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Post by Merge on May 6, 2015 22:43:00 GMT
Posted by a FB friend.  Attachments:
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twinsmomfla99
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,992 
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Post by twinsmomfla99 on May 6, 2015 22:45:47 GMT
I might have to steal that for Facebook!  |
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Post by christine58 on May 6, 2015 23:19:40 GMT
Oh no...what's going on?? Merge When do you get to move?? |
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katybee
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,378
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Post by katybee on May 6, 2015 23:21:40 GMT
What now? Should I even google?
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conchita
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,141
Jul 1, 2014 11:25:58 GMT
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Post by conchita on May 6, 2015 23:24:10 GMT
Jade Helm 15?
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Post by Merge on May 6, 2015 23:26:37 GMT
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katybee
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,378
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Post by katybee on May 6, 2015 23:41:46 GMT
Yeah – I don't know how much longer I will be teaching in Texas. The legislature seems determined to completely unravel the public education system. So depressing…
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Post by annaintx on May 7, 2015 0:14:00 GMT
I hadn't seen that voucher thing yet. I'm so angry I can't see straight.
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Post by greenlegume on May 7, 2015 0:22:55 GMT
Yeah – I don't know how much longer I will be teaching in Texas. The legislature seems determined to completely unravel the public education system. So depressing… This makes me sad. I started my teaching career in Texas, and had always hoped to return someday. The state of education is beyond depressing. I finally had to give it up 2 years ago, despite being nowhere near retirement age. I'm in a different state and things are just as bad or worse. The stress was going to do me in. I miss my kids, but I don't miss any of the rest of it.  |
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Post by mollycoddle on May 7, 2015 0:59:32 GMT
<--- is suddenly feeling better about Ohio. I hope that Texas comes to its senses.
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Post by karen on May 7, 2015 1:08:57 GMT
You nailed it!
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bandjmom
Full Member
Posts: 197
Jun 25, 2014 23:28:19 GMT
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Post by bandjmom on May 7, 2015 1:21:03 GMT
Plenty of monkeys loose in our statehouse, too, but I am truly LOL at that graphic.
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Post by kellybelly77 on May 7, 2015 2:41:30 GMT
I feel the same way about Kansas everyday. I want to go at least one week without the national news picking up on all the crazy happening in our statehouse. Is that too much to ask? It would seem so.....
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mjmone
Full Member
Posts: 441
Jul 3, 2014 2:58:29 GMT
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Post by mjmone on May 7, 2015 3:20:18 GMT
wow, is the Chronicle your only source for local news? not exactly neutral language in that article. For those outside of Texas who aren't sure what the law is, try this link... link |
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Post by greenlegume on May 7, 2015 3:26:35 GMT
wow, is the Chronicle your only source for local news? not exactly neutral language in that article. For those outside of Texas who aren't sure what the law is, try this link... linkWow, do you not understand that it's an op/ed piece? |
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stittsygirl
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,581
Location: In the leaves and rain.
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Post by stittsygirl on May 7, 2015 3:30:39 GMT
We've enjoyed it here for the most part, and really have had excellent teachers, but I'm so glad we're leaving soon.
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PLurker
Prolific Pea
Posts: 9,749
Location: Behind the Cheddar Curtain
Jun 28, 2014 3:48:49 GMT
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Post by PLurker on May 7, 2015 4:32:30 GMT
Sorry about the mess in Texas, but thanks for the laugh. That meme had me laughing out loud with no one in the room besides dog and he want to know what the hell is wrong with me...
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Post by Merge on May 7, 2015 10:51:59 GMT
wow, is the Chronicle your only source for local news? not exactly neutral language in that article. For those outside of Texas who aren't sure what the law is, try this link... linkI'm sorry; I wasn't aware that I needed to pair a hard news piece with the funny meme I posted previously. There's actually a lot more to the senate bills than is outlined in the short blurb you posted. In this case, the op-ed piece is a more complete and accurate story, heated language notwithstanding. The bit that is really important is the part where people could opt their tax money out of the public school system and send it to the private (religious) one. Any people. With or without kids in the system. The article you posted doesn't mention that at all. |
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Post by gypsymama on May 7, 2015 10:59:10 GMT
i love love love with every ounce of my being, being a texan, i'm also VERY glad that on june 3rd i will be leaving.
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Post by anxiousmom on May 7, 2015 11:29:24 GMT
I live in a state that is not well known for it's education system, in a county that is consistently rated at the bottom for that state.
I am grateful every single day for the teachers that work in that system to do the best they can within that system to educate my children-and as far as I am concerned, they have done an amazing job within all the crazy ass rules Florida has established.
I am also incredibly grateful for the fact that my last kid will be out of school at the end of next year. Then I won't have to spend my days worrying about what else my crazy ass legislature will come up with next.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Jun 2, 2024 11:50:49 GMT
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Post by Deleted on May 7, 2015 12:15:08 GMT
I find that so sad. When I started writing curriculum for a textbook company about 10 years ago, Texas was the leader in the country for science education. Their standards were incredibly good, and Texas science teachers were known for their innovative, creative, and successful teaching methods. Many of those teachers are still there, but the state has dismantled the support system.
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Post by kamper on May 7, 2015 12:32:05 GMT
Yep. What's really awful is that so many people (many of my friends) seem just oblivious to what is going on. What about Rep. Taylor's move to outlaw insurers from covering abortion? He says its a bill about choice. Hmm, what if I don't want to pay for someone's treatment for a condition caused by lifestyle choices?
That blog post had so many great lines:
"This is what happens when you place a mildly deranged radio host in a state’s most powerful elected office." Patrick is a nutbar IMHO.
"Christian madrassas," "results don’t matter in politics."
I receive the Chronicle every day but, I rarely read the blog. I may have to add it to my feed.
As a Republican I just feel so frustrated that these right wing loonies are taking over the party.
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twinsmomfla99
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,992
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Post by twinsmomfla99 on May 7, 2015 12:43:02 GMT
People that support this kind of bill think it is a "good" thing to have kids in religious schools, which I guess really is all good if it is "your" religion.
But what happens when the religious school is teaching Islamic principles? Are these Christian fundamentalists going to be okay with that? If you allow Christians to fund their schools by taking their tax dollars away from public schools to fund Christian schools, then Muslims will be allowed to do the same.
I wonder how long it will be until we see an uproar over "public" money being used to fund schools that promote jihad.
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Post by Merge on May 7, 2015 12:55:43 GMT
People that support this kind of bill think it is a "good" thing to have kids in religious schools, which I guess really is all good if it is "your" religion. But what happens when the religious school is teaching Islamic principles? Are these Christian fundamentalists going to be okay with that? If you allow Christians to fund their schools by taking their tax dollars away from public schools to fund Christian schools, then Muslims will be allowed to do the same. I wonder how long it will be until we see an uproar over "public" money being used to fund schools that promote jihad. I want to say that I have nothing against private religious schools. If that is the type of education you prefer for your child, rock on. I do have an issue with channeling tax money to schools that are not required to teach every student, regardless of ability, behavior, parental involvement, or other factors. I have an issue with channeling tax money to schools that aren't required to pay teachers a living wage, or teach the state educational standards, or comply with federal law around special education and anti-discrimination. But the biggest issue I have is that all of this has come about because our legislature has approved the creation of mandatory tests designed to "prove" that schools are failing, systematically and purposefully cut funding to schools while increasing requirements, devalued the teaching profession to the point where good teachers leave the profession, failed to address the real cause of differences in student achievement, and generally set about to destroy public education. Based on my purely anecdotal experience, I think there are a fair number of people whose decision to designate their property tax money to the voucher fund would have nothing to do with wanting to promote religious education. Rather, it would be done out of a desire to stick it to "Obama's schools" (or the liberal's schools). Our circus, our monkeys indeed. |
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Gravity
Pearl Clutcher
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Jun 27, 2014 0:29:55 GMT
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Post by Gravity on May 7, 2015 13:04:46 GMT
I live in a state that is not well known for it's education system, in a county that is consistently rated at the bottom for that state. I am grateful every single day for the teachers that work in that system to do the best they can within that system to educate my children-and as far as I am concerned, they have done an amazing job within all the crazy ass rules Florida has established. I am also incredibly grateful for the fact that my last kid will be out of school at the end of next year. Then I won't have to spend my days worrying about what else my crazy ass legislature will come up with next. Even though you will not have a child in school, you still need to worry about the state of our schools. These schools are educating the future leaders of your community, state, and nation. |
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Post by Merge on May 7, 2015 13:06:49 GMT
I also want to add - we have generally been very happy with our kids' schools here and the education they receive. I am generally happy with my teaching job. BUT I will be the first to admit that we've been very, very lucky to have the time and means to work within our district's magnet system to choose schools that emphasize creativity and real learning, and de-emphasize test prep. If we were stuck in our neighborhood schools I would have a very different story to tell about Texas public education.
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Post by anxiousmom on May 7, 2015 13:11:05 GMT
I live in a state that is not well known for it's education system, in a county that is consistently rated at the bottom for that state. I am grateful every single day for the teachers that work in that system to do the best they can within that system to educate my children-and as far as I am concerned, they have done an amazing job within all the crazy ass rules Florida has established. I am also incredibly grateful for the fact that my last kid will be out of school at the end of next year. Then I won't have to spend my days worrying about what else my crazy ass legislature will come up with next. Even though you will not have a child in school, you still need to worry about the state of our schools. These schools are educating the future leaders of your community, state, and nation. True enough...maybe I should have said the day to day worry about the craziness...for example this week. From 7 am to 11 am every morning this week and next, the kids are sitting in homeroom. The rest of the day follows the normal schedule, but abbreviated time blocks. This is being done because of testing, both AP tests, EOC (end of class) exams and other state tests. So for four hours a day, these kids are sitting in a class room with no assignments, no work, no nothing. The are told to use the time as a study hall of sorts if they want, but for the most part, there is no real work happening. Not during that time period, nor during the truncated class time through the rest of the day. That is the kind of day to day stuff that makes me crazy. |
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twinsmomfla99
Pearl Clutcher
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Post by twinsmomfla99 on May 7, 2015 13:16:57 GMT
People that support this kind of bill think it is a "good" thing to have kids in religious schools, which I guess really is all good if it is "your" religion. But what happens when the religious school is teaching Islamic principles? Are these Christian fundamentalists going to be okay with that? If you allow Christians to fund their schools by taking their tax dollars away from public schools to fund Christian schools, then Muslims will be allowed to do the same. I wonder how long it will be until we see an uproar over "public" money being used to fund schools that promote jihad. I want to say that I have nothing against private religious schools. If that is the type of education you prefer for your child, rock on. I do have an issue with channeling tax money to schools that are not required to teach every student, regardless of ability, behavior, parental involvement, or other factors. I have an issue with channeling tax money to schools that aren't required to pay teachers a living wage, or teach the state educational standards, or comply with federal law around special education and anti-discrimination. But the biggest issue I have is that all of this has come about because our legislature has approved the creation of mandatory tests designed to "prove" that schools are failing, systematically and purposefully cut funding to schools while increasing requirements, devalued the teaching profession to the point where good teachers leave the profession, failed to address the real cause of differences in student achievement, and generally set about to destroy public education. Based on my purely anecdotal experience, I think there are a fair number of people whose decision to designate their property tax money to the voucher fund would have nothing to do with wanting to promote religious education. Rather, it would be done out of a desire to stick it to "Obama's schools" (or the liberal's schools). Our circus, our monkeys indeed. I certainly agree with you on those points, Merge. I have no problem with private religious schooling either, but the whole system seems to be rigged against public schools these days. The testing is required to prove they are achieving, but the ridiculous amount of time devoted to testing is taken away from the most important piece of the achievement puzzle--instructional time in the classroom. Private schools already have the benefit of having more "motivated" students (i.e. students whose parents have made their children's education a priority and are willing to pay for it), but they also do not have to devote so much classroom time to test preparation and administration. Then the powers-that-be compare their results with that of the public schools and declare the private schools the "winners" in the race for funding. The last year I taught was 2011-12. I counted the number of instructional days that were "lost" to things like benchmark testing each quarter and the final tests at the end of the year: 18 days in all for the standardized tests, plus another 7 days for DRA testing to gather data about students who needed formal intervention to raise their test scores. It was INSANE! Of course, since the new tests were being done in the computer lab, we had to spend time practicing with the technology so their scores would not be impacted by not knowing how to use the programs. That meant that all the third through fifth grade students monopolized the labs so the younger students never had an opportunity to use all the great technology that the county had purchased. In other words, all that money was spent to support testing, NOT instruction. It was so frustrating to see the impact that high-stakes testing had on our school. I never thought I would be happy about not being a teacher, but I am honestly so glad I left the profession. And that makes me sad. I hate being so conflicted. |
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Post by compwalla on May 7, 2015 13:22:49 GMT
It is upsetting. One of my obligations as an SDEC committeewoman is to sit on legislative committees that monitor the bills coming through the TX legislature and craft the Democratic party's official position on the bill. I also communicate those positions with the party members in my senate district and encourage them to work through their county members to contact their legislators to communicate their support or opposition, as applicable. You would be gobsmacked at the absolute and utter craziness that is passing through the legislature. This is a direct result of abysmal voter participation in Texas. A sliver of nutjobs has been able to stay motivated to show up and vote and this is how the insane have been able to take over the asylum. My challenge to reasonable Texans (on any spot in the political spectrum, left or right or middle) is to involve yourself at a level above inactive despair. Not everyone can do everything but everyone can do something. Contact your county chair, see what there is to be done. I spent last Saturday at a summit meeting of the West Texas Coalition of Democrats where I worked with other members of SDEC, county chairs, activists, and elected officials to craft a plan to increase voter engagement and candidate recruitment across 55 West Texas counties. Our plan is to increase engagement from the bottom up by increasing support of local candidates. Support in the form of help with messaging, communication, networking, etc. It was a really productive summit and since there is no place to go but UP, we are hopeful for the future. It will not happen overnight and it will not happen unless more people in the middle and towards the left get brave, stand up, and tell the nutters they cannot keep running things. |
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pudgygroundhog
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Posts: 4,643
Location: The Grand Canyon
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Post by pudgygroundhog on May 7, 2015 13:27:21 GMT
Wow - that is really disheartening. I'm sorry.  NY state has its own share of issues, but so far I've been happy with my daughter's education (although she is only in second grade - plenty of time for that to change!). It's a shame the turn education has taken and the loss of so many great teachers. Most people I know who leave the profession do so because of administration, red tape, etc. The kids are losing out. |
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NY state has its own share of issues, but so far I've been happy with my daughter's education (although she is only in second grade - plenty of time for that to change!).