Evadale, Buna, Two School Districts.....

 “We'll start to forget a place once we left it” 

― Charles Dickens," A Tale of Two Cities" 

First, before I start the blog, I was told that members of the Evadale ISD faculty/staff, are reading " The Govteach Part Deaux." I thank you for reading.  If there is something in Evadale, that I need to research and write on, let me know, but to be honest, I get a lot of positivity from the school district, and I know everyplace isn't all " Peaches and Cream."  

I taught in districts before I spent most of my career at Buna High School, Dayton ISD and Magnolia ISD. 

I loved my time at Dayton ISD.......I hated Magnolia ISD.....

Not all district are the same, and most of you know this.....We looked hard at real estate between Beaumont in Dayton, Nome, Devers, etc, but in the early 1990s, finding a house for sale in that area was difficult if not impossible. It's more of that foreordination belief of mine that I was supposed to wind up in Buna, hell, this blog would have never existed....

I am just amazed at the number of people who want to get their kids out of the Buna Independent School District. 

In the last 24 hours, I have heard from several either former students I had at Buna, or people who have their kids in the Buna Schools who want their kids out.  It was like they all at once decided " Enough is enough." 

And the majority of them are looking at Evadale ISD for their kiddos.  

And as I have said in the past, I would put my kid in Orangefield, Bridge City, LCM in that order. And my child went to LCM, partly because it offered classes that a 2A or 3A district just can't afford to offer like he wanted to take French. ( If we knew what we knew today, we would have found a school that taught Mandarin Chinese...Especially after he lived in China for 5 years....) Hell, LCM had a 40 piece jazz band at that time he played trombone is....Buna's total band is about 40.....

I know many of you reading are just wondering as I was asked by a former student who called me in tears concerning their child who is attending Buna......." Mr. Thomas, what has happened to Buna Schools???"

And there are more people than you know asking that question......And many who tell me that for whatever reason cannot move their children out of the Buna District.  They are mostly afraid letting people know their true feelings. They are literally scared to death of retribution against their kids. 

It shouldn't be that way. 

I know this isn't everyone  unhappy with Buna ISD, but it is more people than even I realized.  

No, so far, everyone who has moved their kids to Evadale ISD  has been thrilled. 

I don't know, already Buna High has the smallest population of any school in the 3A football district. Buna is stagnant. Yeah, you're getting a " Waffle House" but is that the cultural defining moment?  

I don't know, perhaps it now signals the pinnacle of civilization in 2026? 

 

 

 

And You Hear Things Out of Buna....I Answer Requests...And Other Rants.....

Listening to the soundtrack from the movie " Dazed and Confused" set in 1976 a year after the ole Govteach graduated from HS, the music was pretty much what we listen to. That said, by 76-77, I had switched to more " Cosmic Cowboy" music, was wearing Hawaiian shirts and cowboy boots, a softball sized dip of Copenhagen....A heck of a look for a history major......BTW time I met my wife, my look had changed to a little more " Preppy." 

First, I want to thank you for reading the blog. 

I checked the numbers and was shocked at how many people read this publication.  Literally it makes you wonder sometimes if I am doing right or not, and then, I get messages from folks and well, I am hitting the bullseye for them and it makes you keep going.

We heard from teachers concerning the last blog. They are not happy. Many want out, and some wonder if they move, with today's geopolitical/geoeconomic situation, what kind of drive they would have and what kind of  money would they have to pay for gasoline? ( I am telling you, you Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, Subaru Legacy/Impreza drivers are going to happy with your vehicle. )  

Some of the teachers I've heard from were even wondering as I eluded to yesterday are concerned it is no better at Lumberton or PNG, or LCM......"Do I even want to stay teaching?"  

 - Secondly, I have been approached by a couple of people concerning the stock market and investments to store their retirement, liquidity. 

I probably can pick you a list of stocks I would consider, but you know, right now, I probably would pick a bunch of losers and  because of that, wouldn't dream of telling you a suggestion.  Especially with the economic situation that is coming. 

And besides, if I pick you a couple of stinker investments, how mad are you going to be at me?  ( The only investments for sure might be bags of dry beans, flour, sugar, cornmeal....)

I was asked by someone if they should get cash and silver and bury it in a mayonnaise jar under the house? And the thought of that has crossed my mind.... 

Please don't ask me for financial advise. I am not a CFA, I look at economics, and it is mostly study of the finances of the whole....

-  Finally, prepare yourself mentally. Hope for the best, get ready for the worst. 

The economics looks bad, really bad. The hard times are not here as of yet. I figure by May people will really start to react. 

Be glad what you have, yes, it might not be the same as it was in the past, but you could be in a nation that is much worse off than the one you are living in. 

I may write more concerning economics over the  next few, well, months, years, however long this mess lasts. 

( Came close to a sermon on here this morning using the Book of Lamentations as my source....But I spared you...That theological school training sometimes tries to come out.....)

 

 

BBC.......................Yes, it Involves Buna....

 Buna Back to Class........

Bunch of you thought something else.....I got to be more serious, or change my ways or something......

The old Govteach hated today. The Monday after Spring Break was the worst day of the school year. Teach high school seniors for 127 years, you know those bunch of 12th graders are coming back done, just done. 

Seniorities is real. Seniorteacherites is also real. I had a bad case a couple of years. I literally almost called Teacher Retirement System of Texas( TRS) in April and told them, " I am done....." Literally almost went to the office cussed out some folks along the long stroll, walked out the door and left everything....  

I was in a meeting with a teacher a few years earlier than the year I retired when he received a phone call on his cellular device and he remarked....." I got to take this." He steps into the hall and a few minutes later he steps  back in the meeting and says. " That was teacher retirement, they told me I could retire. " 

He leaves, gets in his car and goes home. Even leaves his sandwich/chips he had planned to eat for lunch in his desk./  

 This was shortly after we came back from Spring Break..........I understood. 

Morale at the Buna Schools ain't that good. Not just because we are in the " Home stretch" of the school year, and the kids are done, never mind there are state exams coming....

Many are looking for an " Out." be it quit teaching/education altogether. Some are looking hard at new school districts, and in this day and age of most people not wanting to put up with the nightmare that is teaching in 2026, they should be fairly easily be able to find another position.  

And afterward, the next few weeks, many will seriously start to say to themselves, " Man, I cannot do this anymore."  

Already, a professional within the district cleaned out their office over the weekend, and left a note literally saying...." I'm Done."  

And this will not be the only one who leaves the Buna District. They see no hope and well, who can blame them if they can find a better position, especially one that pays better?

There are long term employees who are trying to make it one more year, two more years so they can cash in that pension from TRS but they look at another year, another two and say to themselves, are telling others, they " May not make it."

 Things are that bad. 

 

 

 

  

 

 

Yes, I Know, I Know, But Not ALL of Buna Knows....

 No, not the swingers of South Jasper County.....( By the way, I heard of a couple that were involved in swapping wives and I am not going to lie, even jaded me was somewhat shocked at who they were....Apparently SHE is both poly and bi.....And suggested swinging at first with another couple, and well, it gets out of control is what I was told.....) ( You know, sometimes, there are things I would be better off not knowing.)

I am telling you, I could put up a paywall on a site and name it...." Nekkid in Gist" " Slippin' Through the Slough" " Sneaking Down 1004" " Cougar Country Confidential" and make a damn killing.  

Just when you think everyone knows about the blog, well, you get new readers. 

And one had the nerve, the damn nerve to write me all upset about the blog and said, " It's not worth the price of admission." 

Well, heck, I don't charge you nothing now....What do you expect?  

At one time I had a Pay Pal app on the blog, but even it was removed.  

Look, people were upset yesterday because I told them things and well, it scared a couple of them, and the thing is, I did not talk about what the bad part of the future MAY bring.....

And the thing is, most of us expect things to get pretty awful. 

The computer must be reading the blogs. It is playing the Pixies, and " I know it's Over" by The Smiths....Man, I may need to double up on my "Happy Pills" and " Gummies" just to make the morning....Now, someone will preach at me because I believe in " Better living through chemistry." ( New readers, I have a very eclectic music taste, so don't be shocked at what my computer picks for me to listen to. It might be a Wagnerian Opera tomorrow....)   

This is my blog. I write on whatever strikes my fancy. Yes, I often cover Buna Schools, yes, I may talk about local politics, but, I may do economics, or history, or theology, whatever I want to when I sit down at the keyboard, yes, even gossip.  

Again, welcome to newbies.

As  always, if you have something of interest concerning Jasper County, the school district, etc., let me know. There is a real chance I may write a blog concerning it./ 

As always, all information is kept anonymous.  I never reveal sources. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm Going to be an A$$hole This AM.......

 I write this as I listen to a Russian cover band out perform Blood Sweat and Tear's. " You Make Me So Very Happy."

But I digress. 

And the ole Govteach ain't very happy..... 

I got to quit looking at the economic charts. Get ready folks, it is about to get bad. 

Already they are talking about 4.2% inflation. If it is being announce at that number, how high is it in reality?  

We are in stagflation, don't care what you call it. High inflation, and no jobs, or wages not keeping up with inflation. 

In Germany diesel is already selling for about $8 a gallon......Austria, closer to $9.  

They are out of petrol, or gasoline in Australia.  And they do not know when they will receive fuel. 

They are rationing fuel in Southeast Asia, Philippines and Pakistan/India. 

In South Korea, you can only drive certain days of the week.  

I don't even want to think what the collapse of the Petrodollar is going to do to the US. Other countries with oil have been using the dollar to buy US securities, bonds to keep the American Government afloat.  

The price of oil may lead to lock-downs. Things like 4 day work weeks, more people working from home. The US Post Office is adding a fuel charge to packages that you ship.  Don't be shocked if at some point we go back to remote schools to save fuel. 

They are talking about food shortages, mainly due to a large amount of fertilizer product not being shipped out of the Persian Gulf.  Also, the cost to grow and transport will increase. And expect shortages. 

I speculated last night about where this might lead, and  I cannot seem to see anything good coming in economics in the next weeks, months, years.....I can even see UBI coming out of this situation.  Conspiracy and preppers are already saying that we need to be "Aware of forced energy lockdowns in America." " That COVID was just a practice run."

Going to say this, and take it for what it is worth....If there is something you want, or really need, you might want to get it now..... 

And to quote an old Chinese saying....

" May you live in interesting times." 

Man, I did not want it this interesting.... If you are a praying sort of person, you may want to start praying extra hard.

And BTW, I didn't go total "Debbie Downer"( And my Deborah is not a downer, many of you know her) in this blog. I've been looking at economic charts and models and well, I am sort of holding back in this blog, it ain't looking good for any economy.  

 

 

This Week in Buna Schools.....

 It is Spring Break in Buna ISD....I don't know, this week long break, well, I just did not really get all excited about. Yes, I was happy to be out of school, yes, I generally took a small road trip, but Spring Break was always like, " Why are we stopping going to school now? If we just kept going, we could be out of school sometime in the middle of May for Summer. 

Spring semesters always were horrible to me. Always something going on, damn UIL Academics, the damn prom, the damn state exams, the damn graduation ceremony.  Something going on in which there is the possibility of someone knowing better and screwing up, and it come back on the Govteach.. 

I am still amazed at the number of people who have ties to Buna that are doing everything they can to get their children out of Buna ISD.  We are often talking about people whose families have been in the Buna community for decades, literally generations. Heck, even school board member's kids are moving their kids out, mostly to Evadale.  Who knew Evadale ISD would be so attractive? 

Then, I've been asked about why there appears to be two new administrators at the elementary school for calendar year 26-27.  Including one supposedly becoming a literary specialist within the district. ( Hell, I need me one of those jobs, make me an English Literature specialist.....I'll stand in the hall and quote  Shakespeare, Tennyson, , the Bronte Sisters,  Lewis Carroll, Charles Dickens, by memory. In truth, if I am at school, I want to be in the classroom, with kids, it is why I went into the business. )

We also have people who are looking at new churches, or just stop attending services altogether. The ties between the school and church has just turned them off. Plus, there are people who have stopped going because of the tithe. 

I know in the past of high school teachers who stopped going to Buna churches for several reasons, including politics, and the fact some parents wanting to hold " parent conferences" with their kid's teachers either before, or during, or after Sunday School, or even in the parking lot after church.  I know that some of the teachers literally left the county to attend church either in Silsbee or down towards Little Cypress.Many just stopped going altogether.  

Okay, I hope I made at least one reader happy with this style of writing. They hate when I just write one sentence and then write one more in a what they call paragraphs. And this person ain't an English teacher.....The trouble is, when I write paragraph, I start looking for where I can put a footnote. History graduate and theological graduate schools make you want to be all academic sometimes. ....I probably will go back to my old style in the next blog.... 

 

 

Ain't Going to Lie, It was the First Thing I Thought

 I know I should not be surprised. 

And I have lived in this part of the world, the majority of my life. 

But when Valero in Port Arthur had an explosion, the first thing I thought was terrorists, and in truth, would they even tell us if it was? 

Unless the politicians had ulterior reasons to do so.... 

But, we must remember, they are "cooking" petroleum products at these plants and well, sometimes, they for whatever reason, "blow-up."  

Again, I have lived down here and know this thing happens, and the plant jobs, well, as I have said in the past, they are dangerous.  

I have to be careful sometimes when talking about politicians, my brother is one...I've worked in his campaigns. 

But, the ole Govteach  ain't a politician. Just like he isn't a full time preacher. He is hoping for a technically to keep out of Hell now. 

I am like William Tecumseh Sherman concerning politics. 

" If nominated, I shall not run......If elected, I shall not serve."