WOS Priorities?

[CardinalBacker]

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I didn't want to start a fight on the post celebrating WOS's new jumbotron on the football page, but I think the question is fair.... Has the community failed the kids over there in West Orange?

 

WEST ORANGE COVE CISD

Within the only Orange County school district that failed (WOCCISD), there are four schools that were graded. Texas School Guide ranks all of the schools in the state against each other.

∙         WO Stark High School failed with a grade of 51. Out of 1,415 high schools, they ranked # 1,404.

∙         WO Middle School failed with a grade of 53. Out of 2,068 middle schools, they ranked # 2,035.

∙         WO North Early Learning Center (Pre-K) failed with a grade 58. Pre-K schools are not ranked.

∙         WO Elementary School received a grade of 66 which I believe relates to a “D”. Out of 4,549 elementary schools, they ranked #4,394.

 

∙         So the high school is in the bottom 0.78%, the middle school is in the bottom 1.6%, and the elementary school is in the bottom 3.4%…compared to all of the schools in Texas!

∙         Both the high school and the middle school dropped in rankings, the elementary school showed slight improvement, up to the bottom 3.4% from the bottom 3.24% last year.

 

VOTERS

∙         There are 10,343 registered voters in the WOC school district.

∙         Less than a year ago, the voters approved a $25.75 million bond issue for capital projects in WOCCISD. Only 17% of the funding is aimed at academics, while 72% of the funding is aimed at sports programs. Of the remainder, 3% to security and 8% to busses.

∙         In November of 2018, the bond issue was approved by just fewer than 20% of the registered voters.

∙         In May of 2019, on average, less than 5% of the registered voters elected three Trustees for the school district.

 

Does anybody actually believe that the kids over there are unteachable, or does everybody over there have their priorities that screwed up?  How can a high school finish #1404 out of 1415 in the state academically, but compete at the top of 4A D2 on an annual basis?  Are kids getting pushed through academically so they'll be eligible to participate in athletics, and the end result is an abysmal educational experience?

I'm envious of the successful history that they have in athletics, but it seems to me that the school system needs to be shut down or taken over by the state at this point.  

[Bobcat1]

I read this article this weekend - It baffles me to say the least. 

[WOSdrummer99]

Sorry. I didn't see this posted here. I've had my priorities in the wrong place. Been keeping up with football of all things. We were definitely not married in a past life.

[Hagar]

I was happy to see their improvements on the athletic fields, but....................   I just don’t understand this.  This needs to be addressed.

 

For anyone interested, here’s a whole list, 1414 HS.  Grade not by number, just A+ thru F.

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[WOSdrummer99]

After discussing this topic with a coworker last week. It was mentioned that WOS has trouble keeping good teachers because other area schools pay much more. Will this help? Does anyone know if this is comparable to other orange county schools?

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The West Orange – Cove CISD Board of Trustees has approved a $3,000 minimum pay increase for teachers. The 2019-2020 teacher pay scale increases starting teacher salaries from $43,000 to $46,000.

[CardinalBacker]

3 hours ago, WOSdrummer99 said:

After discussing this topic with a coworker last week. It was mentioned that WOS has trouble keeping good teachers because other area schools pay much more. Will this help? Does anyone know if this is comparable to other orange county schools?

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The West Orange – Cove CISD Board of Trustees has approved a $3,000 minimum pay increase for teachers. The 2019-2020 teacher pay scale increases starting teacher salaries from $43,000 to $46,000.

I would hope so... I'm also curious as to whether this part of the legislation pushed through a few weeks ago (HB3, I think) that was providing for raises for all teachers in the state.  

I'm sorry for being a jerk on the football page.... It just makes me mad because those kids aren't stupid, they've just been let down by the grownups.  A bunch of grownups who put 100% (or 112%, I suppose) behind the football program, but apparently aren't bothered by being one of the worst high schools in the state academically.  I attended school in Leggett in the 1980s when only four kids graduated one year.  There are schools like that all over the state that beat WOS academically.  Literally only eleven high schools in Texas did worse.  Big schools, small schools, inner city schools, border town schools.... almost all of whom outperformed WOS.  

I could understand it if we were talking about a school full of kids whose parents were migrant workers and didn't speak our language or know how to write their own.  But this West Orange, Texas....  Where the support for the athletic department from the community is second to none. 

I don't want to make accusations, but I'll voice a speculative opinion.  There's no way that a group of kids who can't pass the standardized tests can ALL pass their classes and be football and track eligible.  I'd bet that good educators leave when they realize that the parents, admin, and athletic department won't tolerate any educational principles that jeopardize eligibility for extracurriculars.  Once the kids realize that they don't have to worry about consequences for academic failure, they stop trying. 

It's just messed up, man. 

[5GallonBucket]

9 hours ago, WOSdrummer99 said:

After discussing this topic with a coworker last week. It was mentioned that WOS has trouble keeping good teachers because other area schools pay much more. Will this help? Does anyone know if this is comparable to other orange county schools?

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The West Orange – Cove CISD Board of Trustees has approved a $3,000 minimum pay increase for teachers. The 2019-2020 teacher pay scale increases starting teacher salaries from $43,000 to $46,000.

HF don’t pay well either but are always graded very high in academics