Open Letter, To Buna Independent Schools-Oct. 6, 2023

 I probably should let it cool down, but the older I get, the less I care who I piss off.....It's like I am not going to drink coffee with these upset people anyway, and I certainly won't be sitting by them in the church. ( Already I am deciding whether or not I'll even go to church on Christmas Eve. If Vegas had odds on it, it'd be like 10:1 against...Like I said, I went twice in England/Wales, and that'll do me for the year.)

Yesterday, someone got all upset about me " getting onto Buna." If I didn't give a good damn, I wouldn't care. I worked like a sumofabitch to make Buna HS a good place to graduate from, and sorry folks, it's slipped. I no longer recommend it to people who ask " Should I send my kids there?" For about 7-10 years, I said " Yes." Now? " No." And that's sad for me, because there are still some quality faculty there. 

And today's blog really hasn't anything to do with this week's events. 

While there are happy with the Buna ISD, there are just as many unhappy with the district. It's October 6th, and already I am hearing rumblings of teachers as one put it to me, " Getting the Hell outta Dodge."

Hell, I had (some very long) people write me dissertations on their unhappiness with the Buna Schools yesterday. And we are talking patrons.

The Texas Legislature meets in Special Session starting this Monday, Oct. 9th. 

What will they be discussing? School choice, now, I have problems with " School Choice" especially when we start giving tax dollars to unaccredited, non-degree, who knows what-the-cornbread-fuck are they teaching in these schools. 

That said Buna ISD, you're going to need to figure out some way to keep the kids you got. Oh, most kids already in high school will stay, it's the little kids elementary you may need to worry with. 

And you're going to need to "Play Politics" like never before......And horrible to say, but it is true. 

After going back and working in a couple of political campaigns since retirement, I'd offer my services to the Buna Schools......Nah, that's crazy talk...I may get up one morning and decide, " I need to be in England this week." Quit. And us go. ( The best part of going to England when it is cold and rainy? There ain't no fuckin' Americans. And we generally go places tourists from America aren't. They're all in London. London sucks, sucks bad. Go to Edinburgh.)

And the thing is, how are you going to keep teachers? 

Already administration now requires or mandated 2 department meetings each week.....Hell, I was BHS History Department Chair for years, I didn't want to talk to those damn people in my department about something, in which they were already doing a damn good job, why fix something that ain't broke? I sure didn't want someone to suggest how I teach. I might tell them, " Fuck you, and the clap dripping mule you rode in on."This is giving teachers only 3 planning periods a week. Them papers don't get graded on their own. Like I said, people will move on down the highway to another district to teach.

You're going to need to come up with something to attract and keep students. And I have ideas, but you know, I look at shit differently.  

Schools are fixing to change, and it is going to be an ugly transition period. You're not going to be able to use chicanery, to fix stuff. 

If you mess-up, and you will, you're going to need to get out, own it and promise to do better, not try and hide it. 

Lord knows I messed plenty of times at Buna HS. I owned it. Lying always makes it worse. 

Be honest. Try and fix stuff. Try and boost morale of the teachers.Make people WANT to go to Buna ISD....Not flee from it.... 

 

Man Buna Schools....That's Even Worse.....

 So, as many of you know, I posted a routine by the BJH Cheerleaders in which one member seemed to be left out.....

And I am all about redemption, second chances, Hell, if I wasn't most of you would have failed my class. 

But, the Buna ISD has removed the post with the cheerleaders from their Facebook site. 

I hate to tell you, but if my lawyer brother was here, I can just about imagine what he'd say......It makes you look guilty. 

Again, someone send me an explanation....  

Or post one online....I am hearing so much stuff I am confused.

Man Buna Schools, This is a Bad Look....

 Perhaps there is a good explanation?

But at this point, this looks like Mississippi....Or perhaps Vidor in the 1970s....Or as one person said, " Buna in the 1970s." 

This is the Buna Junior High cheerleaders performing their routine.

Yes, there is one girl ( cheerleader)alone in the back.......And she is black.  And the rest are performing a routine.

Now I understand family being all positive about the family member's involvement in school activities, especially sports, band, cheerleading, etc....I know my mother, is all giddy because her youngest grandchild is starting now at right tackle in Llano. She'd say he's doing great even if he receive 7 penalties for 70 yards. It's what family is supposed to do....

But the kid standing while others are performing? And everyone else is white, and she's black? Ain't a good look Buna JH.....Ain't a good look. 

And don't jump up and down and call me some sort of affirmative action liberal....I lost a job in the 1990s due to affirmative action.

There's got to be an explanation....But I wonder? And formerly in the school business me wonders if there is some sort of politics involved? 

( Video has been taken down, I am assuming by Buna Schools. )

 

Economics Lesson _ (Oct. 4, 2023)

 After prayers this morning, I took a look at the economic charts, graphs for the future. 

It just does not look good.....Too many people are coming on Bloomberg, CNBC, Fox Business and are talking about the " Soft Landing." 

Sadly, most of the time, these "so-called" experts talk about a " Soft Landing," there is a recession coming.

Now how deep a recession, or how long, well, I do not know and neither do they. I am not going to speculate on the recession long lasting economic impact. 

Right now, we have not felt the full impact of the Federal Reserve's raising of the interest rate. 

I know they are talking like housing mortgages, the traditional 30 mortgage is going to be over 8%, the way the interest rates are trending. 

Simple math going from 3% to 8% interest means, even with a 20% down payment, on a $400,000 house, you would be paying $900+ more a month. 

And good lord, have you looked at the prices of pick-up trucks right now? And with 7-8% rates. Who can afford a truck, and people are buying them with 8-9-10 year note payments. 

Glad I drive a beater, and looked yesterday, and only have put 700 miles on my Honda since June. ( I am sure if and when we buy a vehicle again, it'll be a Toyota Corolla or a Honda Civic, something like that.)

Then there are the numbers being produced by the National Bureau of Economic Research, everything they show has an economic downturn by late 2023-early 2024. 

There are also several things that also playing into a poor economy....

1. Oil Prices. Blame the Russians and the Saudis here. They've cut production. ( Neither are America's friend)

2. The present UAW strike again Chrysler( I refuse to call it whatever it is called now), GM, and Ford. It is costing the economy, so far, $5 billion dollars and I am not so sure the Big 3 auto makers are not using the strike to drive up car prices. 

3. Student Loan Resumption.  This is not the blog to debate the cost of college, but with people having to start back paying college loans, how much money being put into the economy before, is now gone? 

4. The government shutdown. Say what you want, in 45 days, the Congress is looking at the US Government shutting down. How much money will be removed from the economy if the idiots on Capitol Hill don't get their act together?

Banks are also starting to look at loans. Many banks are giving few loans to people, especially in the business world, at the small business start-up level. Say what you will, most business in America is at the small business level. Heck, some banks are looking at and questioning loans to even larger business customers. 

Finally, the consumer has in fact kept us out of the recession, so far, trouble is, so many are buying, using their Visa, Mastercard, Discover cards. And the limits are running out. What happens then, is people will stop buying frivolous items?  Already repossessions on cars are at an increase ......Later this week, I may discuss China and what it may do to the American economy....The Chinese have built a BILLION homes with no one to occupy them. The Chinese economic system is in trouble.

 

PANIC!!!!!

 Tomorrow, FEMA( Federal Emergency Management Agency) is going to have a test of their emergency system.

At 1:20PM CT, October 4th, 2023, every TV, radio, and cell phone in America will be involved in this "emergency" test.

Already, the conspiracy theory people are out there talking about what this might mean.

Many are telling you to turn off your phone during the process so the "government" won't be either listening to or taking over your phone. 

 The government is already listening. The NSA( National Security Agency) is already is recording every phone call now. The government is already listening to you. 

Some are afraid this is the start of some sort of " Gubmint Takeover."  If so, why do it so " In the Open." And why have they waited " This long?"

So tomorrow, don't panic, not much you can do about it anyway.

Buna ISD Poor Scores?

 So, to get the Buna ISD patrons and community ready for the upcoming scores for the district, there was a memo sent out to the community, getting people ready for what they expect to be a lower scores for the district. 

And perhaps, the letter grades may have gone down at least 2 letter grades. 

Now, the Texas Education Agency has changed their scoring of schools and school districts in the last school year, and Buna ISD is expecting Buna ISD to go down in their scores. 

And there is a number of questions concerning the TEA's new scoring system. So much so, there are districts suing the TEA. 

So much controversy surrounds the new scoring system, the TEA has announced a delay in the release of the school scores.  

The question is this, Is Buna ISD expecting a lower score, even more than expected? They're trying to lessen the blow of a poor score?

Some in the community are wondering if it is because there are lower scores because there are fewer and fewer certified teachers now being hired? This " District of Innovation" business?

While there has always been teachers getting their certificate AFTER they are hired by a school, it seems, even more people now are are getting certified, many teaching in a field not even related to their original degree, after teaching school for a while. 

To gauge what is going on, look at comparable school districts in the area, heck in the state of Texas. 

When I was teaching I tried to gauge our scores with Bridge City, Orangefield, LCM, Lumberton. Hardin-Jefferson.....See if you are hanging with PNG ISD.

Heck, look at what the districts are doing in Llano ISD or other schools 3A-4A in size near Austin.

If we were scoring as well, or better, I was pretty happy. ( I remember at couple of years Buna ISD had the highest scores in Social Studies in Region V. Heck, we scored 100% pass a couple of years, and Region V had the nerve to ask, " Don't you want to improve your Social Studies scores?" They asked the same of Science and the Buna High  Science scores were 100%. Region V couldn't believe we were doing that well.

So, look at other school districts. If Buna is not better than or at least equal to, I would worry. 

But, I am worried if the district is already making excuses, and the scores are not out yet. As I have said for years, I want Buna ISD to do well.

Don't Ever Do This!

 I was reminded not to do this, even as a joke at a wedding. 

This generally involves the groom. 

In the part were the officiant, minister, priest, etc asks...."Do you take this woman to be your wife, to love, the cherish....etc"

Then, as a joke, or teasing say...." No."

There are denominations who have to take the FIRST ANSWER......They can't take...." I was just kidding." 

Questions may arise later about if they really wanted to marry or not?

This is serious business.

It happened this past weekend to a friend of mine conducting a wedding. The groom smiled, and said, " No." 

My minister friend closed his marrying book, went and got in his truck, and left.  

I think he took the license with him.....If sued, his answer would be, " I was told by the groom no." He mailed the unsigned marriage license back to the county clerk with an explanation letter.  

Folks, this goes under...." Play stupid games, win stupid prizes."