Texas Education Agency will take control of Houston ISD

If you have your **** together, you can make 100K-plus eventually as a:

Plumber
Welder
Electrician
Carpenter
Ranchworker
Whatever....

 

I know there's maybe not the same level as in the City (I don't know why) but you can get a job with some training up here anytime you want.

Real workers (not idiots, not those guys) are in high, high demand

 

What do you think about big government stripping power from locally and democratically elected officials for the performance of one school?

Should Biden be able to strip Abbott of his seat of power?

 

All I can say, and frankly hope for, is that a whole bunch of communities are not going to put up with being told what to do by dipshits in the Legislature. I can just about guarantee you that Blanco/Burnet counties will not tolerate that crap.

So, we'll see. If you can't do it in one place, how is it legal to do it in another? I imagine there will be federal lawsuits about HISD, and I imagine that Paxton will have to spend tax money on that (instead of on his own multiple federal and state indictments)

 

I don't live in Texas and I don't know anything about the situation nor do I care. I'm not the person to ask.

 

You had an opinion on TX/FL/CA/NY, right?

Which one *do* you live in and know things about? I might need to know in case I want to ask.

 

30 years ago when I went to Lamar (yes I’m old) HISD was considered in the upswing and Lamar was the flagship. It had one of the first IB programs in the country and a highly regarded Magnet program. It’s really sad to see how HISD has declined and now it is becoming just another political football in the culture driven politics of the day.

 

I currently reside in Florida. Before that, I lived in GA. I detested the backwards governance of that state. Instead of endlessly b****ing about it, I left.

And I don't follow the silly drama of this state. DeSantis can do whatever he wants with his war on liberals. As long as he continues to make this state business friendly, I am good.

 

Didn't white German business owners think that about the Nazis? "I don't care about their Jews rhetoric but as long as they protect Aryan business ventures, I'm fine".

Banality of evil is this type of appeasement of fascist tendencies because "business is good". Anyways "business being" good is always a short term thing that usually implies another group of people being ****ed over who eventually will bite you in the ass because ignored their concerns long enough to the point that pent up frustration turns violent.

 

How democratic of you...anyways...the culture war he's waging in Florida isn't very business friendly. Tell that crap to Disney, I'm sure they'll be throwing money at the Dems next election cycle.

 

Lucky for you, you don't live in FL. Worry about your own state if you're so inclined.

 

Hmm but DeSantis is a national figure at this point who is a tone setter in national discourse of national issues.

Do you think Ronny is increasing the intellectual level of discourse in this nation or decreasing the level of intellectual discourse?

 

I'll speak on whatever subject I deem fit. You do a lot of double talking so there's no point in wasting anymore of my time with you.

 

I went to Lamar in the early 2000s and the school was a stark illustration of HISD: the difference between the IB program and the "regular" classes was night and day. It was like two schools on one campus. The only way kids from either side interacted was through extracurriculars. I can't imagine how much more stratified it is now.

 

That said and still in effect, I actually hope I'm wrong and the appointed board is actually more capable of overseeing HISD. We've had problems in the HISD board, with corruption and a lack of professionalism, and of course a rash of issues in the district on equity and on compliance. It's not that I don't want to see these things fixed. I just have no confidence that the Ed Commissioner's approach is the path to get us there. But, since that's apparently what they're going to do to us, I hope it works.

While I don't really trust the Republicans on this one -- they are simultaneously trying to do away with the property tax funding mechanism for public schools and creating a private school voucher system to syphon kids away from the public school system, and the takeover could just be another strategem to consolidate control over k-12 education at the state level -- we should also remember HISD has already had corruption problems (and recently resulting convictions) of its own.

They are getting more and more terrible, but I've never lived in CA or NY so I can't go back. I'm as Texan as anybody, but my interests are steamrolled in Austin. The autonomy of local government had been the saving grace of single-party rule at the state level, but Abbott has been on a quest to strip power from local government and consolidate all power at the state level.

If you have your **** together, you can make 100K doing a lot of different things. Having your **** together is the hard part!

 

You don't care about big government deciding to take away local government's right to elect their own representatives? Can you ever just answer a question honestly?

Again, should Biden be able to strip Abbott of his seat of power? Yes or no.

 

Maybe Biden should pull a Reagan and pass a bill like the National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984. Any state that doesn't agree would lose infrastructure funding up to 50% if they choose to enact laws that restrict LBGTQ, minorities, books, education, and abortion. I'll leave it at that because I don't wanna derail this thread any further.

 

I answered your question honestly. I do not know what's happening in Texas. Do I trust your interpretation? Hell no. Again, I really don't care to take the time to figure out what is going on to simply be 'informed' and give me the opportunity to rant and rage over something that doesn't affect me.

Biden doesn't have the authority to strip Abbott of his seat. It's not a yes or no question.

IMO, the POTUS should not be allowed to remove a governor if the power should ever be granted. But this has absolutely nothing to do with what is going on in Texas. Your question is a red herring.

 

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner projects TEA will control HISD for seven years
Turner's seven-year prediction breaks TEA's rumored timeline of three to five years.

By Kennedy SessionsJune 26, 2023


Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner predicts the Texas Education Agency's state overhaul of the district could last seven years as opposed to TEA official's three to five-year estimate.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner says the Texas Education Agency's state intervention in Houston Independent School District could last for seven years and described it as a "long-term occupation" in a series of tweets over the weekend.

"Based on what I am reading it seems the State intends to take over HISD for the next 7 years. This raises even more questions," Turner tweeted.

Turner then appeared to refer HISD Superintendent Mike Miles' plan to selectively reconstitute 29 schools in the district as well as their feeder campuses.

"The State takeover of HISD is not about one school or 30 schools," Turner wrote. "This is a concerted attempt to take over public education in the largest district and those who run it while intentionally side stepping some schools which they dare not touch. This is a long term occupation," Turner said.

Turner's predictions come after a state-appointed HISD board of managers approved Miles's $2.2 billion budget for the 2023-2024 school year last week. His reconstitution plan, dubbed the "New Education Systems" comes with a $19.7 million tag. Under NES, teachers are paid an average salary of $75,000 to $80,000 with $10,000 stipends and must reapply for their positions.

The 29 schools include Wheatley, Kashmere, and North Forest. Many of those targeted by NES are Black and Latino majority campuses. Once hired, teachers at those campuses will have support staff, including "teacher apprentices" and "coaches" who are in charge of non-instructional duties, which Miles notes is part of a "hospital model" where the teacher is similar to the doctor and only focuses on giving instruction. Under Miles' NES plan, librarians will also be cut from the 29 feeder schools.