Dallas ISD Program provides free music lessons, instruments for students

How cool is this???  Little Kids Rock is a national non-profit organization that provides free instruments, curriculum and lessons for students in under-served schools.

For a campus to receive the free curriculum, half or more of the school’s students must be in the free or reduced-price lunch program, Mr. Wish said. Schools that don’t qualify are still welcome to participate but must provide their own funding.

After teachers go through the workshop, instruments are delivered to the school and the program can be up and running within a month.

Here for the full story.

Teachers shout – “Save our jobs”

Well, I managed to work today, but got home early, still much going on nationally, state wide, and locally. The Dallas News has something a bit disturbing. Was really hoping we would not see this type of atmosphere, but it’s a comin’:

Dallas teachers won’t go without a fight

About 300 teachers wearing red shirts marched outside Dallas ISD headquarters Thursday, chanting “Save our jobs” and “Where did the money go?”

Teachers said they are paying for the mistakes of an administration that created the budget shortfall.

“Why should we lose our jobs when it’s their fault?” asked Jesus Serrato, a third-year kindergarten teacher.

When Mr. Serrato goes to work each morning at Northeast Learning Community, the possibility of losing his job lingers in the back of his mind. At home, he and his wife, who is also a teacher in the district, spend their dinner conversations consumed with fears of losing their jobs.

“It doesn’t matter how much I love my kids, because I don’t know if I’ll be employed next week,” Mr. Serrato said.

Yikes, this does not look good at all. Here for the full story.

Around Texas

Around Texas more and more school districts are facing major (millions of $$$) cutbacks due to “lack of funding.” There is much news just this week as ISD’s are finalizing their budgets for the fall. With the closing of schools, staff reductions, figuring out how to pay for the increasing gas and food prices, and on and on and on…

AISD OKs balanced budget of $9.3 million Alpine ISD trustees approved a balanced $9.297 million budget for the 2008-09 school year amid warnings that — in the words of business manager Darrell Dodds — “until the Legislature does something, we’re stuck.”

Athens ISD woes:

More than 25 residents packed Thursday night’s Athens school board meeting to protest the district’s decision to close R.C. Fisher school. Two members of the group addressed the board during the public comments portion regarding the closing. The end of the 2007-2008 school year marked the last for Fisher, which was closed for financial reasons and to send its sixth-graders to Athens Middle School.

Isle ISD’s budget woes may force job cuts:

The district will have a $7.4 million shortfall if it doesn’t cut the budget, officials say. If trustees agree to cuts administrators have proposed, such as laying off employees and eliminating vacant positions, it still faces a $5.7 million shortfall.

“We’re going through what every other school district in this state is going through,” said Board President Andy Mytelka. “The school finance system set up by the Legislature doesn’t work. We have a variety of things to look at, frankly, none of which are very good.”

Few Options

Predicting grim finances, the district closed two schools and eliminated 40 teaching jobs, six administrators, 12 aides and 37 auxiliary employees, including maintenance workers and food service employees since 2003.

Ok, do I hear some similarities here???