Alief ISD (Houston, Taylor, West: apartment complex, renters, how much)

[kittyhawk]

Originally Posted by texx

I have been teaching at an Alief Intermediate school for two years and Alief really is that bad. Some Alief schools including my own will rival any so-called hood schools in inner-city Houston. I taught in Acres Homes for a year and it's not any different from where I work now. I have a son that just happens to be going to the 6th grade(the grade I teach) and its no way he coming to the jungle where I work- I sent him to Pershing. I belong in the public school trenches so I can make a difference but my son don't. The problem I think with Alief is not the teachers but the politics of the district and the kids themselves. Most Alief kids are apartment kids and they move very often year to year. They dont have stability at home and they surely wont have it when they leave their home. Alief allow their kids to get away with everything and they are very laxed. Last year a kid stabbed another kid and that kid got suspended for 3 days. He was back in my class the next week!!! Just another day in the S.W.A.T. (South West Alief Texas)

It's sad what's happened to that area but Alief just epitomizes any aging Houston suburb with no planning, no real neigborhoods, and apartments up and down every major street. Once upon a time (1970-1985), Alief was the best school district around and people moved into the area for that reason. Aldine followed a similar pattern. Other suburbs are following in Alief's footsteps like Spring ISD. Parts of Katy, Cy-Fair, and Fort Bend ISD are the same.

[Vicman]

"The stats above are going to sound great to some parents & not so great to others. It's all about what you're looking for in a school for your child."

That's spot on. Different people look for different things in schools.

The stats on GreatSchools were from HISD too; they are from 2006-2007.

http://dept.houstonisd.org/profiles/westbriar_ms.pdf indicates it as 36% from 2006-2007, and 39% from 2007-2008

As for Revere, http://dept.houstonisd.org/profiles/revere_ms.pdf says 73% for 2006-2007 and 81% for 2007-2008

Now, O'Donnell MS in Alief had 66% free lunch for 2006-2007: O'Donnell Middle School, Houston Texas / TX discounted/free lunch statistics

I wouldn't say that TEA Acceptable would be the equivalent a "D." In terms of what schools get in Texas, especially public high schools, very few get recognized or above.

"HISD also gives disciplinary details for West Briar, showing the school gave 493 children off campus suspension, and 28 students had to be placed in alternative schools for serious problems in 08-09."

For Revere in 2006-2007 it was 852 in campus and 1,326 off campus.

"Vic, can't believe you think that video was ok, considering the lyrics" - When I realized that they just picked someone else's song and didn't write the song themselves, I turned the volume off - Some people choose "edgy" songs to look cool, but I don't think these kids really want to do what would be described in that song. The song could have been chosen because they like the song. They just have bad taste in music.

Originally Posted by LizzySWW

Vic, look on the West Briar Middle web site to get the correct info about the school. Go to the "about WBM" tab and then to "Student Profile", and PRESTO...the stats from HISD!

Westbriar had exactly 39% of it's student body as economically disadvantaged. (Now realizing my mistake for saying almost 50% were on free lunches, BUT it wasn't really that far off either, right?) HISD also gives disciplinary details for West Briar, showing the school gave 493 children off campus suspension, and 28 students had to be placed in alternative schools for serious problems in 08-09. (Go to HISD/TEA direct for discipline info.)

For a family in Royal Oaks, West Briar isn't looking much better than Alief:

39% of a student body eceonmically disadvantaged
65% minority students
the school earns an "acceptable" rating (this equal to getting a D+ on your report card!)
A lovely internet video of kids dancing in school to lyrics "want to murder my friend" (Vic, can't believe you think that video was ok, considering the lyrics) (Or maybe "I want to murder my Best Friend is the school song at West Briar?)
30% of students at this school were labeled "AT-RISK" by HISD last year

The stats above are going to sound great to some parents & not so great to others. It's all about what you're looking for in a school for your child.

[Vicman]

I thought I would look at Royal Oaks's brochure.

https://royaloakscctx.memberstatemen.../ROCCMap09.pdf

Page 4 says "Served by the highly-ranked Alief Independent School District and a host of nearby private schools."

Is RO grasping at straws?

[crbcrbrgv]

Originally Posted by Vicman

I thought I would look at Royal Oaks's brochure.

https://royaloakscctx.memberstatemen.../ROCCMap09.pdf

Page 4 says "Served by the highly-ranked Alief Independent School District and a host of nearby private schools."

Wow. I guess it's safe to say the majority of people that move there are not from the area.

[LizzySWW]

Yes! So, over a third of the student body at West Briar Middle is a poor urban kid living in an apartment in the Westchase District. What got things going down this path was someone wondering if Royal Oaks parents would like to use this school for their children, who are used to wealthy private schools. West Briar's bad stats won't float their boat. It may be a better school that the Alief middle counterpart you mention, but these parents aren't going to notice the diff.

The only online video of the school (aside from parents filming some cheerleaders) is of some AA kids dancing to a song about murder. Lovely. Dancing to a song about murder isn't my idea of kids trying to be edgy.

Originally Posted by Vicman

The stats on GreatSchools were from HISD too; they are from 2006-2007.

http://dept.houstonisd.org/profiles/westbriar_ms.pdf indicates it as 36% from 2006-2007, and 39% from 2007-2008

As for Revere, http://dept.houstonisd.org/profiles/revere_ms.pdf says 73% for 2006-2007 and 81% for 2007-2008

Now, O'Donnell MS in Alief had 66% free lunch for 2006-2007: O'Donnell Middle School, Houston Texas / TX discounted/free lunch statistics

I wouldn't say that TEA Acceptable would be the equivalent a "D." In terms of what schools get in Texas, especially public high schools, very few get recognized or above.

"Vic, can't believe you think that video was ok, considering the lyrics" - When I realized that they just picked someone else's song and didn't write the song themselves, I turned the volume off - Some people choose "edgy" songs to look cool, but I don't think these kids really want to do what would be described in that song. The song could have been chosen because they like the song.

[Vicman]

Originally Posted by LizzySWW

Dancing to a song about murder isn't my idea of kids trying to be edgy.

Yeah, the entire "gangsta rap" genre is about murder, drugs, and sex. I would imagine there are many kids who see playing "gangsta rap" as showing how cool they think they are.

[crbcrbrgv]

Originally Posted by LizzySWW

Yes! So, over a third of the student body at West Briar Middle is a poor urban kid living in an apartment in the Westchase District. What got things going down this path was someone wondering if Royal Oaks parents would like to use this school for their children, who are used to wealthy private schools. West Briar's bad stats won't float their boat. It may be a better school that the Alief middle counterpart you mention, but these parents aren't going to notice the diff.

The only online video of the school (aside from parents filming some cheerleaders) is of some AA kids dancing to a song about murder. Lovely. Dancing to a song about murder isn't my idea of kids trying to be edgy.

Oh, c'mon Lizzy. Get with the times. Everyone dances to songs about murder these days. Or hoes. But never the ones used to till the field (although I am someone has danced to songs about plowing hoes).

[LizzySWW]

I'm trying real hard to believe that the cool new thing is to dance to songs about murder! I'm trying fo sho!

I need to get cool soon, as my elementary age kids are going to middle school in the next few years. I sure want them to be edgy with the "gangsta rap" that's so popular at West Briar Middle School these days.

How about I put them to bed with an Easy-E album tonight? They's be such cool kids in the cafeteria next week rappin to Easy-E.... the teachers will proabably film them & publish it on youtube with such pride. Ya know, just being cute little rascals!

[crbcrbrgv]

You should put them to bed with the new Barney music. You know, that one song that goes "I love you, you love me, shut up ***** or I'll put a cap in yo ass...."

[LizzySWW]

Ha! LOL! A classic.

I'm trying to download Sesame Street's "Somebody come and play, somebody come and blast my friend"

Ah the sweet melodies of innocent children these days.