Those Damn Mormons....

 I have a friend of mine who always refers to the members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints as " Those Damn Mormons."

The thing is, he's Mormon. 

I've known him for at least 65 years. 

So, a former student of mine contacted me about those damn Baptists in Mid-county. It seems that one of the First Baptists down there pastor had a sermon in which he said that 
" The Mormons are going to Hell." 

The most sincere Bible study I have ever had was with Mormons. 

They're going to beat you to death, because they unlike most of you, have actually studied the Bible.  

Only 13% of people who call themselves Christians in America have read the entire Bible cover to cover.....Oh, you may have read the Christmas story during the holidays out of the Gospel of Luke, some of you might have read the dirty parts out of the Old Testament.  ( I am telling you if I ever pastored a church and I'd be fired about the first week, I'd send all the young people out and preach my first sermon on the Song of Solomon. )

And if you actually talk to one, their concept of salvation is pretty much the same as everyone else's.  

Now I know everyone gets all hung up with them and that " Third Book" but I've spent a lifetime debating them over it and well, neither one of us get very far...... And I unlike most of you have read that book, more than once. And as a former student of mine who is now a M.D. and LDS said concerning our discussions. "We'll just agree to disagree. "
 

Now, I come from this in a different viewpoint than most of you. I grew up with Mormons. A lot of Mormons. I don't know why, ( I know why) I gravitated towards the Mormon kids that I taught. Always have. I know what makes them tick. I understand their humor, I feel comfortable around them....I still have a love of fruity like drinks like Orange Crush and IBC Cherry....But I still am a coffee, tea drinker. Always will be.   

I don't know about you, but you don't know what is in someone's heart. You really don't know what God's grace is going to entail. 

You better be careful,  when I was in SWBTS seminary there was a serious study by the Southern Baptists in which they concluded that only about half the people in the pews on every Sunday actually might be under God's grace. ( Saved) 

The study of course was quashed by the powers-that-be.  

Afraid of losing that tithe......Damn Baptists.  

 

 

 

 

Buna Schools, Those Darn Tests, Looks Like We Got Lucky, Blog Email

 After listening to Country music for about 2 hours, all of a sudden the computer decided, Kerry, you need to listen to Alice-in-Chains....Okay.....

-Buna Schools 

In the last well, 96 hours, I have received even more messages from people concerning Buna Schools, the tax rate, and concerns about just what their kids are learning....

A couple of ex-students on mine who have their kids in Buna are worried about their kids going to high school. One is really concerned about their child being being prepared for university. I know I looked at my class as one even if you were not going as soon as you graduate from Buna, you may go, 3-5-10-15 years from now. 

I wanted Buna kids to show they were as bright, if not brighter than most kids sitting in a college classroom.  

You know, in 2025, I am not sure if you can even do that anymore with the changes in society. 

I've had people just dump on me concerning the schools because, as one explained..." I need to tell someone." 

And that's fine, first rule of pastoral counseling, is " Just listening." 

- Ancestry

I have been surprised at how close the latest run and my research on " Family Search" has been. Scotland, West Midlands of England, Wales, Acadiana is where my people originated from according to what I have found in genealogy. And dadgum, this run was dead-on. 

BTW- Some of you know, but my family surname a couple of generations ago was not Thomas. I'll write a blog about it one day. When I was a kid, my parents, uncles, aunts did not want the story told. I think because their grandfather was the one change his name under nefarious circumstances. And every one of them loved their grandfather.  

-Lucky

Man, you better thank Jesus, or whatever deity you pray to. Looks like no hurricane threats this year to anyplace in the Gulf. And with cool/cold fronts starting to come through, the threat looks less and less.

I ain't kidding, I am still not right from Harvey.  

-Future Blogs 

Going to have a couple of future blogs you may not care for....Also, will write a blog concerning an incident with a former student that I often think about. ( Just for you Mr. Vaughn.) It shows you what kind of a "Hell on Earth" some of your students face. I tear up thinking about it. 

-- Blog Email

If you want to email me rather than send a message through Facebook. Here is an email I have set for the blog. 

As always, all information, correspondence, is kept anonymous. 

thegovteach.deaux@gmail.com 

  

 

 

 

 

  

 

Holy Buna ISD Tax Rate Batman!

 Again, this is being written under the influence of 70s Rock....Particularly, Led Zep....Kashmir, Lemon Song, Whole Lotta Love, Black Dog, D'yer Mak'er....." I don't know, but I've been told, a big legged woman ain't got no soul...."

If I may speak like Robin from the old campy Batman TV show from the 1960s......

I get up and take a look at the numbers readership on the blog, and I'm just stunned. Large reads. 

As I was reminded yesterday, I can say stuff that most folks can't and there is a great fear of retaliation, by residents, especially against their kids in school.  And don't tell me otherwise. 

When you fear a government entity, well,  things need to change.....And people somehow see a school district differently. It isn't a big warm fuzzy. 

It is the largest taxing entity in the county. Near as I can tell,( I've not used that idiom ever in the blog) it is that way in all 254 Texas counties.  

And somehow mentally, many see it as a benign agency.....And I am thinking it is because children are involved.  People you sit with on the church pews. 

But don't pay those taxes to the benign agency( the school district) and they'll take your home away. 

The year I graduated from university, I got stuck in a 300 level class on local governments.  It was a class offered in the Government Department ( Years ago, it was called "Government," not Political Science as it is today in most colleges)and I needed 3 hours to obtain my teacher's certificate in order to teach government. The guy who taught made us open our eyes at what local governments really were. Not all bad, of course, but we as citizens need to keep an eye on what is going on. 

Yesterday, and last evening, my message box filled up with people writing me about the school. I even sent me the budget for Jasper County, Buna ISD for me to go over. I am going to send it on someone on "staff" who reads these things better than me to go over and tell me what I am missing.  

Some people were shocked that I " went there."  

So, Kerry, Kerry Don, Govteach, Mr. Thomas.....Where we going here? 

I'm going to have to start looking at tax rates, budgets, spread sheets etc. for future blogs. 

The blog is going to do some deep dive research over the next few weeks, months, talk to some folks, and see what I come up with.....

Who knows, I may have to leave the country........Make it Scotland.....Or Ireland....I'll go willingly, happily...... 

Okay, I am going to TRY and go back into a short sabbatical......Maybe look at buying a corduroy sports jacket. Maybe one with elbow patches. The Lord knows I try and dress like I taught school or sum-thin' one time or another... 

On a side note, I may need to set up an email for the blog. I am getting so many messages they are messing up Facebook private messages. I think I have read them all at this point however. We'll let you know about the email. It might be something I need to put at the bottom of every blog I write. ( Please do not stop sending messages. I read every one and most have a lot of great information)

 

 

Buna ISD and High Property Taxes....

 I had not expected to write this, and I am up this morning blasting 70s Rock in the computer room like I am still in high school.( My friend Jo Beth will be proud of me, I'm listing to partly to the British band Trapeze. ).... I am expecting St. Deborah to come in and tell me to turn it down....Nah, we have a noise-making " White Noise" machine in the master bedroom sounds like a Boeing 777 taking off....

But I digress.....

Last night the Buna ISD's Board of Trustees met, and it was discovered that the Buna ISD had a surplus of $2.3 million, which can neither go to students or teachers.....The money will go towards paying down debt...Which is not a bad thing.  

I am assuming keep this up and debt will be paid off....Or not......Schools are bad about spending " other people's money" and incurring other debt. 

Trouble is, you folks in Buna ISD are paying more in property taxes than the "rich folks" over in Hardin County at Lumberton ISD....

I've been told that allegedly, the school taxes are so high in Jasper County that Commissioner's Court can't raise taxes for roads, bridges, law enforcement.....And I've driven down many of your county roads, they are a mishmash of potholes and patches. 

I taught in a district in which there was a property tax election to roll back taxes....The school used scare tactics saying we'll have to drop, football, band, ag classes......The rollback passed and nothing changed....Some ambitious soul might want to do some research and see if that is still possible, or even feasible. 

Or not....... 

Just saying..... 

Psychologically, Get Ready......

 Not going to lie, had a hard time spelling the title this morning.....I have a mental block with the spelling of certain words, but alas( I need to start using that word more, sounds Victorian/Edwardian) I carry on....

We are about to have a war. 

Perhaps two wars at once. 

One with Iran, on October 1, the US Air Force moved 12 refueling tankers to Qatar. Fighter jets, U.S. Navy vessels are being positioned towards the Middle East. 

As many of you know, I read at least 6 British newspapers a day, and a lot of other European English language publications. German, French, Italian.... They're convinced Israel, the U.S. are going to war with Iran.  

When? 

It could be tomorrow......Or next month.......Or several months. 

Iran is ready this time and may use their more modern rockets instead of "old stock" they used last time against Haifa and Tel Aviv.  

Then two, we are making saber rattling towards Venezuela.  We already sunk a Venezuelan ship that the U.S. claimed was transporting narcotics. 

Claimed. 

They are talking about "Boots on the ground" in Caracas.  

I am wondering if this is to take our mind off the economy? 

I hope I am wrong.  

 

Tout Quelque Chose....Buna Schools. Newbies. Oct. 9th. " I'm Tired Boss" " Muckraker" I Address My Former Students

 My relatives "across the river" are apt to use the Cajun French term "Tout Quelque Chose" which translates into Standard American English as...."A Little of Everything".....And that is in the blog today. 

- To My Former Students 

Got to thinking last night that perhaps I am expecting too much from today's schools. The world changes and when I was there well, years ago now, we literally " Caught lightning in a bottle."  

I had three building principals who let me do whatever I wanted to do, teach whatever I wanted. And I took it and ran with it. Hard..... I was hard on y'all, really hard, and you took it and at first I thought you were not going to make it....If anything, it showed me Buna kids are as bright as the Richie Rich kids in wealthy privileged towns. 

No fooling and you may not believe it,  toward the end of my tenure at Buna I was spent. Shot. I was grading essay papers on deer stands during deer season. Instead of drinking beer with the boys after duck hunting, I went home and read your essay tests. 

Looking back on it, I wonder if I would do it the same way....Yeah, I would.....

Y'all have turned out well. I do not think you understand how proud I am of my " Buna kids." I brag on you every chance I get. 

And you didn't all just stay in this area, which is a good thing to me....You need to experience the world. Ex-students are in Hong Kong, Japan, Belgium, Indiana, California, hell, I have a compound of former students in Maine, folks in Canada, Colorado, Utah, Hawaii, Florida etc.....And many of you are spread out all over the state of Texas.... 

Many of you are starting serious world travel. A bunch of you have gone overseas the past 3 years and that itself makes me proud. I have a couple of students who love England as much as I do.

I am proud of y'all. 

- So, what's the deal on Buna ISD? 

And often I wonder myself. I'm retired. I need to be planning our next trip with St. Deborah, but instead, it is literally 3:30am and I am writing a blog. 

Someone wrote me a literal essay last evening ( a couple 3 people did) telling me, "you are the only person who can say  what we are thinking, feeling.".....And this sentence got me. "I am paying higher property taxes here than when I lived in xxxxx.......And I feel like the Buna school just doesn't care." Another other writer said, " I wish I could say something, but I don't want what I say to come back on my kids, and I got X more to get out of that xxx damn place." 

So, I get up, early in the morning, talk to Jesus, sit down at the tower computer, and write.....Afterwards, I put on my flak jacket, hit publish and get ready for the blowback.....and again folks, this a ( I'll call it this because most of the time it isn't) a labor of love. I certainly ain't making no money.  In a fantasy world, a former student would send me and Deb to Britain for a vacation for writing this, but in reality, this time, I am afraid if we go to Scotland, we'll liquidate everything here, rent a flat in the Caithness and stay.

 - Newbies

Welcome. I don't know most of you from Adam. I was the government and economics teacher at Buna High for many years, since retired. 

My actual studies are in history and theology. Yes, I am an ordained minister in a church affiliated with the Church of Scotland no one has ever heard of..... But don't let that fool you, personally, I am a little rough around the edges. I often cuss on here, talking about consuming adult beverages, and other questionable things. 

I am always interested in your stories, problems, tips and if you write, there is a good possibility I will write on it. All information and especially you will be kept anonymous.  

And please, don't attack other people's race, creed, religion in the comments. My daughter in law is Chinese, and we went to Kunming in Yunnan Province for the wedding. Our son lived in China for over 3 years.  My wife and I travel as a hobby. We are looking at going back to the UK for a 5th time. 

- Muckraker

Someone called me a "muckraker" yesterday.... You're going to have to do better than that. I'll wear that with honor. It'll put me in the same league as Upton Sinclair (The Jungle) and Ida Tarbell.  

- Oct. 9th. 

Those of you interested in genealogy take note, Ancestry.com will have a DNA update for everyone then. I am curious to see if mine comes back as "Regular White, Pale White, or White Bread White...." And I wonder after I see the results will I be singing from Gilbert and Sullivan's operetta HMS Pinafore's : He is an Englishman?"    ( Seriously, the last run the Coonass came out and I am wondering if the trend will continue?)

- I'm Tired Boss

I am tired. The blog is wearying. I am going to take a few days, if not a week or more off. Behave. I don't want to come back on Monday and have to write.  

Thank you for reading.....

 

 

-  

 

 

  

Well, The Buna ISD Just Keeps Giving Me Material...........It's a Bad Look.....

 I was minding my damn business this morning, listening to the London Philharmonic playing the J.S. Bach's Brandenburg Concertos 1-6.......This time of year now to Christmas, I lean/pretend I'm " High Church"  ( I generally play them, Led Zep or Alice in Chains, Audioslave etc when I write.....) And I get the itch to write.....

In the last few days I have received electronic mail from people who, well, not a clue who they are, but upon further review, they are people " In the know." ( My traditional sources confirmed what they are saying, and I cannot say this enough, you do not know how much I appreciate the tips, the stories, the information I receive from folks, without you, this blog, well, it would not exist. I thank each and every one of you for your support and as always, any information I receive is anonymous. )

When you teach school you want to be there for every kid......Whether they are Richie Rich or they don't have two nickels in their pocket. 

Maybe because I grew up in Vidor and grew up with kids that were rough, rough....In more ways than one. And yes, I am what people would call  over-educated, and chalk dust runs through my veins, and I grew up in an educated home, but still, the hardcore Vidorian comes out from time to time....Yes, we are all victims of our environment.  

Look, as I have said for years, I loved my rough kids, the kids who were "different." The kids who struggled. As many of you know, I am " different." My entire family sees me as well, some sort of misfit. Even as a child I was that way. ( I like to call it as the British would say, " Being a tad bit eccentric") 

Trust me, I understand. 

So, Kerry, Kerry Don, Govteach, Mr. Thomas, where the hell are we going today? 

So, after the child absconded from the elementary school a few weeks ago and there was a Katzenjammer process to find the kid, the parent approaches the media about the entire process. 

And in what I call a bad look, a really bad look, the school district calls Child Protective Service( CPS) on the parents.  

School district, why did you wait until AFTER the situation to call CPS? Did you not care about the kid until after the district looked bad? 

I wonder if Richie Rich's kid had run off, the district would have done made the phone call? 

I doubt it. 

If you are in the education business people, you have to be fair. You got to treat every kid the same. I know in Buna the " clique" is alive and well, and there are those who think they deserve better treatment, but you know, the property taxes paid by the poorest of poor mean just as much to them as it does to those who live in the " Poshest Manor House." 

In the last few months, I have gotten more correspondence from people unhappy with the Buna Schools. I know there are always people unhappy, but in the last few months, well, it's growing like mad. I literally could write every day about people unhappy with Buna. It is more than you really understand. It is "old name" Bunaites.( And many of the rank and file in the classrooms are looking to leave.)  

One day, you are going to look up at Buna Schools and wonder.....What happened?  

I've never done this before in this publication....Perhaps it is time for me to start calling out names, and start asking for resignations, retirements?  

Someone quick, better get a handle on the situation.....