from local school districts and, instead, granted near-absolute power to RIDE to dictate what is taught to our children is not what RI parents want or what RI students need. I ask that you return the power to determine curriculum to the local school districts. |
| I’ve worked in the school system for 22 years, having just retired. From when I started to now it’s become unrecognizable. Stress level is an all time high, for teachers, administration and students. We all know that not ever student learns the same, nor dues every teacher teach the same. Once RIDE took over with their blanket curriculum it changed the dynamics. We desperately need to return the curriculum to each school department if where ever going to see change for the better. |
| I and many of my parent and grandparent friends support H5498. I have worked in elementary education for 23 years and the curriculum has gone down hill in every area. I support this bill because it gives the school committee (voted by parents) and parents themselves to know and have a say in the curriculum taught to their children. Many have chosen to remove their children and home school due to the outrageous curriculum being taught and the “sex ed” which is totally not age appropriate. Please support this bill and give parents and individual towns the prerogative to have a voice in what their schools are teaching. |
| I urge you strongly to repeal the 2019 law that removes parental and town taxpayer influence over local school curricula! |
| The purpose of educators are to teach out children the basic education of reading and writing, social studies and mathematics in order to be competitive with other school districts across the country. Stop the indoctrination of our children with anything other than the important subjects required to move ahead in our society! |
| I Christopher Barker am submitting testimony in support of House Bill No. 5498 AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION — CURRICULUM. Rhode Island students need the state to reverse course and to support legislation – House bill H5498 – to REPEAL that 2019 law, which would return curricula decisions to local school committees, local school officials, and local parents. |
| Please support House Bill H5498 and give curriculum decisions to the local school boards so parents can have a say in what their children learn in school and the ideologies they are exposed to. |
| Please support this bill to return education control back to the local districts. |
| Please support this bill to return control of education curriculum to the local school districts. We do not support RIDE having curricula development control and mandate authority. |
| Local communities should vote on the curriculum or children building, not on the state level t PERIOD !! Get rid of that critical race theory, nonsense or I’m not gonna pay my taxes anymore |
| I SUPPORT House bill H5498 to repeal the 2019 law that removed authority from local school districts and centralized all curricula decisions with RIDE. |
| School curricula ahould be dictated at a local level. As there are different strengths and challanges in areas around the state. Just as no one person is the same, all communities/school districts are not the same. If instead of a broad brush to enact policy, we should hone in on the strengths that make each community great. With a focus on those strengths, we can create the most sutable learning environment. |
| I do not want liberals dictating what our kids are exposed to in school. Let the local school districts make up the rules, not scumbag left leaning woke state officials. Those folks are a cancer to this once great country |
| I am submitting testimony in support of House Bill No. 5498 AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION — CURRICULUM. |
| While I strongly support the proper education of our children in public schools, we must focus on that which is proven and true. A well rounded education must be one that is provided without bias or ulterior agenda such that a child can grown and develop into a reasonable, critical thinking individual who can decide for themselves that which is true. This begins at the home and as such carries to the local school system – where parental voices are essential and not at a centralized body which cannot understand those local needs and values. |
| I find it appalling that RIDE increasingly pushes inappropriate sex education of grades K-6, as well as seeks the goal to leave parents out of their children’s education. RIDE, under its current leadership and policies , has led to failing and falling student achievement across the state. It is time to give the individual school districts BACK their right to choose curriculum for students in their own districts. These are the people who know and care most about these students! |
| The teachers of each city and town know what’s best for the students. Stop this power play at the expense of our students. |
| I am asking that you support House Bill H5498 to repeal the RIDE curricula mandated to every school district in the state and return authority over school curricula decisions to the local school committees, local school officials, and local parents. Since this 2019 mandate Westerly Schools proficiency have dropped dramatically, all the while per-pupil costs have soared. I am also opposed to RIDE’s radical activism in racist social studies standards, age-inappropriate sex education, and the encouragement for students to emancipate from their own parents. |
| Cities and towns need to be in charge of their school curriculum, not state |
| It’s time to empower our local communities to work in the best interest of our children |
| Education is a great equalizer. I am OPPOSED to RIDE dictating to the various school boards around the state. I am for School Choice and the privatization of our schools. Years and years of public schools has resulted in a big mess and students being denied an equalizing education. School choice will allow parents to choose the best school for their children’s needs, and this will not come from a homogeneous curricula. The needs of students in Barrington or Cranston are very different from the needs of students in Central Falls and Providence. School boards should have the flexibility to educate as the parents of those communities see fit.
Let the victory of Governor Glenn Youngkin in very blue Virginia be a warning that parents are watching and demand their voices be heard when it comes to matters of education, whether choice of curriculum, porn in the libraries, forced vaccinations of students or mask mandates. |
| I understand that education comes at a price but of a taxpayer of Richmond since 2003 and I have a big problem with The curriculum RIDE Is pushing including topics that parents should be discussing with their kids. School is a place of learning the basics of reading, writing, math and science not pronouns, politics and promiscuity. School committee officials and parents need to be given back the power of curricula decisions for the children in the public school systems. Unfortunately the RI Department of Education is not doing their job as they have falling grades, rising costs, along with their awful immoral and perverted sex-ed that has NO PLACE in schools. Our children deserve better. We need to instill moral values and to protect our children from this type of abuse. Please give the power of educational curricula to the Parents and the local school committees and officials. |
| This bill seeks to undo a wrong. The bill passed in 2019 stripped school committees of their power rendering them useless. The school committee in each city and town is an elected position that previously chose the appropriate curriculum for that community. We need to restore power back to our elected officials. |
| Please keep local schools in charge of their education. |
| I support H5498 as a parent with 3 teenagers. Local school committees and local parents should be in control of curricula decisions. |
| As an educator of over 25 years, I have been disappointed and dismayed by what is happening in Rhode Island. The schools are failing. Warwick was always a top-notch education community. For years now and that includes before the pandemic, only 50% of our kids are reading and performing in math at grade level! RIDE has done nothing substantial to help the situation and seems more interested in diversity equity and inclusion then it does in creating critical thinking skills. The scores reflect this. |
| Please leave the decision to our own communities. We pay high taxes for community to teach for a lifetime of success. Thank you repeal H5498 passed in 2019 |
| The first place our children find information about things not in their home library is in their school library. The information available is crucial for their growth and as parents we trust the schools to provide only age appropriate materials to our children. If this is the case, why are 7 year olds given access to books that provide inappropriate content about sexual orientation and feelings? This is not necessary for their mental well being or education and is confusing and causes unnecessary stress on their fragile and growing minds. Let our children be children. When they are adults and ready to consume vulgar and dangerous information that will be their right, as children it is a parents and child’s right to protect them from pedophilia, and inappropriate behavior. Why are we talking about children’s sexual orientation and thoughts?! What is wrong with people, let children be children. Let parents be parents, do not impose on their thoughts or beliefs. |
| This is to register my support for the passage of House Bill H5498 which will revoke the authority of RIDE over curricula in our local K thru 12 schools and return that authority to the municipalities. I do not believe that unelected people such as Infante-Green should have that exclusive power. |
| My name is Angela Cooke
I am submitting testimony in support of House Bill No. 5498 AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION — CURRICULUM. |
| Local school committees, officials and especially parents should most certainly have say in what is being taught to children within the school system. |
| It is all too clear that our public school system has failed. Too many students are woefully unprepared to function in this society, and are not proficient in math or reading for grade level. It is sad that the system is treating our children as if they belong to the state. Parental rights have been ignored for way too long. It is time to change our focus. Children need to acquire life skills in order to become functional, thinking adults and citizens. I would argue that teaching someone how to balance a checkbook or how to buy and prepare nutritious food is very important to a good many of our children. We parents know our children better than their teachers, and I feel strongly that bureaucrats in the educational system (like RIDE) cannot know what is better for my child. I much prefer dealing with a local school board (to whom I have access) than a state bureaucracy. |
| Local school districts should be the only entities setting their school’s curriculum; not from the state level. |
| I support house bill 5498 100% |
| Fully support schools controlling their own individual curriculum! |
| I am writing this letter in support of house bill H5498. We have controversial policies that are causing our students harm and also causing our students to fail. We need to see better outcomes for our children. This bill will allow school committees and local parents to decide what type of curriculum is best for their children. |
| Keep education local |
| all circulum should be developed and implemented by the local school districts . The State should not have the right or the power to mandate ciriculum. |
| I do not want unelected people making decisions unilaterally without parental involvement. Since this has been the case, parents have effectively closed out of the process and silenced even if they raise an objection. This is not acceptable. It is the parents who have the God given authority over material that is presented to their children. While the idea of uniformed curriculum may sound good, political ideology has over taken trying to use the children to change accepted social norms and rewrite history. We do not consent!!! |
| My name is Lori Wycall. I am submitting testimony in support of House Bill No. H5498 AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION – CURRICULUM. In 2019 the General Assembly removed authority from local school districts and granted near-absolute power to RIDE when it comes to school curriculum. This has proven to have been a mistake. School districts should have the authority and power to select their own curriculum. I feel y verstrongly about that.The RI General Assemby should repeal the establishment of statewide academic standards for core subjects and the implementation into the curriculum of all public schools. Please vote to move this critical piece of legislation out of committee. VOTE IN SUPPORT OF HOUSE BILL H5498. Thank you |
| I write today in full support of RI House Bill H5498. School districts should decide curriculum for their respective schools not the RIDE. Please repeal this law and bring local control of school curriculum back to the districts where it rightfully belongs. Please pass bill H5498…thank you. |
| I support 5498 Because i have no faith in ride let along Infante-Green to have the best interests for my children. Let the citys have the power over what gets taught to OUR children! |
| I am complete support of repealing the 2019 law that would provide a statewide curriculum. I want my school system to have local control! And…all school district full curriculum needs to be available to families to review. Thank you. Nancy DeNuccio |
| Remove any trace of RIDE overview from local school districts. |
| I support this bill. Our children deserve better |
| School curriculum should be designed and implemented at the town level. This gives parents and community power over what is taught in their own school district. |
| Good afternoon to all.
I am writing in support of House Bill 5498 to immediately overturn the law that allows for the RIDE to develop mandated curricula. Local districts should be allowed to develop and implement their own curricula and not be faced with mandated curricula from RIDE. This new curricula which is being imparted by RIDE should have no part in the education of our children. Controversial political theories should not be in our children’s education. Local authority as well as local parents should now be part of a curriculum writing team to be active bodies to help develop curriculum. In years past, these theories were not part of the educational system and parents did not have to worry about such matters since the only curriculum that was presented was math, science, reading, history, PE and arts, and foreign languages and health. In my opinion, even the health curriculum should be reviewed as many districts are presenting controversial health curriculum which should not be presented in a school setting. Many of the issues that are raised in health now, should be the sole responsibility of the parents. Many health curricula are presenting issues that are morally against many parents beliefs and many parents are not aware of the matters being discussed. The Health Curriculum should also be available for parents to view from cover to cover. I was a public school teacher and I saw first hand, the negative effects of many of these controversial curricula. Curricula decisions need to return to local school officials and local parents. |
| All children are not the same. They do not learn the same. They do not come from the same backgrounds. WHY is RIDE trying to teach them all the same? Our children, ALL children deserve better. I will opt my child out of every perverse survey and classroom assignment and will not stop pursuing a better education for all children. |
| Local school committees, local school administrators, and parents should have the authority to define curriculum within their district.
Overstepping of state authority in this area is not beneficial to the students. |
| RIDE’s recommended “sex ed” curricula is age-inappropriate ,immoral, perverted, and an infringement on parental discretion. |
| house bill H5498. repeal this law. |
| I find there is more concern for non education related topics that seem to take precedence over things we should focus on Like special Ed needs or disability. Classrooms have broken window, faucets that don’t work or hard to use, for the children. Instead of fixing some of these things districts are panicked to comply to suggestions and bills for fear of losing support money. we need to make sure safety and necessary items are available to teach children. Tired of the politics and feel good things getting in the way of what a community or school district thinks is best for the student in their area. We need to bring the focus back to the basics and educate children on things that will help them succeed in life and a career to support them. Not agendas of inappropriate books in the school library, or making sure schools have support groups for sex issues, These are topics that are private matters and belong with the kids and parents at their home. Not forced into the general populations with threats to accept it or you lose money. |
| THESE DECISIONS SHOULD BE MADE AT A TOWN LOCAL LEVEL. NOT CONTROLLED BY THE STATE . JUST LOOK AT THE MESS THEY HAVE ALREADY MADE OF THIS . |
| Educational decisions are best left to the local districts. A one sized fits all mentality does little to service the needs of the diverse and unique school districts of RI. |
| Parents and school committees must have the final say regarding curricula, therefore state mandated curricula is not acceptable. |
| Please return authority to the local school board so that we can craft the right solution specific to our local students. |
| The citizens of RI are speaking to you – more than 250 have signed an online petition, with over 5 DOZEN also providing insightful comments.
You can view these comments and the names & towns of all the petitioners, here: The people of RI clearly do not trust RIDE with the power the General Assembly granted to it on 2019. It’s time to repeal that law and return curricula decisions to local school boards, officials, and parents. Thank you. |
