Time For the Uprising to Take Place

Dear Texans;

Your state government is in the process of changing your children's lives forever. The legislature is proposing deep cuts to education in order to offset the shortfall the state is presently taking place. Geachers, parents and students: you did NOT cause this to happen. You do NOT need to take it on the chin. This could lead to a reduction of 100,000 teachers next year and a cut in many successful and needed programs. Just think of the number: 100,000. That is the size of a medium sized Texas city. There is talk of making elementery school class sizes with a ratio of 30:1 and high school classes that have one teacher to every 45 students. Any program that isn't fully funded by the federal government is in danger of being axed.

Let's examine the programs that are on the chopping block. Fine arts is one of them. Can you imagine a school without band, orchestra, choir or theater programs. Children who participate in those programs have a greater chance in becoming successful in other pursuits as well as in the leadership of this country. Another program could be your child's gifted education. Where do they go for enrichment of their valuable minds if not to the GT room? Language classes that are low in student numbers will be gone as well as any advanced program that doesn't meet the magic of the state 'number crunchers'. There is even talk of abandoning extra curricular activities as a result of these education cuts.

I can see so many detrimental effects of the state plan. Crime, for example, will undoubtedbly be on the rise. Students will be more bored at school than some already are. We will never catch up to our Asian competitors and all the President put out to us in the State of the Union will be to no avail. What will Texans do if there are no more 'Friday Night Lights'? The top students will not advance and the poorer student will not be able to be remediated properly.

What do you Texans need to do? I say it is time to storm the 'Bastille', come together to tell the legislators that you will not sacrifice your children's future just because the state has not figured out the proper funding of  education. It is time for all the so-called teacher's organizations to bind together, accompanied by parents and students and go to Austin and 'walk like an Egyptian' and take your schools back. Texas is a 'right to work' state so you can not strike but you have other ways to get your message across.

You are teachers! You have the brains and know-how to teach your students but lack the motivation to fight for your rights. You are parents! You allow your students to go to school everyday but have no idea of how the school is funded. You are students! You have the right to a future yet you sit there and your voice is not heard.

It is time Texans to take control. Don't let Austin do this to you. Don't just bend over and take it! Get your heads out of the sand! If I ran the schools I would be right beside you. Get it done!