Anti-Common Core Group: Van Zant Was Right About Assessment Test's 'Homosexual Agenda'

A Florida anti-Common Core group is coming out in support of statements made by Rep. Charles Van Zant, R-Keystone Heights, at an education conference where he said the company developing the replacement test for the FCAT aims to "attract every one of your children to become a(s) homosexual as they possibly can."

Florida Stop Common Core Coalition contends that the American Institutes for Research company goes into "full blown promotion" of homosexual practices and attempts to "normalize homosexual tendencies" beginning at a young age.

The group links to a briefwhichasks families and religious congregations to "override beliefs and convictions" by saying they should be supportive of a child's LGBT lifestyle even though they might feel "uncomfortable." The brief also suggests families should "believe [their children] can have a happy future as an LGBT adult."

"Rep. Van Zant was completely correct in his statements that AIR is promoting the LGBT lifestyle in children, and they are doing the same within families and churches," said Dr. Karen Effrem, president of Education Liberty Watch and executive director of the FSCCC.

"AIR is taking $220 million from the citizens of Florida to develop what are supposed to be academic tests based on allegedly rigorous academic standards. However, given that AIR focuses heavily on controversial, nonacademic psychosocial issues anddata mining; that the federal government and many groups admit that theCommon Core standards teach psychosocial issueshaving nothing to do with English and math; and that thecomputer adaptive testswill be individualized and not available for parental review; parents have no guarantee that their children are protected from psychological or attitudinal profiling by AIR's tests," she continued.

The group then called for Stewart's resignation.

The AIR test will be administered in Florida's schools beginning next year.