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DETAILS ABOUT THE HEALTH ED WORK GROUPS
Details
and applications to be on the Health Ed Work Groups (and/or
Physical Education Work Groups) can be found at this link on
the Texas Education Agency website:
https://tea.texas.gov/Academics/Curriculum_Standards/TEKS_Texas_Essential_Knowledge_and_Skills_(TEKS)_Review/Health_Education_TEKS_Review/
[This
same type of review is being held concurrently to adopt new
2019 Physical Education TEKS also, and applicants will need
to indicate clearly their choice(s) on their applications.]
COMM. MORATH'S HEALTH ED TEKS STUDY RECOMMENDATIONS
The Houston Chronicle in its 6.13.19 recent article
intimated that Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath is
trying to force radical changes into the new 2019 Health
TEKS (e.g., contraceptives). As usual, the "fake news" is
just that -- fake.
To see what
Tex. Comm. Morath is actually recommending, please go to the
following link where he has prepared a study of current
health education research and state standards (even those
laws passed in the 2019 Legislative Session), including
national best practices, that would be used as a guide to
begin the SBOE’s processes to review and consider revising
the Health Education TEKS.
Comm.
Morath's Health Education TEKS Study Recommendations are
found at:file:///C:/Users/DGarner/Downloads/Commissioner%20Recommendations%20for%20Health%20TEKS.pdf
I
particularly read over the sections pertaining to Mental
Health and Wellness (p. 4), Injury and Violence Prevention
and Safety (p.5), Reproduction and Sexual Health (p.6). P.
9 has an easy-to-understand chart of grade-level
recommendations. In Appendix A beginning on p. 11, I
particularly looked at Bullying/Harassment (p. 11), Local
School Advisory Council (p. 12), Human Sexuality Instruction
(p. 13), Sexual Harassment (p. 14), Bullying Prevention
Policies (p. 14), Coordinated School Health Programs (p.
17), Mental Health of Public School Students (p. 19),
Positive Character Traits (p. 23), and Mental Health
Promotion (p. 24).
ACTION STEP: WHAT WE IN THE PUBLIC CAN DO
First,
please consider yourself as a possible Work Group member. If
you do not fit the requirements, then please think about
other people you know who might be qualified and who promote
abstinence and healthy lifestyles. Please give them this
information and encourage them to go through the application
process as explained on the TEA's website:
https://tea.texas.gov/Academics/Curriculum_Standards/TEKS_Texas_Essential_Knowledge_and_Skills_(TEKS)_Review/Health_Education_TEKS_Review/
MY CONTRIBUTION TO THE CAUSE
Because of my own experiences as a
researcher/consultant/writer, working under practicing,
medical professionals in the field of sexual health, I
am providing the following resources which I believe to
be medically and psychologically credible.
These resources can and should be utilized by the
members of those involved in the entire process of the
new 2019 Health TEKS from the Work Groups all the way
through the adoption to new Health Education
instructional materials.
People from all over the United States should make use
of these credible resources to use in their own school
districts.
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RESOURCES THAT PROMOTE HEALTHY LIFESTYLES FOR STUDENTS
AND THE PUBLIC -- LISTED CHRONOLOGICALLY AND TAKEN FROM
TEXAS-SPECIFIC ISSUES AND NATIONALLY SIGNIFICANT SOURCES
ARTICLES FROM 2019
6.7.19 -- “Victory!
Texas Putting Planned Parenthood out of Business” --
From Donna Garner – EdViews.org -- http://www.educationviews.org/victory-gov-abbott-signed-sb-22-into-law-today-great-news-for-texas-planned-parenthood-to-lose-even-more-influence-and-funding/
5.25.19 – “Trump
Administration Proposes Revision of Obama-Era Definition
of Sex Discrimination in Health Care” -- By Dr. Susan
Berry – EdViews.org --http://www.educationviews.org/trump-administration-proposes-revision-of-obama-era-definition-of-sex-discrimination-in-health-care/
5.18.19 -- “Great News
for Texas – Planned Parenthood To Lose Even More
Influence and Funding” -- by Donna Garner – EdViews.org
--http://www.educationviews.org/great-news-for-texas-planned-parenthood-to-lose-even-more-influence-and-funding/
4.26.19 -- “The Facts
Teens Should Be Taught in Their Health Classes” -- By
Donna Garner – EdViews.org -- http://www.educationviews.org/the-facts-teens-should-be-taught-in-their-health-classes/
4.17.19 -- “Latest CDC
Stats on HIV Among Transgender Women and Men” – by Donna
Garner – EdViews.org -- http://www.educationviews.org/latest-hiv-estimates-among-transgender-women-centers-for-disease-control/
4.17.19 – “Military
academies to ban transgender students” -- by Associated
Press – Austin American-Statesman -- https://www.statesman.com/zz/news/20190417/military-academies-to-ban-transgender-students
4.16.19 -- “The Facts
Teens Should Be Taught in Their Health Classes” -- By
Donna Garner – EdViews.org -- http://www.educationviews.org/the-facts-teens-should-be-taught-in-their-health-classes/
4.4.19 – “Podcast: Abby
Johnson of ‘Unplanned” Reveals Planned Parenthood’s
Terrible Secrets” -- EdViews.org -- http://www.educationviews.org/abby-johnson-of-unplanned-reveals-planned-parenthoods-secrets-in-glenn-beck-interview/
3.29.19 -- “Unplanned: an
Emotional Roller Coaster” -- By Donna Garner –EdViews.org -- http://www.educationviews.org/unplanned-an-emotional-roller-coaster/
3.20.19 -- “Democrats
Introduce Equality Act to Cement Gender Ideology into
Federal Law” – by Dr. Susan Berry – Breitbart --https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2019/03/20/democrats-introduce-equality-act-to-cement-gender-ideology-into-federal-law/
1.22.19 – “Supreme
Court lets Pentagon limit transgender military service
while lawsuits proceed” – Brooke
Singman, Bill
Mears -- Fox
News --https://www.foxnews.com/politics/supreme-court-rules-pentagon-can-limit-transgender-military-service-while-lawsuits-continue
1.17.19 – “Federal
appeals court lifts order blocking Texas from kicking
Planned Parenthood out of Medicaid” – by Emma
Platoff – Texas Tribune --https://tinyurl.com/y7czq3zd
1.11.19 -- “Open Letter
to Texas House Member Garnet Coleman: Medical Facts
About LGBTQ Lifestyle” -- By Donna Garner – EdViews.org --http://www.educationviews.org/open-letter-to-texas-house-member-garnet-coleman-medical-facts-about-lgbtq-lifestyle/
1.8.19 -- “Do Something
About Gender Identity Lies” -- From Donna Garner –EdViews.org -- http://www.educationviews.org/do-something-about-gender-identity-lies/
1.1.19 – “WATCH:
Feminist Promotes Abortion to Children” -- By Dr. Susan
Berry –-- http://www.educationviews.org/watch-feminist-promotes-abortion-to-children/
ARTICLES FROM 2018
12.12.18 -- “I’m a Pediatrician. Here’s What I Did When
a Little Boy Patient Said He Was a Girl.” – Michelle
Cretella, President
of American College of Pediatricians -- EdViews.org -- http://www.educationviews.org/action-step-what-a-pediatrician-did-when-a-little-boy-patient-said-he-was-a-girl/
12.8.18 -- “Don’t Just
Gripe. Do Something Against Gender Identity Taking Over
America” - By Donna Garner – EdViews.org -- http://www.educationviews.org/dont-just-gripe-do-something-against-gender-identity-taking-over-america/
10.16.18 –
“Pediatricians: ‘After 40 Years of Comprehensive Sex Ed
in Schools, Why Are STDs at Epidemic Levels?’” – by Dr.
Susan Berry – Breitbart --http://www.educationviews.org/pediatricians-after-40-yrs-of-comprehensive-sex-ed-in-schools-why-are-stds-at-epidemic-levels/
9.25.18 -- Cases More
Than Doubled Since 2013 of Mothers Passing Their
Syphilis on to Their New Babies” -- By Donna Garner –
EdViews.org --http://www.educationviews.org/cases-more-than-doubled-since-2013-of-mothers-passing-their-syphilis-on-to-their-news-babies-cdc/
8.28.18 -- “CDC: Steep,
Sustained Increases in STD’s in U. S.” -- From CDC –
EdViews.org -- http://www.educationviews.org/steep-sustained-increases-in-stds-in-u-s/
4.2.18 -- “Untreatable
Super Gonorrhea – Worst Ever – Resistant to Antibiotics
– Increasing Among LGBTQ” -- From Donna Garner --
Edviews.org --http://www.educationviews.org/untreatable-super-gonorrhea-worst-ever-resistant-to-antibiotics-increasing-among-lgbtq/
1.22.18 -- "The Killing Fields of America" -- by Donna
Garner – EdViews.org --http://www.educationviews.org/the-killing-fields-of-america-2/
ARTICLES FROM 2017
12.11.17 – “I’m a Pediatrician. Here’s What I Did When a
Little Boy Patient Said He Was a Girl.” -- By Michelle
Cretella, President of American College of
Pediatricians – EdViews.org -- http://www.educationviews.org/action-step-what-a-pediatrician-did-when-a-little-boy-patient-said-he-was-a-girl/
3.9.17 -- “Failed Obama
Contraceptive Programs Made Things Worse” – From Family
Research Council – EdViews.org – http://www.educationviews.org/failed-obama-contraceptive-programs-worse/
ARTICLES FROM 2016
10.25.16 – “The
startling rise in oral cancer in men, and what it says
about our changing sexual habits” -- By Ariana
Eunjung Cha –
Washington Post --https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2016/10/25/the-startling-rise-in-oral-cancer-in-men-and-what-it-says-about-our-changing-sexual-habits/?tid=hybrid_experimentrandom_1_na&utm_term=.3e4ba9eab651
10.24.16 -- “STD’s at
Unprecedented Highs Among Men Who Have Sex with Men” --
From Donna Garner – EdViews.org -- http://www.educationviews.org/stds-unprecedented-highs-men-sex-men/
ARTICLE FROM 2012
10.3.12 --
“Adults Must Protect Our Country’s Children” -- by Donna
Garner – EdViews.org -- http://educationviews.org/adults-must-protect-our-countrys-children/
Donna Garner Wgarner1@hot.rr.com
“Texas Parents To See Their Child’s STAAR Test Questions
and Answers -- Latest Comments from Ed. Comm. Morath to
SBOE”
By
Donna Garner
6.12.19
http://www.educationviews.org/tex-parents-to-see-their-childs-staar-test-questions-and-answers/
[COMMENTS FROM DONNA GARNER -- Texas parents (and
teachers) can now log into a parent-access portal, view
their children’s STAAR test questions and their answers,
read the rationale behind each STAAR test question, see
the TEKS element(s) to which each question is tied, and
see summer learning resources that will help their
children gain stronger knowledge and skills to help plug
any learning gaps that may exist.
Teachers can also see the tests of students they had in
their classes and can build teaching units for the
upcoming school year that focus on weak academic areas.
Texas Commissioner Morath and the Texas Education Agency
are working very hard to individualize learning, and
this portal gives opportunities over the summer to
engage students for a few minutes each day in
worth-while learning activities.
For the first time ever, the entire portal is accessible
fully in Spanish at the click of a button.
Please go to this TEA
link to learn how to enter the portal:https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/TXTEA/bulletins/24a6ee1
LATEST NEWS FROM COMM. MORATH – TODAY’S TEXAS STATE
BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING
I
just listened to Tex. Comm. of Education Mike Morath’s
remarks before the Texas State Board of Education. Among
many significant changes that the newly signed Tex. HB 3
will make to Texas education is that in
the coming three years, the STAAR tests will transition
into including ELAR/TEKS writing elements on the STAAR
tests for Grades 3 through 8. Previously only Grades 4
and 7 were tested over the writing elements. (ELAR
-- English / Language Arts / Reading) (TEKS -- Texas
curriculum standards)
The
new ELAR/TEKS for Grades K – 8 are to be implemented
this coming fall into all ISD and charter schools with
implementation for Grades 9 – 12 set for the fall of
2020.
EXCITING CHANGES COMING FROM HB 3
Comm. Morath said Tex. HB 3 contains very exciting
changes to Texas education, one
of which is that the bill requires teachers to use
systematic, direct instruction of phonics in K - 3.
The bill also requires all teachers and principals in K
– 3 to attend a teacher literacy achievement academy
where they will be instructed in the scientific study of
reading [i.e., phonemic awareness/decoding
skills/phonics].
All
applicants who get their teaching certificates for Pre-K
through Grade 6 after Jan. 1, 2021 must demonstrate
mastery on a certification exam (any class of
certificate) of the scientific study of reading.
Over the next three years, all Pre-K through Grade 6
teachers and principals will be required to attend the
reading academies with the first one launching on July
8, 2019. Comm. Morath said a goal has been set to train
40,000 attendees by the end of three years. This
extensive scientific reading training will occur
periodically throughout the school years and over the
summers.
ACT AND SAT CANNOT BE USED AS ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENTS
Comm. Morath also explained that because Texas has ELAR
curriculum standards that have integrated components,
the ACT and the SAT cannot be used as assessment
instruments to satisfy ESSA (the federal law that
replaced NCLB) since Texas’ ELAR/TEKS are not aligned
with the ACT/SAT.
WRITING TO BE ASSESSED GRADES 3 - 12
The
STAAR/End-of-Course tests are closely aligned with the
TEKS and, therefore, have been partially satisfying the
ESSA requirements. However, once Texas starts testing
the new ELAR/TEKS writing elements all the way from
Grades 3 through 12 on the STAAR/EOC tests, the mandates
of ESSA will be more closely met.]
“Truly Exciting News – Tex. HB 3 Requires K-3 Teachers
To Utilize Systematic, Direct Instruction of Phonics”
By Donna
Garner
http://www.educationviews.org/tex-hb-3-requires-k-3-teachers-to-teach-direct-systematic-phonics/
I wish to thank the Texas Legislators for doing what we
in the public have been begging them to do for years
which is to support systematic, direct instruction of
phonics. HB 3 actually
does more than we could ever have hoped.
Texas HB 3 not only
requires teachers to use systematic, direct instruction
of phonics in K - 3, but the bill also requires all
teachers and principals in K – 3 to attend a teacher
literacy achievement academy where they will be
instructed in the scientific study of reading [i.e.,
phonemic awareness/decoding skills/phonics]. All
applicants who get their teaching certificates for Pre-K
through Grade 6 after Jan. 1, 2021 must demonstrate
mastery on a certification exam (any class of
certificate) of the scientific study of reading.
Below are the specific words in HB 3. The Texas State
Board of Education has already adopted strong phonemic
awareness/decoding skills/phonics in their new English /
Language Arts / Reading curriculum standards (TEKS), and
the new ELAR standards are to be implemented in K-8 this
coming fall with 9-12 to follow in the fall of 2020.
Because all Pre-K through Grade 6 classroom teachers
(and all K-3 principals) will be instructed in the
correct way to teach students to read, we will see Texas
public school students make dramatic reading progress in
the years to come.
HB 3 working in conjunction with the new ELAR/TEKS is a
recipe for true success.
Gov. Greg Abbott has HB 3 on his desk, and we understand
that he is poised to sign it at any moment.
TEXAS
HB 3 – SENT TO GOV. ABBOTT FOR SIGNATURE – 5.29.19
Please
go to this link and click at the top of the page where
it says “Text.” Then
go to the enrolled version: https://capitol.texas.gov/BillLookup/Actions.aspx?LegSess=86R&Bill=HB3
PAGE 208 - SECTION 2.005. Section 21.048, Education
Code, is amended by adding Subsection (a-2) to read as
follows:
(a-2) The board shall adopt
rules that provide that in order to teach any grade
level from prekindergarten through grade six a person
must demonstrate proficiency in the science of teaching
reading on a certification examination for
each class of certificate issued by the board after
January 1, 2021.
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PAGES 218 – 219
SECTION 2.013. Subchapter A, Chapter 28, Education
Code, is amended by adding Section 28.0062 to read as
follows:
Sec. 28.0062. READING STANDARDS FOR KINDERGARTEN
THROUGH THIRD GRADE. (a) Each school district and
open-enrollment charter school shall:
(1) provide for the use of a phonics curriculum that
uses systematic direct instruction in kindergarten
through third grade to ensure all students obtain
necessary early literacy skills;
(2) ensure that:
(A) not later than the 2021-2022 school year, each
classroom teacher in kindergarten or first, second, or
third grade and each principal at a campus with
kindergarten or first, second, or third grade has
attended a teacher literacy achievement academy
developed under Section 21.4552; and
(B) each classroom teacher and each principal initially
employed in a grade level or at a campus described by
Paragraph (A) for the 2021-2022 school year or a
subsequent school year has attended a teacher literacy
achievement academy developed under Section 21.4552
before the teacher's or principal's first year of
placement in that grade level or campus; and
(3) certify to the agency that the district or school:
(A) prioritizes placement of highly effective teachers
in kindergarten through second grade; and
(B) has
integrated reading instruments used to diagnose reading
development and comprehension to support each student in
prekindergarten through third grade.
(b) The
agency shall provide assistance to school districts and
open-enrollment charter schools in complying with the
requirements under this section.
(c) The agency shall:
(1) monitor the implementation of this section; and
(2) periodically report to the legislature on the
implementation of this section and the effectiveness of
this section in improving educational outcomes.
(d) The commissioner shall establish an advisory board
to assist the agency in fulfilling the agency's duties
under this section. Chapter 2110, Government Code, does
not apply to the advisory board.
(e) The
commissioner may adopt rules to implement this section
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