HISD - State of Texas to Takeover School District

[ButtFumble 5,159]

10 minutes ago, MaybeACoordinator said:

My dad went to pre-integration Lamar back when West U kids like him were "the apartment kids" compared to the River Oaks set. That divide still shows up at reunions, 50-plus years later, so he no longer attends them...My daughter is there now and likes the school overall but says the new building was designed by idiots. It is semi-open plan, and she says she is distracted by the goings-on in three or four other classes while trying to focus on what's happening in hers. So, she said, she wants to transfer to Bellaire. I kinda think this was a ploy that had more to do with her social life than academics, though, and she has shut down her campaign to transfer now and seems happy enough. (She lives with her mom and is zone for Westbury. Which is not an option and is a prime example of a lot of things this thread is about: a failing and terrifying school with a formerly Confederate mascot.)

I broke the string of people in my family to graduate from HISD. I went to Strake in the Oil Bust 1980s, back when, like Rice, it was a bargain. Also like Rice, Strake is no longer a bargain, so my son went to Bellaire. Frankly, that was also because my son was a disinterested student and a raging agnostic who would have argued with the priests over every last little thing, and I am a Surly Poor, but my well-to-do, devout Catholic father-in-law was telling me that if his high-achieving Strake grad son was my son's age, he would have thought long and hard about sending his son to HISD and saving that money for his college. 

And no, he wasn't telling me that to make me feel better. Strake really is that expensive now, and if your kid is driven, they can do just as well at Lamar or Bellaire as they could at any private aside from maybe St. John's.)  

doesn't Strake make enough money off of spring fling to lower the tuition.....or is that just a reason for all the beer and alcohol distributors to get big tax right offs....I was like 14 and 15 running around there winning cases of beer and collector bottles of alcohol that they would let you walk off with as a kid

and I think Rice is still a bargain because of the financial aid they offer......most of their students (like a lot of expensive private schools including ultra expensive SMU) are not paying rack rate and those that are paying rack rate can most likely afford it and are subsidizing the tuition of a lot of other students

true the advertised tuition is nowhere near as low as it was in the past though, but I would imagine the financial aid is better overall than it was in the past for many

[MaybeACoordinator 8,349]

Just now, ButtFumble said:

doesn't Strake make enough money off of spring fling to lower the tuition.....or is that just a reason for all the beer and alcohol distributors to get big tax right offs....I was like 14 and 15 running around there winning cases of beer and collector bottles of alcohol that they would let you walk off with as a kid

and I think Rice is still a bargain because of the financial aid they offer......most of their students (like a lot of expensive private schools including ultra expensive SMU) are not paying rack rate and those that are paying rack rate can most likely afford it and are subsidizing the tuition of a lot of other students

true the advertised tuition is nowhere near as low as it was in the past though, but I would imagine the financial aid is better overall than it was in the past for many

Maybe Strake is cheaper than other comparable schools thanks to that one day it gets to be a casino, but it is still a lot more than it was in the '80s. They've been on a building/art-buying spree and have also expanded the footprint of the campus back to close to what it was before they had to sell of a few chunks to pay for some greedy priests getting caught up in the Sharpstown scandal in the '70s. 

Also, looks like football is a focus these days as well. This year's team, with a 9-2 record, might be the best in school history, even if they are gonna worked today by Beaumont West Brook. (Who they played non-conference this year. And lost to ~60-20.)

It just seems like a richer school now, with the average student being a laxbro today. Guys in my class started the lacrosse program there in about 1987 and it barely made club status by the time I graduated the following year.

My perception of it is skewed though, as at that time, even most of the rich kids were poor. Those years were the worst economically in the history of Houston aside from the Civil War, and at Strake, the crunch was compounded by the Sharpstown scandal fallout.  

As for Rice, I've heard all that too, but it is still a radical departure from its roots as a debt-free institution with absolutely free tuition to all who qualified. 

[ButtFumble 5,159]

Just now, MaybeACoordinator said:

Maybe Strake is cheaper than other comparable schools thanks to that one day it gets to be a casino, but it is still a lot more than it was in the '80s. They've been on a building/art-buying spree and have also expanded the footprint of the campus back to close to what it was before they had to sell of a few chunks to pay for some greedy priests getting caught up in the Sharpstown scandal in the '70s. 

Also, looks like football is a focus these days as well. This year's team, with a 9-2 record, might be the best in school history, even if they are gonna worked today by Beaumont West Brook. (Who they played non-conference this year. And lost to ~60-20.)

It just seems like a richer school now, with the average student being a laxbro today. Guys in my class started the lacrosse program there in about 1987 and it barely made club status by the time I graduated the following year.

My perception of it is skewed though, as at that time, even most of the rich kids were poor. Those years were the worst economically in the history of Houston aside from the Civil War, and at Strake, the crunch was compounded by the Sharpstown scandal fallout.  

As for Rice, I've heard all that too, but it is still a radical departure from its roots as a debt-free institution with absolutely free tuition to all who qualified. 

I was joking about spring fling for the most part I don't know how much they make off of it, but shit I know the booze flows fast and cheap

I don't think it was the Sharpstown scandal what I was always told is a priest sold off the land at the front of campus where the shopping center is now, stole the cash and fled the country.....I don't think it had anything to do with Sharpstown

and as for Rice you really can't do the free tuition for all that qualify thing today because of what your enrollment demographics would be....but they probably did not start out charging tuition originally for that reason and I think over time they have actually come back around to being somewhat more affordable for most students vs 15 years or so ago

[Nice Guy Eddie 13,417]

2 hours ago, TwiceHorn said:

Apparently, if any one school receives a failing grade for more than four or five (reports vary) consecutive years, the district is subject to board replacement/takeover by the TEA.  In this case, it is Wheatley.

That's bad logic. Yes, something should definitely be done when a school(s) is failing but if a district is overall doing well (ok?) then why potentially causes problems for the majority of the schools as well. It also makes some assumption that the state can somehow do better but is there any evidence that they can take over the largest school district in the state and succeed?

Oh well, except for the fact that I give HISD too much money each year, it doesn't really affect me directly.

Edited November 23, 2019 by Nice Guy Eddie

[Liquor and Poker 3,659]

15 hours ago, Poolflood said:

You took your kids out of private because you were convinced HISD was superior?   And you follow that up by pointing out the great urban schools of Bellaire,  west u and river oaks?

Point made Dr. Lathan.

 

Look, man.  I never said I pulled my kids out of private to go to any possible HISD school.  Stop moving the goalposts.  The point was asserted that no one willingly sends their kids to HISD, and that’s just wrong. 

 I lived in DISD.  My kids were zoned to Zaragosa Elementary and then Lipscomb Elementary.  Shitholes, and DISD magnet like Travis is a really hard deal to get in.  So to private they went.  
 

Their private school ended at 4th grade, so we moved to an RISD elementary school which was supposedly highly-rated.  It's in a decently affluent area, but feeds into Forest Meadow JH, which is terrible and shows no sign of change.  And there you are geographically locked in unless you can luck into the fairly limited magnet program. 
Now if I wanted I could have moved out to JJ Pearce, but at that point I am not in Dallas anymore. So back to private they went. 
 

Then we moved to Houston.  The key difference is that in HISD you aren’t really geographically locked in. You can go into a lottery for each level (elementary, JH and HS), and you get up to 10 choices. so, for example, Bellaire has 3 programs, Lamar has 7 or 8. Add in HSPVA, Carnegie, or DeBakey.  All separate lotteries. Chances are therefore well over 75% your child will “win” one of his or her 10.  So no reason to go to a place like Wheatley or Welch if you try.  

[TwiceHorn 31,309]

11 minutes ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

That's bad logic. Yes, something should definitely be done when a school(s) is failing but if a district is overall doing well (ok?) then why potentially causes problems for the majority of the schools as well. It also makes some assumption that the state can somehow do better but is there any evidence that they can take over the largest school district in the state and succeed?

Oh well, except for the fact that I give HISD too much money each year, it doesn't really affect me directly.

I assume the logic is to avoid a district ignoring one or two challenging schools.  They certainly get an opportunity to remedy the situation.

[deter 313]

TEA is not special. Know one of their own, poor elementary principal in a class 2A district advanced to superintendent of a smaller district then on to be a TEA monitor.  TEA took over Marlin ISD and one of the board managers they appointed was forced to resign because he was a felon.

[Johnny Sack 8,397]

Very few neighborhoods in HISD where you can buy and your kids have good schools from k to 12.  Maybe Meyerland.  Them Jews are sharp.  

[Liquor and Poker 3,659]

9 minutes ago, Johnny Sack said:

Very few neighborhoods in HISD where you can buy and your kids have good schools from k to 12.  Maybe Meyerland.  Them Jews are sharp.  

But like I said, under the choice program this is less of an issue Than in some places.  You can select three to ten higher performing schools each level and your chances are really good.  

[tx 3 putt 76,422]

I have several Lamar and Bellaire friends, they seemed to have turned out great. All their kids are hisd, on track to this same HS’s 

Edited November 23, 2019 by tx 3 putt

[Nolacycling 893]

3 hours ago, Johnny Sack said:

West U elementary.  It’s a dump right now.  

Sack, I  find that a little hard to believe. I know you to be a bit of a curmudgeon on this board and wonder. I lived in West U in yet another chapter of my life, our kids went to Roberts because they started there and it was awesome with so many Med Center kids.

I'm sure you have plenty of toe-heads applying to "your private school". Those parents can send their kids anywhere, but West U parents are by no way, shape or form letting their free school go to hell.  

Although it is interesting how WU moms will not get behind Pershing which also is in their backyard, but opt for Lanier or private. 

 

Edited November 23, 2019 by Nolacycling

[crimsonlonghorn 2,306]

You mean the district that elected Jolanda Jones as a trustee is struggling? No district is safe if that's the case. 

[UDontKnow 10,439]

39 minutes ago, Johnny Sack said:

Very few neighborhoods in HISD where you can buy and your kids have good schools from k to 12.  Maybe Meyerland.  Them Jews are sharp.  

Except Meyerland is the first to flood and somehow Bellaire High School survives being so close to Meyerland.

[MaybeACoordinator 8,349]

1 hour ago, Johnny Sack said:

Very few neighborhoods in HISD where you can buy and your kids have good schools from k to 12.  Maybe Meyerland.  Them Jews are sharp.  

1. There are tons of neighborhoods with good schools K-12. Pretty much every neighborhood that feeds into Lamar and Bellaire.

2. Bellaire's not really Hebrew High anymore. Emery-Wiener changed that, but BHS has replaced the Jews with Asians as curvewreckers.

1 hour ago, Nolacycling said:

Sack, I  find that a little hard to believe. I know you to be a bit of a curmudgeon on this board and wonder. I lived in West U in yet another chapter of my life, our kids went to Roberts because they started there and it was awesome with so many Med Center kids.

I'm sure you have plenty of toe-heads applying to "your private school". Those parents can send their kids anywhere, but West U parents are by no way, shape or form letting their free school go to hell.  

Although it is interesting how WU moms will not get behind Pershing which also is in their backyard, but opt for Lanier or private. 

 

My son went to Pershing and played West U Little League. One of his teammates, who went to AOS or some shit, asked him if there were metal detectors at the doors of Pershing, like his mom had told him. My son knew that was bullshit but told that kid yeah, there were. And then he started telling them all kinds of lies about his "hood school," like "The Crips run the halls at my school, fool," and crap like that. He loved fucking with people then and still does.

45 minutes ago, crimsonlonghorn said:

You mean the district that elected Jolanda Jones as a trustee is struggling? No district is safe if that's the case. 

Don't get me started on that attention whore. But she's gone now and not because of the state takeover. Still and all I think she had more to do with why this has happened than any other one person. 

[Johnny Sack 8,397]

5 hours ago, MaybeACoordinator said:

1. There are tons of neighborhoods with good schools K-12. Pretty much every neighborhood that feeds into Lamar and Bellaire.

2. Bellaire's not really Hebrew High anymore. Emery-Wiener changed that, but BHS has replaced the Jews with Asians as curvewreckers.

My son went to Pershing and played West U Little League. One of his teammates, who went to AOS or some shit, asked him if there were metal detectors at the doors of Pershing, like his mom had told him. My son knew that was bullshit but told that kid yeah, there were. And then he started telling them all kinds of lies about his "hood school," like "The Crips run the halls at my school, fool," and crap like that. He loved fucking with people then and still does.

Don't get me started on that attention whore. But she's gone now and not because of the state takeover. Still and all I think she had more to do with why this has happened than any other one person. 

My neighborhood feeds into Lamar.  The elementary school sucks. My nephew and niece go to Pershing.   I think it sucks.

My BiL and SIL don’t think much of Pershing either.  And they are hardly snobs.  They are gung ho Twain supporters (where all their kids went and their youngest still goes).  Twain is an excellent school.  

I don’t know many homes where you can buy and feel good about HISD k-12

[Johnny Sack 8,397]

6 hours ago, Nolacycling said:

Sack, I  find that a little hard to believe. I know you to be a bit of a curmudgeon on this board and wonder. I lived in West U in yet another chapter of my life, our kids went to Roberts because they started there and it was awesome with so many Med Center kids.

I'm sure you have plenty of toe-heads applying to "your private school". Those parents can send their kids anywhere, but West U parents are by no way, shape or form letting their free school go to hell.  

Although it is interesting how WU moms will not get behind Pershing which also is in their backyard, but opt for Lanier or private. 

 

I’m telling you I have a lot of friends who have kids at West U.  And many are looking to eject.  

And I know for a fact we have had a ton more West U addresses applying for kindergarten than normal.  The facilities there have gone down hill and there is worry about HISD getting taken over.  

[Nolacycling 893]

I hear you and I believe it. The talk I mean. West U neighborhood is insufferable for never having it good enough for their poor downtrodden little darlings. 

I'm sure their school building is a dump compared to what Episcopal is building, but they already know they're bailing when middle school rolls around and they're saving their $ for that.   

The real story is none of them are shit if they didn't go to Pooh Corner. lol

Edited November 24, 2019 by Nolacycling

[RiceOwl 74]

From my time at Rice and meeting people in/around Houston, the only high school that seemed to produce students head and shoulders above the others (on average) was St. John’s. From what I could tell-it seemed tough to go to St John’s and go to a school “worse” than UT. I once asked my buddy how many people in his class at SJS went to A&M, and he said one.

But, if you’re talking Bellaire, Lamar, Strake, Kinkaid, etc... Smart kids from all of them, and I’m sure plenty of idiots too.  

[gsoda3 3,237]

9 hours ago, Johnny Sack said:

Very few neighborhoods in HISD where you can buy and your kids have good schools from k to 12.  Maybe Meyerland.  Them Jews are sharp.  

depends which side of braeswood you live on i think.

9 hours ago, UDontKnow said:

Except Meyerland is the first to flood and somehow Bellaire High School survives being so close to Meyerland.

yeah i'm surprised the past 10 years hasn't completely rearranged the demographics of bellaire.  we have a lot of family in that area.  there's a real stiff upper-lip attitude in those neighborhoods. 

[Johnny Sack 8,397]

6 hours ago, RiceOwl said:

From my time at Rice and meeting people in/around Houston, the only high school that seemed to produce students head and shoulders above the others (on average) was St. John’s. From what I could tell-it seemed tough to go to St John’s and go to a school “worse” than UT. I once asked my buddy how many people in his class at SJS went to A&M, and he said one.

But, if you’re talking Bellaire, Lamar, Strake, Kinkaid, etc... Smart kids from all of them, and I’m sure plenty of idiots too.  

Kinkaid is getting close to elite these days. It’s prettty clearly #2 behind St Johns

[Poolflood 845]

18 hours ago, Liquor and Poker said:

Look, man.  I never said I pulled my kids out of private to go to any possible HISD school.  Stop moving the goalposts.  The point was asserted that no one willingly sends their kids to HISD, and that’s just wrong. 

 I lived in DISD.  My kids were zoned to Zaragosa Elementary and then Lipscomb Elementary.  Shitholes, and DISD magnet like Travis is a really hard deal to get in.  So to private they went.  
 

Their private school ended at 4th grade, so we moved to an RISD elementary school which was supposedly highly-rated.  It's in a decently affluent area, but feeds into Forest Meadow JH, which is terrible and shows no sign of change.  And there you are geographically locked in unless you can luck into the fairly limited magnet program. 
Now if I wanted I could have moved out to JJ Pearce, but at that point I am not in Dallas anymore. So back to private they went. 
 

Then we moved to Houston.  The key difference is that in HISD you aren’t really geographically locked in. You can go into a lottery for each level (elementary, JH and HS), and you get up to 10 choices. so, for example, Bellaire has 3 programs, Lamar has 7 or 8. Add in HSPVA, Carnegie, or DeBakey.  All separate lotteries. Chances are therefore well over 75% your child will “win” one of his or her 10.  So no reason to go to a place like Wheatley or Welch if you try.  

Um no.  I didn't move the goalposts.  You specifically said you sent your kids to HISD and mentioned some very affluent neighborhood schools in support.  I went through "HISD".  Poe, Pershing and Lamar (IB).  Very different than Wheatley or even Davis.   

Additionally it's hard to move goalposts in a first post.

 

[Liquor and Poker 3,659]

6 hours ago, Poolflood said:

Um no.  I didn't move the goalposts.  You specifically said you sent your kids to HISD and mentioned some very affluent neighborhood schools in support.  I went through "HISD".  Poe, Pershing and Lamar (IB).  Very different than Wheatley or even Davis.   

Additionally it's hard to move goalposts in a first post.

 

Yes you  did, because you quoted and responded to my post, which was responding to a post that said unlike AISD no one willingly sends their kids to HISD.  And I was saying that is untrue, as I moved my kids out of private in Dallas to HISD.  
 

That was the only point I was making. Your response implied that I was saying something like “all HISD schools are great” and cherry-picking my list to back it up.  
 

So to be clear, all HISD schools are not great.  Some are travesties.  Some are great, though, iIncluding the ones I named. And, yes, the better schools generally are in better neighborhoods. Shocking.  But, as I have now said 3 times, unlike DISD and RISD,  HISD’s choice program dramatically increases your chances of attending a good school you are not zoned into.  
 

FWIW, I went to Lamar as well, but long enough ago that it’s not really relevant.  Yet, even then, when the world was new, schools in good neighborhoods tended to outperform those in bad ones. 

[Poolflood 845]

1 hour ago, Liquor and Poker said:

Yes you  did, because you quoted and responded to my post, which was responding to a post that said unlike AISD no one willingly sends their kids to HISD.  And I was saying that is untrue, as I moved my kids out of private in Dallas to HISD.  
 

That was the only point I was making. Your response implied that I was saying something like “all HISD schools are great” and cherry-picking my list to back it up.  
 

So to be clear, all HISD schools are not great.  Some are travesties.  Some are great, though, iIncluding the ones I named. And, yes, the better schools generally are in better neighborhoods. Shocking.  But, as I have now said 3 times, unlike DISD and RISD,  HISD’s choice program dramatically increases your chances of attending a good school you are not zoned into.  
 

FWIW, I went to Lamar as well, but long enough ago that it’s not really relevant.  Yet, even then, when the world was new, schools in good neighborhoods tended to outperform those in bad ones. 

Sorry dude.  Didn't mean to trigger.  Peace

[KatHorn 20]

Within the last 10 years TEA took over Beaumont ISD.  Tons of problems.  Financial mismanagement. Fraud - - test fixing.   Along with racial strife /distrust. In then end there were multiple federal convictions handed down. I don’t hear much about it anymore , don’t know If that’s a good thing or not. I think things improved.  And I had heard state was looking relinquish control back to the citizenry/local board. 

[Larry T. Spider 1,743]

Beaumont definitely deserved to be taken over. IMO it should be used for things like that, not one failing school in a district that has over 100 schools. It opens the door for the decision to be made over politics more than systemic failure.

[Nivek 16,866]

The latest I heard is disturbing.  HISD wants to rewrite the rules to allow Miles to lead it since he lacks the qualifications, they are also seeking the ability to spend up to $2 million on a project without board approval (which is an order of magnitude greater than previously allowed).   They are having hearings all over, but it sounds like the new board is a bunch of yes-men who are there to just listen and smile while they feign concern and then do whatever Miles wants.  

Some additional fuckery with regard to libraries and more emphasis on just hiring bodies instead of hiring teachers, understanding why they have a shortage, and they are not even trying to get them emergency certified which was a previous system that was in place is various ISD's (including Dallas). 

[royiv 9,173]

9 minutes ago, Nivek said:

The latest I heard is disturbing.  HISD wants to rewrite the rules to allow Miles to lead it since he lacks the qualifications, they are also seeking the ability to spend up to $2 million on a project without board approval (which is an order of magnitude greater than previously allowed).   They are having hearings all over, but it sounds like the new board is a bunch of yes-men who are there to just listen and smile while they feign concern and then do whatever Miles wants.  

Some additional fuckery with regard to libraries and more emphasis on just hiring bodies instead of hiring teachers, understanding why they have a shortage, and they are not even trying to get them emergency certified which was a previous system that was in place is various ISD's (including Dallas). 

I have no issue with Miles cutting administrative bloat at HQ, but this idea to start hiring teachers that have no certification or educational background seems like a really bad idea. On top of that, getting rid of librarians and converting libraries at underperforming schools into discipline centers is downright maddening. Reason #4,247 why I'm glad I don't have kids.

[Brisketexan 104,680]

10 minutes ago, royiv said:

I have no issue with Miles cutting administrative bloat at HQ, but this idea to start hiring teachers that have no certification or educational background seems like a really bad idea. On top of that, getting rid of librarians and converting libraries at underperforming schools into discipline centers is downright maddening. Reason #4,247 why I'm glad I don't have kids.

To the leadership we're talking about here, public schools have only two functions: prisons/disciplinary centers, and shooting galleries.  Education is actually the LAST thing they want schools to do.

[Nivek 16,866]

I have no issue with Miles cutting administrative bloat at HQ, but this idea to start hiring teachers that have no certification or educational background seems like a really bad idea. On top of that, getting rid of librarians and converting libraries at underperforming schools into discipline centers is downright maddening. Reason #4,247 why I'm glad I don't have kids.

Bloat and corruption would be fine to target. But this seems more like an opportunity to disenfranchise teachers, funnel money to his friends, limit oversight, reduce qualifications, reduce educating standards and play politics at the local level to punish voters who don’t like them.

This is a play to damage the schools and then point to how our schools are damaged and try to funnel money to charter schools who have even lower oversight.

But I am just a cynic.

[Pancho 44,496]

Miles was hated in Dallas for a reason. I have a friend who works for HISD, and he’s pretty pissed (although he’s happy he has a job compared to others). 

Today, he showed me Miles’ super certificate has expired and hasn’t been renewed. 

[Hornbeliever 708]

On 8/3/2023 at 1:45 PM, Nivek said:

Bloat and corruption would be fine to target. But this seems more like an opportunity to disenfranchise teachers, funnel money to his friends, limit oversight, reduce qualifications, reduce educating standards and play politics at the local level to punish voters who don’t like them.

This is a play to damage the schools and then point to how our schools are damaged and try to funnel money to charter schools who have even lower oversight.

But I am just a cynic.

Not that posts ever change anyone's mind but I know a lot about the education landscape and this move is in no way a play for charters whatsoever.  Political f you, likely.  But charters, not a chance.

And anyone who wants more oversight must want more administration/bloat.  They are very connected, sadly.

Egos and plain old lack of intelligence are biggest culprits of weak education system.  Corruption makes headlines but isn't a major factor in the downfall of education as its very rare to steal millions of dollars....not rare to waste millions of dollars because poor decisions were made by dumb or egotistical people.  I would put it at a ratio of 50:1 of waste:corruption.

 

 

[Frank Drebin 5,618]

I'd love to see the student to teacher ratio versus the student to administrator ratio and how each has changed the last 50 years.

[Nivek 16,866]

17 hours ago, Hornbeliever said:

Not that posts ever change anyone's mind but I know a lot about the education landscape and this move is in no way a play for charters whatsoever.  Political f you, likely.  But charters, not a chance.

And anyone who wants more oversight must want more administration/bloat.  They are very connected, sadly.

Egos and plain old lack of intelligence are biggest culprits of weak education system.  Corruption makes headlines but isn't a major factor in the downfall of education as its very rare to steal millions of dollars....not rare to waste millions of dollars because poor decisions were made by dumb or egotistical people.  I would put it at a ratio of 50:1 of waste:corruption.

 

 

The ploy would be to undermine the education and force parents to seek out private schools and possibly move them to supporting initiatives like the school voucher programs which are to take money away from public schools and push them into private/charter schools.   Miles has a conflict of interest as he is a founder and proponent of charter schools.    This is akin to putting Exxon executives in charge of the EPA and then pretending that he might be objective.

Egos and lack of intelligence is just a throw-away sentence.  Give examples.  Corruption makes headlines because it includes people siphoning public money away from the designated use for pet projects which are designed to enrich friends of individuals.  That is NEWS.  The issues with education are numerous and not easy, but the involvement of politics in our education system has undercut our education not improved it.  Schools are saddled with more responsibilities and teachers are required to do more than they used to.    

And define waste.  Is that something you don't like or is it something like a golden toilet for the superintendent?  Because one of them is easy to identify, but the others are not.  

Let's focus on one issue currently.  SPED teaching aides are not required to have special training to work with SPED kids.  This creates challenges for the kids and the schools.  Just like with every industry out there how does one attract qualified, committed people for a particular job?  

And also if you don't come here with an open mind and willing to learn, that speaks more about you than anyone else.  Don't project your prejudice upon others.  During a discussion and disagreement with Naija about genital mutilation I didn't pretend to be an expert or know everything and I solicited input from those who disagreed with me to read some published material and provide feedback.  I did so because I wanted to share a different viewpoint, but also to learn.   I defer to the actual physician about the impact because well, it was his area.   Brisket Texan was misinformed about the role of Alcibiades (who was a complex individual) and his role in the destruction of the Athenian force in their Syracuse/Sicilian campaign during the Peloponnesian war.  He didn't attempt to argue to the contrary but I think rather appreciated how much more enriching that history and this controversial figure was.   So no, I reject your idea that this isn't a place for sharing of ideas and changing minds.  We still enjoy our dick and fart jokes, but facts matter here to most of us. 

 

[gsoda3 3,237]

i like what miles did with the teacher payscale and prioritizing areas of need first and then tenure second.  what he's doing with the librarians and his plan with hiring non-certified and non-certificate tracking bodies is really bad though.  i don't mind giving the superintendent more power-  i think it's necessary.  what i mind is having the wrong person in place.  

[Hornbeliever 708]

1 hour ago, Nivek said:

The ploy would be to undermine the education and force parents to seek out private schools and possibly move them to supporting initiatives like the school voucher programs which are to take money away from public schools and push them into private/charter schools.   Miles has a conflict of interest as he is a founder and proponent of charter schools.    This is akin to putting Exxon executives in charge of the EPA and then pretending that he might be objective.

Egos and lack of intelligence is just a throw-away sentence.  Give examples.  Corruption makes headlines because it includes people siphoning public money away from the designated use for pet projects which are designed to enrich friends of individuals.  That is NEWS.  The issues with education are numerous and not easy, but the involvement of politics in our education system has undercut our education not improved it.  Schools are saddled with more responsibilities and teachers are required to do more than they used to.    

And define waste.  Is that something you don't like or is it something like a golden toilet for the superintendent?  Because one of them is easy to identify, but the others are not.  

Let's focus on one issue currently.  SPED teaching aides are not required to have special training to work with SPED kids.  This creates challenges for the kids and the schools.  Just like with every industry out there how does one attract qualified, committed people for a particular job?  

And also if you don't come here with an open mind and willing to learn, that speaks more about you than anyone else.  Don't project your prejudice upon others.  During a discussion and disagreement with Naija about genital mutilation I didn't pretend to be an expert or know everything and I solicited input from those who disagreed with me to read some published material and provide feedback.  I did so because I wanted to share a different viewpoint, but also to learn.   I defer to the actual physician about the impact because well, it was his area.   Brisket Texan was misinformed about the role of Alcibiades (who was a complex individual) and his role in the destruction of the Athenian force in their Syracuse/Sicilian campaign during the Peloponnesian war.  He didn't attempt to argue to the contrary but I think rather appreciated how much more enriching that history and this controversial figure was.   So no, I reject your idea that this isn't a place for sharing of ideas and changing minds.  We still enjoy our dick and fart jokes, but facts matter here to most of us. 

 

I honestly don’t know if this response is a joke or not so I rather err on it being a joke and thus not respond than actually respond and you go “you didn’t catch on that i was fucking with you when I started bringing up Greek shit?  Do you Macedonia brah?"

[Macanudo 12,928]

47 minutes ago, Hornbeliever said:

I honestly don’t know if this response is a joke or not so I rather err on it being a joke and thus not respond than actually respond and you go “you didn’t catch on that i was fucking with you when I started bringing up Greek shit?  Do you Macedonia brah?"

It's not every day that we get to talk about genital mutilation and/or Athens.  

[Nivek 16,866]

1 hour ago, Hornbeliever said:

I honestly don’t know if this response is a joke or not so I rather err on it being a joke and thus not respond than actually respond and you go “you didn’t catch on that i was fucking with you when I started bringing up Greek shit?  Do you Macedonia brah?"

Which sock account are you?  This is the standard tactic for "I have no response to that."

[Hornbeliever 708]

3 minutes ago, Nivek said:

Which sock account are you?  This is the standard tactic for "I have no response to that."

It’s that I’m intimidated by you because I haven’t watched 300 in a while

[austingirl 2,187]

This is from an HISD teacher in the Facebook support group for parents/teachers who oppose the takeover (Supporters of HISD Magnets and Budget Accountability). I purposely left off the teacher's name. Some key WTF points:

• All internal doors must be open at all times (seriously, WTF)
• No student free-writing/journaling
• No "weak readers" can read aloud because it models disfluency
•  No dimming classroom lights

And of course there's the issue of closing libraries to turn them into detention centers. Even if the state could justify their takeover on the grounds of improving performance, how in God's name will any of the above improve performance? How is this anything but a blatant power grab? As an Austin ISD parent I am truly concerned that this is going to be us in the very near future.

 

[Dahobbs 17,451]

10 minutes ago, austingirl said:

This is from an HISD teacher in the Facebook support group for parents/teachers who oppose the takeover (Supporters of HISD Magnets and Budget Accountability). I purposely left off the teacher's name. Some key WTF points:

• All internal doors must be open at all times (seriously, WTF)
• No student free-writing/journaling
• No "weak readers" can read aloud because it models disfluency
•  No dimming classroom lights

And of course there's the issue of closing libraries to turn them into detention centers. Even if the state could justify their takeover on the grounds of improving performance, how in God's name will any of the above improve performance? How is this anything but a blatant power grab? As an Austin ISD parent I am truly concerned that this is going to be us in the very near future.

 

Sounds like a lot of micro-managing bullshit. 

[tokamak 6,352]

Yeah, he's just turning the district into a charter school network, as expected. Has hired a bunch of his charter network buddies to big salaries to come in and run things their way (in contradiction to the public announcement of scaling back administrative jobs to save money).

[Nivek 16,866]

First day of school, no crossing guards.  Second day of school, no crossing guards.  This is for Oak Forest Elementary.   They fired the SPED teacher, replaced her with a regular 4th-grade teacher with no specialty (SPED training) and increased class sizes to 28 kids.   The Texas legislature target is 22 kids/class.  So the TEA needs exceptions from the TEAs rules?  

On the first day of middle school (Frank Black) there was a fight.  My 6th grader has a teacher that told children they could not look out the window, she has a kindergarten-sized desk to embarrass kids whose eyes wander, told the students need to make eye contact, and have 45 seconds to do this task, 45 to that, 15 for another, etc. and decided to hold them after the bell just to fuck with them.   She also sent home a syllabus with instructions for the parents on supplies (what notebooks I could buy, what type of pencil sharpeners, etc.) and asked the kids to sign it and for the parents to complete a survey that had only single-option answers supporting her position.   I filled it out and let her know I disagreed with XYZ, this is middle school, not the United States Marine Corps, and then communicated with the school my son needs a new teacher as this one is unfit for the role without a full-time aide to reign her in.  

I am prepared to write a note (which may contain words like 'cunt' and my phone number) and give it to my son to hand to the teacher in the event he feels it necessary for me to intervene.   The dumb cunt wants the kids to have an app on their mobile devices but not let them use their mobile devices.  It is against my belief to give a kid a phone, she also informed us the kid will have to figure out their own grade.  

Then I receive a tone-def email from the principal celebrating a great start to the school year.  One that started with a fist-fight amongst some 8th graders.   I guess she has the "at least no one got raped" mentality.  

Edited August 29, 2023 by Nivek

[kevwun 15,668]

I expect the Feds are going to sue the State over this soon.

Edited August 29, 2023 by kevwun

[Samson's Wig 3,182]

2 hours ago, austingirl said:

This is from an HISD teacher in the Facebook support group for parents/teachers who oppose the takeover (Supporters of HISD Magnets and Budget Accountability). I purposely left off the teacher's name. Some key WTF points:

• All internal doors must be open at all times (seriously, WTF)
• No student free-writing/journaling
• No "weak readers" can read aloud because it models disfluency
•  No dimming classroom lights

And of course there's the issue of closing libraries to turn them into detention centers. Even if the state could justify their takeover on the grounds of improving performance, how in God's name will any of the above improve performance? How is this anything but a blatant power grab? As an Austin ISD parent I am truly concerned that this is going to be us in the very near future.

 

I'm concerned about AISD as well, and ready to move the second it happens.  AISD is terribly managed, but the only entity that can do a worse job is the TEA.

[tx 3 putt 76,422]

Abbott has a plan for hisd and his plan has zero fucks for the students, even less fucks for the parents 

[Homesickhorn 2,202]

First day of school, no crossing guards.  Second day of school, no crossing guards.  This is for Oak Forest Elementary.   They fired the SPED teacher, replaced her with a regular 4th-grade teacher with no specialty (SPED training) and increased class sizes to 28 kids.   The Texas legislature target is 22 kids/class.  So the TEA needs exceptions from the TEAs rules?  
On the first day of middle school (Frank Black) there was a fight.  My 6th grader has a teacher that told children they could not look out the window, she has a kindergarten-sized desk to embarrass kids whose eyes wander, told the students need to make eye contact, and have 45 seconds to do this task, 45 to that, 15 for another, etc. and decided to hold them after the bell just to fuck with them.   She also sent home a syllabus with instructions for the parents on supplies (what notebooks I could buy, what type of pencil sharpeners, etc.) and asked the kids to sign it and for the parents to complete a survey that had only single-option answers supporting her position.   I filled it out and let her know I disagreed with XYZ, this is middle school, not the United States Marine Corps, and then communicated with the school my son needs a new teacher as this one is unfit for the role without a full-time aide to reign her in.  
I am prepared to write a note (which may contain words like 'cunt' and my phone number) and give it to my son to hand to the teacher in the event he feels it necessary for me to intervene.   The dumb cunt wants the kids to have an app on their mobile devices but not let them use their mobile devices.  It is against my belief to give a kid a phone, she also informed us the kid will have to figure out their own grade.  
Then I receive a tone-def email from the principal celebrating a great start to the school year.  One that started with a fist-fight amongst some 8th graders.   I guess she has the "at least no one got raped" mentality.  

I’m pretty sure my son had the same teacher last year, as he just started his 7th grade year at FBMS. I’ve received the exact same emails/texts. He mentioned the fight on the phone with me. He also explained that the place is basically a cluster fuck when it comes to supplies, athletic clothes ordered, and technology that they’re still waiting on.
The stories he told me last year were thread worthy (but he was also 11 years old at the time, 12 now).
I want him out of Houston.

[83Horn 1,638]

23 hours ago, Nivek said:

First day of school, no crossing guards.  Second day of school, no crossing guards.  This is for Oak Forest Elementary.   They fired the SPED teacher, replaced her with a regular 4th-grade teacher with no specialty (SPED training) and increased class sizes to 28 kids.   The Texas legislature target is 22 kids/class.  So the TEA needs exceptions from the TEAs rules?  

On the first day of middle school (Frank Black) there was a fight.  My 6th grader has a teacher that told children they could not look out the window, she has a kindergarten-sized desk to embarrass kids whose eyes wander, told the students need to make eye contact, and have 45 seconds to do this task, 45 to that, 15 for another, etc. and decided to hold them after the bell just to fuck with them.   She also sent home a syllabus with instructions for the parents on supplies (what notebooks I could buy, what type of pencil sharpeners, etc.) and asked the kids to sign it and for the parents to complete a survey that had only single-option answers supporting her position.   I filled it out and let her know I disagreed with XYZ, this is middle school, not the United States Marine Corps, and then communicated with the school my son needs a new teacher as this one is unfit for the role without a full-time aide to reign her in.  

I am prepared to write a note (which may contain words like 'cunt' and my phone number) and give it to my son to hand to the teacher in the event he feels it necessary for me to intervene.   The dumb cunt wants the kids to have an app on their mobile devices but not let them use their mobile devices.  It is against my belief to give a kid a phone, she also informed us the kid will have to figure out their own grade.  

Then I receive a tone-def email from the principal celebrating a great start to the school year.  One that started with a fist-fight amongst some 8th graders.   I guess she has the "at least no one got raped" mentality.  

When my family first moved to Houston in 1970, I had a brother and a sister who attended for a couple years what was then Black Junior High School .  There were frequent incidents of racial fights, drug dealing and police raids on the school 50 years ago.  Seems not much has changed.

[Homesickhorn 2,202]

And it sits adjacent to one of, if not THE number one ranked elementary school in HISD.

[Nivek 16,866]

So the Principal of Oak Forest Elm. sent out a message about the lack of crossing guards.   Basically, we have to call the police to ask them to direct traffic.  The staff and volunteers at the school are prohibited from doing the job.    So, mornings are still like Frogger.  

[Js1 85,139]

My friend teaches HS English in HISD. With the block scheduling, one of his classes went from 27 to 43 students from Monday to today and another 53, to 41 and was just updated to 49 kids