This is scandalous, my friends. University of Houston Distinguished Professor Alberto Rodriguez calls foul in the preparation of science educators in HISD and the response by the university is not only disappointing but also over the top by threatening this distinguished professor's tenure who is speaking truth to power. Check out this Click2Houston video where he expressed well the problem and the ethics behind his decision to discontinue sending pre-service teachers into the school district.

One doesn't have to dig too deeply into the news to learn just how punishing HISD Superintendent Mike Miles' scripted curriculum is on students and teachers. There have been protests about this. Check out the pages of Houston Community Voices for Public Education to get a solid accounting of what's up in what used to be HISD but which has been taken over by Miles' education management organization called the New Education System (NES)/Third Future Schools. Also check out this earlier blog post on the matter for more information: Welcome to the Houston's No longer Independent  School District. Bilingual Education and Special Education are also on the rocks. See People's Report of HISD takeover at State Board of Ed, as well as Support for Houston ISD’s Spanish speakers has dwindled under state-appointed leader, parents say. Considering the accumulating evidence, Professor Rodriguez is not at all out of line with respect to his assessment of Miles' science curriculum.

It's true to form in an authoritarian regime, regardless, that the school district's spokesman, Jose Irizarry, responds to this outing of the science curriculum by Dr. Rodriguez by deciding to gaslight the Houston community. He states that the curriculum amounts to "high-quality instruction and curriculum" when nothing could be further from the truth. Don't drink the Kool-aid, my friends. And let's protect tenure. This is exactly what tenure allows one to do, to talk back to the corporation and call out injustice. Schools should never be used to organize principal, teacher, and student disaffection and failure. 

Moreover, let's not participate in our own miseducation in our understanding of freedom. By this, I mean that we should not be comfortable with conditions like those called out by Dr. Rodriguez. We need to take back our power, beginning with advocating for a quality public education that honors our communities' and students' right to one. We must not become apathetic about this.

Along with the accreditation agencies that require quality, research-based best practices in the preparation of future educators, the Houston community would do well to stand solidly behind this professor. Too many people's lives and well-being are at stake, as is the future of our democracy.

-Angela Valenzuela

UH education professor suspends course in protest of HISD's rigid lessons

By Sam González KellyFeb 23, 2024

A University of Houston education professor stopped teaching his course last week in protest of his student teachers' placements in Houston ISD schools, where he said the "scripted curriculum" used in HISD classes made it impossible for them to complete their assignments. 

Alberto Rodriguez, a distinguished professor of science education at the University of Houston College of Education, informed students in his "Science in the Elementary School II" course of the decision in a Feb. 14 email.

"I regret to inform you that I am suspending my teaching of this course in protest of the impossible school placements to which some of you have been assigned," Rodriguez wrote. "I feel it is unethical and unprofessional for me to continue teaching this course when you have been placed in school settings that make it very challenging for you to complete field-based assignments as expected in the effective preparation of teachers." 

MORE ON HISD: Superintendent Miles announces major overhaul to tackle 'inefficiencies,' pay for NES expansion.

University of Houston spokeswoman Shawn Lindsey said the college immediately assigned another faculty member, who teaches the other section of the course, to Rodriguez's class, ensuring the course continued uninterrupted. Lindsey declined to say whether Rodriguez, who is tenured at the university, would face any disciplinary action, saying they do not comment on personnel matters. 

"As districts across the state and nation have moved to varying degrees of curriculum autonomy, our teacher education program works to ensure our student-teachers gain valuable, authentic classroom experiences," Lindsey said. "We teach our student-teachers to work within a district’s curriculum guidelines just as they would in the real world, and our student-teachers remain able to practice skills a successful teacher needs — such as keeping students engaged, checking for understanding and adapting as needed."

Students in the "Science in the Elementary School II" course, all of whom are seniors, receive student teaching assignments at schools in the Houston, Cypress-Fairbanks and Spring Branch school districts, which they rank in order of preference. 

Rodriguez said the spread of highly structured lessons that may include word-for-word scripts for teachers is a "national issue" that is not isolated to HISD. But this semester, roughly a dozen students placed at HISD schools were complaining to him, sometimes in tears, that the rigid expectations imposed under state-appointed Superintendent Mike Miles made it difficult for them to complete their assignments for his course.

 

Among other directives, Miles expects teachers to use timers during their lessons, engage in "multiple response strategies" roughly every four minutes and, at schools in his New Education System, administer daily quizzes, while school administrators and district officials go from room to room to monitor their work.

MORE ON NEW EDUCATION SYSTEM: HISD names 19 campuses joining New Education System for 2024-25 school year after opting in

One key assignment in Rodriguez's course involved developing a lesson plan for students to teach in March or April, which would go through a series of revisions in Rodriguez's course before being delivered to children. Rodriguez's students at HISD, however, told him they were unable to plan that far ahead because the lead classroom teachers themselves did not know what they would be teaching at that point — the "script" had not yet been posted online. 

Rodriguez said such constraints violated accreditation standards developed by the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP) and the Texas State Board of Educator Certification (SBEC), both of which require education students to be able to effectively lesson plan, among other things.

"They are being placed in schools that are following a scripted curriculum that totally contradicts everything that we're talking about in class," Rodriguez said. "There's no way you can make science inclusive and relevant to all students — especially students of color or bilingual students — when you have a teacher that is not allowed to carry out their craft." 

Representatives for the AAQEP and the Texas Education Agency, which oversees the SBEC, did not return a request for comment. The University of Houston noted that its education program is fully accredited by both bodies. 

Houston ISD spokesman Jose Irizarry, in a statement, said district leaders are "pleased that UH has identified an experienced professor to take over the course so that student teachers can continue their work in our schools, where they are seeing how high-quality instruction and curriculum lead to academic growth and gains in student performance." 

Rodriguez said he approached College of Education Dean Catherine Horn, University Chancellor Renu Khator and Provost Diane Chase with his concerns, and that Horn was the only person to respond, arguing that the university could not control the actions of its partners and asking him to continue teaching the course and making arrangements for his students like everybody else. 

The response disappointed Rodriguez, who said he'd hoped the university might try to work with HISD to reach a compromise. 

"That doesn't sound like much of a partnership to me. Partners don't watch teachers being pushed off a cliff and then just kind of look the other way," Rodriguez said. "You try to engage in conversations with school district officials to provide space for our students to practice what they're learning in the classroom."

Horn deferred comment to the University of Houston press office.

"We have found that all of our district partners are willing to work with us so our teacher candidates can complete their certification requirements, including teaching lessons for formal observations," Lindsey said. "In cases where a student-teacher is concerned about their school experience, our faculty work with campus leadership to make adjustments or, in rare cases, move placements."

The professor's future with the university is uncertain. The science education course was the only one he taught this semester, and though he is still engaged in a variety of research projects at the university, he no longer has access to his class files on Canvas, the learning management software used by the University of Houston. 

"I don't know what the next step is on their side, but I'm going to continue pursuing this because I feel like I cannot just sit by as the new generation of teachers are not well prepared," Rodriguez said. 

By Sam González Kelly

Sam González Kelly is an education reporter for the Houston Chronicle covering the Houston Independent School District. He can be reached at sam.kelly@houstonchronicle.com.

A Chicago native, Sam joined the Chronicle in 2021 to cover marginalized communities after two years covering breaking news at the Chicago Sun-Times. Sam has a bachelor's degree from Pomona College.

CSCOPE controversy continues [in Llano, Tx]

Check out this CSCOPE-related chat at: http://texas.teachers.net/chatboard/topic14796/6.17.10.10.49.11.html

The Llano News

CSCOPE controversy continues
by John Hallowell
April 21, 2010

Monday night’s school board included honors for state Color Guard competitors and a number of routine business items, but the main event was a spirited continuation of the debate on the CSCOPE curriculum.

The meeting opened with a presentation to Felicia Patterson (who took first place in the state color guard Rifle Solo competition) and Gwen Popejoy, who placed second in Sabre Solo). Dustin Riley, of Owner’s Building Resource in Austin, reported on progress at Llano Elementary (work on the old cafeteria is complete; furniture should arrive next week) and at Yellow Jacket Stadium (painting continues on the bleachers as the weather allows, to be followed by aluminum installation). CFO Jo Ann Williams reported that tax collections are $130,000 above budget, but the net effect will be “pretty much zero” because of increased “Robin Hood” payments and decreased state aid.

The debate began with the “audience participation” of junior high school coach and history teacher Ricky Newman, whose contract has not been renewed for next year. He told how he had been recruited for the job based on previous successes, but how he became increasingly concerned by the flaws in CSCOPE and its implementation here in the Llano ISD. He told how some of his students were woefully unprepared for the lessons mandated by CSCOPE and how 80% of his class had failed a test on European history, how he had reverted to his previous “lecture” method to go back over the material (instead of using the “completely student-oriented” CSCOPE lessons) and how “the kids came through beautifully” on the essay test which followed. He felt that because of his objections to CSCOPE, administrators “watched me closely,” and he was written up twice for minor infractions before learning that his contract would not be renewed. Coach Newman used up his allotted five-minute speaking time before he finished making his case, but his frustration with administration and CSCOPE was very clear.

Local veterinarian Dr. Jim Jenkins was the next speaker, and he calmly outlined a number of objections to the curriculum and its implementation. He told the board that a number of his friends are teachers. “I think you just heard from Coach Newman the frustration that many or most of the teachers share,” he told the board, “but most are afraid to talk for fear of losing their jobs or hurting their resumes.” “CSCOPE is running a lot of good teachers out of Llano,” he continued, singling out the implementation of the curriculum for critcism. “We need flexibility; we’ve got to do something to retain teachers and encourage kids.” Karen Phillips thanked the board for taking time to look into the problems, but seconded many of Dr. Jenkins’ concerns. Letitia McCasland mentioned a scheduled meeting of administrators, and asked Superintendent Dennis Hill to “give us some insight into Friday’s meeting.”

Before Superintendent Hill’s response, Board President Ronnie Rudd expressed regrets for the time constraints, and asked audience members to send emails or letters if they had further concerns. Superintendent Hill told the audience that he agreed with Dr. Jenkins “on a number of points,” and reminded them that he and his wife had experienced some frustration with their son’s homework during CSCOPE’s introduction. He pointed out, however, that the administration was “on the horns of a dilemma,” and asked, “What kind of a curriculum can we use to give kids a reasonable chance to succeed” (in an era of increasingly rigorous standards)? “We must do everything we can to prepare these kids for what I know is coming.” He told the audience that administrators had held a 3-hour meeting with even “some tears shed in this room” last Friday; that he has written and distributed a summary, and is waiting for feedback before making it public. He told teachers present in the meeting room, “I hope to lower your level of concern, but keep a sense of urgency.”

Addressing specific concerns, Hill explained that he monitors programs to see if they are working, and has no plans to stop. “I don’t evaluate teachers,” he said. He accepted blame for any problems with implementation of the program, stressing that the board and his administrative team have done their jobs well, and adding that the results have been generally good. Almost across the board, test results are showing a positive trend; Llan1o ISD is ahead of the state and area averages, and has improved on its own performance over the last two years.

Superintendent Hill was followed by a series of principals and teachers voicing their enthusiastic support for CSCOPE, and reporting positive results from its implementation. Several praised the “5E Model” of teaching (Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate and Evaluate), another recent innovation at Llano ISD which Superintendent Hill believes is a source for some of the angst surrounding CSCOPE. “If we want to improve student performance,” he said, “we can change curriculum (what we teach) and instructional style (how we teach it). We’re trying to change both at once.” The 5E model is basically learning by doing. “It’s “the antithesis of the old ‘sit and git’ method of instruction,” Hill says. “It’s very hands-on and engaging. It’s also different from what most teachers are used to.”

High school principal James Scott spoke in support of the new method. “I don’t recall a single worksheet or lecture from 5th grade,” he said, telling of an interactive lesson on electricity that he still remembers clearly. He also pointed out that textbooks could not keep up with the rapid changes in subjects and standards, and said, “I like the idea of a curriculum that covers everything my kids need to learn.”

Annette Moresco, of Packsaddle Elementary, was accompanied by a group of teachers who told of positive results from CSCOPE and 5E. Their presentation was supplemented by a Power Point presentation which highlighted some of the successes of the new program. They reported that kids are very interested in the new “hands-on” lessons. “You can see lights come on,” one teacher said. Another reported that CSCOPE made it possible to provide a math lesson in Spanish for a student who did not yet speak English; another noted that her feedback from last year had led to changes in this year’s curriculum. “You can’t do that with a textbook,” she said.

Three more teachers accompanied junior high principal Nicole Smith, who told the audience that there are “a lot of people loving what’s going on.” She introduced an 8th-grade science teacher who praised the flexibility of CSCOPE’s lesson plans. “It’s like a skeleton,” she said. “You can’t take any of the bones out, but you can add as much meat as you want.” That flexibility makes CSCOPE challenging for even her gifted students, while she can actually go back to previous levels to pull lessons for students who have fallen behind. Another teacher explained that, while teaching in Austin before CSCOPE was introduced, she had planned to home school her daughter. Now she has changed her plans. “I can’t do any better than CSCOPE math,” she explained, “and CSCOPE science is awesome,” with labs twice a week. And another teacher told the crowd that “We have meaningful learning” with CSCOPE. “We’re not just teaching them how to take tests,” she said. “We’re teaching them how to think.”

Junior high principal Nicole Smith reported that attendance at her school has risen to 96 percent, and that now “they want to come to school.”

Board president Ronnie Rudd acknowledged that CSCOPE had been hurriedly implemented, but said that the administration was “tweaking” the curriculum and would continue to do so. “We don’t have a viable alternative,” he said. “We have to play by the rules, and each year, standards get ratcheted up. We didn’t create the textbook problem.” He told the audience that the district cannot afford the “terrible consequences” of an “Unacceptable” rating. He pointed out that the board monitors teacher turnover (“We don’t like to lose anyone,” he said), and contrary to some rumors, Llano’s turnover is lower than the state average.

Board member Gerald Kaspar told how worried his wife had been, as a third grade teacher, about CSCOPE, and how happy she had been at the students’ response. She was delighted one day to overhear a boy saying to his friend, “Wasn’t math fun today?” Board secretary Becky Robinson closed out the debate by saying, “I think we’re very lucky to have administrators and teachers who are so passionate about what they are doing.”

In the final minutes of the meeting, the board approved a new copier lease which will save $200 per month, approved textbooks recommended by a special committee, and hired three new teachers for the junior high school. They are teacher/coaches Kyle Chance Vineyard and Ryan Maney, and art teacher Amanda Burchett.

Copyright 2010 The Llano News
E-mail: thenews@verizon.net • Phone: (325) 247-4433 • Fax: (325) 247-3338

School officials uncertain over new state English guidelines

By Jennifer Berghom | The Monitor
May 27, 2008

Rio Grande Valley school leaders do not know how new state guidelines for teaching English will affect students.

Some districts say the new standards better prepare students for college. Others say the updates could hurt students learning the language.

School district officials have not seen the new standards adopted by the Texas Board of Education last week, but many expect they will have to make some changes to their teaching plans - but they just don't know what changes, yet.

Some districts remain worried that the updated standards ignore the needs of English language learners and hinder teachers' creativity with their lessons.

Teachers would have to follow a more scripted curriculum, which could include more drilling on grammar and phonics, said Maritza Park, the Donna school district's director for elementary English language arts curriculum.

``It's like we went back 20 years,'' Park said.

After months of arguing and debating different proposals for updated English language arts standards, the approved standards were given to state education board members just hours before they were to vote on the updates. Several board members were outraged they were not given enough time to review the latest proposal, especially after board members were asked to consider at least five different ones since January, according to the Associated Press.

The new standards place a stronger emphasis on grammar and offer grade-specific objectives, said Debbie Graves Ratcliffe, spokeswoman for the Texas Education Agency.

``I think the standards as a skeleton and the districts have to come up with the curriculum guide. The standards provide the basic bone structure but there is still a lot of flexibility that districts have,'' Ratcliffe said.

The approved updates should be available to the public in a few weeks, as the agency is finalizing the specific wording of the rules based on the board's wishes, she said.

Edinburg's school district is ready for the new standards, said Maria Luisa Guerra, the district's assistant superintendent for instruction and support services. The district began using a curriculum called CSCOPE this year that helps better align lessons from kindergarten though 12th grade, Guerra said. It also is using another program that provides students learning English with more tutoring and monitoring, she said.

The updated standards take effect in the 2009-2010 school year.