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Ask #CanISee and YOU May Find Improper Use of Title I Funds

One of the leaders in Texas uncovering much fraud and abuse is Retired Teacher and Grandmother Janice VanCleave. Janice is a hero to many of us in the movement to #STOPCSCOPE.

Here is a great interview packed with insight and information from Janice VanCleave that we did on WomenOnTheWall right after Thanksgiving. She discusses the Fundamental Five which she questions in her letter below. 

  

Janice continues the battle to uncover the truth of just how our tax dollars are being used in Education in Texas. Below is a letter that Janice wrote to the Commissioner of Education Michael Williams. 

Commissioner Williams,

 
The Marlin Elementary Improvement Plan approved by the TEA Conservator, Elizabeth Rowland is shown below. Note that the objective 1C states that the Fundamental Five Instructional Process is research-based. 
 
The 20 ESCs gave the same description for the CSCOPE Instruction Material, but in the Senate Education Committee hearing it was shown that this was not so. In fact, CSCOPE was never vetted. 
 
The Fundamental Five Instructional Process is a list of five practices that teachers are forced to use for every lessons–no exceptions regardless of the curriculum. 
Elizabeth Rowland was the TEA Conservator during the 2012-2013 school year. Rowland approved the use of Title I funds to pay for the Fundamental Five Program. Title I money to Pay Sean Cain about $70 thousand dollars to teach teachers five steps administrators used to monitor teachers. There was no evidence that student performance on STAAR increased due to the fundamental five process. 
According to one of the teachers who resigned at the end of the 2012-2013 school year, The Marlin administrators are not concerned with student progress. Programs like the Fundamental Five give Administrators more control over teachers. It is another list of things for teachers to do that has nothing to do with teaching students content. 
 
Sir, the fundamental five process demands that students work in groups, thus there will be student engagement. The problem is that there is no monitoring of the content of student correspondence. As long as students are working in groups, talking and having fun, the Fundamental Five Process is considered to be successful. But, as shown by the elementary failing STAAR test grades in the spring of 2013, the fundamental five process was not effective.
 
Commissioner there are good points about the fundamental five, but it is presented as the only way and no other methods are to be considered. Teachers MUST follow the steps because monitors are being paid to walk through classes making sure teachers are using the robot steps. 
 
 The TEA conservator, Elizabeth Rowland made a comment to the press scolding the community for asking why the majority of Marlin’s teachers resigned. Rowland also joined the Marlin administration in misleading the community about the progress of students on the STAAR tests. Read the misleading article about the STAAR Test Results and Rowland’s comments here: http://www.marlindemocrat.com/news/article_c20e08bc-dd26-11e2-968d-0019bb2963f4.html?TNNoMobile
 
The Infamous Fundamental Five
Fundamental five steps.jpg

  Commissioner, Twenty one days were used to present these five steps, which could be presented in an hour. 

 
Students in Marlin need textbooks. 
Students in Marlin need teachers who are not harassed by power-hungry administrators. 
Students in Marlin need to be disciplined so that teachers can present concepts without being interrupted. 
Also, students need to not have administrators interrupting classes by making their walk-throughs to confirm that teachers are following the inane fundamental five steps. 
MES Improvement Plan 12-2013 OBJ 1c fundamental 5.jpg

As we move forward in school reform and fundamentally transforming education in America I pray parents and grandparents will 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.
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