If you read the news on budget cuts for ECISD, you will see the news is not good.
Close to 90 teacher positions are being closed. Elementary schools will have fewer paraprofessionals. Classes sizes will increase at the elementary and secondary level.
Already over worked teachers will have more students with less support. Technology, administration and other supports are being cut. Why?
Because our governor, State Senate and State House could not play nice. The state has a $33 billion dollar surplus and had promised public schools an increase in funding.
Then the fighting began. Gov. Abbott insisted on school choice, which is fine, I like schools choice, but he could not get in through the House.
Dan Patrick and Dade Phelan got in public disputes over several issues and dug their heels in so much that the refuse pass school funding separate from the school choice bill. So instead of funding our schools and taking up school choice in the next legislature, you child suffers.
Your child will be in an even more crowded classroom. I applaud our school board and school administration for doing every thing they could to keep the cuts out of the classroom but there collective hands are tied.
We the people need to stand up to the leaders in Austin who are using your children as political pawns. I know I will be taking time off work to go to Austin next session.
I hope many of you join me. We can not continue to allow our children to suffer while the “adults” in Austin continue to act like children.
Dallas Kennedy
Odessa
