Keller ISD after tax vote fails (Austin, Arlington: homes, transfer to, private school)

[elan]

loves2read, First you said, "the people who think Keller ISD was crying wolf should start volunteering in their local schools when August rolls around".

Then you said, "many parents are uneducated or wrongly opinionated about many factors that cause a child to perform poorly in school...throwing more wrong-headed attitude into the mix is not helpful to anyone".

So, you changed your mind about them volunteering at school? Imho, the less educated parents (and/or less desireable) become better by spending more time at school. A strong PTA volunteer can direct them and gradually build up their strenghts.

[elan]

"the kids are over swimming right now at the home of a CFO of a major retailer"

^ and that's helping them get ahead by what? getting a job in retail sales? Sorry, sometimes these boards are hilarious.

[padcrasher]

The point is the USA no longer is the land of opportunity because the middle class will not stand up for their benefits including funding their schools properly. You've fallen for the right wing lie that it's "class warfare" to ask the rich to pay their fair share. Hence, the USA now ranks at the bottom in rates of social mobility.

I'm trying to drive home the point your kids on average don't have a level playing field. It's not what you know...it's who you know.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/0..._n_501788.html

[TXboomerang]

Originally Posted by padcrasher

Keller ISD is 34% minority. You can find that data on the latest State Accountablity rating for the district as a whole.

Once an institution is known to assist or educate those "other people" with "my tax dollars" that's were it starts to lose it's value with right wing taxpayers.

Can I prove it? No. It's my opinion having lived in Texas nearly all my life, being a white, male and knowing many right wingers with this mentality.

Ok, so by your own stat, 66% white. Huge majority white. So your previous fanatical left wing rant about racism still comes up 100% empty.

Your opinion and reality are not the same thing.

[padcrasher]

Originally Posted by TXboomerang

Ok, so by your own stat, 66% white. Huge majority white. So your previous fanatical left wing rant about racism still comes up 100% empty.

Your opinion and reality are not the same thing.

Oh you thought that it must be at least 51% minority share for right wing whites to start losing interest in public schools? Like the phenomenon magically switches on then? ...lol

It went over your head.

[loves2read]

66% white--when probably 25% or more is Hispanic enrollment is not "white bread" Anglo around here
many people equate Hispanic (legal or illegal) to minority--and districts/schools with significant enrollments of Hispanic students are regarded as questionable and not as desireable by many--
just like schools with high numbers of AA students

I agree with Padcrasher in that many people with conservative beliefs absolutely refuse to extend any type of social program (and that includes school funding) to groups they regard as "unAmerican"--
many of them see all Latinos as illegal and AA as welfare cases--
read their posts--on other sites if not this--

as far as people volunteering in schools--there are many people who do not have children IN school who make excellent volunteers--
at my former school we had a monthly program where volunteers came in from our local community to work with home-room groups--interact with them in various ways--discussion groups/trust exercises/encouraging them to continue with education--
we had businesses that sponsored employees/volunteers in the past who came in for one to one tutoring with students -- don't have that anymore--
but that was great way for some students, especially minority ones, to see people besided educators with college degrees--some of them rarely see anyone who has successfully completed college and interacts with them...

Some parents are never satisfied with what the school does--no matter what the problem it always lies with the school vs their child--
even when that child persists in using a cell phone in class or wears clothes that show what color thong she is wearing that day--
I think having someone like that in PTA is just a waste of time and causes more problems than it solves

[mudbelly]

Wow, seriously, wow. Padcrasher, don't assume your precious Carroll has cornered the overbearing parent market - there are plenty here in Keller as there were in Colleyville when I lived there. We too have an over-abundance of non-working, sinewy white moms who look like Madonna (in a bad way) pushing their kids into every imaginable activity as well. What a lousy life for a kid. Unfortunately, you are at a disadvantage: a single B could bar your child from his first choice Texas school like UT with all that 'competition' in Carroll (10% rule burns Carroll students much worse than KISD); you got a better chance in Birdville actually. But then again, with all your riches, you can just endow a new building somewhere and get junior his education of choice...

Now for the KISD tax hike election: what a load of crap. A PERMANENT hike for a temporary condition. 28.9 million cut over 2 years does not need a 30 million hike per annum; the first tier cuts were enough all by themselves. The surplus fund also had 8 million in excess. And now the legislature has finally approved holding teachers salary steady if needed. And it IS NEEDED. When everyone was losing their ass in 2008-2009, the teachers were getting raises. I'm sorry, but being a teacher does not exclude you from the financial crisis the rest of us have endured...

My prediction is this: KISD will have A COMPLETELY NEW BOARD if bus service is discontinued. Turning the streets around public schools into parking lots, polluting the air, and endangering our kids for punitive purposes will end every single one of their careers in politics...

[5stones]

Turning the streets around public schools into parking lots, polluting the air, and endangering our kids for punitive purposes will end every single one of their careers in politics...

Have you not been to a school at pick up or drop off? It is that way now with bus service. The busses are very underused. This is the first place I have lived where parents choose to drive thier kids when there is bus service. Cars line up 20-40 minutes BEFORE dismissal, sit and wait for kids to get out, same in AM they are already lining up at 7:15 (doors don't open until 7:30) My child was the ONLY child in our neighborhood that rode the bus to school. (we have a TON of 5-6th graders) #1 reason I am given is parnets worry about little Johnnie getting bullyed etc... #2 reason...it comes too early 6:50.
The MS school bus is probably the most used but I still know MANY parents who drive kids to and from school... #1 reason...It's "uncool".

[Mommy24kids]

My children have never ridden a bus to school. Fortunately for me, I never had a choice as they went to private schools, a charter school, or when we were in KISD, we lived too close for bus transportation.

I say fortunately because even if I had the choice, I would still opt to drive my children back and forth everyday. Our mornings are precious to us. We talk and sing and bond in the car. I learn a lot about my children, their schoolwork, their friends, their social issues, etc., during our morning and afternoon drives. When your children are in the car with you, you have their undivided attention. I wouldn't have it any other way.

[elan]

Mommy24kids, said "Our mornings are precious to us. We talk and sing and bond in the car."

Wow, that brings back good memories. When my kids went to private school, I had to drive them (no bus). We sang too! I had one that wasn't a morning person, but by the time we arrived at school they were all smiles after our song fest. When they went to public school, they walked because we were so close.