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JIMKASPERSUNDAY,FEBRUARY8,2015

HelloHouseLegislativeColleagues:
IhavebeenaskedbyanumberofHousememberstoexplaintheamendmentstoHB1461thatwillbedebated
this comingWednesdayontheHousefloor.AboveIhaveattachedtheamendmentandhavecolorhighlighteditto
hopefullymakeiteasiertofollow.IwillalsoexplaintheamendmentsbelowwhattheyDoandwhattheyDoNotdo.
ThereisalsoattachedadiagramoftheverbiagefromAnitaThomasforclarificationpurposesoftheamendments.
HereisthesummaryoftheAmendmenttoHB1461:
1.SECTIONONE
ThissectionwithdrawsNorthDakotafromtheSmarterBalanceAssessmentConsortiumSBAC,otherwiseknownas
CommonCore,whichwasoriginallylocatedinthestateofWashington,thatNDjoinedin2010bysigninga
MemorandumofUnderstanding,MOU,tojoin.ThisMOUwassignedin2010byGovernorHoevenandSupt.
Sanstead.IcertainlydonotrecalltheLegislaturebeinginformedorinvolvedinthisdecision.
In2013,Supt.BaeslersignedanewMOUcommittingNDtofullparticipationinSBAC.Again,noinputfromthe
Legislature.In2014,thestateofWashingtontransferreditsresponsibilitiesandauthorityoverSBACtoUCLAthe
UniversityofCaliforniaLosAngeles.ThistransferofauthoritytoUCLArequiredasecondMOUtobesignedbyND
andSupt.Baesler.ThroughasignatureofRobertMarthallertoanewMOUwithUCLA,inNovemberof2014,theND
DPIjoinedNorthDakotatothenewUCLAorganization,thuscommittingNDtoabidebytherulesandauthorityof
UCLA'snewentityinchargeofCommonCorestandardsandassessments.Aswespeaktoday,thecontrolofthe
educationdecisionsforNDnowrestinthehandsofUCLA.ThesovereigntyofthestateofNorthDakotaforeducation
decisionsisgone.
SectionOnerequirestheSupt.ofPublicInstructiontowithdrawfromallconsortiumsandentitiesthatareaffiliated
withSBAC,UCLAandanyotherentitieswemightnotknowabout,andprovidetheseentitiesnoticethatNDis
withdrawing.ThisactionwillgiveNDandtheLegislativeAssemblybackourstatesovereigntyoveroureducational
decisionsinNorthDakota,asArticleVIIIoftheNorthDakotaConstitutionrequires.ItDOESNOTRESTRICTSUPT.
BAESLERFROMANYOTHERDUITESORABILITIESTOPERFORMHERJOB,ASSOMEHAVEIMPLIED.
SECTIONTWO
Section2limitstheabilityoftheSupt.OfPublicInstructiontoputusintobackintoorcommitNorthDakotatoany
otherentitylikeSBAC,CommonCore,UCLA,etc.thatwejustwithdrewfrom,withoutlegislativeapprovalfirst.Thisis
theonlyLimitationontheauthorityoftheSupt.OfPublicInstructioninthisamendmenttoHB1461Contrarytowhat
theOpponentsofHB1461areattemptingtogetyoutobelieve.Forverification,pleasecontactAnitaThomasat
LegislativeCouncil.
SECTIONTHREE
ThissectionstopsthetestsassessmentsthatCommonCorethroughtheNDDPI,eitherhavealreadybeguninNorth
Dakotaorareabouttobegin.
Alreadyacrossthecountrynumerousstateseitherhaveorareintheprocessofwithdrawingfromtheseassessments.
Additionally,manystatesareintheprocessoftotallywithdrawingfromCommonCore,justasHB1461willdoinNorth
Dakota.GovernorBobbyJindalofLouisianahasfiledalawsuitagainstthefederalgovernmentregardingCommon
CoreandanadditionallawsuithasbeenfiledinMissouri.
SECTIONFOUR
ThissectionestablishesacommitteeofthirteenNORTHDAKOTACITIZENS,CHAIREDBYTHE
SUPERINTENDENTOFPUBLICINSTRUCTION,toworktoestablishNorthDakota'snewstandardsandmethodsto
assessourchildren.Toinsurefairnessandbalanceintheselectionofthesecommitteemembers,thebillrequiresthat
the13membersofthecommitteewillbeappointedbytheSpeakeroftheHouse,theMajorityandMinorityLeadersof
theHouseandthePresidentProTemporeoftheSenateaswellastheSenateMajorityandMinorityleaders.Thegoal
istoassurethatwehavethebestpeopleselectedwhoareunbiasedandproperlycredentialed.
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2/9/2015 Fwd:FW:EXPLANATIONOFAMENDMENTSTOHB1461COMMONCOREBILLFROMREP.JIMKASPERSUNDAY,FEBRUARY8,2015

Thecommittee'schargeistodeveloptheNorthDakotacontentstandardsandassessmentsfortheareasofEnglish
LanguageArtsandMathematicsthatareinternationallybenchmarked.Thecommitteewilldeliveritsreportandresults
toLegislativeManagementbyAugust2016.
SECTIONFIVE
Declaresthisbillanemergency.
So,Legislativecolleagues,thatistheamendmentwewillbedebating Wednesday.Yourdecisionisquitesimplefrom
myperspective.IfyouwantNorthDakotatoregainourstate'ssovereigntyoverthedecisionsofNorthDakota's
educationsystem,youwouldvotetopasstheamendmentsIhavedescribedaboveandthenvotetopassHB1461.
Ontheotherhand,ifyourareokwithallowingoutofstateentitiesandthefederalgovernmenttomakeoureducation
decisionsforNorthDakotaandourkids,thenyouwillvoteagainstHB1461.
YouandIarereceivingemailsfromparents,teachers,concernedcitizensalloverNorthDakota,askingthisLegislative
AssemblytolistentothepeopleandwithdrawNDfromCommonCore.Therearethousandsofpeopleinourstate
whoareaskingyoutohelpthemandtheirchildrenregainoureducationcontrolbackinNorthDakota.
IbelievewhateverwecomeupwithinNorthDakotawillbefarsuperiortowhatwehavenowwithCommonCore.I
hopeyouwilldecidethatwayaswell.
Thankyouforlistening.
Jim
RepresentativeJimKasper
ChairmanGovernment&VeteransAffairsCommitteeNorthDakotaHouseofRepresentatives
1128WestracDrive
Fargo,ND58103
OfficePhone:7012326250
CellPhone:7017999000
OfficeFax:7012320796
OfficeEmail:jmkasper@amgnd.com

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