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ALERT! CSCOPE TO STAY?

May 20
Posted by Ginger in Featured Post
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CSCOPE TO STAY

 CSCOPE IS NOT GONE!! Despite the headlines and blogs that are out their promoting that “wonderful” idea, it isn’t the case. TESCCC has just agreed to remove the LESSON content. The controlling aspect of  CSCOPE, the Scope and Sequence and Year at a Glance (YAG’s) still remains, as well as the CSCOPE Assessments. The Assessments are HORRIBLE. They are mostly open ended questions not based on facts but opinion. The test questions are just as indoctrinating as the lessons were. CSCOPE has to be totally removed but we know these “liberal educators” are not going to let it go without a fight. Fortunately parents across the state of Texas who never gave a thought about  Texas Education Service Centers are now quite aware of who they are and their stealth tactics of indoctrinating Texas School Children. The ESC’s are now being examined with a discerning eye my parents and taxpayers across the state. (more…)

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Districts Saving CSCOPE Lessons! More Lies!!

May 20
Posted by Ginger in Featured Post
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CSCOPE LIES

 

Today Senator Patrick announced that the Texas Education Service Centers Curriculum Collaborative (TESCCC) will be pulling all CSCOPE lessons and getting out of the lesson plan business. REALLY?  Trust is something earned and I don’t trust the Texas Education Service Centers. Why are they giving intructions to school districts and teachers on how to save CSCOPE content? These guys are knee deep in the education of millions of Texas School Children. Scary isn’t it?

Once an approved user has logged into their  CSCOPE website they will find the following:

save cscope

 

That link titled “SAVING 2012-2013 CSCOPE Content takes them to these detailed instructions for saving the material that they are supposedly going to remove by August 31st (if voted and approved by the board). August 31st ought to give all involved in the “Big Fiasco” plenty of time to save all those wonderful CSCOPE lessons.

Administrator, Principal Tra Hall of Mundy Secondary School within Munday Consolidated Independent School Mr Hall advocates for a new revolution when it comes to education. Check out his blog.District is pushing for teachers to copy and download lessons while they can.

TREYHALL

TREY HALL 2

Administrator, Principal Scot Wright from Ore Independent School District, openly admits on his twitter that his school is downloading lessons as well..

scotwhite

Sad to see how corrupt the Texas Education System really is! These are the men and women knee-deep in the

Education of Millions of Texas School children. Scary isn’t it? 

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THREAT OF SUBPONEA PRODUCES TEXAS CURRICULUM RECORDS

May 19
Posted by Ginger in Featured Post
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JOHN GRIFFING

WORLD NET DAILY

CSCOPE, a controversial school curriculum management system in Texas that once included a description of the Boston Tea Party as an act of terror and has called Islamic terrorists freedom fighters has given up pages of its financial records under threat of a subpoena by state Sen. Dan Patrick.

 

Patrick sought the records after Texans told him they had uncovered financial irregularities in the organization’s operations.

 

Patrick threatened CSCOPE with a subpoena of all financial documents if disclosure was not achieved voluntarily. CSCOPE TEXASprovided 5,000 pages of documents in response to Patrick’s request, and the information now is being reviewed.

 

“I’m glad that the CSCOPE board finally recognized that they must respond to our request for detailed financial information,” said Patrick. “I only wish I didn’t have to threaten a subpoena before getting this information.

 

“For some reason the board at CSCOPE believes they are above open disclosure and total transparency to parents and legislators,” Patrick added.

 

CSCOPE is owned by a corporate nonprofit started in 2009 called the Texas Education Service Center Curriculum Collaborative (TESCCC). TESCCC is comprised of 20 separate “Education Service Centers” who all pay for the right to sell CSCOPE as a product to independent school districts.

 

Board members of the TESCCC claimed for months that no financial documentation existed, since all funds leave the nonprofit and are transferred to a “fiscal agent,” a claim which has stumped some financial experts who told WND that only public agencies have “fiscal agents,” and that a nonprofit must show distribution of funds.

 

According Chriss Street, the former treasurer of Orange County, Calif., and the individual who was instrumental in exposing the savings and loan debacle of the 1980s, the TESCCC reporting methods are questionable.

 

“The Texas Educational Service Center Curriculum Collaborative appears to have not applied for a Government Exempt, or a Tax Exempt 501C-3 or 501C-4 determination letter. I have made an investigation and have not discovered any Government Exempt or Tax Exempt determination letters on file,” said Street.

 

“There is no federal or state requirement for individuals or associations without revenue or sales to file any tax reporting. But it is my understanding and belief that TESCCC appears to have substantial sales and significant fee income and may be fully taxable as a trade or business and or subject to gift taxes,” Street added.

 

All nonprofits are required to file what is called a “Return of organization exempt from income tax” – form 990 – which would show income and distribution. CSCOPE has never filed a form 990, even though it handles millions of dollars annually.

 

As Patrick told the press in his release of May 10, “It was clear to me the non-profit was set up to hide information from someone. I’m glad the board is beginning to understand they are a public entity and the people of Texas and the legislature have a right to their records.”

 

TESCCC board minutes obtained by WND show that expenses and payments have been approved by the nonprofit, yet no public record exists for these transactions.

 

According to information sent to WND through citizen public information requests, the TESCCC also did business with companies without formal contracts, and paid millions of taxpayer dollars to these companies.

 

“National Education Resources, Inc. (NER),” which turns out to be a single individual, James Jennings, who filed a DBA under his residential address, received over $6 million from the TESCCC without a formal contract, records show.

 

The documents indicate that CSCOPE did not have a contract with NER until spring 2011, when the contract was put in place and made retroactive to July 2010.

 

NER was paid an estimated $3 million from 2010-2011 and about $3 million 2011-2012, records show.

 

The TESCCC (CSCOPE nonprofit) voted against conducting an audit or background check of Jennings when his two-year contract was negotiated. When the contract termed out, CSCOPE gave Jennings another $213,000 during the summer, when teachers were not even utilizing CSCOPE.

 

CSCOPE’s original price tag was just over $4 million, but schools are required to lease the product annually, and costs by district can exceed the $1 million mark. Ector County ISD paid $1.7 million in a single year for what certified curriculum professional and WND education correspondent Mary Bowen says is a “glorified calendar.”

 

WND previously reported on a school district’s attempt to charge parents for copies of CSCOPE lessons that are the property of taxpayers.

 

Amy Zimmerman, a mother in the Collinsville Independent School District, asked to see the 7th grade CSCOPE science lessons used between September 2012 and May 2013, citing her “parental right” under state law.

 

But Zimmerman received a letter from an attorney for the district requiring the payment of $770 to see the materials.

 

CSCOPE has faced heavy criticism by parents, teachers and legislators, culminating in legislative hearings that revealed serious academic deficiencies in the areas of math, science and English, as well as what many critics believe is an agenda-driven bias in social studies content that promotes a negative view of America.

 

WND has reported on lessons claiming the Boston Tea Party was a terrorist act, and lessons requiring students to design flags for a new communist country. The latter lesson was created in October 2012.

 

Teachers also have told WND:

 

  • Lessons are not matched to grade level; a ninth-grade lesson asks students to circle capital letters in a sentence.
  • One social studies lesson teaches that capitalism is obsolete and communism is the best economic system, using a diagram that shows a man climbing a ladder towards communism.
  • A third-grade lesson defines American “equality” as “fair share.” Competing definitions that include “equality under the law” or “equal opportunity” are not discussed.
  • Muhammad is portrayed as a social justice crusader. There is no mention of his marriage to a young girl or his beheading of indigenous population groups.
  • Political parties are taught from what critics claim is a subjective and left-leaning perspective, e.g. Democrats “benefit each individual” while Republicans “favor big business.”

 

WND has also recently acquired lessons covering the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights, teaching students that “medicine” and “food” are “rights,” and not a matter of personal responsibility.

 

Students who do not answer that “medicine” and “food” are “rights” have their answers marked as incorrect, sources report.

 

Other controversial lesson content includes a science lesson that instructs students to set things on fire in the middle of class and also lessons that promote anorexia and mercy death, according to Bowen.

 

CSCOPE also has come under fire for its secrecy and lack of transparency, forcing teachers and districts to sign “user agreements” – what whistleblowers say amount to “gag orders.”

 

Teachers are exposed to legal liability if they share lesson content or other class materials with the general public, and threats of termination have been reported by teachers who attempt to engage parents about controversial CSCOPE content.


Read more at http://www.wnd.com/2013/05/threat-of-subpoena-produces-texas-curriculum-records/#s2THHLHCzJigwhWA.99

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What is CSCOPE?

May 18
Posted by Ginger in Featured Post
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ban-CSCOPE

Venable: CSCOPE or C-SCAM?

Posted: Saturday, May 18, 2013 4:00 am

Longview News Journal

CSCOPE is among the most controversial topics in the Lone Star State. Surprisingly, many Texans have never heard of it.

CSCOPE is a curriculum management system that has been sold to more than 850 Texas public, private and charter schools. It was developed by a division of the Texas Education Agency, which went to great lengths to avoid public oversight over the process.

Directors of the agency’s regional Education Service Centers created a nonprofit shell organization called the Texas Education Service Center Curriculum Collaborative, which exists in name only, and made themselves directors of this organization, which served only to move CSCOPE development out of public view. Since then, the directors, whose salaries are taxpayer funded, have met and worked in secret, using the nonprofit agency as a shield against open records and open meetings.

CSCOPE is controversial by virtue of its veil of secrecy, its financial trail (or lack thereof) and its contentious lesson plans.

Teachers had been required to sign a form that prohibited them from discussing CSCOPE and from publicly criticizing the lesson plans. Parents have not been given access to the lesson plans. Even the elected State Board of Education chairman was not given access to the curriculum for six months.

Some curriculum specialists claim CSCOPE helps schools utilize Common Core Standards, a set of general education standards pushed by the Obama Administration and that Texas has soundly rejected. Common Core Standards take control away from local educators and increase costs without adding rigor or improving student outcomes.

The leadership of the 20 service centers has worked to avoid transparency and review of CSCOPE, and in doing so have betrayed the public trust.

Texas Senate Chairman Dan Patrick held a full-day hearing on CSCOPE early this year and issued a statement urging the service centers to open their meetings to the public, shut down the nonprofit collaborative and allow parents to see the lesson plans.

The latter is a requirement of the state that lesson plans be made available to parents, something the CSCOPE program failed to do in violation of the law.

Aside from the cloak and dagger tactics, CSCOPE is costly. It was developed using public money, yet the lesson plans are “rented” to the school districts per pupil, per year, eating up even more taxpayer dollars.

Texas taxpayers and educators across the country have been talking about CSCOPE for months. Now the light of public scrutiny is finally being shed on the operation and the lesson plans.

Thankfully, sound-minded lawmakers in the Legislature are working to end this sham. Sens. Patrick and Donna Campbell authored a bill that would provide public review for CSCOPE lesson plans, which passed the Senate 31-1, and a similar bill originated by Rep. Steve Toth was approved by the House Public Education Committee last week. Lawmakers should get this legislation passed to start protecting students and parents from an unaccountable, centralized teaching authority.

Education is big business in Texas. The Lone Star State has 10 percent of the nation’s students and spends over $54 billion a year on K-12 education. This call to action on CSCOPE has been spearheaded by parents and courageous teachers who were willing to risk their careers to bring to light problems they found in the curriculum, despite the money and power involved. These parents have exhibited their passion to protect their children and their education.

It is appropriate that this review process proceed and that the practices of the Education Service Centers be investigated. Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott has indicated he is doing so, and last week Texas Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst said he would request an audit of their financial records.

Texans are no strangers to education battles. We are known for our “textbook wars” when the public debates educational approaches, ideologies and philosophies in textbooks. It is what citizens do when they care deeply about our kids’ education.

What is taught in today’s classrooms will shape our country and our economy tomorrow. That makes this controversy an important battle for our children’s education.

— Peggy Venable is Texas state director of Americans for Prosperity.

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CSCOPE: Update from Sen Patrick

May 17
Posted by Ginger in Featured Post
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Dan Patrick Photo

CSCOPE UPDATE

May 15, 2013 , 

CSCOPE review legislation (SB 1406)  is on the House calendar today.  The following is a CSCOPE Update from Senate Education Chairman Dan Patrick:

AS SESSION NEARS AN END, THE REVIEW OF CSCOPE BY MY OFFICE, THE OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, AND THE SBOE, IS ONLY JUST BEGINNING.

The following is rather long, but it will bring you up to date on the very latest regarding CSCOPE, a recap of the last 5 months, and where we are going next regarding this program.

Once again I want to thank the courageous teachers and vigilant parents who alerted me last fall as to the problems with a program few were aware of, CSCOPE. It didn’t take long for me to see their were serious problems with this program. I promised the parents and teachers that I would make this a priority in session.

In January, to the surprise of almost everyone, my first major hearing on education policy was on this relatively unknown program called CSCOPE. Today everyone is aware of CSCOPE.

In April I passed out SB 1406, 31-0, which places CSCOPE under permanent review of the SBOE. My Joint author is Senator Donna Campbell. She has been on point concerning CSCOPE since day one. We have made a good team.

Today, May 15th, 2013, the Texas House is expected to take up and pass SB 1406 by sponsor Rep. Steve Toth.

We continue to work with Attorney General Greg Abbott looking into the business practices and policies of CSCOPE. Last week he issued a letter to the TSCCC instructing them to inform all of their client school districts of the following:

May 6th, 2013

Excerpts from the General Abbott Letter:

Section 26.006 (a) of the Texas Education Code provides that parents are “entitled” to review all teaching materials, instructional materials, and other teaching aids used in the classroom of the parent’s child. The Education Code also provides that school districts “shall make teaching materials and tests readily available for review by parents.” A student’s parent is entitled to request that the school district…allow the student to take home any instructional materials used by the student.”

Notwithstanding the fact that Texas law clearly requires school districts to make educational materials accessible to parents, it is our understanding that school districts have recently attempted to charge hundreds of dollars for information related to CSCOPE-related information. Such a fee is not authorized by the Education Code.

In light of these concerns, we request that the TESCCC promptly notify school districts that information related to CSCOPE must be provided to parents in accordance with Chapter 26 of the Texas Education Code, which does not authorize the imposition of a fee. It is imperative that the TESCCC distribute the notification requested herein immediately so that parents are assured access to CSCOPE related information before the end of the school year.

Finally, be advised that failure to comply with the Education Code’s disclosure requirements could result in legal action against school districts.

Sincerely,
Greg Abbott
Attorney General of Texas

End of letter ————-

Once again this is a victory for the parents, concerned citizens, and teachers who continue to send us information weekly concerning CSCOPE. I had passed on the information to the General that some parents were charged hundreds of dollars by districts for copies of the lesson plans. One district wanted to charge a parent over $700. They also said the district would have to check with the TESCCC first to be sure they could even send the material. This district not only wasn’t aware that the TESCCC had already released districts to share information with parents, which they should have done from the beginning, but the district was also potentially violating the law.

Two days later:
May 8th, 2013

excerpts from the TESCCC response:

The TESCCC sent the General a letter saying they had contacted all of their school districts encouraging their districts to be in compliance with Texas law.

They go on to say that their website went live on April 8th, 2013 with CSCOPE lesson plans and as of now 73% of all plans are on line and more are added each day.

They went on to say that in their January Advisory, after our first hearing I believe, they clarified that all parents may view CSCOPE content. They added that this practice had always been the intent, but had been misinterpreted by some individuals.

End of letter —————————

A recap of the last 5 months: 

The TESCCC originally testified in our first January hearing that all was well with CSCOPE. Parents had access to the lessons through a portal, teachers had freedom to teach as they pleased, and everyone was happy with this wonderful program.

It turned out they either had no idea of what they were doing, what was in their contracts or lesson plans, or did know and were less than candid in their testimony.

They then testified the same day that they weren’t sure of what was in the teacher contracts, weren’t sure what was in various lesson plans, weren’t aware that parents had problems with access, couldn’t explain why they formed their shell company, said their meetings were open, but then admitted they weren’t, and in general couldn’t answer most questions with a clear direct answer on anything.

If it seems I’m being tough on CSCOPE, I am. They are the ones who decided to take over the content of lesson plans and instructional materials in almost every district in Texas. Minutes from their meetings reflect they had plans to go nationwide with their program. In one board meeting one directors asked if they were in it for the money or for the education of students.

This is serious business. Parents take it seriously, teachers take it seriously, and I and other legislators take it seriously. The Attorney General takes it seriously. The future of our children and the future of our state are at stake. We can’t allow any group, for profit, non-profit, public, or private to takeover our curriculum without oversight by the state and most importantly by parents who have a right to know what their students are being taught.

Since January I have demanded changes in their program and got them to agree in a signed letter that they would do the following:

1.Work with the SBOE and turn over their entire lesson plan package to them for review until we could hopefully pass legislation later in the session.
2.Agreed to close down their shell company.
3.Agreed to make lesson plan available to parents
4.Agreed to change their teacher contracts removing criminal penalties to teachers who shared CSCOPE content
5.Agreed to support SB 1406. This is the bill I filed with Senator Campbell that will permanently put CSCOPE under SBOE review
6. The TESCCC and each region sent nearly 5000 financial documents to our office. I had sent a letter a few days prior that said I would ask our committee to take the unusual step of issuing a subpoena for the records if they did not comply
7. Agreed to follow General Abbott’s instructions on the law after receiving his letter.

What has been most frustrating for me and others is that it seems they seldom take any proactive steps unless asked or required to do so. The same management team that over-saw a program that was dysfunctional is still in charge as far as I know. That is troubling to me as it is clear the program has been clearly mis-managed, or not managed at all.

With session coming to an end in a few weeks they need to understand that I will still be on the job as will the Attorney General.

There are some good people with CSCOPE, who were truly unaware of the problems with the program and want to try to fix it if possible. I appreciate their help, but unless the management team changes I’m not sure there will be any long term changes. I’m still not convinced some people in charge of TESCCC think there were or are any real problems.

If I had the votes to end the lesson plan program now I would for the sake of all concerned, especially the students. I do not have those votes yet.

My recommendation to the TESCCC Board is to get out of the lesson plan business and go back to the original design of a management system for teaching the TEKS. All eyes will be on the results of the lesson plan review by the SBOE over the summer and our audit of the financial records.

For additional updates on CSCOPE and the session please go to   www.facebook.com/dan.patrick.texas      and like the page so you get my daily updates.

Senator Dan Patrick
Chairman of Senate Education

 

Read more: http://americansforprosperity.org/texas/legislativealerts/cscope-update-2/#ixzz2TZt5mtml

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CSCOPE is a Disaster

May 16
Posted by Ginger in Featured Post
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disaster

Parent Mary Jeffers calls CSCOPE a Disaster after her straight A Honor Role Student is now making 70’s. This is heard  time and time again across the state that children are not doing as well when CSCOPE is implemented. After looking at the test I can tell you they do not match the lesson content and it is not surprising students are not doing well.

  Do our educators really care about students? We will find out. Students are not #1 with CSCOPE. Wake up parents and taxpayers. You can’t assume your school administrators have children’s best interest at heart. It is becoming more and more apparent it is  about ideology and money.

cscope mom

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CSCOPE vs Traditional Education

May 15
Posted by Ginger in Featured Post
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images (2)

The controversy and concerns surrounding the  Marxist/Progressive Curriculum CSCOPE should be heeded by parents across the state. CSCOPE is HARMFUL to students and the differences in a traditional education and a Progressive Social Constructivist education (CSCOPE) is not only harmful to the child but will have detrimental effects on the future of our country.

Owners of CSCOPE have hidden this from the public for 6-7 years. There are over 875 school districts in Texas that have purchased and implemented CSCOPE. You still have school administrations such in Friendswood ISD and Brazosport ISD  over riding parents concerns in order to implement CSCOPE. Please make of copies of the comparison between a Traditional Education vs CSCOPE and hand them out to parents and your community. GET INVOLVED and make your voices heard.

TRADITIONALREADING

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CSCOPE: Rub a Dub Dub There’s Two in the Tub

May 14
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two

 

I have highlighted this lesson in an earlier blog titled Mom & Dad, My Global Footprint is too Large.  Looking further into this crazy environmental quiz you find where they demonize the parents for decisions they have made (large house, swimming pools, more children, etc) Shocking is the fact that they  suggest High School students share baths in order to lower their global footprint. Who are they suggesting these kids share a bath with? Do you feel comfortable sharing baths with your family members? I think I will stick with the poor score of having a higher environmental footprint.

rubdub

I also want you to notice that this lesson was uploaded into CSCOPE’S online portal on April 15th, less than a month ago. You would think that they would lay low with their controversial material due to public outrage that has taken place across the state of Texas.

dubdate

 

CSCOPES’ interpretation of your child’s Environmental Footprint SCORE. We may need more planets.

earthdub

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A True Blue LIBERAL Comes Out of His Shell

May 13
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dwayne-sidebar

Wow… this is awesome if you want to see into the mind of Progressive/Liberal thinker, Dwayne Howard. Below is a copy of his bio on his own website. His blog describing me as a turtle that want come out of it’s shell (I personally thought was funny), lets you know how these leftist think when they come out of their own shell. You know for a fact that it is not about students learning and achieving when you read CRAP like his, it is about INDOCTRINATION!

I want to say so much .. but I will let his words hang him self! Check out his BLOG!!

Dwayne Howard

Lord Help US!!

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Montgomery ISD says Nope to CSCOPE

May 13
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MClogo

I am happy to report that Montgomery County Independent School District has made the right decision in not renewing their CSCOPE contract, just after one year of purchasing it from Texas Education Service Center VI.

Dr. Beau Rees, superintendent of Montgomery ISD obviously is listening to teachers and the community in regard to the controversy and concerns about CSCOPE. Hats off to you Dr. Rees. Our children will benefit because of your decision.

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A LIE IS A LIE IS A LIE

May 12
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Judge Jeanine Pirro  calls President Obama and Hillary Clinton LIARS. She also delivers a scathing rebuke to both, questioning whether they did all they could in protecting our  4 dead Americans, Chris Stephens, Sean Smith, Ty Woods, and Glen A. Doherty.

 

May God Bless your families who have lost some of America’s Bravest!

!

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Brazosport Community Delivers Verdict on CSCOPE

May 11
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The Brazosport community has come out in droves over the last month against CSCOPE. Brazosport ISD administration and School Board had seemed to of dug in their heels in implementing the controversial Marxist Curriculum. The liberal school board liberal Ruth Ann Few, attempted to marginalize those that are CSCOPE critics. Read her comments in a prior blog.

I am so happy to announce that the Brazosport Community delivered a verdict against CSCOPE in the school board election. Joe Silvas ousted  Ms.Few by just 56 votes. YEAH!! Jerry Atkins beat out incumbent Louis Walker. I have been informed that both Silvas and Walker are Anti CSCOPE.

Fantastic job Brazosport!!! Good bye.. Ms. Few.

 

small_Supt-Board-Cabinet 017

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Texas Education Service Centers Threatened With Subpoena

May 11
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subpoena

The Texas Education Service Center Curriculum Collaborative, (TESCCC) who owns CSCOPE were asked months ago to turn over their financials and have failed to do so until yesterday, May 10th. And I personally question what was turned over after taking this long and dragging their feet in being transparent.  They have hidden the whole CSCOPE fiasco from the public by having teachers sign non disclosure statements, not disclosing the lesson content or financials when requested. Transparency is not this group’s forte. What are they hiding? Is is shocking to say the TESCCC board of directors, which are the directors of the Texas Education Service Centers are the  men and women who have a great influence over our Texas School system, either directly or indirectly? Senator Dan Patrick had enough of their lollygagging and threatened them with a subpoena. Read the following ……

 

Senator Patrick posted the following post on his Face Book page
Friday May 10th.

patrick

patrick1

Monday May 6th Senator Patrick addressed the following letter to TESCCC’s chairman of the board, Anne Poplin. (Note: there is an error in the following on the date. It should of stated May 10, 2013. ) I think they got the HINT though!

POPLIN

Senator Patrick’s Press Release as of Friday, May 10th. Please contact Sen. Patrick and tell him thank you for staying on top of this. Our children deserve better. 

ANNE POPLIN

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CSCOPE: ACTION ALERT!!!

May 10
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help-icon

 

CSCOPE, SENATE BILL 1406 will be heard on the Texas house floor next Wednesday, May 15th.

Please call your house representatives and ask them, for the sake of our children and country to support SB 1406.

To Find your Texas house representatives and contact information, go to the following link and type in your address.

Find Texas House Representatives

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Brenham ISD and other TX ISD’s Endanger Students

May 08
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brenham

Despite the fact that a Marxist curriculum called CSCOPE is now under the review of the Texas Attorney General, Brenham ISD school board votes to continue it’s use. Why? It is shocking to hear that school districts across the state continue to renew contracts, use, implement, or purchase CSCOPE. Does your district use it? Check HERE!!  CSCOPE is based on a Marxist philosophy of education. There are so absolute truth in CSCOPE. Subject matters are all up for debate which is what “progressive educators” call “critical thinking”. Numerous lessons have been exposed revealing CSCOPE’S pro communist, pro Islamic content. CSCOPE has been hailed by Texas Senator Dan Patrick “If CSCOPE was an airline he have it grounded”.

Why are superintendents and school boards endangering your children? Why would they not lean on the side of caution? Parents need to wake up as to what is going on in your school districts.

The days of trusting school officials and trusting that their decisions are the best for your children are over.

There are millions of dollars surrounding this controversy that have not been accounted for.

For additional info check out www.txcscopereview.com.

.

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Do Not Vote for Shana Young!!

May 08
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shanano

 

Ms. Young is a candidate for the Rockwall Indepedent School District school board in Rockwall, Texas. I heard Ms. Young address a crowd of parents a couple of months ago and I immediately knew she had a left leaning political agenda.

I have worked tirelessly for the last year exposing CSCOPE: the Marxist Curriculum in over 875 Texas Schools. I would like to say it surprises me, but you always seem to find some individual that sticks their head in the sand and doesn’t see the truth or if they do, they could care less, such is the case with Ms. Shana Little Young. She has gone on the attack mode of claiming that those who have exposed CSCOPE have a financial interest in doing so. What a LIE this is!! If anything it has cost us all money and time in hopes of protecting all children and our country.

I am very pleased to say that the Texas Attorney General now has CSCOPE under review. How sad for those students who have sat under it for the last 6-7 years.


Shana

After reading this I could not believe she was running for public office but then again Obama is President.

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Why Rockwall ISD and Other Schools Buy CSCOPE?

May 07
Posted by Ginger in Featured Post
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Texas Superintendent March to TASA's Tune

Reasons Superintendents and School Board Members Give for Purchasing CSCOPE

by Janice VanCleave

Rockwall Superintendent Bailey says that the CSCOPE tool provided many benefits to the district that were lacking. For example:

 X 1. CSCOPE  was developed by Texas teachers for Texas teachers that brought the pacing needed to cover all the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) curriculum content required by the state.

An X is placed by this reason because it cannot be true. Common sense confirms that it is not possible for the authors of the CSCOPE TEKS schedules called YAGs to have any information about the pacing of the TEKS.

BECAUSE:

The state standards called TAKS ended May 2010 and the new state standards called TEKS were introduced in Aug. 2010. Thus, the CSCOPE product used in May, 2010 had to be totally rewritten to be aligned with the new TEKS and ready for school in August, 2010.

X 2. CSCOPE also provided additional lesson resources that our teachers could utilize if they were to choose to do so. I would also note that when the administration was proposing CSCOPE there was no controversy surrounding its use by the more than 875 school districts across the state of Texas since 2006. In addition to public schools CSCOPE has been adopted by private schools, charter schools as well as private Christian schools.

This reason also gets an X for lack of originality. “Mom, All the kids are doing it.” 

The Rockwall school board president said that Superintendent Bailey reported to the school board that his (Baily’s) leadership team had reviewed the CSCOPE tool along with the region 10 center and the CSCOPE developers.

This means the company selling CSCOPE told the leadership team that their product was great! Did the Rockwall leadership team expect them to say that their product filled with errors or that the science lessons do not correctly represent the science process skills?  DUH!

Ed Vara with ESC XIII admits that there is no outside oversight of the CSCOPE Curriculum.

 

Superintendent Bailey said, “The CSCOPE representative attended our board workshop and participated in the presentations to the board. The board was comfortable that the district had done it due diligence before recommending the tool to the board.”

It is hard to comment on this statement. OF COURSE the CSCOPE representative attended and participated. DUH!!! Again, what did the superintendent think the CSCOPE representative was going to do. Tell the truth?
I have not met any CSCOPE representative that had a clue of the lesson content. In fact, I was told that others review the lessons. The CSCOPE representatives promote and sell. They have a really good sales pitch.

X 3. CSCOPE is inexpensive.

This is absolutely not true. There hidden fees. But this lie comes from the ESCs.

Did ESC- 10 tell Mr. Bailey’s research team  that $100 million dollars were provided in 2009 via Rider 42 grant for the purpose of developing TEKS instruction materials for Texas educators K-12.

That’s right. All 20 of the ESCs were given money not only to develop TEKS training but to provide this training at no expense to teachers. In the summer of 2010, teachers were paid a stipend to attend these science, math, and ELAR TEKS professional development academies. How many Rockwall teachers attended?

Following is the amount of money that ESC Region-10 received for the purpose of preparing Rockwall teachers
to understand the TEKS they would be using in 2010-2011 for the first time. Yes! Your Region 10 Education Service Center was given $5,664,515 to develop TEKS materials so that Rockwall teachers would have the scope for the courses they taught as well as enough knowledge about the TEKS to develop their own TEKS schedule that would be aligned with the schools’s calendar.

Let me repeat this: In all, the 20 ESCs received $100 million dollars to develop and present TEKS professional development academies.     The objective of these academies was for Texas Educators to have specificities for the TEKS K-12.  

2009 REG X EDUCATION SERVICE CENTER —- 2,618,985
2010 REG X EDUCATION SERVICE CENTER —  3,045,533

Instead of making arrangements for Rockwall teacher to attend the FREE TEKS PD academies, CSCOPE was rented at a fee of $100 thousand dollars per year. This doesn’t include other fees charged.

According to Superintendent Bailey, “The cost to the district to create our own curriculum management tool would be approximately $300K+ per year (this is to create and maintain its own curriculum management tool).”

Does anyone have a clue what a curriculum management tool is? All I have discovered about CSCOPE is that its original goal was to give superintendents and school administrators the tools to micromanage teachers. In fact, CSCOPE’s administration workshops are focused on how to monitor teachers.

According to Superintendent Bailey, due to the state cutting $5B from public school funding two years ago it put school districts across the state in the position to make some very tough decisions. As a direct result of the cuts made by the state legislature the RISD has lost $15.7M dollars of funding over the last two years ($9.3M in year one and $6.4M in year two).

While Rockwall  teachers may have been cut and classroom money for classroom supplies decreased, it did not stop  Superintendent Bailey and the School Board members from spending school taxes to pay their personal fees and expenses to private organizations called “Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA)” and “Texas Association of School Boards (TASB).” These fees for 2011-2012 and 2012 – through Dec. 2012 is a total of $62,094.25. Which is more important, “Having teachers or for the school administrators and school board members to attend conferences at the expense of tax payers?”

 X The Rockwall school board and the administration communicated that:

1. The lessons provided by the CSCOPE tool were optional.

2. Rockwall teachers are free to use their own lessons to present the content required by the TEKS.

3. The Rockwall school board and administration have full confidence in Rockwall classroom teachers and their ability to present the content required and to do so in a manner consistent with the values or our community. RISD has the best teachers in the state of Texas!

These statements get an  X because if they were true, Rockwall would not have rented the CSCOPE micromanaging system. If they were true there would be no need to pay for the TEKS scheduling when the Rockwall teachers are more than competent to group the TEKS for their lessons into time frames. If the Rockwall teachers were really respected the administration would have provided the opportunity for them receive the FREE Rider 42 TEKS PD academy materials. The administration can still make these materials available by contacting Region 10 and requesting them. 

Also, if CSCOPE was created by teachers for teachers, and the Rockwall administration and school board consider the Rockwall teachers the best in the state of Texas, why buy something that inferior teachers have produced?

FYI: * Rockwall Superintendent Jeff Bailey is listed as being part of the TASA Mission to Transform your schools. What exactly is Bailey trying to change? What are the goals of this transformation?  In Feburary the goal of TASA was for Texas administrators to attend a conference in California where Linda Darling-Hammond was speaking on Common Core. TASA specifically said that Texas Superintendents needed to attend to learn how to implement common core into the Texas Schools. Is Superintendent Bailey transforming the Rockwall ISD into a school that will be controlled by the Federal Government. Yes! Texas Schools are independent and yes your superintendent can give this away by implementing common core standards. With these standards come federal money along with federal rules and regulations. Why would any superintendent support this? Superintendents who have pledged to be part of the TASA mission of transforming Texas schools are no longer as concerned about community input. Instead, they are marching to a different drummer called TASA/TASB.

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Texas Education Service Centers Hide Free Materials

May 07
Posted by Ginger in Featured Post
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ESCs Hide FREE Materials

MAY 6, 2013 BY  LEAVE A COMMENT

ESC hides TEKS PD material

In 2009-2010, the ESCs who own TESCCC received about $50 million to develop and present teacher training for science and ELAR TEKS. The first training sessions were offered in the summer of 2010. This was important because teachers would be developing their science and ELAR lessons around these new Texas standards called TEKS.

Few teachers attended the summer sessions even though a stipend was to be given to teachers attending. Why?

The answer is given in a report to TEA about the Rider 42 grant project below. Basically, the ESC made an effort not to announce this program. How could 20 different groups fail to advertise something so very important?

It seems that the ESCs didn’t do anything special to advertise these FREE TEKS Academies.

Remember: 2010-2011 was the first year that the TEKS were to be used and teachers were apprehensive about starting the school year “cold.” The ESCs had at least a year to work on developing the TEKS training for Texas educators and yet these ESCs did not notify educators that there would be free training in the summer of 2010. I keep thinking how much could be done with $50 million. Following is the very lame excuse given by the ESCs. ESC, which stands for Education Service Center is a misnomer.

During the summer of 2010, instead of promoting the Free TEKS Academies, teachers who serendipitous discovered that the academies were being presented attended, but many teachers were forced to attend CSCOPE training sessions. This is because the ESCs were selling CSCOPE and telling the public that schools had asked them to create the CSCOPE materials. If so, it was only because these schools were not offered the free TEKS academy materials.

I can testify to the fact that the Free Science K-4 TEKS professional development materials created by TEA and Region 4 are wonderful. In fact, to hide these free materials and sell CSCOPE materials is comparable of robbing children of food. The food in this case is their education. Yes, the ESCs have stolen the education away from Texas children.

I am preparing a series of articles that compare the Free TEKS PD Academy science lessons with comparable CSCOPE lessons. This will be information that parents can take to their superintendents and ask for an explanation.

See CSCOPE Hurts Children: Proof 1

Note: The ESCs were given a second chance to make amends. Yes, these same 20 groups were given another $50 million to develop TEKS PD for social studies as well as present the science and ELAR academies again. Yes, the ESCs knew this money was coming. Did they correct the error of not starting early to advertise the Free TEKS programs. NO! Same procedure–”If the teachers find out they will come.” Few teachers have attending these free programs and now the ESCs claim that there is no money for the Math TEKS. What! $152 million was allotted and there is no money for the math? What happened to all this money?

ESCs Fail to Advertise Free TEKS Academies

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Does Texas School Curriculum Sell America Short?

May 06
Posted by Ginger in Featured Post
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by Andrew Horansky / KHOU 11 News

khou.com

Posted on May 6, 2013 at 10:24 PM

Updated today at 10:40 PM

HOUSTON — Some parents say students in Texas are the victims of a plan to rewrite history. Parents are taking aim at CSCOPE, a program being used in about three-quarters of all Texas school districts.

According to parent Kathy Rogers, one lesson equates the Boston Tea Party patriots to terrorists.

“It looked like what they were trying to do was make capitalism and democracy obsolete,” she said.

Her daughter is a junior in the Friendswood ISD, one of the districts buying into the private program.

In one lesson, students design a flag for an imaginary communist country. Critics say it leans too far left.

“I think basically they’re trying to downplay American culture. They’re trying to downplay American exceptionalism,” Rogers said.

Brent Hawkins is an administrator with the Texas Education Service Center Curriculum Collaborative (TESCCC) and has heard the complaints.

He believes that they are the exception and not the norm.

“CSCOPE was not written in California, it was not written in the liberal state of Massachusetts, it was written here in Texas by Texas teachers,” he said.

When it started a few years ago, CSCOPE was intended to help smaller districts save money. It created a standard core curriculum for grades K-12 which encouraged teaching through technology over textbooks.

“The efficiency of it, the price savings that’s been passed on to school districts, you’ve seen some of the larger districts see a value in that and buy in as well,” Hawkins said.

But parents say it has not always been transparent. Much of the learning comes off computers seen only in classrooms.

They say there is no way to check all that is in there and worry catching all mistakes may be impossible.

“It’s like ‘whack-a-mole,’” Kathy Rogers said. “You take something out but who knows if five things that are wrong aren’t added at the same time or at different times.”

Combine that with the critics’ view that CSCOPE sends too many mixed signals about America’s greatness, and it becomes clear why legislators are now getting involved.

Houston State Senator Dan Patrick recently passed a CSCOPE bill calling for a thorough review. The findings are due in four or five months.

“I’d like to put CSCOPE out of business,” Sen. Patrick said. “What we have is in my view is a rogue curriculum being taught in over 800 of our 1000 school districts that has never been under review, that has never been fact checked, and even the people who run CSCOPE don’t know what’s in their own lessons.”

For now, the Friendswood ISD has suspended the social studies portion. Rogers started a website so that parents can share notes on what their kids are learning.

For them, history is being written while they take on an entire curriculum.

 

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Texas Attorney General Sends Letter to TESCCC on CSCOPE Materials

May 06
Posted by Ginger in Featured Post
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Attorney General Abbott Sends Letter to TESCCC Regarding Disclosure of CSCOPE Materials

 

AUSTIN – Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott sent the following letter to the Texas Education Service Center Curriculum Collaborative (TESCCC) regarding allegations that Texas parents are being denied access to CSCOPE curriculum and materials.

 

Text of letter:

May 6, 2013

Ms. Anne Poplin
Chair, Texas Education Service Center Curriculum Collaborative (TESCCC) Governing Board
301 Loop 11
Wichita Falls, Texas 76306

Dear Ms. Poplin:

It has come to our attention that school districts may be denying Texas parents access to CSCOPE curriculum and materials in violation of the Texas Education Code. Specifically, it has been alleged that school districts are improperly attempting to charge parents hundreds of dollars in order to access CSCOPE-related information that must be provided to them under Texas law.

As you know, Section 26.006(a) of the Texas Education Code provides that parents are “entitled to review all teaching materials, instructional materials, and other teaching aids used in the classroom of the parent’s child.” The Education Code also provides that school districts “shall make teaching materials and tests readily available for review by parents.” Further, Texas law specifically states that “A student’s parent is entitled to request that the school district…allow the student to take home any instructional materials used by the student.”

Notwithstanding the fact that Texas law clearly requires school districts to make educational materials accessible to parents, it is our understanding that school districts have recently attempted to charge hundreds of dollars for information related to the CSCOPE curriculum. To the extent parents are being charged a fee in order to access CSCOPE-related information, such a fee is not authorized by the Education Code.

In light of these concerns, we request that the TESCCC promptly notify school districts that information related to CSCOPE must be provided to parents in accordance with Chapter 26 of the Texas Education Code, which does not authorize the imposition of a fee. With summer fast approaching, it is imperative that the TESCCC distribute the notification requested herein immediately so that parents are assured access to CSCOPE-related information before the end of the school year. Finally, be advised that failure to comply with the Education Code’s disclosure requirements could result in legal action against school districts.

Sincerely,

Greg Abbott
Attorney General of Texas

cc: The Honorable Dan Patrick
Chairman, Texas Senate Committee on Education

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