bullets13

EC girls 2
Scarborough 1

Scarborough Boys 3
EC 2

Huffman 1
Sealy 0

10 hours ago, prepballfan said:

San Augustine fired their coach immediately after they won state in 03

Back story? 

3 hours ago, Big girl said:

Why?

To gain favor with conservative Christians.  It's no different than Joe Biden pretending he cares about minorities.  

Saw something somewhere that Lamar has the longest D1 win streak in the nation currently.  Pretty impressive.  Or not, depending on who you ask.

Just read an article with more details than I'd been seeing: apparently the ship was having some sort of propulsion issue, and issued a mayday in slightly in advance.  People on both sides were able to stop traffic from entering the bridge, meaning there were very few vehicles affected.  It also sounds like most, if not all of the 6 missing people were part of a crew fixing potholes on the bridge.  I'm not sure why they weren't contacted and evacuated in time.

 We played San Augustine in 2001 when they had a pretty decent team, and one of my best friends sealed the game with a pick late, stepping out of bounds about 3 feet from me to end it.  several seconds after he did this a San Augustine player came and suplexed him so close to me that my buddy's legs slammed into mine, almost taking me out.  I then hit the player with the closest thing I could find, which happened to be the helmet I had in my hand, and got in a fair bit of trouble (I was from then on known as "Helmet Swinger").   That said, I kinda kept up with their team after that, and also because I went to college in Marshall, not far from San Augustine.  I remember the San Augustine championship, in 2003, and how random it felt. I wonder how many teams have gone 3-5-1 one year, won a state championship the next, and then the follow that up with a 4-5 campaign.  Feels like it's probably a pretty short list.  

20 minutes ago, TxHoops said:

Unbelievable Cougar High advanced.  I’ll say it, if Wade Taylor had even been “okay”, they win that game comfortably.  He was selling from beginning to end and was just god awful.  Tough to beat a one-seed when your best player is playing like it’s the 15th run of an open gym but the Ags almost did just that.  They were the better team last night imo. 

You mean to tell me going 5-26 from the field isn’t good?  Houston was the first team to have 4 players foul out and still win a tourney game since 1987.

I lost 4 sweet 16 teams in round one, but all 12 I had left made it through to the sweet 16.  I’d call that a success.  Always nice when you end the round of 32 with the same amount of possible points remaining as when you started 

Houston sending a guy to the line who’s shot 4 free throws all year.  That’s nuts 

Shead fouling out there is big 

How was that a foul? 

I’d be fine with either team advancing other than the damage Houston losing would do to my bracket 

Just now, rupert3 said:

Shouldn't have been in that situation anyway

True, but Aggie shouldn’t have been in a situation to hit that last shot either.  Pretty amazing that despite the Aggies sending Houston to the line 8 times in the final two minutes, they’ve still attempted 20 more free throws than the cougars somehow 

Houston got kinda screwed on that “jump ball” at the end.  They took that rebound away really quickly 

15 hours ago, spidersal said:

Pretty simple AggiesAreWe McNeese dominated the SLC this season, yes dominated and then got destroyed by Gonzaga I know the truth hurts you though. In fact it looked like McNeese’s glass was completely empty 

McNeese got an unfortunate draw on this one.  Gonzaga deserved their 5-seed but has been much better than that the second half of the season.  When some sees a glass as completely empty, we call that being Spidersalled.

2 hours ago, Ty Cobb said:

Anyone have information about Michael Lorenzen?  I'm not very familiar with him but it sounds like his career has been up and down.  Is this a good addition? 

He'll be a decent 4th or 5th starter.  He's spent a good amount of time in his career as a long reliever, so when all of the injured pitchers return he may fill a valuable role in the bullpen.  Career 40-38 record, 4.11 ERA.  So basically an inning eater, but not a bad move by the rangers.

2 hours ago, thetragichippy said:

I have no words

Well, I do, but just none I can say here......

I had a whole response typed out and then just deleted it to avoid violating site rules.  

24 minutes ago, SmashMouth said:

I'm on your side & the teachers' side 100%, but I don't think that's a fair assessment either. I've done that "chimp" job (honestly didn't care for it though...). Like with teachers, there's more to it than meets the eye.

9 minutes ago, LumRaiderFan said:

Showing your ignorance of other's jobs now.  Guess what, there are other folks that have tough jobs as well, just like the "dumb" operator you're referring to.  Good teachers are valuable, I agree, but the profession is not above criticism, especially when they want to change a system that has served kids well for generations so they can have 3 day weekends, at the expense of their customers / employers.  

Maybe one day vouchers will take care of the problem, folks can take their money and send their kids to a school that teaches Monday - Friday.

A four day week puts lots of burden on lots of families that they weren't dealing with for a five day week.

By the way, my 20% cut comment in pay was probably a bad taste joke, I know this arrangement isn't a 20% cut in time and wouldn't want to cut any pay, I simply think the traditional 5 day week serves the community much better.

 

 

I got a little defensive.  I wasn't trying to belittle the job itself or people who do it, and made my point in a poor way.  And I respect y'all's arguments about 5-day weeks.  I do think people tend to overestimate the effect it'll have on the average family, though.  

1 hour ago, SmashMouth said:

You have to get someone to volunteer to watch your kids or pay for daycare during those limited times. That's for a limited time though. With the 4 Day system, childcare may have to be considered for 2 parent working families or single parent working families 52 weeks out of the year. It seems pretty advantageous for the teacher, understood. But the hardships it can put on a family's budget (especially in the current economic climate) can be very detrimental. Trying to get kids to focus an extra 90 minutes a day seems to be an issue too. And in poorer districts, some kids on free or reduced lunch just got one more chance to go hungry. Additionally, there are several studies that show that academic test scores falter with a 4 day school week.  I can see both sides, but I would side overwhelmingly with the traditional 5 day school week.

Most of the PROS of a shortened week help the district and the district employees

Most of the CONS are realized by the students and families:

So, are we trying to service the district/teachers or the students? We've had a 5 day week up to this point, after all.

It's inarguable that the 4-day week affects families to some degree while benefitting staff (and in most ways, students).  Realistically, however, it's a very small amount of families that are significantly affected.  most are just mildly inconvenienced, as they are during all other breaks and holidays.

1) some families already have a stay at home parent
2) many families have an older sibling that could watch younger students 
3) many families have grandparents nearby that can watch younger students
4) many families have neighbors or family friends who can watch younger students
5) many single parents who can't afford daycare also aren't working a M-F 8-4 job, and can often change their work schedule as needed, just as they do throughout the year over breaks and holidays and staff workdays.  
6) many communities have programs in place through the school district itself, local churches, etc. to help parents who don't have other options. 
7) many families don't have students young enough to require extra care at all.

As for test scores, from what I've seen, decreases, when even present, are so small as to be basically irrelevant, and is more dependent on the quality and length of instruction over those 4 days than having one less day.  Student morale, on the other hand, goes through the roof.  They appreciate 3-day weekends as much as teachers do.  Various studies have shown decreases in bullying, school violence, suspensions, and both staff and student absences, amongst other things. 

Although I am obviously pro-4 day week, I do understand both sides of the argument.  I've worked 5-day teaching weeks for 18 years now.  I understand how days off from school affect families.  I also understand what a 3-day weekend does for staff and students. I'm not quitting my job because we have 5-day weeks, but there are a few districts that are good enough and close enough to me that if they go 4-day, I'll be putting in an application.  And considering that districts who go 4-day tend to get 4-5x as many applications, once has to assume the quality of their teacher pool increases significantly.  

1 hour ago, LumRaiderFan said:

We need to quit making it about the teachers that want a lax schedule and make it about the kids.

I agree with CB, you want to knock a day off, take a 20% cut in pay, now there's a real savings for the ISD.

 The common attitude from those outside of the field is that teachers should just deal with whatever wages and paltry conditions that are provided to them because "it should be about the kids."  Without quality teachers, the kids aren't going to get quality educations.  And more and more quality teachers are leaving education.   you and CB can make it out to be teachers being selfish or lazy or whatever, but the fact of the matter is fewer and fewer people are willing to work for what teachers make while dealing with what teachers deal with.  Districts are getting creative to keep teachers, and for smaller districts who can't afford to pay a decent wage, a 4-day week is just about the best incentive they can offer.  I guarantee you Jasper gained some really good teachers when they went to 4-day weeks, and I can also guarantee you that many of those teachers will leave now that Jasper isn't offering them something that they can't get in a better district with better pay.  Subsequently, y'all's talk about pay cuts is asinine.  As I stated, teachers in 4-day districts are working the same amount of time as before.  longer days, extra weeks.  you think TVC should make less money as a cop because he worked 4 10s instead of 5 8's? Not to mention all of the overtime he made in career, versus the hundreds of hours of unpaid OT that most teachers work yearly.  I knew going in that I wasn't going to get rich teaching, and I don't complain about my wages, but I'm also not going to sit back and listen to people insinuate that teachers aren't worth the meager pay they do get.  Especially when I know guys making 3x my salary sitting behind a console doing a job that a chimp could do.  And  no, I'm not bitter, I've passed up multiple opportunities to go make much more money in various fields because I love what I do.

4 hours ago, LumRaiderFan said:

And the folks that are pushing this are clearly underestimating the job of two working parents barely getting by or a single mother with no support.

Work five days a week like it has been forever, like everyone else.

At this point I probably know less people working standard 5-day work weeks than I do people working 4-day weeks, hybrid schedules, from home, etc.  how do these families get by during holiday breaks and summer?  How do they work around schools' varying schedules, that rarely if ever fit perfectly with the 8-4 or 9-5 workday?  They've managed to do so forever, and they're figuring out how to make it work in the districts who've already gone 4-day as well.  Some districts provide cheap or free child care on Fridays for families who can show they need it.  Churches in my community have offered to do this if we go to 4-day weeks.  There are options and ways to help out.  

2 hours ago, CardinalBacker said:

If your job can be accomplished in 150 days per year, it's a part time job and should be paid accordingly. 

I said what I said. 

you say lots of things, and are often wrong.  it's fine.

13 hours ago, CardinalBacker said:

The Admins, Teachers, and Students are always for it... I mean, who wouldn't be?  Except it causes huge problems for working parents, worse testing scores, etc... 

The only caveat to that is IF teachers are willing to take a 20% cut in their pay, I'd reconsider.  

Educators collectively overestimate their value to the rest of society.  Always have, always will.  You don't work for the super, and you don't work for yourself.  You work for the public.  That's me, you, and anybody else that lives or owns property inside of a school district.  In what planet would an employee working a 187 day schedule while expecting 260 day pay decide that the number of days that they work should be dropped to 150 days per year?  It's laughable.  

You apparently don’t understand how it works, on more than one front.  We receive 187 days pay, prorated through the course of the year to ensure we receive a paycheck in the summer.  And districts are required to work a certain amount of minutes a year, with 4-day districts adding minutes to each day, working certain Fridays, and an extra week or two or three a year to make up the difference.  And you clearly underestimate the difficulty of the job, and the value a good teacher has in society.  Like a profession there are good ones and bad ones, but I don’t understand your attitude towards teachers at all.