TOP

Parent says….Thank You CSCOPE!

Share Button
thank you
By Tony Mooney
Dear CScope,

Thank you.
Thank you for teaching my son fear.
Fear of failure.
Fear of testing.
Fear of his teachers and school.
Fear of society.
Fear of his peers and their impressions.
Fear to be himself.
And most of all, fear of learning.

Cscope, you have truly performed your task of differentiating kids to the point that they segregate themselves in the classroom as well as outside the classroom.
Kids no longer strive to achieve but instead strive to “get past the test”.
And yet, once the testing is done and they think they can breathe, they get loaded down with all the projects that couldn’t be done during the year due to all the assessments and teaching to the test.

Thank you for the sleepless nights due to stress.

Thank you for the tension headaches in an 11-year old child.

Thank you for the pervasive fear of failure and the belief that they are nothing if they don’t pass that test.

Thank you for the systematic destruction of self-confidence and happiness.

Thank you for the half-baked lessons and poorly worded questions.

Thank you for slowly killing the desire to learn new things.

Oh, and Cscope, I must tell you, because you are an inadequate learning tool created by idiots, foisted on us by buffoons and supported by cretins, I am being sarcastic, facetious and disengenuous. I apologize for using words your creators don’t understand but that’s what happens when you are taught to think and not regurgitate.

And tell your twin brother, TASB iCloud, you can put lipstick on a pig but…well, why finish it, when I doubt you understand.

Share Button
Read More
TOP

TEXAS PARENTS: Did your Child Fail Because of the STAAR Test?

Share Button

bumper-sticker-for-failing-staar-300x105

 

Students can be awarded certificates for being on the school honor roll all year and then told they failed because of grades on the state test called STAAR.

Some honor roll students are being required to attend summer school to take make-up classes in a subject they made an A or B on in class, but failed on the STAAR.  Since teachers do not know what a student missed on the STAAR test, they will be re-mediating students using the same materials used during the school year. Thus, honor roll students are being asked to learn material they already know.

Students that might pass a subject with a C in a subject also attend summer school if the fail that subject on the  STAAR test. As with honor roll students, teachers do not know what the student missed on the STAAR. It doesn’t matter, summer school is not designed to individual students. Instead, a set of prepared materials are taught in a short period of time.

If a student fails a subject in class as well as on the STAAR, the student goes to summer school and then passes to the next grade. Think about this. If a student doesn’t understand math and fails, how could this same student within the few days of summer school be taught all the math concepts presented during the school year and understand them?

After attending summer school, are students given the STAAR again?

I’ll be researching unanswered questions in this blog.

If your child failed because of the STAAR,  I suggest that you challenge the administration. After all, it is your child that is being labeled as a failure. Questions that you might want to ask are:

  • Of what value are the class grades if only STAAR grades are used for promotion?
  • If a student fails in his classes, but passes the STAAR tests, is that student promoted?
  • Do you think that with 100% accuracy, the STAAR tests access the abilities of every student?
  • Is it possible that some students understand the material, as shown by class work, but do not test well?
  • Since my child has passed his class work, do you think his teacher(s) have inflated his grades?
    If not, then his class grades reflect his understanding of the material presented. Why is he being failed if he his teacher has assessed his understanding during the entire school year and has given him a passing grade?

If CSCOPE was used, point out that the vendor selling CSCOPE lessons has chosen to delete these lessons and never sell them again. In exchange the CSCOPE lessons will not be reviewed by the State Board of Education and the results publicized. Since there is evidence that some of the CSCOPE lessons were plagarized, some have incorrect information, some have biased political content, etc…… Ask:

  • What evidence is there that using CSCOPE lessons has prepared my child for the STAAR?
  • Is it possible that my child has learned the incorrect content of the CSCOPE lessons, thus failed the STAAR?

While you are asking questions, find out what material is being used in summer school. Also, ask if the school plans to return to using textbooks. Ask if CSCOPE has been removed.

Parents, please don’t let school administrators try to bully you. Any administrator worth his salt will sit on the same side of the desk with you instead of behind the desk where he/she is in charge. This is a meeting to discuss your child and what is best for him/her. It is not a court case or shouldn’t be.

Some administrators make an effort to confuse parents with education terms not familiar to most parents, nor do they have to be. Terms such as, vertical alignment, instructional information documents, year at a glance schedules, alignment with the TEKS, etc…………………… If you do not understand what is being said, stop the speaker as ask for explanation. Know that just because you do not understand what I call “Educaneze,” which is educational buzz words, don’t think you would be considered stupid if you admit this. It is unprofessional for school administrators to do this, but too many want to be in control. Keep reminding yourself that it is your child that will be punished if you do not stand up to this person. Also, you could very well be the one who gives other parents the courage to do the same.

Do not go alone. Make sure you have someone with you. Before you leave, restate what you understand and ask for confirmation that it is correct. Either record the meeting, which is best, or take notes and ask the administrator to sign them. Do not think about this making the administrator angry. It shouldn’t if they are providing accurate information. Just keep reminding your self that you are standing in the gap for your child.

The hardest part or at least it is for me, is to not get angry. Take deep breaths to keep your self calm. Don’t let the administrator rush you. After all, your child is being failed and you want evidence to support this decision.

Please share your experience so other can benefit from it. One parent questioned his child being failed and the decision was reversed. The honor roll student does not have to repeat an entire year of social studies.

 

by Janice VanCleave

www.txcscopereview.com 

 

 

 

Share Button
Read More
TOP

“The Story of Stuff” promoted by Texas A&M

Share Button

I spent thousands of dollars sending my daughter to Texas A&M, what I thought was a conservative Texas University. I am finding out every day that A&M it is not as conservative as I once imagined. For example, the Texas A&M Aggie T-STEM department is all about transforming our education system K-16 from conservative traditional based learning to a progressive project based learning. This is being done via grants and the program is called Texas A&M T-STEM Academy. The goals of T-STEM are outlined  HERE.

Texas A & M T-STEM Academy is working with other T-Stem Academies including,  the Texas Education Service Centers (created CSCOPE) and the Texas Education Agency to accomplish their progressive goal of implementing Project Based Learning (PBL).

On the Texas A&M’s T-STEM Website  you will find information describing the vision and intent of T-STEM. After evaluating CSCOPE lessons, I didn’t think I could be shocked by instruction material, but I was wrong.

Education is the one industry that is making money by making changes from traditional learning to Project Based Learning (PBL). You might be asking yourselves, “So What’s the Big Deal?” The answer is that while learning styles come and go, but PBL is not just a teaching technique. PBL is a progressive movement that promotes setting facts aside and allowing students to create their own understanding of the world around them. Even this is not what PBL is. Instead, while students are given freedom to make their own choices, the list of choices are manipulative. Students are being trained via PBL to embrace progressive, socialist ideology.

Parents, you cannot trust the state or federal education agency to know what your child should be taught. This is because these agencies are no longer focused on educating students in reading, writing, science, and math. Instead, they are focused on their social and emotional development. This is the job of parents, not public schools. There are grants providing millions of dollars to PBL learning, which is focused on your child’s social behavior and emotional development. Project Based Learning is the framework of the CSCOPE lessons as well as Common Core. In other words, Texas Schools who have been using CSCOPE already have the framework of Project Based Learning implemented. Thus, CSCOPE schools have the Common Core Project Based Learning in place. Its a small adjustment to replace the TEKS with the Common Core standards. 

Teachers are no longer given the option to avoid standards that are biased toward socialism or some specific religion. Whether its the CSCOPE Micromanaging System or something else administrators (with a need to be in control)  implement, the state standards, be they the TEKS or Common Core have become law. Since TEA and the State Education Service Centers promote Project Based Learning, it really doesn’t matter what the state standards are, its how they are implemented in student lessons. We have seen this with CSCOPE lessons promoting the Islamic religion to satisfy the  state standard to teach about different religions. Yes, the standards do matter. But how teachers implement them is so much more important. 

The following information is from the TEA’s website. This lets you know that TEA is supporting Project Based Learning.

funding

aggie stem 

I found the following powerpoint on T-STEM site. The following is a screen shot of one of the slides promoting the environmental leftist propoganda website “The Story of Stuff”   which is filled with numerous untruths in hopes in indoctrinating our children.

story of stuff

As Lou Dobbs states in the following news cast on CNN “The Story of Stuff” video has no place in our school system.

Share Button
Read More
TOP

Texas Teacher Demonizes Christian Parents

Share Button

 teacher talk

 

We unfortunately live in a society today where a sense of decency often is  something that is not valued. What is even worse is that many of those individuals who devalue decency have the job of teaching and instilling unfavorable behavior traits in our children. Such is the case with one Texas Teacher.

This Texas Teacher has shared with her students through twitter that parents that teach that evolution is a “LIE” are hurting the nation and killing innovation”. George West ISD’s 7th grade math teacher Mrs. Pawelek has two twitter accounts. She has set up one for her students where she she post comments and photos of her students (has she informed the parents that she is taking photos of their children and posting them on the internet?) I found Ms. Pawelek’s Tweet below disturbing! The fact that she could be so bold and insensitive to students who believe in Intelligent Design, be they Christian, Jew or just Creationists of any stripe is concerning and offensive.

Mrs. Pawelek has also put herself in a position above her student’s parents in challenging their opinion when it disagrees with her own. How dare she spew her indoctrination and demonize the parents of the children in her classroom. I wonder how Mrs. Pawelek would respond if her own child was in my music or dance class or whatever and I had a twitter account for the class where I told my students that any parent who denied creationism must be pagan and is going to Hell. I am sure that she would remove her child from my class and give me a good cussing, which I would rightfully deserve. The sad difference is the fact that it is not nearly so easy to remove my child from her grasp and my tax dollars pay her salary either way.

      Her classroom twitter account.

Brenda 3

As a side note, why is it that the progressive liberals can’t or won’t allow competing ideas on evolution, education, etc.? The evolution “science” takes more faith than it takes to believe in Creationism or Intelligent Design.

Brenda Pawelek has another twitter account where she exercises no restraint on her foul language. Do you find it funny that both of the posts by her below start out with the premise of Deity? “OMG” doesn’t the G stand for God? And how about “Holy S..t”, OK maybe that is a stretch, but the point is that while our teachers have a right to their first ammendment right as much as the next person, in my opinion they should always remember that our kids are looking. I don’t personally know Mrs. Pawelek but maybe since she believes we came to being via evolution over time which, when partnered with the concept of no God, leads to a life of no moral absolutes which frees oneself to act anyway they choose with no right or wrong behavior other than their own opinion.

Surely we can do better than this when choosing educators for our most precious resource, our children.

brenda 1

brenda..

 

Share Button
Read More
TOP

WARNING: PROJECT BASED LEARNING

Share Button

5-31-2013 11-25-53 PM

Teach children to think! You would think this is some new concept listening to liberal educators today.  I first heard this statement being championed by a CSCOPE Coordinator last year. After exercising my constitutional right to speak before the Willis ISD school board Oct/2012 regarding my concerns in relation to CSCOPE, ESC 6’s CSCOPE coordinator Lindy McColloch quickly tried to marginalize my concerns at this public forum  speaking after me. At the time I was unaware of Ms. McColloch’s presence in the room or who she was.

 

My Statements

Lindy McColloch comments

 

I found her anger and attitude concerning. Why would a state employee address a concerned citizen in this manner over a “curriculum”? After investigating CSCOPE and the behavior of those that support it, I and other critics soon realized there was a major problem. Not only were the lessons of poor quality and anti- american, teachers felt like they could not speak out and express their concerns out of fear of losing their jobs. Teachers felt controlled and intimidated by administration.  CSCOPE test did not match the material being taught. Students were failing, etc. Teachers began sending us emails thanking us for fighting for them.

The bigger picture started becoming apparent after more research. Texas Education Service Centers along with TASA and TASB and other organizations are in the works of implementing a Marxist based teaching philosophy called Project Based Learning (PBL). PBL is based on the Marxist Lev Vygotsky’s teaching philosophy.

With Project Based Learning (PBL) students create their own learning and build upon what they may already know. Students are not taught correct or factual information. Getting the correct answer is not important.  The learning process is built on group learning, based on the collective and not individual achievement.

I found this document from ESC 14 which will give you information and websites educating you what Project Based Learning (PBL) is.  I was reading the document and I behold I ran across that statement again, Teach children to think!

pbl

 

After is was announced that CSCOPE would drop their lessons I filed a public information requesting asking what ESC 6 sent to it’s local school districts addressing the issue. As you will read ESC’s continue to implement their progressive plan of Project Based Learning. Fortunately Parents and Grandparents are waking up to what the progressives are up to.

Here is the document that was sent.

Lindy Mc

 

 

Share Button
Read More
TOP

TEACHERS! SAVE CSCOPE LESSONS!!!

Share Button

 

Lacey Rainey

 

Superintendent of Curriculum/Instruction Community ISD

Lacey Rainey

 

 

Below you will find an email sent to Community ISD teachers asking them to save CSCOPE lessons. English teacher Stephanie Mohr, sent the email on behalf of the Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction, Lacey Rainey. Rainey is known for supporting the Marxist/Progressive CSCOPE curriculum.

How liable will  Community ISD be if they continue ,to use the CSCOPE lessons after Aug 31? How about the students that may have failed the STAAR this year, is Community ISD and districts responsible for implementing an un-vetted program? If CSCOPE lessons are so rotten that TESCCC would remove the lessons, why would Rainey now want to save them?

CSCOPE… as you can see it is far from over. 

 

______________________________________________________________________________________

 

 

From: (Teacher Name Removed)
Date: Wed, May 29, 2013 at 11:58 AM
Subject: Need to do
To: TEACHERS (NAMES REMOVED)

 

Lacey has asked us to save the C-Scope lessons for her by grade level. The instructions are below. She wants this completed by next Friday 🙂 Let me know when you are done please.

The instructions for saving CScope lessons are as follows:

Sign out of your gmail
login to gmail with:
password:  cisdcurr
select Drive
Select CISD Curriculum Folder
Select your grade level
Select your subject
Upload your lessons
To save your lessons:
go to CSCOPE
select the exemplar lesson
select printer friendly version
a check box appears; everything needs to be checked
select print
open
save to h drive
Share Button
Read More
TOP

WARNING: PROJECT BASED LEARNING

Share Button

5-29-2013 12-48-29 PM

 

It became apparent to me that CSCOPE was part of a bigger problem and would lay a foundation for Project Based Learning (PBL). PBL is based on the teaching philosphy of Marxist Lev Vygotsky and Progressive educator John Dewey. The Texas Education Service Centers, Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA) and Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) are running full speed ahead to implement PBL  Parents and Taxpayers need to be very concerned about PBL. Here is a comparison between a Traditional Education and Project Based Learning,  The comparison is the same as traditional vs CSCOPE.

PBL COMPARISON

In reading the following statement copied from this webpage, makes you wonder why we have teachers go to school for years if the new goal is to have students teach themselves and teachers job is to become a facilitator.

5-29-2013 1-51-37 PM

 

May 9th, President Obama visited and praised Manor ISD’s New Tech High School which is has fully implemented Project Based Learning.  (His visit speaks volumes to those who value a traditional education).

 

manor isd

Share Button
Read More
TOP

Taxpayer Parasite CSCOPE Still Alive

Share Button

parasite

May 24, 2013 | BlogFeatured

Why is CSCOPE being given the time and room to plot it’s next move? CSCOPE has broken trust with Texas parents and taxpayers in every possible way.

Intrepid parents and taxpayers like Donna Garner, Janice Van Cleave, Women on the Wall, and Americans for Prosperity-Texas are finding out just how bad the picture really is. Let us review.agenda wise

CSCOPE got massive amounts of tax money to develop “time management” tools for teachers, even though a calendar and a pen still cost about $15 at Wal-Mart.

They were also tasked with creating a “professional development” tool to help teachers teach the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). This is the basic knowledge tested in the STAAR test.

What on Earth this “professional development tool” was ever supposed to be is anyone’s guess. The TEKS are the nuggets of knowledge kids need to know for the STAAR test, and they are on the Texas Education Agency (TEA) website.

As it turns out, CSCOPE pretty much just cut-and-pasted the TEKS off of the TEA website and called this their “professional development tool”.

At some point they also began developing curriculum – embarrassingly sub-standard curriculum that was also peppered with anti-Americanism and anti-Christianism. This aspect of CSCOPE has gotten most of the headlines, and rightly so, but it is just one part of what is wrong with both CSCOPE and the regional Education Service Centers (ESCs) that have perpetrated CSCOPE on Texans.

This curriculum is what CSOPE is no longer allowed to use, curriculum that included burka-wearing day for young Texas girls, communist flag-making day for school kids, and other such activities.

It is inconceivable that a group that would do such things would be allowed continued access to Texas classrooms by our elected officials, but that is what is happening right now.

CSCOPE tried to keep anyone from finding any of this out by making school districts sign non-disclosure agreements, binding them to not showing anyone the “tool”. This is very weird, and it turns out to be illegal. Parents have the legal right to see what their kids are being taught.

Since these “tools” were bought and paid for by the Texas taxpayer, we expected to be done paying for them.

Not so. CSCOPE is now renting their glorified calendar and cut-and-pasted TEKS to school districts. They also hold seminars to teach people how to use these masterpieces of learning technology.

If you think this sounds like a scam, it’s because it does.

Best of all, the TEA has these time management tools downloadable on its website. The TEKS are there too, which is what the “professional development” tool is.

This all means that CSCOPE is 100% obsolete.

What about it’s origins?

“CSCOPE”  is actually a product of a 501c3 non-profit corporation called TESCCC. The Board of TESCCC are the directors of these regional Education Service Centers (ESCs). The ESCs were given around $180 million in education grants to create these “tools”, and they contracted the work to TESCCC, who produced CSCOPE.

School districts are still paying rent for CSCOPE, and for absolutely no functional reason.

Some districts are pulling this continuing CSCOPE funding. Many are not.

Are parents and taxpayers powerless? No.

Parents and taxpayers can check to see if their ISD has pulled CSCOPE funding and use. If the Superintendant is protecting it, parents can organize to elect school board members who promise to hire a new Superintendant who will cut CSCOPE off.

When the CSCOPE controversy first hit, Sen. Patrick quickly emerged, saying he was pushing for more regulation of this obsolete, wasteful, anti-American, anti-Christian, and incompetent taxpayer leach.

“Regulate CSCOPE!” was not then a rallying cry that satisfied Texans. It still isn’t, despite Sen. Patrick’s recent press conference that failed to generate any sense of finality for the many Texas parents and taxpayers following this drama.

Instead of getting rid of this taxpayer parasite, the now-taskless-but-well-funded CSCOPE has been put under the State Board of Education’s purview.

The Attorney General is an elected official who has actually borne his teeth to CSCOPE, saying he will investigate them and kick them out of Texas if he finds illegality.

These days the executive branch is, hands-down, a better bet than the land-of-comically-low-expectations that is our legislative branch.

 

–AFP article “CSCOPE or C-SCAM?” (AFP has done excellent work on CSCOPE all session)

 

weston

Share Button
Read More
TOP

URGENT: CALL GOVERNOR PERRY

Share Button

GOVERNOR PERRY

URGENT CALL TO ACTION

 

Everyone fighting against CSCOPE in Texas schools needs to tell Gov. Perry to VETO HB 1675 or the Educational Service Centers – the people who sneaked CSCOPE into our schools by bypassing the SBOE-will NOT BE REVIEWED by the Sunset Committee in 2014 as scheduled. Instead they will get a reprieve until 2019. 

 

You MUST CALL ASAP or all our hard work may go right down the drain.

 

Twitter:  @GovernorPerry

 

Main Switchboard Governor’s Office: (512) 463-2000 (LIVE PERSON)

 

Opinion Hotline (512) 463-1782 – Open Tuesday at 8:00 am

 

 

 

Information: (800) 843-5789

 

All you need to do is give your name and where you live and simply say something like  “Please tell Gov. Perry to VETO House Bill 1675.” If you want to elaborate you can add a sentence or two abut WHY the Education Service Centers MUST be reviewed by the Sunset Commission NOW as scheduled.”

 

You may also email Gov Perry at:  http://governor.state.tx.us/contact/  – but phone calls are always best.

 

Colleen Vera

colleen@TexasTrashTalk.com

 

==========

5.27.13 – FROM PEGGY VENABLE, AMERICANS FOR PROSPERITY

Americans for Propserity-Texas are calling on our activists to ask Governor Rick Perry to veto House Bill 1675.

We believe the Regional Education Service Centers (ESCs) should be reviewed on schedule so that their activities can finally be subjected to public oversight. The Regional Education Service Centers were originally set for Sunset Review in 2015 and that schedule should be maintained.

Click Here to Take Action!

Education reform has been an enormous issue this session and some of that has revolved around the controversial CSCOPE curriculum created by the ESCs.  The ESCs created a non-profit 501c3 shell corporation (TESCCC – the Texas Education Service Center Curriculum Collaborative), which had no employees, address, phone number, or funding.  It appears the TESCCC filed no 990s. This shell corporation was used to shield ESCs from open meetings and open records. The lesson plans were provided with no opportunity for parental review, as is required by law.

While the ESCs have agreed to end the CSCOPE curriculum, they will continue CSCOPE management tools and other aspects, and perhaps even continue TESCCC. ESCs have betrayed the public trust and should be reviewed now, not in 2019.

We appreciate the leadership that the Governor has shown this session and trust that he will continue to demonstrate that common-sense leadership by vetoing H.B. 1675.

AFP-Texas fully supports the veto of HB 1675.

Please ask the Governor to veto HB 1675.

 

 Click Here to Take Action!

 

 

Donna Garner

wgarner1@hot.rr.com

Share Button
Read More
TOP

TEACHER THANKS CSCOPE CRITICS

Share Button

teacher

 

TEACHERS HAVE LOST THEIR VOICE WHEN FIGHTING CSCOPE…. I RECEIVED THE FOLLOWING FROM A  CSCOPE TEACHER.

Thank you, thank you, thank you! I do not know what control this thing has over superintendents, but    it’s a scary thing! Prior to the hiring of our supt., we had district curriculum consultants who with teachers’ assistance, developed curriculum calendars for all subjects. Our ELA scores were amazing! And then the current supt rolls in. Cscope is the bible, Cscope is the National Archives, Cscope is everything a teacher needs….if you listen to the supt. Countless meetings have been held with the assistant supt. to share concerns but to no avail.
I have gone from a teacher having the confidence that I could accomplish anything in the classroom to a teacher that hasn’t known which end is up. Metaphors are our mantra…a ship without a rudder, a kite without a string, a compass without a needle.
How sad that education in our district wears the mask of deceit. I just wish that sanity could return to our classrooms.
Thank you so much for your continued work in exposing Cscope for what it is. Isn’t it interesting that this conflict has never been experienced over a textbook adoption?

Share Button
Read More
TOP

Texas Senators are Liars?

Share Button

LIARS

I don’t think I have personally witnessed such a group of arrogant and deceitful group of individuals as those in the Texas Education System. Despite the CSCOPE Senate hearings and the passage of Senate Bill 1406 which puts CSCOPE under the review of the SBOE not to mention the Texas Attorney General’s investigation of CSCOPE and it’s business practice; CSCOPE proponents are still touting the “WONDERS OF CSCOPE”. ESC Region 15 is now going to hold a mini conference and one of their break out sessions are to inform attendees how the TEXAS LEGISLATURE and CSCOPE CRITICS have manipulated material to suit our illicit purposes. So who do they truly think has preformed these illegal and unlawful activities? Is it the Senate, the House, the parents and outspoken critics such as myself.  Are we all just a bunch of liars? I wished they would publicize their idea of what illegal or lawless acts have been preformed!

Astonishing to me they would have the audacity to hold such a conference. How telling it is how bad they want to hold onto the progressive agenda behind it all. As I have told them all personally “I don’t know how they sleep at night”.

The following Handouts from ESC REGION 15 gives you the agenda for the Mini Conference where they will be addressing “The Truth About CSCOPE”.

mini conference

Being the director of ESC 15, Scot Goen obviously signed off and approved this conference and supports the agenda behind it. The state needs to quit funding these organizations NOW!! They are fighting state agencies, parents, etc to accomplish their liberal agenda of indoctrinating our children.

 Director: Scot Goen

I only hope Senator Patrick, Senator Campbell, Rep Toth and others see that these men and women behind CSCOPE are individuals that cannot be trusted with the education of our School Children. 

Share Button
Read More
TOP

IRVING ISD: WASTEFUL SPENDING BY TEXAS SCHOOL DISTRICT

Share Button

To add to our ever-growing list of Texas school districts that are wasting taxpayers’ dollars, we now have the results of a Public Information Request (PIR) from Irving ISD.

system failure

IRVING ISD – TASA & TASB FY12 & FY13 PYMTS_pro

Notice that Irving ISD over the last two school years has paid TASA (Texas Association of School Administrators) $35,006 and TASB (Texas Association of School Boards) $870, 022.  Just think how many classroom teachers’ jobs could have been financed by that huge amount of money.  – Donna Garner

Irving ISD — TASA and TASB Amounts

(2.14.13)

Irving ISD — TASA Amount

School Year TASA Amount
2011/2012     $3,494
2012/2013   $31,512
  Total   $35,006

 

Irving ISD — TASB Amount

School Year TASB Amount
2011/2012    $21,982
2011/2012      $3,830
2011/2012  $386,108
2011/2012    $33,707
S/T  2011/2012  $445,627
2012/2013    $15,172
2012/2013    $18,000
2012/2013  $391,223
S/T 2012/2013  $424,395
Total  2011 – 2013  $870,022

 

===========================

http://educationviews.org/wasteful-spending-by-tex-school-districts-tasa-tasb/

2.12.13 — This information was gained through PIR’s filed by taxpayers in Katy ISD, Katy, Texas. This shows how much money this district is spending on TASA and TASB each year. Schools throughout Texas pay similar amounts to TASA/TASB.  [Through PIR’s, taxpayers in Montgomery ISD have found that so far during this 2012-13 school year, TASA has been paid $22,240.]

TASA and TASB have been responsible for pushing school district officials to support Type #2 CSCOPE and Type #2 Common Core Standards.

Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA) is headed to Los Angeles, to the national conference to hear Linda Darling-Hammond talk about Common Core Standards — http://www.tasanet.org/aasa-national-conference-on-education.

Katy Independent School District — TASA Expense

 Year TASA Expense
 2010     $11,831
 2011     $10,824
 2012       $2,310
  Total     $24,965

 

Katy Independent School District — TASB Expense

Year TASB Expense
  2010  $10,490
  2011  $48,689
  2012  $17,842
  Total  $77,021

 

TASA and its “joined-at-the-hip organization” TASB (Texas Association of School Boards) use our tax dollars to hire lobbyists to go to Austin to lobby us for higher school taxes. (School districts also use our tax dollars to pay for school board members’ TASB expenses.) In essence, we taxpayers are paying to lobby ourselves!

Why should TASA/TASB live off our tax dollars?  Classroom teachers have to pay for their  own teacher organization dues and conventions if they choose to participate.  If administrators and school board members want to join TASA/TASB, that should be entirely up to them; but the Texas Legislature needs to pass a bill during this legislative session that requires public school administrators and school boards to participate in TASA/TASB by using their own personal dollars and not by using our taxpayers’ dollars.

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT KATY ISD

Katy ISD Superintendent’s contract – July 1, 2010 through June 30, 2015:

http://library.constantcontact.com/download/get/file/1110058879461-6/Superintendent’s+Contract.pdf

$288,400.00 – annual salary

$15,600 – car expenses

$27,063.24 – out-of-state teacher retirement

$500,000.00 – term life insurance policy

$16,500.00 to $22,000.00 – annuity policy

The district pays additional amounts for hospital, dental, medical care for supe and dependents; professional dues/expenses/travel/hotels/meals/rental cars for such professional activities as TASA/TASB/ASCD, etc.

Donna Garner

Wgarner1@hot.rr.com

Share Button
Read More
TOP

TEXAS TEACHERS CELEBRATING

Share Button

Texas teachers celebrate end of CSCOPE, say it will lead to improved student learning

 

By Ben Velderman
EAGnews.org

AUSTIN, Texas – A number of Texans cheered yesterday when state Sen. Dan Patrick announced that CSCOPE will be sent to the ash heap of history at the end of August.

CSCOPE is a curriculum management system used by more than 800 Texas school districts that provides educators with pre-written lessons to use in the classroom. A number of those lessons came under fire from conservatives for promoting a left-wing, anti-American point of view.

While conservatives were understandably happy with Patrick’s announcement, it might have been Texas’ teachers who rejoiced the most.

DANCING TEACHER

KLTV.com reports that many teachers despised CSCOPE’s rigid, one-size-fits-all approach to education. After seven years of CSCOPE, those teachers are thrilled to be set free from the tyranny of the ready-made lesson plan.

Bill Martin, director of the Tyler Sylvan Learning Center, said the end of CSCOPE means teachers “get control back over their classroom again.”

“They get to use lesson plans that they feel are best suited for their class and their students in their class,” Martin told KLTV.com.

Martin added that he doesn’t know “a single teacher that likes CSCOPE. Not a single teacher.”

One Tyler ISD teacher, who spoke to KLTV.com on the condition of anonymity, said, “The end of CSCOPE means teachers will be able to teach English and other core subjects without watering them down. It means we can prep students for college. The need for college remedial courses will drop dramatically as CSCOPE lesson plans are removed.”

The end of pre-written CSCOPE lessons means teachers will have to spend a lot of time and effort to write their own. Judging from the comments of one teacher union official, not many of them seem to mind the prospect of extra work.

“We’ve got to meet the individual children’s needs so they can be successful and this (CSCOPE) curriculum just has not allowed that,” Jamie Womack, organizer of the Texas American Federation of Teachers in East Texas, told the news site.

Share Button
Read More
TOP

Texas Drops “Anti-American” CSCOPE Lessons; Battle Continues

Share Button

Written by Alex Newman

The New American

 

A highly controversial school curriculum used in much of Texas known as “CSCOPE,” which came under relentless assault from activists and parents who said it was promoting “progressive” anti-American and anti-Christian propaganda, was dealt a major blow by policymakers this week. However, despite media reports and legislators heralding the death of the divisive educational program, major elements remain in place. Still, the news was lauded as a victory for common-sense education as the national battle over Obama-backed “Common Core” standards heats up.texas flag

The CSCOPE program was touted online by its developers as a “customizable, online curriculum management system” for Texas schools. Despite being used in more than two thirds of state school districts, the scheme largely flew under the radar — at least for a while — until a broad coalition of concerned parents, teachers, political activists, Tea Party groups, and others eventually cried foul.

The system surged into the national spotlight earlier this year when conservative media outlets began exposing the curriculum contents, which critics lambasted as everything from “Marxist” indoctrination to “pro-Islam” attacks on Christianity. Others complained that parents were not allowed to access the material due to “licensing” restrictions.

Produced by the Texas Education Service Center Curriculum Collaborative (TESCCC), the lesson plans included, for example, an assignment to design a new communist flag based on symbols used by socialist regimes. A controversial handout for “social studies,” meanwhile, portrayed humanity as evolving upward from a purportedly selfish free-market economic system toward socialism. The final step was communism, where, supposedly, “all people work together for everyone.” Another lesson suggested the famous Boston Tea Party could be considered an act of terrorism.

Among the most controversial elements of the entire scandal were school materials that critics viewed as hostile toward Christianity. One lesson plan, for instance, introduced the Christian religion as a “cult,” even suggesting that the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ described in the Bible represented repackaged versions of Egyptian and Persian mythology — an absurd notion that has been debunked by countless scholars and theologians. Opponents also blasted what they said was a “pro-Islam” bias in the lesson plans.

After the state-wide outcry turned into a national scandal, Texas lawmakers, under heavy pressure from constituents, eventually got involved in the issue. On Monday, months after the furor first erupted, legislators and TESCCC board members announced during a press conference that CSCOPE was essentially dead. The entity responsible for producing the material, meanwhile, will no longer be producing lesson plans or curriculums. Policymakers seemed delighted to put the controversy behind them.

“I’m pleased that the CSCOPE Board has made the decision to get out of the lesson plan business,” said Republican State Senator Dan Patrick, the chairman of the Senate Education Committee who led much of the effort to stop the scheme. “This is a positive development for students, parents, teachers, and for the Regional Service Centers. I want to thank the members of the Senate Education Committee for their months of work on this issue. I also want to thank Attorney General Abbott and his staff in providing valuable assistance in our review of CSCOPE.”

Sen. Patrick of Houston noted that once the TESCCC board officially approves the measure later this week, he would notify the state Board of Education that they no longer needed to review the 1,600 CSCOPE lesson plans. “The CSCOPE era is over,” the senator continued. “However, what the last several months has proven is that the state will have to create a plan to monitor all online material in the future so that our schools and classroom remain completely transparent to parents and the legislature knows what is being taught in our classrooms across Texas.”

TESCCC Chair Anne Poplin and other board members thanked Sen. Patrick and his fellow lawmakers on the state House and Senate education committees, saying their leadership had been “invaluable” and that they look forward to having a “positive relationship” in the future. “We believe that this is the best decision moving forward, and allows us to continue to provide high-quality services to the more than 1,000 school districts and charter schools in Texas,” Poplin and another board member said in a statement.

While spokesmen for the entity responsible for CSCOPE originally defended the material, it appears that the support softened as critics’ outcry grew louder. More recently, officials across the state rushed to distance themselves from the program as well. Conservative activists, meanwhile, celebrated the latest developments, with some arguing that more work was needed to rein in out-of-control educational bureaucrats and prevent similar occurrences.

“Never underestimate the power of blogs and grassroots pressure from conservatives in Texas!” wrote longtime CSCOPE critic David Bellow, a Texas Republican Executive Committeeman who has been blasting the program for months in online articles. “We must not let our guard down though and the Texas Legislature needs to continue to take action to prevent bad curriculum and an online backdoor curriculum from being introduced into Texas schools with no oversight.”

Not everyone was celebrating, however. State Board of Education Vice Chairman Thomas Ratliff of Northeast Texas was among those expressing concerns. “I’m already getting emails from superintendents and teachers at my districts saying, ‘Now, what?’” Ratliff said in a statement. “There were 1,600 lessons in that thing. That’s not easily replaceable…. For some districts, they are a small, optional part. For other districts, it was a lifeline. It’s a sad day for small school districts and the state, and it’s all because of politics.”

As CSCOPE critics celebrated the small victory and its backers complained, some media reports and officials suggested that the death of the program might not have arrived yet. Indeed, even though the controversial lesson plans will be taken down, the federally funded “Regional Education Centers” will continue to operate, and “management portions” of CSCOPE will remain available to school districts, according to media reports.

Even SBOE Vice Chair Ratliff noted that the “heftier” elements of the scheme, which outline the K-12 government-mandated requirements and the timelines for learning them, remain intact. “So, yes, the rumors of their death have been exaggerated,” Ratliff was quoted as saying in the Longview News-Journal. “It is not CSCOPE that’s going away; it’s just that one component.” The element that has been banished: the controversial but optional lesson plans. Everything else essentially remains in place.

To prevent a similar situation — Texas children being taught anti-American or anti-Christian propaganda — lawmakers are working on a bill, Senate Bill 1406, to provide more oversight of CSCOPE. The bill passed a third reading in the state House, and opponents of the controversial lesson plans are urging activists to back the legislation. Because CSCOPE still exists and will continue to be offered at Texas schools, Republican state Rep. Steve Toth also said he planned to continue pushing the legislation.

The 20-member governing board in charge of CSCOPE, meanwhile, is asking lawmakers to pass House Bill 1675, which would keep the federally funded “Regional Education Centers” open until 2019. Even anti-CSCOPE lawmakers indicated that they did not see a problem with the program, local media outlets reported. Why Texas or any other state would need or want unconstitutional federal funding for its education programs remains unclear — especially considering the “strings” that are almost always attached.

As the education battle over CSCOPE was heating up in Texas, a much larger fight was brewing nationwide — the effort to stop the Obama administration-backed “Common Core” standards. The controversial effort, which has relied mostly on federal bribes and bullying, aims to track students and standardize education across America by getting state governments to adopt the widely criticized standards. Some 45 states — not including Texas — have already signed up for the plan, but over a dozen so far are considering withdrawal. Activists and experts say that battle is just getting started.
Alex Newman is a correspondent for The New American, covering economics, politics, and more. He can be reached at anewman@thenewamerican.com.

 

Share Button
Read More
TOP

TEXAS PRINCIPAL promotes EDUCATIONAL REVOLUTION

Share Button

REVOLUTIONARY EDUCATOR

TRA HALL

MUNDY INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT

 

Texas we have a MAJOR PROBLEM in our schools. The uncovering of the Marxist/Progressive Curriculum Cscope are not going down with out a fight. The educators behind the deception tried their best to keep their agenda hidden from the public.

Tra Hall, a principal in Mundy Independent School District has been hot on twitter in support of CSCOPE. He even advocated today that teacher hurry and download the lessons while they still can.

TREY HALL 2

 

Below is a copy of Mr Hall’s blog from 2012 when he wanted to rid his school of CSCOPE though it is quite apparent he isn’t for a traditional (Type 1) education.  Has he changed his mind on CSCOPE? Maybe it is the progressive ideology that he hopes to protect, being that he advocates an educational revolution in our schools.

trahallblog

Share Button
Read More
TOP

THREAT OF SUBPONEA PRODUCES TEXAS CURRICULUM RECORDS

Share Button

 

author-image

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

Share Button
Read More
TOP

What is CSCOPE?

Share Button

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.

Share Button
Read More
TOP

CSCOPE: Update from Sen Patrick

Share Button

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

Share Button
Read More
TOP

CSCOPE is a Disaster

Share Button

 

 

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

Share Button
Read More
TOP

CSCOPE vs Traditional Education

Share Button

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

Share Button
Read More