I Did a No-No

 Old Kerry Don is off in the weeds this morning, listening to a odd mix of AC/DC, Billy Strings, The Smiths and Audioslave,,,,,Fred seems to like Audioslave, AC/DC.....Then again, I played the complete Requiem Mass in D Minor by Mozart and it put him to sleep, then, my cat sleeps about 12-14 hours a day.( Like a cat) 

Then, I am looking at shoes this morning.....Allen Edmonds to be specific.....I don't have lawyer or Bryant Long money, so, I look at the sales, and the seconds.( In most cases the seconds, you can't tell what is wrong.) I need a pair of new black shoes....The old ones are over 40 years old and well, they've seen better days. 

The thing is, I hate black shoes. 

Not enough "flair" for me.  

As I have eluded to I had to go to a funeral this week and well, I dressed well, even if it was not quite "funeral appropriate." 

Navy pinstripe suit, Navy colored of AE's Fifth-Avenue cap toe shoes, such a dark navy, you have to really look to tell they are not black, Dainite soles, even wore a navy colored belt, not braces. 

I refuse to buy, wear a black suit. And I really should not have worn pinstripes. And yes, I have a solid navy suit. 

I was running late and when I looked in the mirror, I looked like an extra from a set in the 1940s British War Movie sitting in the backbenches of the House and Commons.  Not going to the funeral......I went with it anyway. 

I looked actually like I was an economics teacher......And from time to time, I try and express that of my former self. 

And, I was a bit ashamed of myself until I got to the actual funeral.  

One forgets this is Southeast Texas, and well, whatever you wear it probably going to be okay. There was someone at the funeral in bib-overalls. 

No, I got off in the weeds on Allen Edmonds' site and really got to looking at the green suede cap-toe dress shoes.... ( If I was rich, it'd be Crockett & Jones or Alden's Shoes, you know, those who insist you use Saphir shoe creams, shoe polish, Made in France, it comes in a glass jar, yes, it is what I use.)

No I really don't need them, but they are on-sale........

Maybe I need to not care, peacock and wear whatever I want......put the money in the kitty towards the next trip to England & Scotland..... 

 

 

 

Please Buna People, I Implore You.....

 I went to a visitation at the funeral home in Vidor last evening. 

These happen, as life goes on. 

I am sure when it is "my time" someone in Buna will go..../" Let's go to the funeral, and check and make sure he's really dead...." 

And at the visitation, I ran into 3 former students.  

Yes, I do remember them.......But not a clue their names. 

For some of you, it has been 30 + years since I have actually laid eyes on you.......And literally over the decades, I have had thousands of students. 

I probably would/could tell you the last 25 Emperors of the Roman Empire rather than name an entire class of seniors.  

Terrible of me, but the truth....

And some of you, I will remember forever and a day.... 

Please, help the old man out, help me with your name.  

I know at least two of the former students asked other people if it was " Me" or not.....Yeah, I got old. And hair, beard is pretty much grey. Plus, I am 70 lbs down from when I was teaching.  

Always glad to see you, but well, it has been a long time..... 

Bits and Bobs....Buna Schools?

 Bits and Bobs....A British expression to explain odds and ends, often to explain stuff you may carry....Or  miscellaneous items, or little tasks. 

I may start using this as my blog titles on various subjects in which, I have a mix of information....

- We are getting to the point summer is dadgum near over for teachers. A week before in-service starts.  I hated this coming week when I still teaching like you do not know. Oh, I was okay the Monday morning I leave for the opening convocation....But as I have said for years, I would much rather walking into a school and teach kids. Not be bored to death by someone who has not taught in 25 years. 

- In my messages, texts, etc. I receive every week, few days a message from a parent I either taught or I know. All Buna ISD alumni....And they are moving their kids out of Buna Schools. 

Kids being bullied. 

Kids not learning anything. 

Buna just not any good anymore.

Are just what they are saying.....Among other things.  

Deweyville, Evadale, Vidor, LCM, Lumberton......Whoever or wherever their children will be accepted.  

And these as I have talked about have a long time association with either attending, graduating, their family having a long association with Buna ISD. 

And I understand. You got to do what you want to take care of your kids. And all school districts are not the same. 

Trust me, I have been so many school districts, I understand, and if I was in Buna ISD as the government/economics teacher in 2026, I would be looking for another school district to teach.  I know when I retired, I had enough. Today, I can't imagine how unhappy I would be....And I know there were teachers who looked and for whatever reason, wound up back at Buna ISD. Sometimes, you just can't uproot your life and move to Dallas-Ft. Worth, or Austin, or Amarillo......Midland-Odessa.......Ft. Stockton.........Mt. Vernon......

Again, you want local change?  

 

 

 

 

So, Buna ISD Made KFDM Channel 6 News

 Of course in typical Kerry Don Thomas style, I was long in bed before the 10PM News on Channel 6. 

I get up generally around 3:30AM, mainly so I can pray at 4AM. Best time for me. Get up early, " Have a Little Talk With Jesus" as the old Southern Gospel song would say, get the day off to a good start.  ( Then again, I always had a question about the song's verse "feel a little pray'r wheel turning," I can't help but think about Nepalese Buddhism....I know, too much education ain't always so good......

So, I watched the news story this morning....https://kfdm.com/news/local/buna-isds-new-bus-policy-raises-concerns-for-parents-ahead-of-school-start

A Nothing Burger.... 

Not anything, we already did not know......I do appreciate a local media putting a little pressure on a local government entity, but in reality, will anything change today? 

The one thing that stuck out like a sore thumb. 

"  One grandparent of Buna ISD students, who asked to remain anonymous for what she called safety reasons..."

Translation- Does not want anything they say to come back on the grandchild. 

Man, when you are afraid of a government agency.....Well, you know how I feel....Local School Board elections in November. 

 

 

 

So, I Wrote a Blog on This Over a Year Ago.....And STILL Get Hate Mail....

 And it has NOTHING to do with the Buna ISD.....I was told, "Yeah, they get mad at you, but at some point, even if they don't admit it to themselves even, they think, we might be able to use him down the road."

Little scary...... 

And apparently some Pulitzer Prize award hopeful( sarcasm) at a local TV station is wanting to do a story on the Buna School's bus changes.......If I see it, I see it......And may write about it....

No, I still get letters from people about my concern about the Swinger Groups in Jasper County.....And who I know is involved. 

I don't know if someone may ask me about it, or I may use it against them....

In truth, go do what you want to do.....Swing from the rafters, Be lead around by a dog collar, Hop up and down on the bed.....and try to touch the ceiling with your head..... 

I don't care........But I still worry about emotional damage down the line. And wonder if the kids know, but dare not say anything?

So, you want to become a blogger? It's all fun and games until the messages come in..... 

  

Meanwhile, Across the Pond....

 Here is a brief bio of the new British Prime Minister, Andy Burnham. 

First entered politics fresh out of Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge, working for Tessa Jowell as a researcher.

He then went on to work as a special advisor to the Culture Secretary, Labour's Chris Smith - before entering Parliament in 2001 as MP for Leigh.( Part of the city of Manchester, UK)

Mr Burnham held several positions in the Blair and Brown Government's firstly as Chief Secretary to the Treasury and then as Culture Secretary.

He then became Health Secretary and then work in the Shadow Cabinet of Ed Miliband and Jeremy Corbyn from 2010 - 2016.

Burnham then attempted to become Labour leader, in 2010 and 2015 and then left Parliament to become Mayor of Manchester.

He was elected as MP for Makerfield( Part of the city of Manchester, UK) this year, and was swept in by the Party as Leader of the Labour Party unopposed before becoming Prime Minister.

- In his first speech as Prime Minister,  he attacked Margaret Thatcher, who was Prime Minister about 40 years ago, for basically all of Britain's problems in 2026.  

Buna ISD....Bus Policy Change?

 I was hesitant to go here. 

It is the middle of the summer and whether we care to think about it or not, we are rapidly coming to the end of  Summer Vacation. I know I have family members who are taking a trip out of state to visit family over a 1000 miles away, because they are either teaching or they start taking classes very soon. I do not even want to look and see when the in-service days start for teachers. I do not joke when I say there is nothing worse than listening to someone from a Region Service Center(RSC) drone on like they know anything about what they are actually are talking about. Most of these people have not been in an actual classroom in 25-30+ years, and even then, they were an administrator in a school passing through. ( All Regional Service Centers are the same. I have listen to their experts from the Beaumont, Houston, Fort Worth RSC areas, and none have an actual clue about teaching....)

In the last couple of days, the Buna ISD has changed how and where the kids can get off a bus. 

I am wondering if the coming diesel shortage, shortage of drivers, has anything to do with the changes? 

Trouble is, not every kid goes home to the same place in the district every evening. There are parents with 50-50 custody and the child going to different homes within the  ISD. 

There are parents who are on different shifts and their child has to go to grandma's or Aunt Eula's, and I wonder just what kind of a log-jam the pick-up line will be if there are even more people picking up kids? Cars down to the Dollar Store?  

And why wait this late before school starts to announce this change?  People's lives don't turn on a dime. Arrangements have to be made. It's getting late to announce this. 

My concern is the people getting flak because of their concerns. 

Again, and apparently the school district thinks they are something special, or the Bill of Rights doesn't apply to them....

But, schools are taxing entities. Government, taxing entities.  

They are subject to criticism, just like any other government agency.  

The last I checked, we still have a First Amendment and it was originally added to the US Constitution because in the old days, Americans could not gripe or criticize the King of England.  

Somehow, we missed that in government. I have a theory on what happened, but I am not going here right now. Perhaps at a later date. 

Buna is in a downward spiral. The patrons have lost control. "The school board apparently do not understand the role of the school board" as I was told the other day. 

I have not been talking it much in recent days, mostly as I said above, because most Buna patron's mind are worried about anything but school right now. 

So many people are trying to figure a way to get their kids out of the district. And they've been working on it for months. Trust me, I know. This just puts another burden on many people in the district.

I am wondering what the district's grade average is going to be in 2026?

I am not teasing, if I was a parent, I would be looking for another ISD for my kids....