Chronicle Report: FBISD Missouri City Zoning Meeting (Lexington/Quail Valley)--
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posted by responsible_dvlpmnt at Friday, January 25, 2008
Friday, January 25, 2008
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POLLHOST POLL RESULTS:
Question: Do you
trust Allen Owen, mayor of Missouri City, TX, to represent you rather than his
Houston corporate backers?
Results:
3%
participating said yes
(n20)
91%
participating said no
(n573)
6%
participating responded not sure
(n39)
(N) sample = 632
8 Comments:
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
chron comments:
fbisdwatch wrote:
Yes, it is essential that voters and community members be made aware of the business and political networks actively engaging and influencing the decisions impacting our children. We must get more involved at the local council and district levels!
Visit http://fbisdwatch.blogspot.com to contact other residents and taxpayers. You can contact us at fbisdwatch@yahoo.com
1/25/2008 11:34 AM CST
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Wakeup wrote:
Parents failure to vote an know their FBISD elected official will leave their own students behind. Parents must attend Jan. 28 board meeting tobe heard by our elected officials of FBISD.
1/25/2008 11:16 AM CST
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transparencyingovt wrote:
I think what worries me is the fact that the chronicle reported on the board vote that limited the make-up of this "zoning committee" to upper-level district administrators, without including at large community members like parents, businesses and other stake holders. Mr. Petros, who has been involved with the large development companies through the district's land purchases, lives in Quail Valley. How can he sincerely present a unbiased front while leading these session? One board member attended that actually voted for this committee set-up that limits parent/taxpayer involvement on it.
Is this about realestate or our children? Food for thought.
1/25/2008 10:02 AM CST
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I wonder why they are doing this now in Missouri City right before the elections?
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recent fbn comments:
1 intheknow - Jan 28, 11:25 PM
The district has a “hazardous route” policy that would likely come into play here. That means that all these kids would be bussed to school — they would not be walking or riding their bikes.
2 P.O.P. - Jan 29, 08:24 AM
Our Children will Not ride buses to school how safe is that.No seatbelts.Come pound the pavement and see where exactly Oyster Creek is and on your way pass up Brightwater and see them off to the right.It is so obvious they are closer to Quail Valley.Lets listen to the FACTS that were stated.
3 Tobin - Jan 29, 08:54 AM
1) Thanks to Fort Bend Now for it’s coverage.
2) We don’t want children to be FORCED BUSSED to Quail Valley.
3) Cynthia Knox and Laurie Caldwell are on the ballot for re-election in May.
Knox won her seat by only 42 votes. Our precinct at Lexington Creek Elementary cast 54 votes for her. The policies will not change until the policy makers are changed.
Application for running for FBISD board starts Feb 9th.
Notice that the county thinks we should vote at LCE, because it’s geographically logical.
4 lns - Jan 29, 09:00 AM
Bussed or not, the stretch is still dangerous! What they are proposing to do is move kids from an obvious neighborhood school to a school much farther away. The plan is ridiculous.
As for the board, last night was my first meeting, but it will not be my last. I simply cannot wait for the next election.
If the policy is 3 per topic, a simple email to those who signed up to speak would have alleviated many of the problems. It is obvious that the board cares not about public opinion.
5 Muckraker - Jan 29, 09:23 AM
ITK,
It’s good to see you defending your administration so well, but my concerns are not just the kids safety, although that should be paramount for the district, but the fact that the school officials during the record bond election were promising greater access to the board and not less as is currently the practice. I might add to is this what you would wish for your own kids given you were in that situation?
“Although 17 people had signed up to address the board about the proposed rezoning, Board President Cynthia Knox, citing board policy, limited the number to three. This provoked the first of a number of testy exchanges between Knox and members of the audience.
“Madame chair, that doesn’t seem fair,” Tobin Englet, one of the Lexington Creek parents, said when Knox announced that only three of the group would be allowed to speak.
“This is a business meeting held in public,” Knox responded. “Not a public meeting.”
Englet was not allowed to speak. When he asked what policy Knox was citing in limiting the number of speakers, Knox responded, “You’re not really allowed to address the board.”
“When Knox signaled the end of the public comment period, local activist Rodrigo Carreon, currently a candidate for Fort Bend County Commissioner, stood from his seat in the audience and challenged the board chair, saying that he had been overlooked.
“What about me? I signed up,” Carreon said. “I signed up and I’m not with any of these groups.”
Knox ruled that Carreon would not be allowed to speak because he had signed up to speak on the topic of rezoning and three people had already addressed that topic.
“You run and get elected to hear from the people,” Carreon said to Knox before returning to his seat.”
Maybe it’s time for a change!
6 Rodrigo Carreon - Jan 29, 10:09 AM
Is there a FBISD board public comments policy to limit freedom of speech, that limits three speakers only to protest? Fort Bend commissioners have just adopted a new public comment policy on December 18,2007, that never stood effecting future speakers, after limitting public speakers to three without a policy in the past.
7 theydrewfirstblood - Jan 29, 11:53 AM
Muck — Intheknow is defensive because she was front and center in the push for “those children” to be zoned out of her elementary school years ago. She was/is very influencial with Rickert and crew when they were in power and must support anything the new administration does – at least for a while.
Knox will not be running again in May.
Caldwell will. As will Magee.
That being said, as someone said on another posting, this district is growing at a pace that no one can keep up with (unless you are willing to pay enough in taxes to build enough schools to get ahead of the growth). There will be painful rezonings for many years. And then, some day in the distant future, we will have to deal with the fact that our area has “grayed” and our enrollment will go down. We will have beautiful schools that will be well under enrollment – and we will face other challenges.
8 intheknow - Jan 29, 12:09 PM
Muck — I’m not defending the administration. I do think parents and the community should have had a hand in helping draw the lines. I’m just pointing out that these kids won’t have to walk to school. This should meet the “hazardous route” criteria for busses. And it’s not forced bussing, either, in the historical sense.
As for all of you up in arms and calling for change — make up your mind. You had some very good Board members who fought hard to get policies changed and more community input at all levels (internal audits were on-line, community committees were put in place, the zoning process was changed to allow for more input, etc.) But you listened to the “powers that be” that ravaged those folks and threw them out because you weren’t paying attention at the time to what was really going on. You reelected Steve Smelley, Cynthia Knox and elected Bob Broxson and David Reitz — all status quo folks. They have reversed ALL of those earlier, hard fought victories for more openness and community involvement.
And, just to be clear, the “status quo” powers at FBISD are absolutely not the same as the Superintendent. If you don’t understand that, you may, once again, throw the baby out with the bathwater.
9 Muckraker - Jan 29, 01:24 PM
“As for all of you up in arms and calling for change — make up your mind. You had some very good Board members who fought hard to get policies changed and more community input at all levels (internal audits were on-line, community committees were put in place, the zoning process was changed to allow for more input, etc.) But you listened to the “powers that be” that ravaged those folks and threw them out because you weren’t paying attention at the time to what was really going on. You reelected Steve Smelley, Cynthia Knox and elected Bob Broxson and David Reitz — all status quo folks. They have reversed ALL of those earlier, hard fought victories for more openness and community involvement.”
Well that’s interesting coming from the old SOS crowd, since I did not vote for any of the BOT you are claiming. As a matter of fact I also voted for you at one time. Superintendents do have a great deal of power over the boards, as you know and it still isn’t too late to reverse course.
10 intheknow - Jan 29, 01:51 PM
Muck and TDFB — you have me confused with someone else.
11 Elizabeth - Jan 29, 01:59 PM
intheknow, if you are denying that you are Liz Mitton after all the times that you’ve responded to her name, I guess you should apologize to her.
12 P.O.P. - Jan 29, 02:04 PM
There were several comments made last night about crossing the creek.Caldwell,responded my child goes over a broken bridge.Our children are elementary children and its you’re problem if you allow you’re child to go over a broken bridge.Why not BUS him.Why b/c its not safe.We all know from the boards side this isn’t about an education for our children or safety it about #‘s and making Quail Valley look good.Or should i say the ant farm.Also,speaking of politics why rn’t the people in Brightwater being rezoned is it b/c Barbara Gibson.The map is soo obvious.Ya’ll broke up neighbors/friends in Riverstone you all CAN do this w/Brightwater too.Is this really in the BEST interest of our children in Oyster Creek or is it all about real estate,and numbers.
13 Sienna Educator - Jan 29, 02:53 PM
I am a extremely distressed by the opinion that speech can be arbitrarily limited in a public meeting that is conducted by elected officials in public facilities about public business. Rodrigo Carreon should have the right to address the board as should every concerned parent about the board’s actions. The looks of disgust displayed by some of the board members as parents and voters spoke was horrible. Maybe they were all in a hurry to watch the State of the Union Address…
14 anonymous - Jan 29, 03:04 PM
Intheknow,
You really need to get over it. Your friends had their chance. They are the ones who brought us acting superintendent Pedraza, massive staff resignations, TEA investigations, 6-8 hour board meetings that featured screaming matches and insults hurled from the dias and a new software program that has led to employees not getting paid correctly and on time.
Obviously your brand of change was rejected.
15 Muckraker - Jan 29, 04:38 PM
“or is it all about real estate,and numbers.”
POP,
I think you hit the nail on the head. Why is FBISD spending so much of their time rezoning Missouri City schools and not looking at the broader picture??? Could it be for far too long they have done what they were told by the special interest in school placement so they end up with an unmanageable plan?
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
more:
16 Outside Observer - Jan 29, 04:52 PM
Best of luck to those in Oyster Creek Plantation. We recently fought and lost a similar situation in Katy ISD. The school district is building a new Jr. High in a horribly unsafe area and all of our concerns about safety fell on deaf ears.
When it was all said and done, we realized that if the KISD board was really concerned about safety they would not have built the new Jr. High in the location to begin with and that our arguments concerning safety did not stand a chance.
I hope that FBISD is different. You have to assume they were aware of the issues with students crossing FM 1092 when they proposed the rezoning. The same “just bus them” arguments were made despite the fact that the buses are traveling down the same unsafe roads.
Good luck. From personal experience, once a school board makes a recommendation it is very unlikely to get them to admit they were wrong and that they did not consider the safety of your children to begin with.
http://blogs.chron.com/insidekaty/archives/2007/12/opponents_may_f.html
17 anonymous - Jan 29, 05:02 PM
The “numbers” that it is all about are the campaign contributions to State Reps by developers and builders so that they can ensure that the building gravy train continues unabated. Otherwise, the state legislature might have done something to assist with the costs of building new schools in fast growth districts like Fort Bend.
But what can you expect when you elect developer to be your state rep?
18 mac - Jan 29, 05:48 PM
Well, it seems the reason so many people were upset with the board years ago is beginning to materialize again. When will we ever learn?
19 intheknow - Jan 29, 06:37 PM
Muck — really. you need to stop spinning around so much.
There is no political conspiracy here. The district just went through a major rezoning effort about a year ago — knowing that as new schools come on board, lines would once again have to be redrawn.
The Missouri City/east side has been SCREAMING for new schools to accommodate the growth in these areas. You’re getting them. What did you think was going to happen when they opened??
Look — I agree that the board made a mistake not getting the community involvement and buy-in from the get go. I think that’s the right way to go for many reasons. But the community voted this board in and now the community is going to have to live with their decisions. They’re going to “draw the lines and send the letters home.” And guess what, they don’t care because most of them aren’t up for reelection this year anyway. Doubtful Caldwell will run again.
20 anonymous - Jan 29, 07:08 PM
“Doubtful Caldwell will run again.”
I heard that she was already campaigning at the Spirit of Freedom with her gal pal Lisa Rickert. But my guess is that she and Magee will meet the same fate as Rickert and Bryant if they are foolish enough to run.
21 Muckraker - Jan 29, 07:10 PM
“They’re going to “draw the lines and send the letters home.”
Is this the official word from Jenny who didn’t even show up to last nights BOT mtg? Really now ITK, corporate spin is more your game, I’m just a parent and taxpayer. . .
22 Cheryl Hill - Jan 29, 07:52 PM
“Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves.”
Abraham Lincoln
23 P.O.P. - Jan 29, 09:26 PM
Look all this is about is POLITICS once again!! Not about our childrens education nor the safety of our children.Yes there is a need for schools on the east side so leave us on the WEST of the CREEK alone and BUS those children in to those new schools.Thats what was decided w/ Austin PKWY last year.They left the numbers that were in the school and all new ones and those who were already being bused just kept on going to the NEXT unpopulated school.
24 Mei Liu - Jan 29, 09:29 PM
Everybody knows the most important issue is the quality of education our treasured children will receive. As parents we want
the best possible start in life for our sons and daughters and that start comes with an elementary school education steeped in quality, preparation, and goal setting for the future. The elementary years should prepare them for the challenges of mid school and high school and begin to prepare them for the highly charged competition of gaining acceptance into quality colleges and universities. The days of good paying jobs (like in manufacturing) where all one had to do was show up and put in the time until five are over. The best educated citizens with prized highly technical skills will be the citizens who will do well in this century. We owe it to our children to give them the best possible educational start in life. We should not fail them when they are at such a critical formative stage in their young lives. If you were in our situation, will you let this happen to your children? – “No!!!!” will be the answer.
25 theydrewfirstblood - Jan 30, 12:43 AM
Mei Liu – I don’t disagree with your post, but we do have well educated citizens, many of whom have technical skills. You might want to talk to some men and women in the real world. These college graduates have been coddled so in our school systems that they want a pat on the back and an award just for showing up each day. They don’t want to work weekends and after two months of work, they want a week off so they can relax a little. We are missing the boat folks and I’m not sure it’s the fault of the education system. We are failing our children as parents and mentors.
26 P.O.P. - Jan 30, 10:00 AM
I do not think as a parent we are failing.Life,education,and todays world is a much tougher place to live.My daughter a second grade student is learning about Amelia Earhart,Henrietta King,and ect.. We did not learn this in second grade when we were growing up.Maybe 5th or 6th.Why should we take this away from our children that are so willing to learn and put them in an acceptable school from a recognized school.And thats if they make it to school w/out having an accident on the way.Its not just about going to school 2x a day what about the extra activies that go on at school,or the parents that volunteer.It is about keeping our children together and if you want to call that coddeling so be it.They DESERVE a chance just like you were given.
27 sara - Jan 30, 01:18 PM
P.O.P. (#2),
How hypocritical! You don’t want to have your kids cross the very dangerous 1092, but you’re more than ok to have those in Lakes of Brighwater do it. What a sad, sad statement.
I’ll repeat what I said on similar post on related story, this has very little to do with safety, walking to school, riding bikes to school, etc. It has everything to do with not wanting kids to have to go to a lower-performing school with non-whites.
28 Muckraker - Jan 30, 05:46 PM
Sara,
Do you really think any children should be crossing state hwy 1092 during rush hour? Sounds like a planning issue to me, but you keep trying to make it something else. How about no one crosses it? As I seem to remember too quite a few QV parents attended the public meeting last week who also spoke against the plan because it takes them out of their community school (see the minutes to confirm from the LCE mtg.).
29 P.O.P. - Jan 30, 06:50 PM
I do not want any children crossing creeks,or state hwys and if that is how it came across i am sorry.But this is NOT a colored issue!!!!!It is POLITICS.And if you knew anything about LCE it is EXTREMELY diverse.Who can you trust on the Ft Bend Board.I think we need to come together as a community and make this board understand parents and how important our childrens education is.Its not about the Ant Farm in QV.
30 Rodrigo Carreon - Jan 30, 08:30 PM
FBISD Elected Officials ears were absent during these rezoning meeting. Why? And then cut public short in FBISD Board meeting, to prohibit public from being heard.
31 Muckraker - Jan 30, 09:07 PM
Good point Carreon and one that all Mo-City residents should be asking questions about and why just a few months ago, in anticipation of these rezoning hearings did they change the rules of engagement???
32 P.O.P. - Jan 31, 08:53 AM
Muckracker,they know the public is right and we go out and find the facts.They think we r just going to sit back and get a slap on the hand and allow this.We’ll i am sorry Oyster Creek has gone out and found the facts and it is absolutely RIDICULOUS they are dragging 25 children into this.Our neighborhood is made up of 62 kids only 23 actually one family has said they are not going to go throug this every year so they r putting there kids into private.And like i was saying the majority in this neighborhood are LUCKY enough to go to private school.It is not a huge # to make a difference in LCE and to feed into Dulles middle and high schools.But u and i both know this isn’t about the little 23 children in OCP its about the POLITICIANS that live in Quail Valley ie…Allen Owen,and Petros…...
33 anonymous - Jan 31, 09:16 AM
Sorry to disrupt the conspiracy theories, but the FBISD board rules have always limited the number of speakers on a single topic to three. However, it is up to the board president to enforce the rule. Knox enforced it. Others have not.
Now before you get all agitated and lecture me on “free speech” consider this. If any and all speakers were allowed to address the BOT at every meeting, how difficult would it be for organized groups to coordinate efforts and line up speaker after speaker to say the same thing and keep board members, employees (many required to be there after working all day and needing to be back on the job early the next day) and the press captive for hours? Determined groups could use this process to wear down the administration and BOT and get whatever they wanted IMHO.
For years and years, groups of concerned individuals have organized themselves, picked their 3 speakers, delegated points of discussion to each, and attended meetings to show the number of people in support of the position. Additional information has been handed to the BOT and sometimes to the press. This allows the BOT to see the depth of support for a particular point of view/idea/position without disrupting or delaying the other business of the district.
In my years of observing the BOT, it seemed that those who played by the rules, acted professionally and respectfully, made logical arguments and demonstrated wide spread support for their positions most often got their way. IMHO, making threats, whining and insinuating that there is a vast conspiracy determined to persecute your or yours is counterproductive.
34 LJ - Jan 31, 09:40 AM
Cynthia Knox’s term is up this May. I would encourage all of you to consider this matter, and her record in the past as you go the polls if she runs for re-election.
35 Muckraker - Jan 31, 09:42 AM
“Sorry to disrupt the conspiracy theories, but the FBISD board rules have always limited the number of speakers on a single topic to three. However, it is up to the board president to enforce the rule. Knox enforced it. Others have not.”
“IMHO, making threats, whining and insinuating that there is a vast conspiracy determined to persecute your or yours is counterproductive.”
Looks like these are your labels to marginalize the posters and families here anon. I see concerned residents asking the right questions. Your viewing this interaction as negative. Democracy isn’t always pretty or very well organized (and I’m not sure it should be). Anyone aware of Robert’s Rules or has chaired any committee knows when they are being silenced and the “rules” are being used in a deliberate fashion. Remember Knox silenced a speaker that was not with those families and no telling how many others. Additionally you seem to miss the earlier point that the zoning meetings and committee make-up have been changed several months back just prior to the Missouri City zoning focus. These are facts, not “conspiracy” as insiders so often like to spin. I’m sure you can ck the minutes or even ask the lone dissenting board member about the facts on this as it was WELL covered in local media (I believe he wrote an OP/ED piece here in FBN on it). This has also become a concern in the community regarding the commissioners court as well covered too in the local media, so…opine on!
36 latermuch - Jan 31, 10:40 AM
I don’t know why you all keep electing her back in anyway. What’s up with keeping these people in office for life? Things aren’t that great in this area to leave these incumbents in as long as they wish. Vote them out if you don’t like what they are doing, I will!
37 P.O.P. - Jan 31, 11:41 AM
Oh my goodness lets not forget this is supposed to be about our children and their education and look its falling back into Politics.All we want is for our neighborhood to stay west of the creek and feed into Dulles.Its not like all 23 children will enter at the same time and the numbers for the future look like they will be dropping.Why uproot children from their foundation and stress them out.Life is too hard and difficult these days.We as parents and our children need friends and SUPPORT it doesn’t always have to be about politics.
38 Anonymous - Jan 31, 02:05 PM
P.O.P. Seems to be you are getting all stressed out about a decision that is yet to be made. Where are the politics in this situation? The only politics I see is Muck and the boys (and girls) trashing the BOT.
39 Sara - Jan 31, 02:37 PM
But if the school on the other side of 1092 was a higher-performing school than the one your kids are currently attending, then you’d send them there in a second.
Don’t hide behind the safety issue. The real issue is your not happy with the school they might be going to.
40 anonymous - Jan 31, 02:48 PM
“Looks like these are your labels to marginalize the posters and families here anon. “
I was not attempting to marginalize anyone. I was giving you some constructive criticism that might help you achieve your goals. Being adversarial and aggressive most often doesn’t bring desired results. But you guys feel free to go right ahead and continue in the fumble formation.
41 TexasRose - Jan 31, 02:55 PM
“We as parents and our children need friends and SUPPORT it doesn’t always have to be about politics.”
Wish I had ‘friendly -supporting news’ to break you; however as a parent who has attended my own district school board meetings I must say: most unfortunately one will be “hard-pressed” to hear a Trustee agree with “life is too hard and difficult”. Consequently: the kids “easily bounce back”; it is the parent whom rebukes the adjustment. It’s pretty ugly politics, and quite backwards if you asked me.
42 Muckraker - Jan 31, 04:37 PM
“I was not attempting to marginalize anyone.”
Ok whatever you say anon…
43 P.O.P. - Jan 31, 05:35 PM
Tx Rose,not all children r the same and i don’t need u to tell me i am hiding behind a safety issue.But then again u know as well as i do the safety issue is a fact.Look at those practice Taks scores from QVE tell me you would send your kid to that school.Your kid is probably in a private school.Mine would be if we didn’t have ftbend isd taxes to pay.Tell me u would send your 5 year old on a bus that doesn’t have seatbelts,arrives to pick her up at 6:30ish and drop off at 7:45ish.Look at Ft Bends guiding principals and there so-called mottos.This reoning meets none of that.We all know what it is about.And its not in the best interest of our children.Why take away getting up and looking forward to riding their bikes or walking to school.Not all children adjust the same.
44 TexasRose - Jan 31, 07:11 PM
Woah-there P.O.P
Please “open your eyes”, I speak a truth relative to the School Board Meeting I attended & certainly what the Trustees revealed.
If you wish to elaborate that I failed to mention safety, (it is my option) than why don’t you have the decency to courtesy rather than “put me down.”?
I did not mention, that “all children are the same”.
Exactly why must you get-off on me?
“Transferring” blame will absolutely not be tolerated. It is true, what I heard, were you there? Considering your “values”, certainly your anger is misplaced. Please never do anyone the unjustice to “:walk all over” that person__abusively it does not bode well. Constructive criticism is allowed, however, this blame you seem to challenge.
Ciao &
truly the best of luck to your ISD.
45 StandupFB - Jan 31, 11:32 PM
Rezoning, rezoning, rezoning, rezoning. That is one word that we will FOREVER hear! There will always be a parent that does not want their child to go to one school, but to another. Rather its safety, test scores or, heaven forbide, humanity issues, we will never be happy!
I understand the safety of not wanting to cross a major road to go to school. I know and understand the not riding a bus for long periods of time. When I was in school, I had to be at the bus stop at 6:30am and did not get home at night till 4:50. My school hours was 8-3. I know the feeling of long hours on the bus! But, till we get the RIGHT AMOUNT of schools in this district, we will have to make do with what we have.
As for “looking forward to riding their bikes ect.” this is where the parent comes in and explains that you don’t always get to do what you want. You will have to make moves and we have to deal with it. This is a perfect time to explain to the chiildern that sometimes you have to move to make things better.
As for not wanting to go to a school because of test score, give me a break. If you don’t like the scores, go into the schools and make a difference! Don’t stand on the side lines and make comments and not back them up! It takes a community to raise childern now! Be a role model and help!
46 Muckraker - Feb 1, 07:55 AM
“But, till we get the RIGHT AMOUNT of schools in this district, we will have to make do with what we have. “
Actually planning that placed schools at full cost where ever those companies wanted them, rather than where the district planning said they should go is part of the problem.
“If you don’t like the scores, go into the schools and make a difference! “
This is a pretty bold assumption standup. How do you know these families aren’t already engaged in their schools (invested). Just google any reputable study on why parents select schools that perform. It isn’t rocket science and is well documented. Those that threatened to move probably will and the problem still won’t be solved until it’s looked at on a district-wide basis and not just a MC one.
47 lns - Feb 1, 10:32 AM
StandUp either doesn’t have children or isn’t dealing with these issues. If this was your child, you would care too.
48 P.O.P. - Feb 1, 12:12 PM
I want to apologize and say that really my main focus was on ALL children bounce back.That was a pretty bold statement as well.Rezoning is a touchy subject wherever you go but i don’t think the solution is to put our 5 year olds on a bus and send them on their way.Esp. w/ 6th graders.I think QVE probably has GREAT teachers and they are TRYING to make a difference and teach but how can they when it is obvious there has to be disruptions and ect.. with these scores that way.These teachers all over the world are making a difference in all of our childrens lives but if they are being disrupted all the time who gets the short end of the stick the kids trying to learn.I am not at all trying to have a BLOG CONFLICT w/anyone i am stating the facts b/c we r in this situation.Why should we be forced to move after 12 years that is just running away.Why teach children to run when this can be resolved.Again,i was not trying to be ugly but c’mon the guiding principals are not being met.
49 Sara - Feb 1, 01:32 PM
POP,
What disruptions are you referring to?
50 P.O.P. - Feb 1, 03:35 PM
in the classroom.There r always those children who disruptthe class but sometimes you get those who can’t work w/disruptions or distractions.And i’ll be honest w/u my children personally cannot have alot of distractions.
51 j williamson - Feb 1, 03:45 PM
What makes you think there are more distractions at QVE than at LCE?
52 Anonymous - Feb 1, 04:12 PM
P.O.P. Have you been to QVE? How can you make such harsh judgement if you have not been there?
53 Muckraker - Feb 1, 05:52 PM
Anonymous & jw,
You might want to ask why after all these years these families are being asked to give up their community school and not someone else. Or better why is the district focus only on MC schools? Pop has nothing to apologize for, they’re being asked to give up their neighborhood and cross 1092.
54 anonymous - Feb 1, 06:05 PM
Muck,
I don’t have a dog in the fight. I don’t like re-zoning, but it is necessary sometimes. My only observations had to do with the methodology of those protesting. Some methods yield better results than others…...
55 j williamson - Feb 1, 07:22 PM
I simply asked for clarifications about what the poster meant by “disruptions”?
56 Muckraker - Feb 1, 08:05 PM
Anon,
Many have applied multiple approaches and I believe you will find that moving on many fronts is a good tactic. I feel this group of parents has been very reasonable and made measured responses, as is their right, at least for now, in this country.
57 P.O.P. - Feb 1, 09:29 PM
Thankyou Muck,i am not making harsh judgements but i did walk through #39 and it was LOUD.I do not think i am being harsh but i know my 2 children.And like i did say there r always one or 2 who do distract the class.The bottom line is The guiding principals r not being met and we can sit here evryday and criticize but it’s not getting us anywhere.
58 Cheryl Hill - Feb 1, 09:49 PM
In response to:
“My only observations had to do with the methodology of those protesting. Some methods yield better results than others…...”
The above statement is maybe true, sometimes, but rarely…
In legal circles, attorneys say: “School districts are notorious for not backing down, even when wrong. They fight tooth and nail to preserve their egos and not admit to bad judgment or wrongdoing at the expense of the taxpayer. In instances where legal fees have to be paid, school districts, in order to save face, fight on and on to protect bad policy and bad decisions. After all, they can afford to do so; they have deep pockets——— the taxpayers.”
59 Questioner - Feb 1, 11:25 PM
At the Jan 24 meeting, what was all the shouting/loud talk about OCP being a First Colony community while Brightwater was only a Missouri City community? Did the OCP parents/residents think that they would win friends and postively influence people by saying to all present that they send their children to private schools and only sent their children to LCES as it was a recognized school now?
Doesn’t Brightwater want to keep its children together or is OCP proposing that the over 200 children in Brightwater all be sent across FM1092 to QVES?
60 anonymous - Feb 1, 11:46 PM
In legal circles, attorneys say: “School districts are notorious for not backing down, even when wrong. They fight tooth and nail to preserve their egos and not admit to bad judgment or wrongdoing at the expense of the taxpayer. In instances where legal fees have to be paid, school districts, in order to save face, fight on and on to protect bad policy and bad decisions. After all, they can afford to do so; they have deep pockets——— the taxpayers.”
I could not agree more. The board members will have their friends and some in the press out there protecting them. They will blame state legislators or anyone else they can stick with their lack of good judgment and lack of vision. They become rubber stamps and refuse to listen to parents or have any concern with what really matters in education.
61 FBRealtor - Feb 2, 12:02 AM
This rezoning has been a topic of centention for many years. I remember in the very early 80’s when First Colony was growing like crazy, and new schools were being opened every year. My daughter started @ Colony Bend the first year it opened, and then was rezoned to Settler’s Way when it opened. And then we were zoned to Dulles Middle School, rather than FCMS, because we lived on the “other side of highway 6”. So she was separated from all her classmates. Dulles MS proved to be wonderful, but she couldn’t go to Dulles HS, because Clements was opening, and our subdivision, even though it was on the “other side of Highway 6”, was zoned to Clements. She pitched a fit about that, and threatened to go to the School Board herself, because she didn’t want to go to Clements. The HS years turned out to be wonderful as well, and she graduated #12 in the class, and went to College and Medical School. I understand the frustrations of parents and children who prefer one school over another one, but what might seem negative at first glance, often turns into a very positive situation.
62 Muckraker - Feb 2, 09:03 AM
“After all, they can afford to do so; they have deep pockets——— the taxpayers.”
Very good point Cheryl. We’ve seen how some of those law firms make their living feeding off the taxpayers via these normal conflicts.
63 Muckraker - Feb 2, 09:09 AM
Questioner,
I was in attendance at that meeting and they were asking a question as to why one neighborhood wasn’t being zoned that was actually closer. That is a legitimate question and was asked by some of the Quail Valley speakers too. As usual you are using it to drive a wedge in the Missouri City communities. ALL the residents and blog readers need to be asking the bigger question, why is the district only forcing this on Missouri City schools? Is inclusion of all FBISD areas to political and looking at the silent east-end schools the only solution? Sorry the divisive speech won’t work…
64 TexasRose - Feb 2, 10:53 AM
jwilliamson ~
May I eject my analogy take-on “disruptions”?!
The very year my middle child attended “K”, his class was taught by an incoming new teacher. I considered her very sweet, loving & caring but she was most unfortunately new to all behaviors including disruptive; therefore every child “paid the price” so to speak. it was a young boy who appeared to have issues with keeping still__literally “climbing the walls”. I personally recall a field trip to the zoo that I volunteered and noticed the inordinate amount of interuptive admonishments to therefore correct his behavior. Needless, to say, I was happy that particular boy was not in my son’s class the following year.
Incidently, redistricting or rezoning has it’s most awesome challenges as well. You will be “hard pressed” to find any parent happy with the consequences. No one deserves unhappiness, however what may easily appear lost-in the-shuffle are the actual guidelines that the School Board Administrators/Trustees/Rezoning Committees must adhere to. Perhaps your ISD may need to re-visit their own guidelines for change__I simply would not be the one to answer that, but in my own ISD I have seen the actual transitioning aspects and I agree with the basics to the matters of principles. Yes, not every parent/child will be happy, but where does one ever draw that line. Success is what you make it.
65 Anonymous - Feb 2, 08:09 PM
I am always amazed to read this blog these days and see that Muckraker, an appropriate name, is always throwing dirt. I don’t believe you could find one substantiated fact raised by this blogger. He has a take on every issue and it always comes down to the same essential conspiracy theory. I would hate to live in the world that this person envisions, it would be very sad.
66 P.O.P. - Feb 2, 09:12 PM
I am a parent of OCP,and we want Brightwaters Support.We r talking 25 children for this rezoning.
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