Race To the Top in Texas?
By Alice Linahan, November, 10 2013
Texas said NO to Common Core Standards Right? NOT SO MUCH!!
They just changed the name to protect the guilty……
Texas School Districts are going directly for the Federal governments “FREE MONEY”-
“The biggest thing that I see in this,” Superintendent Mike Davis told the school board of the Race-to-the-Top funding, “is it’s free money and there’s quite a bit of it.”
When you take that money there are clear and present standards districts are signing on to. Those are the #FedLedEd standards whether they call them that or not.
“In 2012, only two Texas education entities (i.e., public schools, charter schools, education service centers) were awarded funds under the federal government’s Race to the Top – District grant (RTT-D1). These were the Harmony and Idea Charter Schools. (8.15.13 – “Dilemma for Turkish Gulen Harmony Charter Schools…” – by Donna Garner
This year (FY 2013), however, 81 Texas education entities have applied for the RTT-D2 grants. Finalists will be announced by Dec. 31, 2013.
These 81 Texas education entities that have applied for the RTT-D2 grant have decided that for a few “pieces of silver,” they will be willing to “sell their soul” (and our children’s minds) to the federal government!
To get any Race to the Top funds, the applicants have to swear they will follow the Common Core Standards Initiative/College and Career Ready Standards. In actuality, this means: national standards, national assessments, national curriculum, teachers’ salaries tied to their students’ test scores, teachers teaching to the test each and every day, national indoctrination of our public school children, national database of students and teachers.
What makes this particularly disturbing is that during the 83rd Legislative Session, the Texas Legislature passed HB HB 462 which expressly prohibits Texas public schools (both regular public schools and charters) from following the Common Core Standards Initiative: http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/BillLookup/Text.aspx?LegSess=83R&Bill=HB462).
It is interesting to note that in reviewing the report card of the Aubrey RTT-D2 you will notice ……..
The Aubrey Independent School District’s sets forth an extensive comprehension and coherent reform vision. The vision addresses all 4 core educational assurance areas (This is another name form Common Core Standards) in Appendix A 1.1.
a. The district plans to adopt rigorous standards that include a culture of high achievement, standards based instruction, parent participation, engaged learners, and adult advocacy. In the area of assessments, an electronic management system for curriculum, instruction and assessment will be implemented. Common assessments will be administered that include MSTAR and TALA assessments.
Connecting the Dot to SBOE (State Board of Education/Microsoft Lobbyist) Thomas Ratliff
If you will remember Donna Garner wrote-
8.22.13 — This is yet another reason why Thomas Ratliff (an elected member of the Texas State Board of Education) as a lobbyist for Microsoft should not be on the Texas State Board of Education. The notice below from the Texas Education Agency is telling schools how to use the Algebra screening instruments (all WINDOWS-based). All sorts of education, testing, and training materials that are WINDOWS-based are in use by the TEA and public schools. Thomas Ratliff as a member of the SBOE is constantly involved in voting for expenditure items for technology and technology applications, many of which are Microsoft/WINDOWS products.
ESTAR/MSTAR — http://www.txar.org/assessment/estar_mstar_screener.html
TxAIR — http://www.txar.org/assessment/txair.htm
Not only that, but the SBOE is charged with the fiduciary responsibility over the Permanent School Fund – to protect the funds and to help them to increase in value. Microsoft is one of the PSF’s biggest investments. Since the very first day that Thomas Ratliff got on the SBOE, he has managed to get himself placed on the committee that is over the Permanent School Fund. This is a direct conflict of interest for Thomas Ratliff.”
Last week after hearing from the Texas Ethics Commission that State Board of Education/Microsoft Lobbyist has filed an ethics complaint against me it is becoming more and more clear why he is nervous. I believe they are using our children as Guinea pigs in order to produce education products. As my friend Ray Myers says… There is a lot more money to be made from failing schools than from successful schools. Just a thought……..
I thought our tax dollars were going to provide the best education possible for our children. That education and knowledge comes from a Teacher not an assessment. Parents like me are going to continue to say….. #CanISee what and how you are teaching my child. Parents are demanding the Texas districts use piloted programs that have been proven successful and more importantly will not harm our children because their only purpose is to collected data for research purposes.
81 Texas education entities have applied for the RTT-D2 grants. Finalists will be announced by Dec. 31, 2013.Below is the LIST OF TEXAS EDUCATION ENTITIES THAT HAVE APPLIED FOR THE 2013 RTT-D2 GRANTS, as published by the U.S. Department of Education on October 4
Districts listed in regular type, under another district’s name appearing in bold, are part of a consortium of districts applying together for one shared grant):
Abilene Independent School District Texas Aubrey Independent School District Texas Argyle ISD Texas Calallen ISD Texas Celina ISD Texas Everman ISD Texas Grand Prairie ISD Texas Krum ISD Texas Lake Dallas ISD Texas Marble Falls ISD Texas Mart ISD Texas Odem-Edroy ISD Texas Pilot Point ISD Texas Stamford ISD Texas Taft ISD Texas Bryan ISD Texas Crockett ISD Texas Goodrich ISD Texas Clear Creek Independent School District Texas Dallas Independent School District Texas DeSoto ISD Texas Edgewood Independent School District of San Antonio Texas Carrizo Springs CSID Texas Cotulla ISD Texas Devine ISD Texas
Eagle Pass ISD Texas La Pryor ISD Texas Natalia ISD Texas Pearsall ISD Texas Poth ISD Texas Edinburg Consolidated Ind. School District Texas Education Services Center Region 12 Texas Connally ISD Texas La Vega ISD Texas Waco Independent School District Texas Galveston ISD Texas Harlingen CISD Texas Houston Independent School District Texas La Joya Independent School District Texas Lubbock-Cooper ISD Texas Bovina ISD (BoISD) Texas Brownfield ISD (BrISD) Texas Dimmitt ISD (DISD) Texas Farwell ISD (FaISD) Texas Floydada ISD (FlISD) Texas Hale Center ISD (HCISD) Texas La Feria ISD (LFISD) Texas Levelland ISD (LeISD) Texas Littlefield ISD (LiISD) Texas Meridian ISD (MISD) Texas O’Donnell ISD (OISD) Texas Petersburg ISD (PISD) Texas Seagraves ISD (SeISD) Texas Slaton ISD (SlISD) Texas Smyer ISD (SmISD) Texas South Plains Academy (SPA) Texas Mabank Independent School District Texas Monte Alto Independent School District Texas Lasara ISD Texas Santa Maria ISD Texas Pasadena Independent School District Texas Region 5 Education Service Center Texas Burkeville ISD Texas High Island ISD Texas Newton ISD Texas West Hardin ISD Texas Region One Education Service Center (ESC1) Texas Brownsville ISD Texas Donna ISD Texas Freer ISD Texas Lyford CISD Texas San Isidro ISD Texas
Sharyland ISD Texas Weslaco ISD Texas Rio Grande City C.I.S.D. Texas San Benito Consolidated Independent School District Texas Santa Rosa ISD Texas Rio Hondo ISD Texas United Independent School District Texas Uplift Education – Peak Preparatory Texas Vancouver (Washington) Public Schools Piedmont City Schools Alabama Joint School District No. 2 Idaho Utica Community Schools Michigan Mooresville Graded School District North Carolina Horry County Schools South Carolina McAllen Independent School District Texas
I am beginning to think Thomas Ratliff did not like the idea of the Voices Empower petition to Impeach him.
You see Thomas Ratliff has his own issues with ethics it seems. I have been shining a light on it over at www.ImpeachRatliff.com
You can find out about all that by clicking the photo below.
If you stand with me a Texas Mom who is fighting against the Federal Take Over of Education in Texas through CSCOPE and Common Core please sign the petition linked below and then pass it onto your friends and neighbors. Ask them to Join the Movement!
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