I Was Sorely Disappointed...........And Buna School Info Keeps Rolling In.........

 We took a few days away just to sort of get away, been a different sort of Summer Season at the Compound and well, we probably should have, but decided not to travel too far from the house this year. I know I would like to travel to Europe for Easter, always a " High Church" experience, in some massive cathedral or church with a traditional service, something, I prefer, something well, there really isn't in this part of the Southeastern Texas. 

So, since the old Black Labrador restaurant shut down in the Montrose section of Houston. very close to the old Chinese Consulate, there has not  been a British style pub/restaurant in the area. ( Now I'll get letters, but what abouts?)

And we found one in the Kemah area. 

Supposedly run by a couple from Scotland, and in truth, I've probably been in more pubs in actual Scotland than the rest of the UK and Ireland. 

And on this pub, they had a choice of fish, Haddock and Cod in their fish and chips choice. 

In Southern England you get cod. 

Towards Northern England and Scotland, you get Haddock. 

Lots of chippies ( Where you get fish and chips) you get a fish choice.  

I've become a fan Haddock, a little sweeter meat for my fish taste. Closer to white perch/crappie, and I like me some white perch/crappie.  

So, we get the haddock, chips, and a side of mushy peas....... 

The restaurant itself was well, nothing like a pub I have seen in the UK. It is what you would expect in an upscale American chain.  They did have a few British flags, some World Cup Soccer jerseys on the walls, but a lot of too much stainless steel for my taste. 

Food was, well, not that good. 

Fish was cooked to death, the mushy peas were , well, I've never had mushy peas like them. I have made mushy peas here in the Compound before, so, they're not that complicated. 

I will give them this, the chips( fried potatoes) were good. 

We had decided before that we would eat there 2 times, but after we visited the first time, we moved on.

There were about 10-12 Mexican restaurants and we chose one, and was good. You can't hardly mess up Tex-Mex. food.  

I know, I know, I have been to the UK several times and well, it is hard to replicated British food for some reason in this country. The old Black Labrador had certain pub grub that , well they just did not get right. 

I have no one but myself to blame. I need to stick to what is normal for the region. Tex-Mex, BBQ, CFS, and towards our area, Cajun. 

- I tried to avoid Buna ISD info as much as I could, but I get so much stuff, well, sometimes I have to take a couple of hours to read what is going on, and often you look and say to one's self, " Can it get any worse?" " It can't can it?"

And then it does. 

Sometimes you just have to pick a topic and go with it, I get so much stuff. Lately, I could be writing a blog 4-6 times a day.  

And that is too much info and would cause an overload and more people than you know, would shut down, and just stop reading. I have to sometimes be careful. 

We'll find " Hills to Make a Stand" and try and do some actual good.......Try......

 

 

 

More Micromanagement at Buna ISD?

 Ain't going to lie, spelling micromanagement this morning was a booger. Thank you Jesus I live in a time of spell-check. I mean this sincerely. Then again, I was in seminary before I could spell cemetery correctly. Dr. Penrose St. Amant who might have been the preeminent Baptist Church Historian. especially of the Early Church,  during that time told us how he remembered.....Three " Es." 

But I digress. 

So, the story is there is a 10-10 rule at at least one of the schools in the Buna Schools.

Kids can't go to the bathroom 10 minutes after class starts and 10 minutes before the end of class. 

And sorry, sometimes it takes more time to make it 5 minutes to make it to class, and if there is a bunch of people trying to "go" well, good luck making it on time to your next class.  

I'm sorry, you may just have to fire me. 

I don't know what is going on in a kid's stomach, his/her intestinal system. And knowing my system, sometimes I might get bad off too. I've left in the middle of a lecture and walk down, did my business, washed up, came back and picked up with the next sentence like nothing happened. 

But, I had Seniors and could do that. 

I know my when my son taught at university in China, it was a given, a little late to class, kids slip out of the back of the class and a few minutes reappear, well as hot as the food is over there, even after years of exposure to hot foods, well, sometimes you need to go. 

With a stomach virus invariably going around a school at some point in the school year, I'm not going to stop a kid from going to a bathroom, or restroom, as schools have. 

This is not a " Hill to die on." 

It is a decision to be made by the classroom teacher.  

Too much micromanagement.  

It's just a little common sense.  

 

AAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!! No Class.......Hotter Than........Buna ISD.......

 I actually have put this backwards.....

The dog days of August......

In the movie " Biloxi Blues" US Army recruits from New York are sent to Mississippi for boot camp. When they got off the train Private Eugene Morris Jerome says.....

"Man, it is hot....

Africa hot.....

Tarzan can't take this heat. "

I felt that way yesterday afternoon.   

- I know we've gone over this, and I know it is a " Lost Cause" and as I have said, before " Lost Causes are the only ones worth fighting for...."

As many of you know from the last blog, we celebrated our 45th anniversary this past Friday. 

So, we went to a steakhouse to celebrate. Make Kerry Don Thomas happy? Give him a piece of grilled beef. 

Deb wound up getting a steak and pork ribs combo. I questioned the ribs at a steakhouse and Deb insisted I have a rib. (She is a fan of the pork rib. What can I say, we are both fans of the swine. As Mr. Taucer would tease me, " There is nothing better than a Big *$$ ham. is there Mr. Thomas?" He is dead on correct....We often had a ham at the prom. )   

The rib was quite good. Tender, good flavor.....What can I say, we've been married so long we often insist we try something off each other's plates.  

But, I digress. 

I was reminded of the Soprano's episode in which Artie and Tony are sitting at a table a younger guy was obvious on a date trying to impress a young lady, and he was wearing a ball-cap.  And Tony tells him to " Take it off." 

There are times in restaurants you can leave on your hat/cap. Whataburger, Taco Bell, Buc-ees, and I often wear caps and lord knows I love a hat. 

But in church, at a nice restaurant with actual cloth napkins, metal silverware, come on. I wore a nice Panama hat and once I got to the table, took it off. 

There must have been 12-13 guys wearing caps in the house. 

Including one guy wearing a wool, wine colored flat-cap that was gorgeous. Still you should have taken it off. And that color, that fabric, sorry, wrong season....But how a man should dress isn't really taught anymore. 

I got to remember this is Southeast Texas. 

- Finally there was already a commotion between the Buna Schools and a parent this past week. 

I am debating whether to discuss it or wait until something else happens. I am really most upset about the parent's response to the event being taken down.   

As most of you know, I am a First Amendment absolutist and wonder what happened? I am going to look at the entire event again in future days. ( This is a one man operation and often I have actual private and family business I must take care of in my life.)  

Another "Lost Cause" and as I said above, " The only ones worth fighting for...."

And often you have to pick the hills you make a stand upon, or people stop listening.  

But it gets tiring sometimes.  

  

 

45

 Yep 45. 

I have been married 45 years today. 

And the wedding was on a Friday. At what is now Grace Baptist Church in Groves, Texas.  ( It was Friendship Baptist then. It and Central Baptist in Port Arthur united a number of of years ago. The minister who married us was Dr. H.R. Stinson.)

I am not going to lie, I do not remember much of the service other than when Debbie came to the front, she was shaking like a leaf on a tree.  

I did not get nervous until then. 

If she'd known the lunacy that was to come for the next 45 years, she would have run out the back of the church in her heels. 

Not going to lie, she was the only good thing that came out of playing in the Lamar University Marching Band for 4 years. While I liked playing in the band, it just wasn't the same as playing in the Vidor Band, Lamar had too much of a turnover of members from year to year. Outside of band, you never saw Lamar band members unless you were a majoring in their subject, and I do not remember being in a 300 or 400 level history, government, economics class with  another band member. I had more friends who were history/government majors than band members. 

College is different. 

It's been a fast 45 years. And literally God sending her to me was foreordained. I am convinced of that. 

I literally do not think I know what I would have done without the love of my life.  

Well, I am Going to Catch H*ll , No Matter What I Say on the Subject Anyway Buna ISD.....

 Let me start off first starting here. 

When I was  Chair in the History Department at Buna High School, I prided myself, the instructors in the History Section, the kids in our Texas state scores. 

We made 100% several years and the one year we made a 97% I was beside myself. ( I remember a dreg from Region V asking if we wanted to improve our scores and I told her, " We can't, made a 100% on the last exam.".....And she had the nerve to get mad....She had not even looked at our scores.)

The HS Science Department was doing the same, with 100% scores for a number of years.  

And we really did not teach to the exam. A couple of weeks before the tests, we went over, but mostly, the Buna History teachers were teachers, of actual usable history. 

And after we had a lovely young lady join our family, who had been educated in China, I asked her about 3 questions concerning China which appeared on the Texas State Exam. 

She said, " None of the questions had a correct answer in the multiple choice selections."  And on one of the questions concerning Africa, and she caught it, had a date that was 100 years off. But, it was what was to be taught for the exam.

So, take that for what you want....

 The Buna High School made a "B."

The Buna Junior High made a "B"

The Buna Elementary made a "D." 

The Buna ISD made an overall " C." A high "C" but people outside the district will still see, the letter grade " C." 

I doubt anyone is looking at Buna School's scores and are going...." Whoop Dee Doo!" "We are moving to that academic powerhouse in Southern Jasper County. " 

I am glad the grades are up I am, but say what you want, the district has " Taught to the test" all last school year. Other than a salary, I would not want to teach school anymore. I would be bored out of my mind. Tell y'all stories, challenging you to do better not only in government and economic, but get you ready for your next step in life, be in college or whatever. Hell, I was teaching the young men how to " tie a necktie." I had you do high pressure presentations, when I grilled you on your research papers. You never know, where you may need it. I felt really good when I turned you lose in the world. 

Sadly, the tests are not going away from the state. Too much money involved. I wish they would go away. 

I am wondering if an accountant took a good look at the amount of funds the district spent for a " C." The finances spent could actually be justified.  

 

 

"It Never Set In How Much Buna ISD Effected My Children"

 Shortly after I posted yesterday's blog, I received these messages-

"It never set in how much Buna ISD was negatively affecting my two daughters. 

Since they found out they were accepted into XYZ School District a couple weeks ago, completely different kids. My oldest child asked my spouse randomly, “Can we start eating at the table together again” because they missed it. We are busy-folks so we just eat on the go most of the time. 

This past weekend we went a school clothes shopping trip, which normally would have at some point 

turned into a knock down drag out(two teenagers ), and couldn’t have went better. We enjoyed 100% of our time together and no dragged out disagreements. We laughed more than we disagreed by a long shot."

  And I received more messages like this.

" I could not let my kids go back  to Buna. It literally has become us vs. them at the district. We are nobodies and the district let us know. "

Then, I received several notes from people confirming a comment concerning not having a " name" in the community. Many echoing this sentiment. 

"XYZ and ABC are right, even our kids know that they are 2nd-class citizens in Buna...... My kids are not in Buna school, and me, my parents and my kids all graduated from Buna HS. " 

" Mr. T, you are right, we have lost control of the school. " 

And this.....

" ......what are we paying taxes for? Abuse?"  

 

Done With Buna Schools...The Clique...Joe and Dillion......

 With School starting this week, and in many districts, they are starting today, I am seeing Buna people sending their children to school, not named Buna ISD, and not only are the parents thrilled to have their kids out of the Buna Schools, their children are thrilled to be out. 

In many cases, the school district in which the parents graduated is not the same district, or even remotely is the same district in which they graduated. 

I know if you are in the clique, you do not see it, but it exists. And don't tell me it doesn't. There are always people who think they are better than you, and their family deserves special treatment.I saw it first hand. It was spoken about behind closed doors by faculty who were not in the clique. 

And the thing is, the clique grows somewhat smaller. The district isn't growing. And if the scores do not improve dramatically,  people are not going to want to put their kids in a failing, or average school district. 

Why move your kids from a so-so district to another so-so ISD ? It is like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. 

- If you are not aware, Dillon Y'Barbo more than likely kept Joe Chapman from bleeding out this past week on a fishing trip. 

Extremely proud of Dillon, thought quick, made a makeshift tourniquet out of what was on hand.  

I know Joe is thankful.  

If you see Dillon this week, you might want to shake his hand. 

Both of these guys in my book are just good guys.  And liked having them in class. 

Also keep Joe in your prayers as he is facing a surgery this week on his arm.