TASA Schools Nurture Joyous Student Learning
What are TASA Transformed Schools?
These are School Districts whose administrators and school board members have signed an agreement with the Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA) to work against the Texas Testing Program.
How can school districts be preparing students for the Texas State Tests (STAARS) when the school administrators are working to transform schools not to take these tests.
Check out the transforming resolution that administrators, school board members and even PTA members are agreeing to. TASA’s Transformation of Texas Schools
Are administrators being deceived? Maybe? But even so, they have signed an agreement with TASA to transform your school district. Have they informed parents that this transformation means that students are not being prepared to take STAARs because these tests require students to know facts. TASA’s transformation plan is against the traditional method of teaching kids facts.
Since the state tests cause so much anxiety for teachers, students, and parents, TASA has lead their transformation by attacking standardized tests. But, like CSCOPE’s micromanaging of teachers, TASA’s transformation is a smart way of micromanaging state school district superintendents and school board members. But, that is given them the benefit of the doubt of being deceived. But why are these leaders of our school districts working so hard to implement common core standards when they know these are federal government standards and come with money but in return the federal government controls your school. But, more about this later. Check out what your administrators are agreeing to. TASA’s Transformation of Texas Schools
http://www.transformtexas.org/adopt-the-resolution/
Following is one of the terms that your administrators have agreed to. Notice that the first one is backwards. Student-centered means kids come to class with knowledge and share it with each other in group settings. Teachers are given bad marks if they are giving facts and kids are using text books to discover information. Also, kids have to enjoying themselves for a teacher to be considered a good job.
Whereas, what occurs in our classrooms every day should be student-centered
and result in students learning at a deep and meaningful level, as opposed to the
superficial level of learning that results from the current over-emphasis on that which
can be easily tested by standardized tests; and
Is your school part of the group that has agreed to transform Texas education? If so, via your administrators and school board members, your child has not been prepared to take standardized tests. TASA doesn’t approve of the traditional, type #1 style of teaching, which prepares kids for the STAARS tests. TASA promotes the progressive, type #2 style of teaching, which doesn’t allow teachers to provide facts–instead students are suppose to discover on their own. What is the point of having a teacher? UUM! Is this the objective of TASA’s dumbing down transformation of our education system. CSCOPE has been a part of this transforming.
If your school is listed, it is a TASA transforming school and your child may not be prepared to take the STAARs.
I am currently trying to get Cscope out of Alpine ISD now. Once it has been implemented, it’s almost impossible! Currently I have met with the superintendent and been told that it is pretty much the only option. After deliberating with him on why it was the WORSE option, we decided to get a petition signed and go before the school board. So far we have one of the school board members on our side, but he has advised us that it will be difficult unless we get a room full of people to show up. Please advise if there are any parents, teachers or administrators I could talk to that have removed it from their school. I need to present an option or plan of action if it is removed.
Stacey,
Contact me at
CscopeReview@gmail.com
I receive the emails and will provide the information you have requested.
Janice VanCleave
So glad I read this. I am in Lumberton ISD, which is the district that had the picture of the girls in Burqas that went viral in the news. I wanted to encourage you. We were being told the same thing. BUT, due to the parents creating such an uproard in the community the BOARD MEMBERS not the Super (He is still fighting to keep it) went over SUPERINTENDENTS head and started finally asking around to parents they knew what could be done to quell the anger and came up with a community research committee, made up of parents, teachers and board members (NO ADMINISTRATORS). We are a small district and cant afford curriculum teams but I feel came up with a better plan that that. It has been quite a wonderful experience. It was suppose to be about 30 and half of the board members were on it so they added to the authority of the committees. I was asked by Board Prez to be on it despite the fact my kids are now at Baylor University (Im a local Realtor). In the first meeting about 60 or so showed up, mainly teachers who ask to come be a part. Elementary teachers showed up in droves because they hated Cscope. which shocked the Superintendent and Asst Super (I believe) and from then in we parents knew we had a shot at this. If you can get SOME teachers on your side it really helps. Anyway, first meeting it seemed we were very outnumbered. But had some good solid parents and community leaders who knew how to fight without being hotheads. That really helped. If you seem like you are going in somewhat openmnded and friendly then when you start producing all this data they dont like they have to be openminded and friendly about it. We were broken up in to sub-committees which you were allowed to pick the one you wanted to be on up to about 6 or 7 on a committee. I jumped up and ran to be first on CURRICULUM ALTERNATIVES committee because I knew if we had a prayer of dumping Cscope we had to have A BETTER IDEAL! Our committee ended up doing SO MUCH research that met 2 times more than any other committee. We also had 2 masters level curriculum specialist that were being under utilitzed in our district with lots of good information. We first pulled the scope and sequences from other districts such as Round Rock who had much of them online. It was impressive because they have a TEAM writing them. We immediately began to be inspired to want better than Cscope curriculum as we talked with curriculum companies and textbook publishers and mapping companies and alignment companies (I have all these names for anyone who wants them). The data began to pile up and we started feeling overwhelmed. If we would have just went with “Write your own curriculum” theory like we used to do we would have lost because teachers for some reason or SOOOOOO fearful of the STAARS and TEKS that they just TRULY DO NOT FEEL THAT IS AN OPTION! I have much more info if you want to email me at DonnaChance@gmail.com. We parents continued to push for more research knowing we had to settle on an answer of what would it look like if we write our own curriculum (couldnt leave it so vague and overwhelming or we would loose). As we dug deeper into what the alternative would look like we landed on a few great options. Our committee ended up being 5 against Cscope and 1 for it (a math adminstrator/teacher who feels they cant live without it in math). BUT, she was the Pro Cscope representative for the entire district so that is understandable. Our board vote is next week but because a board member who has many of board members not there voting with her voted AGAINST CSCOPE! So, behind the scenes it sounds as though WE HAVE WON!!!! We landed on creating a mapping system through google that can be uploaded or put in sync with EDUPHORIA! We are already payin gfor Eduphoria and half of it wasnt even being utilized. Eduphoria allow for the heat maps that the Administration seems to think they cant live without. We were already becoming a google campus last year, so it worked will enhance this procedure even further. Then the PRINCIPLES WILL DESIGNATE what we will call curriculum coaches (the best curriuclum writers) which will be paid a stipend to do the extra work it will require in summers ect….THey will coach the teachers who are assigned to write curriulum along with them like a team (they too will be paid extra while they are writing). Coaches will align the curriulums to the TEKS and tweak all year round. They will align it horizonitally and vertically and alot more. It is much cheaper than hiring curriulcum specialist at $50,000/yr. that curriculum will be uploaded into the google mapping system and synced with Eduphoria so teachers can share and it operates much like Cscope but better as far as the mapping system portion. The actual lesson plans and pace and alignment will be coming from our teachers however! It is going to be awesome and now the BOARD wants a CURRICULUM REPORT not by the superintendent by but by this team leader every single board meeting from now on! She stated ITS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING why wouldnt we want to hear about it every single meeting and if there are gaps or needs not being addressed by ADMINSTRATION!
I don’t think you understand the reasoning behind this movement. It is simply a way to let the Legislature know that we are tired of simply teaching to the test! First it was TAAS, then TAKS, now STAAR. We are so busy preparing and taking tests that real learning is put on the back burner. Does 46 testing days a year seem a little excessive to you? Has all of the testing made our kids any smarter or more prepared? No! Then, let’s get BACK to the job of educating our children and preparing them for a future – not just a test.
Janet,
I totally agree with you. But, unfortunately, TASA has taken our objections to all the time
preparing for the STAAR and actually taking the test and is using it to misdirect our education
process. TASA supports the same teaching philosophy as does CSCOPE, which is progressive–
kids making decisions on what they think is the truth. Be careful about the direction that
TASA is leading in their transforming program. Were parents part of this movement? No!
It is difficult for me to really trust TASA when so much of our school tax money is being
paid to TASA and TASB (group for school board members)–$30 + million each year. WOW!
That is a lot of money–for what?
I have read so many posts concerning the blogger lovers but this
post is truly a good article, keep it up.
All I know for sure is the education my 4 children received and are receiving is top notch. Ross, Seabrook, and Clear Springs. I am pleased with CCISD. We must stay vigilant and on top of the teachers to get what our kids deserve.
Good for you. I agree that parent involvement is what keeps schools doing their best job.
This truly answered my dilemma, thank you!
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I am trying to understand all of this so please help me. My kids are transferring to the Gladewater ISD and i am trying to see if their schools are under CSCOPE and i dont see them on the list but i see the district under the TASA list which is worse or are they both bad????? I am deciding wether to homeschool or keep in school. please help me understand
If you have the option to homeschool, I would suggest that you do that until Texans can reclaim their schools.
But keep fighting for your local school. Attend school board meetings—I will soon have a descriptive plan of action
for you.
Well, CRAP. I was all happy my district wasn’t on the C-SCOPE list. Then I came to this page and, there is my district, petitioning for common core.
How can we stop all of these progressive programs? Why do the superintendents think it has to be EITHER c-scope OR common core?? How can we fight C-SCOPE, TASA/common core AND the IB WORLD SCHOOL project?
I am not sure about the facts you present, your own or those you are talking about in the curriculum, but SOMEBODY ought to introduce you to SPELLCHECK or perhaps you should at least get a friend to read what you write before you hit SEND. This publication, which purports to be about education is full of poor sentence structure and misspelled words as to be laughable.
I would advise you to learn to write before you begin lecturing others on how and what to teach.
Thank you for your comment. I agree that perfect articles are important. Since I work this website by myself things do get posted too quickly. I could use you to help copy edit –no pay just lots of work. I will try to be more attentive to spelling.
Janice
I do not know which is worse this, CSCOPE, or the standardized test. The teachers are currently teaching for the test. This curriculum is pushing toward total computerization and no structured or fact based teaching. Do I even have to talk about CSCOPE on here? I am taking a serious look at homeschooling. At least my school district has not signed this petition.
You are so correct—with or without CSCOPE, the Texas school districts have stopped educating students. Instead students are drilled and drilled and drilled on information that teachers THINK! will be on the STAARs test. Maybe they are even purchasing workbooks published by Pearson, which is the same company who helps design the STAARs, prints the STAARs, and grades the STAARs. Pearson should
know what is on the test.
If school districts are only concerned about the grades on the STAARs, why are they purchasing CSCOPE –text books are any other material. Just contact Pearson and purchase study books for the Test and be done with it. In fact, schools could save money by shortening the school year and have kids come a few months before the scheduled STAAR tests so they can be drilled to take the test. Then go home after the test until next year. The state education system has no concern about anything except the STAARs. Obviously I am being facetious, but it is sad because it is very close to the truth.
I teach at a 8th grade at a middle school. We do not use CSCOPE – thank goodness. We are also not on this list. But, that said, the STAAR test is a farce. It isn’t about learning facts, etc. It is awful. Since we have started all the standardized testing in our schools, the curriculum has plummeted, as has the learning. When schools are held accountable for students to pass a test, then they start teaching to the test and to the students that might fail the test. We spend about 90% of our time on those kids at the low end of the scale, because they might bring the school’s ratings down. If parents had a clue, they’d be furious. And don’t try to blame the administrators, they are just trying to look out for their jobs. There is so much ridiculousness going on, that you wouldn’t believe it. Kids that are in diapers in middle school – the teacher is told to teach the TEKS on grade level to them. Yea, like that is going to be beneficial to them. I only have a few more years to retirement, and I can’t wait.
I totally agree that the state testing doesn’t do what it is said to do.
It certainly has not improved education –if anything it has lowered it
and yes, it is because administrators have their jobs at risk over the
school ratings. It is all about the money and it is not schools getting any
of it. We are draining money out of Texas and into the pocket of Pearson
a foreign company that just about owns Texas education. This company
is part of the construction of STAARS, the printing of the STAARs, the
grading of STAARS, and publishes products that teachers and students
can use in order to prepare for the STAARs.
It is obvious that schools are only interested in students passing the STAARS
and since Pearson knows what is on the STAARs, the smart thing to do
would be to purchase these study guides and forget about the TEKS.
Few schools are interested in educating students, instead they are
only interested in preparing students for the STAARs. Once the test
is taken in the spring, what then? Do teachers keep pressing onward
for next year’s testing? Most don’t. Most kids think school should be out, they
did their job–they took the laborious STAARs even though many elementary
kids get sick over it. Just how important is a test that makes kids physically and
emotionally ill.
The STAARs is suppose to force teachers and administrators to do their job.
Has it? No. What has happened is that administrators have grouped together
to transform Texas Education so that one yearly test doesn’t measure the success
or failure of a student or a school. The only problem is that while this is an admiral
goal, the organization leading this transformation is being supported by Pearson.
Pearson is playing both sides–they cannot lose. But even worse, the administration
organization called TASA supports common core and is working to implement this in
Texas Schools. With common core comes Federal Government control. What is wrong
with out superintendents. Do they not have the ability to think for themselves? Why are
they following the direction of TASA like sheep being led to the slaughter? Have you ever
seen school superintendents band together and support a textbook like they are
doing with CSCOPE? Why is CSCOPE so important to superintendents that they go
to CSCOPE workshops and conventions to learn how to implement it? Why are they
learning how to convince parents and the community that CSCOPE is great?
At the beginning of school, and maybe even now, superintendents will have a community
meeting–not for the community to EVALUATE cscope, instead, it is what is called the
delfy technique of maneuvering people to do what you want them to. CSCOPE directors
have workshops to train superintendents to do this. They even have training on how to
isolate those who disagree–called the bad apples so they do not influence others. This
should be a warning sign that there is something sinister and corrupt about CSCOPE.
GET CSCOPE OUT OF YOUR SCHOOL.
The only way to get CSCOPE out of our schools is to demand that it be removed.
Please demand the removal of CSCOPE. Do this with letters.
For form letters to superintendents, senators, representatives etc… see
http://www.txcscopereview.com/2013/flood-austin-with-letters/
Good! I’m glad my district is on this list. An innovative educational experience is much more important to me than how my children perform on a standardized assessment!
Common Core is worse..I thought TX blocked it..so now they use TASA to get in the back way..
the reason why Common Core has infected the schools is because it was a part of the Stimulus bill signed in 2009. they used that money to bribe the cash strapped schools in order for them to get any of the money they had to comply with Common Core..Common Core was written by Bill Ayers and David Cohen..watch the GB episode..