By George Scott
This story constitutes paid advertising on The Katy News Website
https://academicequityadvocates.com
With the relaunch of the Academic Equity Advocates website, our new focus is ‘laser guided’ on five specific objectives:
- Issue a direct plea to civil rights attorneys and groups to organize and launch a federal lawsuit seeking at least a two-year judicial takeover of the Texas Education Agency regarding the TEA’s student testing and accountability systems.
- Abolish the STAAR testing program because of its systemic failure to protect the academic futures of all students but particularly focused upon economically disadvantaged students statistically dominated by children of color.
- Deny the State of Texas the authority to establish any private educational voucher program that is not EXPLICITLY AND EXLUSIVELY AND CONTRACTUALLY dedicated to achieving significant closure of academic achievement gaps for protected children pursuant to previous and renewed statutory and constitutional verdicts in state and federal courts.
- Plea with local, state, and national news media to stop favoring low-hanging fruit educational ‘journalism’ that ignores or journalistically quarantines the more difficult task of reporting the gross abuses of academic integrity the State’s accountability system that has systemically harmed minority children in the gravest of ways for some three decades.
- Offer directly to parents of public education and home-schooling students products targeting 5th grades through 9th grades:
- Independent diagnostic testing in both math and reading PLUS actual lessons focusing upon English Language Arts that include a wide variety of basic grammar skills and lessons enhancing vocabulary and reading comprehension skills.
- The ELA lessons are in collaboration with an independent resource (Junior High ELA Resources) which provides actual lessons ranging from basic grammar and usage and other language skills. Also, the lessons available include extensive work on vocabulary development, writing skills, and a wide range of specific other skills that help students become excellent readers as they get ready for challenges in high school and beyond.
The ELA diagnostic test was developed and reviewed by professional classroom teachers. The math diagnostic test has been written by a PhD statistician and an experienced public education math teacher on specific standards enumerated by prestigious national experts describing what 5th through 9th grade students should have mastered.
As it relates to the first three, the relaunched website, in effect, empties my 30+ year library documenting the tragic trail of Texas’ deception in its start to finish student testing and accountability systems. The data is compelling, factual and overwhelming evidence that previous attorneys and journalists to this point have not pursued effectively.
Perhaps the political threat and increased likelihood that vouchers will finally merge from the next session of the Texas Legislature will provide incentive for a higher commitment and dedication to their respective professions given that minority children stand to be the great victims – once again.
If you are going to advocate effectively for your children in an often hostile or condescending environment, these diagnostic tests are designed to level the playing field for you.