Comments on: Letter: Reject John Adams’ misplaced school priorities

By: Patrick

Patrick — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 17:27:05 +0000

The following is from a just released report, “The School Staffing Surge: Decades of Employment Growth in America’s Public Schools”
America’s K-12 public education system has experienced tremendous historical growth in employment, according to the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics. Between fiscal year (FY) 1950 and FY 2009, the number of K-12 public school students in the United States increased by 96 percent while the number of full-time equivalent (FTE) school employees grew 386 percent. Public schools grew staffing at a rate four times faster than the increase in students over that time period. Of those personnel, teachers’ numbers increased 252 percent while administrators and other staff
experienced growth of 702 percent, more than seven times the increase in students.

Public schools are not lacking funds. They are lacking the efficiency and discipline imposed by competition. Increasing funding to a failing system won’t fix public schools.

By: jaimy

jaimy — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 16:44:33 +0000

@Grammer Nazi…. I am just glad that Texas is not plagued with the cancer of UNIONIZED education, the downfall of all things productive. Merit system equals success, in education, and in life generally speaking. Spelling, grammer, not the issue here for me, i am not presenting a paper to be graded, most of my comments are off the cuff and hurriedly typed…More money never has meant better schools, just more overhead, and typically, less effective utilization of critical resources jlb

By: Mary Mag

Mary Mag — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 16:14:21 +0000

The letter writer references votes out of historical context. Those votes for funding were when the district was flush and the state had made big promises. DSISD even cut taxes because of the Perry’s big promises on income. Carole Strayhorn (R) told Republicans that his budget would not work and leave us billions short of funds and that was worsened by the economic downturn. DSISD is fiscally responsible and recognized for it. That did not change while Adams was in office. Last election and this one Isaac puts out misinformation to misconstrue the reality of Adams being for education and fiscal responsibility at the same time. Not very honorable in my book of Isaac.
An aside, I am a veteran and see no reason to have that noted on my driver’s license although I can see how the disabled veteran’s deal might matter in some situations. Just more bureaucracy detail that costs money.

By: Grammar Nazi

Grammar Nazi — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 21:41:02 +0000

@ jaimy “Conservative responsibility will always trump the ideal of spending other peoples money irresponsibly and ineffectively, always.” Your writing ability is poor at best. While I began blogging to bash your redundant sentence structure I want to point out that Jason Isaac voted against funding for education, “Isaac’s vote to cut $5.4 billion resulted in over 25,000 school employees being fired including over 10,000 teachers, thousands of students being crammed into overcrowded classrooms, and valuable electives being cut.”

Texas Tribune, “Report Examines How Budget Cuts Affected Texas Schools,” 9.27.12 http://www.texastribune.org/texas-education/public-education/report-examine-budget-cuts-affected-texas-schools/
Texas Tribune, “Texas Schools Cope as Classes Expand and Staffs Shrink,” 3.16.12 http://www.texastribune.org/texas-education/public-education/texas-schools-cope-as-classes-expand-staffs-shrink/
KXAN, “8,000+ Classrooms Exceed Size Limit,” 1.30.12 http://www.kxan.com/dpp/news/texas/over-8000-classrooms-exceed-size-limit

By: Jaimy Lamar Breihan

Jaimy Lamar Breihan — Sat, 06 Oct 2012 04:59:22 +0000

Changed my mind, on a limited basis of survival and protection of my fellow man and woman, Sir Winchester jlb

By: Winchester

Winchester — Sat, 06 Oct 2012 03:11:41 +0000

Jaimy, just a short while ago you said you were going to leave us…

By: jaimy

jaimy — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 17:24:58 +0000

@Raptor-non-jesus, Take a deep breath, Obama will not be re-elected to continue his failed attempt/ non attempt to responsibly represent ALL THE PEOPLE OF AMERICA, as his job description requires, this is the prayer of a growing multitude that do not buy into the falsehoods that he clings to, and has unfortunately cursed us with against our wills! JLB

By: jaimy

jaimy — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 17:12:13 +0000

Conservative responsibility will always trump the ideal of spending other peoples money irresponsibly and ineffectively, always. That is why Jason will hold his office, in a time when our country,and even yet our world is plagued with wasteful abuses of taxpayers resources, while poignantly being void of substantive solutions that can pass the test of time. Merit pay is the basis of sucess in many fields, I imagine that there are many teachers that are ready for employment in education that understand the value of earning a days pay and inspiring students to be productive,useful citizens, following in their examples! JLB

By: jaimy

jaimy — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 17:11:34 +0000

By: raptorjesus

raptorjesus — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 20:02:56 +0000

griffin–

why would anybody point to 2010 as a swing seat? its common knowledge that 2010 represeneted a republican wave across the board. nobody notes that occurence as making hd45 swingable. however, it is a swing district this year because of education/womens issues, obamas reelection, the lack of a unifying republican presidential candidate, and isaacs apparent weaknesses (noted above).

i believe isaac and team know exactly what theyre doing, but the time for high gear is now, and based on numbers were not seeing it.

idk what youre listening to, but ive heard adams & others intellegently address crowds on issues like water, family planning, development, jobs, economy, and even constitutional law precedent. sooooooo

By: hAYS cOUNTY kID

hAYS cOUNTY kID — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 18:58:52 +0000

Jason is a NO TRICK PONY!!!

By: Griffin Spell

Griffin Spell — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 14:15:56 +0000

I’m not that worried about Jason. A couple people like to point to 2010 as proof that HD45 is a “swing seat”, but forget that Rose didn’t take Isaac seriously until the last month of the campaign. Jason and his team know what they are doing, and the voters in Hays County are looking beyond the talking points. They are noticing how Adams can’t seem to talk competently about anything else but education. He’s like Andrew Backus Jr. Hays County voters want a representative like Jason Isaac, not a one-trick pony like Adams.

By: raptorjesus

raptorjesus — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 20:36:06 +0000

it seems obvious that isaac is losing, and will not be representing hays co after nov.

–rick perry comes to walmart to help prop him up
–republican party of tx pays for isaacs mail piece
–he hasnt raised half of the money that he did in 2010
–his $500k donor from 2010 has forgiven loans instead of giving more
–isaacs only real accomplishment (thought not to be belittled) has only helped veterans, a very small portion of the people hes paid to represent
–tx tribune marks his seat as only 1/10 of 150 house races where a democrat newcomer has a statistic probability of dethroning a republican incumbent
–he tried to buck the party by abstaining on the vote for speaker
–the terrible effects of hb1, which he voted for, have caused even isaac to begin pandering education as his #1 priority
–finally, it seems that even the hays co rep party chair has nothing nice to say about isaac, but only attacks on his opponent

By: Hays County Kid

Hays County Kid — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 02:55:50 +0000

Blakeley we get it, your the head of the Hays County R’s. You’re “job” is to be Jason’s attack dog, but even you have to admit that this letter is full of holes.

“He voted to spend $1 million dollars for new artificial turf, not for more needed improvements in classrooms. John Adams voted $1.3 million for new baseball field”

Adams voted to place those items in a bond packages and let the citizens vote. The citizens voted yes to that package. He didn’t vote those items in the citizens of the ISD did.

“yet those same unions are backing John Adams?”

Why are the Hays County R’s backing Jason??? I recall him saying he would be the voice of the Hays County citizens and vote the peoples will. Yet the Hays County R’s, the very people who got him elected asked him to vote for a one House Speaker over another and he decided to turn his back on you and voted “PRESENT”. He wasn’t even willing to stand up for you on his very first vote, he choose the Dallas and Houston crowd over Hays County.

Bending the truth about Mr. Adams doesn’t change who Jason really is.

Jason’s “PRESENT” vote pretty much sums up his time in office, his has done nothing for Hays County.

By: Hays County Kid

Hays County Kid — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 22:44:26 +0000

RR12 had been in works for several years, Jason merely jumped in front of a parade. Jason had nothing to do with the nuts and bolts of this project.

If that’s what Jason lists as his major accomplishment for Hays County the citizens have been ripped off. Jason is like the guy who runs in one yard touchdown after someone else produced the first 80 yards. Than he beats his chest like he did all the work.

By: Intrepid

Intrepid — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 18:58:07 +0000

kID, maybe we should be looking past the end of our own noses? Our state is facing some serious problems and we must all pull together to make difficult choices going into the future. We do not have unlimited resources to spend like there is no tomorrow. As a taxpayer and as a parent with children in public schools I appreciate the considered, common sense approach Isaac has exhibited and that certainly benefits Hays county.

Hays County Girl, you’re right about RR 12. I’ve been told by people who live on that stretch of road that they really appreciated Jason’s involvement on that issue.

By: Hays County Girl

Hays County Girl — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 18:15:48 +0000

@Hays County Kid,

Representative Jason Isaac has done a lot of great things as a legislator. To name a few, he helped in getting RR12 repaved, he passed a bill allowing veterans to put veterans designations on their driver license and he worked to balance the Texas budget without raising taxes!! How are any of the things I listed bad for Hays County?

So Kid, I hope you can answer your question, at last.

By: hAYS cOUNTY kID

hAYS cOUNTY kID — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 16:56:05 +0000

Can anyone name one thing Jason has done for Hays County?