Hang In There Buna ISD......

 I generally write teachers, students, whoever is associated with the district about this time of year. 

When writing this, it is April 30th. You basically have about 3.5 weeks of school to go. 

It's going to be a literal attempt to " Herd Cats" for teachers to next few weeks. The kids are done. Hell, the seniors know whether or whether not they are going to make it ( generally) at this point. They're on a nostalgia bender for the next few weeks knowing good and well, life is going to change forever. 

This blog however is mostly directed to the teachers. 

Hang in there, it is almost done. 

Let me remind you teachers, while you like the kids, and you're there for the kids, it is still a job. 

If you are unhappy......Get out. 

Go to another school system, or heck, like so many other teachers are doing in this day and age, find another profession. 

The school district would fire you in a heartbeat if they needed to and would not think twice about it. 

I know in the past the school systems have pulled at teacher's heart-strings by saying " We are like family here." 

Yeah, one big dysfunctional family that you would avoid at Thanksgiving and Christmas. 

I know I have heard from people already either retiring, or just getting out of teaching altogether. I know in this day and age that Mr. Thomas could not teach Gen Z or the up coming Gen Alpha.

The Buna Schools is already looking at financial problems down the road.  You have not a clue what that is going to lead to in the future, and trust me, they may decide, " We no longer need your services." 

Let me reiterate, it's just a job people, it is just a job.....

Change at Buna?

 I knew it had changed, and I really have not talked a great deal about the change until I saw it discussed on Facebook. 

Yesterday and today, I saw a post of the 2024 Honor Grads at Buna High. Some, I had taught their moms and dads. 

8 kids total. 

I ain't a maths( as the English would call it) major, but I took enough economics I can do some arithmetic still. That means the class will be around 80 kids walking in May. 

Maybe it is just me, but I expected Buna to be regularly walking 130-140 seniors by 2024. Perhaps I am expecting too much? 

But in one of the posts concerning the photo of the honor grads,  there was a discussion of changes in dress code. 

To which the ole" Make you boys shave" gov/eco teacher says..... (And you know why I made you shave.....I had to shave. )

"Good. "

Holes in jeans, girls wearing skirts that in the past the English department would send to the office. 

Long hair on boys, and while none in the picture had it, facial hair for boys. 

Look, I had shoulder length hair in 1975 as a 12th grader. ( Back when I had hair.)

I had long hair my senior year in university. 

Didn't cause a damn bit of confusion back then. I couldn't understand why it did in my tenure at BHS. 

Maybe I shouldn't give up all hope....

 

School Fights, Assaults, Etc.... The Video...

 I was sent multiple video copies of a student assaulting another student from BHS.

No, not going to post it as both are still students, probably at least one possibly both underage.  

And the poor faculty member having to try and stop the event. 

Sadly, there has always been assaults/fights at schools. 

I remember when I was at Dayton High, it was often like " Gillette's Friday Night at the Fights" every damn day. And there was no such thing as a police resource officer on campus in those days. It was left up to the teachers to stop the fights and more than once I hit the floor tackling some kid who had an advantage over the other. 

It's part of the reason why I have now had 3 back surgeries. 

It's part of the reason why people don't want to teach. Or reason number whatever. 

Teacher's are not taught in school how to deal with fights, or if they are, it is so pitiful, that well, they aren't worth mentioning.  

I'm mean, they're teachers, not cops, they've not been through the sheriff's academy in Tarrant County.

They aren't issued pepper spray, tasers, or Glock 17s.  

That said......

I have no answer for assault at school other than put the kid off campus. Long term in school suspension.( Whatever it's called today, some educrat has different terms for this every 5 years) I know many of you are saying put them permanently off campus to which I answer, "Why? So they can be loose in town all day/" 

And I am sure there are parents critical of the faculty member,  but seriously, why blame them? They are not trained for assaults, they are not police, if they had wanted to be, they would have attended the academy at LIT. 

Folks, tell your kids to behave. Don't be fighting, don't be bullying, don't be instigating. 

Still another reason why people are not going into education.....Why put up with bullshit like this, I mean seriously, why? I mean, you don't deal with this working at IBM.

The State of the Buna ISD?

 Actually, this should be some official telling you " How wonderful and great the Buna ISD is right now. "

But it isn't. 

In recent years it has fallen into my lap to tell you the " bad stuff" occurring in the schools. 

I took the weekend off from blogging. For my personal sanity, I have to from time to time. Pretty much watched silly YouTube videos, and old TV, most of it 30+ years old. 

During the weekend I received a number of PMs, a couple of texts, and even an email on the Buna Schools. 

None were good, and all who wrote had a vested interest in the district. 

I am worried about Buna. 

At one time, I encouraged people who were looking for a good school district to consider Buna ISD. No longer do I do this. 

I am worried about discipline of the kids. 

Heck, the way it looks, I am worried about the "time immortal" two sets of standards being continued, and possibly getting worse concerning the equality of discipline.

I worry about the district being used as some sort of "Social Experiment." ( May write on this in a future blog.)

 I worry about cronyism.( Yes, Mr. Thomas AKD Thegovteach and his love of "Isms." ) 

How many people are getting positions on who they know, rather than what they know? I may have to call one here in a few days and get ugly and upset people.  

I looked at the UIL Academic scores from District Meet and well, while there were several bright spots, overall it looked fairly bad. ( I'll receive mail on this one, and it won't be pretty.)

UIL Academics, well, I don't blame the kids, or the teachers. I put this in the lap of leadership, and I mean top. 

UIL Academics shows the area whether or not there is anyone who really cares about academics at your school.  And if we are serious, that's what the schools first priority should be, and I know this is Texas, but you know, it ain't. 

I worry what the district will look like in 10 years. I plan to be here then, and I wonder if Buna ISD will be becoming just another pitiful district in East Texas.

 Just playing school.

 

    

Now We Are Pushing LGBT at Buna Schools?

 I was told by a person in the know that the "Powder-Puff" football game at the Junior High has been cancelled. 

I was told that a parent or parents were upset by it. 

The way I am understanding is they are upset by the boys dressing as cheerleaders......

I am assuming they are afraid the boys will somehow become " Trans" by dressing as cheerleaders. 

Or the girls " butch" ( as I was told) for playing football. 

Good grief. Is this what we have come to now?

Let me tell you a little story. 

50 years ago, Kerry Don Thomas dressed as a cheerleader for what was then, the annual Junior-Senior girls "Powder-Puff" Football game at Vidor High School.. 

Yes, I put on make-up. And in those days, I had long eyelashes and had a couple of junior girls " paint me up." I shaved my beard very close. And one of the girls, a friend of my then girlfriend painted me up like a " French prostitute." 

I was told " I looked cuter" than most of the actually cheerleaders. 

I wore a wig.

I wore balloons that made me look like I had 42 DDDs. 

Needless to say, several other boys did the same. 

It was all in good fun. 

None of us were transsexuals or became trans...

The boys who later came out as gay, didn't dress as cheerleaders. Including a couple of boys who are masculine, masculine boys. And at the time, had drop dead gorgeous girlfriends. 

I don't what people want. 

Are we so offended now by everything?

And do not tell me it is a liberal thing to be offended, do not tell me it is a conservative thing to be offended. It is both sides of the spectrum. 

We're just looking for stuff to be unhappy about now.

Buna Faculty in Trouble?

 So, again, this is a rumor. 

The story is alleged that several Buna ISD faculty members were in Silsbee working on a credential which is required to maintain their positions in the school district. 

The employees went to lunch, which is normal.

At this meal, it is alleged that several of the faculty members ordered " adult beverages." 

To you naive people, many Baptists, Pentecostals, other non-drinkers, " adult beverages" are drinks that include alcohol. 

Surely this isn't true. 

When I was working at Buna, a coach was fired for bringing a cooler full of beer to school and getting students to fill up the cooler with ice from the high school field house. That was on a Saturday. 

We were 'reminded' by administration that we work in a conservative community and things like this were frowned up, and you really should not be post photos of yourself drinking alcohol on your social media, or even photos of yourself in a swimsuit. 

There has been some questions about if a school credit card was used to purchase said adult beverages. I am going to say they surely didn't do so....( An administrator 35+ years ago was let go for using a school credit card inappropriately at a place that was known to entertain male customers.) 

There are also some rumors that jobs might be in jeopardy. 

Please, surely this story is wrong. 

I have a couple of other posts written, may post them later today or this weekend...

THE END OF TIME!!!!!!

 I heard a radio preacher talk about that this weekend after Iran " attacked" Israel. 

Let's talk about what probably really happened. 

There is a lot of propaganda going on by  Israel, the US, and the British Governments. It is also being backed by the news media. 

Remember, trust neither a government, nor a news media. 

What you are not being told. 

- Iran told Turkey, the Saudis and the United Arab Emirates they were going to attack this weekend. Who then  informed the Western nations, ( US, UK, Israel) that the attack was coming, hours if not days before the actual launch of the drones and missiles. 

- The Swiss Government is "hinting" that Iran and the US negotiated what Iran could attack before they launched. This, to avoid the US from bombing Iran. 

- Iran used the oldest drones, oldest cruise missiles, and oldest ballistic missiles in the arsenal. Weapons they were looking at decommissioning.

- The drones and missiles used were less than 0.5% they have. 

- The drones and cruise missiles used were pawns. They gave the Iranian military a blueprint on how the "Iron Dome", the US, Israeli, British will defend against an attack. And how they can get around the defenses in the future. 

-Yes, only 1% of the missiles used got through the Israeli defenses.....But Iran told the US, the British, that they were going after 4 targets. All 4 targets were hit. Again, they told the US, British the targets so, people in the targets could be gotten out. Apparently the old ballistic missiles can defeat the " Iron Dome." If that is true, how advanced are the new ones?

- Iran doesn't want a war. They had to do something after their consulate was bombed and generals were killed. Mostly this was done to appease the Iranian populace. 

- This one defense cost Israel alone $1.2 billion dollars. For Israel, that is big money. 

Will Israel retaliate against Iran this week?( Bloomberg is reporting Israel has " No choice" but retaliate)  If so, what will Iran do? What will happen? Will this get " out of control? "

 

 

Messages on Buna ISD from Buna People: Money

 I know I upset people, or at least a certain group community within South Jasper County when I write on Buna Schools. 

I've even been called a malcontent, a nitwit, an idiot......Etc....

That's fine, when I really upset people, well, it means I am "Hitting a nerve." 

Look, it would be a lot easier for me to NOT write on Buna Schools, it really would.  But, so much just keeps popping up and so much "stuff" is like it is being hidden from the community. 

And school districts are notorious about keeping " bad" things from the patrons of the their section of the county. Of course, they only want "good" things circulated. It has fallen into my lap to let you know what often unacceptable things are occurring.  Or at least in my mind, unacceptable.

I want Buna to be a quality ISD. I really do. I get to say stuff because people who work in the school, or parents, grandparents, other relatives who have children are afraid. 

Yes, they are afraid of retaliation, especially, against the ones they are most concerned about, the kids. 

In the past week since I took a sabbatical from writing to take care of business and view the eclipse, I have received  several messages from people that have a vested interest in Buna ISD. Many of whom are VERY worried about their child's education.

Of those, most, it not all are just appalled at the financial situation of the district.  

In my last group of mail concerning Buna was the following concerns, worries, questions. 

- "Are members of the board afraid?" " Have they gotten into a hornet's nest they cannot solve?"

- Another wrote "We need to start over."

- "How do we get an audit? Either the Texas Edu. Agency or perhaps the Texas Rangers need to look at what is gong on?"

-  "Why do we need this many administrators?" ( And I agree here, as one writer put it, " We went years without all these administrators. Why do we need so many now?"  As another one put it. " It seems like the children are the last concern here.")

- " We can't get teachers now, and many are going. We can't get subs., or people to maintain the schools."

- " Why don't all the maintenance workers have bus driver's licenses? " ( Every other district I worked in, they did, it was just expected if they did not have one, to pass the test shortly after they were hired.)

- " Do we need a person who has part of their job description as 'Inclusion?' "

 And I am going to be honest with you,  teachers are going to leave if they start adding kids to their classrooms. Why stay and work more, for no more money? Yeah, we like kids, but we can love Kirbyville, or Lumberton or LCM kids just the same. 

Buna people, you need to be asking questions.....

The Eclipse

 And now, for something NOT Buna related.......

Monday, April 8th, a little after 1PM we will have an eclipse cross the USA. 

This is not a new phenomena. 

We have a Member of Congress going around posting on X or Twitter or whatever it is to " Repent." ( She included the earthquake in New Jersey/New York in her Twitter. )

Astrologers are jumping up and down claiming this will led to " Big changes in America." And I am not sure if they are good or if they are bad. 

We have an eclipse every 18 months cross the earth at some point on the globe. 

We have 1700 earthquakes in America each year, about 4 a day.  ( Learned this in Old Dr. Tennyson's Geology and Dr. Arnow's Geography classes back in the 1970s.....It is still 1700 per year in the U.S.)

When Columbus visited Jamaica he asked the Indians on the island for food to make the trip back to Europe. They told him "No" saying they needed the food for the non-growing season in order to survive. He knew there was an eclipse coming in 1504 and told the Indians if they did not give him food, he would block out the sun. When it did, it induced the peoples of the island to gave him food to return home....Columbus was not a nice person in general, he often provided his crew native girls as sex slaves, some under the age of 10.

( BTW- I've been to Jamaica. Sucked, sucked bad. Might be the worst island in the Caribbean.Then again, I wouldn't be going to Haiti either. Go to St. Martin or Barbados....Then again, you might not want to go to St. Martin( Half French, half Dutch) to keep your husband from getting all "tuned-up" at the topless beaches.   )

But, I digress. 

So, being the idiot I am and seeing how this might be our last eclipse, we are going to 'The Farm' in NE Texas hoping the clouds break and we might get a glimpse of the eclipse.  We're carrying supplies with us. I hope the traffic doesn't kill us. ( We got to go anyway, time to check on everything, switch from winter to summer flush all the anti-freeze in the pipes, crank everything, mow, go down to the pond and hope to catch a few white perch rather than bass, so much better fried.....)

So, Buna behave I won't blog over the next few days, I need to break, heck, you need a break, heck, even the district needs a break......

 

So, Word is, the Buna Schools are Now Broke?Yes, Financial Problems?

 So, the word on the street is, that the board is now aware that in the future the Buna ISD is going to be running financial deficit. 

Right now however, the district, for right now is solvent....But, they cannot maintain the financial solvency.  

I went through this when I was at Magnolia. It wasn't pretty. And in the end, it wasn't the administration who suffered, but kids. 

Supposedly, the school will attempt to help solve this problem, by " Instead of replacing some of the vacant positions at the elementary, they are going to “absorb classes.” 

The last damn place a school needs to make larger classes is at the elementary level.  Junior high second, hell high school 3rd. While I loved smaller classes, I've had an Honors US History class with 45 kids including 4 foreign exchange students who I made cry the first week. ( All 4, all from Europe, who were told before they left, " American classes are easy." Damn asshole teaching US History.)

But, I digress. 

Look, so much of elementary is important for the rest of a kid's life, especially reading by 3rd grade. You can't read by then, you probably will have troubles the rest of your academic, if not rest of your life. Oh, you may think you get caught up, but not like you really should. 

My question is this....How many administrators does the district have now? Are there planned cuts there?

Again, what is more important? 

Paper shuffling? ( I need to write a blog on the number of school administrators Lamar is turning out. Lamar has more graduate students than undergrads.....Near all wanting to be administrators. If you're going into education, well, it used to be to teach school, not get away from kids to draw a bigger salary. JMO...)

Or the kids? 

More Concerns from The Buna ISD

 There are concerns from the Buna Schools community, especially concerning the faculty. 

One of the major concerns is teacher retention. Hell, I hate to tell you that is Texas, state wide, Hell, it's a nationwide problem. Why the Hell spend a fortune to attend college, pay a literal fortune to get a degree, then go and teach school for what amounts to peanuts, and the way kids, parents, administration are today, why put up with the aggravation? 

The teachers leaving for " greener pastures" is just the way it is in 2024. 

A second concern is the number of teachers who lack any sort of teacher's certification( license to teach.)....And according to Buna patron survey this is a major concern. 

Again, this is a state, national problem. 

Who in their right damn mind wants to teach school? I am guessing like all the other places in America, the patrons think that Buna is " special?" ( I taught for 31 years and folks, I am sorry, but , " I ain't quite right." And in 2024, I could not do it, I'd wind up in Huntsville.)

While I enjoyed my time at Buna, I also enjoyed my time at Dayton. I could have taught government, economics, AP US History, and AP European History there until I retired. ( Man, I missed doing the European History at Buna)

Schools are in flux. All over the US. Getting people to just teach school is getting harder and harder. 

And in truth, who can blame people for not teaching?

You Can't Make This Sh*t Up, I Dare You To Try- Buna High School.....

 So, teaching school makes you not afraid of a a lot of stuff.

Ain't scared of rats, mice, hell, I've become a pretty good friend of snakes. 

Hell, I've been the Greyfriar's Cemetery in Scotland.  The most haunted place on earth. I've been to all sort of cemeteries at night. ( Especially in college, have no fear of the dead, in the old days, we sat up with the dead, I always volunteered until insurance companies made funeral homes send people home. I sat up with all my grandparents. )

So it seems Buna High School has an infestation of bats. 

I would have quit.

 Seriously, I know they are beneficial and all, but there is a story involving throwing baseballs at bats at dusk and watching them follow the ball to the ground, then dodge up right before they hit the ground. 

I can't go bats. I can't. It's my one phobia. 

And it seems they are spraying for them today.....During school....Bats are mammals, I think AT would back me up on this, but if they are spraying stuff for mammals, how much is it hurting the other mammals that "visit" the school daily? 

Edit{ They are saying there is not spraying, but there is some sort of smell, more than likely due to the attempt to remove the infestation. }

Anyway......