Whose Children are They?

[Szdfan]

Moving to a 4-day work week was 100% a money-saving measure at the expense of students, nothing more. Keeping the school closed an extra day each week saves on all the classified hourly staff like cafeteria staff, custodians, bus drivers, etc. as well as utilities.

Four day school weeks is also increasingly common among rural districts. Most of the districts in my region (Colorado’s Arkansas Valley are now four day.

And for remote rural districts like Marlin it lets them keep teacher salaries lower because it is easier to attract teachers commuting in from outside the area if they only have to drive in to Marlin 4 days a week instead of 5 and get a 3-day weekend every week. Otherwise they would have to raise salaries higher to keep pace with surrounding suburban districts that pay more.

While the three day weekend is nice, the four day week also presents its own challenges. We have longer school days and longer class period. Trying to manage a 55 minute class period and keep the students busy the entire time is a challenge for this rookie.

My district is actually in the process of raising salaries to compete with other local districts. There's been a lot of turnover because of the teacher shortage and that I work in a "hard district" because of student behavior.

Especially in poor and underprivileged districts where home-time is likely to be less educationally productive.

It's not just that these homes are less "educationally productive." It's often that these homes are dysfunctional. I have students that don't have heat at or home or enough to eat. I have students who are neglected and don't feel safe at home. I have students who dread summer vacation because school is their safe place.

[Szdfan]

In the linked report, ATTENDANCE is cited as a major problem in this case.

My district is aggressive about truancy and frequently gets truancy court and the police involved to ensure students attend. The district also owns an online school and that is also an option for students who struggle in a classroom setting.

[RZehr]

Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying we should give up on the children of Marlin TX. Far from it. Every child deserves every opportunity.

But what you are really seeing with school performance is a symptom of the larger decay and downward spiral of that community. My point is that what you are seeing is not so much an isolated failure of a specific school. But a systemic failure of a whole community. And reversing course is an enormous task. Breaking the cycle of poverty and getting kids turned around young is an enormous task when you don't really have the support of functional adults. At least in many cases.

There are, of course, always good families who are supportive and do their best to keep their kids moving forward. But it is tough and their kids are usually the first to leave and never come back. And the parents who are the most ambitious tend to move out themselves to put their kids in a better environment.

I know Marshall. We used to pass through there in route to camping at Caddo Lake which was one of my favorite places in TX. The larger question is why Marshall is so poor. Texas should be a prosperous state. To the extent that schools are struggling in Marshall I'd also suggest that is more a symptom of larger problems as well.

I find it interesting that you seem to see this so clearly, while any criticism or concerns or observations about broader society going down the toilet is met with your denials that anything is less than hunky dory.

I don't think Marlin TX is "going down the toilet" as you put it because of rainbow flags or CRT or LGBT children, if they even have any.

It is going down the toilet because we as a society have chosen to abandon such communities, either deliberately, or indirectly through our economic and political choices.

LGBT are both evidence of, and furthering the decay. Look at what you say about families. I agree why you said there. Family units are foundational, always have been for strong communities. And children need functional adults, not drag queens, sexual perverts, and genital mutilation. Nor are children and society beneficially served by todays rampant fornication, divorce, adultery, single parent homes.
Communities and children are best served by solid families made up of biological mothers and fathers raising their children, which is the Creators design.

[temporal1]

In the linked report, ATTENDANCE is cited as a major problem in this case.

My district is aggressive about truancy and frequently gets truancy court and the police involved to ensure students attend. The district also owns an online school and that is also an option for students who struggle in a classroom setting.

From the report, i’m not sure this isn’t true in Marshall, too.
The report hits a hot-button topic that gets under people’s skins right away.

Ok with me. The questions, emotions, frustrations are valid and deserving of thought.

Too many trusted too much for too long.
Parents, and all taxpayers need to be vigilant. Not a moment too soon.

Szd:
Parents are essential to the success of their children. When parents fail, it's often put on schools to pick up the slack.

1000% agree.
Fatherless homes are presently getting more recognition as a bedrock problem.

Since the 1960’s, for various reasons coming out of that tumultuous period that combined to undermine traditional homes (as RZehr describes above and elsewhere) public schools have become official dumping grounds - esp by lazy, thought-less, incompetent, self-serving politicians.

For some, private schools and home schools serve well.

No matter choice, though, i always hope ALL taxpayers will be conscientious about public schools.
Everyone who pays taxes has a vested interest, and, God knows, the students are innocent, helpless, and deserving.

[Robert]

Family units are foundational, always have been for strong communities. And children need functional adults, not drag queens, sexual perverts, and genital mutilation. Nor are children and society beneficially served by todays rampant fornication, divorce, adultery, single parent homes.
Communities and children are best served by solid families made up of biological mothers and fathers raising their children, which is the Creators design.

If you look at the fall of the Roman Empire, it lost the foundations to society also. I hope that the US Empire falls and we return to being ruled by the people. I doubt it will happen and AI will soon take over and dictate to us all.

[Jazman]

Moving to a 4-day work week was 100% a money-saving measure at the expense of students, nothing more. Keeping the school closed an extra day each week saves on all the classified hourly staff like cafeteria staff, custodians, bus drivers, etc. as well as utilities.

Four day school weeks is also increasingly common among rural districts. Most of the districts in my region (Colorado’s Arkansas Valley are now four day.

And for remote rural districts like Marlin it lets them keep teacher salaries lower because it is easier to attract teachers commuting in from outside the area if they only have to drive in to Marlin 4 days a week instead of 5 and get a 3-day weekend every week. Otherwise they would have to raise salaries higher to keep pace with surrounding suburban districts that pay more.

While the three day weekend is nice, the four day week also presents its own challenges. We have longer school days and longer class period. Trying to manage a 55 minute class period and keep the students busy the entire time is a challenge for this rookie.

My district is actually in the process of raising salaries to compete with other local districts. There's been a lot of turnover because of the teacher shortage and that I work in a "hard district" because of student behavior.

Especially in poor and underprivileged districts where home-time is likely to be less educationally productive.

It's not just that these homes are less "educationally productive." It's often that these homes are dysfunctional. I have students that don't have heat at or home or enough to eat. I have students who are neglected and don't feel safe at home. I have students who dread summer vacation because school is their safe place.

God bless you for your work in this situation. I mean that sincerely. I don't doubt it's tough, but I admire your willingness. I wish more Christians would go into this kind of public goods work to be salt & light... instead I see most of us running away....

[Grace]

Saturday Joe and Jill Biden hosted a "Pride" event, where a rainbow flag was hung between two American flags and female body parts were bared and exposed on the White House lawn. These are the same people who say there is no such thing as "somebody else's child, they are all our children". Also these are the same people who believe children should have the right to have body parts cut off if they identify as the opposite sex. They are the same people who are pushing for the denigration of women and girls in sports, by allowing biological men to participate in women and girls sports. Presently Biden is pushing for the Equality Act to be passed. This Act's purpose is to make it illegal to disallow men who identify as women to use female locker rooms and bathrooms. Riley Gaines, who was a very competitive swimmer and lost to a Biological man, talks about how it was like to have a man in the locker room with all the women. Twenty years ago, this would have been illegal and deemed as "indecent exposure" and a violation to laws.

When we think it couldn't get worse, it will. What is next on the agenda for the LGTB+ agenda? With the promotion of sexualizing children, the next step is to have access to children sexually. We know that the current President has no qualms about touching and sniffing children inappropriately, so you can be sure he would be onboard with that concept.

[temporal1]

So much wrong, so much led+promoted, top-down. Knowing this, expect much worse to follow.

Joe+Hunter need to do some reflection on their own biological children+grandchildren. How to love all of them?!

What is a father? What is a grandfather?

The bidens are not worthy role models for anything. I try to ignore them as much as humanly possible. Low grade men.

[Josh]

So much wrong, so much led+promoted, top-down. Knowing this, expect much worse to follow.

Joe+Hunter need to do some reflection on their own biological children+grandchildren. How to love all of them?!

What is a father? What is a grandfather?

The bidens are not worthy role models for anything. I try to ignore them as much as humanly possible. Low grade men.

In the Biden family, a “father” is someone who consorts with prostitutes and call girls, and a “grandfather” is one who completely ignores the poor child who is the fruit of his son choosing to bring a baby into this world with a prostitute.

Absolutely disgusting behaviour.

[temporal1]

.. his son choosing to bring a baby into this world with a prostitute. ..

in this case, it’s probably safe to speculate, father+grandfather, given the opportunity, would have chosen to exterminate the child.

the child is God’s creation. no one knows God’s plan for this innocent!

i learned through my grdaughter’s tender experience in Catholic school, even very young children can grasp the grave nature of pride. this child may be far better off pushed away (from evil).