StraightTalk : Northside Independent School District - San Antonio, TX 78238

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Flawed education law hurts students and schools

December 11, 2008 - Compared to the struggling economy and the war in Iraq, education may not seem like a front-burner issue. But let me assure you, our education system is in crisis and needs attention because an educated workforce is vital for future and sustained economic prosperity. Something must be done to address the unfairness and inequities associated with NCLB and the manner in which the U.S. Department of Education and Texas Education Agency have implemented the law.

Refugee students deserve real chance for success

September 08, 2008 - Our refugee students have made amazing leaps and bounds since arriving at our schools, but the state and federal guidelines need to be more flexible to give these students more time to acclimate to their new lives.

All taxpayers should pay their fair share

July 30, 2008 - Earlier this month, NISD Superintendent John Folks submitted testimony to the Select Committee on Property Tax Relief and Appraisal Reform.

Fuel driving up costs for Texas school districts

June 26, 2008 - Everyone across the nation is struggling with skyrocketing fuel costs, and school districts certainly are no exception. The cost of fuel has a heavy impact on school districts in Texas in particular because the state Legislature has not increased the transportation allotment to schools since 1984, and the current school funding system does not accommodate inflation and the rising cost of operations.

The Texas school finance system is inequitable, unrealistic, unfair, and stagnant

May 20, 2008 - Like many other school districts across the state, we take issue with the "target revenue" funding system. Under the target revenue system, we are getting the same amount of money per student this year as we did last year, and we will receive the same amount of money next year. That's three consecutive years of stagnant funding. The state has made no provisions for inflation, the increase in the cost of fuel and utilities, salary raises, or the many unfunded mandates passed by the Legislature.

Texas school children deserve an accountability system that is fair, flexible, and understandable

April 28, 2008 - Our diversity and our growth certainly provide us with many challenges, but that just makes our accomplishments all the more gratifying. In 2005, Northside was the first district in the state to receive the HEB Excellence in Education Award. In 2006, Northside was the largest district in the state to receive a Recognized rating. And in 2007, Northside was named one of five finalists in the nation for the prestigious Broad Prize for Urban Education. I am here today to implore you to help in the creation of an accountability system that is fair, flexible, and understandable.

Legislature provides no additional funding for schools

June 28, 2007 - As the dust settles on the 80th legislative session, districts across Texas are scrambling to figure out the impact of dozens of education-related bills on schools, students, and staff. At this point, many questions remain unanswered, but the bottom line is this: Once again, the Legislature provided no additional funding to account for inflation and the increasing costs of operating schools.

Hold Harmless and Drag Back Provisions need explaining

January 09, 2007 - The awkward fact about the school finance changes enacted by the Texas Legislature last spring, after years of anguish and after devoting a good part of one regular session and all of four special sessions to the issue, is that the state is spending $2.1 billion this year and will spend another $6.6 billion next year so that its public schools can stand still.

State Accountability should not mirror NCLB

December 13, 2006 - At a recent Senate Education Committee meeeting to gather testimony about a possible revision to the state accountability system, Sen. Florence Shapiro, R-Plano, said the minimum Texas accountability standard should be at least as high as those standards under No Child Left Behind. Her intent is to clear the confusion of how districts and campuses can attain Exemplary, Recognized or Acceptable state ratings but fail to meet federal standards.

Preparing for the future

September 28, 2006 - NISD supports increased challenge of math of science requirements, but some questions need to be answered. We all know we have to do a better job of emphasizing the importance of math and science to our young people.

Annual Poll Shows Public Schools Not Losing Support

July 18, 2006 - Sixty-nine percent of American parents assign a grade of "A" or "B" to the school their oldest child attends according to the latest Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll. Confirmation for the American public's belief in our public schools again comes from the Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll's annual survey on education.

Stacking Up Well

July 18, 2006 - Texas students outperformed the national average on three of four 2005 National Asessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) exams and performed slightly below the U.S. average on the fourth test, the Texas Education Agency announced recently.

Schools cost more to build today because... why?

April 24, 2006 - School districts get critized for the costs of building schools. It is true that schools built today cost many times more than schools built 10, 20, 30 years ago. A $60 million high school or a $14 million elementary school is not unusual. But community members and taxpayers need to realize that there are solid reasons why schools cost more today.

The 65 Percent Delusion

April 24, 2006 - The so called 65 percent "Solution" simply calls for 65 cents of every school operations dollar to be spent on a narrow list of classroom basics. The implied message is that 35 percent of the education operating budget is misspent or unnecessary. If you believe one size really does fit all, cookie cutter solutions work just for complex issues, and the tooth fairy has a plan to solve education funding, then the 65 Percent Solution is just right for you.

The Increasing Burden on America's Public Schools

April 20, 2006 - America's public schools can be traced back to the year 1640. The Massachusetts Puritans established schools to teach basic reading, some writing and arithmetic skills, and to cultivate values that serve a democratic society (some history and vices implied). The trend of increasing the responsibilities of the public schools has accelerated ever since.

Dr. John M. Folks

Dr. John M. Folks
Superintendent

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Editor's Note:

STRAIGHT Talk is a publication of Northside ISD (San Antonio, TX) that contains one of a continuing series of articles that is meant to enlighten the public and staff about a variety of issues. STRAIGHT Talk content is either written by NISD or copied with permission from other sources.

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