We, the undersigned, petition the Diocese of Toledo to stand firmly in opposition to the Common Core standards. We believe the standards are so flawed, that they cannot be merely adapted, but must be rejected.

• We want standards that uphold children as human beings, with souls and differences, made in the image and likeness of God, not merely human capital.

• We want all of our children to learn the beauty and sweetness of the humanities, from great authors and thinkers of the past, not mere informational texts.

• We want materials that reflect the fullness of truth as set out by the Magisterium of the Catholic Church, not the U.S. Department of Education.

• We want local control of our schools, not the Federal government intruding into our classrooms.

• We want high academic standards, proven and benchmarked. We want our students to be challenged and engaged in learning. We want our children to mature and grow into their authentic selves, to use their gifts.

With this, we ask that you set a strong example for other dioceses across the country by rescinding our Diocesan approval and implementation of the Common Core standards. We also ask that Diocesan school leaders promise not to collect or track data on our children or our families in conjunction with or related to the Common Core standards or any other state or federally run data tracking system, abide by the prior FERPA laws, and protect the privacy of our children’s personal information.

We strongly believe that this is a significant market opportunity for Catholic schools to distinguish themselves from a nationalized, monolithic school system. Parents will seek alternative schools for their children. The Diocese of Toledo will be a true leader by rejecting the Common Core and thereby leading through true evangelization.