A Call for Action In support of Texas Educators and Students

The news in Texas education is dire. The Texas legislature is working on a budget right now that could cost thousands of Texas educators their jobs and could have a negative impact on our children’s education. If you are a Texas educator, your job may be at risk.

If the current budget in the Texas legislature is approved as is, here are some things that could happen:

—-School budgets could be cut by anywhere from 10 to 20%. The largest expenditure in any district budget is personnel. How many teachers and support staff would be lost in your school if 10-, 15-, or 20% of them were laid off?

—-Not all school districts are talking openly about the budget projections, but Austin ISD projects over 1000 job cuts; Dallas area school districts project over 3000 job cuts; Round Rock ISD projects hundreds of job cuts; just to name a few.

—-Speaking locally, G-PISD has won awards for efficiency. Our district is a great place to work and to learn, but in a lean machine all cuts can bleed.

—-TEA has begun their layoff process.

Here’s what else you need to know:

—-Wrangling between Governor Rick Perry and the Federal Government is preventing Texas from receiving almost $900 million in education money. The federal government requires the states to ensure that this money be earmarked for education. Governor Perry won’t make that promise, so Texas schools can’t touch a dime.

—-The state budget plan is in the hands of the Texas House and Senate up in Austin. The votes of the Republican majority in both houses will determine the budgets that districts will have to live with for the next two years.

—-Texas has a backup plan. Called the Budget Stabilization Plan, but more frequently known as the Rainy Day Fund, this fund was established in the late eighties, and is replenished each year with revenues from the oil and gas industry. The purpose of the fund is to “prevent or eliminate a temporary cash deficiency in general revenue.” Here’s a short article about the importance of the Rainy Day Fund in the current debate: http://www.texastribune.org/texas-taxes/rainy-day-fund/texplainer-what-is-texass-rainy-day-fund-for/

If you work in Texas education, your job might be in danger. If you voted for a legislator who is now supporting cuts that could cost you or your coworkers or your children’s teachers their jobs, those legislators need to hear from you. They need to hear from all of us.

Please take a little time to let our legislators know how you feel about Texas Education. I’ve included contacts below, with particular relevance to residents of the Texas Coastal Bend. You can also use the Who Represents Me tool: http://www.fyi.legis.state.tx.us/ and the contact info at the Governor’s Office: http://governor.state.tx.us/contact/

Remember, your STATE legislators are key in the budget battle. Personal notes and direct phone calls are more effective than a form email, but every little bit helps. The calls you make and the letters you write could save jobs and prevent the deterioration of our children’s education.

Thank you.

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All of my information comes from one the following sources:

The news feed at http://www.texasisd.com/ 

The news feed at http://www.tea.state.tx.us/

And other professional, local, state, and national news outlets.

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If you live in the Texas Coastal Bend, some of these contacts are for you. 

Gov. Rick Perry

Office of the Governor

P.O. Box 12428

Austin, Texas 78711-2428

Citizen’s Opinion Hotline: (800) 252-9600

Office of the Governor Main Switchboard: (512) 463-2000

Email link to form: http://governor.state.tx.us/contact/

Lt. Governor David Dewhurst

Capitol Station

P.O. Box 12068

Austin, Texas 78711

Ph# 512 463-0001

Email link to form: http://www.ltgov.state.tx.us/contact.php

Joe Straus – Speaker of the House

Capitol Address:

Room CAP 2W.13, Capitol

P.O. Box 2910

Austin, TX 78768

Ph# (512) 463-3000 OR 512-463-1000 

Susan Combs – Texas State Comptroller 

Mailing Address:

Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts

Post Office Box 13528, Capitol Station

Austin, Texas 78711-3528

Ph# (512) 463-4444 

Email: susan.combs@cpa.state.tx.us

The Honorable Florence Shapiro – Senate Education Committee Chair

Capitol Address:

P.O. Box 12068

Capitol Station

Austin, Texas 78711

Ph# (512) 463-0108

Email link to form: http://www.senate.state.tx.us/75r/senate/members/dist8/

dist8.htm#Form

The Honorable Judith Zaffirini – District 21

Capitol Address:

P.O. Box 12068

Capitol Station

Austin, Texas 78711

Ph# 512-463-0121

Email link to form: http://www.senate.state.tx.us/75r/senate/members/dist21/

Dist21.htm#form

Rep. Hunter, Todd - District 3

Capitol Address:

Room E2.808, Capitol Extension

PO Box 2910

Austin, TX 78701

Ph# (512) 463-0672

Email: todd.hunter@house.state.tx.us

Email link to form:

http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/member-page/email/?district=32&session=82

District Address:

15217 SPID, Ste 205

Corpus Christi, TX 78418

361-949-4603 (w)

361-949-4634 (f)

Rep. Aliseda, Jose - District 35

Capitol Address:

Room EXT E2.812, Capitol Extension

P.O. Box 2910

Austin, TX 78768

(512) 463-0645

(512) 463-0559 FAX

Email link to form:

http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/member-page/email/?district=35&session=82

Rep. Scott, Connie - District 34

Capitol Address:

Room E2.302, Capitol Extension

P.O. Box 2910

Austin, TX 78768

(512) 463-0462

(512) 463-1705 Fax

Email link to form:

http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/member-page/email/?district=34&session=82

District Address:

701 East Houston St.

Beeville, TX 78101

361-358-9400 (w)

Rep. Guillen, Ryan – District 31

Capitol Address:

Room EXT E1.320, Capitol Extension

P.O. Box 2910

Austin, TX 78768

(512) 463-0416

(512) 463-1012 Fax

District Address:

100 N. FM 3167, Ste 212

Rio Grande City, TX 78582

956-716-4838 (w)

Email link to form:

http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/member-page/email/?district=31&session=82

Meanness, hypocrisy, and the lack of compassion and understanding in public discourse

Last week I was so proud and amazed by the power of people united in a peaceful movement in Egypt. But dude, this week, the appalling lack of compassion around here is really pissing me off. And I’m feeling particularly stabby about hypocrisy today.

I’ve had a hard time this week with the caustic domestic political rhetoric and the thoughtless stupidity that is overlooking the ways in which we need each other and the ways in which we should support and care for one another.

Congress is dicking around attacking reproductive rights when people need JOBS. My own state of Texas is also wasting time deciding what I can do with my uterus and the way in which my doctor and I can manage my reproductive health while a 27 billion dollar budget shortfall threatens the livelihoods of tens of thousands of educators across the state, as well as the quality of education for all Texas children. 

Wake up Lege! Texas is already sucking at educating and managing the children who are out here living and breathing.

People I know on Facebook are asking why we expend so much energy to take care of other people. A firefighter in Arizona did not go on a call because of political differences with the rest of his team. Institutions integral to a well-functioning democratic society—libraries, non-commercial broadcast and journalism, and schools—are being devalued and defunded. Worker’s rights are being attacked in Wisconsin. I could go on and on.

Listen to me. Humans are social creatures. We need each other. We need to take care of each other.

Texas, we cannot afford to make the proposed cuts in the education budget. Governor Perry, I respectfully submit that your economic development incentives won’t go anywhere if there isn’t an educated workforce to fill the jobs that companies may or may not bring to Texas. We need a well-educated, dynamic citizenry that can fill the skill-oriented and service-oriented jobs of the future. We need a well-educated and thoughtful citizenry that can continue to maintain the progressive ideals upon which this country was founded.

Texas, we cannot afford to make the proposed cuts in the education budget. Job losses are projected to be in the tens of thousands in the education sector alone. Job loss of that magnitude, in a state of our size, could not only drag down our state economy, it could topple the fragile recovery that has started in the country, and with that, the rest of the world. Everything is bigger in Texas, but we don’t want to be contributors to a bigger recession.

And yes, this is personal for me. I have three children being educated in Texas. I have a Partner who is a Texas educator. I am worried for my own family. But I am also worried for all of us, as Texans and as Americans.

I am so proud of US history and culture, of innovation and resources, of ideas. But I don’t want to live in an ignorant United States. I don’t want to live in a hypocritical United States. I want us to listen to reason and to pay attention to facts. I want us to have a social and a global outlook that continues to make this a great place to live. 

We have to find a way to make this better. We’re not going to get to a better place by ignoring each other, by attacking each other, or by throwing each other under the bus.

Random Observations on a Parent Involvement Conference

Prefatory Remark: Everyone can agree that Parent Involvement in our children’s education is good. Not everyone can agree on what it means.

Disclaimer 1: For better or worse, I am an Involved Parent (IP). I am a Room Mom, I cut out lamination and staple booklets sometimes, I once hot-glued 120 student-made paper meters, end-to-end around the school using three extension cords and a rickety stepladder, I do small-group work with kids twice a week, I help out in the library once a week, and at random school events throughout the year, I am a member of the PTO, I ask the Sonars about their days until I’m sure they feel smothered, I nag encourage them about their schoolwork, I promote involvement in extra-curricular activities, and encourage them to have a broader world view. I don’t expect everyone to do the things I do (especially the gluing), but I like to do what I do.

Disclaimer 2: I don’t cave to tantrums or whining. 

Yesterday I attended a Parent Involvement Conference that gathered more than six-hundred IPs from surrounding school districts to hear professional presentations on issues relevant to educating and parenting our children. This year’s topics were Nutrition, College Preparedness, Bullying, and Childhood Brain Cancer. The conference was fun and informative and I would happily go back next year.

A few observations, in no particular order:

1. Encouraging parents to make better food choices for our families over a magnificent spread of donuts, pastry, and orange juice, followed by an outrageously delicious and abundant barbecue lunch is, um, odd.

2. Cotton’s barbecue in Robstown, Texas is awesome. I’m still partial to Mac’s in Gregory because it’s more local, but I would not turn down another slice of that melt-in-your-mouth brisket. (Yes, I know that has nothing to do with education. Sh.)

3. Getting a child ready for college and the workplace today is incredibly daunting. On top of getting good grades, the number of tasks to manage during high school to maximize college opportunity looks like a full-time job. The video on Globalization was interesting. I begin to understand why some people outsource it.

4. On nutrition, I feel like we need to have more backbone with our children. We are the adults. We are the ones who can make informed nutrition about their choices. We need to learn about healthier choices, teach our children about those choices. We won’t always be there telling them what is good to eat or not, so we need to arm them with information that empowers them to take care of themselves.

5. I had a fabulous time hanging out with my friend Magali. We almost stumbled into a safety conference full of farmers, but I’m sure we would have had fun at that one too.

6. Take tissues. You never know when you might encounter harrowing statistics about childhood suicide and cancer. And no parent can listen to the loss of another parent without empathizing and feeling their fear very close to our hearts. I have a theory that the most caustic and critical among us are the first to succumb to sobbing. 

7. Bullying sucks. I like The Bloggess’ recent advice on Bullying. In addition to NOT FEEDING THE TROLLS we need to build up our children’s resilience and arm them with the self-worth, knowledge, and skills to resist being bullies, being bullied, or being an unhelpful bystander. Be a good witness in life and Cultivate Compassion in all you do.

8. A room full of parents (mostly moms, with a liberal dash of grandmothers, in this case) can get really rowdy when you ask them to show a little spirit. Next year I’ll be armed with noisemakers. And earplugs. Seriously.

9. The lead male singer of the mariachi band that entertained us during lunch was incredibly flirty. Combine a flirty vocalist with some rowdy moms and you might be asking for trouble.

10. I felt like there was an 800 pound purple gorilla in the room: the looming cuts in the Texas Education budget. The atmosphere of the conference was meant to uplift. I imagine that the organizers of the conference would like to try to keep the conference apolitical. But man, it would be hard for me, if I were one of the educators up there, not to take the mic and say, “Hey, the budget’s being gutted and we’re about to be covered in gore. Call your school boards, call your representatives, send Governor Perry an umbrella.”   

A defense of Library Funding

The Texas Legislature’s budget proposal will cut 70 to 98% of funding for state library programs, gutting services and displacing higher costs onto local libraries. Libraries are essential places in our community, especially in small communities like ours.

Here is why libraries are so important:

Libraries enhance the future of our country by supporting the education of our children. Libraries extend learning by making knowledge both available and valuable.

Libraries make readers. In a library, even reluctant readers can find something that sparks an interest, lights a fire, matches or challenges their growing abilities, makes them want to read and know more.

Libraries build community. Bulletin boards, paperback swaps, children’s story time, book clubs, civic group meetings, educational workshops, reading support, job training. Libraries are a place for people to connect to other people. When my children were small, Mr. Kippy’s Story time was a place for me to be with my children and meet people with shared interests. Story time was a high point in our schedule and a valuable stop on our learning journey.

Libraries provide safe, cozy, and reassuring places to gather. Places to learn, to study, to work, to contemplate. Quiet places of knowledge, set aside for thinking and reading and learning.

Libraries are portals of knowledge. To the past and to the world outside our physical reach. History, novels, foreign language resources, newspapers, magazines, music, photography books, encyclopedias. The library is a place we can expand our knowledge reach and to keep learning even if we’re no longer in school.

Libraries provide resources and expertise for personal and professional development. Computer work stations, testing spaces, professional development books, self-help books, printing and copying resources, a place to check email, prepare for college entrance exams, or figure out how to find a better job. In a down economy, the library becomes an even more important place for people struggling with economic displacement or limitations.

Libraries are sources of reliable, credible, and stable information in a world where the internet sometimes flies too fast. While some would argue that a book doesn’t update fast enough to be reliable, the stability of information in a library means we have credible data when we need to make critical choices.

Libraries employ experts who know how to find information and media. We can sift through that data more efficiently with the assistance of librarians, who are trained to know how the information is organized, where to find the answers to our questions, and how to get our hands on resources that we need. Librarians are priceless.

Libraries are essential repositories of information in a democratic society. The free access to information allows citizens to make informed decisions and to fulfill civic responsibilities.

As author Philip Pullman so aptly put it in a recent protest of cuts to his local library, “Leave the libraries alone. You don’t know the value of what you’re looking after. It is too precious to destroy.”

Please oppose these drastic cuts to library services in Texas. Please protect the essential services that Texas libraries provide.

What can you do?

* Share this message.

* Contact your state representatives and local media.

* Visit your local library. Check out books. Read the bulletin board. Talk to the librarians. Be involved.

* Get more details through the Texas Library Association.

Random Tuesday: Vote-o-wrimo Edition

My brain is twitching with my current work-in-progress, so coherence is more than you should expect today.

Randomly:

1. I voted this morning. Did you?

2. My NaNo wordcount is 5,292. Writing goal met for days 1 and 2. Revising goals are waiting…

3. My copy of the royal portrait of Richard II keeps jumping off the wall. Anyone else having that problem?

4. Sonar X10 and his social studies class have been talking about the electoral process in the lead-up to Election Day.  Yesterday they discussed the candidates for Texas governor, reading about each one.  They made some campaign posters, and today the school will hold a mock gubernatorial election.  So awesome.  At dinner last night when he was telling us all this, we asked him who he plans to vote for. Bill White was his immediate answer.  When asked why, he said there were several things about him that he liked, but if he had to pick one, he liked Bill White’s idea of expanding pre-k programs across the state. We are doing something right. 

5. Partner stumbled upon this poem — “The Look” by Sara Teasdale — the other day, which I really love, especially since he tagged it with the phrase “the ache of potential.”

Now, I have some revising to do. Write hard, friends!