The Family Freedom Podcast

How to Know if Standards Are Good - A Discussion with Dr. Sandra Stotsky (Part One)

Dr. Sandra Stotsky joins me to help parents determine if a set of standards are good.  What makes good standards?  How do you get them?  What do parents need to know?

Who Decides What Our Kids Will Learn: Where do Standards Come From?

In the last decade, we've heard a lot about standards, specifically Common Core standards and how they are "rigorous".  Who are the people who decided what your kids would learn?  How should we decide what standards are "rigorous"?  Should money be the driving factor? What if they've never been tried before?  Should we experiment on an entire generation of school kids?  We did!

Don't just vote and walk away: Legislators 101

Utah State Auditor, John Dougall, joins me to talk about how to engage your legislators and the legislative process.  Those who make our laws, need our help to inform them.  Also, an overview of how a bill can become a law and the role of lobbyists (that are sometimes a positive).

Only Love Can Conquer Hate

How do we bring people together?  How do we disagree without being disagreeable?  The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr used religious principles in politics that can help us.

Education. What is its Purpose?

It's difficult to get to the "what" of education if we do not have agreement on the "why". There are many perspectives. It is worth spending a few minutes to consider the purpose of education.

School Attendance Laws & Your Family

What happens when School Attendance Policies don't make sense? In some states, it could mean attorneys and Child Protective Services are involved. What happens if your child has multiple illnesses or is involved in orchestra or dance outside of school? I spoke with Autumn Cook who fought draconian attendance laws in Nebraska. Similar legislation is coming to Utah, in the form of House Bill 14 (2020 session). It seems that every state is trying to take away parents' common-sense ability to excuse their kid from class, when it makes sense. But state laws are not making sense anymore.