Texas State Board of Education member, Thomas Ratliff is a paid lobbyist for Microsoft. Besides from the fact that is illegal to be a lobbyist and sit on the State Board of Education , Ratliff is promoting and supporting a radical change in Texas education called project based learning (PBL). The nations Common Core standards are based on PBL. Texas is one of 5 states that did not adopt common core, but that that did not stop the “education establishment” from implementing it. The Texas Education Service Centers, Texas Association of School Administrators, Texas Association of School Boards, Texas School Superintendents and other education entities have been working at implementing PBL over the last 7 years under a veil of secrecy. Most smaller school districts use it under the name CSCOPE. Though the larger school districts have either created or purchased their own PBL curriculum.
The unveiling of CSCOPE has put Mr. Ratliff is some sorta tail spin. He has been publicly lashing out at taxpayers and citizens that are concerned about CSCOPE and the radical change in education. We have asked Mr. Ratliff he profits from Microsoft or the Public School System due to his lobbying and he has refused to answer. After some research it has been discovered that Microsoft promotes this radical change of implementing PBL in the school system. Below you will find websites and photos of Microsoft’s support of Project Based Learning.
Project Based Learning is being facilitated with the use of computers/IPAD’s for all students so they can be globally engaged. Microsoft sponsors Conferences and Summits Worldwide that have to do with Transforming education. The United Nations is behind this transformation. You can read about it here.
Microsoft-Implementing Project Based Learning in your classroom
Microsoft Partners in Learning
