Lumberton ISD (Texas) Students Told to Wear Muslim Burqas in CSCOPE High School Lesson

Wow, I don’t even know what to say. I just read a news story by John Griffing on WND.com about my very own Hometown High School in Lumberton, TX (Lumberton ISD) making students wear Muslim Burqas as part of a history class this past week. (Picture displayed is from a Lumberton student taken when they had to wear Burqas in class.)

 

Update: After Muslim Burqa Lesson, Student Pulled From Lumberton School - minor students cried today after being forced to sign incident report about what happened without parent notified or allowed to be at the meeting, parents furious - the school says this lesson seems to be a Lumberton lesson and not CSCOPE lesson, but CSCOPE Experts say it was CSCOPE influenced - Senator Dan Patrick Investigating

read more updates here:

http://www.texasgopvote.com/issues/reclaim-education/update-after-muslim-burqa-lesson-student-pulled-lumberton-school-not-cscope-005175

 

Earlier this Month (February 2013), BEFORE this Burqa lesson was ever taught, I first learned that Lumberton ISD uses CSCOPE and wrote this article: Lumberton ISD uses Liberal CSCOPE that teaches Allah is God and Boston Tea Party was Terrorism like 9/11.

Right after I wrote that article, I went to the Lumberton School Board meeting and spoke to the School Board at the beginning of the meeting. I explained to the school board the problems with CSCOPE and asked them, at least, to have a hearing about CSCOPE and whether or not it should still be used at Lumberton ISD. The school board members did seem concerned and asked the Superintendent questions about CSCOPE. The Superintendent, John Valastro, assured the Board that the CSCOPE program was not used very much and they had not run into any issues with bad lessons getting taught by teacher.

Not even a month after I was assured at the LISD School Board meeting that there were no CSCOPE lesson problems at Lumberton ISD, I get emailed this article from WND with a picture of Lumberton ISD students in Burqas with quotes from students saying they were even told by the teacher that “we are going to change your perception about Islam” and the teacher in the Burqa lesson, according to a student, also said, “I do not necessarily agree with this, but I am supposed to teach you that we are not to call these people terrorists anymore, but freedom fighters.” The lesson teaches that Burqas are just an alternative dress style that Muslims wear. when in reality, women in Muslim countries are oppressed and FORCED to wear these Burqas or face even possibly death. At the end of class, the students were assigned to write a paper about Egypt. According to one student, they were instructed to discuss “how Egypt was a good country until democracy took over, and that things were finally corrected when the Muslim brotherhood came into power.”

I believe Mr. Valastro and do not think he or the School Board deceived me. I do think they are probably being deceived though. I do believe there have been bad lessons that have not been brought to his attention, and I believe some teachers use, and are even forced to use, CSCOPE lessons on a regular basis instead of just minimally. That is the problem with CSCOPE though. There is no transparency! Everything is online and there are thousands of lessons that teachers can pick to use without even having to get it approved. Some of these lessons ARE bad lessons. Even the Superintendent and the school board did not know about what was going on with CSCOPE at LISD. Hopefully, now that this Burqa incident has happened and will be on the news all across America, there will be some action taken regarding CSCOPE being taught at Lumberton ISD. Yes there are legislative fixes that should be coming this year, but until then, Lumberton ISD should really consider having a hearing or something to discuss CSCOPE being used at LISD and whether or not it should even be used anymore until the problems get fixed.

Also read these related articles from the last couple of years:

Lumberton Teacher Chastises 6th Grade Students for Watching Fox News Instead of CNN

Sexually Obscene Play shown Lumberton ISD

Issues: 

Comments

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So, can students now say that "Jesus Christ is Lord" and there is no other?Politically correct stuff has to stop!!!!!  PARENTS TAKE A STAND against the government's push to allow Islam to dictate to us! Texas school staff's must say NO!    I follow Christ but respect that there are other religions in schools. My preference would be to allow prayer and the pledge of allegiance. 

please do more research regarding this story, and not rely on WND as your source of news.  From the Lumberton ISD website:http://www.lumberton.k12.tx.us/education/components/whatsnew/default.php...


Lumberton ISD Response to CSCOPE & Promotion of IslamMonday, February 25th, 2013

Lumberton ISD Response to CSCOPE and Promotion of Islam

Recently a picture had surfaced showing five students dressed in burqa's (Islamic attire) in a World Geography classroom at Lumberton High School. The lesson that was offered was not a written CSCOPE lesson; however it informed students to the customary culture of the people in the Middle East. The lesson that occurred was presented on February 1, 2013. As part of the curriculum from the World Geography TEKS (as prescribed by the state of Texas), the students are to study the culture (TEKS number 17):

"Culture. The student understands the distribution, patterns, and characteristics of different cultures." The student is expected to:

(A)  describe and compare patterns of culture such as language, religion, land use, education, and customs that make specific regions of the world distinctive;

(B)  describe major world religions, including animism, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, and Sikhism, and their spatial distribution;

(C)  compare economic, political, or social opportunities in different cultures for women, ethnic and religious minorities, and other underrepresented populations; and

(D)  evaluate the experiences and contributions of diverse groups to multicultural societies."

The lesson that was offered focused on exposing students to world cultures, religions, customs, and belief systems. A description on the whiteboard behind the students show the splits in religions: Islam (Sunni and Shia), Judaism (Reform, Conservatives, and Orthodox), and Christianity (Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant). Clothing expresses the individual culture. The lesson is not teaching a specific religion, and the students volunteered to wear the clothing.

The portrait focused only on Middle Eastern attire and the students are wearing variations of this customary attire found in the Middle Eastern culture. This portrait does not reflect the entire aspect of the lesson. The lesson encompassed diversity education so students receive a firm understanding of our world and why people are motivated differently.

Lumberton ISD has purchased the CSCOPE curriculum however; the teachers are not required to teach the lessons that are provided. The school district follows the Year at a Glance, a scope and sequence of the adopted Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills, as well as the Instructional Focus Document which explains the Rationale, Common Misconceptions for students, TEKS, and the Key Academic Vocabulary that supports conceptual development. The district has great teachers and supports the teachers and their individuality in methods of instructional delivery.

If you are trying to "re-write" a wrong by posting this story, get the facts straight. Instead, you have contributed to more deception and falsity.
Donning a burqa I believe is a great way to relate to a culture and lifestyle that women in America are free from. I have been to a mosque. I covered my arms to the wrist, my head, my legs. Americans say we are all equal- until something outside our sheltered "culture" penetrates and disrupts what we thought were universal norms. This very process demonstrates that equality doesn't insure homogenization (uniform), but ensures, protects, and supports diversity.

I want to tell that high school student, thank you. You volunteered to put yourself in someone else's shoes. If you are ashamed or embarrassed it is b/c of prejudice, racism, fear, lies. If those are your goals, then yes be ashamed. Otherwise, praise Allah, God, or your chosen life course, that you have OPTIONS and CHOICES in the United States.

Hello,I recieved a response from Mr. Valastro. Here it is:
The teacher was going over terminology: What is a terrorist, revolutionary, jihadist, radical Islam, patriot, freedom fighter, etc. To the US anyone who attacks us on our sovereign soil is a “terrorist”, in their native country and inner circle they are called freedom fighter. Is that wrong?

When I received this "clarification" from him I was astonished. This man clearly is well a little too liberal for my taste. The parents of this school district need to get on this and fast. I only hope more children TELL THEIR PARENTS! We pay these people's salaries with our tax money. Vote them out.
Respectfully yours,
Dawn

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