Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN Texas The Texas Education Agency (TEA) recently released its initial what if" A through F grades for Texas Public Schools. The new grading system was designed to allow parents and district taxpayers to finally understand school performance measurements using the universally understood A-F grading method.
These initial grades based upon school performance data as of July 2016 caused an immediate backlash from superintendents.
The January 7th Dallas Morning News (DMN) reported that 152 Texas school districts have adopted resolutions to repeal the A-F system. It appears that districts do not want the public to have clear measurements of their performance.
For good reason. The January 10th Texas Tribune reports:
The 10 most populous (public school) districts in the state received more Ds than As in the new A-F rating system according to a preliminary report out to educators Friday.
By comparison the 10 biggest charters saw more As and a smattering of Fs".
It is unfortunate but common knowledge that Texas K-12 public school curriculum has been refocused. Gone is the emphasis on transmitting academic knowledge replaced by the social & emotional learning (SEL) indoctrination agenda aimed at shaping progressive student attitudes and behaviors. Lets review examples of the refocus in a couple of districts.
Desoto ISD Superintendent James Harris (right) whose four district-level grades consisted of two Ds and two Fs was quoted in the DMN article.
Harris said This is a direct attack on education".
But Superintendent Harriss direct attack on education actually occurred in September when his Desoto cheerleaders took a knee during the National Anthem thus insulting Americas armed forces disrespecting the American flag and echoing disgraced Collin Kaepernicks attack on American law enforcement.
Bad timing. The cheerleaders action occurred only two months after five Dallas Police Officers were murdered during a Black Lives Matter protest in downtown Dallas.
In response to the cheerleaders action Harris issued the statement that he respects the students 1st Amendment Rights" and called the action a peaceful non-confrontational action for students to communicate their frustrations and fears.
In a second example Fort Worth ISD Superintendent Kent Scribners (right) four district-level grades were three Ds and a C with six of his schools receiving all F grades.
Scribner had caused a parent and citizen firestorm in May 2016 when he unilaterally declared that transgender students would be allowed to use the bathroom of their choice in Fort Worth ISD schools.
Scribners bizarre unapproved action was challenged by both Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick and its Attorney General Ken Paxton. Citizen groups organized to protest the policy.
But Scribner doubled down responding:
Im proud of these guidelines. I think they provide educators with the ability to make all students more comfortable and confident in a learning environment."
Excuse me! I seriously doubt that young girls and their parents feel comfortable" with boys in the girls bathroom. Perhaps if superintendents in Desoto Fort Worth and other rogue districts around the state were to focus on teaching our kids the TEKS based material required to pass the STAAR tests rather than filling impressionable minds with their contempt for Judeo-Christian and American traditional values Texas public schools might be able to earn successful grades in the new A
through F grading process.
In the meantime the school choice legislation already being discussed in the 2017 Texas Legislative Session is an excellent approach to liberate kids from leftist shenanigans in Texas public schools.
Read more by Bill Ames:
- PART VI AMES: TEXAS SCHOOLS DOUBLE STANDARD FOR STUDENT BEHAVIOR
- PART V PUBLIC SCHOOLS USE POLITICAL CORRECTNESS & DIVERSITY TO ATTACK AMERICAN FAMILIES CULTURE
- PART IV Implement School Choice to Enhance Texas Public School Progress
- PART III Public Schools Seek to Limit Accountability by Reducing-Eliminating Student Testing
- PART II More than School Testing: THE TEXAS COMMISSION ON NEXT GENERATION ASSESSMENTS & ACCOUNTABILITY
- PART I Texas Public Schools De-Emphasize Academic Knowledge in Favor of Unproven Fads
- Texas Educators Ideology & Visions" Penalize Students
- AMES: Texas Trounces the Lefts War on History
- Education UPDATE: Texas ISDs Should Comply with Texas Social Studies Standards
- CSCOPE The Obamacare of Texas Public Education
- A Series on CSCOPE Part 3: Common Core Project Based Learning Damages Texas Students
Bill Ames is a conservative education activist who lives in Dallas within the boundaries of the Richardson Independent School District. RISD opposes A through F grading and considers taking a knee during the National Anthem as a 1st Amendment right with no consequences for the offending student. RISD has yet to comment on transgender bathrooms.
Ames reviewed CSCOPE lessons as part of the State Board of Educations Ad Hoc Committee Project. His work in his local school district resulted in Board reviews of both its Social Studies Curriculum and Project Based Learning implementation as well as securing a superintendent commitment to modify the AP History course to be Texas standards (TEKS) compliant.
Ames book TEXAS TROUNCES THE LEFTS WAR ON HISTORY" tells of his experience in developing Texas U. S. History Standards in 2009-2010. He welcomes reader comments at billames@prodigy.net
