I find it amazing how many school board members across the state of Texas support a progressive education for our children, as in the case with Rockwall School Board President, Chris Cuny. Rockwall uses the controversial curriculum called CSCOPE which is based on a Progressive philosophy of education called Project Based Learning (PBL) With Project Based Learning (PBL) American Exceptionalism is not taught and their is no “absolute truth”. Students come to class with their own knowledge called “schema” build upon their knowledge while working in groups. PBL is based on the collective and not individual achievement.
Rockwall News released the article below. In the article Cuny is noted for saying the “state acted in haste”. What he fails to comment on, is Texas Education Service Center Curriculum Collaborative (TESCCC) who owns CSCOPE (really the tax payers do) are the ones who volunteered to remove CSCOPE lessons. The state DID NOT mandate the removal of CSCOPE lessons.
I found this comment buy Cuny absurd…
“The district’s review of CSCOPE lesson plans being used in RISD found the claim that CSCOPE was anti-American to be baseless,” he said. “Regardless, the lesson plans are being removed.”
Seriously? Asking Students to draw new communist flags is not Anti American? Calling the Boston Tea Party a Terrorist Act isn’t Anti American? Telling elementary students what a great American Obama is while the man continues to lie to the American people isn’t Anti American? Compose a NewsPaper article on Communism, isn’t Anti American? Portraying Paul Revere as someone who hides drugs in his house, isn’t Anti American? The list goes on and on.. CSCOPE and any Project Based Learning curriculum needs to be abolished from every school district.
Administrators and representatives at the Texas Education Service Centers are working together to transform the Texas Education system to a progressive education system. This will only change when parents get involved and find out what your district is doing with your tax dollars.
Added by The Rockwall News on July 12, 2013
Saved under Education, Featured
Tags: Chris Cuny, CSCOPE, Rockwall ISD
(By Jessica Huseman) ROCKWALL – While the beleaguered school curriculum tool, CSCOPE, caused a lot of controversy in its initial rollout in Rockwall Independent School District, School Board President Chris Cuny feels the new conception of the tool will prove popular with school officials and parents.
“The Board understands that our community wants us to provide an education that is consistent with the moral values of the community, and that’s one of the reasons they elect us as school board members,” Cuny said in an interview. “We also have a responsibility to our students to provide them with different viewpoints so that they can become critical thinkers and are ready for the world once they leave RISD. I believe our district is meeting both of these objectives of our community and our students.”
Cuny said many parents have been vocal about their disapproval of CSCOPE, and that he wants them to understand that their concerns have prompted this restructuring.
In a response letter to a concerned parent, which Cuny released to The Rockwall News with the parent’s name withheld, Cuny said parental concerns were taken seriously, and that the Board and administration had “made major modifications that address the concerns, while maintaining key beneficial elements that will enhance our students’ education.”
Cuny said the majority of parental concerns could be broken into three categories: First, the number of assessments and tests; second, the lack of transparency; and third, that the lessons provided through CSCOPE didn’t match the “values” of the community.
In order to address the concerns over the number of tests, the school board will now allow teachers to determine when and how tests are given and for school leaders to determine whether the tests will affect student grades.
Second, Cuny said transparency concerns will be addressed the same way the district has always addressed these concerns: by making lesson plans and tests available online for parents to review.
“All of the TEEKS, lessons, and tests are available to parents and students in accordance with district policy as adopted prior to C-Scope and are available online,” read the letter.
The complaint that CSCOPE’s lesson plans were “anti-American” was the most controversial, and was largely confined to the social studies curriculum. RISD was saved from making a decision in this area, as an agreement led by state Senator Dan Patrick (R-Houston) with the CSCOPE removed all of the lesson plans from the tool, making lesson plans unavailable statewide.
While this decision was out of his hands, Cuny feels the state may have acted in haste.
“The district’s review of CSCOPE lesson plans being used in RISD found the claim that CSCOPE was anti-American to be baseless,” he said. “Regardless, the lesson plans are being removed.”
In order to replace these lesson plans, the district will they’ll allow teachers to develop their own lesson plans, use lesson plans they have used previously or collaborate with other teachers.
While the lesson plans have been removed, the school district will continue use the framework provided in CSCOPE, which will help the school district arrange the curriculum in a way that is most effective for succeeding on the state standardized testing.
“The part of CSCOPE we liked, and that the teachers and principals liked, was that it had a component that showed what and when certain things needed to be taught that were in alignment with the TEKS,” Cuny said. “Because of the new STAAR testing mandated by the state of Texas, this gave us a really clear idea of what our kids would be tested on and what and when they were expected to learn the material. Our principals were united in the fact that this was an excellent system that kept this consistent throughout the district.”
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