TX-Students walk off campus to protest teacher layoffs

A large group of Morton Ranch High School students, estimated at 100 to 200 teens, stood outside the school Thursday morning to protest the 350 district teachers who were laid off on Wednesday, and they can't understand why. Students complained that their teachers were called out of class. Some were immediately replaced by substitute teachers, while their own teachers left crying.

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http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/local&id=8072121

This is my daughter's school. While I applaud the students passion, I'm not sure how I feel about the effectiveness. My daughter did not "walk" because she is a senior and was afraid of screwing up exemptions and losin the right to "walk" at graduation.

They say that they won't be punished but they were told if they "walk" again they will lose UIL eligibility.

Layoffs suck and it happens in every industry. I think it just sucks how they went about it during the day with "subs" on call to work if the teachers were too distraught to go back to class.

"Subs" my eye. Those were "scabs."

wfgodot said:

"Subs" my eye. Those were "scabs."

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it's just horrible how they did it....in the middle of the week. I have a senior and an 8th grader...they both lost "favorite" teachers and coaches...it was mostly 1st and 2nd year teachers......but you'd think with all the money they spend on administrator salaries, they could do something....i think our superintendent got a big raise this year.

and we have all this bond money to build new schools......wtf, just don't understand....hopefully some of them will get rehired when the final numbers are in.

My older sister and I participated in a walk out many years ago..... ( ok about 15 yrs ago lol) And it worked, but it was a very small rural community, and all 380 of us ( middle and High school combined) got OUR TEACHERS back. The district then realized that kids and teachers are people and care, and found other ways to make cuts.

And now that same district is in sooooo much trouble, its scary. But alas, it seems education is always the first thing to cut, and it just breaks my heart. We wonder what is happening to our youth, they live in an unstable world, even if its good at home, they know outside of that, its all a gamble......

tk my son is a senior at Cinco Ranch and they walked out also. He lost a couple of his favorite teachers and some that should have gone are still there. Not sure it helped for them to walk out but they felt good being able to express themselves.

tk71texas said:

it's just horrible how they did it....in the middle of the week. I have a senior and an 8th grader...they both lost "favorite" teachers and coaches...it was mostly 1st and 2nd year teachers......but you'd think with all the money they spend on administrator salaries, they could do something....i think our superintendent got a big raise this year.

and we have all this bond money to build new schools......wtf, just don't understand....hopefully some of them will get rehired when the final numbers are in.

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I agree, whoever made the decision to handle the layoff announcements the way they did needs to go to charm school, or get a Doctorate in Education perhaps.
Here is a web page about your Superintendant and the raise that your board gave him: http://instantnewskaty.com/2011/02/16/19420

"Frailey’s Contract: $288,400 Base Salary Plus Perks That Include ‘Personal Protection Benefit’
By: John Pape on Wed, Feb 16, 2011
News

Katy ISD has posted Superintendent Alton Frailey’s updated contract on the district’s website, showing details of the employment agreement as updated in January.

NEW CONTRACT – Katy ISD Superintendent Alton Frailey’s new contract shows he is to receive an annual base salary of $288,400 plus a host of benefits.

The new agreement, which was approved by the school board at its Jan. 24 meeting but not signed until Feb. 3, is for a five-year term beginning July 1, 2010 and running through June 30, 2015. The contract year runs July 1 – June 30.

The contract calls for Frailey to receive an annual base salary of $288,400.

In addition to the base salary, Frailey will receive $1,300 per month to cover “costs of all reasonable and necessary travel ... " and on and on and on.

About $400,000 per year when all the perks are figured in.

You have an election coming up for 3 slots on the School Board. If it was me, I would do some research on all these people.

http://www.katyisd.org/sb/Pages/KatyISDBoardElection.aspx#a1

Katy ISD School Board Election - May 14, 2011

Katy ISD has a seven-member Board of Trustees whose members are elected at-large to fill available positions. In accordance with the provisions of the Texas Education Code, a person may not be elected trustee of Katy ISD unless the person is a qualified voter. An individual seeking election as a member of the board of Trustees must have been a resident of the state for 12 months and a resident of the District six months prior to the last date on which the candidate could file to be listed on the ballot.


Position 3
* Chris Crockett She is currently the board Secretary, she is running again
* Bill Proctor

Position 4
* Terry Huckaby
* Kurtis Gross
* AJ Durrani
* John Eberlan

Position 5

# Terri Yanoviak
# Henry Dibrell
# Judy Snyder She is currently the board President, she is running again

They are walking out again today. My son is in Jr High and they walked out this morning. I just hate that they are so upset about losing thier favorite teachers. They should have gotten rid of the old grumpy ones collecting paychecks and not really relating to these kids. All these 1st and 2nd year teachers they are letting go are young and eager to teach and interact with the kids. The kids relate to these teachers way more than the ones that are just "going thru the motions" .....jmho

As much as I hate to say this, the walk outs are not going to do anything. It is not a district problem in Texas now. The State Budget is forcing districts to make deep cuts in order to keep schools open at all right now. My wife teaches here, and I am also a state employee and we are both just hoping to keep our jobs right now.

I recently learned that the company that provides the testing for Texas schools has not lost any of their funding from the state. Maybe we need to invest in better people to lobby for us like the testing company did!

CaseyLPC said:

As much as I hate to say this, the walk outs are not going to do anything. It is not a district problem in Texas now. The State Budget is forcing districts to make deep cuts in order to keep schools open at all right now. My wife teaches here, and I am also a state employee and we are both just hoping to keep our jobs right now.

I recently learned that the company that provides the testing for Texas schools has not lost any of their funding from the state. Maybe we need to invest in better people to lobby for us like the testing company did!

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Alton Frailey and the BOT is not going to lobby for anyone but themselves, they don't care about the students futures

Got to make cuts people. It is really bad here in CA. If the teachers would agree to forego pay increases, contribute to their own health care and take some pay cuts, more teachers would keep their jobs. But they won't agree to that, so teachers must go. They have the power to keep some jobs, but they don't see the big picture.

It is just the way it works. Cuts have to happen everywhere. Kids walking out of class just cuts into the limited ed time they have and is counterproductive, imo.

CaseyLPC said:

As much as I hate to say this, the walk outs are not going to do anything. It is not a district problem in Texas now. The State Budget is forcing districts to make deep cuts in order to keep schools open at all right now. My wife teaches here, and I am also a state employee and we are both just hoping to keep our jobs right now.

I recently learned that the company that provides the testing for Texas schools has not lost any of their funding from the state. Maybe we need to invest in better people to lobby for us like the testing company did!

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Higher education, such as universities, are getting budget cuts as well. And yet TX has no state tax.

Indeed we dont, some think tank in Austin thought it would be better to do the lottery and use that to cover education. We did have enough money across the state to build all those handicapped ramps on the street that did not even connect to any sidewalks though. Just a ramp that runs into the grass...great use of funds.