As I began this story I discovered that it would be too long for one posting. Hence, Part 1 and Part 2. This part discusses the Bullying. Part 1 directly addresses CSCOPE. I will restate the basis of my thinking prior to Part 2:
The easiest way to stop bullying in a school is to shine light on it. When kids or parents report bullying, we can deal with it and stop it. As long as bullying goes unreported it continues. It goes unreported because the victim is fearful of the consequences of reporting. We must create a place for kids to report harassment of any kind. Students must know that it will stop, if reported, and there are those who will protect them. This is no big discovery. What is new is the bullying educators are receiving at the hands of Legislators and right wing interest groups. Can we report this without consequence? Do we have a safe place to do so? Will the bullying stop? I do not think so. Therefore, I’m going to report a recent incident of bullying even if I get beat up. Time to shine a little light.
My assumptions, my deeply held beliefs, are important to this accusation of bullying. I believe an educated person can look at issues from more than one side. I believe we have an obligation to teach our students critical thinking and the ability to look at old assumptions in a new light. I believe that in America the most important freedom is the freedom to think, to question the government, and to express one’s thoughts without fear of retribution. I believe that encouraging students to look at issues from both sides is not indoctrination, it is education. I believe that anyone who opposes that in fact supports indoctrination. I believe that anyone who opposes the beliefs outlined above is neither about education nor freedom.
In the Woodlands and thereabout resides a den of serious right-wing conservatives from which multiple attacks on state curriculum have been launched. These attacks have included a demand for intelligent design juxtaposed with evolution, found indicators of communism and socialism in a wide array of text books, and complained about the new math. I suspect there has not been a history book written that they agree with as there is very little academic support for the history they wish had happened. Regardless, this group is always looking for something sinister that is being slowly implemented in our schools to indoctrinate our kids with thinking rather than strict adherence to dogma. They hit a real jackpot with CSCOPE.
In testimony before the Senate Education Committee on January 31, chaired by Dan Patrick (a supporter of vouchers, charters, standardized testing, etc.) a series of witnesses attacked CSCOPE. The Fort Worth Star Telegram summarized the complaints by saying, “A string of witnesses before the Senate Education Committee criticized the program for promoting liberal values they said are anti-Christian at best and openly socialist at worst.” Witnesses also complained that the content of CSCOPE was secret (as is all other proprietary software sold in this state.) Sadly, one of our teachers circulated this article via email to everyone in the system as though it were gospel and as though it came from a reliable source. The criticism came from the Woodlands. Dan Patrick is from the Woodlands.
Shortly after the Senate Hearing on February 6, CSCOPE issued a press release defining the system and the process of developing the system. They categorically said they did not promote Islam, they did not say the Boston Tea Party was an act of terrorists, etc. They gave examples from the curriculum to show that these attacks were in the same vein as earlier attacks for years and years on textbooks. CSCOPE also said they were working on a strategy to make materials available to the public.
I assumed all was well, the waters were growing calm, and the nuts were headed back to the Woodlands. Not so. On February 8th I received a letter on Dan Patrick’s stationary announcing “Sweeping Changes” to CSCOPE including opening lesson content to the public and ending CSCOPE’s non-profit status which it had because it was produced by service centers. (CSCOPE just got very expensive.)
Wow! I am not saying that some of these changes may improve CSCOPE. What I am saying is that a Senator has taken it on himself to change the operational procedures of a widely used curriculum management tool. He did so because he heard crack pot testimony. I can think of nothing scarier than a Senator taking over our curriculum management procedures. I am amazed that CSCOPE agreed to this, especially after I read their press release on February 6.
And then I got it. CSCOPE got bullied. The professional educators who develop CSCOPE and the governing body of CSCOPE were somehow convinced to change their posture in a matter of 2 days. I do not believe this change occurred due to some epiphany. I believe it occurred via the wielding of political clout and threats.
I do not love CSCOPE. I see flaws. I have some problems with it. But “dad gum it,” let the educators work this out free of political ploy and right-wing propaganda. To find that the rules for an internal curriculum management system developed, supported, and improved by Regional Service Centers has been forced to change operational procedures by a Senator, horrifies me. I feel bullied.
I feel bullied when we cut the state budget for education at the same time we raise the budget for Pearson, the test maker. I feel bullied when the state promotes charter schools. I feel bullied when the state mandates the entire curriculum we teach. I feel bullied that I am held accountable for the outcomes on a test that none of us have seen. I feel bullied every time another local decision is removed from districts to reside in Austin in the hands of non-educators. In other words, this is not the first time I’ve had my lunch stolen.
There is no safe place for me to report this. There are no procedures to investigate and interrupt this bullying process. The dialog is held within the political confines of one perspective. Every other perspective is deemed worthless.
If Senator Patrick reads this, or Commissioner Williams, or Governor Perry then I will get beat up after school. I hope it is not Perry. He has a concealed handgun.
Regardless, I hope I have shined a little light.
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