BRENHAM SCHOOL BOARD APPROVES PURCHASE OF NEW SCIENCE CURRICULUM
Brenham ISD trustees became students again for a day, as they took part during their meeting today (Monday) in science experiments demonstrating how a new science curriculum will impact the way students learn.
and School Board President Natalie Lange smile as
they watch the reaction of a science experiment
demonstrating different states of matter. Trustees
sprayed hair spray into a jar of water and closed the
jar with an upside-down lid filled with ice. Upon
lifting the lid, water vapor began to escape from the
jar.
Prior to their unanimous vote in support of SAVVAS K-12 science curriculum, board members donned protective goggles and listened to Brenham ISD teachers explain what kind of lessons students might expect and how they align with new Texas Education Agency (TEA) requirements.
The first experiment showed how water exists in different states of matter, as board members sprayed hair spray into a jar of water and closed it with an upside-down lid holding several small cubes of ice. After waiting a few moments, they lifted the lid and saw water vapor start to rise out of the jar. The second experiment had trustees using shaving cream to draw the different shapes that clouds can take.
Secondary Curriculum Coordinator Amanda Dismukes stressed the importance of students not just reading during lessons, but engaging in them, and said this curriculum will help to achieve that.
science experiment showing how water can exist as
a solid, liquid and gas.
The need for new curriculum comes about after the State Board of Education in 2021 approved new science Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) standards for grades K-12, with major changes to the junior high grade levels. The new TEKS standards, which take effect in the upcoming school year, emphasize phenomena-based learning, scientific and engineering practices, and recurring themes and concepts.
Executive Director of Leading and Learning Sara Borchgardt said all of Brenham ISD’s science teachers were involved in the procurement of new curriculum, and SAVVAS was unanimously ranked out of three companies as the teachers’ top choice.
Archer draw clouds using shaving cream as part of a
science experiment.
The district is adopting SAVVAS for the next 8 years at a total cost of $492,324, divided into two payments from the instructional materials and technology allotment provided by the state. Borchgardt said the district is coming in “right where we should” in terms of cost.
Trustees Bonnie Brinkmeyer and Tommie Sullivan said it is great that teachers are all behind the new curriculum. Brinkmeyer added that students should enjoy the lessons and will be more apt to take their new knowledge home with them.
Also at today’s meeting, the board received presentations on preliminary taxable value numbers and delinquent tax collections. Chief Financial Officer Darrell St. Clair said Washington County’s preliminary net taxable value is just over $5 billion, with freeze-adjusted value sitting at $4.3 billion. Preliminary value for the land in Austin County that sits within Brenham ISD comes out to almost $24 million. Certified values will be released in July.
Sounds like a pretty large sum of money, especially since BISD is already millions of dollars in debt. My science teachers did the same experiments and we all enjoyed gathering around while she demonstrated them. However, the teacher took the initiative on her own, and it did not cost almost half a million dollars !
I thought at first they were making the board wear safety glasses..LOL
SAVVAS, bringing Equity & Inclusion in Learning to Brenham. People should read through this section, not using the link provided, but from the main company’s website. Found after a 5 minute google search. How are these programs vetted? Who is vetting them?
You don’t understand what you are criticizing. “Equity and Inclusion” are not bad things. That simply means there are a variety of lessons and materials that are appropriate for different levels of students to ensure that those that are ‘behind’ are not left further behind. As stated in the article, had you read it, you would have found that the entire science department of teachers in BISD was part of the process to vet this curriculum, with the school board making a final decision.
Turn off the Newsmax and stop listening to Abbott.
The presentation explained who and how it was vetted. I think you need to give it another listen. Also the link is correct because Texas can only use Texas curriculum not national stuff which I’m assuming is what you’re referring to. Heaven forbid we be inclusive of all people.
“Also at today’s meeting, the board received presentations on preliminary taxable value numbers and delinquent tax collections.”
It seems as though plenty of value numbers were thrown about, but nothing was made mention about the delinquent taxes and 1) how much that amount might be, as well as 2) what’s going to be done about collecting them. Isn’t that what tax sales are for? If people have delinquent taxes, schedule a sale for their property in order for those taxes to be recouped and I guarantee you they will pay up, with penalties and interest, just due to the high value of property in the county. If they don’t, then no big deal– delinquent taxes are taken care of and the issue doesn’t need to come up anymore.
It’s also good to know that this new, cheap, science curriculum will be the answer to everyone’s prayers and that it will guarantee that 100% of the kids taking the end of course or STAAR test or whatever they’re currently calling it in science will achieve exemplary results and we won’t have any more of those darned failures or low scores. It’s a wonder that BISD’s own science teachers can’t come up with something like this from their own years of teaching experience or professional knowledge. I cannot imagine that Gail Crawford, who taught chemistry when I was in high school, would have ever gone along with it.
Wow, they take people’s property away by tax sales while replacing artificial turf in the stadium, fancy athletic buildings, etc. Your complete lack of compasion for taking people’s homes away from them is concerning. “No big deal”?
Several years back, there was a home in Oak Hill Acres that was owned by a local attorney and he was a little over $40,000 in arrears in property taxes. The WCAD had fooled around with him for a number of years and I think, he finally paid up. For a lawyer to be that far behind on a home is unconscionable in my estimation. While you claim that property taxes are theft, it’s the law of Texas and, because of the 2019 constitutional amendment that prohibited a state income tax from ever becoming a possibility, property taxes are what we are stuck with to generate revenue for schools and infrastructure and things like that. A 2% income tax would have, according to many think tanks, alleviated much of the problems over school funding and would have alleviated many of the burdens placed upon property owners. There was a house on West Jefferson Street which was taxed at about $1,000 per year, and there were 9 “immigrants” or “migrants” living in it. If each of those persons made $20,000 a year and they were taxed at 2%, the income tax brought in would have been $3,600 instead of the $1,000 from property taxes. If they were making more than $20,000 each, then the difference would have been even greater. No use to cry about that, because the property valuations will continue to be “adjusted” to generate whatever revenue the school district and the rest of the entities need. There are few revenue sources for schools and entities, and if income taxes are taken off the table and increased sales taxes are frowned upon and unwanted, then the only thing left is property tax. You pay sales tax when you check out at a business and you pay fuel taxes when you fill up at the pump; if you own property you need to pay your property taxes so that funding that has been allotted can be provided.
The standards have changed since Gail taught chemistry. Science is now more hands on than it ever has been. The curriculum was written by experts in science and education. Do you have a doctorate in either of those things? If so I’m sure BISD would love to hire you to come teach our science teachers.