If you're planning to move to Austin (especially from a bigger city)... (Houston: 2010, how much)

[TexasHorseLady]

That list appears to contain books that were challenged (by parents, and parents can challenge anything, but that doesn't mean that the school district complied) in 2002-2003, as well as books that were banned. For all we can tell from that list, the books on it were challenged but the challenge did not succeed.

I'd love to see a current list of books that were actually banned in public schools in Texas.

[mlassoff]

I wish that list were available as well. I think you'd be surprised how common book banning is in Texas and how many and which books are banned here compared to the northeast.

I'd refer you to read the forum that Tracy started, that you requested. Tracy (who you stated before is an expert) discussed banned books in her own district, or if she reads this perhaps she can comment here.

That is if you think the topic is truly of interest...

But of course, I always wonder if the REALTORS(tm) on this forum have some other agenda to promote Austin and Texas blindly, without being at all critical... Or maybe it's a lack of critical thinking skills since these aren't focused on in Texas schools...?

[TexasHorseLady]

Actually, I'm participating on that thread. Perhaps you didn't notice.

As for agendas, they're pretty easy to see, usually. Whether they be professional or otherwise.

[AK123]

No reply.
Not surprising...

Originally Posted by AK123

Are you joking? And what is this photo you posted? I suppose I can go somewhere in east Austin, take a photo of some crappy block and then generalize that to the entire city? Yeah, that's fair. But that's pretty much what you're doing.

I've never understood why so many other Texans generalize the east-side, industrial area or the high-crime areas of Houston to the entire city. How is that fair? There are not refineries spread randomly around the city. Most of that's not even in Houston; it's in places like Baytown and Channelview, which are suburb cities to the east. And I'm sorry, but Austin has just as much sprawl with cookie-cutter homes and strip malls these days. To pretend otherwise is a mistruth. Urban Dictionary: austitude How come every time Houston comes up, there's always at least one person from Austin who has to do this?

It's like deja-vu of when I moved from Austin to Houston, and everyone was saying "don't do it, Houston is so awful!" I asked how do you know? "Oh, I heard" or "I was there 20 years ago" or "I drove through the freeways one time". Well, they were all wrong. Way wrong. We've had the best time living in Houston.

Oh yeah, here are some photos of the so-called pollution-spewing hellhole. Thanks. http://www.city-data.com/forum/6246710-post34.html

Okay, I'll try to stop my rant now. I'm just so sick of hearing ignorant, stupid stuff like this.

Originally Posted by truckin54321

Did anyone put a gun to your head forcing you to take that cut? Of course Houston pays more....you also have to breath in the fumes wafting over from the refineries and ship canal each day.....and deal with the post-katrina crime rate.........I can walk around in DT Austin at 2 in the morning and feel 100% safe..In Houston, you'd have to have eyes in the back of your head doing the same......Houston = 24/7 highway sprawl as well........Austin is so much better than that pollution spewing hellhole than words can describe.....safe, ambiant, intelligent, friendly, scenic,
tree-filled, etc.......and now that oil is below 40 bucks a gallon, and looks that way for a LONG time,
you can kiss Houston's energy sector bye-bye...........Houston HAS to pay more, per all the crime, traffic, and filth......

[AK123]

Originally Posted by sxrckr

Wow. Second time in almost as many weeks that I've seen a "fake" (either altered or not actually in Houston) pic of Houston, claiming to be it's something in Houston. Why can't people just post a real pic? That's just sad, what is wrong with people, I think some people in other Texas cities feel a competition with Houston and just try to bring it down.

If I'm thinking of the other photo you're talking about, it was a poster from Dallas, and s/he later apologized for it.

[TexasHorseLady]

Ah, I got some actual information! (Google is my friend.)

According to the ACLU (not the most unbiased of sources, but at least they have the info), 3.42% of all school districts in Texas reported challenges to books in the past year, down from 5.33% in the previous year. That's challenges, not actual bannings.

Of the 102 challenges, 27 books were banned. Others were placed on restricted status (an alternative text was made available and/or the book could be checked out with parental permission or if the student was above a certain age/grade level).

The statistics (and the ACLU's statement regarding the state of such activity in Texas today) can be found on page 5 of this report.

I've got to head out to run errands, but when I get back, I'll do the same research on a handful of other states and see what the ACLU has to say about them. Interesting topic!

[Jennibc]

Originally Posted by shaxs

Wow. Goosebumps and R.L. Stine Series is banned? I loved those when I was kid and they didn't do anything bad to me... wow. Heh Harry Potter as well. Pretty sad.

My son just came home with three Goosebumps books from his public school library and it is located in SW Austin. So I am not sure why that would show up as being banned.

[Jennibc]

Originally Posted by mlassoff

But of course, I always wonder if the REALTORS(tm) on this forum have some other agenda to promote Austin and Texas blindly, without being at all critical... Or maybe it's a lack of critical thinking skills since these aren't focused on in Texas schools...?

And you seem to have an extreme anti -realtor agenda. It's clear that you are disappointed by TX but to paint it with such a broad brush, leads me to question your critical thinking skills.

[traceyr13]

What troubles me is not just what is actually banned or contested, but the ramifications from that. For example, I know teachers are told here not to teach books that have "caused trouble" with parents in the past, even if it does not officially show up as banned in the data/research.

In my many, many years as both a student growing up and then an educator in schools in both MA and Rhode Island, I can't ever remember "controversial" books being an issue. Yet, the first week on the job here, I was told stories about previous books and warned what books to avoid.

I'm certainly not trying to portray Austin/Texas as an awful place (I'm happily staying here) or present the Northeast as a paradise of perfect enlightenment - certainly NCLB is hitting up there and I saw a big change (for the worse) up there in the almost 10 years I worked there. I'm just sharing my own experiences and opinions as someone who has experienced both (as requested!)

[mlassoff]

Originally Posted by Jennibc

And you seem to have an extreme anti -realtor agenda. It's clear that you are disappointed by TX but to paint it with such a broad brush, leads me to question your critical thinking skills.

No... Nothing against REALTORS. Some of my best friends are REALTORS. It's just that like to provide balance to the psycho pro-Austin at all costs crowd. Many from the northeast (like the OP) come here and realize that Austin has been overhyped in the forum. I try to present the other side.
I have also made pro-Austin posts and present a balanced opinion when possible.