Do schools control the curriculum?

I believe I will stick with the team at Truth in Texas Textbooks and demand that my local school district does the same.

 

By Donna Garner 


Sent by one of the anti-Common Core people in Missouri:

This was in Politico’s morning Education report:

A ‘CONSUMER REPORTS’ FOR THE COMMON CORE: A new nonprofit funded with $3 million from the Gates Foundation and the Helmsley Charitable Trust launches today with plans to review textbooks and other instructional material for fidelity to the Common Core.

 

EdReports.org will start by bringing in teams of classroom teachers to evaluate K-8 math materials. The curricula will be judged by how well it matches the Common Core and assesses student learning and by whether it offers teachers guidance in reaching children at all levels.

  

The group will post its ratings online and invite response from the publishers. Up first: Pearson’s enVision Math, McGraw-Hill’s Everyday Math, Houghton Mifflin’s Go Math and more than a dozen other widely used curricula.

  

EdReports will turn to high-school math and language arts in future years.– The project is led by Eric Hirsch, formerly of the New Teacher Center, and Maria Klawe, the president of Harvey Mudd College. They say they hope districts will turn to their ratings to guide purchases. “Hopefully with great materials, great teachers and great standards, we will be able to move the needle on student achievement,” Hirsch said. Incoming NEA President Lily Eskelsen Garcia supports the effort; she says curriculum ratings could improve Common Core implementation “by shining a light” on quality materials.

So, once they have this rating system down, schools will know which curriculums to pick because they will be rated the highest. They will “shine a light” on quality materials and conversly throw mud on materials that may be very good but are not aligned to CC by either rating them poorly or not even rating them.

 

Notice that they plan to start reviewing Pearson and McGraw Hill first. Show me the school district that is going to pick a curriculum not highly rated? 

 

This first attempt to regulate the use of “common core aligned” will create the de facto national curriculum. And what a surprise Gates is funding it!

 

#APUSH The New AP (anti) U.S. History Curriculum Framework- Resources and Action Items

Elementary school class with teacher

Old – 2010 AP U.S. History Framework 

New – 2014 APUSH AP U.S. History Framework 

 

Without state push-back, this new APUSH Curriculum Framework will go into effect this fall (2014). Without state push-back, APUSH teachers may have to ignore their own state’s U.S. History standards if they hope to prepare their students for success on the new APUSH exam – which will NOT cover material outside the new Framework.  

7.18.14 — “Texas Mom Testifies Against #APUSH” — Texas mom Marijane Smitherman has 4 children who have taken a total of 41 Advanced Placement (AP) classes. She testified at the Texas State Board of Education meeting against the new AP U. S. History course (i.e., APUSH).
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Texas SBOE Meeting July 18th – Jeanine McGregor Expert Testimony to Reject APUSH

Texas Teacher Mary Bowen’s Testimony at the SBOE (State Board of Education) meeting. 

7.30.14 — PODCAST – Women On the Wall Show with Alice Linahan  – Hear details on AP U. S. History takeover by the federal government and push-back by concerned citizens – education bubble about to burst

LISTEN TO PODCAST OF NATIONAL AP U. S. HISTORY CONFERENCE CALL (8.4.14) – Jane Robbins, Larry Krieger, Ken Mercer hosted by Tanya Ditty, CWALAC of Georgia State Director and former AP U.S. History teacher. 

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Sign letter to College Board President David Coleman – Oppose AP U. S. History (APUSH)

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Documents

 

ACTION STEPS

CONTACT INFORMATION FOR THE COLLEGE BOARD:

Coleman and Middleton

Dr. Richard Middleton – Southwest Regional Director for The College Board — 866-392-3017 (Ext. 1808#)

Dr. David Coleman – President of The College Board — 888-225-5427 – Press #6 – talked to clerk who took my name and phone number – said she would escalate my call – to call me back from 5 to 7 days

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1.5.05 — “Are We a Republic or a Democracy?” – by Walter Williams – WND

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Link to FairTest.org — “More than 800 four-year colleges and universities do not use the SAT or ACT to admit substantial numbers of bachelor-degree applicants.”

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7.13.14 – “The New AP U. S. History Exam – Deal or No Deal?” — by Jane Robbins, Larry Krieger – Breitbart

7.14.14 – “To Georgia and States Across America: from Jane Robbins of American Principles Project

7.12.14 – “Common Core David Coleman’s Next Deception: The New AP U. S. History Exam” — by Dr. Susan Berry

7.11.14 — “Texans, Stop AP U. S. History Tests from Being Implemented – Illegal in Texas”
by Donna Garner

7.10.14 – “New War Over High School U.S. History” – by Stanley Kurtz – National Review

7.7.14 –“Dinesh D’Souza’s America and Our Schools” – by Stanley Kurtz – National Review

6.24.14 — “David Coleman Attacks Students’ Love of America” — by Donna Garner

6.22.14 – “Urgent: AP US History Framework Tied to Common Core – Illegal in Texas” – by Donna Garner 

7.30.14 – “Dr. Duke Pesta Exposes Common Core

2.10.14 – Video — “Story-Killers: How the Common Core Destroys Minds and Souls” — by Terrence O. Moore

 

Join the movement Give the Gift of American Exceptionalism to your child or grandchild. 

 Understand the Challenge and take Action!  

How #CANiSEE THE SOLUTION CONFERENCE 

THESE VIDEOS WILL GIVE YOU THE KNOWLEDGE AND TOOLS TO STOP COMMON CORE

#CANISEE THE SOLUTION CONFERENCE 2014

To Watch the #CANiSEE Solution Conference 2014 — On Demand Viewing Option — please go to:

http://www.dartfish.tv/CollectionInfo.aspx?CR=p80044c92577 

 

Join the #CANiSEE™© Movement

#CANiSEE ™© WHAT you are teaching my child?  

#CANiSEE™© HOW you are teaching my child?

#CANiSEE™© WHO is benefiting financially from the curriculum on which my child’s teacher is evaluated? 

CanISee movement

Now is the time to go into your child’s classroom and say……..

#CanISee Backpack and Boots on the Ground

Stand with me a Texas Mom who is fighting against the Federal Take Over of Education across our country.

Please sign the petition linked below and then pass it onto your friends and neighbors.
 
Ask them to Join the Movement- Give the Gift of American Exceptionalism to their child!
Impeach Thomas Ratliff 

Texans Needed To Testify at SBOE Meeting — Against Mexican American Course

Photo from Breitbart.com

Photo from Breitbart.com

by Donna Garner

4.2.14

It is my understanding that next Tuesday (April 8, 2014) at the Texas State Board of Education(SBOE) meeting (Committee of the Full Board — http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index4.aspx?id=25769810402 ) there is to be a discussion about adopting a new course called Mexican-American Studies. I believe that someone from Ysleta ISD is going to present this idea and that his Hispanic supporters may be out in force.  Please read my comments posted below. We need many people to testify against the development of this new course for the reasons that I have given below.  At the bottom of this page, I have posted the details about how, when, and where to testify in front of the SBOE on Tuesday, 4.8.14.

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To:  Concerned Texas Citizens  

From:  Donna Garner

I believe our position should be that we want no new courses such as Mexican-American Studies or Ethnic Studies to be added to already over-burdened school districts that are trying to cope with the 5 new endorsements, foundation program, and other requirements under HB 5.  Even calling the course Ethnic Studies would end up emphasizing ethnic/racial differencesamong students at a time when schools are trying so hard to create unity among the students and faculty. 

I believe this Mexican American course is a direct attempt by the Democrats to turn Texas blue and that we need to stand firmly against it – creating no compromises (i.e., Ethnic Studies Course).  The definitions posted below should help keep us all on the same page.

MY SUGGESTIONS

First, I have posted some definitions further on down this page that I believe will help in the upcoming SBOE meeting. I believe it is very important for like-minded conservatives to “define the terms” rather than allowing others to do so. The term needs to be Hispanic and not Mexican-American.  Mexican-American is very discriminatory and much too exclusive. By defining the terms early-on, those who want to use the term Mexican-American will be identified as being discriminatory and exclusive (which they are).

Second, I hope that an attorney will testify.  The attorney needs to build the case that a Mexican-American course would be highly discriminatory to other language groups, races, and ethnicities.

Third, it would be good to get demographic information from Houston ISD. I think I remember reading that HISD has hundreds of different language groups in it.  A Mexican-American course would be highly discriminatory to the other language groups.  (It should not be difficult to get this language group, demographic information from Houston ISD or from the TEA.)

Fourth, these questions need to be asked and answered:  Under state law, can local school districts offer courses for local credit?  Do those courses have to be approved by the SBOE and/or the TEA?  It could be that if the voters in Ysleta ISD want to offer this multicultural/politically correct course for local credit, then they could offer local credit for it.  Does the SBOE need to be brought into this issue at all – either with a Mexican-American Studies Course or an Ethnic Studies Course?  The curriculum is already so full now that teachers cannot teach everything they need to teach. Why add any more courses, particularly those that could become a hotbed for indoctrination and controversy?  It is evident that there is nothing that we can do to satisfy the left-leaners. If we move a little bit left, they want more.  If we go all the way to their side, they still want more. I believe our best position is to make a stand, do not apologize for it, clearly state our position, and then let the chips fall. This is the way to stop the bullying and intimidation that has become so prevalent under the Obama admin. If we keep compromising, then we will keep losing our conservative principles.

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Excerpts from various websites – Hispanic vs. Mexican

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hispanic

The term “Hispanic” broadly refers to the culture, peoples, or nations with a historical link to Spain. The term commonly applies to countries once colonized by Spain, particularly the countries of Latin America that were colonized by Spain. It could be argued that the term should apply to all Spanish speaking cultures or countries, as the historical roots of the word specifically pertain to the Iberian region. It is also difficult to label a culture with one term, such as Hispanic, as the customs, traditions, beliefs and art forms (music, literature, dress, architecture, cuisine or others) vary widely depending on country and even within the regions of said country. The Spanish and Portuguese cultures are the main cultural element shared by Hispanic peoples.[6][7]

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http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Hispanic

Usage Note: Though often used interchangeably in American English, Hispanic and Latino are not identical terms, and in certain contexts the choice between them can be significant. Hispanic, from the Latin word for “Spain,” has the broader reference, potentially encompassing all Spanish-speaking peoples in both hemispheres and emphasizing the common denominator of language among communities that sometimes have little else in common. Latino—which in Spanish means “Latin” but which as an English word is probably a shortening of the Spanish word latinoamericano—refers more exclusively to persons or communities of Latin American origin. Of the two, only Hispanic can be used in referring to Spain and its history and culture; a native of Spain residing in the United States is a Hispanic, not a Latino, and one cannot substitute Latino in the phrase the Hispanic influence on native Mexican cultures without garbling the meaning. In practice, however, this distinction is of little significance when referring to residents of the United States, most of whom are of Latin American origin and can theoretically be called by either word. · A more important distinction concerns the sociopolitical rift that has opened between Latino and Hispanic in American usage. For a certain segment of the Spanish-speaking population, Latino is a term of ethnic pride and Hispanic a label that borders on the offensive. According to this view, Hispanic lacks the authenticity and cultural resonance of Latino, with its Spanish sound and its ability to show the feminine form Latinawhen used of women. Furthermore, Hispanic—the term used by the U.S. Census Bureau and other government agencies—is said to bear the stamp of an Anglo establishment far removed from the concerns of the Spanish-speaking community. While these views are strongly held by some, they are by no means universal, and the division in usage seems as related to geography as it is to politics, with Latino widely preferred in California and Hispanic the more usual term in Florida and Texas. Even in these regions, however, usage is often mixed, and it is not uncommon to find both terms used by the same writer or speaker.

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JUNE 19, 2013

http://www.pewhispanic.org/2013/06/19/hispanics-of-mexican-origin-in-the-united-states-2011/

Hispanics of Mexican Origin in the United States, 2011

BY ANNA BROWN AND EILEEN PATTEN

An estimated 33.5 million Hispanics of Mexican origin resided in the United States in 2011, according to the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. Mexicans in this statistical profile are people who self-identified as Hispanics of Mexican origin; this means either they themselves are Mexican immigrants or they trace their family ancestry to Mexico. Mexicans are the largest population of Hispanic origin living in the United States, accounting for nearly two-thirds (64.6%) of the U.S. Hispanic population in 2011.1

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http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mexican

Mex·i·can

 noun \ˈmek-si-kən\

: a person born, raised, or living in Mexico

: a person whose family is from Mexico

Full Definition of MEXICAN

1

a :  a native or inhabitant of Mexico

b :  a person of Mexican descent

Southwest :  a person of mixed Spanish and Indian descent

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

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hispanic

His·pan·ic

 adjective \hi-ˈspa-nik\

: coming originally from an area where Spanish is spoken and especially from Latin America; also : of or relating to Hispanic people

Full Definition of HISPANIC

1:  of or relating to the people, speech, or culture of Spain or of Spain and Portugal

2:  of, relating to, or being a person of Latin American descent living in the United States; especially :  one of Cuban, Mexican, or Puerto Rican origin

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

DETAILS ABOUT TESTIFYING ON TUESDAY AT THE SBOE MEETING

http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index4.aspx?id=25769810247

April 2014 Committee of the Full Board Tuesday

TUESDAY
April 8, 2014

1:30 p.m.

COMMITTEE OF THE FULL BOARD – Room 1-104
Public Testimony – Individual testimony will be taken at the time the related item comes up for committee discussion or action. The procedures for registering and taking public testimony at State Board of Education committee meetings and general board meetings are provided at http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index4.aspx?id=25769804094.

1. Public Hearing on New Course Development 

A public hearing before the State Board of Education (SBOE) is scheduled for Tuesday, April 8, 2014, in the William B. Travis Building, Room 1-104. Testimony will be presented regarding new courses, including courses that might be developed in the future to align with requirements of House Bill (HB) 5.

COMMITTEE – DISCUSSION
SBOE – NO ACTION 

 

Women On The Wall.org Community Conversation Conference Call

Donna Garner

Donna Garner

By Donna Garner 

Alice Linahan’s Community Conversations — Women on the Wall Conference Call. We are taking on Common Core/ College and Career Ready, and Next Generation Learning Standards! 

“Major changes to Texas high school graduation requirements because of HB 5 are about to alter the fundamentals of the public school system across the state.” WILL YOUR KIDS BE READY FOR THE REAL WORLD IF DEPRIVED OF BASIC KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS? 

The truth is that the curriculum standards (TEKS) adopted by the Texas State Board of Education starting in 2008 through 2012 are rigorous and, if taught by teachers well, will get Texas students ready for college and/or careers. 

By watering down the courses and allowing students to escape responsibility, the end result will be Texas producing high-school graduates who are not ready to take on the challenges of adulthood. For people to make good citizens of the United States, they all need to have a common set of foundational knowledge and skills. 

Please plead with your local school officials to adopt a local requirement that all graduates must take TEKS-based English IV, Algebra II, World History, World Geography, and a fourth year of Science. Without these courses, students will not make knowledgeable employees nor capable voters with the abilities to reason and analyze well. 

To read through the TEKS for each subject area, please go to this link and look under “Texas Knowledge and Skills by Chapter” — http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index2.aspx?id=6148

LINK TO ALICE LINAHAN’S PODCAST:

“Discard Common Core Standards, Replace with English Success Standards”

SchoolgirlBy Donna Garner 

What is it that parents want their children to learn in English / Language Arts /Reading classes, K-12?  Most veteran English teachers know, but they are frustrated because they usually have no “voice.”  Starting in July 1997, a group of us classroom teachers in Texas managed to be heard and could well be heard again.  

 

The English Success Standards (ESS) document is an example of the Type #1 philosophy of education which is in direct opposition to the Type #2 philosophy of education found in the Common Core Standards (a.k.a., CSCOPE in Texas).   

Link to Type #1 vs. Type #2 chart:  http://www.educationviews.org/comparison-types-education-type-1-traditional-vs-type-2-cscope-common-core/

 

Since its inception in 1997, the classroom teachers who wrote the English Success Standards have offered their document for free to any and all – no strings attached. Users are free to utilize or change whatever they so choose.  

 

The English Success Standards (ESS) remain today as the only standards document in the United States that was written by classroom teachers for classroom teachers. 

 

In every classroom, there are two entities – the teacher and the student.  Therefore, in the ESS, each page has two columns:  The column on the left tells teachers what they should teach (not HOW to do it – that is left up to the creative abilities of the teachers), and the column on the right tells students what they should learn.   

 

The English Success Standards (ESS) are content-rich and explicit for every grade level, increasing in depth and complexity as the student goes through school. This cognitive progression links each concept with previous concepts and produces long-term memory in students.   

 

The ESS is built upon the empirical reading research done by the National Institutes of Health and emphasizes phonemic awareness/decoding skills (phonics).  The document contains an excellent but separate grammar strand that would require schools to emphasize correct writing and speaking at each grade level.

 

The ESS has a clear progression of composition/research-writing skills and emphasizes the four writing modes of expository, persuasive, descriptive, and narrative.  The various genres of literature are covered extensively along with the characteristics of each. 

 

The final English/Reading/Language Arts curriculum standards for Texas (ELAR/TEKS) adopted by the elected members of the Texas State Board of Education on May 23, 2008 utilized much of the content taken from the English Success Standards.

  

Because the public is becoming very disenchanted with the Type #2 Common Core Standards (and CSCOPE in Texas), now would be a good time for people to obtain a copy of the English Success Standards if for no other reason than to see what a Type #1 ELAR document written by actual classroom teachers looks like.

 

Sometimes putting the real thing (ESS) beside a counterfeit (CCS/CSCOPE) reveals the brilliance of the real thing and the shortcomings of the counterfeit.  

 

Henry W. Burke testified to the Nebraska State Board of Education on 2.3.14, and he strongly suggested that Nebraska utilize the ESS to help them write their own state ELAR standards. This would be a good idea for other states to do also. Why “re-invent the wheel” and spend millions of dollars when the ESS is completely free for the taking?

 

To watch Mr. Burke’s testimony, please go to marker 1:39:00 – 1:49:00. (The scroll bar at the bottom of the screen is invisible until you click on it to move the marker.) – VIDEO —http://www.education.ne.gov/Movies/StateBoard/Feb_2014_Work_Session.mp4

 

 

To read Mr. Burke’s full report to the NSBOE, please go to:http://www.educationviews.org/proposed-nebraska-english-standards

 

 

ACTION STEP:

 

If you would like to have a copy of the English Success Standards e-mailed to you as an attachment, please send your request to either Henry W. Burke or Donna Garner. Your e-mail addresses will not be kept, shared, nor utilized in any way:  

Henry W. Burke

hwburke@cox.net

Donna Garner

Wgarner1@hot.rr.com

 Those who teach

Texans Let Your Voices Be Heard~ New Performance Standards for Education Service Centers Proposed

Photo Courtesy of Education Blog Dallas Morning News

Photo Courtesy of Education Blog Dallas Morning News

You have between now and February 3rd for your voices to be heard Texas.

One thing that has become abundantly clear is the Texas Educational Service Centers that brought CSCOPE to Texas have had absolutely no oversight by the TEA. To rectify that Commissioner of Education Michael Williams has proposed new rule in the Texas Register regarding Regional Education Service Centers (ESCs) – 

If you go to the Texas Register by clicking the link below.  Once at this website, click on Texas Education Agency.  In the body of the text, there is a reference to Figure: 19 TAC §53.1021(b) (.pdf).  http://www.sos.state.tx.us/texreg/archive/January32014/index.html.

Commissioner Williams has proposed an ESC (Education Service Center) Performance Standards and Indicators Manual.  The manual is intended to provide clear expectations to ESCs and executive directors for programs, products, and services developed and provided to school districts and charter schools. The public comment period on the proposed rule goes through February 3rd. 

 

“Agency legal counsel has determined that the commissioner should take formal rule making action to place into the Texas Administrative Code procedures related to the regional education service center performance standards and indicators. The intent is to update, as needed, 19 TAC §53.1021 to refer to the most recently published Regional Education Service Center Performance Standards and Indicators Manual, which would be updated to remain current with applicable statutes and procedures.

Proposed new 19 TAC §53.1021 would adopt the Regional Education Service Center Performance Standards and Indicators Manual in rule as Figure: 19 TAC §53.1021(b), which would establish performance standards and indicators used in the evaluation of regional education service centers and executive directors. The manual would provide clear expectations to regional education service centers and executive directors for programs, products, and services developed and provided to school districts and charter schools. The manual would also provide clear expectations for ensuring compliance with statutory requirements.

The proposed new section would establish in rule the performance standards and indicators by which regional education service centers will be annually evaluated. The proposed new section would have no locally maintained paperwork requirements.

Julie Beisert-Smith, director of regional education service centers, has determined that for the first five-year period the new section is in effect there will be no additional costs for state or local government as a result of enforcing or administering the new section.

Ms. Beisert-Smith has determined that for each year of the first five years the new section is in effect the public benefit anticipated as a result of enforcing the new section would be to inform the public of the existence of annual manuals specifying regional education service center performance standards and indicators by including this rule in the Texas Administrative Code. There is no anticipated economic cost to persons who are required to comply with the proposed new section.

There is no direct adverse economic impact for small businesses and microbusinesses; therefore, no regulatory flexibility analysis, specified in Texas Government Code, §2006.002, is required.

The public comment period on the proposal begins January 3, 2014, and ends February 3, 2014. Comments on the proposal may be submitted to Cristina De La Fuente-Valadez, Rulemaking, Texas Education Agency, 1701 North Congress Avenue, Austin, Texas 78701, (512) 475-1497. Comments may also be submitted electronically to rules@tea.state.tx.us or faxed to (512) 463-5337. A request for a public hearing on the proposal submitted under the Administrative Procedure Act must be received by the commissioner of education not more than 14 calendar days after notice of the proposal has been published in the Texas Register on January 3, 2014.

The new section is proposed under the Texas Education Code (TEC), §8.101, which authorizes the commissioner to establish performance standards and indicators for regional education service centers.

The new section implements the TEC, §8.101.ESC Manual

§53.1021.Regional Education Service Center Performance Standards and Indicators.

(a) In accordance with the Texas Education Code, §8.101, the commissioner of education shall establish performance standards and indicators for regional education service centers to be used in the annual evaluation of each regional education service center and executive director.

(b) The specific performance standards and indicators by which the commissioner shall evaluate each regional education service center and executive director are described in the Regional Education Service Center Performance Standards and Indicators Manual provided in this subsection.

Figure: 19 TAC §53.1021(b) (.pdf)

(c) The specific criteria used in the Regional Education Service Center Performance Standards and Indicators Manual are established by the commissioner and communicated to all regional education service centers and executive directors.

The agency certifies that legal counsel has reviewed the proposal and found it to be within the state agency’s legal authority to adopt.”

 

 Time is of the Essence to stop the “Fundamental Transformation” of education in America. It is time for parents and grandparents to give the “Gift of American Exceptionalism” back to their child or grandchild. To do this we must go into our children’s school and say…..

 

Can I see Photo cover

#CanISee WHAT you are teaching my child, #CanISee HOW you are teaching my child and #CanISee WHO is financially benefiting from the curriculum products my child’s teacher is being evaluated on.

To follow the movement building a coalition of parents and teacher to give the gift of ”American Exceptionalism” to the next generation follow the hashtag #CanISee on Twitter.

If you think it is important I do urge you to support Women On the Wall and our efforts to educate people. 

Screen Shot 2014-01-10 at 9.32.45 AM

Stand with Texas Parents and Teachers who are fighting against the Federal Take Over of Education across our country.

Please sign the petition linked below and then pass it onto your friends and neighbors.
Ask them to Join the Movement! 

 Impeach Thomas Ratliff

 

“Lesson Learned” – CSCOPE

by Barbara Cargill

photo (3)Chair of Texas State Board of Education

Now is the time to ride the wave of public concern and outrage about CSCOPE. Although many past lessons may have been corrected or changed, why was there poorly written, biased content in the first place? (I read the lessons myself, using my own assigned password.) This issue is only the tip of a huge iceberg. There are other instructional materials that contain questionable content, and they are not being reviewed for the quality of their content.

 

In 1995 the legislature voted to limit the State Board of Education’s authority over the review of textbook content. Since that time, there has been no public, transparent, citizen-led process for vetting the quality of content in our children’s textbooks. Now that almost all textbooks are online, this becomes an even greater issue of concern because content can be changed with a few strokes on a keyboard. 

 

How were textbook reviews done in the past? Before 1995, the board could instruct review panels (consisting of volunteer parents, teachers, industry leaders, and other citizens) to check for factual errors and also to review thequality of the content.

 

Here are a few things panel members could review prior to 1995:

·        Does the textbook content present positive aspects of U.S. heritage?

·        Does it contain balanced, factual treatment of political and social movements?

·        Does the textbook promote respect for citizenship, patriotism, recognized authority, individual rights, the free enterprise, and respect for the work ethic? 

·        Does it reflect an awareness of various ethnic groups?

·        Does the book reflect the positive contributions of individuals and groups on American life? 

 

What changed? In the board’s current textbook review process, panelists are instructed to check for factual errors and for TEKS coverage, period. Checking for TEKS coverage is NOT checking for the quality with which the TEKS are covered. For example, George Washington is required to be covered in American history, since he is listed several times in the TEKS. How he is covered in the content, however, is not part of the review.

  

It is time for the citizens of Texas to demand change and to regain the right to vet the quality of content in our children’s textbooks! The same public passion that resulted in content changes in CSCOPE lessons must be harnessed and directed toward state policy-makers who can reinstate the vetting of content quality to the board’s adoption process.

 

What can you do?

I highly encourage you to ask your child’s teachers what curriculum and textbooks they use.  Parents must stay informed about what is being taught in the classroom; it is your right. According to the Texas Education Code 26.006, parents are “entitled to review all teaching materials, instructional materials, and other teaching aids used in the classroom of the parent’s child; and review each test administered to the parent’s child after the test is administered.” As we approach the 2014 election season, ask elected officials and candidates their position on this issue. We must be advocates on behalf of our schoolchildren; let’s show them that we have learned our lesson about what can happen when quality of content goes unchecked.

 ____________________________________________________

If you are not going to allow your child, grandchild, niece or nephew to be used start by signing a petition to remove paid Microsoft lobbyist Thomas Ratliff from the Texas SBOE (State Board of Education) 

 

Screen Shot 2013-08-19 at 9.53.19 PM

What Kate Forgot to Mention: “CSCOPE Assessments Now Posted on Public Website”

Donna Garner

Education writer Donna Garner

By Donna Garner

Kate Alexander, liberal and biased reporter for the Austin American-Statesman, has written an article in today’s paper entitled “Activists publish CSCOPE tests online.” I have posted excerpts further on down the page.

 

WHAT KATE “FORGOT” TO MENTION

Kate mentions nothing in this article about the fact that the TESCCC (made up of all 20 Education Service Center directors) was the corporate owner of CSCOPE (and all its parts).  TESCCC announced on May 20, 2013, that TESCCC would cease to exist.

From what has been widely publicized, the TESCCC

decided to shut itself down because it was set up originally as a “shell corporation” without the appropriate business mechanisms having been put in place; millions of taxpayers’ dollars are still unaccounted for; and lawsuits may be in the offing because of plagiarism found in the CSCOPE lessons. The Texas State Auditor, John Keel, is presently doing a formal audit of TESCCC/ESC/CSCOPE; and shortly a formal complaint may be filed with the IRS.

The TESCCC directors signed a letter saying that the CSCOPE lessons would be taken off the website on Aug. 31, 2013, when the yearly school contracts expired.  In the same 5.20.13 letter, the TESCCC also announced that the ESC’s would produce and sell no more lesson plans to Texas schools.

Screen Shot 2013-08-19 at 9.53.19 PMTHOMAS RATLIFF INFLUENCES HIS CRONIES

Then up popped Thomas Ratliff who loudly began advising Texas public school administrators to let their teachers download the CSCOPE lessons and to keep using them anyway.  Ratliff is a registered lobbyist for Microsoft and gets richer each time online technology in Texas schools is utilized.  Because of his obvious conflict of interest, Ratliff is an illegal member of the Texas State Board of Education because of the monetary/business ties that the Texas Education Agency and SBOE have with Microsoft.

Grassroots citizens have generated a petition to have Ratliff impeached by the Texas House  — www. IMPEACHRATLIFF.COM.

 

CSCOPE IN PUBLIC DOMAIN

At the July 17-19, 2013 Texas State Board of Education meeting, David Anderson, legal counsel for the Texas Education Agency, verbalized his interpretation of this confusing situation, saying that after Aug. 31, 2013, the CSCOPE lessons would become a part of the public domain and could be utilized by any and all.  On 8.22.13, the Texas Tribune published the CSCOPE lessons on their website.

 

However, nothing has been decided legally about the ownership of the CSCOPE assessments. The TESCCC owned the CSCOPE lessons and the accompanying assessments; but since the TESCCC has shut itself down and its contracts with districts have ceased to exist, it seems reasonable to assume that the CSCOPE assessments should be in the public domain also.

 

MEANWHILE, TESCCC HAS MORPHED

On 8.12.13, the former TESCCC members met as a committee at ESC 13 in Austin and suddenly began calling themselves the Texas Curriculum Management Program Cooperative (TCMPC).  The name CSCOPE has been changed to the TEKS Resource System, and all of the same CSCOPE “parts” are being marketed by the ESC’s except for the CSCOPE lessons (which can now be accessed on the Texas Tribune website).

 

CSCOPE ASSESSMENTS PUBLISHED

This week a few of the CSCOPE assessments have been put into the public domain on a public website with more assessments sure to be published soon.  The question remains, “If TESCCC shut itself down, then who owns the CSCOPE assessments?”

 

Stop CSCOPETEXAS TEACHERS SPEAK OUT

Please go to this link to see how Texas teachers and students feel about the CSCOPE lessons, assessments, and scope and sequence:  http://www.voicesempower.com/voice-of-a-teacher-and-a-student-cscope-assessments/

 

SBOE REVIEW AND PUBLIC HEARING — CSCOPE SOCIAL STUDIES LESSONS

The Texas State Board of Education is supervising the review of the CSCOPE social studies lessons since many schools in Texas have decided to keep using the CSCOPE lessons which are now in the public domain.  The review teams are evaluating whether or not the CSCOPE lessons are aligned with the state-adopted-and-mandated curriculum standards (TEKS) and are free from factual errors.

As a part of the SBOE review of the CSCOPE social studies lessons, a public hearing will be held by the SBOE on Sept. 13 at 9:00 A. M. (changed from an earlier start time of 1:00 P. M.)  Here is the link to the information people need who wish to testify at that meeting: http://www.tea.state.tx.us/Communications/CSCOPE/Public_hearing_scheduled_on_CSCOPE/

 

THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM – PARENTAL ACCESS

For those school districts that insist on using CSCOPE lessons (or whatever the new name may be), the “elephant in the room” is still parental access 24/7 to the CSCOPE curriculum.

Statute established in the Texas Education Code (TEC) states that the school district must “allow the student to take home any instructional materials used by the student…The parent must be allowed to review all teaching materials, instructional materials, and other teaching aids used in the classroom of the parent’s child…A school district shall make teaching materials and tests readily available for review by parents.”  (Texas Education Code, Title 2. Public Education, Subtitle E. Students and Parents, Chapter 26. Parental Rights and Responsibilities, Sec. 26.006. Access to Teaching Materials — http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/Docs/ED/htm/ED.26.htm#26.004 )

 

Definition of “instructional materials” – “The term includes a book, supplementary materials, a combination of a book, workbook, and supplementary materials, computer software, magnetic media, DVD, CD-ROM, computer courseware, on-line services, or an electronic medium, or other means of conveying information to the student or otherwise contributing to the learning process through electronic means, including open-source instructional material. (Texas Education Code, Title 2. Public Education, Subtitle F. Curriculum, Programs, and Services, Chapter 31. Instructional Materials, Subchapter A. General Provisions, Sec. 31.002, Definitions, Instructional Material —

http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/Docs/ED/htm/ED.31.htm )

 

As described by an experienced Texas teacher:

 Hypothetically, if a teacher ‘does’ a CSCOPE lesson, the parent will never be able to see it. It will be played out in the classroom. The only thing that will come home is a graphic organizer with a bunch of empty boxes — no explanation at the top, no content to review…

CSCOPE doesn’t provide the content — meaning the informational text for the student. That is why it is so dangerous.  It provides a script for the teacher, which the parent will never see. The teacher is left to scramble for material all over the internet. 

When dangerous links in the CSCOPE lessons were made public by concerned citizens, the TESCCC (corporate owner of CSCOPE) pulled those links. This is the big danger of CSCOPE and other online materials.  Links and other content can be taken out or put back in ‘at the click of a mouse’ without parental knowledge.  

Another expert on CSCOPE has stated:

We also need to keep going back to the fact that the TESCCC was never forced to provide actual access for parents  – a requirement of the Texas Education Code. TESCCC skirted by on pledges to create a new website with total access, which turned out to be a sham since parents did not have genuine access to the lessons being used in CLASSROOMS, only samples (as was the case with the original CSCOPE domain)…

No access was ever truly granted.  Therefore, the question of access is still a valid one for the courts and should be the primary focus of legal efforts. 

For success in court, parents need to seek injunctive relief on the basis of being denied access to the lessons used by both the District and TESCCC. Injury on the basis of ACCESS will give all parents standing. And standing, is what judges care about.  

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

Austin American Statesman Writer Kate Alexander

Austin American Statesman Writer Kate Alexander

9.5.13 – “Activists Publish CSCOPE Tests Online” – by Kate Alexander, Austin American-Statesman —

 

Excerpts from this article:

A conservative blogger has published online the questions and answers for social studies tests available to hundreds of Texas school districts because she maintains they reflect a pro-Islam and anti-American bias.

 

The public release of the tests could render them unusable and is the latest development in an ongoing saga over a curriculum system, formerly known as CSCOPE, that has inflamed conservative and tea party activists over the past year.

 

Ginger Russell, half of the mother-daughter duo that sparked the CSCOPE controversy, posted the 10 tests on her website — redhotconservative.com — on Wednesday. Russell said she believed that parents needed to see the tests, which had been provided to her by teachers…

 

It will be left up to the school districts whether to continue using the tests, but many teachers and administrators have already expressed concern that the integrity of the assessments had been compromised, said Mason Moses, a spokesman for the state-funded Education Service Centers that developed the assessments.

 

“We take this very seriously. … This may be just 10 or so now, but there is concern that moving forward it could multiply significantly,” Moses said.

 

Posting the tests online harms the schools that have found them to be a useful resource, said State Board of Education member Thomas Ratliff, R-Mount Pleasant.

 

“Clearly, what she’s trying to do is destroy the whole program,” Ratliff said of Russell…

Join the Movement!

If you are not going to allow your child, grandchild, niece or nephew to be used like this start by signing a petition to remove paid Microsoft lobbyist Thomas Ratliff from the Texas SBOE (State Board of Education) 

 

Screen Shot 2013-08-19 at 9.53.19 PM

 

 

Insight and Wisdom – CSCOPE Controls Teachers

Many would say that those opposing CSCOPE are anti Public School- That could not be further from the truth. At WomenOnTheWall.org we stand for Public School teachers. Our goal is to give them their classroom back. The two groups that are completely marginalized in the CSCOPE debate are Teachers and Parents which are the two groups that are actually closest to the children. Therefore their voices are the most important.

This was posted on a teacher blog ….teachers.net

What many C-SCOPE crusaders fail to realize is that C-SCOPE has been in schools for 7 years and for many districts C-SCOPE is all they have, there is nothing to fall back on.  
Every district has at least one person in curriculum and instruction. We had one for every subject. Before we adopted cscope they did nothing. They had great salaries and did not work on curriculum.
A new superintendent came in and they were all replaced by new team and coaches. They haven’t done much either. They became the cscope patrols. They never taught any of the lessons. One of our new coaches just left her classroom having 60 percent of her class fail. Wow what a joke.
Cscope came in this last year and we failed royally with it. Reading from scripted text that was suppose to be research based even though it wasn’t.  
Now we talk that we will have lots of school districts without a curriculum. Districts were paying millions for cscope so why not hire a good size group to write, adapt etc. curriculum. Money available for cscope but not for writers?
Come on this cscope stuff just gave these service centers plenty of money and they could have gotten together with these curriculum writers for free and assisted with making sure the treks were covered.
Cscope is a mess. It has way too many paper worksheets, tests galore and we need it dead forever.
We had many, many teachers that quit the district. Now they don’t have enough teachers and they are scrambling after anyone they can hire and mostly with no classroom experience. So defending cscope as being the best out there is not true.

Let’s talk about how Teachers are evaluated.

I asked a Texas Teacher – Does this article give an accurate description of how teachers are evaluated in Texas?

Confusion, fear greet school system

Excerpt from the above article. 

What if half your performance evaluation was based on your co-workers’ output, not your own?

Those co-workers might not even be in your department or field.

The other half of your evaluation would depend on your supervisor’s observations.

That’s what more than 17,000 of Nevada’s 25,000 public school teachers face under the state’s first mandatory teacher evaluation system. The vast majority of teachers soon will be evaluated on the test scores of students they never saw or subject areas they didn’t teach, or both.

Here was the response…….
This is the last year under the old PDAS (Professional Development Appraisal System).
 
Next year they will be bringing in a new system.  These are the component parts of the future:
 
Principals are trained to be enforcement officials who conduct chronic, frequent walkthroughs.  That has already started.  Last year Wichita Falls ISD 1,005 walkthroughs.
 
They are anxious to link teacher evaluation to test scores.  That will be factored in somehow on a point system.
 
Llano ISD CSCOPE Defenders!

Llano ISD CSCOPE Defenders!

Teachers will be dismissed much easier without any right to rebut a poor performance review.  In the past, we were assured of a time period to improve with professional development and mentoring.  That is over.

 
What you have to remember is that teachers will move to grade levels with less testing, they will try to get out of assignments where they have to take students with learning disabilities.  They will opt for positions like gifted-and-talented where the students are all likely to do well on the state test.  This will make certain positions have a very high turnaround rate with young teachers.
 
They are moving into areas this year with the new system, like frequent walk throughs.  It is very demoralizing for a high performing teacher.

It is interesting because after what we witnessed in Llano (photo to the right) last Friday all the dots are connecting. There are reports that the Superintendent gave the district the day off so district employees could come to the hearing. (FYI- On the tax payers dime). They were indeed there in their orange shirts ready to defend CSCOPE. 

It makes you wonder why. Clearly CSCOPE has major flaws. Why would a district be so dependent on an inferior product? Maybe because the system was put in place and the “Control of Teachers” is working quite nice. That is for those who are in CONTROL and making a lot of money off the backs of Texas Teachers! 

BREAKING NEWS ON CSCOPE

I need a hero to stop CSCOPE in Texas

I need a hero to stop CSCOPE in Texas

Texas State Board of Education Chair Barbara Cargill met with Lt. Gov. Dewhurst, Sen. Duncan, and others including Marty Rowley, the CSCOPE Ad Hoc committee chair.

It was decided that Rowley’s AD Hoc committee needs to be reactivated to review the CSCOPE social studies lessons for alignment with the state-adopted TEKS and to check for factual errors and/or bias.

Because hundreds of school districts have defiantly said they are going to use these CSCOPE lessons in classrooms even past the August 31, 2013 date, it is important for the Ad Hoc to renew their work to make sure that Texas children are exposed to instructional materials that are aligned with the state-adopted curriculum standards (TEKS).

The following SBOE members have been asked to serve on the Ad Hoc — Pat Hardy, Mavis Knight, and Tom Maynard.  More details will be forthcoming.

The SBOE will oversee the Ad Hoc committee process with the hopes that local school districts will take seriously the posted evaluations and recommendations regarding the CSCOPE social studies lessons.

The comments from the Ad Hoc should help school districts to implement SB 1474 —http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/BillLookup/Text.aspx?LegSess=83R&Bill=SB1474 — which mandates that teachers, district employees, members of the public, and local school board members be a part of the decision-making process to implement major curriculum initiatives.

The choices that the group yesterday had were either (1) to ignore the fact that teachers still plan to use the CSCOPE lessons or (2) to confront the situation head-on, evaluate the lessons, and make sure that the lessons are aligned with the TEKS and that errors and/or bias are removed.

The plan is to have this CSCOPE review of the social studies lessons finished by October 2013 so that the SBOE can continue with its very busy and important schedule of evaluating instructional materials.

In the September and November SBOE meetings, the Board will hold public hearings for people wanting to testify about the K-12 science and K-8 math (Corrected)  instructional materials that are currently being reviewed.

 

Texas SB 1474 Gives Parents the Power in local Schools~

Your Childs educationNow it is time to use it in the battle against CSCOPE.

From District to District across the state of Texas Moms, Dads and Teachers should be demanding their voice be hear.

Demand a hearing before CSCOPE is adopted or renewed in your district and that the process for adoption follow SB1474.

There is an unknown bill that passed in the Texas Legislature that is not getting play and we believe it needs to.

SB1474 passed and went into effect immediately. 

BILL ANALYSIS SB 1474 by Sen. Duncan

Senate Research Center S.B. 1474
83R10136 CAE-F By:  Sen.Duncan
Education
AUTHOR’S / SPONSOR’S STATEMENT OF INTENT

S.B. 1474 provides a process for school districts to follow before any major curriculum initiative is adopted. By doing so, school districts would be given the opportunity to obtain feedback while deciding if any proposed curriculum meets the needs of their district. Before a district adopts a major curriculum initiative, they would be required to gather input and opinion from both teachers and district employees. The local school board would also gather input and opinion from both teachers and district employees and would be required to have a hearing to discuss the proposed initiative and allow feedback from community members.

As proposed, S.B. 1474 amends current law relating to the adoption of major curriculum initiatives by a school district.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency. 


SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Section 28.002(g), Education Code, as follows:
(g) Requires a school district (district), before the adoption of a major curriculum
initiative, including the use of a curriculum management system, to use a process that:
(1) includes teacher input;
(2) provides district employees with the opportunity to express opinions
regarding the initiative; and
(3) includes a meeting of the board of trustees of the district at which information
regarding the initiative is presented, including the cost of the initiative and any
alternatives that were considered, and members of the public and district
employees are given the opportunity to comment regarding the initiative.
SECTION 2. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2013.

The curriculum your district uses in not the choice of the local Superintendent who wants a consulting position when they retire with the ESC (Education Service Centers), TASA (Texas Association of School Administrators) or TASB (Texas Association of School Boards).

It is the choice of Teachers, District Employees, the local School Board and Parents.

It is time to be EMPOWERED!

TASA Conference

CSCOPE/Common Core exposed to Political Leaders- Will they Lead?

Public Statement by Women On The Wall on Senator Dan Patrick and Lt. Governor David Dewhurst’s attendance at the BackPack and Boots on the Ground Education Summit.

Screen Shot 2013-07-21 at 6.46.52 PM

BackPacks and Boots on the Ground in Conroe, Texas hosted by the Montgomery County Tea Party was attended by Lt. Governor David Dewhurst and Senator Dan Patrick. By all accounts they were shocked by the information they heard.

The question is are these leaders willing to actually lead and get to the bottom of the political corruption involved in the TESCCC’s CommonCore/CSCOPE illegal invasion of Texas schools? Those of us who were there understand the political game and that these two men are running for Lt. Governor. They were both there seeking support from grassroots leaders and their organizations who were attending. What the Lt. Governor and Senator may not understand is that the people who were there could care less about these men’s political careers , and the people are going to do what it takes to protect their children and grandchildren.

Therefore just talking the good talk and getting photo opportunities will not work. There must be action and it must be taken immediately before Texas children are harmed anymore in the 2013 and 2014 school year by the Common Core philosophy that is coming in the back door through CSCOPE and the corrupt education non-government organizations such as TASA (Texas Association of School Administrators), TASB (Texas Association of School Boards) and the ESCs (Education Service Centers) who have direct access to our tax dollars.

If these political leaders want support from the grassroots action is needed and it is needed Now!!! 

We are calling on a full audit by the State Auditor to look into direct conflicts of interest and illegal actions by the TESCCC. In addition , an audit must be done of TASA and TASB. From what public information requests revealed there may be grounds for legal action to be taken by tax payers of Texas.

Lastly we are demanding that Texas Leadership find a remedy to remove Thomas Ratliff as a Texas State Board of Education elected official. The Attorney General has already ruled that he is not eligible to be on the SBOE because he is a paid lobbyist.

We also request that you watch this short talk by Dr. Everett Piper on the Common Core philosophy of education and why it is not a “GOOD IDEA”.

Time is of the essence~ Texas Children must be protected!!

 IMG_7831

 

Who is Teaching Sex Education in your Child’s Classroom or Library?

Do you know? Are you asking the questions to find out?

Hat Tip to the South Dakotans against the Common Core who found The Common Core Sex Education Standards 

The National Sexuality Education Standards

national sex standards cover

Click here to read page 6“The National Sexuality Education Standards were further informed by the work of the CDC’s Health Education Curriculum Analysis Tool(HECAT)3; existing state and international education standards that include sexual health content; the Guidelines for Comprehensive Sexuality Education: Kindergarten – 12th Grade; and the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts and Mathematics, recently adopted by most states. 

 You might say…… “We won’t allow it in our schools. We will go to the school board.”

 “Specifically, the National Sexuality Education Standards were developed to address the inconsistent implementation of sexuality education nationwide and the limited time allocated to teaching the topic.” The whole idea behind Common Core is to create universal standards.

Remember this tweet from Planned Parenthood and Media darling Texas Senator Wendy Davis? 

Wendy Davis Tweet

Question Parents are you okay with Tx Sen. Wendy Davis proposing to provide age-appropriate health education to students. Understand folks here is how Planned Parenthood wants access to your children. Through the education system.

In Texas Common Core is coming in the back door-  by the ESC’s (Edcation Service Centers) who formed an NGOs (Non-governmental organizations 501c3) who has access to our tax dollars. CSCOPE exposed exactly how they do this. Develop a product or curriculum they can rent to the district on a yearly basis. It is a money making gold mine. 

Who is behind the Sex Education Curriculum? Here are just a few-

Nora Gelperin, was the recipient of the national 2010 Mary Lee Tatum Award from the Association of Planned Parenthood Leaders in Education! http://answer.rutgers.edu/page/nora_award

Deb Hauser has been with Advocates for Youth for almost 20 years, first as Director of the Support Center for School-based Health Care, then as Executive Vice President. In January 2012, Deb became the organization’s fourth President and Executive Director, representing Advocates with the media, funders and colleagues organizations and speaking nationally and internationally about young people’s rights to honest sexual health information, confidential sexual health services and equitable social and economic opportunities.
http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/about-us/advocates-staff

Cynthia Lam, Sex, Etc. Teen Editorial Staff who has been writing for Sex, Etc since she was 14, she’s now 17.

Robert McGarry, EdD

Director of Training and Curriculum Development
Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN)

You might remember hearing about GLSEN and Kevin Jennings back in 2009

White House “safe schools” appointee Kevin Jennings: How he pushed the homosexual agenda in America’s schools

POSTED: Sept. 13, 2009

Kevin Jennings, now the “safe schools” appointee in Barack Obama’s US Department of Education, is a prominent homosexual activist who has devoted his career to pushing homosexuality in the nation’s schools. Founder of the nationwide Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network (GLSEN)

“Of course educating kids to be accepting of people who are different from them is good. Nobody is opposing that. But Obama’s appointment for Safe-School “czar” and those supporting him have other agendas to undermine the efforts of parents who try to protect the innocence and morality of their children.”-Matthew Warner

I totally agree with Matthew Warner

 Mary Scheel-Buysse shares “What information do the these people think is age-appropriate.”

womb. classroom“Parents will no longer have the right to decide what is developmentally and age appropriate for their individual child.” 

On page 12 it says
“By the end of 2nd grade, students should be able to: Use proper names for body parts, including male and female anatomy.” 

On page 14 it says:
“By the end of 5th grade, students should be able to: Describe male and female reproductive systems including body parts and their functions. Identify medically-accurate information about female and male reproductive anatomy.  Define sexual orientation as the romantic attraction of an individual to someone of the same gender or a different gender.”

On page 9 under “Guiding Values and Principles”

“Instruction by qualified sexuality education teachers is essential for student achievement.”
Wouldn’t that be the parents? Who decides who is “qualified”?

“Students need opportunities to engage incooperative and active (I underlined those two words) learning strategies, and sufficient time must be allocated for students to practice (I underlined that one too) skills relating to sexuality education.”
What does that mean? Something like this?

And I just have to highlight this principle:
Students need multiple opportunities and a variety of assessment strategies to determine their achievement of the sexuality education standards and performance.

I know this is already in many of our schools. This is sex-education on steroids. You can download your own copy of the standards here.

I have only highlighted a very few of the items I, as a mom, find objectionable. You may not have any issues with the standards, principles and skills that children will be taught as a part of the Common Core Standards. I’m not asking you to agree with me. After all these are only minimum standards. Page 6 –  Outline what, based on research and extensive professional expertise, are the minimum, essential content and skills for sexuality education K–12 given student needs, limited teacher preparation and typically available time and resources. I just want you to be aware of the details.

If Common Core is so wonderful, why did they bring it in the back door without legislation? Education we are paying for, without representation. 

Have you ever had one of those Oh MY GOSH moments when listening to a radio show? Well that happened on the Women On The Wall radio show this morning.  Click and listen to the audio and then check out the Pamphlet by the American Library Association that Education Correspondent Mary Bowen shared with us on the show here>> womenonthewall.org/wp-content/uplo…wyourrights.pdf

The Library lesson Mary referenced in the show is found in this video on Sexting. www.teachingchannel.org/videos/danger…-sexting?fd=1

So here is the question….. Parents and Teachers what are you going to do about it?

Are you willing to STAND in the GAP for the Next Generation! 

Stop Common Core in Texas

[emailpetition id=”4″]

 

Backpacks & Boots on the Ground Education Summit ~ Conroe, Texas

workshops.boots_.on_.the_.ground.001

Montgomery Tea Party

Montgomery County Tea Party

Education Summit you do not want to miss! 

Saturday, July 20, 2013 from 7:00 AM to 4:30 PM (CDT)

Conroe, TX 

 CO-SPONSORS:  

MONTGOMERY COUNTY TEA PARTY & WomenOnTheWall.Org

Stop Common Core in Texas

Be informed – Join us for great speakers and tons of current information on what is going on in our schools and how we can help.

Here’s the schedule, subject to change, but this is the plan:

7:30-8:00AM – Register and have some breakfast

8:00AM til 12:15PM   Speakers on:

Legislature (by Texas State Representative Steve Toth) 
C-Scope, 
Common Core
Social Media 
Home Schools

12:15PM – 4:30PM – Lunch (provided) and afternoon session including:

The Romeike family from Germany came here for religious/educational freedom & this administration is deporting them back to Germany..
How we can support conservative High Schools
Filing a PIR – what you can find out about your school district.
What are the tools available to fight back and take back local control of our schools?

PLANNED SPEAKERS:

PAT TIBBS, President, Montgomery County Tea Party

LYNNETTE SMITH, Vice President, Montgomery County tea Party and Chair of this Event

ALICE LINAHAN, Board Member of WomenontheWall.org

TEXAS STATE REPRESENTATIVE  STEVE TOTH,, District 15

GINGER RUSSELL, MCTP Board Member and CSCOPE WARRIOR

MARY BOWEN, CSCOPE & Common Core

RYAN ELKINS, First Scholarship Recipient to the Patriot Academy

COLLEEN VERA, TexasTrashTalk.com

PLEASE NOTE:  BUY YOUR TICKET  HERE 

A block of rooms have been reserved at:

Spring Hill Suites, 16520 I 45 S., The Woodlands, TX 77384. Deadline for special ratesof $99//Kg. Suite is June 28.  Montgomery County Tea Party Is the name of the room block.   936-271-0051

Book King Suite at SpringHill Suites Houston The Woodlands for $99.00 per night

CHECK OUT OUR LIBERTY SCHOOL ON 7/19/13 FOR JUNIOR PATRIOTS, Ages 7 to 10 yrs:   www.mcteaparty.org

 Any questions, please call the Event Chair:  Lynnette Smith @ 281.363.9514

CURE(Citizens United for Responsible Education) ~ Stands in the Gap

Group of Young People Holding Hands

Below you will find an amazing letter written by the team at C.U.R.E. connecting the dots for the Southern Baptist Annual Meeting and calling for a Resolution to be passed by Pastors to Stand in the Gap at their annual meeting.

You are encouraged to take this letter and use it as a templet to call on your Pastor, Priest or Rabbi to STAND IN THE GAP! 

C.U.R.E.-Citizens United for Responsible Education

TO: SOUTHERN BAPTIST ANNUAL MEETING – JUNE 11TH AND 12TH,  2013 

HOUSTON, TEXAS

RESOLUTION TITLE:  “OUR CHILDREN” GODLY PARENTAL CONTROL vs UNITED NATIONS ‘NEW WORLD ORDER’…. WHAT WOULD GOD WANT??

              STAND IN THE GAP

ARE YOU STANDING IN THE GAP???

Mathew 18:5-6 states:  “ And whoever receives and welcomes one little child like this for MY sake and in MY name receives and welcomes ME.

Vs6: But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in and cleave to me to stumble and sin– who entices or hinders him in the right conduct or thought—it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be sunk in the depth of the sea.

Ezekiel 22:30 states:  “And I sought for a man among them who should build up the wall, and stand in the gap before ME for the land, that I should not destroy it; But I Found NONE… 

Pastors,

Are you standing in the GAP with God for our children according to God’s charge in Matthew 18:5-6 OR are you the Ones HE is looking for in Ezekiel 22:30 ?

Hosea 4: 1  “Hear the Word of the Lord oh children of Israel; for the Lord has a contention with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no faithfulness, kindness, pity and mercy, or Knowledge of God in the Land.

As in the days of Hosea, God has a contention with we, HIS believers, because we have lost our Faithfulness to God.  We have allowed God to be removed from our lives, our schools, our towns, and Political Correctness and Compromise are ruling our churches;  501-C-3’S ARE THE NEW GOD….Our nation has turned it’s back on God… Our children are lost more and more to the world’s ways each day via technology, destruction of family and values and because we are “too busy” or feel we must compromise to get attendance.  Whatever the reason, we have forgotten our charge in His word to put God first in our lives and our nation and to protect and teach the “little ones” our children… Are we truly STANDING IN THE GAP FOR GOD??

Our children are becoming victims of our political system through education…Our education system was never designed by our Founders to destroy our History but to enhance it..  The Old Deluders’ Satan Act was passed in Massachusetts in 1647.  It was America’s First Education Act. Teachers were required to teach, not only reading and writing, but the Bible as well.. They wanted to avoid generations of poor and unintelligent people.  They made sure that every citizen got enough education to read so that they could and would understand the laws and to be able to read the Bible.. Life in the 1600’s was based on religion. Their laws came from the Bible..

Our Founders equally maintained this focus as, once America was firmly established, our First Congress actually printed the 1st Bible in English to be used as a textbook in schools by teachers.. How far we have strayed..

The Ole’ Deluder Act established the first town school system in America, a system that recognized the importance of the Bible in a civilized society… Not run by the government but by the towns themselves.

How far have we strayed as a body of believers from the Word of God and our Founding?  How far removed are our children?

Today our children have lost their foundations and are no longer rooted in God.. Instead they are rooted in the world because we have failed them.. WE are accountable to God for this.  The family unit has been undermined as we passively sit by and watch our children being led to slaughter by the world (the government education system)…”This dismal state of the modern church is not totally the parents fault, although they have their share, but fundamentally this is due to an Evolution concept that has produced anti-God teachers and ungodly curriculums which greatly influence the young minds and PastorsBecause parents are more engrossed in their secular careers today, children spend much more time being brainwashed by indulgent materialism, TV and other technology than in the company of their parents. So what kind of teaching are our children getting?; over 8 hours ungodly anti-God school, more than 8 hours ungodly violent TV, maybe a few minutes with the parents who have nothing to teach and then to bed; no wonder we have feral kids”…. , Today we have Southern Baptist Minister’s and parents who are having to confront the issue of the Progressive take over of our schools and universities and now they are coming for children ages 3yrs., and Pre-K through 12…Sexual education through Common Core will begin at 5yrs of age. They will be taught, not Godly values but worldly values like LGBT lifestyles and encouraged to participate and embrace these values.. God must be removed from our children in order for this agenda of the Globalists to be achieved…The Boys and Girl Scouts of America, previously God and value based organizations, have now succumbed to the pressures of worldly anti-God values of homosexuality forcing them to open their clubs to this LGBT agenda.. Boys and girls are being encouraged to experiment with these lifestyle choices to promote so called “equality” both in our schools and our organizations..   Today we put before you a list of Charges that we pray you will open your minds and hearts to and help us to reach parents and teachers, leaders, and Pastors around the country to the perils that face our children today.. 

Our government is pushing an educational agenda called Common Core Educational Standards which are standards set forth by government that all States must comply with if they are to receive any Title One grants for RTTT or NCLB acts… In Nov.’09 to Jan, ‘2010,   46 of our States Governors and Chief State School Officers  sold out their children and schools to the copyrighted national standard for RTTT monies without knowledge or approval of their legislatures.   I believe God says in HIS word (1Tim 6:10)…”For the love of money is the root of all evils for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness and pierced themselves through with many sorrows”…   Well, money has corrupted on all levels as even the Catholic schools have now signed onto this program.. Will our Christian schools and homeschoolers be next as they are not exempt from this national takeover of education???  Will they stand in the Gap or will they compromise??.. That is the question we ask today… Remember the German Christian family, the Romeike’s, who sought and were granted asylum in the US to be able to practice their belief in the Lord and homeschool their children in the land of the free.. Unfortunately this current administration did not agree with the Federal court’s grant of asylum and filed suit to have them returned to Germany where the parents will be imprisoned and the children placed in Government care… This administration’s justification was that “parents have no right to homeschool their children” therefore, their premise for asylum was invalid..  After being granted asylum by the Federal Courts, The Romeike family lost their case and are currently under appeal..  Is this the America we want?  A nation founded under God is now persecuting those very founding principles…

While the government wraps this Common Core into a “warm and fuzzy” “it will improve education” propaganda campaign, one has to but research Common Core to understand it comes not from God but Satan himself…

Common Core Educational Standards are part of a much larger picture which stems from the Sustainability movement that originated in the United Nations, and was brought to the US in 1993 by then President Clinton..  ” Utilizing the global Agenda 21/UNESCO language from the United Nations Agenda for the 21st Century Treaty, which was not ratified under George H.W. Bush, Clinton created, via Executive Order, the “Presidents Council on Sustainable Development” aka “Sustainable America”.. The goals of this program were established years ago by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization)….

To gain control over our children, The United Nations Global Governance Movement has attempted to get the United States to ratify a new treaty. Because the UNCRC   (“United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child” ) adopted by UN General Assembly on Nov. 20, 1989 and ratified by all nations except the United States and Somalia ) was not ratified by the US, the UN created an alternate treaty, new name, same language… Under this deception, The UN and this Administration attempted once again to ratify an International treaty under the name of: “UN Convention on the Rights of Persons With Disabilities Act” and was promoted in the US Senate by this Administration in 2012 to be ratified.. It was defeated.  Both of these treaties were designed to undermine Parental Rights and to turn parental rights over to the International Community with UNESCO in charge

These treaties would have given control over the disabled and special needs children and all children to the United Nations… Is this what God intended for our children?

“And you Fathers, provoke not your children to wrath; but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.” (Eph 6:14)

“Be not deceived; Evil companionships corrupt good morals.” (1Co 15:33)

“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when his is old, he will not depart from it.: (Pro 22:6)

Nowhere in these scriptures does God tell us to turn our children over to the United Nations or the Federal Government.  Why then are we allowing this to happen without Standing in the Gap for our children?

Below are quotes based on UNESCO and their goals for education.. This was done under Julian Huxley’s guidance (Julian Huxley prime mover of UNESCO from 1945. Huxley served as its first director. Huxley also served as the VP of Eugenics Society from 1937-1944…).   These quotes are old but the men who wrote them were laying a foundation for how the world should evolve.. UNESCO has not wavered from these attitudes and principles today.  In fact, the organization has refined its message and honed in on its purpose..

[Now is the time for the final push via the education system since they have successfully achieved the media and propaganda war…Enter Common Core Standard Curriculum (if one can call it a curriculum—brainwashing would be more appropriate). Look at our children today.. TV , Technology, Materialism and self interest have become their God.. Again, where are the Pastor’s and parents standing in the gap to protect our children from this evil that threatens the very foundations of our beliefs??]

To Continue: The below quotes reflect their attitudes toward education and mass media.  Julian Huxley was “1962 Humanist of the Year, a member of the Communistic Colonial Bureau of the British Fabian Society.”

In 1948, Huxley Wrote:

“In its education program, [UNESCO] can stress the ultimate need for a world political unity and familiarize all peoples with the implications of the transfer of full sovereignty from separate nations to a World Organization…Political unification in some sort of World Government will be required…

“As we have seen earlier, the unifying of traditions in a single common pool of experience, awareness, and purpose is the necessary prerequisite for further major progress in human evolution. Accordingly, although political unification in some sort of world government will be required for the definitive attainment of this stage, unification in the things of the mind is not only necessary but can pave the way for other types of unifications.. it must also eventually include a unified common outlook and a common set of purposes.. This will be the latest part of the task of unifying the world mind…”—(-Julian Huxley, author of UNESCO: Its purpose and its philosophy, page 17)

“Taking the techniques of persuasion and information and true propaganda that we will have learnt to apply nationally in war, and deliberately bending them to the international tasks of peace, if necessary utilizing them, as Lenin envisaged, to “overcome the resistance of millions” to desirable change.  Using drama to reveal reality and art as the method by which, in Sir Stephen Tallent’s words, “truth becomes impressive and a living principle of action,” and aiming to produce that concerted effort which, to quote Grierson, “needs a background of faith and a sense of destiny.” This must be a mass philosophy; a mass creed and it can never be achieved without the use of the media of mass communication.  UNESCO, in the press of its detailed work, must never forget this enormous fact.  (Julian Huxley, author, UNESCO: Its purpose and its philosophy, page 60)

“There are thus two tasks for the Mass Media division of UNESCO, the one general, the other special.. The special one is to enlist the press and the radio and the cinema to the fullest extent in the service of formal and adult education, of science and learning, of art and culture. The general one is to see that these agencies are used both to contribute to mutual comprehension between different nations and cultures, and also to promote the growth of a common outlook shared by all nations and cultures.”—(Julian Huxley, author UNESCO: It’s purpose and it philosophy, pg. 60)

“It may be hoped that in time anybody will be able to persuade anybody of anything if he can catch the patient young and is provided by the State with money and equipment.” (Humanist philosopher and UNESCO advisor, Bertrand Russell)

“….education should aim at destroying free will, so that, after pupils have left school, they shall be incapable, throughout the rest of their lives, of thinking or acting otherwise than as their schoolmasters would have wished… diet, injections and injunctions will combine, from a very early age, to produce the sort of character and the sort of beliefs that the authorities consider desirable, and any serious criticism of the powers that be will become psychologically impossible.  Even if all are miserable, all will believe themselves happy, because the government will tell them that they are so.”  (Humanist philosopher and UNESCO advisor Bertrand Russell quotes German philosopher and Marxist, Johann Fichte)

Teaching World Citizenship by Professor Walter J. Veith, amazingdiscoveries.com

One obstacle that world government proponents foresee is the patriotic education parents often give their children.

Nevertheless, it has become a priority in global education curriculum to guide children away from the teaching they receive in the home… 

John Stormer explains that, under Huxley’s guidance the United Nations prepared a guidebook for teachers.. This guidebook reminds them the  “destruction of a child’s love of country and patriotism is the fist step in educating that child for world citizenship”..

The report said on the opening page of Volume V, “In The Classroom With Children Under Thirteen Years of Age…before the child enters school his mind has already been profoundly marked and often injuriously, by earlier influences.. first gained, however dimly, in the home.”

On Page 9, the teacher is told: “The kindergarten or infant school has a significant part to play in the child’s education.. Not only can it correct many of the errors of home training but it an also prepare the child for membership, at about age seven, in a group of his own age and habits—the first of many such social identifications that he must achieve on his way to membership in the word society (emphasis added).”

Stormer explains that “the UNESCO study makes It plain that the errors in home training include parental encouragement of patriotism.. On page 58, the guidebook for teachers says: ‘As we have pointed out, it is frequently the family that infects the child with extreme nationalism.  The school should therefore use the means described earlier to combat family attitudes (emphasis added).”

Stormer also tells us that the strategy for solving the “problem” of patriotism has already been decided:

UNESCO gives a specific suggestion in Volume V, page 11, on how this can be done: “In our view, history and geography should be taught at this age as universal history and geography… The study of history …raises problems of value which are better postponed until the pupil is freed from the nationalist prejudices which at present surround the teaching of history.”

It is clear that the spiritual and political aims of the UN are being carried out through the push to global education…

Does any of this sound like God’s Word or is this the World’s way and we are being led, like sheep, to the slaughter.?????  Will we STAND IN THE GAP and Restore God to HIS rightful Place in our lives, our churches, our homes and our country??? Pastors, you have a responsibility to feed God’s sheep.. it is time to stand and educate and activate from the PULPIT.. The IRS cannot take away your 501-c… they admitted as much when the 1600+ Pastors STOOD and called their bluff.. God tells us in HIS word.. “DO NOT FEAR”.. We must go boldly!

Unfortunately, we do not have until the next election cycle to overturn these educational mandates. Time is of the essence.. Even if we did, have our “elected leaders” not led us to the crossroads we find ourselves today?  Have they been pillars of truth and virtue??  Hardly!  Instead we find ourselves in an unholy democratic society with corrupt leadership that have sold their souls to power, greed and self interest at the expense of this nations governing principles, its citizens and its children. Our so-called leaders have abandoned our Constitution and the Godly principles of this nations founding, so, why would we look to them to solve a problem they created?  The laissez-faire approach of our democratic society is even worse for the children have been left void of any righteous references, knowing not what is right and wrong in the Lord, and so the child will grow up following the whims of his heart and this World, which are always evil as the Lord attests in Gen 6:5 and 2Tim3:1-4.

We Must Not look to these representatives as honest, moral leaders but instead, We must become our own “representatives” and look to God as our source FIRST in ALL THINGS.. WE MUST BE THE ONES THAT STAND IN THAT GAP…

Now is the time to sound the alarm to all members of all churches, all ministers and missionaries who serve as watchman (Ezek 33:1-9). Through education, we must alert parents to the perils of the public schools and hopefully encourage them to remove their children from the public education system and encourage them to make alternative choices such as Christian Schools and private homeschooling associations who have not “sold out” and taken the “carrot of compromise—government monies” such as Sylvan learning Centers and Catholic schools..  We have grassroots Professionals in the Education field who are conducting seminars and webinars across the country.  We are developing curriculums using these grassroots educational leaders to educate our children with Basic Math, English, The Constitution and re-introducing the Bible as originally intended..

FACTS TO KNOW:  COMMON CORE WILL:

  • Create substantial identical Common Standards across all States—one size fits all education for children is a misguided attempt to create secular “equality”.. Not State Led as purported
  • Data Mining collection on children and families including health history, religious affiliations, political affiliations etc…(see: “Promoting Grit, Tenacity and Perseverance” –Dept. of Ed Report Feb/13—Pg. 32-44 Data Mining Techniques)
  • Data available to companies for development of textbooks and technology to produce a “global sustainable citizen”
  • Tenured teachers can be removed if deemed ineffective for two years after being evaluated by Master Teachers. Teachers will no longer teach, they will “facilitate” the learning of these standards set forth by the government.. Hence they will be referred to as “Facilitator’s”.. Facilitators of God or man?  That is the question…
  • Federal Funding is tied to “testing” so States will be using “Facilitators” (more like “Enforcers”) to insure that children are taught to a test rather than actual learning. Once again the “carrot” of coercion.

In closing, we respectfully submit our Resolution in hopes that God will embolden you to stand with us and be resolute against any and all implementation of the Common Core Standards:  No one is immune or will escape it’s control, not even Christian schools, private schools or homeschoolers.. all will be at the mercy of government with total loss of parental rights.. This is the perfect marriage between Big Government and Big Brother; only to benefit the elite at the expense of our nation and our children. There are alternatives and together we Can and MUST explore and implement these alternatives to Government education and bring control back to Parents and their Communities.. We do have options.. Let’s use them…one immediate action is to eliminate the choke hold McGraw Hill and Pearson text book publishers have over what information goes into or is removed from textbooks nationwide.  They are working in unison with UNESCO so I’m sure you understand the urgency of this action, as these text publishers will serve Common Core up to our children. .  Much information is available on Common Core that we are happy to furnish to you for your education and activation.

Let’s all do as God has called us, join arms in HIS army and STAND IN THE GAP!!   We respectfully submit our requests below:

RESOLUTION:  “OUR CHILDREN” GODLY PARENTAL CONTROL vs UNITED NATIONS ‘NEW WORLD ORDER’.  WHAT WOULD GOD WANT??

WHEREAS, Federal law prohibits the federalizing of curriculum, this current administration funded the CCSS plan via the 2009 Stimulus Bill monies that funded RTTT (Race to the Top) grant competition via coercion of the States to either sign onto to CCSS or lose their grant monies; and

WHEREAS, Common Core State Standards are a set of achievement standards promoted by this government, the National Governors’ Assoc (NGA) and the Council of Chief School Officers (CCSSO) (NOT STATE LED as represented) as a means of forcing students into a “one size fits all” set of achievement goals that focus on competitive global workforce solutions, and global citizenry; and

WHEREAS, NGA and CCSSO receive millions of dollars from private organizations such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to fund the development of CCSS, creating a process not subject to any congressional or legislative approval and the effects on children have never been tested; and

WHEREAS, Clinical Psychologists say that the “oppositional behavior” techniques of CC will create extreme emotional and behavioral problems for the children as they try to conform to this new global agenda. It is completely foreign to American standards and eliminates all Parental Rights. This agenda encourages Psychologists/Physchiatist in the use of DRUG management to control any child with a behavior issue due to CC without consent of parents; and

WHEREAS, The NGA and CCSSO in partnership with Corporations such as Microsoft, GE, AT&T Exxon Mobile, Wal-Mart and others, developed CCSS “assessments” creating new textbooks and technology and other teaching materials as the delivery system for CC that must be adopted by the States and which the States must pay for; and

WHEREAS, Each State will be responsible for 64% of the “upfront costs” of CCSS as only a small percentage of monies will come from Federal Government, which States can ill afford; and

WHEREAS, CCSS includes federal funding for testing and data mining and the ultimate sharing of massive amounts of information on each student, parents, families and teachers respectively with international organizations and corporations; and

WHEREAS, CCSS removes educational choice and competition in a “one size fits all” program.  All schools must adhere to the Common Core “assessments” for all students to be able to advance in this new global, sustainable educational system and to higher educational pursuits; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that CURE recognizes that National Standards, in whatever form, undermines State sovereignty and Parental Rights; and be it further

RESOLVED, that CURE recognizes that Common Core is an inappropriate intrusion to reorganize and control the way our children think, talk, walk and are educated with NO Parental Control.. Parents will be forced to except the new robotic form of existence. Our children are NOT guinea pigs, science projects and for the slow learners, the chance for the eugenicists to experiment and/or exterminate those who cannot keep up with the tasks (refer to UN quotes); and be it further

RESOLVED, that CURE rejects the collection of personal student data (Data Mining—this is being done now as Florida recently did retinal scans on children without any Parental notification-Parents were told “after the fact”.)  for any non-educational purpose without the prior consent of an adult student or a child student’s parent and that is rejects the sharing of such personal data without the prior written consent of an adult student or a child student’s parent, with any person or entity other than schools or education agencies within the state;  and be it further

RESOLVED, that CURE recognizes the need to defund CC at the Congressional level along with the Dept. of Education and to repeal the numerous federal regulations which interfere with State and local control of public schools and therefore CURE maintains the Common Core State Standards puts a “stranglehold” on academic freedom, personal academic achievement and competition; and be it further

RESOLVED, that CURE recognizes Common Core is an overreach of government to standardize and control the education of our children so they will conform to a “preconceived normal” set forth by a corrupt system of elites; and be it further

RESOLVED, We as CURE (Citizens for Responsible Education, a National Coalition Against Common Core) ask that the Southern Baptist Convention and all decision makers in the organization open their doors for us to educate and reach as many people as possible in as short time as possible…We thank you in advance for your genuine attention to this urgent matter. We are STANDING IN THE GAP and pray you will join us.

Respectfully submitted by:

Christina Michas

Co-Founder: CURE, Citizens United for Responsible Education, a National Coalition www.natcure.org cmichas@dc.rr.com

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How Did the Gates Foundation Allocate $150 Million to Common Core?

by Henry W. Burke

Stop Common Core in Texas ~ Stop CSCOPEThe Washington Post published the following article on 5.12.13 by Valerie Strauss about the Gates Foundation Grants – “Gates Gives $150 Million in Grants for Common Core Standards”

Excerpts from this article:

For an initiative billed as being publicly driven, the Common Core States Initiative has benefited enormously from the generosity of the private philanthropy of Bill and Melinda Gates. How much? About $150 million worth.

Take a look at this list of grants, obtained from their foundation’s Web site. Note not only the amounts but the wide range of organizations receiving money. Universities. Unions. State education departments. Nonprofits. Think tanks. The grants were given for a range of reasons, including developing materials aligned to the standards and building support for the standards.

You can see how invested the Gates Foundation is in the success of the Common Core.  What kind of Core support do these grants buy from the organizations that receive them?

[The Washington Post article includes a detailed listing of the Gates Foundation grants directed to the Common Core.]

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

In Donna Garner’s 5.13.13 article on this subject, she wisely stated:  As you read through these grants that Bill Gates gave to “Universities. Unions. State education departments. Nonprofits. Think tanks,” remember which corporation stands to gain the most financially if Common Core Standards (CCS) are implemented throughout the United States – Microsoft Corporation. 

In other words, a corporation that stands to gain billions from CCS is owned by the private philanthropist who has been driving education policy.  This is called “a direct conflict of interest” by a vendor who is working alongside the Obama administration to create education policy to federalize standards, curriculum, assessments, teacher evaluations, and a national database of intrusive personal information.

 The end result would be billions for Microsoft and the indoctrination of our nation’s school children into Obama’s social justice agenda.  

As someone who has followed the grim progression of Common Core Standards which is the Obama administration’s takeover of the public schools by the federal government, I thought it would be interesting to provide a breakdown of the roughly $150 million ($146.6 million) in grants for the Common Core Standards.  The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (Gates Foundation) is clearly the major sponsor of the Common Core Standards Initiative (CCSI).

The largest category by far is “Think Tanks,” which garnered about $67 million or 46 % of the $147 million total.  State Departments of Education received $22 million or 15 % of the total.  The other categories obtained 3 – 12 % of the total.

 

Summary of Gates Foundation Grants

(All Amounts in Millions of Dollars)

Category

Grant

Amount

($ Millions)

Percentage

of

Total

Think Tanks     66.758     46 %
State Departments of Education     22.288     15 %
National Associations     17.629     12 %
Universities     12.293       8 %
Common Core “Project Leaders”     11.500       8 %
Institutes     11.193       8 %
Local School Districts       4.946       3 %
    Total   146.607   100 %

 

The lion’s share of the Gates Foundation Common Core grants were directed to Think Tanks.  The Gates Foundation spent major dollars on Think Tank organizations that are advocating CCS and developing Common Core materials.  As a group, Think Tanks obtained about $67 million (46 % of the Gates Common Core $146.6 million total).  Clearly, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is utilizing Think Tanks to promote the Common Core agenda.

Because the Think Tanks played a huge role in shaping education policy, it should not surprise us that they received much of the Gates Foundation funding.  By driving education policy, the Gates Foundation will control what happens in the local classrooms.

 

 

Grants to Think Tanks

Organization Year

Grant

Amount

($ Millions)

WestEd 2013     0.030
LearnZillion, Inc. 2013     0.966
National Paideia Center, Inc. 2013     0.660
The Achievement Network 2012     3.002
BetterLesson, Inc. 2012     3.527
JUMP Math 2012     0.699
Center for Curriculum Redesign, Inc. 2012     0.198
State Education Technology 2012     0.500
Student Achievement Partners, Inc. 2012     4.043
The College-Ready Promise 2011     0.300
Scholastic, Inc. 2011     4.464
New Venture Fund 2011     0.378
Learning Forward 2011     1.000
Americas Promise-Alliance for Youth 2011     0.500
Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, Inc. 2011     4.619
Khan Academy, Inc. 2010     1.465
Khan Academy, Inc. 2011     4.079
National Writing Project 2011     3.096
Creative Commons Corp. 2011     0.813
Reasoning Mind, Inc. 2011     0.743
MetaMetrics, Inc. 2010     3.468
New Visions for Public Schools, Inc. 2010     8.150
Center for Teaching Quality, Inc. 2010     0.396
Alliance for Excellent Education, Inc. 2009     0.551
Alliance for Excellent Education, Inc. 2010     3.200
Cristo Rey Network 2010     0.556
Research for Action, Inc. 2010     1.309
Common Core, Inc. 2009     0.551
Colorado Legacy Foundation  2011     9.707
Colorado Legacy Foundation  2012     1.748
The Education Trust 2009     2.040
  Subtotal — Think Tanks     66.758

The Gates Foundation issued about $22 million in grants to the State Departments of Education.  Gates singled out the Kentucky DOE for $12.028 million (54 % of the State DOE total).  The Louisiana DOE received around $7 million (33 % of the State DOE total).

 

 

Grants to State Departments of Education

Organization Year

Grant

Amount

($ Millions)

Delaware 2013     0.400
Georgia 2010     1.981
Kentucky 2010     1.000
Kentucky 2011     9.125
Kentucky 2012     1.903
Louisiana 2011     7.352
Pennsylvania 2010     0.527
  Subtotal — State DOEs     22.288

An assortment of National Associations obtained mostly small grants from the Gates Foundation.  Together, they received $17.6 million (12 % of the total).  The two major teachers’ unions (NEA and AFT) grabbed 31 % of the National Association total.

 

 

Grants to National Associations

Organization Year

Grant

Amount

($ Millions)

National Education Assoc. Found. (NEA) 2012     0.100
American Federation of Teachers (AFT) 2011     1.000
American Federation of Teachers (AFT) 2012     4.400
National Indian Education Assoc. 2011     0.500
Office of Supt. of Public Instr. (Tribal) 2011     0.075
Council of State Governments 2010     0.400
Council of State Governments 2011     0.370
National Association of SBOEs 2009     0.451
National Association of SBOEs 2011     1.078
Council of Great City Schools 2010     0.100
Council of Great City Schools 2011     4.911
Education Commission of the States 2010     0.799
Military Child Education Coalition 2009     0.270
Military Child Education Coalition 2011     0.150
Assoc. for Supervision and Curr. Develop. 2011     3.025
  Subtotal — National Associations     17.629

Seven universities obtained grants totaling $12 million from the Gates Foundation.  The largest recipient was the University of Arizona at $3.4 million.

 

 

Grants to Universities

Organization Year

Grant

Amount

($ Millions)

University of Kentucky 2013     1.000
University of Arizona 2012     3.417
University of Michigan 2012     2.000
Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT) 2011     2.889
University of State of New York 2010     0.893
University of State of New York 2011     0.600
Purdue University 2010     1.454
New York University 2010     0.040
  Subtotal — Universities     12.293

The Common Core Standards Initiative has been led by the Council of Chief State School Officers and the National Governors Association.  Not surprisingly, the Gates Foundation provided $11.5 million in funding to these organizations.

 

 

Grants to Common Core “Project Leaders”

Organization Year

Grant

Amount

($ Millions)

Council of Chief State School Officers 2011     9.389
Council of Chief State School Officers 2012     0.475
National Governors Association 2011     1.598
National Governors Association 2012     0.038
  Subtotal — CCS  “Project Leaders”     11.500

Gates gave grants to four Institutes, with the largest amount ($5.5 million) going to the James B. Hunt Institute; $3.6 million went to the Aspen Institute.  Common Core supporter Thomas B. Fordham Institute received almost $1 million.

 

 

Grants to Institutes

Organization Year

Grant

Amount

($ Millions)

The Aspen Institute 2013     3.616
American Enterprise Institute 2012     1.069
James B. Hunt Institute 2009     5.549
Thomas B. Fordham Institute 2009     0.959
  Subtotal — Institutes     11.193

The Gates Foundation sent about $5 million in funds to local school districts and local/state organizations.

 

 

Grants to Local School Districts

Organization Year

Grant

Amount

($ Millions)

Albuquerque Public Schools  (NM) 2010     0.500
School District of Philadelphia  (PA) 2010     0.500
Cleveland Metro School District  (OH) 2010     0.498
Forsyth County Schools  (GA) 2010     0.151
Fund for Public Schools  (NY) 2012     1.816
Baton Rouge Area Foundation  (LA) 2012     0.500
Nellie Mae Educ. Fdn.  (New England) 2011     0.350
Pennsylvania Business Roundtable  (PA) 2012     0.257
Hillsborough County Council  (FL) 2011     0.025
Massachusetts Business Alliance  (MA) 2010     0.151
Pritchard Committee for Acad. Exc.  (KY) 2011     0.198
  Subtotal — Local School Districts       4.946

 

CONCLUSION

What did $150 million in grants to the Common Core do for Bill Gates?  For one thing, these grants bought a great deal of control over education policy in this country.  This means that a man who owns a private corporation is directing public policy that will control what is taught to millions of students in their local classrooms.

Gates believes in the ideology enshrined in Common Core, and he knows money talks.  With many organizations clamoring for Bill Gates’ grant funds, they are more than willing to promote whatever he wants; and he likes the Common Core agenda.

The Common Core Standards will require huge commitments to technology.  According to the Pioneer Institute, the 46 CCS states will need to spend $6.9 billion for Technology to implement CCS.  Of course, not all of that money will be for computer hardware and software, but the computer portion will be substantial.

As the co-founder of Microsoft Corporation, William “Bill” Gates has strong ties to the corporation.  He is the former CEO and is its current Chairman.  Bill Gates is the largest individual shareholder of Microsoft, with 6.4 % of the common shares.  Under the Common Core computer demands, Microsoft stands to gain immensely.

It seems obvious that Bill Gates is involved in a classic conflict of interest situation.  Through the Gates Foundation, Bill Gates is actively supporting and promoting the Common Core.  Microsoft will greatly benefit from the huge increase in technology spending required by the Common Core.  Do we need to say more?

Henry W. Burke

E-mail: hwburke@cox.net  

“Common Core Standards with Henry W. Burke on Dr. Laurie Roth Show” – gives state-specific costs for implementation of Common Core Standards — audio clip – listen to interview —

 

CSCOPE-Texas Teachers’ Concerns & $100 Million into Bottomless Pit

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Women On the Wall ~ Communication Team Conference Call hosted by Alice Linahan– audio clip (easy listening on iPhone, iPad, computers) –5.22.13

SPECIAL GUESTS:

Anita Moncrief  former Leftist but now a committed conservative, exposed ACORN at national level, reveals Leftist agenda behind Common Core Standards

John Griffing investigative journalist for World Net Daily with well-researched articles on CSCOPE, Common Core Standards, burqa incident at Texas public school, dangers of lack of accountability/no paper trail with online learning

Bill Ames Social Studies expert who served on the Texas curriculum standards writing team, describes 4thgrade Texas classroom in which look-alike Common Core Standards are being taught

Various Texas teachers, Marie Frazier, Donna Garner  – speaking out on CSCOPE, Common Core Standards, indoctrination of public school students

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5.24.13 – From Ginger Russell

 A “THANK YOU” FROM GRATEFUL TEXAS TEACHER THAT CSCOPE LESSONS ARE GONE

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?

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[Below is a link to a letter sent by Janice VanCleave to Dr. Duron, Deputy Commissioner for Finance and Administration at the Texas Education Agency.  Janice is inquiring about the $100 Million in Rider 42 funds that were given to the Texas Education Service Centers to train teachers adequately on the new curriculum standards (TEKS).  Instead, the ESC’s were so busy throwing all their efforts into their money-maker CSCOPE that they did a terrible job of providing teachers with the proper training.  Janice wants to know what happened to all that $100 Million, and why it was not spent appropriately.  — Donna Garner]

5.26.13 – “What Happened to the $100 Million Sent to the Education Service Centers To Train Teachers on the New Curriculum Standards – the TEKS?” – by Janice VanCleave — 

Petition to Remove CSCOPE from Texas Schools

THe Children are our Future

“ACTION ALERT: Texas Schools on Cusp of Failure”

From the Communication Team Conference call last night we learned about an underhanded maneuver  in the Texas Legislature.

HB 2836 a bill which is dumbing down Texas students is MADE EVEN WORSE BY SECT. 39.0236. 

Along with the other “dumbing down” sections of HB 2836, Sen. Dan Patrick added Sect. 39.0236 to the Senate bill. This section would create an interim study committee made up of 12 appointed members with only 2 elected members of the Texas State Board of Education. This committee would have the majority voting power (12) to change the TEKS in the foundational grade levels of 3 through 8 and change them right back into Type #2.  

Please read:  5.17.13 – “SUPER TEXAS ALERT: The Education Bureaucracy at Its Worst” http://educationviews.org/super-texas-alert-ed-bureaucracy-at-its-worst/

CURRENT STATUS

HB 2836 was passed by the House on 4.30.13 and by the Senate yesterday, 5.22.13. Because no engrossed version from the Senate is posted online yet, I called Sen. Dan Patrick’s office since he authored Sect. 39.0236.  I talked to three different people to find out whether Sect. 39.0236 is still in the final version of HB 2836.  No one seems to know even though I have waited hours for a response.  His office staffers also do not know whether HB 2836 will be sent to a House/Senate conference committee because of differences between the House and Senate versions. 

If the bill goes to conference committee, then we must first WRITE and then CALL our Texas Legislators to tell them that we do not want HB 2836 to be passed at all and we certainly do not want Sect. 39.0236 to be a part of it.  

If HB 2836 should make it to the Governor’s desk, we will need to contact Gov. Perry and plead with him to veto this bill.  

Unfortunately, another bad bill, HB 866, is already on Gov. Perry’s desk and would work in conjunction with HB 2836 to dumb down our Texas students.  Both HB 866 and HB 2836 must be vetoed if Gov. Perry wants our Texas schools to lead the nation in academic excellence.   

THE IRONY ALMOST TOO MUCH TO BEAR

The irony is that parents around the nation are beginning to look to Texas as the bellwether state in authentic education reform as they realize that their own children are trapped in the Type #2 Common Core Standards.

Our state has done it right with Type #1 standards, Type #1 STAAR/End-of-Course tests, and challenging graduation requirements of 4 years each of English, Math, Science, and Social Studies.  

Thank you Steve TothMany Texas Legislators have worked effectively with grassroots citizens to debunk CSCOPE.  Now if Texas Legislators and Gov. Perry would allow Texas’ already-well-thought-out New Plan to move forward, this year’s 10th graders on down would be the beneficiaries of a quality education.  If not, then the responsibility for allowing our public school children to continue to be immersed in Type #2 will be on the heads of the 83rd Legislative Session.

Request for Public Information (PIR) Templete for TASA and TASB 

The Battle continues~ Common Core is seeping in the back door.#StopCommonCore in Texas. TASA, TASB and the TESCCC must be stopped completely.

Stop Common Core Presser

Knowledge is Power and together we can make the difference!!