August 2, 2021: This exclusive article by Esther Nogic relates to the ongoing attack on local boards of education in the State of Connecticut. But make no mistake, state-level attacks on the sovereignty and management of local boards of education are sweeping the entire nation like a swarm of locusts. Esther Nogic provides a lens into the nefarious and clandestine agenda of the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education (CABE) in this article. Thankfully, thousands of concerned and vocal Connecticut residents (like Esther Nogic) are sounding the alarm and are doing everything in their might to raise awareness and to defend against the dark agenda of CABE and CABE's stealthy attack on local boards of education.
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“As policies are approved by the Board of Education (BOE) in the CABE format, they become active policies and are posted here on BoardDocs. The approved and posted CABE policies are the prevailing policies of the Board of Education.”
CABE stands for Connecticut Association of Boards of Education. When you visit the website you’ll be greeted with an image of Dr. Michael Cardona, our Secretary of Education. The mission of CABE is to “assist” boards of education throughout Connecticut by standardizing the board. Much like what was done under the Obama administration with the Common Core Curriculum for students. There is a fee to be part of CABE and there is a member list on the website. Thirty-one districts in the state of Connecticut are part of CABE and two have entered into contracts to adopt CABE policies as of 2020. By the looks of it, it appears that the Greenwich District has entered into contract. We do not know for certain because neither the board nor the superintendent will answer any questions. The board picks which policies will be transferred to CABE. These policies might deal with the administration, curriculum or can be about vaccines. When the transfer to CABE occurs, it overrides the local board because it becomes a state board policy. What does this mean? Important board policies can potentially be run by the state and not locally. Here is a look at some policies:
• CABE urges the General Assembly to remove the religious exemption from vaccinations for measles, mumps and rubella for students attending K-12 public schools.
• “CABE urges each local school district to utilize a developmentally appropriate curriculum which deals with issues affecting family life, child and human growth and development, including lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning (LGBTQ) and to involve the community in this process, including appropriate public and private agencies, to promote the positive well-being of students. Vital health and social issues should be integrated into existing academic subject areas.” This goes hand in hand with their Academic Freedom policy which states, “The teacher must be free to think, to express ideas, to select and employ materials and methods of instruction, free from undue pressures of authority, and free to act within the teacher's professional group. Such freedom must be used judiciously and prudently so that it promotes the free exercise of intelligence and student learning.”
• CABE opposes federal or state efforts to mandate choice, including efforts to divert or limit funding intended for existing federal and state programs.
• To facilitate culturally responsive teaching.
• The modification of the Connecticut Freedom of Information law to more clearly define the
individuals’ reasonable expectation of privacy.
• The state and federal governments to reduce the number and complexity of regulations directed at education, including the administrative burden associated with implementing education laws.
The last one might sound like a good idea, but if you take a good look at the policies you’ll come to find that the education laws they do not want to be burdened by, are the laws and policies protecting parental and student rights.
Just when you think, it can’t get any worse. Make sure you have control of your local board of education. Vote in members that will hold your superintendent responsible and vote for members that will not hand over important policies to be governed by the State. And as always, follow the money....
By: Extremely American Esther Nogic