Day of Reckoning Coming-

 The computer decided this morning a part Coonass is listening, I better play some Coonass music....Wayne Toups, D.L. Menard, Jo-El Sonnier....And for some reason it is playing The Waterboys ( Scotch-Irish Band, often play folk music....)

Prepare yourself folks......

It is fixing to get bad. 

I know I have been saying this, but it is. 

Already in Southeast Asia the price of oil is $200-220 a barrel.  And the price of oil here could grow to that point. 

What would that mean here? $6-7 dollars a gallon for gasoline....and diesel? $10-11 a gallon. And that's here in the U.S. 

I can see demand for hybrids and Toyota Corollas,  Honda Civics, Subaru Crosstrex, well. a demand for those vehicles. No longer cool to drive a SUV.... 

And right now the oil market is being somewhat propped up by nation's reserves being released, and that is only temporary.  

Europe is going to run out of jet fuel within the next month. You would be amazed at what travels via air, and if it is Europe, it is going to hit the rest of the earth.  I already saw a fuel surcharge on a flight of $500.

The lack of fertilizer is going to cause starvation, especially in places like India, Southeast Asia, Pakistan, Africa, South America. And prices here are going to skyrocket, the old Supply and Demand. 

Australia is out of diesel. And they are a major producer of agriculture products, especially wheat. And most of their products go to China. Trust me, I have been in a grocery store ( Yes, they are just like our stores, then again, I was with some posh folks.) in China and about 40% of the products were from Australia and New Zealand. And what do combines, tractors, etc work on? That is right, diesel. 

They are conservatively talking about 50-250 million people starving to death... 

Then how many people just cannot find a job right now? I was watching a YouTube program in which there are now 50+ application for coffee barista positions in many areas. 

Ai is going to take 1/3 to 1/2 of the white collar jobs and CEOs are now saying that robotics is going to take a lot of the trades jobs.   

And I am not even talking about the natural gas disaster that is about to happen. Many of the electric generating power plants run on natural gas. How much will you electric bill be this summer? 

  Look for a mass migration north. And yes here, in desperate times, desperate people will do anything.  

Right now we are sitting pretty good, but from this chair, my economics " spidey sense " is me worried for the future. 

Okay, I have already had morning prayer, but I am so concerned, I think I will go and talk to the Divine again....  

 

 

I Know You Are Well Meaning Buna Ex-Students....But Please Stop....

 We have to do this every couple of years or so. 

I don't know, perhaps you don't understand the term, "Please Stop." Or perhaps, you got something started and cannot make it stop.  

I know some of you think I am going to Hell. I know some of you want to " save me from my wicked ways" but stop doing this. 

Please, stop sending me Opus Dei Prayer Cards with pictures of Josemaria Escriva de Balaguer or the Blessed Guadalupe,  or Pedro Ballester to me in the mail. 

At this point, I am not converting to the Church of Rome, the Church of England, the Church of Wales, and while my beliefs are more inline with the Church of Scotland, I am not converting to any of these even though I prefer a " High Church" service.And if we are in the UK, we are stopping and visiting a 700 year old church......So many of these churches, well, they are now too political and don't preach the Gospel like they should. 

I am not going to start going to a church that does the TLM( The Latin Mass), even though I took Latin when it was still offered at a Baptist seminary. ( In the 1980s, that was an oddity also.) 

For almost 70 years, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has tried to convert me.......And I have Mormon friends I have known for over 60 years, and well, other than I do have a taste for fruit drinks, I am not giving up coffee, tea, or an occasional snort....( I'll get in trouble for this, but I think Mormons are Christians too, and don't preach to me why they are not....I'll get messages on this....Please don't...)

Look, I am not faulting you for trying, but I am not converting at this point in my life.  

I am pretty happy with as Billy Graham would say, " My soul and its salvation."  

Arrest.....Administration...Future...Buna ISD

 I took the weekend off and well, mainly watched " The Rest is History" with the British Historians Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook on YouTube. Mostly watched their new podcast of Samuel Johnson and James Boswell, and and their travels to Scotland in the 1700s. If you know, you know.....They even went to Loch Ness, before the "Monster" was a thing......I need to write a blog on how the " Monster" became thing....They followed the escape route of Bonnie Prince Charlie. Inverness to the Western Isles.....A trip I strongly suggest. We made the same trip and it made Deb and I fall in love with Scotland...

But, the ole Govteach digresses.....

So, an arrest has been made in the ai nekkid business. 

17 year old kid. You knew the arrest would be of 16-17-18 year old person.  

And trust me, it was a difficult, and necessary move by law enforcement in the county. 

He will be tried as an adult. 

I do not know, I have made decision, especially my last year keeping graduating seniors from walking, especially my last year of teaching for misconduct at Buna High......But, nothing like this.....

Already I have seen a couple of people make remarks about the kid's hair....Come on, have you seen my hair, when I had hair, at age 17? 

I am going to keep an eye on the outcome of the judicial in this case, and I have somewhat mixed emotions..... 

The real question is why it took 3 days for the Buna ISD to report the ai incident to law enforcement?  ( I have an opinion on this, but I am waiting to hear more info before I write on it....)

- Administration at Buna ISD is going to be a concern. 

Buna Elementary and Buna High are going to have a complete leadership change in the 26/27 school year, and trust me, it will be on concern, or should be of concern for everyone. 

Years ago, when I was teaching at Magnolia ISD, the district had a compete administrative overhaul, and well, it took years for the district to"get right."

Then the ISD is going to have how many new teachers in the district? 

They already are planning for 21, and trust me, after the past week, people will be looking for an exit. 

Retirement, new school, get out of teaching, go home and just raise your own kids rather than teach school.  

- The Future?

Man, I look for 26/27 school year to be really different to rough. 

New teachers, new admins, all probably in some form of a recession going on worldwide. 

I remember there was such a gas shortages back in the 1970s school buses had a hard time finding fuel and some didn't, and did not make their routes. If the fuel shortage hits us like I am afraid, I can see shortened school weeks, teaching going to home again being done via computer..... 

Already, I know of people pulling their children out of Buna ISD now, or for the next school year, after the events of the past week. Going to home-school, going to Evadale, Deweyville,  Vidor, whoever will take their kids.....As one parent told me...." Some other district has got to be better than what we got right now."

I also hear rumors of a majority of the board being displeased with leadership, while a minority is wanting to continue the course the Buna Schools are on...

I also hear that allegedly,  members are so fed up with the job, they cannot wait until their term is over. 

Buna ISD is in flux and I am afraid it is going to be that way for a while. 

As a parent, you have to look hard at what is needed for your kids and sometimes moving them is the best thing.  

 

 

Okay Buna Go Over This.....Again...

 I probably will post on Monday concerning the " arrest."  I am still digesting what is going on.....And what might be the long term effects this may have with the school district(s).  

The past week, I have had more people join either my Facebook page, or The Govteach Part Deaux than well, since I started on social media.  Certainly since I started writing the blog. 

Yes, I am the retired Government/Economics teacher at Buna High. Ask my former students about me. I am somewhat a different type of guy, I am something of a "Black Sheep" in my familial circles.  

 I appreciate those who recommend the site. I am still somewhat surprised at the people in South Jasper County who are unfamiliar with the blog, but then, in this age of so much media out there, I should not be surprised. 

I had a couple of new people waxing so philosophic and positive about the blog, I damn near puked.  

Folks, I am as faulted as the next person. I do not always do what I should like Paul talked about in Romans 7. 

I often get hopped up and swear in the blog. Don't be shocked by my cussin'/ 

As many of you who have been around for a while know I have no fear of a snort of whiskey, still like an occasional cigar, and since recently, have learned the miracle, literally of the hemp infused THC gummy. Something several readers  get upset with me. Heck, I have been watching his YT, reading his works, of the English poet, Anglican priest, academic Malcolm Guite, and his smoking of a pipe. Makes me want to get one like I smoked as an undergrad.....

I am pretty darn flawed, and make no secret of it. 

I am ordained by a Presbyterian type denomination, and have been asked to start a church, and I can just imagine what kind of an outlaw mess I'd have, like a cigar and Scotch whiskey Thursday evening after evening vespers.( Vespers are prayers) .... 

Yes, I am religious, still do Morning Prayers for folks needing intercessory prayers around 4am every morning  So, if you need prayer, I will pray for whatever is on your heart. 

I am a dog guy who now has an orange cat we named Fred. Fred showed up and decided to just " move in." We had a hard time naming him, even harder than naming our son......Or a daughter if we had one. 

Speaking of son, our daughter-in-law is from China and we went to Kunming for a month for the wedding. So, I may talk about China out of the blue.... 

I am a bit of an Anglophile/Scotophile, and may write a blog on Britain. Travel, or their politics. I follow the British political system fairly close and can tell you most of the ministers of the realm.  We love Scotland so much had not both of our mothers been still with us, we would have moved to Scotland by now. 

If you have not figured it out, I may write on anything beside the Buna ISD. 

Economics, politics, history, food, music whatever strikes my fancy....But mostly it is the school district and often I feel I am saying things other folks cannot. And I catch flak for it.  

For you new folks, welcome.  I am at some point say things you will agree with, and somethings, you will disagree. That is just the nature of the blog. 

Any information you send me with the plans for me to blog....You will be kept anonymous. I never reveal sources. 

 

 

 

 

Those D*mn Baptists......Yes Buna, it is About You.....

 I know in the past there were people just scared to death of what was referred to when I was in a Baptist seminary, well, 40+ years ago now, the "Baptist Mafia." 

Years ago, I knew Buna was different when I was invited to church when I interviewed at Buna ISD, A specific church, and then the "invitation" was followed by, XYZ Baptist church is also " pretty good." I was a little taken aback and at the same time not surprised.  

Again, I have been on staff at Southern Baptist Churches, served as a missionary for the old  Home Missions( Now North American Missions, think Annie Armstrong fund raising at Easter....Lottie Moon at Christmas for Foreign Missions) of the SBC. Far South Texas( Harlingen, I still have a place in my heart for Harlingen.)  and Idaho. 

I know Baptists. It is why I no longer consider myself one. It is why I am ordained in a church with ties to the old Church of Scotland, and trust me, they have troubles too. All this said, the last time I actually attended church was at Church of Wales ( Anglican) Cathedral in Cardiff in the UK. For Easter. Heck, it was the last time I took communion....That was 2023......

Traditionally, and this is a history lesson, the Baptist were staunch believers in the separation of 
 "Church and State." 

As a matter of fact at one time Baylor a longtime Baptist university offered a PhD in " Church State Relations" in which they emphasized the separation. 

The degree no longer is offered at Baylor. 

I do not understand the church getting involved in business that well, isn't any of their business, especially interfering in the  justice side of government. 

I know the Baptist were " called out" by both the Houston Chronicle and San Antonio News in a lengthy investigative piece concerning the number of sexual abusers in the Southern Baptist Convention.   

I will use SBC to represent the Southern Baptist Convention.  

The SBC set-up a commission in which they said " There "might" have been a cover-up."

" Might" 

Heck one of the so-called leaders of the SBC conservative resurgence Texas Judge Paul Pressler was sued and paid for sexually abusing teen males from his Bible classes he held. 

Paige Patterson former president of the SBC seminary in Fort Worth, the other half of the conservative resurgence in the SBC was sued for covering up sexual abuse while he was a president at another seminary.   

But in typical SBC fashion, they tried and shove both of the stories under the rug.  

Baptists, your hands ain't that clean. There is stuff going on by your own membership that you need to take care of yourself.  

I remember in high school when our RA ( Royal Ambassadors....It is a male youth missions program that plays basketball, gotta get kid to come somehow) leader ran off with another woman from the church. And yes, both were married to other people. And how poorly the church handled it then.....It was like " Well, just one of those things...."

If you were old school Baptists, your main goal would be the " Great Commission" not politics. Get out in the mission field. You are losing membership in America. Millions are leaving the SBC. 

And I say this seriously. 

Preach Jesus first.......Not politics.  

Baptists, I know you. You got your own sins. Take care of them first before you look at someone else's troubles.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Buna You Got a Mess.......

 I step away for a couple of days and I am inundated with messages and calls. 

I may be back sooner than planned, at least for a while.  

 I got a phone call from a friend who lives North of Fort Worth who has heard about Buna troubles.  

It is like the entire district is about to collapse. 

I hear of police investigations for several reasons, including one that somewhat surprised me. 

I hear of resignations. 

I hear of people possibly being fired. 

I hear threats of firings. For speaking about what is going on.....

I hear Buna losing so many teachers this year, finding enough for the First Day next year might be difficult, and one person, telling me...." Who in their right mine would want to teach here?" Much less have all teachers with certificates. 

How read stories of churches putting their 2 cent in and almost wrote on that this morning...I have a blog about 1/3rd done.......

I heard of parents pulling their kids and home-schooling.....Telling everyone who'll listen " Not to send their children to Buna ISD." 

It's getting so bad, I am thinking I need to tell people I retired from Dayton ISD.....I wonder if they will give me a one day contract like ballplayers get when they retire...

Man, y'all got a royal mess..... 

 

Cougars Win!.....Cougars Lose!!!!!!!!!

 I come out of my sabbatical to write this morning. 

I am close to being done....Just done....

Somehow along the road the plot has been lost and I do not see how we can get back on the road.....

I am saddened by Buna Schools.

Maybe I just should not give a care anymore. I am many years retired. I have traveled the world. 

The thing is, when we leave this earth, we should want to leave it a little better, and right now, I do not see people wanting to do that anymore. It is all me, me me.....

Gen Z, Gen Alpha especially see that.  The latest polls are saying that to achieve what was the American Dream, well, it is near impossible for them to achieve. And they blame the older generations. And yes, we are to blame.

The internet for what is brings is creating a society that is all insular and  all about again....Me....Me....Me.....

Our schools are failing. Don't give me some bullshit that they are doing great.....They are not. 

College degrees once the gold standard to the American Dream only leave young people in a form of long term debt slavery and no hopes of getting out of the debt. Much less getting a decent job.

Even STEM degrees no longer pay off like they once did. 

Young men have in many cases given up hope. No decent job, no girlfriend, no hope of either, why keep trying, I am better off smoking dope, drinking beer, playing video games....  

No one is happy. We don't trust most people. 

Don't blame the Democrats.....Don't blame the Republicans..... Blame them both. They work for the highest bidder. And in many cases the bidder wants American tax dollars to go overseas.

 28 members of congress are being investigated for sexual misconduct. ( I thought it might have been more, but 28 is a pretty large number.)

We are on the verge of a civil war in this country and it will be a war you, nor I will want, nor really understand when it comes.  

America is in a war we do not understand and right now, we can't get out of. No, Iran is not a wonderful place, as I see they have started executing dissidents at a rapid rate, but for the last 40 years I have heard Iran is building a nuclear bomb, and well, India and Pakistan, North Korea have built one in that time frame and we aren't blown up.....  

The fallout from the war in the Persian Gulf isn't here yet. The rising gas price is just an economic taste of what is to come.  

So.....What does this have to do with Buna Schools?

If you can, get out of the district. Sell out, I know it maybe hard to do, but the ISD is not it once was. I worked like a dog to make it a decent district. Something that I am sorry, no long exists.  I somehow am shocked by the number of people who home-school or have their kids in a church or private school. I had one tell me sports are not that important anymore and both their mom and dad who I taught were All-District in various sports. ( I remember...And yes, I still try to keep up with what you do for a living...Your kids, your spouse....But, I don't always get it right....Sometimes I miss, badly...)

( My nephew thinks I need to go on YouTube with a flat cap, a cigar, and an Irish Whisky and cuss, just twist off on world events....) 

I love you Buna, I truly do, but you know, for 16 years I have been fighting this fight, writing this blog, many times alone. On that "point" alone.....

Oh man, Dolly just came on the computer.....She's singing " I will Always Love You. "

It is time to step aside for a while.....Maybe forever..... 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Okay Buna.....Okay

 Let me remind everyone that this blog is an opinion piece. 

In the longstanding tradition of newspapers, these( opinions) would be inside the paper newspapers. They would be with the political cartoons. I know many of you do not remember those days. 

I am not a reporter. 

I am certainly not an investigative reporter. 

Yes, I may break news about stories of interest, but this is not the main goal of this publication.  

I am a one man staff. 

I have no team. ( I used to joke and say I had an editorial staff that included an old woman wearing a 1940s hats, who had been drinking gin & tonics all day.....The old Baltimore Sun had one of those when Jack Germond was writing for the Sun...)

I have no financial backing. 

Here is my profit from the last 10 years. 

$0.00

Yesterday, I had 40+ people contact me. I say 40+ because I stopped counting at 40. Most leaving a phone number wanting me to call them. 

I had 2 people call my personal cellular device after 11PM. last evening.  

I am old school Southern concerning the phone. 

A phone call past 9PM means two things. 

1. Someone is in the hospital/some form of emergency. 

2. A death. 

I had huge reads on the blog yesterday, and they are still adding to the number this morning. 

I appreciate every one of them. 

But so few people comment or even like well, I wonder if it is worth it.  

However, I was literally was overloaded yesterday. 

I had a couple of people contact me yesterday to gripe about Buna sports teams.  I really do not care or give a good flip about youth sports. I see them as part of a modern " Bread and Circuses." Then again, in high school, those " Fightin' Vidor Pirates" football went 0-40  when I was there. And I was at every dadgum ballgame.....Those "Peckin' Lamar Cardinals" were no better when I was there. They were peckers alright. They won 2 games each of my 4 years I played in the marching band. 

I already take " Happy Pills" and after yesterday, I may need even more. I had a bout of depression thinking about Buna ISD last evening. Believe it or not, I actually love the place. I love the people of Buna. I seriously do. It's why I write the blog. I know some of you do not not understand this, but the school is not the same for everyone. For more than you know, for their children, it is a place of horror. Seriously....

As I have said, I was rough on you your senior year, and most of you understand why I did what I did. 

I wanted Buna kids to be the best. 

I could have slopped around and gave you xeroxed papers every day. Made the class simple. Gave everyone As and Bs. But doing what I did, well, it was rough on me. I remember taking your essay exams with me on the deer stand and one year, got deer blood on them. I told you a pen exploded that I was using for grading...Some of you knew better. 

The ole Govteach is going to step-back and take a little time away from the blog. See how the " story at hand" takes shape. 

We love you, but I need time to love myself.  

I am going to talk to many of you later, but right now. I need some "mental health" time. The Govteach is worn down concerning Buna. It is like I am fighting that "Lost Cause." And unlike most of you have been fighting years and years.   I want to call and talk to my nephew in Ft. Stockton this afternoon. ( Like we will talk about something better, Israel and the Middle East will be on the topic. )

Yesterday just pushed me to the limit. I am not going away, just giving my brain a break.  

 

There are Times I Dread Writing About the Buna ISD

 Rome wasn't Built in a Day- 

-  12th-century French phrase and popularized in English in the 1550s

This story is just in its infancy. In the last 48 hours there has been so much added, by the time I publish this,  there will be no items added to " what's going on."

The way it started, it appeared as Kevin Steele the former Channel 12 newsreader posted on his site that the Buna ISD was " Slow Rolling" the story, like they were trying to handle what was going on " In house." And in typical governmental fashion, seemed to blame someone else for what allegedly looks like occurred under their watch.  

Threats to our youth today only could be seen by someone like Aldous Huxley....And that world is rapidly becoming more and more easily understood and becoming more a reality. 

This is one of those circumstances in which I am so glad I do not have a daughter involved. I am afraid I would spend the remainder of my life as a resident of Huntsville, and I certainly do not recommend people taking the law into their own hands. 

I have been warning you and telling you for years that school districts are not your friend. 

ISDs are government entities, often high taxing structures that only exist for themselves. Not for your children.  

Sure, of course, there are people within the institution that want to do right by your children, but many are there for a paycheck. And the further they get up the bureaucracy ladder, the more money they make. Get away from seeing an actual child, as the kids say today, " the bigger your bag." 

I have been told that warrants have been issued for electronic devices.   The situation now lies with the District Attorney. I hope he understand how many people are watching I hope he understand how important this is about to become. 

Mr. DA, I strongly suggest you get all the help you can. I know a DA in the Hill Country. Not sure if this area is his expertise, but he can steer you in the right direction to someone who does. He has been a DA or Asst. DA for almost 40 years now.  

- Buna ISD, no matter the outcome, this is going to be an ugly situation for the district. 

If you have the points, I strongly suggest retirement for many of you in leadership. I am hearing from people concerning this story that, well, I never knew they were reading the blog, and they are upset, to the point of French Revolutionary pitchforks and torches storming the Bastille. 

Even if you recover from the situation, there will be a fire burning in the background. Always there, ready to explode in a moments notice.  

Call it for your health.

Call it for family reasons. 

Call it you that, you want to travel before you get too old. Vermont and New Hampshire both are gorgeous during the prime Fall leaf season........ Paris is lovely in Spring.......Or perhaps you want to follow Claudio Monteverdi  and listen to  Zefiro Torna actually while in Italy. 

Or......

You may want to do what is right by the kids. 

End the distraction, and trust me, at the high school right now, during the End of Course Exams, it is.....And for this testing period, too late. 

While we need the money the position provides, we also must remember that we are in the school business for the kids. 

And school, I know this sounds political and in a way it is, if you've not ale ready done so,  I would provide actual counseling services to those young ladies victimized. Call in actual PhD counselors with access to sending those affected, if needed, to MDs/DOs licensed to practice psychiatry.  

I will talk more about this at length, as information becomes available.  Right now, this situation is in its opening stages. 

 

 

 

 

  

 

I Got to Get the Hell Outta Dodge City....Or in This Case Buna Schools....

Side Note- For the fans of the TV Show Outlander-  Today is the 380th anniversary of the Battle of Culloden in Scotland-

It took place April 16, 1646 near the city of Inverness, Scotland.  Jacobite forces under Prince Charles Edward Stuart/Stewart ( Bonnie Prince Charles) fought again the English army-  Taking place on Drummossie Moor near Inverness, the battle lasted less than an hour but resulted in a decisive victory for the British/English government forces over the Jacobite army. This defeat effectively ended the Stuart claim to the British throne and led to the permanent decline of the Scottish clan system.

We visited the battle site a few years ago. The Scottish Trust has done the battlefield up right. A well done museum, and a well done restored, large area, where the battle took place. 

If you ever find yourself in Inverness, ( a great airport, wonderful people) you must visit the battle site.  

But I once again digress. ( I love me some English/Scottish History)

- Well, it seems that once again, Buna is having a difficult time keeping faculty/ staff employed by the district. 

As I eluded to in a previous publication on this blog, it seems there is a number of employees within the maintenance department at Buna ISD either resigning, or actively looking for employment elsewhere.  Including supposedly the director. 

Word is, lack of money, and loss of overtime, school leadership is driving the employees to quit and find work elsewhere.  

And as I have said, maintenance, cafeteria, janitorial are the backbone of any school district.  Without them, the whole thing collapses. 

And, then, there is the story going around that the district KNOWS OF 21 members of faculty leaving at the end of the year. 

21. 

That they know of. 

How many will either resign at the end of the year, or during that grace period in the Summer Break? 

Note to teachers thinking about resigning, wait until the last minute. I worked at a school district who dropped our health insurance as soon as we resigned. And it was several months before the new district, employer picked up their/our insurance.  I worked with a teacher who resigned from a district near Corpus Christi whose ISD dropped him as soon as he resigned the last day of school, in May, and before his new school district coverage started in September. In June, his son broke his leg requiring several surgeries to repair. I know Magnolia ISD did that to me when I resigned at the end of the school year. 

Remember, it is a job folks. They are are NOT family.  

That number according to rumors might increase up to between 35 to 50. 

Perhaps even more? 

For a a small 3A school district, that is a lot of folks hitting the road. 

Several have been ruined by teaching in the Buna Independent School District and are totally leaving the school business. As one has been telling anyone who will listen, " If any are anywhere near like the Buna ISD, I cannot do this for 30+ years." 

And the Buna community needs to start asking......" Why???"

- Next blog- Teacher certification in the Buna ISD, or lack there or, those who ARE certified teaching outside of their certification.... Is there " fudging" going on?

 

 

Is It Time Buna ISD?

 When, I was hired by the Buna ISD back in the day, I knew very little about the school. 

I needed a job, and I was offered what was back in the day, a " Plum Position." The Gov/Eco job. And either you are cut out, made if you will to teach seniors, or you are not. 

I made sure, it was where I was supposed to be. 

I literally and I've said this many times before, expect Buna to be a short stop on my career. I literally did not expect to remain there most of my teaching profession. 

Buna should have let me go more than once.....I should have left Buna on my own, more than once. 

There were a number of us who worked hard to make Buna a good high school. 

I wanted you to be able to be the best wherever you went next in your life. 

When I retired, I felt good about what I left at Buna High School. I felt good about all the district K-12. I bragged about the school. Recommended it to people. 

As I have said recently, I no longer do. 

It is and I clean up my language here, it is a mess. 

Old names from the community are leaving, or they are moving their children to other school districts. Heck, I even tell people to homeschool their kids. 

There will be people who will send me ugly notes saying that I am too negative about the district. 

But, from where I sit, I see and hear nothing but negativity. 

Unless you are from here, teachers do not want to teach in Buna ISD. And say what you will, and this may sound ugly, it limits the intellectual ability of the district. It limits the talent of the school district. I am sorry, if just does. 

I did a count of the number of people teaching in the district that I taught and I was somewhat shocked at how many teachers I taught....And while it is good they want to teach in their home school, well, sometimes you need new blood. And part of it is, if you suck as a teacher, and you are from the community, well, it is harder to get rid of you. 

Now, I am not saying you need to get rid of everyone from here, but this hiring friends of friends, especially those without the correct certification, well, it has to end.  I know people who have applied with the correct certification, who were passed over for friends, without certification. 

I am going to writing this and take a few days off. 

It could be time to just " burn it all down" and start over. 

New administration. New school board. Get rid of teachers who either don't have a certification or can't get the correct certification. 

My understanding is maintenance is losing leaders, workers, and those still there are looking to get out. I do not think many of you understand how important maintenance, cafeteria, janitorial  are to a school district. Without them, the whole place will fall apart. In more ways than you know....

I don't know what it will cost Buna ISD, but you may need to bite the bullet and just "clean house." Already there are serious patron questioning where the money is going. What do some of these people hired actually do? If so, BISD had a $2.5 million surplus last year, are you making sure that you are burning any surplus this year? 

Unless the community gets serious, I am afraid it is going to get worse....... 

 

 

 

  

( Edit)-Buna , Like Everyplace Else, It's Not What You Know, It's Who You Know.....

"Time changes everything, except something within us, which is always surprised by change." 

- Thomas Hardy 

If you ever read any of Hardy's works, so much is based on unhappiness and suffering based on many societal items, including education, ......You know, sort of like today. 

And in truth, we should not be shocked by changed.....

In the last 48 hours, I have learned of the following concerning the Buna ISD and "new" alleged administrative change. 

It seems the " clique" is alive and well. 

The principal at Buna High it seems supposedly has been offered a new position at Region V. 

Ask the average teacher what the Region Service Centers do, and other than bore us to death in in-service meetings at the start of school, the only thing I can tell you that they do is collect big checks. 

I know there will be be people who disagree, but seriously, why should I listen to someone tell me about teaching who has not taught in an actual classroom in 20-25 years?  

The Buna Junior High Principal is proposed to be the new high school principal. ( EDIT-Rumor now is, they do not want the position.)

Do a little research and follow who you know in all of this....

In the end, the school board will just " rubber stamp" the move......I had a Buna ISD patron write me and say this about the board...." As useless as tits on a boar hog."  

Meanwhile, some of the longtime Buna teachers, many of the best,  are interviewing with other districts. 

And I do not blame them for doing so....Sometimes, enough is enough....  

Buna is Now Nepotism on Steroids?

 “Everybody is against nepotism until it is their turn.” 

-  Shon Mehta

I will confess, Buna ISD hired me, not because of my qualification, but because I was an alumni of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary......

In reality, I think they were getting someone else, and well, they got me, and say what you want, I am bit of a " Different type of Cat" as the jazz musicians would say.....My family will tell you that Kerry Don is " Different." 

And, I am not going to lie, at times, I feel sort of funny, like I had misrepresented myself, but then again, once again, I feel that certain things are foreordained. 

I have been told by multiple sources that Buna Schools is allegedly about to go through a " Fruit Basket Turn Over" at the building administrator level.   

Already, at the elementary school, the asst. principal is leaving the position at the end of the year.  The principal has been reassigned to a K-2 Literary Expert position, as I have said, I need me one of them expert jobs....Victorian Literature, Tudor-Stuart/Stewart History, something like that..... 

So, I was told, and again, this is supposedly to occur, the high school principal is to be moved to the elementary position of principal. 

So, this then leaves an opening at the high school and again, I was told they are planning to move the junior high principal into that position....If that occurs, I plan to write a blog specifically to that new high school administrator. 

There is also a rumor that there will be an outside the district person move into the elementary principal's position. 

One of my sources said, " I would not mind if all the administrators went away and we just started over."  " And I am not the only one." As I have said previously, morale at the Buna Schools, well, it could be better. 

Another said, " We just recycle friends and friends of friends."

The old adage : "It's not what you know, it is who you know."  

As one person said, " Things are about to get interesting."  

 

Tuesday Thoughts, and I Wish I Had Some Breakfast Tacos....

 "You Cannot find Peace by Avoiding Life....."

-Virginia Woolfe 

My back was screaming at me, so, I got up and started researching real estate in Scotland. Dad-gum almost called a real estate agent at 3am concerning a 2 bedroom freehold flat for sale on the east to northeast coast of Scotland. ( 3am here is 9am there, so they should be open..)  But do I want to leave this house, and actually move to Scotland? ( I then found a converted church to a residence,and started doing the math on if we could afford it....It's in the Border Counties, and I literally could see Deb and myself there. )

I'd love to move there, but I am no longer a " Spring Chicken."( And I do like where I live right now. I'm an Orange County boy, and only someone like me loves living here, and I do love it.)

I am just avoiding the obvious this morning. 

The last month-plus, I have watched several hours each day of the war. Me, trying to figure out how the US is going to get out of " another fine mess we've gotten ourselves into" if I may quote Oliver Hardy. 

And I wonder if we will attack the Iranian's infrastructure after today's 8pm ET deadline, or if the target time will somehow be pushed back once again?  

I am worried about our boys and girls that are in the military over there. At some point, somebody is going to be taken as a Prisoner of War, if there has not already been one, but they are not telling us. 

I also wonder what type of fresh hell the economy will hold for us, once the true effects of the Persian Gulf being closed will have? $5 gasoline here in SETX?  

What shortages will there be? 

Will there be panic shopping at the stores? 

How many people will lose their jobs?

I wonder if we are due a depression, not just a recession? We are coming up on 100 years since we went into a depression in 1929, so, we in economic time-frames, we are due.  Past due....

Then, and I hold my breath, will Israel or the US decide to use tactical nukes? If that happens, all bets are off....And that got me looking at real estate in the UK, and the Daily Star a British newspaper is saying Kent in England is the safest place for a nuclear war...... I looked at a map and decided it  was too close to London, what are they considering? 

I'll write a better blog later this week. Sometimes, I hop the rails and let my mind worry too much.... 

 

Panic at Buna ISD?

 For those of you who either do not have kids in school, or your kids have not said a word, the STAAR Exams occur all over the State of Texas for the next 3 weeks. 

-April 5-17 

Grades 3-8 Reading Language Arts

English I 

English II

-April 13-24

Grade 5 Science

Grade 8 Science

Grade 8 Social Studies

Biology

US History

-April 20-May1

Grades 3-8 Math

Algebra I

After the last year's scores, you can rest assure the pressure is on the teachers who teach these subjects, and really on the administration, especially after the "Letter Grade" the school district received from the state.  

Not really a testing fan and always with these exams, follow the money.....I also question some of the accuracy. I know I found a discrepancy on the old World History state exam, concerning Chinese History, checked with my China expert and she told me that 3 of the answers were correct. And of course on the test, there was only one correct answer. 

And of course, as I have written about previously, I almost called it a career and retired rather than have to deal with the testing. 

I hope the kids do well. I really do for their sakes. 

That said, I wonder if the kids actually learned anything, other than how to take a test in many of the courses? 

I am interested to see if the district letter grade improves..... I wonder how much panic there is in the administration?

 

 

 

ISIS Going to Blow up my Church Here in Buna???????

 So, there has been a threat by ISIS to blow-up, attack, shoot up East Texas churches. 

As a matter of fact several sheriff's offices have issued warnings about the threats made by ISIS. 

Do I think ISIS will attack a church? 

No. 

I would be more afraid of other people attacking churches rather than ISIS.

ISIS is a Sunni jihadist organization, specifically following an extreme interpretation of the Salafi branch of Sunni Islam....(Salafism is very conservative, that seeks to return to the practices of the first three generations of Muslims ("pious ancestors"). It emphasizes strict monotheism, rejects religious innovations (bid'ah), and rejects traditional legal school (madhhab) adherence in favor of direct scriptural interpretation. 

. They are not Shia Muslims and view Shiites as apostates, heretics, targeting them for violence, while also attacking Sunni Muslims who do not share their extremist ideology

 Iran is of Shia faith. I would be more afraid of a Shia Iran lead group than a Sunni group. We are bombing the Shias in Iran, not the Sunnis. 

I would  be more afraid of some local nut-job either a racist or a person with a bone to pick with the Baptists, or Methodists, Catholics, etc and that sadly, in 2026, it is a concern for every Sunday, Wednesday night " Prayer Meeting." 

Then again....I watch my surrounding in the hardware store, grocery, dollar stores....Then again, I generally carry a revolver wherever I go. ( Spies and assassins always carry revolvers, think about why?)

Do a little research people, learn the different branches of Islam. 

Don't panic, go to church this morning. Talk to Jesus, just be aware of your surroundings....If something doesn't look right, you might consider leaving....

 

5 Worst Cities I Have Visited.....And 5 Best....

 Okay, I am bored. Had a cat in my lap for about 90 minutes, he's now in a chair sitting by me asleep.....I have lost my damn mind....After having dogs literally all my life, I have an orange cat I am quite fond of....

Worse Cities I have Visited......

5. New Orleans- At one time I enjoyed visiting New Orleans. But the French Quarter I find boring and I have no want or need to " Party" at this stage in my life. The food is good, but there is better Cajun food in restaurants west of New Orleans in the Cajun Country. New Orleans is a place that holds no excitement for me.....

4. Brussels, Belgium- Might be the worst capital city in Europe. Food is okay. Lots of pickpockets and bums asking for hand outs, especially in the train station. The tourist attractions are over rated.  The piss boy statue is not worth walking a mile to see it. 

3. San Francisco- It might be #1, but our hotel was across the highway from SFO Airport and I can watch planes all day. The city itself is well, just another city. Too expensive, the town has a lot of toursits, it also has a large number of addicts roaming the street just pissing and crapping wherever they want to. I did not have a decent meal while there. 

2. Tel Aviv, Israel- I certainly would not want to be there today. The Iranians are blowing the hell out of the place. If God is good to me, I'll never have to go back to Israel. Bad food, they really did not want tourists there. Yes, they wanted our dollars, but not us.  Going through the airport was a nightmare. Just another big city. 

1. London- Massive city. Yes, Mr. Thomas is still an Anglophile. Yes, I loved the museums, the palace, seeing the parliament, Whitehall, the War Museum, etc.....But VERY Expensive and yes, I can navigate the tube( subway) all day. But just an enormous city. Just too damn busy. I know Cousin Andy who now holds a British Passport would disagree, as he LOVES London, but unless we need to pick him up for a trip, I will pass. 

 Honorable Mention Bad Cities-

Jerusalem.....Manchester, England........Torquey, England.......Miami....Boston...Dublin, Ireland....

 Best Cities I have visited....

 5. Seattle- Yes, my kids live there, but it would have made the top 5 before they moved. Yes it is liberal, yes it is expensive, but I like the Pacific Northwest. Not everyone does, but I enjoy the fish dinners from that region. I like the town, heck, I even enjoyed talking to the bums downtown. We considered moving to the area outside of Seattle about 40 years ago, but the Washington State Teacher's certification was a nightmare at the time. But we have now been to Seattle 5 times that is how much we like the city. 

4. Hong Kong- Amazing city. A true wonderment. Still has a big British influence, like driving on the left of the roadways. Amazing Chinese food( go figure). One of those cities if you asked me to go to this afternoon, I'd go. 

3. Quebec City, Quebec, Canada- We stayed in an Air B&B literally on the " Plains of Abraham." Possibly the most European city in North America. Yes, no one speaks English, but you learn to make do and use apps.  I enjoyed just walking around the city. 

2. Edinburgh, Scotland- What can I say, we are wanting to go back next to Scotland. The " Happiest Place on Earth" isn't Disney World, it is Scotland.  Massive castle in the middle of the city, on a hill, you look for the castle if you get lost. It will get you back where you need to be. The most haunted cemetery on earth, Greyfriars, great pubs, I enjoyed the food. It is the first place I tried haggis, boudin's Scottish cousin. We plan to travel there our next overseas trip. 

1. York, England.....Come on, it is what an English city should look like. A Medieval section called " The Shambles" A massive Medieval Anglican Cathedral we stayed in hotel across the street from. We did Evensong ( Evening prayer) while we were there. I know I still hold a History Certificate in the state of Texas, but I literally " Geeked Out" there/ Especially when we found out we were about 50 feet from Guy Fawkes birthplace.  Also found a " Local" full of people from York, and they turned me onto, an Italian beer. ( Yes, Italian)....If you go to England, you must visit York....

 Honorable Mention

Washington DC( Yes, the " Belly of the Beast" but its is full of history), Montreal... St. John, New Brunswick... Nuremberg, Germany... Cork, Ireland... Kunming, China.....

What city will you never visit again?

What city do you want to re-visit?  

Thursday's Thoughts......And Future Buna ISD Blogs....

 Because in many ways I am still stuck in the 1970s....I am listening to what I listened to when I was still in school....Led Zeppelin.....It makes writing well, a lot easier.....

3 weeks of war? If we are lucky. I can see us in the Persian Gulf for years. This is so similar to Vietnam. Trouble is, Iran in 3 times bigger than Vietnam and in the war in Southeast Asia, the US ground forces were only in half of the country.  Iran is mostly all mountains and desert. A population of 92 million. 

I am scared to death we are going to put ground forces on some of the islands, or in a port in Iran. 

War is different than Vietnam or any other war, see the the Russian-Ukraine conflict. Watch the drone warfare. It is a game changer in its use against infantry.  

Man, the Vietnam conflict is still remembered by many of us.....

Then, sort of pay attention. I still think there will be terrorist attack here in the states directly related  to Iran. If it does not look right, I would not hang around. 

-Oracle laid off 30,000 people yesterday. Sent them an email at 6am and told them their services were no longer needed.  

I am telling you, there will be more lay-offs in this country. 

- Already people are starting to re-think vacations. I know some people were were about to travel to Europe this Summer and have decided that well, we might need to go another time.  Part of it was they had planned to rent a car and the thought of paying around $9-10 a gallon for gas was one of the things that changed their mind, plus the thought of airfare which has gone up by a quarter to a third in recent days, and how will they treat Americans as this economic crisis gets worse? 

I know Debbie and Kerry are still looking at Scotland for Fall, but nothing is set in stone and we can dress, act like we are supposed to be there. Of course our East Texas accent gives us away, so we try and say as little as we can in public. ( That said, we were in Dundee, Scotland and I got a yelling at a street preacher for misquoting the Bible.  I got some chuckles from the Scots.)( In Germany, we knew we had fit in when at first they spoke to us in German and thought we were such....)

The way things are looking we may go to South Padre, or Hill Country, the Smoky Mountains, or the Farm and call it good for this year.  

- Today is Maundy  Thursday. It commemorates the Lord's Supper/Communion... marking the institution of the Eucharist and the washing of feet. "Maundy" originates from the Latin mandatum (commandment), reflecting Jesus' command to love and serve others. It is characterized by communion services, foot-washing ceremonies, and the stripping of altars.( Wrote a paper on this in seminary concerning Medieval/Reformation England....It was during this time I realized I was no longer Baptist.)( I know many of you in Evangelical churches do not know this day, but traditionally it was a big day during Holy Week.)

- I really need to write about Buna ISD....But you know, at this point I am so damn disgusted with leadership, be it  admin or the politicians, if I think about it much, I will puke on my keyboard....Will write next week....

We may throw caution to the wind and go off next week. Or not......I do not think the average  patron in the district realizes what they have on their hands? And I seriously wonder/worry about the STAAR  Exams will come out? Is Buna getting  a takeover? If it is, can you imagine who they'd put on the Board of Governors? Maybe I should get my brother top pull some strings, he does know Abbott a little....No, there is not enough Bushmill's Irish Whiskey to get me to get me " Likkered Up" to do the job.....In truth, I hope the kids, for their sake, do well on the tests. 

- I am going to take several days off for Easter. I doubt I write the next 3 days.

Have a good Easter. If you can, see your folks. Tell them you love them. You really do not know what our future holds for us.  

 

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?