I am so mad at Rick Perry. I just saw a commercial touting his dedication to public education. He also praised himself for giving a merit pay raise and a $2000.00 raise to all TX teachers.

But did you know...

They raised the retirement age for teachers, because they want to keep qualified teachers in the profession longer. They decreased retirement payments by taking our highest 5 years and dividing that to find out our retirement payments. (They did take the highest 3.)

They gave teachers a $1000.00 pay raise a few years ago... then took away half... then took the other half away. So that pay raise he is bragging about just replaced the $1000.00 they took away and gave us another $1000.00. (Remember 8 years ago when they promised a $6000.00 pay raise to be paid in two years? They gave the first $3000.00, but the next year they decided not to give the other half.) The public hears about the raises, but does not know about the times they take things back...

Then the merit pay raise only goes towards teachers in core subjects and only IF the administration deems it necessary. They are not required to do it... so it is worthless to non-core teachers, and pretty much everyone.

This makes me want to quit teaching. With the Social Security offset, the government giving and taking our money away, increasing retirement age, less retirement benefits, and low wages to begin with... why would anyone want to come into this profession OR stay???????????? (Oh yeah... the kids.) But with discipline problems on the rise, how long with that be a benefit???

GOVERNOR PERRY HAS DONE NOTHING FOR ME or TEXAS STUDENTS.

Oh yeah... don't even get me started on that damn TAKS test. Worthless.

Ok, now it's time for MY soap box...

Why do they pay teachers squat? Because it is "woman's work." Any occupation that women do isn't deemed very valuable. We still make only 77% of what men make.

Don't even get me started.

Yeah, that is why the only two professions that have the social security offset are teachers and nurses. Totally unfair.

I plan to vote for whoever is highest in polls besides Perry. Chris Bell supposedly is 5 points behind in polls right now.

Whenever the Republicans in Texas promise something it ends up costing Consumers big time. My electric bill is almost as high as my mortgage, my property taxes are disgusting and Insurance has doubled and tripled under Perry. He has done nothing to earn my vote and he won't get it.

I plan to vote for whoever is highest in polls besides Perry. Chris Bell supposedly is 5 points behind in polls right now.

Whenever the Republicans in Texas promise something it ends up costing Consumers big time. My electric bill is almost as high as my mortgage, my property taxes are disgusting and Insurance has doubled and tripled under Perry. He has done nothing to earn my vote and he won't get it.

Amen, Pete. And I agree....don't just vote against Perry - make your vote count.

I have a t-shirt from the Kinky campaign committee that says "No Teacher Left Behind". I taught 28 years. this is my second year as a high school guidance counselor but am thinking of retiring. Thank heavens I am grandfathered and not having to work the extra years that Mr. Perry decided teachers should do.

I'm there with you!

I'm also a teacher in Texas also. You are right about everything.

I will be voting for Chris Bell.

But don't hold your breath; Perry will win.

Texas has gone to hell since Ann Richards left office!

That's not all, Poodles. Rick Perry is the reason thousands of poor children no longer have health care. .

F%&^ing A!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My students had to SHARE glasses. This was at a poor school. chips wouldn't pay for their glasses anymore!

For those who have posted who have been teaching a long time, do any of ya'll remember Mark White? Did any of you work on his campaign? I did.

They all Lie. The candidate for California's senate seat now held by Dianne Feinstein has admitted lying about serving on the Battleship Missouri during the Korean War.

Dick Mountjoy, who will challenge Democrat Sen. Dianne Feinstein in November’s election, did not appear on the ship’s muster rolls, the Los Angeles Times reported, citing military records.

The statement about the Missouri was on Mountjoy’s campaign Web site, alongside a photo of him as a young sailor:

“After graduating from Monrovia-Arcadia-Duarte High School, Dick joined the Navy and served during the Korean War aboard the Battleship Missouri,” said the statement, which also was featured in a film on the site.

Oh yeah... don't even get me started on that damn TAKS test. Worthless.

Ok I have to know . As a parent of a dyslexic student in Texas who thinks the TAKS Test is Sh&% I would love to know what your opinion is of the TAKS as a teacher .

I think that TAKS Test is worthless for a HUGE Variety of reasons. I would love to hear your take on this . Feel free to start another thread. if ya like lol

MIndy

Most of the teachers group like Carol. Kinky is good and all but he is on the edge. At least Carol has some experience in Austin.

I

The Teachers groups like Carol because she is a former teacher so was her husband. My husband is working on a project with her husband (construction) and She has some good ideas. Like others have said though I doubt she's going to get elected.

Mindy

Where the HELL have all of you been hiding ? LOL I am SO SICK and tired of living amoung a bunch of Bush LOVIN, PERRY HUGGIN, CONSERVATIVE A$$ Kissers Here in Texas ESPICALLY AUSTIN I cant stand it ! OMG I know ya'll are in Texas but PLEASE Come to Austin JUST TO VISIT.

:clap2::kiss2:

Ok I have to know . As a parent of a dyslexic student in Texas who thinks the TAKS Test is Sh&% I would love to know what your opinion is of the TAKS as a teacher .

I think that TAKS Test is worthless for a HUGE Variety of reasons. I would love to hear your take on this . Feel free to start another thread. if ya like lol

MIndy

I didn't realize people didn't like the TAKS test. My son was in private school for his first 3 years and they did the Stanford testing to see how the students compared nation wide. My son has now been in public school in Fort Bend county for 3rd thru 7th and the TAKS test seems similar. I just assumed it did the same and made sure all students were on the same level of criteria to pass a grade.

I have never really questioned it because I went to school in many states (Georgia, Florida, Texas, Illinois, Indiana and Washington state) and they all had some sort of standardize testing. What do you not like about it?

I have never really questioned it because I went to school in many states (Georgia, Florida, Texas, Illinois, Indiana and Washington state) and they all had some sort of standardize testing. What do you not like about it?

This is what I do not like about it, Im curious to see what the teachers think .

I do not like that TAKS because to ME it is NOT Standardized. The TAKS test is what the state thinks your child SHOULD Be learning or what your child should be taught. HOWEVER NOT all children learn the same. For instance, In high school there are 3 or 4 different graduation plans that a child can take. One for children not college bound, One for Children who are college bound but for Techinchical/Vocational Schools , one for College bound students and one for "Excellerated" ( im sure that's not the right wording) students Pre AP Type kids. OK .... The TAKS test is Geared for Kids who are on the last graduation plan IMHO . At the VERY LEAST its geared for kids who are headed towards college. You might say " SO what" . My issue. NOT all children are Learning the same material so WHY is there not 4 TAKS tests. If your testing them on what they SHOULD have learned? Another example. I came [ ] close to NOT graduating because of the TAAS( back then same as TAKS NOW) . I Could NOT pass the math portion . Why ? I was 16 when i got pregnant with my son in high school , my school tried to kick me out to make me attend the "Alternative" School that had a daycare. I REFUSED, i told them i started here i'll graduate here. ( they didnt want a teen preg. stat in their rich middle class school ) SO because I had been not so great up until then I had little credits. They put me on a lower grad plan and put me in Fundementals of math class and a self paced program , I made up 3 yrs of work in a yr and half . The Math TAAS Test had CALCULUS On it . I HAD NEVER SEEN CALCULUS. I passed the test the LAST TIME I Could before graduation . Therefore after having a kid my Junior yr working my ASS off to graduate a damn test was goign to keep me from doing that and something I Was never taught at that ? I DONT THINK SO .

MY other issue. The TAKS test does NOT Allow teachers to teach. The entire school year is set up around the TAKS test. its like the teachers whole year is ONLY To get kids to pass the TAKS test to get the schools money . SORRY I could go on ,,,,, Those are the basics for my resoning though. My son is dyslexic so school is much harder for him , I guess my thinking is why not make it fun , multi sensory , Hands on so others like him can LEARN and not DRILL This damn test into his head ..... IF teachers could go back to making teaching FUN Kids like mine could learn alot faster, and frankly like school alot more .

Mindy:eek:

I didn't realize people didn't like the TAKS test. My son was in private school for his first 3 years and they did the Stanford testing to see how the students compared nation wide. My son has now been in public school in Fort Bend county for 3rd thru 7th and the TAKS test seems similar. I just assumed it did the same and made sure all students were on the same level of criteria to pass a grade.

Faybie, Here is something to ask your son . Ask him weekly what he's doing. Ask him if any of it has anything to do with the TAKS tests. I can almost gurantee you SOMETHING each week for the most part has something to do with the TAKS tests. Some teachers/schools are worse (More blatant) than others about making it known that the TAKS Is THE MOST important thing . The last school ( the bad one) my son attended based EVERYTHING on TAKS. Most schools wont even allow a child to be tested for Learning disabilites until they FAIL the TAKS. My son's IQ is "above Normal" Even with reading at a 3rd grade level in 6th grade he still managed to pass a 6th grade TAKS reading test as well as all the others. BUT because he passed it along with every other TAKS test prior to that one the school tried to refuse to test him for Dyslexia. The whole system is based on TAKS . My son and every other childs abilities are NOT Souley based or shown on one test. Sorry but I thought that's what report cards and Final Exams were for ??

Mindy