The destruction of America's public education system

[HOOKEM4 5036]

3 hours ago, Nivek said:

Um.  This is not a coherent response.  The right has been hell bent on privatizing a public service with the intent of pushing that public money to something else, all the while underfunding it.  Let's just look at a small example.  Special education, which can include anything from speech classes, OT, diaper changes, and other services to offer appropriate education to children with other needs.   Texas has an 8.5% special ed funding.  That started in 2004 under Rick Perry, who appointed a new TEA lead (name escapes me at the moment), who created a goal to push the funding down from 10.7% to 8.5% and then celebrated how much fucking money they saved.   So yeah, own this shit if you voted for these people.  Because the school districts all over Texas didn't just magically land on that same fucking figure.   And this rot, isn't simply because of Trump/MAGA crowd, they are just a catalyst. 

For reference, the national average is 15%.   Do you think it is because we are just genetically superior even with all those immigrants and ESL kids?  Or do you think our teachers are just better (that is the lie the TEA guy tried).   Or maybe we are just underfunding it, and making it so fucking difficult for people even if they have a little means.   More on that in the next paragraph.  

Districts and schools are systemically lying to parents on services available, how to apply for them, and who can get them.  This creates time which the districts are encouraged to stall for (I have spoken about this earlier in the thread, including our own experiences).  Once a written request is received they have 45 school days to respond.  And then they get another 30 calendar days to stall for the first ARD meeting.  This might not seem like a lot, but it creates problems where investigations start while the kid is in one grade and then it gets pushed to another without the kid getting the support they needed.  

Let me bring this closer to home.   How many hours a week did you spend with your son doing his work and teaching him the material that is not being effectively taught?  How many hours did you spend per week talking with the school and district just getting them to do what they are fucking supposed to do?   Because some teachers have opted to do nothing but just pass the kid along, meanwhile he isn't learning in their class.   This isn't me rambling on about perovskite or Alcibiades, this is me, taking his lessons on heat transference and breaking it down, demonstrating examples, helping him comprehend the differences, and then relating it back to his classwork and teaching him the terminology.   There are 2 other kids who are getting neglected to some degree because of how severely fucked up the education is for the first kid.   I had to hire an advocate to help us navigate the situation and join parent groups to see how systemic these issues really are.  

-----------------------

You talk about party, because it does boil down to political parties now.  It used to be that we, or maybe I naively thought, that we used to both want a robust education system which would help our country out in the long term and perpetuate the development of skilled people here.   But I see clearly one political group that has tried to undermine education in a multitude of ways for decades.   And now I get the benefit of seeing how fucked up it is because I have to deal with it.  

Think about what I am really saying.  I might have to leave my home where all my kids have taken their first steps, where my wife and I are happy,  where my kids are happy and have friends and ties simply because the education system in one of the largest cities in the US, with the 5th largest district, in a state with 10s of billions in surplus slush funds, because education is how the right wants to punish us for voting blue.   

So, tell me how I am wrong.  Tell me what I could do better.  Tell me how I should feel.   Tell me this is just in my head.  Tell me I am interpreting it incorrectly.  Tell me there isn't one political party to blame for this.   And tell me if you take any responsibility for causing or supporting it?    

 

This is so fucking true and so fucking depressing. I broke my kids bootstraps pulling them up over and over. I grew up in a world that doesn't resemble what we have now. We keep spiting ourselves despite our kids face. Fuck it is depressing.

[HOOKEM4 5036]

2 hours ago, slorch said:

Well.  Obviously this thread is just for flag waiving.

y’all fucking win.

I hope we all don’t lose.  Guess I just don’t care enough.

(returns to shanty.)

You are a fucking idiot. You are losing now. You are just too stupid to realize it. Talk about flag waving. Jesus christ.

[Guest]

Indeed we as a society are losing.   Zero argument there, but of course the clowns on here go personal.

'Tis the way.

Motherfuckers,  "We have this cat who agrees that this idea is terrible, but he won't buy in on our fucked up (alleged) solutions either, so fuck this idiot.

 

Edited March 14 by slorch

[safe sex 11696]

Slorch'd (a while back tbh)

[HOOKEM4 5036]

5 minutes ago, slorch said:

Rome burns and your dumbass is clinging to the triggered bullshit. When you finally figure out you're fucked and keep blaming dems and not your terrible decisions, it will be rich but I won't celebrate it. We are all fucked. You're just too stupid to realize it. Slorched!!!

Edited March 14 by HOOKEM4
Slorched

[aggie08 21482]

1 minute ago, slorch said:

God damn you're a tool sometimes.

[Guest]

Just now, HOOKEM4 said:

Rome burns and your dumbass is clinging to the triggered bullshit. When you finally figure out you're fucked and keep blaming dems and not your terrible decisions, it will be rich but I won't celebrate it. We are all fucked. Your just too stupid to realize it. Slorched!!!

You are triggered.

Run around the block or some shit.  and politically, I ain't who you think I be.  But keep responding from your flow chart.

Just now, aggie08 said:

God damn you're a tool sometimes.

This board is.

 

No fucking doubt.

[HOOKEM4 5036]

11 minutes ago, slorch said:

You are triggered.

Run around the block or some shit.  and politically, I ain't who you think I be.  But keep responding from your flow chart.

This board is.

 

No fucking doubt.

Did you send your children to private school on your own dime?

[atomheartbevo 89626]

19 minutes ago, slorch said:

Just like to point out that he (the character in the GIF, PC Principal) is an aggy.

[Brian Fantana 6679]

15 minutes ago, slorch said:

You are triggered.

Run around the block or some shit.  and politically, I ain't who you think I be.  But keep responding from your flow chart.

This board is.

 

No fucking doubt.

Why do you take criticism of the Texas Republican party as if it's personal criticism of you? Really think on that question.

[Guest]

6 minutes ago, Brian Fantana said:

Why do you take criticism of the Texas Republican party as if it's personal criticism of you? Really think on that question.

I do not.  They deserve criticism.  Within the context of this thread, they deserve worse than criticism.  I feel their actions are very fucked up and have said so.

Poster went personal and he knows it. It's deliberate.  Don't be all surprised that someone responds though.

 

 

Edited March 14 by slorch

[Brian Fantana 6679]

Just now, slorch said:

I do not.  They deserve criticism.

Ok, then what's your beef? Who else is to blame for the decay of Texas public education?

[Captainant 27631]

4 minutes ago, atomheartbevo said:

Just like to point out that he (the character in the GIF, PC Principal) is an aggy.

Holy shit I forgot about that lmfao. The most unexpected canonical aggy

[Guest]

2 minutes ago, Brian Fantana said:

Ok, then what's your beef? Who else is to blame for the decay of Texas public education?

If I have any frustration it is that there is ( by some) an absolute binary mindset.  You buy what we're selling, or you suck...and are very stupid.

Yeah, that's a no from me dawg.

 

The root cause of that decay is parents in general, but where's the political capital in that answer?

Edited March 14 by slorch

[Brian Fantana 6679]

2 minutes ago, slorch said:

The root cause of that decay is parents in general

This is your feely feels talking. Available empirical data does not support this completely unsubstantiated opinion.

[Guest]

4 minutes ago, Brian Fantana said:

This is your feely feels talking. Available empirical data does not support this completely unsubstantiated opinion.

Bullshit.  That doesn't happen with involved parents.

Your enabling mentality is whipping your opinion.

We generally suck as a society in raising our kids.  We reap the results.  We also suck as an electorate.  We reap the results.

Edited March 14 by slorch

[Brian Fantana 6679]

5 minutes ago, slorch said:

Bullshit.  That doesn't happen with involved parents.

Your enabling mentality is whipping your opinion.

We generally suck as a society in raising our kids.  We reap the results.  We also suck as an electorate.  We reap the results.

What am I enabling? What are you talking about?

You're not wrong that we suck at supporting kids, but I'm gonna need to see you show your work and present some actual evidence that shows how bad parenting is the main driving factor behind the decline of Texas public education and not the Texas GOP actively destroying it with a sledgehammer in broad daylight.

[Guest]

For neggers...

Edited March 14 by slorch

[UnivTex34 1763]

Slorch’d.

[Captainant 27631]

13 minutes ago, slorch said:

Bullshit.  That doesn't happen with involved parents.

Your enabling mentality is whipping your opinion.

We generally suck as a society in raising our kids.  We reap the results.  We also suck as an electorate.  We reap the results.

So let's think for a moment why parents are less involved.... It couldn't be that they're taking on way more hours for less effective pay, and many parents simply don't have bandwidth to raise a  child, that would be crazy talk! That would have to mean that wages have been stagnant relative to inflation and overall economic growth for decades!

Poor parents make for worse childhood opportunity. We have a significantly larger portion of poor with zero social or civil safety nets in place. 

But 401k's are doing great so fuck you I got mine, poor ass bitches! Wreck em!

[Guest]

16 minutes ago, Brian Fantana said:

What am I enabling? What are you talking about?

You're not wrong that we suck at supporting kids, but I'm gonna need to see you show your work and present some actual evidence that shows how bad parenting is the main driving factor behind the decline of Texas public education and not the Texas GOP actively destroying it with a sledgehammer in broad daylight.

Show my work?

You are suggesting, that political differences are the root cause of the erosion of our schools?  LOLz.  Ask any teacher what they need to have successful students and a constructive learning environment. With regard to parenting and education, talk to any serious teacher, and ask what the roots causes for academic success are.  I don't believe for a second you don't already know.  There is no need to be pedantic.  You fucking know or are unwilling to acknowledge the reasons out of political expediency or IDK what reasons.

That's cool, i guess.

6 minutes ago, Captainant said:

So let's think for a moment why parents are less involved.... It couldn't be that they're taking on way more hours for less effective pay, and many parents simply don't have bandwidth to raise a  child, that would be crazy talk! That would have to mean that wages have been stagnant relative to inflation and overall economic growth for decades!

Poor parents make for worse childhood opportunity. We have a significantly larger portion of poor with zero social or civil safety nets in place. 

But 401k's are doing great so fuck you I got mine, poor ass bitches! Wreck em!

No.  Excuses.  and I knew you'd chime in with your bullshit.

Income has jack shit to do with character or ability.  It's just the easy response for you.

 

You think a 32 hour work week is some extreme hardship on the individual.  GTFO of here...

Edited March 14 by slorch

[Captainant 27631]

7 minutes ago, slorch said:

No.  Excuses.  and I knew you'd chime in with your bullshit.

Income has jack shit to do with character or ability.  It's just the easy response for you.

Character and ability have jack shit to do with opportunities that children have. That is 100% tied to resources available to the child. 

8 minutes ago, slorch said:

You think a 32 hour work week is some extreme hardship on the individual.  GTFO of here...

Yeah slorch. Lie again you goddamn raider rash scarred taint stain. You keep putting words in my mouth and insisting on things that I haven't posted, but are just the caricature that you have worked up in your head. 

You are lying and misstating things that I have said just so you can knock them down and thump on your chest. It's fucking pathetic and is why you have been enshrined in shaggy/surly lore as a verb. 

[conVINCEd 21469]

5 minutes ago, Captainant said:

Character and ability have jack shit to do with opportunities that children have. That is 100% tied to resources available to the child. 

Yeah slorch. Lie again you goddamn raider rash scarred taint stain. You keep putting words in my mouth and insisting on things that I haven't posted, but are just the caricature that you have worked up in your head. 

You are lying and misstating things that I have said just so you can knock them down and thump on your chest. It's fucking pathetic and is why you have been enshrined in shaggy/surly lore as a verb. 

Put him on ignore.  Most of the  rest of us have already done that.  The only time I see anything he posts is when someone quotes him, so, pretty please, quit doing that.

[tchookem 3900]

No.  Excuses.  and I knew you'd chime in with your bullshit.
Income has jack shit to do with character or ability.  It's just the easy response for you.
 
You think a 32 hour work week is some extreme hardship on the individual.  GTFO of here...

I'm a teacher. While I'd love to have perfect parents sending their perfect kids every day, that isn't the reality. It's also something that I, you, and our state government have zero control over. There is literally nothing anyone can do to solve that problem. I'm not sure why you bother bringing it up. It just sidetracks.

What we do have control over is our state's political approach to education. We control who makes decisions, and we control what they prioritize. One side of that political argument has chosen to sabotage education. I'm honestly not sure why you're both-siding this on something as inconsequential as a message board, but it is pretty frustrating.

[Brian Fantana 6679]

19 minutes ago, slorch said:

Show my work?

You are suggesting, that political differences are the root cause of the erosion of our schools?  LOLz.  Ask any teacher what they need to have successful students and a constructive learning environment. With regard to parenting and education, talk to any serious teacher, and ask what the roots causes for academic success are.  I don't believe for a second you don't already know.  There is no need to be pedantic.  You fucking know or are unwilling to acknowledge the reasons out of political expediency or IDK what reasons.

Me asking you for evidence to back up your claims is not being pedantic. You're the one making the assertion that parenting is the root cause here, I am asking you to back that assertion up with something other than personal anecdotes or feelings. If you refuse to do so in this instance, you're just being completely unserious and I don't know what else to tell you because there is an absolute mountain of empirical data out there to back up what I'm saying.

[Beantown Express 2.0 6559]

This Slorch guy is right. It’s the parents fault for the shitty public school system in Texas and not the Republican run state government of the last 20 plus years.  You know what else is the parents fault.  The Texas power grid failures.  If parents would do a better job then many of the good citizens of the state of Texas wouldn’t have frozen to death in their own homes a few years ago.  Have we started with the, “if we taught more bible and religion in public schools then that would solve all of our education problems” from anyone yet.  I can’t wait for that argument.  

The previous paragraph was mostly sarcastic and fuck anybody that is too stupid to realize that the Republican politicians in Texas have fucked up what was once a great state. 

[safe sex 11696]

Slorch could get a Master's in social work and still blame it all on the parents lmao.

[grazinhorn 472]

5 hours ago, safe sex said:

Slorch could get a Master's in social work and still blame it all on the parents lmao.

Could he, though?  I figure he'd make it 2 semesters before it was just too much.

[SydneyCarton 48054]

8 hours ago, slorch said:

Indeed we as a society are losing.   Zero argument there, but of course the clowns on here go personal.

'Tis the way.

Motherfuckers,  "We have this cat who agrees that this idea is terrible, but he won't buy in on our fucked up (alleged) solutions either, so fuck this idiot.

 

 

7 hours ago, slorch said:

If I have any frustration it is that there is ( by some) an absolute binary mindset.  You buy what we're selling, or you suck...and are very stupid.

Yeah, that's a no from me dawg.

 

The root cause of that decay is parents in general, but where's the political capital in that answer?

 

7 hours ago, slorch said:

Show my work?

You are suggesting, that political differences are the root cause of the erosion of our schools?  LOLz.  Ask any teacher what they need to have successful students and a constructive learning environment. With regard to parenting and education, talk to any serious teacher, and ask what the roots causes for academic success are.  I don't believe for a second you don't already know.  There is no need to be pedantic.  You fucking know or are unwilling to acknowledge the reasons out of political expediency or IDK what reasons.

That's cool, i guess.

No.  Excuses.  and I knew you'd chime in with your bullshit.

Income has jack shit to do with character or ability.  It's just the easy response for you.

 

You think a 32 hour work week is some extreme hardship on the individual.  GTFO of here...

How is bad parenting the root cause of underfunding schools, pushing voucher programs that will rob more money from schools (which will pass next session), vilifying teachers while refusing to give them even. OST of living raises, replacing counselors with chaplains, firing librarians, and a dozen other things the fault of bad parenting?

[TwiceHorn 31438]

The topic of the thread is GQP diversion of public education funds to private hands. 

This is mostly unprecedented, although they have been nibbling at the edges of it for years. 

Sure, public education has been deteriorating for some years now and there has been semi legitimate debate over how to improve it. And I suppose mistakes have been made on #bothsides. 

But there is only one side right now trying to defund public education in favor of private education. Trying to excuse that by saying it's a bigger problem is just... I don't know what it is. 

I suppose you can try to argue that vouchers is just another way of distributing funds, which has always been an issue in this problem. 

But particularly with the pro-theocratic background that umderlies everything emanating from the Texas GQP these days, it seems completely fair to be extremely skeptical of the whole thing, to the point of condemnation. 

Edited March 14 by TwiceHorn

[SydneyCarton 48054]

16 minutes ago, TwiceHorn said:

The topic of the thread is GQP diversion of public education funds to private hands. 

This is mostly unprecedented, although they have been nibbling at the edges of it for years. 

Sure, public education has been deteriorating for some years now and there has been semi legitimate debate over how to improve it. And I suppose mistakes have been made on #bothsides. 

But there is only one side right now trying to defund public education in favor of private education. Trying to excuse that by saying it's a bigger problem is just... I don't know what it is. 

I suppose you can try to argue that vouchers is just another way of distributing funds, which has always been an issue in this problem. 

But particularly with the pro-theocratic background that umderlies everything emanating from the Texas GQP these days, it seems completely fair to be extremely skeptical of the whole thing, to the point of condemnation. 

Slorch is even condemning the behavior of republicans for this behavior on the thread while also saying the behavior isn’t their fault, or their behavior isn’t a problem. While he’s condemning it. 

[WBT 20561]

2 hours ago, SydneyCarton said:

pushing voucher programs that will rob more money from schools (which will pass next session)

we'll see

[SydneyCarton 48054]

1 hour ago, WBT said:

we'll see

That it will pass? Or that it will rob money? 
 

Abbot and Paxtons primary war was won. Others will get in line, or retire. Hell they’ll probably be able to repeal tenure at Texas colleges as well. 

Edited March 14 by SydneyCarton

[HenryJames 66037]

CNN — 

The Republican nominee for superintendent overseeing North Carolina’s public schools and its $11 billion budget has a history marked by extreme and controversial comments, including sharing baseless conspiracy theories and frequent calls for the execution of prominent Democrats.

Michele Morrow, a conservative activist who last week upset the incumbent Superintendent of Public Instruction in North Carolina’s Republican primary, expressed support in 2020 for the televised execution of former President Barack Obama and suggested killing then-President-elect Joe Biden.

 

https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/14/politics/kfile-gop-nominee-north-carolina-public-schools-michele-morrow-executing-democrats/index.html

[Captainant 27631]

2 minutes ago, HenryJames said:

CNN — 

The Republican nominee for superintendent overseeing North Carolina’s public schools and its $11 billion budget has a history marked by extreme and controversial comments, including sharing baseless conspiracy theories and frequent calls for the execution of prominent Democrats.

Michele Morrow, a conservative activist who last week upset the incumbent Superintendent of Public Instruction in North Carolina’s Republican primary, expressed support in 2020 for the televised execution of former President Barack Obama and suggested killing then-President-elect Joe Biden.

 

https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/14/politics/kfile-gop-nominee-north-carolina-public-schools-michele-morrow-executing-democrats/index.html

Damn those dirty Democrats for forcing those godly Republicans into fascism!! [/Slorch]

[atomheartbevo 89626]

19 hours ago, Captainant said:

Holy shit I forgot about that lmfao. The most unexpected canonical aggy

It’s literally on the wall.

[tchookem 3900]

Because it's oh-so-easy to just chase off and replace 120 principals. I mean, unless you plan to replace them with incompetent lackeys.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C4a_hc0IanP/?igsh=MWZ1azZ3bHMybHJ2dg==

[tx 3 putt 76869]

1 minute ago, tchookem said:

Because it's oh-so-easy to just fire and replace 120 principals. I mean, unless you plan to replace them with incompetent lackeys.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C4a_hc0IanP/?igsh=MWZ1azZ3bHMybHJ2dg==

no principals, no teachers, no Liberians, just shut it down. Let a charter school rent the campus 

[Brisketexan 105061]

no principals, no teachers, no Liberians, just shut it down. Let a charter school rent the campus 

Ding ding ding.

[Captainant 27631]

5 minutes ago, tx 3 putt said:

no principals, no teachers, no Liberians, just shut it down. Let a charter school rent the campus 

And let the private equity firm thats partially owned by the donors for the fuckers killing our school system collect the rent on teaching our children. 

Monetize everything. Everything should be ran like a business right??? Profit is always more important than education. 

[tx 3 putt 76869]

Just now, Captainant said:

And let the private equity firm thats partially owned by the donors for the fuckers killing our school system collect the rent on teaching our children. 

Monetize everything. Everything should be ran like a business right??? Profit is always more important than education. 

those two texas billionaires have a curriculum ready to go  

[Biff Tannen 45665]

15 hours ago, TwiceHorn said:

The topic of the thread is GQP diversion of public education funds to private hands. 

This is mostly unprecedented, although they have been nibbling at the edges of it for years. 

Sure, public education has been deteriorating for some years now and there has been semi legitimate debate over how to improve it. And I suppose mistakes have been made on #bothsides. 

But there is only one side right now trying to defund public education in favor of private education. Trying to excuse that by saying it's a bigger problem is just... I don't know what it is. 

I suppose you can try to argue that vouchers is just another way of distributing funds, which has always been an issue in this problem. 

But particularly with the pro-theocratic background that umderlies everything emanating from the Texas GQP these days, it seems completely fair to be extremely skeptical of the whole thing, to the point of condemnation. 

Are you saying you've come upon a situation you can't argue your way out of?  Is this a first for you counselor?  

[Biff Tannen 45665]

6 minutes ago, Captainant said:

And let the private equity firm thats partially owned by the donors for the fuckers killing our school system collect the rent on teaching our children. 

Monetize everything. Everything should be ran like a business right??? Profit is always more important than education. 

This is the most accurate statement of how Republicans view economics and pretty much any world view.  Can we find a way for someone to make money off it, despite any other consequences it might bring?  Make it happen.  

[Brisketexan 105061]

And let the private equity firm thats partially owned by the donors for the fuckers killing our school system collect the rent on teaching our children. 
Monetize everything. Everything should be ran like a business right??? Profit is always more important than education. 

Two classes of schools:
1) Christofascist schools to teach/indoctrinate the children of the favored class into future leadership roles in the Handmaids Tale world to follow.
2) For-profit enterprises that “educate” the rest, focused 100X more on doing the job on the cheap (thus increasing profits to funnel to the political donors who run said schools) than on educating anyone. Those kids need to learn just enough to be reasonably useful wage slaves, producing profits for their masters.

That’s the plan. They haven’t kept it secret.

[SydneyCarton 48054]

9 hours ago, Biff Tannen said:

This is the most accurate statement of how Republicans view economics and pretty much any world view.  Can we find a way for someone to make money off it, despite any other consequences it might bring?  Make it happen.  

I’d say that used to be the plan.  Now there is a very healthy percent that choose christofascism over profits. True believers. 

[WBT 20561]

21 hours ago, SydneyCarton said:

That it will pass? Or that it will rob money? 
 

Abbot and Paxtons primary war was won. Others will get in line, or retire. Hell they’ll probably be able to repeal tenure at Texas colleges as well. 

That they'll have the votes

[Fudge Nuggets 19188]

9 hours ago, Captainant said:

And let the private equity firm thats partially owned by the donors for the fuckers killing our school system collect the rent on teaching our children. 

Monetize everything. Everything should be ran like a business right??? Profit is always more important than education. 

There’s probably a FRED graph that shows this.

[DigglerontheHoof 21176]

It seems like these psychos are making execution comments about Biden daily.  Does this not concern the secret service?  That's okay to do now?  Really makes you think Biden might not be that secure. 

[Biff Tannen 45665]

2 hours ago, DigglerontheHoof said:

It seems like these psychos are making execution comments about Biden daily.  Does this not concern the secret service?  That's okay to do now?  Really makes you think Biden might not be that secure. 

I think we may see this come to fruition, at least an attempt, regardless of who wins the election.  Bang up job America.

[TexasEd 8066]

On 3/12/2024 at 1:55 PM, tchookem said:

I know we're on the same side of this fight, but don't accuse the Dems of dropping the ball regarding messaging. You're falling into the both sides suck trap.

There's plenty of compelling messaging from the Dems, it's just falling on deaf ears.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C0fTfUYNiTK/?igsh=MTlsOXprdHN1MnN1cQ==

One side has billionaires bribing the governor and bankrolling flipping the legislature to do their will with dishonest messaging about "School Choice" which should be "Private subsidies" and the other side is a bunch of small loosely aligned school districts that get sued by the cross eyed AG when they advocate for what is best to their constituents.