It Seems That CSCOPE is the Root of All Evil (Part 4 of 4)

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Note: CSCOPEis a vertically aligned scope and sequence used by hundreds of schooldistricts.
Today, we conclude ourexamination of the illogical critiques of CSCOPE.  This doesn’t mean that I believe that CSCOPE is abovereproach. Far from the case.  It isa useful product that can and should be subject to revision and improvements.But that is a conversation that is best addressed by rational parties andprofessional educators.
Anti-CSCOPE Argument Number 10: Some of the lessons in CSCOPE are bad, so obviously CSCOPE,as a whole, is bad.
Response: This argument holdslittle weight.  Yes, the lessonsavailable in CSCOPE vary in quality. So do lessons created by individual teachers. It’s a fact ofinstructional life. However, there is a solution to this and CSCOPE implementsthis.  CSCOPE reviews lessonsconstantly and culls weaker lessons (identified by both users and CSCOPE staff)on a regular basis. And CSCOPE itself advises teachers to modify or replace anylessons that do not meet the needs of a teacher’s class.  I have yet to find the perfectinstructional resource.  All I needis a good to above average resource that teachers can leverage to improve theday-to-day quality of delivered instruction.  Implemented correctly, CSCOPE is such a resource.  
Anti-CSCOPE Argument Number 11: Wade LaBay (Director of the CSCOPE project) is an evilgenius / incompetent bureaucrat who has hood winked an entire state.
Response: This one is easy. Dr. Labayis a brilliant, hard-working public educator who has dedicated himself to supportingteachers and students.  His parentswere teachers, his in-laws were teachers and his wife a teacher. Under his leadership, where less than six years ago there wasnothing available, Texas teachers now have on-demand access to TEKS alignedinstructional resources. And considering the scale of the project, developmentcosts have been negligible.  Theproblem facing Dr. Labay and his team is that they made the mistake ofbelieving that if you do the right thing for the right reason, the idiots inthe world will appreciate it. What they are learning is that the World doesn’t really want a better mouse trap, the World just wants to be left alone.  For being so smart, how could they be so naive?    
Anti-CSCOPE Argument Number...   And thelist keeps going on and get crazier as it does so. For example, "Have you heard that CSCOPE is a Marxist indoctrination plot?" I wish I were making this up.  At this point, I hope I have given you something to reflecton and ammunition if you are called on to defend your decision to provideteachers with the most critical of all instructional tools (a common scope andsequence) for ensuring sustained student performance improvement and teachersuccess.
Think. Work. Achieve.Your turn...

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