Greg Abbott » RED HOT CONSERVATIVE

In Texas, C is for Conservative….. or Communist?

Feb 24

Posted by Ginger in Featured Post

1980

Mykidzliberty.wordpress.com

Open Letter to the Texas State Board of Education and Texas Legislature 02.24.16

It is with profound sadness, frustration and concern for what is next that I write to you, following the viewing of the hearing by the Commission on Next Generation Assessments and Accountability that was held in Austin yesterday.

I am appalled by Governor Greg Abbott’s choice of appointment of Texas Education Commissioner, Mike Morath. While we witnessed a despicable display of arrogance by the Commissioner, I was grateful to finally hear him take ownership of the Common Core and national alignment in our state standards. Not only did he grace us with his humor and his wit as it pertains to being dismissive of our State laws, but he took a gleeful sort of pride in his ownership of this behemoth.

We learned from the Governor’s Commissioner and some of his supporters that our children are a profit and loss tick for the end game of Education Reform. We learned that he fully intends to comply with Federal mandates and “what the Federal government expects.” We now understand that he fully intends to monitor our children from cradle to grave for the purposes of “workforce development.” These measures are not just of academic performance, but actual physical responses to circumstances in the classroom. I was taken aback by the number of times “real time” was referred to and the number of metrics that will be supplied by this real time data initiative.

This Commission and any of our elected bodies that do not stand against are working toward pitting the people of this State against the government.

This is a pivotal point for education in our State because the powers that be are no longer hiding their intentions. Monitoring of our children at a Federal level, while denigrating the quality of their education is reminiscent of Communist models that the world has experienced in the past.

Social engineering, diminishing reading, writing and arithmetic in exchange for teaching values, attitudes and beliefs, tracking the moment by moment performance and emotion of school children, dictating the outcomes of their adult lives through the use of data, nanny state government in education… these things are the antithesis of Liberty. Remember Liberty? Remember the Republic? Remember individual sovereignty? Remember the enumerated powers?

This is a historical movement that will have your names on it. Which side of the equation will you be on? We know what to expect of the Beltran’s in this shift, but several of you identify yourselves to your constituents as Conservatives. Conservatives are liberty minded and understand the rights of the individual. Are you going to sign off on this knowing that it violates every premise that this country was founded upon? Will you let that rest on your shoulders? Will you be able to sleep at night knowing that you didn’t at least attempt to stand up for our kids, our state and our nation?

We will soon see because the time to stop it is now, before it fully makes its way into the classroom. You are either with the children or you are not. Make your position known today.

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TEXAS Secretary of State, Greg Abbott says NO to Common Core in TEXAS!

Jun 17

Posted by Ginger in Featured Post

Senator Dan Patrick asked the Texas Secretary of State, Greg Abbott for an additional ruling on HB 462 that passed the 83rd legislation banning Common Core in Texas. The secretary of state issued an additional ruling today, June 17, 2014 reinstating that common core is illegal in TEXAS!

I so appreciate all that Sen.Dan Patrick and Greg Abbott are doing by informing the education we are not going to allow the common core standards to be adopted by the state of Texas. I just wished they would go further in pointing out what the repercussion will be when districts refuse to obey the law and believe me they will. The Texas Association of School Boards is not happy with the ruling. Wow, what a shocker!

Those that are familiar with Common Core and it’s agenda know that its agenda has more to do with CONTROL and DATA COLLECTION of students than it has to do with the faulty standards. The federal government has funneled more than 18 Million to set up a Texas Longitudinal Data System in all school districts, and the Education Service Centers. They are collecting data on your children, their academics, disciplines, medications, psychiatric reports, etc…WAKE UP PARENTS. I am completely in shock that there is not an uprising from parents across the state in regard to the data collection taking place. Have we as a people really become that complacent?

HB 5 is another link to the common core agenda in creating “career clusters” or pathways for students at early ages in order to create a workforce (worker bees). I know of many college students that change career choices after going to college a couple of years. Why is the state mandating students decide after middle school their career path?

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“Houston ISD in Direct Violation of Texas Law – HB 462”

Dec 18

Posted by Ginger in Featured Post

Yesterday the Obama administration announced that Houston ISD won the $30 Million Race to the Top – Direct to District (RTTT-D2) funds. HarmonY Charters and Idea Charters each won the same amount last year from RTTT-D1.

On 5.27.13, the Texas Legislature passed HB 462 which makes it illegal in Texas for school districts to participate in the Common Core Standards Initiative. HB 462 became effective immediately on 6.14.13 — http://www.legis.state.tx.us/BillLookup/Text.aspx?LegSess=83R&Bill=HB462

In essence, Houston ISD (and even Harmony and Idea Charters) are in direct violation of Texas law – HB 462 – because they took the Obama administration’s “carrot and stick” and are now legally bound to follow the Common Core Standards Initiative.

What is the Texas Legislature going to do about this? What is Gov. Perry going to do about this? What is the Texas Attorney General going to do about this? What are Texas citizens going to do about this? Surely we are not going to look the other way while school districts blatantly defy Texas law.

In fact, what about all of those Texas school districts that are so proudly displaying on their students’ instructional materials the words “Aligned with the Common Core Standards”? By law, Texas school districts are to align with the Texas curriculum standards (TEKS) that have been passed by the elected members of the Texas State Board of Education – and not with the Obama administration’s Common Core Standards.

Donna Garner

Wgarner1@hot.rr.com

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12.17.13 – HISD Wins $30 Million Race to the Top Grant” – by Ericka Mellon – Houston Chronicle —http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/HISD-wins-30-million-Race-to-the-Top-grant-5072101.php?cmpid=htx

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8.15.13 – “Dilemma for Turkish Gulen Harmony Charter Schools Under SB 2 and HB 462” – by Donna Garner —http://educationviews.org/dilemma-for-gulen-harmony-charters-under-sb-2-hb-462/

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H.B. No. 462 — http://www.legis.state.tx.us/BillLookup/Text.aspx?LegSess=83R&Bill=HB462

AN ACT

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 28.002, Education Code, is amended by adding Subsections (b-1), (b-2), (b-3), and (b-4) to read as follows:

(b-1) In this section, “common core state standards” means the national curriculum standards developed by the Common Core State Standards Initiative.

(b-2) The State Board of Education may not adopt common core state standards to comply with a duty imposed under this chapter.

(b-3) A school district may not use common core state standards to comply with the requirement to provide instruction in the essential knowledge and skills at appropriate grade levels under Subsection (c).

(b-4) Notwithstanding any other provision of this code, a school district or open-enrollment charter school may not be required to offer any aspect of a common core state standards curriculum.

SECTION 2. Section 39.023, Education Code, is amended by adding Subsection (a-3) to read as follows:

(a-3) The agency may not adopt or develop a criterion-referenced assessment instrument under this section based on common core state standards as defined by Section 28.002(b-1). This subsection does not prohibit the use of college advanced placement tests or international baccalaureate examinations as those terms are defined by Section 28.051.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately…

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http://www.ed.gov/race-top/district-competition?page=2

Race to the Top District Competition Draft

Eligibility Criteria

1. Eligible applicants include only individual local educational agencies (LEAs) (as defined in this document) and consortia of LEAs.

2. Applicant(s) must annually serve a minimum of 2,500 participating students (as defined in this document). (For a consortium, this minimum number may be met by annually calculating all participating students across all participating LEAs.)

3. At least forty percent of participating students across all participating schools (as defined in this document) must be students from low-income families, based on eligibility for free or reduced-price lunch subsidies under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act, or other poverty measures that LEAs use to make awards under section 1113(a) of the ESEA. If an applicant has not identified all participating schools at the time of application, it must provide an assurance that within 100 days of the grant that its participating schools (as defined in this document) will meet this standard.

4. Applicants must demonstrate a track record of commitment to the core education assurance areas (as defined in this document), including, for each LEA included in an application, an assurance signed by the LEA’s authorized legal representative that–

a. The LEA has, at a minimum, designed and committed to implement no later than the 2014-15 school year–

i. a teacher evaluation system (as defined in this document);

ii. a principal evaluation system (as defined in this document);

iii. a LEA superintendent evaluation (as defined in this document); and

iv. a LEA school board evaluation (as defined in this document).

b. The LEA has a robust data system that has, at a minimum,–

i. An individual teacher identifier with a teacher-student match; and

ii. The ability to match student level P-12 and higher education data.

c. The LEA has policy and regulatory protections in place that ensure Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) compliant privacy and information protection while enabling access and use by stakeholders.

__________________________________

http://www.ed.gov/sites/default/files/rttd-executive-summary.pdf

College- and career-ready standards:

Content standards for kindergarten through 12th grade that build towards college- and career-ready graduation requirements (as defined in this document) by the time of high school graduation. A State’s college- and career-ready standards must be either (1) standards that are common to a significant number of States; or (2) standards that are approved by a State network of institutions of higher education, which must certify that students who meet the standards will not need remedial course work at the postsecondary level.

Core educational assurance areas:

• Adopting standards and assessments that prepare students to succeed in college and the workplace and to compete in the global economy;

• Building data systems that measure student growth and success, and inform teachers and principals about how they can improve instruction;

• Recruiting, developing, rewarding, and retaining effective teachers and principals, especially where they are needed most; and

• Turning around our lowest-achieving schools.

Donna Garner

Wgarner1@hot.rr.com

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How TX CSCOPE Controversy Began

Aug 23

Posted by Ginger in Featured Post

by Ginger Russell

I did not wake up one day and decide to fight the public school system in Texas. Not by a long shot. I have always been politically active and my mother, Janice VanCleave, not so much. Unfortunately the cause fell in our lap when mom asked me to look into a situation she found herself in.

My mother is science author, Janice VanCleave who also runs www.txcscopereview.com. She is in her 70′s and retired. She spends time serving her community by visiting widows in nursing homes and tutoring. This all started over a year ago when she tried to tutor some children in her local school district, of Marlin ISD. When she asked them where their textbooks were they said they had none. (RED FLAG) The teacher knew mom’s reputation and gave her a copy of a CSCOPE science lesson. Finding the CSCOPE lesson riddled with errors she asked for additional lessons and was refused. (RED FLAG). Prior to writing, mom taught years earlier in Marlin ISD among other TX districts. Needless to say she ended up in her local ESC in Waco where they refused to let her see the CSCOPE lessons as well. The actions and behavior by all involved raised some serious (RED FLAGS). I put mom in contact with SBOE chairman Barbara Cargill who had not heard of CSCOPE (RED FLAG) and she requested the ESC to give her a password and they refused (RED FLAG). Barbara was not able to get a password to CSCOPE for six months until Gov Perry got involved (RED FLAG).

When the CSCOPE reps in Austin found out who mom was and her credentials they drove to her local town of Marlin to meet with her. SERIOUSLY! I along with another gentlemen attended the meeting to their surprise. They had hoped they could team up on her 5 to 1 and were not happy with our presence. I have the whole meeting recorded below. It is long and boring. But at one point in the conversation I handed the CSCOPE State Coordinator, the Islamic Powerpoint and he tries to deny it (RED FLAG).

I then filed a Public Information Request and TESCCC (CSCOPE owners) asked the attorney General to deem them a “non governmental entity”)RED FLAG) which he denied. They also stated that mom was a CSCOPE competitor in hopes he would rule on their behalf. The lie has made it’s round through the education system.

We then started going public and teachers would contact us anonymously asking for help. They informed us that their administrators were having them to sign a non disclosure statement, stating that they would not release the contents or say anything negative about it. (RED FLAG).

I spoke at the Willis ISD Board meeting in October in regard to CSCOPE. I had no idea at the time who Lindy McCullogh (ESC CSCOPE COORDINATOR) was or that she was there. She spoke after me and was obviously outraged that I had spoke out against CSCOPE. (RED FLAG) VIDEO BELOW

I later called ESC director Brent Hawkins and in our conversation he said “you will not tear apart something we implemented”. (RED FLAG)

Now, with all the red flags and strange behavior by some many educators in regard to CSCOPE we knew something had to be done. By this time a couple of veteran educators had contacted us and started exposing CSCOPE lesson content (which CSCOPE reps began editing and removingd after we exposed it).

Needless to say when you have an educational program that is riddled with the controversial material, parents can’t see it, teachers silenced and threatened with prosecution for releasing content, etc, that was enough RED FLAGS for us.

Being politically active I had a personal meeting with the LT Governor in January. Dewhurst said he would have the chairman of the Senate Education Committee which was Dan Patrick hold an education hearing on it. And he did. About the same time I had tweeted about the CSCOPE lesson that portrayed the Boston Tea Party as being a Terrorist Act, and Glenn Beck picked it up. Thank you Glenn! Fortunately parents started realizing what was going on at their school and became involved as well. The rest is history.

I have not even expounded the financials in regard to CSCOPE or their lack of transparency, which is presently under the review of the Texas Attorney General, Greg Abbott.

It has taken me over a year to finally find out what CSCOPE iand it is about implementing a radical change in the way students are taught called “project based learning”(PBL). PBL is based on the collective not individual achievement. There is a chart below outlining the differences in a traditional education and PBL. Project Based Learning and Common Core Standards are based on the same progressive philosophy.

As for a my mother, the Texas education establishment have come out attacking and FALSELY accusing her as being a competitor with CSCOPE and out it to make a profit on CSCOPE’s exposure.Nothing could be farther from the truth. If anything, out of concern for children and our country’s future it has cost us both money and time away from family working on this debacle. We have got where we just laugh at the accusations because we know the education establishment is jumping through hoops to divert the exposure off of them. Thankfully the truth always wins in the end.

I am by no way a self proclaimed expert on education. Yes, I did home school both of my children who are now college graduates and married. But I do know it is wrong to pass out verses of the Quran to students, I know it is wrong to have students draw new Communist Flags,I know it is wrong to have students learn about the sex life of Islamic Women, etc, etc.. enough on the lessons. I know it was unacceptable and wrong to not allow parents to view what their children were taught. I know it is wrong to have teachers threatened with a lawsuit for disclosing content or speaking negatively about a curriculum. How you can ignore this? How can you vote to purchase this crap again and petition the state for a waiver is beyond me.

I want you to know yes mom and I have a following of conservative christian activist… but there are 100′s across the state that supply us information as to what is going on in their school districts. We are not in this alone, not by a long shot. The days of our local school districts hiding and spending money with no oversight is over.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I want to personally thank Alice Linahan, Donna Garner, Peggy Venable, Ms. Mac, Ms. Bowen, Stan Hartzler, Dr. David Stovall, Laurie Bartlett, and hundreds more that have joined in this battle of protecting our children.

PBL RHC

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Texas AG GREG ABBOTT FOR TEXAS GOVERNOR

Aug 19

Posted by Ginger in Featured Post

Tags: Greg Abbott, Texas Governor

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Impeach SBOE Member Thomas Ratliff

Jul 22

Posted by Ginger in Featured Post

Impeach Thomas Ratliff?

JULY 22, 2013 BY JANICE LEAVE A COMMENT

Do you know that Thomas Ratliff is a lobbyist for Microscoft?

Do you know that according to Sec. 7.103. ELIGIBILITY FOR MEMBERSHIP of the SBOE

(c) A person who is required to register as a lobbyist under Chapter 305, Government Code, by virtue of the person’s activities for compensation in or on behalf of a profession, business, or association related to the operation of the board, may not serve as a member of the board or act as the general counsel to the board.

Do you know that the Texas Attorney General has ruled on this and confirmed that Thomas Ratliff is illegally serving as a member of the State Board of Education?

So why is Ratliff still serving as a member of the SBOE?

Because Ratliff knows he has to be impeached to remove him from the SBOE.

Because Ratliff best serves Microsoft, the company he works for and is a lobbyists for by being on the SBOE.

Because the Texas legislatures have to be pushed, prodded, shoved and called and called before they will take a chance on doing their job.

The same reason that CSCOPE has not been removed from Texas Schools as announced by Senator Patrick–because too many legislatures want to be heroes. They want to be the knight riding in to save the day. With the CSCOPE agreement, the illegal company who designed and sold CSCOPE under the protective umbrella of the Texas Education Service Center flag, had no qualms about misleading Senator Patrick during private meetings so that the Senator announced to the world that he cleansed Texas schools of CSCOPE. Sadly the illegal company is still alive and is still producing materials that our Texas children will be taught.

FYI: The illegal CSCOPE company was called TESCCC, but this name has been dropped. Does it matter what the company name is? What matters is that the same group of people in charge of TESCCC is still in charge of the twenty largest Texas Education Agencies. Why?

I digress. But Thomas Ratliff has done everything possible to keep CSCOPE instruction materials in our public schools. Ratliff has stated that he will post the CSCOPE lessons on his on website and make sure that schools in his district have access to them. Why? Has Ratliff reviewed the CSCOPE lessons? I have reviewed many of the CSCOPE lessons. I did testify before the Senate Ed. Committee as well as the SBOE that the CSCOPE lessons need to be removed from our Texas schools. Too many errors, the constructivist (progressive) project based learning has not and will not prepare our children with an education foundation.

Following is valuable information from Donna Garner—

7.22.13

FROM DONNA GARNER — THE LAWS ON IMPEACHMENT IN TEXAS

*I have sent this information out in a number of different e-mails to all Texas Legislators, to many elected officials, and to my extensive e-mail list before the 83rd Legislative Session started. Today I have combined these e-mails into one e-mail.

According to the Texas Government Code (http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/Docs/GV/htm/GV.665.htm), the impeachment of Thomas Ratliff, Texas State Board of Education member, must come from the House. If we could get enough people to pressure their legislators, then perhaps the House members would step out and circulate a petition among their members. The TGC is not exactly clear what the House should do if it is still in session. It says how to proceed with impeachment when not in session. However, I feel sure the Governor has lawyers who could help to interpret the TGC to satisfy that piece.

As someone has already suggested, the petition might need to come from the grassroots citizens first in order to prove to the House that we are serious. If you have access to some legal counsel, why don’t you see what you can find out?

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Here is the section that says Thomas Ratliff is ineligible to be on the SBOE because of his being a registered lobbyist who works for Microsoft.

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

THOMAS RATLIFF INELIGIBLE TO SERVE:

http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/?link=ED

Texas Education Code EDUCATION CODE

TITLE 2. PUBLIC EDUCATION

SUBTITLE B. STATE AND REGIONAL ORGANIZATION AND GOVERNANCE

CHAPTER 7. STATE ORGANIZATION

(Page 38) — Sec. 7.103. ELIGIBILITY FOR MEMBERSHIP.

(c) A person who is required to register as a lobbyist under Chapter 305, Government Code, by virtue of the person’s activities for compensation in or on behalf of a profession, business, or association related to the operation of the board, may not serve as a member of the board or act as the general counsel to the board.

Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 260, Sec. 1, eff. May 30, 1995.

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

I also went back to Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott’s original ruling on the matter on 8.12.11:

Opinion No. GA-0876

Go to: http://www.oag.state.tx.us/opinions/opinions/50abbott/op/2011/htm/ga-0876.htm

Re: Construction of section 7.103(c), Education Code, regarding the eligibility of a registered lobbyist for membership on the State Board of Education (RQ-0948-GA)

Summary: Subsection 7.103(c), Texas Education Code, precludes certain registered lobbyists from serving on the State Board of Education (“Board”). A person who has been retained to communicate directly with the legislative or executive branch to influence legislation or administrative action in or on behalf of a profession, business, or association on a matter that pertains to or is associated or connected with any of the statutorily enumerated powers or duties of the Board is not eligible to serve on the Board. Thus, a registered lobbyist who has been paid to lobby the legislative or executive branch on a matter relating to Board business is ineligible to serve on the Board. The question of whether any person engaged in lobbying activity is ineligible under subsection 7.103(c) is a fact question that is inappropriate to an attorney general opinion.

Absent a mechanism to cure a violation in subsection 7.103(c), we cannot advise that a member of the Board may cure his or her ineligibility under the subsection.

[As soon as the TAG issued this ruling, I had two well-known lawyers who immediately called me and explained that the “cure” statement meant that there was nothing Ratliff can do to fix his situation. He is what he is – a registered lobbyist who lobbies the legislature and also whose client(s) do business with the SBOE (e.g., Microsoft).

When Ratliff testified glowingly before the Senate Education Committee on 3.29.11 about SB 6 – HB 6, which he said he just “loves,” he did not bother to mention the fact that he had been a registered lobbyist for Microsoft for 12 years. He introduced himself as a member of the Texas State Board of Education which gave the legislators the distinct impression that he was representing the SBOE at the hearing which he certainly was not. SB 6/HB 6 contained language that transformed the payout of the Permanent School Fund, and Microsoft has derived millions of dollars from these changes. – Donna Garner]

[I find it hard to believe that the Texas Legislatures are so uninformed. How is that I know that Ratliff is a lobbyist for Microsoft and no one on the Senate Education Committee was aware of this? Another interesting question is that no one on the Senate Education Committee knew anything about CSCOPE, which had been in our public schools for six + years and was sold to the schools by state agencies– the 20 Education Service Centers? Janice VanCleave]

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In my research, I then found the section in the Texas Government Code (Section 665.001, Impeachment Proceeding, and Section 665.004) that tells how a person who is a member of a “state institution” can be impeached: http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/Docs/GV/htm/GV.665.htm

Donna Garner

Wgarner1@hot.rr.com

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CSCOPE: Update from Sen Patrick

May 17

Posted by Ginger in Featured Post

CSCOPE UPDATE

May 15, 2013 Budget & Spending, Labor, Education & Pensions

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

May 6th, 2013

Excerpts from the General Abbott Letter:

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

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

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

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

Sincerely,
Greg Abbott
Attorney General of Texas

End of letter ————-

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

Two days later:
May 8th, 2013

excerpts from the TESCCC response:

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

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

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

End of letter —————————

A recap of the last 5 months:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Senator Dan Patrick
Chairman of Senate Education

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RED HOT CONSERVATIVE

In Texas, C is for Conservative….. or Communist?

TEXAS Secretary of State, Greg Abbott says NO to Common Core in TEXAS!

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