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Articles about Education, Religion and Government
SB 135 was signed by the Governor of Texas on 4.23.07 and was put into effect immediately on that date. As of that date, Texas public school employees could communicate directly with school board members about any concerns regarding the school district. Other states might want to make sure their laws allow for the same type of open communication. This bill is yet another effort toward creating transparency among public institutions. -- Donna Garner
http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/BillLookup/Actions.aspx?LegSess=80R&Bill=SB135 S.B. No. 135
http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/BillLookup/Actions.aspx?LegSess=80R&Bill=SB135 S.B. No. 135
S.B. No. 135
AN ACT
relating to the ability of public school employees to communicate with members of a school district board of trustees.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 11.163, Education Code, is amended by adding Subsection (f) to read as follows:
(f) The employment policy may not restrict the ability of a school district employee to communicate directly with a member of the board of trustees regarding a matter relating to the operation of the district, except that the policy may prohibit ex parte communication relating to:
(1) a hearing under Subchapter E or F, Chapter 21; and
(2) another appeal or hearing in which ex parte communication would be inappropriate pending a final decision by a school district board of trustees.
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2007.
______________________________ ______________________________
President of the Senate Speaker of the House
I hereby certify that S.B. No. 135 passed the Senate on March 7, 2007, by the following vote: Yeas 30, Nays 0.
______________________________
Secretary of the Senate
I hereby certify that S.B. No. 135 passed the House on April 5, 2007, by the following vote: Yeas 136, Nays 0, two present not voting.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House
Approved:
______________________________
Date
______________________________
Governor
Donna Garner
mailto:wgarner1@hot.rr.com
Writer/Consultant for MyStudyHall.com
http://www.mystudyhall.com
Grammar Packets
http://www.educationnews.org/Curriculum/Language_Arts/grammar_packets.htm
Texas Alternative Document (TAD) for English/Language Arts/Reading (Pre-K-12)
http://www.educationnews.org/Curriculum/TAD/texas_alternative_document.htm
Research-Paper Writing
http://www.educationnews.org/Curriculum/Language_Arts/The_Lost_Art_of_Research_Paper_Writing.htm
Steps to Research Paper
http://www.educationnews.org/Curriculum/Language_Arts/STEPS-TO-RESEARCH-PAPER.htm
Expository Research Paper - English I-II
http://www.educationnews.org/Curriculum/Language_Arts/EXPOSITORY-RESEARCH-PAPER-ENGLISH-I-AND-II.htm
Expository Research Paper - English III-IV
http://www.educationnews.org/Curriculum/Language_Arts/EXPOSITORY-RESEARCH-PAPER-ENGLISH-III-AND-ENGLISH-IV.htm
AN ACT
relating to the ability of public school employees to communicate with members of a school district board of trustees.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 11.163, Education Code, is amended by adding Subsection (f) to read as follows:
(f) The employment policy may not restrict the ability of a school district employee to communicate directly with a member of the board of trustees regarding a matter relating to the operation of the district, except that the policy may prohibit ex parte communication relating to:
(1) a hearing under Subchapter E or F, Chapter 21; and
(2) another appeal or hearing in which ex parte communication would be inappropriate pending a final decision by a school district board of trustees.
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2007.
______________________________ ______________________________
President of the Senate Speaker of the House
I hereby certify that S.B. No. 135 passed the Senate on March 7, 2007, by the following vote: Yeas 30, Nays 0.
______________________________
Secretary of the Senate
I hereby certify that S.B. No. 135 passed the House on April 5, 2007, by the following vote: Yeas 136, Nays 0, two present not voting.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House
Approved:
______________________________
Date
______________________________
Governor
Donna Garner
mailto:wgarner1@hot.rr.com
Writer/Consultant for MyStudyHall.com
http://www.mystudyhall.com
Grammar Packets
http://www.educationnews.org/Curriculum/Language_Arts/grammar_packets.htm
Texas Alternative Document (TAD) for English/Language Arts/Reading (Pre-K-12)
http://www.educationnews.org/Curriculum/TAD/texas_alternative_document.htm
Research-Paper Writing
http://www.educationnews.org/Curriculum/Language_Arts/The_Lost_Art_of_Research_Paper_Writing.htm
Steps to Research Paper
http://www.educationnews.org/Curriculum/Language_Arts/STEPS-TO-RESEARCH-PAPER.htm
Expository Research Paper - English I-II
http://www.educationnews.org/Curriculum/Language_Arts/EXPOSITORY-RESEARCH-PAPER-ENGLISH-I-AND-II.htm
Expository Research Paper - English III-IV
http://www.educationnews.org/Curriculum/Language_Arts/EXPOSITORY-RESEARCH-PAPER-ENGLISH-III-AND-ENGLISH-IV.htm
Special guest David Barton joins Kenneth Copeland to talk about the believer’s involvement during election time, how we are affected by nominations of judges and how your vote counts.
Webcast Today (click)
Webcast Today (click)
Meet The ACLU - Criminal Justice Issues How the ACLU undermines our Beliefs and our Nation UNDER GOD
RED FRIDAYS ----- Very soon, you will see a great many people wearing Red every Friday. The reason? Americans who support our troops used to be called the "silent majority". We are no longer silent, and are voicing our love for God, country and home in record breaking numbers.
We are not organized, boisterous or over-bearing. We get no liberal media coverage on TV, to reflect our message or our opinions. Many Americans, like you, me and all our friends, simply want to recognize that the vast majority of America supports our troops.
Our idea of showing solidarity and support for our troops with dignity and respect starts this Friday -and continues each and every Friday until the troops all come home, sending a deafening message that.. Every red-blooded American who supports our men and women afar will wear something red.
By word of mouth, press, TV -- let's make the United States on every Friday a sea of red much like a homecoming football game in the bleachers.
Editor's note! Remember, these young men and women are getting less attention, benefits and support from our Congress and our leftest Media, yet they cannot choose where they go! They have an appointed job to do and want to be home even more than you can imagine! They have mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, wives and children and all ache to hold each other and be able to laugh and play together again! ( Picture this event in your mind! It is part of a story going around the Internet................. Just when I thought I could not be more proud of my country or of our service men and women, a young girl, not more than 6 or 7 years old, ran up to one of the male soldiers. He kneeled down and said "hi."
The little girl then asked him if he would give something to her daddy for her.
The young soldier, who didn't look any older than maybe 22 himself, said he would try and what did she want to give to her daddy. Then suddenly the little girl grabbed the neck of this soldier, gave him the biggest hug she could muster and then kissed him on the cheek.
The mother of the little girl, who said her daughter's name was Courtney, told the young soldier that her husband was a Marine and had been in Iraq for 11 months now. As the mom was explaining how much her daughter Courtney missed her father, the young soldier began to tear up.
When this temporarily single mom was done explaining her situation, all of the soldiers huddled together for a brief second. Then one of the other servicemen pulled out a military-looking walkie-talkie. They started playing with the device and talking back and forth on it.
After about 10-15 seconds of this, the young soldier walked back over to Courtney, bent down and said this to her, "I spoke to your daddy and he told me to give this to you." He then hugged this little girl that he had just met and gave her a kiss on the cheek. He finished by saying "your daddy told me to tell you that he loves you more than anything and he is Coming home very soon."
The mom at this point was crying almost uncontrollably and as the young soldier stood to his feet, he saluted Courtney and her mom. I was standing no more than 6 feet away from this entire event.
As the soldiers began to leave, heading towards their gate, people resumed their applause. As I stood there applauding and looked around, there were very few dry eyes, including my own. That young soldier in one last act of selflessness, turned around and blew a kiss to Courtney with a tear rolling down his cheek.
We need to remember everyday all of our soldiers and their families and thank God for them and their sacrifices. At the end of the day, it's good to be an American.)
=====================================================================================
We are not organized, boisterous or over-bearing. We get no liberal media coverage on TV, to reflect our message or our opinions. Many Americans, like you, me and all our friends, simply want to recognize that the vast majority of America supports our troops.
Our idea of showing solidarity and support for our troops with dignity and respect starts this Friday -and continues each and every Friday until the troops all come home, sending a deafening message that.. Every red-blooded American who supports our men and women afar will wear something red.
By word of mouth, press, TV -- let's make the United States on every Friday a sea of red much like a homecoming football game in the bleachers.
Editor's note! Remember, these young men and women are getting less attention, benefits and support from our Congress and our leftest Media, yet they cannot choose where they go! They have an appointed job to do and want to be home even more than you can imagine! They have mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, wives and children and all ache to hold each other and be able to laugh and play together again! ( Picture this event in your mind! It is part of a story going around the Internet................. Just when I thought I could not be more proud of my country or of our service men and women, a young girl, not more than 6 or 7 years old, ran up to one of the male soldiers. He kneeled down and said "hi."
The little girl then asked him if he would give something to her daddy for her.
The young soldier, who didn't look any older than maybe 22 himself, said he would try and what did she want to give to her daddy. Then suddenly the little girl grabbed the neck of this soldier, gave him the biggest hug she could muster and then kissed him on the cheek.
The mother of the little girl, who said her daughter's name was Courtney, told the young soldier that her husband was a Marine and had been in Iraq for 11 months now. As the mom was explaining how much her daughter Courtney missed her father, the young soldier began to tear up.
When this temporarily single mom was done explaining her situation, all of the soldiers huddled together for a brief second. Then one of the other servicemen pulled out a military-looking walkie-talkie. They started playing with the device and talking back and forth on it.
After about 10-15 seconds of this, the young soldier walked back over to Courtney, bent down and said this to her, "I spoke to your daddy and he told me to give this to you." He then hugged this little girl that he had just met and gave her a kiss on the cheek. He finished by saying "your daddy told me to tell you that he loves you more than anything and he is Coming home very soon."
The mom at this point was crying almost uncontrollably and as the young soldier stood to his feet, he saluted Courtney and her mom. I was standing no more than 6 feet away from this entire event.
As the soldiers began to leave, heading towards their gate, people resumed their applause. As I stood there applauding and looked around, there were very few dry eyes, including my own. That young soldier in one last act of selflessness, turned around and blew a kiss to Courtney with a tear rolling down his cheek.
We need to remember everyday all of our soldiers and their families and thank God for them and their sacrifices. At the end of the day, it's good to be an American.)
=====================================================================================
Wonderful pdf. download on "The Dumbing Down of America" and Education! 736 pages of very worthwhile reading! FREE! & More downloads!
WOW!!!
The Lone Star Report, Nov. 3, 2007, Volume 12, Issue 13
http://www.lonestarreport.org/login.asp
Excerpt from this article:
“Any history standards document that substitutes pillars such as the U.S. Constitution and The Magna Carta for air-headed multiculturalism diversity mush should be deposited in the nearest trash bin,” Leo said. “The draft is so awful that I call upon the commissioner to start completely over or face clear opposition from this member when the draft reaches the State Board of Education.”
College readiness standards: more multiculturalism, fewer facts
by William Lutz
Texas high school students will be learning a lot about multiculturalism and political correctness, if new teams of college and high school faculty created by the Legislature’s 2006 school reform bill get their way.
The Higher Education Coordinating Board released for public comment Oct. 25 draft college readiness standards to be added to the state’s high school curriculum. The document is posted on the coordinating board’s website and includes standards in English, social studies, science, and mathematics. The public can comment online until Dec. 10 by going to http://www.thecb.state.tx.us.
The social studies standards are likely to prove the most controversial. These include a whole section (out of five) dedicated to “Diverse Human Perspectives and Experiences.” Meanwhile, the standards contain almost nothing about economics and very little about understanding the basics about American culture, values, and civilization.
The document explicitly states that the new standards do not emphasize learning facts. “The Vertical Teams (VTs) chose deliberately not to identify lists of facts that students must master to be ready for college,” the document states. “This should not be interpreted to mean that students should not be mastering a range of specific information about social systems and phenomena. Instead, the standards assume that students will utilize their understanding of events, social systems, and human behavior to develop greater insight into how the various parts fit together into a more unified whole and into how seemingly contradictory explanations or points of view can be analyzed for greater understanding instead of simply taking sides.”
Accordingly, the Declaration of Independence is mentioned only once in the proposed standards. Students are told they need to “Analyze the Declaration of Independence from the perspective of men and women, and people of Native American, European, and African descent.”
While the standards are vague about what college-bound students need to know about history, they are anything but vague when diversity issues are involved. Students are not expected to understand the development of English common law and its impact on the United States or, for example, the causes of the American revolution, but they are directed to “Identify the different racial and ethnic classifications used by the U.S. Census Bureau” and “Describe and list several examples of Latino contributions to U.S. popular culture since 1980” and “Assess how concepts of ethnicity have been used to allow one group to dominate another.”
Ronald Reagan gets no mention, but students are expected to “Listen to Martin Luther King, Jr’s ‘I Have a Dream’ speech and summarize five main points.”
Though not expected to know anything about supply and demand, supply-side economics, or Adam Smith, students are to “Write an analytical essay that predicts how climate change might affect the economy of the United States.”
It is important to note that the college readiness standards are meant to be in addition to the regular curriculum, and the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills does contain some specific facts in history that students are expected to know.
The existing high school curriculum, however, does not cover early American history, which is in the eighth grade curriculum. Early American history is sometimes covered in high school, the Legislature in 1999 having directed its inclusion in the state’s testing program.
This whole process started in 2006, when lawmakers were concerned that a large number of students had to take remedial courses in college.
The school finance bill adopted that year – HB 1 – contained a provision directing the Commissioner of Education and the Commissioner of Higher Education to appoint vertical teams – consisting of college and public school faculty members. The teams would review the curriculum and propose college readiness standards to be added to it. (The members of the vertical teams that produced the social studies standards were appointed by current Commissioner of Higher Education Raymond Paredes and former Commissioner of Education Shirley Neeley. Neeley has since been replaced as Commissioner of Education by Robert Scott.)
Several members of the State Board of Education expressed concerns that the provision might inadvertently take power away from the elected board to write the curriculum.(see LSR, May 5, 2006).
In response to these concerns, the bill was amended to state explicitly that it is not intended to remove any power from the elected board.
Even that did not completely satisfy board member Terri Leo (R-Spring) and delegates to the 2006 Republican State Convention, which added language to the platform — not acted on by the Legislature — calling for the repeal of the vertical teams.
“This is one ‘I told you so’ that I wish had not come true,” said Leo. “I received enormous criticism from Republican leadership in the Legislature when I tried to get them to do away with the vertical teams provisions of HB1. It should be no surprise to them that the draft is clearly in direct opposition to the Republican platform. The legislation passed basically mandates that the high school history standards writing team would consist in part of nutty professors in liberal academia with personal agendas. This is another case why all curriculum authority should be returned to the elected, and therefore accountable, State Board of Education.”
The vertical teams create draft college readiness standards. These standards are then submitted to the Higher Education Coordinating Board and the Commissioner of Education for approval. If both approve, the standards are then forwarded to the State Board of Education, which makes the final decision on how to amend the state’s curriculum.
In the 2006 election, the state board moved significantly to the right. Seven of the board’s 15 members are now part of the socially conservative bloc often associated with David Bradley (R-Beaumont). Several others hold conservative views, even if they don’t always vote with the bloc. Unlike 1997 – the last time the curriculum was up for revision – this board is highly unlikely to approve anything politically correct.
“Any history standards document that substitutes pillars such as the U.S. Constitution and The Magna Carta for air-headed multiculturalism diversity mush should be deposited in the nearest trash bin,” Leo said. “The draft is so awful that I call upon the commissioner to start completely over or face clear opposition from this member when the draft reaches the State Board of Education.”
One interesting question on the social studies standards is what will prove more controversial – what’s in the standards or what’s not. The absence of significant coverage of economics, The Federalist, the Founding Fathers, Abraham Lincoln, or the Magna Carta will certainly attract opposition.
Certainly much of what’s in will provoke opposition from conservatives — homosexuality, for example.
Students are directed to “Analyze how various Supreme Court decisions or federal government initiatives have shaped individual or group identities over time (e.g., Plessy v. Ferguson, Brown v. Board of Education, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Lawrence v. Texas).” The U.S. Supreme Court threw out the Texas ban on homosexual sodomy in Lawrence v. Texas. Students are also directed to “Identify examples of how gender is socially constructed.”
Students are also invited to talk about illegal immigration in several places in the draft standards. One such standard invites students to “Provide a historical perspective of xenophobia and its impact on immigration policies in the United States.”
A few of the standards could be classified as basic skills, such as one that encourages students to write papers using standard citation formats to document sources or several standards that discuss drawing and reading maps. Most standards, nevertheless, focus on things political, which means the political arena is likely where these standards will be debated.
The social studies standards are likely to attract the most attention, but different vertical teams also produced college readiness standards in English, science, and mathematics.
The mathematics standards have drawn fire from Dr. Wayne Bishop, a mathematics professor at the California State University, Los Angeles, and one of the leaders of Mathematically Correct, a grass-roots organization that fights for traditional mathematics standards, rather than “fuzzy” standards that prioritize thinking about math over the ability to do math.
“The content requirements are far from clear in the proposed document, and those that are present are surrounded by education industry fluff,” Bishop said in written comments.
In addition to the legislature’s vertical teams, Gov. Rick Perry has appointed the Commission for a College Ready Texas, which will look at the curriculum and college readinesss standards and assist the vertical teams in developing college readiness standards. The commission, meeting in Austin Nov. 7, will unveil its draft report, which is not the same as the vertical teams report. O
© 2003, The Lone Star Foundation
10711 Burnet Road, Suite 333 • Austin, TX 78758 • (888) 472-6051
Donna Garner
wgarner1@hot.rr.com
http://www.lonestarreport.org/login.asp
Excerpt from this article:
“Any history standards document that substitutes pillars such as the U.S. Constitution and The Magna Carta for air-headed multiculturalism diversity mush should be deposited in the nearest trash bin,” Leo said. “The draft is so awful that I call upon the commissioner to start completely over or face clear opposition from this member when the draft reaches the State Board of Education.”
College readiness standards: more multiculturalism, fewer facts
by William Lutz
Texas high school students will be learning a lot about multiculturalism and political correctness, if new teams of college and high school faculty created by the Legislature’s 2006 school reform bill get their way.
The Higher Education Coordinating Board released for public comment Oct. 25 draft college readiness standards to be added to the state’s high school curriculum. The document is posted on the coordinating board’s website and includes standards in English, social studies, science, and mathematics. The public can comment online until Dec. 10 by going to http://www.thecb.state.tx.us.
The social studies standards are likely to prove the most controversial. These include a whole section (out of five) dedicated to “Diverse Human Perspectives and Experiences.” Meanwhile, the standards contain almost nothing about economics and very little about understanding the basics about American culture, values, and civilization.
The document explicitly states that the new standards do not emphasize learning facts. “The Vertical Teams (VTs) chose deliberately not to identify lists of facts that students must master to be ready for college,” the document states. “This should not be interpreted to mean that students should not be mastering a range of specific information about social systems and phenomena. Instead, the standards assume that students will utilize their understanding of events, social systems, and human behavior to develop greater insight into how the various parts fit together into a more unified whole and into how seemingly contradictory explanations or points of view can be analyzed for greater understanding instead of simply taking sides.”
Accordingly, the Declaration of Independence is mentioned only once in the proposed standards. Students are told they need to “Analyze the Declaration of Independence from the perspective of men and women, and people of Native American, European, and African descent.”
While the standards are vague about what college-bound students need to know about history, they are anything but vague when diversity issues are involved. Students are not expected to understand the development of English common law and its impact on the United States or, for example, the causes of the American revolution, but they are directed to “Identify the different racial and ethnic classifications used by the U.S. Census Bureau” and “Describe and list several examples of Latino contributions to U.S. popular culture since 1980” and “Assess how concepts of ethnicity have been used to allow one group to dominate another.”
Ronald Reagan gets no mention, but students are expected to “Listen to Martin Luther King, Jr’s ‘I Have a Dream’ speech and summarize five main points.”
Though not expected to know anything about supply and demand, supply-side economics, or Adam Smith, students are to “Write an analytical essay that predicts how climate change might affect the economy of the United States.”
It is important to note that the college readiness standards are meant to be in addition to the regular curriculum, and the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills does contain some specific facts in history that students are expected to know.
The existing high school curriculum, however, does not cover early American history, which is in the eighth grade curriculum. Early American history is sometimes covered in high school, the Legislature in 1999 having directed its inclusion in the state’s testing program.
This whole process started in 2006, when lawmakers were concerned that a large number of students had to take remedial courses in college.
The school finance bill adopted that year – HB 1 – contained a provision directing the Commissioner of Education and the Commissioner of Higher Education to appoint vertical teams – consisting of college and public school faculty members. The teams would review the curriculum and propose college readiness standards to be added to it. (The members of the vertical teams that produced the social studies standards were appointed by current Commissioner of Higher Education Raymond Paredes and former Commissioner of Education Shirley Neeley. Neeley has since been replaced as Commissioner of Education by Robert Scott.)
Several members of the State Board of Education expressed concerns that the provision might inadvertently take power away from the elected board to write the curriculum.(see LSR, May 5, 2006).
In response to these concerns, the bill was amended to state explicitly that it is not intended to remove any power from the elected board.
Even that did not completely satisfy board member Terri Leo (R-Spring) and delegates to the 2006 Republican State Convention, which added language to the platform — not acted on by the Legislature — calling for the repeal of the vertical teams.
“This is one ‘I told you so’ that I wish had not come true,” said Leo. “I received enormous criticism from Republican leadership in the Legislature when I tried to get them to do away with the vertical teams provisions of HB1. It should be no surprise to them that the draft is clearly in direct opposition to the Republican platform. The legislation passed basically mandates that the high school history standards writing team would consist in part of nutty professors in liberal academia with personal agendas. This is another case why all curriculum authority should be returned to the elected, and therefore accountable, State Board of Education.”
The vertical teams create draft college readiness standards. These standards are then submitted to the Higher Education Coordinating Board and the Commissioner of Education for approval. If both approve, the standards are then forwarded to the State Board of Education, which makes the final decision on how to amend the state’s curriculum.
In the 2006 election, the state board moved significantly to the right. Seven of the board’s 15 members are now part of the socially conservative bloc often associated with David Bradley (R-Beaumont). Several others hold conservative views, even if they don’t always vote with the bloc. Unlike 1997 – the last time the curriculum was up for revision – this board is highly unlikely to approve anything politically correct.
“Any history standards document that substitutes pillars such as the U.S. Constitution and The Magna Carta for air-headed multiculturalism diversity mush should be deposited in the nearest trash bin,” Leo said. “The draft is so awful that I call upon the commissioner to start completely over or face clear opposition from this member when the draft reaches the State Board of Education.”
One interesting question on the social studies standards is what will prove more controversial – what’s in the standards or what’s not. The absence of significant coverage of economics, The Federalist, the Founding Fathers, Abraham Lincoln, or the Magna Carta will certainly attract opposition.
Certainly much of what’s in will provoke opposition from conservatives — homosexuality, for example.
Students are directed to “Analyze how various Supreme Court decisions or federal government initiatives have shaped individual or group identities over time (e.g., Plessy v. Ferguson, Brown v. Board of Education, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Lawrence v. Texas).” The U.S. Supreme Court threw out the Texas ban on homosexual sodomy in Lawrence v. Texas. Students are also directed to “Identify examples of how gender is socially constructed.”
Students are also invited to talk about illegal immigration in several places in the draft standards. One such standard invites students to “Provide a historical perspective of xenophobia and its impact on immigration policies in the United States.”
A few of the standards could be classified as basic skills, such as one that encourages students to write papers using standard citation formats to document sources or several standards that discuss drawing and reading maps. Most standards, nevertheless, focus on things political, which means the political arena is likely where these standards will be debated.
The social studies standards are likely to attract the most attention, but different vertical teams also produced college readiness standards in English, science, and mathematics.
The mathematics standards have drawn fire from Dr. Wayne Bishop, a mathematics professor at the California State University, Los Angeles, and one of the leaders of Mathematically Correct, a grass-roots organization that fights for traditional mathematics standards, rather than “fuzzy” standards that prioritize thinking about math over the ability to do math.
“The content requirements are far from clear in the proposed document, and those that are present are surrounded by education industry fluff,” Bishop said in written comments.
In addition to the legislature’s vertical teams, Gov. Rick Perry has appointed the Commission for a College Ready Texas, which will look at the curriculum and college readinesss standards and assist the vertical teams in developing college readiness standards. The commission, meeting in Austin Nov. 7, will unveil its draft report, which is not the same as the vertical teams report. O
© 2003, The Lone Star Foundation
10711 Burnet Road, Suite 333 • Austin, TX 78758 • (888) 472-6051
Donna Garner
wgarner1@hot.rr.com
This will make your blood boil!
Ron Paul on Home Schooling
About US Finance Problems
From the desk of Texas Educator Donna Garner: http://www.mycountryiwantitback.org/Student_Test_DGarner.pdf
US Warns Tourists of 'Small-Unit Combat' at Mexico Border
By Penny Starr
CNSNews.com Senior Staff Writer
May 16, 2008
(CNSNews.com) - The U.S. State Department has issued an alert, warning travelers that the "equivalent to military small-unit combat" is taking place across the southern U.S. border in Mexico and that Americans are being kidnapped and murdered there.
"Recent Mexican army and police force conflicts with heavily-armed narcotics cartels have escalated to levels equivalent to military small-unit combat and have included use of machine guns and fragmentation grenades," said the State Department alert.
"Confrontations have taken place in numerous towns and cities in northern Mexico, including Tijuana in the Mexican state of Baja California, and Chihuahua City and Ciudad Juarez in the state of Chihuahua," reads the alert. "The situation in northern Mexico remains very fluid; the location and timing of future armed engagements there cannot be predicted."
The State Department particularly urged that Americans be wary when traveling in that part of Mexico closest to the United States. "U.S. citizens are urged to be especially alert to safety and security concerns when visiting the border region," said the alert.
Murder and kidnapping of Americans has become routine in Tijuana, which sits just across the border from San Diego, California, according to the State Department, and sometimes heavily armed attackers wear the uniforms of the Mexican police or military.
"Dozens of U.S. citizens were kidnapped and/or murdered in Tijuana in 2007," says the alert. "Public shootouts have occurred during daylight hours near shopping areas. Criminals are armed with a wide array of sophisticated weapons. In some cases, assailants have worn full or partial police or military uniforms and have used vehicles that resemble police vehicles."
The alert also warns Americans to avoid areas where drugs and prostitution are evident and to "refrain from displaying expensive-looking jewelry, large amounts of money and other valuable items."
In light of this alert, which was first issued on Apr. 14, and was listed as "current as of today, Thursday May 15 17:51:35 2008" on State's Web site on Wednesday, Cybercast News Service submitted a number of questions to the State Department via e-mail, and received non-responsive answers the next day. Cybercast News Service's questions were as follows:
-- "The alert says 'attacks are aimed primarily at members of drug trafficking organizations, Mexican police forces, criminal justice officials and journalists.' Can you provide more details about who has been attacked and the result of those attacks, including injuries, fatalities and legal ramifications?
-- "The alert says violence has 'escalated to levels equivalent to military small-unit combat and have included use of machine guns and fragmentation grenades.' Can you provide more information, including the number of incidents involving these kinds of weapons and the number of weapons confiscated?
-- "The alert says that violence not related to drug trafficking has increased in Tijuana and Ciudad Jarez, with 'dozens of U.S. citizens ... kidnapped and/or murdered in Tijuana in 2007.' How many people were kidnapped or murdered and how do those numbers compare with the numbers in prior years?"
-- "The alert recommends that Americans avoid areas where prostitution and drug dealing occurs. Where are those areas?"
-- "How many incidents in 2007 and other years are recorded that show U.S. citizens being followed or harassed in the border areas, including Nuevo Laredo, Matamoros and Tijuana?"
-- "How many kidnapping cases of U.S. citizens remain unsolved?"
-- "What actions is the state department taking to reduce the violence on the border?"
The State Department's written answer to those questions is as follows:
"The State Department's Office of American Citizens Services and Crisis Management (ACS) administers the Consular Information Program, which informs the public of conditions abroad that may affect their safety and security.
"Travel Alerts are issued to disseminate information about short-term conditions, generally within a particular country, that pose imminent risks to the security of U.S. citizens. Natural disasters, terrorist attacks, coups, anniversaries of terrorist events, election-related demonstrations or violence, and high-profile events such as international conferences or regional sports events are examples of conditions that might generate a Travel Alert.
"The travel alert is a collaborative effort based on media reports and other information released within a particular country. It is provided so that American travellers (sic) can make an informed decision about their plans to visit a particular location at a particular time.
"For various reasons, American citizens often choose not to report their involvement in activities while abroad.
"Your best source for detailed statistics and information about specific locations would be from sources within Mexico."
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By Penny Starr
CNSNews.com Senior Staff Writer
May 16, 2008
(CNSNews.com) - The U.S. State Department has issued an alert, warning travelers that the "equivalent to military small-unit combat" is taking place across the southern U.S. border in Mexico and that Americans are being kidnapped and murdered there.
"Recent Mexican army and police force conflicts with heavily-armed narcotics cartels have escalated to levels equivalent to military small-unit combat and have included use of machine guns and fragmentation grenades," said the State Department alert.
"Confrontations have taken place in numerous towns and cities in northern Mexico, including Tijuana in the Mexican state of Baja California, and Chihuahua City and Ciudad Juarez in the state of Chihuahua," reads the alert. "The situation in northern Mexico remains very fluid; the location and timing of future armed engagements there cannot be predicted."
The State Department particularly urged that Americans be wary when traveling in that part of Mexico closest to the United States. "U.S. citizens are urged to be especially alert to safety and security concerns when visiting the border region," said the alert.
Murder and kidnapping of Americans has become routine in Tijuana, which sits just across the border from San Diego, California, according to the State Department, and sometimes heavily armed attackers wear the uniforms of the Mexican police or military.
"Dozens of U.S. citizens were kidnapped and/or murdered in Tijuana in 2007," says the alert. "Public shootouts have occurred during daylight hours near shopping areas. Criminals are armed with a wide array of sophisticated weapons. In some cases, assailants have worn full or partial police or military uniforms and have used vehicles that resemble police vehicles."
The alert also warns Americans to avoid areas where drugs and prostitution are evident and to "refrain from displaying expensive-looking jewelry, large amounts of money and other valuable items."
In light of this alert, which was first issued on Apr. 14, and was listed as "current as of today, Thursday May 15 17:51:35 2008" on State's Web site on Wednesday, Cybercast News Service submitted a number of questions to the State Department via e-mail, and received non-responsive answers the next day. Cybercast News Service's questions were as follows:
-- "The alert says 'attacks are aimed primarily at members of drug trafficking organizations, Mexican police forces, criminal justice officials and journalists.' Can you provide more details about who has been attacked and the result of those attacks, including injuries, fatalities and legal ramifications?
-- "The alert says violence has 'escalated to levels equivalent to military small-unit combat and have included use of machine guns and fragmentation grenades.' Can you provide more information, including the number of incidents involving these kinds of weapons and the number of weapons confiscated?
-- "The alert says that violence not related to drug trafficking has increased in Tijuana and Ciudad Jarez, with 'dozens of U.S. citizens ... kidnapped and/or murdered in Tijuana in 2007.' How many people were kidnapped or murdered and how do those numbers compare with the numbers in prior years?"
-- "The alert recommends that Americans avoid areas where prostitution and drug dealing occurs. Where are those areas?"
-- "How many incidents in 2007 and other years are recorded that show U.S. citizens being followed or harassed in the border areas, including Nuevo Laredo, Matamoros and Tijuana?"
-- "How many kidnapping cases of U.S. citizens remain unsolved?"
-- "What actions is the state department taking to reduce the violence on the border?"
The State Department's written answer to those questions is as follows:
"The State Department's Office of American Citizens Services and Crisis Management (ACS) administers the Consular Information Program, which informs the public of conditions abroad that may affect their safety and security.
"Travel Alerts are issued to disseminate information about short-term conditions, generally within a particular country, that pose imminent risks to the security of U.S. citizens. Natural disasters, terrorist attacks, coups, anniversaries of terrorist events, election-related demonstrations or violence, and high-profile events such as international conferences or regional sports events are examples of conditions that might generate a Travel Alert.
"The travel alert is a collaborative effort based on media reports and other information released within a particular country. It is provided so that American travellers (sic) can make an informed decision about their plans to visit a particular location at a particular time.
"For various reasons, American citizens often choose not to report their involvement in activities while abroad.
"Your best source for detailed statistics and information about specific locations would be from sources within Mexico."
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US Warns Tourists of 'Small-Unit Combat' at Mexico Border - see bottom of page!
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