Good news for HEB ISD anyway (Dallas, Fort Worth: low income, foreclosure, home)

[loves2read]

Find out why no dramatic cuts are needed at HEB ISD | wfaa.com | Dallas - Fort Worth Local News

when Buinger says that teacher cuts will happen through attrition this is what HEB did when hiring new teachers for the 2010-2011 school year--this current one...
any teacher being offered a 1yr contract as a new employee was also offered a letter of resignation--
if they did not sign both they did not get the job--period...

Whether it was an experienced teacher who had been out with her kids for several years returning to teach at HEB, a new teacher fresh from graduation, a teacher from out of state coming here for work--
all of them were handled the same way--very transparent and also indication that they probably needed to be doing the best job they could to make them the best candidate for rehiring...

Now at the end of the year their names go into pool and for any vacancy that has to be filled for next year principals will pull first from that pool

I guess it is possible that some vacancies might not find a qualified match out of that group--but they all knew going in to this year that next year was not a certainty...

I have always said that HEB is one of the best managed ISDs around and while it is not a prefect district--it does a good job of teaching its students

It will start offering Arabic classes this next year--which means it is not standing still in light of the budget crisis...

[Eric S]

I saw that. That news is comforting in the current situation. I'll be keeping my fingers crossed and hope that HEB-ISD suits the needs of our kids for the next several years. That was the plan upon our arrival, at least.

-Eric

[padcrasher]

The district just recently passed the 50% low income mark. The demographic change has brought in more State dollars.

loves2read...you didn't know a lorraine lamb did you?

[loves2read]

name is not familiar to me--
have been retired over 6 yrs now
HEB does a good job considering the % of low income and multicultural students it has--especially with the IB programs--

and yes the demographics mean we have less money taken by Robin Hood--
we have one school in HEB that has qualified for Title 1 for years and the PTA has resisted and resisted having that lable put on the school which has done very well until this past year with TAKs scores
this year they were pretty much forced to accept the Title 1 designation so they could get more Federal money for the school--
don't get me wrong--the PTA did lot of great work there but just because they did not want that lable on their neighborhood school the principal allowed them to swing a lot of weight--
many of the students that cause the school to BE a Title 1 school are not living in the local zone but are apt kids bused in to evenout the reduced numbers--
but still in all--
those kids often have problems that require extra help and without the Title 1 funds the school was scraping by--

[SCFriend]

I have to say it is tough to see Texas struggle with education. Coming from a different state, I thought that the budget for my particular district was already lean and mean. I could not imagine where they could cut more. Well, we found out. They are increasing class sizes and moving the surplus teachers to schools with openings. All our curriculum coaches will go back into the classroom and it looks like Reading Recovery will also be cut. Last hired are (of course) the first to go. I came into Texas a few years ago, so I am luckily safe. I thought about transferring to another school closer to my home because they are asking for volunteers... but then I would be the LOW MAN the next year. Do I want that?

[padcrasher]

I just hope all those white suburban voters who vote for those who undermine education realize this.

It's will be business as usual over in Southlake, and Highland Park. The teachers here are charging $60 an hour for tutoring. There is a big demand. Kumon and Mathnasium are going gangbusters, not for remedial work but for advanced lessons. . The kids are out mixing and mingling the other kids of wealthy business people making connections that benefit them as they look for jobs. Poor kids are zoned out..0% free lunches here. If a kid has some learning issue they are on it in a flash with medication or private tutoring. I'm generalizing of course but your kids, will not have these connections and they will get much less tutoring.

By cutting an already pathetic level of spending per pupil, you help in ensure there will be less social mobility, and less lucrative careers for you kids. So don't think you are out there just sticking it to "those other people". You've made it harder on your own kids.

[loves2read]

actually it won't be business as usual in Southlake Carroll--that district is having to adapt to the reducting in state funding that is anticipated...
while parents may have additional money to spend on getting their children extra help
it might surprise you to know that many families in Southlake have been hit by the recession--
there has been job loss there and families that are facing foreclosure--
maybe not as many as other areas--but there are some