Statewide Chair Mary McLellan Heritage Community Services Regional Chairs Mariscia Cooper (Pee Dee) Charlie Lybrand (Lowcountry) Lenna Neill (Upstate) Rev. Randy Riddle (Grand Strand) Dr. Roger Rollins (CSRA) Charlotte Valentine-Green (Ace Basin)   Advisory Council Eugene Bacote Darlington School District Dr. Vera Bailey Hilton Head Preg. Care Center Pamela Berry Colleton Fire and Rescue Dr. Vonda Calcutt Lowcountry Ctr. Diabetes Sen. Chip Campsen Charleston/Berkeley Rev. Chuck Coward Charleston Outreach Robin Crosby Colleton County Ligure Ellington Ret.Capt. Charleston City Police Dr. Randy Goings Chiropractic Physician Faye Hill Lowcountry Pregnancy Center & SC Association Pregnancy Care Centers WC Hoecke Fatherhood Practioner Leroy Lewis Upward Bound at Cof C Norman L. Moore, Jr. Colonel, USAFR(Ret) Cyndi Mosteller Comm. for Higher Education Alexia Newman Carolina Pregnancy Center Fred Payne Marriage Savers of Upstate Jerry & Barbara Seymour R& R Marriage Min. Ronald Shoupe Colleton County Dr. A. V. Strong A Better Way, Inc. (Gang Out) Dr. Robert Thomas Pulmonary Medicine Pastor Phil Thrailkill St. Luke UMC Hartsville Kelly Walker Upstate Fatherhood Coalition	July 22, 2010 SC Healthy Family Formation Coalition E-News!   August 2nd , Rush Vote to Adopt National School Standards   In just 10 days, without congressional review or public debate, and just before the August legislative recess, the US Department of Education is pushing hard for states to ‘voluntarily’ adopt National School Standards, designed to eliminate policymaking decisions by states and local school boards.   Math and English are the subject areas currently used to progressively takeover all areas of public education.  The stage is set.  What subjects are next?     The National School Standards seek to eliminate access to abstinence education and redefine marriage and family.   Congress has not been involved in the adoption process since it is driven by federally appointed unelected administrators.    States must adhere word-for-word to National Standards in order to be considered for grants or other federal funding incentives, i.e. stimulus money.  Cash strapped states already signed on are now voicing uncertainty since they have only seen drafts and really do not know specifics about implementation. Critics say that this amounts to bribery and at least, conflicts of interest.  Read more…   In theory, National School Standards allow uniformity between states for such things as achievement testing and core competency requirements.  Comparing Apples to Apples.    However, in order to have uniformity, students that excel may have to be ‘dumbed down’ so that others can look better. Doesn't one bad apple spoil the whole barrel?   What happened to raising the standard, competition and aspiring to greatness?   This seems to be another intrusion into state, local and parental rights that will ultimately derail our children from being the best educated kids in the world.    Maybe that’s the plan.   Survey Results Thanks to all that completed the 3 question survey! The sample size is small and not representative of the general public, but it is encouraging to know that SCHFF members are thinking about these issues.   93% of respondents think that a parent should be able to choose the type of sex education their child receives.   73% of respondents think that a parent should be required to review the sex education programs offered at their child’s school prior to consent.    73% of respondents would choose a program with a strong abstinence message as a substitute for a contraception-based program.   Follow the SC-HFF Coalition on Twitter! Join the Heritage Keepers® Facebook Cause
	The South Carolina Healthy Family Formation Coalition (SC HFF Coalition) is organized and staffed by Heritage Community Services. The SC HFF Coalition promotes child and family well-being by providing opportunities for statewide communication about such issues as: adolescent pregnancy, unwed childbearing, fatherlessness, sexual exploitation of our youth, dating violence and domestic violence, child abuse and neglect, gang activity and youth violence.    Coalition members support healthy family formation initiatives that integrate character-based life skills, teen pregnancy prevention with an emphasis on abstinence-centered education, and the importance of fidelity-within-marriage.   Together we can impact our culture so that forming healthy families becomes a norm, rather than the exception, for South Carolina. Please, forward this E-News to interested friends, family and colleagues and ask them to consider joining the Coalition. Join/Subscribe Unsubscribe PRIVACY POLICY: Information you share will never be sold, rented, or given to any third party. Contact Mary McLellan , Statewide Chairman (843)654-7740 ext.122