Midland Boom Lasting? (Abilene, Odessa, San Angelo: for rent, houses, job market)

[usernameLOL]

I like that MOHRE website, it looks like they are going for the retirees after all!!!

[Cathy4017]

Originally Posted by usernameLOL

Cathy I'm just basing it on the ads I have been reading in the paper there and in Odessa & talking with other dispatchers there, it is getting to be common to ask for bilingual or say "bilingual strongly preferred" in the ads. I am seeing this in Lubbock too, even for jobs you wouldn't think you needed it for. Also the Midland schools are changing to "dual" and that means...you need that bilingual endorsement as a teacher and need to speak it if you're going for teacher's aide/para-professional. Also I have it from the law enforcement there that 30% Spanish-speaking may be the official line but they see it as much more like 50/50 b/c they see the actual population which is not legally there and not being counted. I am just real leery of any place that is going that direction especially if the boom is ending too soon. This old horse can't learn a new language.

I DO NOT like the idea that the schools are moving in that direction, and I was aware of that before I left.

If I say any more I am likely to go off on a tangent/rant, because this idea of having the education system here toady to every foreigner who comes here just really sticks in my craw. It's the STINKING law...

[usernameLOL]

Well it has hurt me in my career, that's for sure, also my husband, very badly, and basically we can't work as we used to unless we move far, far away from wherever there is going to be Spanish required. Don't get me wrong, I BELIEVE in ESL -- that's where English is taught to students who don't know any English or very little, by an English-speaking person. What gets me is when an employer or a school system goes not to ESL, but to content being TAUGHT in the native language. You won't see that where there has been an influx of immigrants other than Mexican and Central American immigrants. We taught Hmong kids, we taught Somalis more recently, he's taught Russians (lots of Russians moving in in the Pacific NW), I taught Vietnamese adults, I have dispatched where there were dozens of languages in the city, I have taught where the kids spoke one language at home and learned English at school and easily performed as well as the natural-born kiddos. I'm not against any group, any language, I'm for English-immersion teaching, though. But no one is setting me up as Total Wise Ruler so I ain't gettin' my way, LOL!!!!

[Cathy4017]

Originally Posted by usernameLOL

Well it has hurt me in my career, that's for sure, also my husband, very badly, and basically we can't work as we used to unless we move far, far away from wherever there is going to be Spanish required. Don't get me wrong, I BELIEVE in ESL -- that's where English is taught to students who don't know any English or very little, by an English-speaking person. What gets me is when an employer or a school system goes not to ESL, but to content being TAUGHT in the native language. You won't see that where there has been an influx of immigrants other than Mexican and Central American immigrants. We taught Hmong kids, we taught Somalis more recently, he's taught Russians (lots of Russians moving in in the Pacific NW), I taught Vietnamese adults, I have dispatched where there were dozens of languages in the city, I have taught where the kids spoke one language at home and learned English at school and easily performed as well as the natural-born kiddos. I'm not against any group, any language, I'm for English-immersion teaching, though. But no one is setting me up as Total Wise Ruler so I ain't gettin' my way, LOL!!!!

Exactly. That is what has happened to many districts in Texas. I am a former teacher (I also speak Spanish, and grew up not far from the border) who got out 30 years ago and went into the business world. My sister had her ESL certification, so she had kids from Mexico from time to time. They (just as any non-English speakers would) take up an inordinate amount of class time, slow the entire class down, and cost us a lot more to educate than native born English speakers. Her district was too small to have separate ESL classes, so those teachers who had the ESL certification suffered in the process. She called me more than once during the school year on what she could do to try to help them.

I also feel that ESL classes should be limited to ONE year. We in Texas are obligated to educate ALL children, whether they are legal or not, so we pay through the nose for that. We have NO business teaching ANYTHING in any other language than English, save for foreign language classes.

Bilingual education is a big, fat expensive joke. Why are we pandering to all of this, anyway?

Oops, rant, sorry...but I understand exactly what you are saying.

[usernameLOL]

I taught whole classes just ESL, so I didn't have any problems with keeping up with the curriculum, since these were basically 2-year immersion programs. The kids came out of those 2 years ready for anything presented to them in English. But that fell out of fashion for some reason. There is a lot of money in education in selling districts this and that that they don't need, they churn and burn on a regular cycle and the kids get shortchanged and so does the society as they switch away from things that work to things that are politically expedient (they think it's expedient till it all comes home to roost). In the meantime some of us got caught in the squeeze-play and poof went our jobs and hopes.

[Cathy4017]

Originally Posted by usernameLOL

I taught whole classes just ESL, so I didn't have any problems with keeping up with the curriculum, since these were basically 2-year immersion programs. The kids came out of those 2 years ready for anything presented to them in English. But that fell out of fashion for some reason. There is a lot of money in education in selling districts this and that that they don't need, they churn and burn on a regular cycle and the kids get shortchanged and so does the society as they switch away from things that work to things that are politically expedient (they think it's expedient till it all comes home to roost). In the meantime some of us got caught in the squeeze-play and poof went our jobs and hopes.

And boy, is it coming home to roost big time.....

Total English immersion used to be the norm, yes....and it is very sad that that has fallen out of favor.

[Muhnay]

And you kept saying what I was saying about Midland was wrong.. and here you all are confirming what I was saying. Gotta love it.

[Cathy4017]

Originally Posted by Muhnay

And you kept saying what I was saying about Midland was wrong.. and here you all are confirming what I was saying. Gotta love it.

What exactly did we confirm? That it is a piece of crap, as you said?

Don't think so, Muhnay. I do believe that you had best re-read what we both said.

I will be glad when you have relocated to where you are happy...and I could bash MS if I chose, because I lived there for 6 months for a temporary worksite.

[Ecduzit]

Even though I have been blessed to work for a very large Gas Company here in the West Texas Area I heard back in 2004 when this boom was starting up it would last about 7 years.
Now who ever predicticed this I dont have a clue where they got their imformation.
I do know this for a "FACT" the housing realestate business is way - way OVER PRICED! New homes are starting out at approx. $200,000 and up who in the hell can afford this ? Rent in most apartment complexes "HAS" gone up $100.00 - $180.00 month. Most seniors that are living on fixed incomes cannot afford the rate increases and are having to move out in with their inlaws or moving else where JUST TO LIVE because to expensive to live here in the Odessa - Midland area and the apartment complexes dont give a dam becuse they say they have a waiting list for people to move in .....man what a shame.
We even have people living in tents on the south side of both cities because "NOT EVERYONE IS WORKING IN THE OILFIELD INDUSTRY AND HAVE HIGH PAYING JOBS"! The paper is full of basic jobs that pay $7.00 - $10.00 Hr. With the cost of living its almost imposible to make a living here unless you live in a tent "PERIOD"!
Realestate agencies and Apartment complexes MUST NOT THINK OF THEIR GREED AND GET BACK TO NORMAL PRICES so people can LIVE and support their children and hopefully save for some kind of retirement.
Yes I will be glad as well when this boom is over. I will still have a job but as long as there is a demand for oil and gas a very high demand like the world has been experiencing I do not foresee a slow down yet UNLESS---> the Democrats get voted into the Whitehouse then we can go back they way it was depending on the Middle east even more and kissing thier asses to get more oil. If youre thinking of moving here housing is in a short supply unless you want to spend $130,000 - $160,000 for a used house that needs updating terribly bad built anywhere from the 1950's - 1970's FACT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Its al based on SUPPLY AND DEMAND

[Ecduzit]

Even though I have been blessed to work for a very large Gas Company here in the West Texas Area I heard back in 2004 when this boom was starting up it would last about 7 years.
Now who ever predicticed this I dont have a clue where they got their imformation.
I do know this for a "FACT" the housing realestate business is way - way OVER PRICED! New homes are starting out at approx. $200,000 and up who in the hell can afford this ? Rent in most apartment complexes "HAS" gone up $100.00 - $180.00 month. Most seniors that are living on fixed incomes cannot afford the rate increases and are having to move out in with their inlaws or moving else where JUST TO LIVE because to expensive to live here in the Odessa - Midland area and the apartment complexes dont give a dam becuse they say they have a waiting list for people to move in .....man what a shame.
We even have people living in tents on the south side of both cities because "NOT EVERYONE IS WORKING IN THE OILFIELD INDUSTRY AND HAVE HIGH PAYING JOBS"! The paper is full of basic jobs that pay $7.00 - $10.00 Hr. With the cost of living its almost imposible to make a living here unless you live in a tent "PERIOD"!
Realestate agencies and Apartment complexes MUST NOT THINK OF THEIR GREED AND GET BACK TO NORMAL PRICES so people can LIVE and support their children and hopefully save for some kind of retirement.
Yes I will be glad as well when this boom is over. I will still have a job but as long as there is a demand for oil and gas a very high demand like the world has been experiencing I do not foresee a slow down yet UNLESS---> the Democrats get voted into the Whitehouse then we can go back they way it was depending on the Middle east even more and kissing thier asses to get more oil. If youre thinking of moving here housing is in a short supply unless you want to spend $130,000 - $160,000 for a used house that needs updating terribly bad built anywhere from the 1950's - 1970's FACT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Its al based on SUPPLY AND DEMAND[/quote]