Texas -- a failed state

[mdmost 42316]

Just now, Anastasis said:

All sounds reasonable to me. Throw in some accountability for performance and mechanisms for parents of children in failing schools to exercise options.

I can only speak annecodately but Dallas ISD allows parents of children in underperforming schools, I assume based on STAAR results, to transfer to different schools in the area if there is available space. I know parents who did that to get into the schools not too far from our neighborhood that are blue ribbon. Our local school that we passed on for a DISD montessori option sent us letters saying we could transfer to other schools before our local school improved. Previously, you had to lie about your address to register for a different school so grandparents addresses became home addresses for some students. DISD also offers a lot of magnet, TAG, and choice school options now. Pretty nice way to keep people away from private schools.

I'm not sure if that same option is available in other school districts in the state. 

1 minute ago, Chewbacca said:

How you motherfuckers didn't put a stake in his heart when you had the chance, I'll never understand.

Well the ultra cunt wing of the MAGA party pulled a bait and switch on the RINOs. 

[miguelito 11095]

4 hours ago, Anastasis said:

parents of children in failing schools

(I'm just quoting you for the thought, not so much to comment on your post)

 

Here's the thing: there shouldn't be any failing schools.  THE STATE OF TEXAS is responsible for public education.  If a school is subpar, it's because the State has failed. 

[Willfully Horn 7854]

Just now, miguelito said:

(I'm just quoting you for the thought, not so much to comment on your post)

 

Here's the thing: there shouldn't be any failing schools.  THE STATE OF TEXAS is responsible for public education.  If a school is subpar, it's because the State has failed. 

Truth. More specifically, Texans who vote Republican have failed spectacularly.

 

[Fudge Nuggets 18899]

4 hours ago, Chewbacca said:

How you motherfuckers didn't put a stake in his heart when you had the chance, I'll never understand.

This state is full of hateful shitheads. It’s not exactly a secret. 

[StassneyHorn 6429]

lol Scott Braddock is drunk and shitposting on Twitter again

 

[atomheartbevo 88913]

11 hours ago, Anastasis said:

and mechanisms for parents of children in failing schools to exercise options.

If it was that easy, we would have solved it decades ago.  As @Eskimohorn said, schools that are failing have a lot of kids who are poor and/or whose parents are struggling.  My wife taught at one of those schools for several years in East Austin back in the early 2000s.  She had kids whose parents didn't have much of an education themselves (which hinders them helping their kids), and parents who struggled with English (which also hinders them helping their kids).  There were parents who were working multiple jobs and at the end of the day were too tired to help their kids, single parents whose lives were already stress-filled enough as it is, and too worn out to help their kids.  And it may sound ridiculous, but many of those kids in poorer schools, the school breakfast and lunches were the best meals they were getting all day, because, again, tired parents or parents stretched thin, were buying cheap/fast food at the end of the day because they didn't have time to cook a proper meal.

And every one of those parents loved their kids as much as any parent in Tarrytown or wherever, but whereas a kid in a wealthier part of town might have parents who are educated enough (and have the time)  to easily help them with homework, those kids in the poor part of town didn't.

No Child Left Behind was never going to work in the long run - you can't just take a kid doing poorly in a failing school, close the failing school, and throw them on a bus to a better school, and hope things will get better.  Now you've potentially started dragging that school down if the kid isn't able to improve their scores, the kid is going to be stuck on a bus for another 15 or 20 minutes in the morning, and another 15 or 20 minutes (or more) in the afternoon, so you've taken time away from the kid, and you've increased distance between the kid's family and the kid's school (which is a huge problem for a lot of poor people).  And penalizing an already-underfunded school with struggling students is a surefire way to ensure that the school will fail.

Not to mention that teachers end up "teaching to the test" and focusing on the lowest-performing students at the expense of the other students (which could drag their scores down if they aren't hitting their full potential).

At the end of the day, the state should allow a lot more local control and just accept that there are extenuating circumstances for a lot of kids who are struggling, that not all kids learn the same way and can be measured the same way, and that not all kids are going to go to college.

[Anastasis 23207]

7 hours ago, atomheartbevo said:

At the end of the day, the state should allow a lot more local control and just accept that there are extenuating circumstances for a lot of kids who are struggling, that not all kids learn the same way and can be measured the same way, and that not all kids are going to go to college.

Good post, all well stated. I am aligned with what you are saying here. The DISD examples provided earlier seem quite reasonable to me. Bottom line, to me at least, the most local form of control is parental control. More power to parents, teachers, and local administrators, and in that order. Less to everyone above that level. We just went through this whole COVID school thing, there were lots of discussions here in real time about the challenges and the problems. Clearly there are not always easy answers.   

[Nice Guy Eddie 13295]

10 hours ago, StassneyHorn said:

lol Scott Braddock is drunk and shitposting on Twitter again

 

Would love to see the Texas Tribune ask every state senator, rep and major officeholders for the number of times and guests they've brought to Centerpoint's getaway compound. While it doesn't mean there is corruption, let's be clear on our politicians who appear tough on Centerpoint while simultaneously use them for vacations.

And better yet, ask the same officeholders to commit to not using Centerpoint's compound until certain improvements are made. 

[wildcat09 28486]

5 minutes ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

And better yet, ask the same officeholders to commit to not using Centerpoint's compound until certain improvements are made. 

FIFY

[Pescado_Rojo 19235]

17 minutes ago, wildcat09 said:

FIFY

And while we're at it, bar them from Waste Management's and DR Horton's "Ranches"

[PenelopeWitherspoon 18402]

9 hours ago, atomheartbevo said:

If it was that easy, we would have solved it decades ago.  As @Eskimohorn said, schools that are failing have a lot of kids who are poor and/or whose parents are struggling.  My wife taught at one of those schools for several years in East Austin back in the early 2000s.  She had kids whose parents didn't have much of an education themselves (which hinders them helping their kids), and parents who struggled with English (which also hinders them helping their kids).  There were parents who were working multiple jobs and at the end of the day were too tired to help their kids, single parents whose lives were already stress-filled enough as it is, and too worn out to help their kids.  And it may sound ridiculous, but many of those kids in poorer schools, the school breakfast and lunches were the best meals they were getting all day, because, again, tired parents or parents stretched thin, were buying cheap/fast food at the end of the day because they didn't have time to cook a proper meal.

And every one of those parents loved their kids as much as any parent in Tarrytown or wherever, but whereas a kid in a wealthier part of town might have parents who are educated enough (and have the time)  to easily help them with homework, those kids in the poor part of town didn't.

No Child Left Behind was never going to work in the long run - you can't just take a kid doing poorly in a failing school, close the failing school, and throw them on a bus to a better school, and hope things will get better.  Now you've potentially started dragging that school down if the kid isn't able to improve their scores, the kid is going to be stuck on a bus for another 15 or 20 minutes in the morning, and another 15 or 20 minutes (or more) in the afternoon, so you've taken time away from the kid, and you've increased distance between the kid's family and the kid's school (which is a huge problem for a lot of poor people).  And penalizing an already-underfunded school with struggling students is a surefire way to ensure that the school will fail.

Not to mention that teachers end up "teaching to the test" and focusing on the lowest-performing students at the expense of the other students (which could drag their scores down if they aren't hitting their full potential).

At the end of the day, the state should allow a lot more local control and just accept that there are extenuating circumstances for a lot of kids who are struggling, that not all kids learn the same way and can be measured the same way, and that not all kids are going to go to college.

And, maybe just maybe, there should be free breakfasts and lunches for all kids at all schools and before and after school programs that are free for kids to get help with school work and participate in extracurriculars.  This isn't hard...but Texas.

[Judge Roybeanbag 11728]

16 hours ago, miguelito said:

(I'm just quoting you for the thought, not so much to comment on your post)

 

Here's the thing: there shouldn't be any failing schools.  THE STATE OF TEXAS is responsible for public education.  If a school is subpar, it's because the State has failed. 

If the Texas Democrat 'party' had any semblance of sense, they would make commercials to air in rural and suburban areas of the state, blaring about how under republican leadership, Greg Abbott, Dan Patrick and crooked Ken Paxton, state leadership has stolen billions of dollars from your schools and given them to cronies and 'big city' private, charter and magnet schools, while your children go to the same broken down underfunded public schools.

[Firemans4Horn 17007]

26 minutes ago, Judge Roybeanbag said:

If the Texas Democrat 'party' had any semblance of sense, they would make commercials to air in rural and suburban areas of the state, blaring about how under republican leadership, Greg Abbott, Dan Patrick and crooked Ken Paxton, state leadership has stolen billions of dollars from your schools and given them to cronies and 'big city' private, charter and magnet schools, while your children go to the same broken down underfunded public schools.

hammer them on schools and our dumbass elected leaders not expanding Medicaid 

 

Expanding Medicaid improves everyone’s health. So why hasn’t Texas done it yet?

[atomheartbevo 88913]

41 minutes ago, Judge Roybeanbag said:

If the Texas Democrat 'party' had any semblance of sense, they would make commercials to air in rural and suburban areas of the state, blaring about how under republican leadership, Greg Abbott, Dan Patrick and crooked Ken Paxton, state leadership has stolen billions of dollars from your schools and given them to cronies and 'big city' private, charter and magnet schools, while your children go to the same broken down underfunded public schools.

How about the Democrats running ads in rural areas thanking rural Republicans for supporting and funding vouchers to help fund private schools in the Dallas/FW, Houston, San Antonio, and Austin areas?

 

 

[High Plains Drifter 10930]

 

On 5/17/2024 at 1:54 PM, Brisketexan said:

Also…what would airing that laundry gain (other than making Mackowiak lose)? Understand that the messages would indicate that he’s not Trumpy ENOUGH…meaning that the Trumpier candidate would win.
At this point, in Repub elections, it’s like being a Jew choosing between the candidate who is all-in on the final solution, and the other candidate who has slight concerns about the cost of Xyklon-B, and would like to find a cheaper means of extermination. You get to have a tiny bit of influence over how and when your doom arrives, but that’s it.

 

Come on man. This is bullshit rationalization. You are better than this. 

 

Hypocrisy and lies should always be exposed. 

 

Your holocaust metaphor is also bullshit. Its not like Jews choosing between two different Nazis. Its like normal Germans not speaking up when the Nazis came to power. 

 

 

(Yes, I realize this is a three month old post and the election is already passed. You should still publish the texts. )

 

[Pescado_Rojo 19235]

4 hours ago, Judge Roybeanbag said:

If the Texas Democrat 'party' had any semblance of sense, they would make commercials to air in rural and suburban areas of the state, blaring about how under republican leadership, Greg Abbott, Dan Patrick and crooked Ken Paxton, state leadership has stolen billions of dollars from your schools and given them to cronies and 'big city' private, charter and magnet schools, while your children go to the same broken down underfunded public schools.

A competent party would be hammering rural Texas with "Under 30 years of Republican leadership, your electric grid has gotten worse and Abbott and company are allowing Chinese bitcoin miners to make it even worse. Your schools have gotten worse and Abbott and company want to kill them once and for all by diverting state money to private schools in Dallas and Houston. Rural healthcare is hanging on by a thread and Abbott and company refuse to expand Medicare."  

Edited August 15 by Pescado_Rojo

[tx 3 putt 75235]

 

[Bozo_Casanova 25822]

I can’t I don’t even

 

[Brisketexan 103515]

I can’t I don’t even
 

Women in hip-hop DO push back against the male gaze. I heard that they regularly push it, push it, push it REAL good.

[safe sex 11603]

I'd take that class

[gmr548 16289]

8 hours ago, Bozo_Casanova said:

I can’t I don’t even

 

Don't make a joke about yell practice, don't make a joke about yell practice, don't make a joke about yell practice...

[South Austin 51564]

Don’t lie, Brian. You got semi-hard when you read “Fag Discourse,” didn’t you?

[atomheartbevo 88913]

Aggy has one of the largest collections of LBGTQ literature in the country at one of its libraries.  This will give the MAGA idiots a chance to purge it. 

[Nice Guy Eddie 13295]

On 8/17/2024 at 12:22 PM, tx 3 putt said:

 

Sounds like he would be very fair if an election case came before him.

[Eskimohorn 5557]

I'd take that class

Professor of hiphop

[atomheartbevo 88913]

 

[4th&Five 41111]

Well I’ll eat my hat!

[NeverMarryAStripper 21765]

37 minutes ago, atomheartbevo said:

 

The intersection of 1488 and 2978 is not in Magnolia; it's in Egypt.  I'm sure Magnolia has plenty of cultists, but at least get the location correct. I've shopped at that Kroger before.

Edited August 24 by NeverMarryAStripper

[Walser 1090]

 asdf

Edited August 24 by Walser
who cares

[Longhorn_Fan68 33708]

1 hour ago, 4th&Five said:

Well I’ll eat my hat!

[tchookem 3895]

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/education/article/texas-teachers-spend-school-supplies-states-19604960.php?sid=5eb35f0cd14307791d11019c&ss=A&st_rid=2fa7d4dd-6d4f-48a7-81ac-0fdb75dd3d65&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_term=&utm_campaign=HC_The713

Texas teachers outspend their counterparts from all 50 states on yearly school supply purchases for their classrooms, according to survey released Monday as educators prepare for the 2024-25 school year.
The survey, which sampled 50 teachers from each state for 2,500 teachers nationwide, found that educators in Texas spend on average $1,396 per year on school supplies for their classrooms, compared to the nationwide average of $915. 
According to the survey, 93% of teachers dip into their own money for school supplies, including pens, paper, ink, classroom decorations, educational aids, cleaning supplies and even snacks. 
While teachers are not required by law to purchase their own supplies, many do so anyway out of fear that their classroom learning environment would suffer if they didn’t -- a statement that 77% of survey respondents agreed with.
While this is a survey and not backed up with receipts, I'm not surprised that our teachers are shelling out this much because Texas and the ISDs fail to adequately supply the teachers and students. But then they blame those same teachers when the students don't score high enough on an exam. 

I spend around $500 a year for subscriptions to online resources alone. Websites like Blooket and Gimkit that let me turn my questions into online computer games. Hate it if you want, but these kids have never not had a screen in their hands, and this is a way to increase engagement. Anyway, that's $500 plus everything else I buy that goes into making a classroom run. So yeah, $1300 out-of-pocket doesn't sound too far-fetched. At least I get a $250 tax deduction. And the $100 department allotment.

[Gil Bang 25551]

On 8/21/2024 at 4:13 AM, atomheartbevo said:

Aggy has one of the largest collections of LBGTQ literature in the country at one of its libraries.  This will give the MAGA idiots a chance to purge it. 

 

[tchookem 3895]

We should pump tax dollars into whatever educational systems can demonstrate performance on outcomes and objective measures of educational attainment. And I say that as one with three kids in the public school system. 

Educators: "Finland has a fantastic education system and typically outperforms American students."
Texas: "Really? What do they do differently?"
Educators: "Well, one thing they don't do is place an emphasis on testing. Oh, and they also don't allow for-profit education."
Texas: "Oh, well fuck that."

[elfenix 34075]

7 hours ago, NeverMarryAStripper said:

The intersection of 1488 and 2978 is not in Magnolia; it's in Egypt.  I'm sure Magnolia has plenty of cultists, but at least get the location correct. I've shopped at that Kroger before.

basically the back side of the woodlands, not even methnolia

[Captainant 26902]

8 hours ago, tchookem said:

Educators: "Finland has a fantastic education system and typically outperforms American students."
Texas: "Really? What do they do differently?"
Educators: "Well, one thing they don't do is place an emphasis on testing. Oh, and they also don't allow for-profit education."
Texas: "Oh, well fuck that."

"Well if nobody is profiting, then there's no incentive to improve things!!! Free public education is SOCIALISM" [/businessbrain]

[Anastasis 23207]

8 hours ago, tchookem said:

Educators: "Finland has a fantastic education system and typically outperforms American students."
Texas: "Really? What do they do differently?"
Educators: "Well, one thing they don't do is place an emphasis on testing. Oh, and they also don't allow for-profit education."
Texas: "Oh, well fuck that."

They break kids out after 9th grade into vocational and secondary track. I think that makes a lot of sense. 

[tchookem 3895]

They break kids out after 9th grade into vocational and secondary track. I think that makes a lot of sense. 

So does Texas. They just do it in the most inefficient possible way. Oh, and they keep giving standardized tests to the vocational kids.

[HornOnTheBayou 8852]

12 hours ago, Anastasis said:

They break kids out after 9th grade into vocational and secondary track. I think that makes a lot of sense. 

So your behavior and academic aptitude when you're 14 should determine the rest of your life? Fuck that.

[NeverMarryAStripper 21765]

So that shit really does go on your permanent record

[Macanudo 12743]

1 minute ago, NeverMarryAStripper said:

So that shit really does go on your permanent record

And fat, drunk and stupid is the way to go through life?

[Brisketexan 103515]

And fat, drunk and stupid is the way to go through life?

I mean…it got me this far…

[linux 1374]

Have you guys checked if you are still registered to vote after the Abbot purge?

[atomheartbevo 88913]

1 hour ago, linux said:

Have you guys checked if you are still registered to vote after the Abbot purge?

I did. Was surprised, given I live in Travis County.

[tx 3 putt 75235]

2 hours ago, linux said:

Have you guys checked if you are still registered to vote after the Abbot purge?

 

yes, i just voted and was glad to see I wasn’t purged 

i’m in the heart of harris county Dem territory. my congress woman was shelia jackson lee, im one block from sylvia garcia’s district 

deep blue country 

[Sawbonz 26808]

On 8/15/2024 at 12:04 AM, StassneyHorn said:

lol Scott Braddock is drunk and shitposting on Twitter again

 

Schwertner is an absolute piece of shit

[atomheartbevo 88913]

46 minutes ago, tx 3 putt said:

yes, i just voted and was glad to see I wasn’t purged 

i’m in the heart of harris county Dem territory. my congress woman was shelia jackson lee, im one block from sylvia garcia’s district 

deep blue country 

How'd you fly under the radar and not get purged?

[tx 3 putt 75235]

1 minute ago, atomheartbevo said:

How'd you fly under the radar and not get purged?

[Sawbonz 26808]

On 8/20/2024 at 4:27 PM, Bozo_Casanova said:

I can’t I don’t even

 

What no “Glory Holes and Jizz Jars?”

[gmr548 16289]

On 8/24/2024 at 1:42 PM, NeverMarryAStripper said:

The intersection of 1488 and 2978 is not in Magnolia; it's in Egypt.  I'm sure Magnolia has plenty of cultists, but at least get the location correct. I've shopped at that Kroger before.

[tx 3 putt 75235]

46 minutes ago, Sawbonz said:

What no “Glory Holes and Jizz Jars?”

 

that’s core curriculum for the corp