2006 Sample Precinct Caucus Resolutions

February 8, 2006

THE DANGERS OF UNIVERSAL MENTAL HEALTH SCREENING:

Whereas: Routine mental health (social & emotional) screening is subjective and inaccurate in children; and
Whereas: Mental health (social & emotional) diagnoses very often reflect simple behavioral issues; and
Whereas Mental health (social & emotional) labels that result from mental health screening are almost always treated with powerful medications that have serious side effects; and
Whereas Many children have been seriously harmed or died from the overuse of psychotropic drugs, including children whose parents were forced to use those drugs by the schools.

1. Therefore, be it resolved that we oppose universal mental health screening (sometimes called social and emotional screening) of students in K-12 schools, pre-schools, and in early infancy.

2. Be it further resolved that we oppose social and emotional outcomes being incorporated into the school curricula.

UNIVERSAL PRESCHOOL:

Whereas: Claims that half of Minnesota pre-schoolers enter kindergarten not ready to learn are false and based on vague, subjective, and politically correct outcomes; and
Whereas: Taxes required to support universal preschool would force more families into becoming dual earner households; and
Whereas: Universal preschool would financially penalize single wage earner families who choose a full-time parent at home to care for their preschool children; and
Whereas: Current research demonstrates that any beneficial academic effects of preschool programs do not last beyond the third grade,

Therefore, be it resolved that we oppose establishing universal pre-school programs in the state of Minnesota.

GOVERNMENT EARLY CHILDHOOD OUTCOMES:

Whereas: Government central planners have developed outcomes for pre-school children and for infants which are not limited to objective, cognitive and physical assessments, but which include controversial social content, such as diversity training, multiculturalism, sexual identity, cultural identity, politicized environmentalism, careers, and social activism; and
Whereas: These social outcomes also include assessments of young children and infants for mental health with vague and subjective categories, as admitted by experts in the field, that cannot be accurately applied to young children;
Whereas: : 80% of all preschool care in Minnesota is privately provided; and
Whereas: Government assessments of private and religious early care facilities using controversial social and mental health outcomes violate their independence and forces them to be accountable to government-defined outcomes;

1. Therefore, be it resolved that we support the independence of families providing their own early childcare and the 80% of preschool care that is privately provided, and we oppose the use of government defined social and emotional outcomes for pre-school programs, child care facilities, and private homes.

2. Be it further resolved that we support state child-care licensing based on health and safety, but we oppose a government system to rate and report on private early care facilities based on government-defined social and emotional outcomes.

INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE (IB):

Whereas: IB has formed a partnership with UNESCO, the educational arm of the United Nations, and
Whereas: Both IB and UNESCO promote world citizenship as superior to U.S. citizenship; and
Whereas: IB regards the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights as being superior to our own Bill of Rights, and
Whereas: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that education "shall further the activities of the United Nations"; and
Whereas: The role of American public education is not to promote ìthe activities of the United Nations"; and
Whereas: IB student assessments are scored in Geneva, Switzerland -- not in the local classroom, and parents are not allowed to review the assessments; and
Whereas: IB has signed on as partners to the Earth Charter, an international environmental plan promoting legalized abortion, socialized medicine, Pantheism and global governance;

Therefore, be it resolved that we oppose state and federal support of International Baccalaureate (IB) and the adoption of IB by local school districts.

INVASIVE SURVEYS:

Whereas: Schools are administering non-academic student surveys that ask invasive questions involving personal sexual behavior, religious values, political leanings, illegal activities, family ownership of firearms, family habits, family relationships, and subjective questions about their own values, attitudes, beliefs and those of their families and friends;

Therefore, be it resolved that we support state requirements for schools to notify parents in advance of administering non-academic personal surveys, and that notification must include an accurate description of the content of the survey. We further support the state requiring schools to obtain voluntary, active, informed, written parental permission before all such surveys are administered.

AMERICAN HERITAGE:

Whereas: The Preamble of the Minnesota Constitution gives God thanks for our Religious and Civil Liberties; and
Whereas: Religion played a major role in the lives of Americaís founders; the founding of our Nation and state; and
Whereas: Students are losing a knowledge of the importance of religion due to the censorship of our religious heritage and our founders expressions, documents, and proclamations from current curriculum; and
Whereas: The 2005 legislature passed the American Heritage Education Act, which encourages the teaching of, and discourages the censorship of, Americaís religious heritage; and protects teachers from threat of lawsuit should they include original sources supportive of our religious heritage;

Therefore, be it resolved that we support and encourage school districts and teachers to include original sources showing the important role of religion in our Nationís founding while teaching history.