News

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

 

You want to know how to teach a child….. Watch this movie Give a child purpose and faith. 

Gifted Hands – The Benjamin Carson Story

 

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! 

Impeach Thomas Ratliff

Linahan Defense Fund.001

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