OPINION — I read Mr. Casper’s opinion in San Angelo LIVE! with interest yesterday morning, and was left wondering how anyone would even agree with, let alone believe, half of what was written.
His example of the “kid who appeals for mercy,” while morbid and questionable; however, accurately depicts Mr. Casper as being like the out-of-town prosecutor, who willingly withholds and misapplies evidence and information that is used to convict an innocent child for a crime the prosecutor knows the child did not commit in the first place. Ultimately, when the conviction is overturned, this same out-of-town prosecutor blames the system, not himself, for his bungling of the case.
I find it interesting Mr. Casper’s voting precinct for schools is the Wall ISD (that’s right the Wall ISD), yet he is inaccurately assessing San Angelo ISD and trying to tell San Angeloans how to vote. This, while the Wall ISD just opened a new $20 million elementary school complete with all the same requirements we are wanting for our children here in the San Angelo ISD. How ironic and hypocritical of Mr. Casper!
Have we really come to this: allowing someone who cannot even vote for San Angelo ISD to tell us how we should vote for our future? I choose to not succumb to his tactics, false innuendos, and twisting of the facts, because as Joseph stated to his brothers, what people like Mr. Casper mean for bad, God means for good! I also hope all San Angeloans have already or will come to see him and people like him for who they really are — people who just don’t want to pay taxes.
Contrary to what Mr. Casper inaccurately stated, the truth is, the San Angelo ISD is graded upon the State-mandated “A-F Test,” not the “5-star” rating system. San Angelo scored a 77 (or a “C+”) as a district from the A-F Test. Is there room for improvement? Absolutely; do the teachers take their profession seriously — without question; are the San Angelo ISD teachers and students failing as Mr. Casper stated — -absolutely not!
The truth is, the “5-star” rating system is a snapshot taken in less than a week, that focuses more on the socio-economic status of the student population than it does on academics. The truth is this test negatively impacts a school’s rating because of its diversity and the economic status of the student’s parents. The truth is the test has been proven to depict faulty information about the marketplace, create misperceptions about school quality, and make diverse schools appear less desirable than those which are not diverse. This type of test distorts choices and contributes to the de facto housing segregation that continues to characterize parts of the United States. Don’t take mine or Mr. Casper’s word for it, read the 54-page study conducted by two Seton Hall University – School of Law researchers for yourself by clicking on the link.
The truth is, the teachers and principal at Lamar didn’t fail the students; they were and are in fact champions for the student’s success. The time to recognize someone cannot read or write is in elementary school; not when they are thrust into/onto society as an adult. If people like Mr. Casper believe that an elementary school’s only job is to “teach kids how to read and write and figure,” the failure is not on the school system, it is on people like Mr. Casper who have that type of mindset. Society and academics have moved way past that archaic level of curriculum and pedagogy, and I dare say the Wall ISD, where Mr. Casper can vote, has as well.
Again, Mr. Casper inaccurately states, “there is no correlation between the age and condition of school facilities and test scores.” The truth is, there is an abundance of evidence that goes back over 50 years that clearly shows a distinct link between the quality of school facilities and student achievement in English and mathematics. A Penn State study (see this link) concluded that, “while improving facilities comes at a financial cost, the benefits of such investments often surpass the initial fiscal costs. Policymakers, thus, should focus greater attention on the impacts of facilities and adopt a long-term cost-benefit perspective on efforts to improve school facilities.” There are numerous factual academic evaluations that disprove Mr. Casper’s accusation at its foundation. I provide links to four more articles for your own review.
- The walls speak: the interplay of quality facilities, school climate, and student achievement
- Do School Facilities Affect Academic Outcomes?
- School building condition, school attendance, and academic achievement in New York City public schools: A mediation model
- School Facility Conditions and Student Academic Achievement
Our teachers, principals, administrators and system are not the failure in San Angelo. What is failing San Angelo are people who listen to, believe, and follow someone like Mr. Casper. His rhetoric of “no taxes today, no taxes forever” reminds me of a misguided governor from another southern state. Just as we do not need a governor like that leading any state today, we also do not need someone with inaccurate facts (someone who cannot even vote for the SAISD bond) telling us how we should vote to better the quality of the facilities in SAISD. When you go to the polls to vote, remember the results of the Penn State study: “while improving facilities comes at a financial cost, the benefits of such investments often surpass the initial fiscal costs.” Because what people like Mr. Casper mean for bad, God means for good. Vote Yes for Prop A and Prop B; it is the right vote for San Angelo’s children and teachers, and our future!
More on what infrastructure the two bonds will build is at the San Angelo ISD bond website.
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Comments
This is a great response to the misinformation that exists. Thank you Ronnie for your support of our schools and community.
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PermalinkGeneral, thank you for clearing this up.
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PermalinkYour comment of "Have we really come to this: allowing someone who cannot even vote for San Angelo ISD to tell us how we should vote for our future? " seems to be perfectly acceptable in the major political arenas... with big name and deep pocket outsiders trying to influence elections in all areas of our great state. Are you OK with that? Or are you simply upset about this one specific issue? Where and how do we draw the line??? Everyone has their opinion and is entitled to it.
Don't get me wrong, I don't disagree with you on that point. I don't think anyone outside a geographic area where they cant vote should be able to influence elections in any way. There will never be regulation on this. Special interest groups have pockets that are deeper than the average American.
I own a business in San Angelo, but reside in a different school district by choice, mainly because of city and SAISD taxes. To cap this off, we home schooled our children because we have seen failures in all school districts so we chose to never partake of the benefits of our local school district tax money. We weren't asking for special treatment either. It was our choice.
Because I cannot vote in these elections, I don't publicly participate in said process prior to these elections, despite being asked many times. Our business is in a prominent location with high traffic counts and would be great for political signage.
I understand that property taxes are higher in Texas due to no state personal income tax. Texas doesn't have state property tax either. Property tax is all handled locally. Unlike most, I see the various local property taxes and the discrepancies in those taxes every day. The "Good Ole Boy System" is alive and well in San Angelo and Tom Green County, as I am sure it is all over. It is frustrating. Research which cities in Texas have the highest property tax rates. Then compare how our economy has grown this last three years versus what the county appraisal district (CAD) has done to our property taxes in the same time period. There is no comparison. Housing costs have increased exponentially while our economic growth hasn't maintained the same pace. They need money, they simply raise taxes. People complain and they (CAD) give an exemption, change some values around, and raise taxes anyway.
Government data published by Smart Asset details the cumulative cost of local governments across the United States. After taking into account home values, the median Texas homeowner pays the 4th highest effective property taxes nationwide. Even our seniors aren't exempt. I am guessing from your photo that you are at or close to the age of property tax cap for seniors. Would this tax increase even affect you with the school district cap? If not, do you really have a dog in this fight either?
I don't know Mr Casper, but I do know that our God is good all the time. Your analogy comparing Mr. Casper to Satan was uncalled for and definitely not a positive reflection on a pastor of any denomination. Regards...
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PermalinkThere was never a comparison of Mr. Casper to satan- -I would never do that. The reference you might be referring to is between Joseph and his brothers who sold him into slavery. Joseph ended up saving them even when they thought he would kill them in retaliation. Hence, what they meant for bad, God meant for good.
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PermalinkMy comment was not comparing Mr. Casper to satan- -I would never do that. I believe you are referring to the reference of Joseph and his brothers, where they sold him into slavery and thought Joseph would retaliate by killing them once their father had died. Instead Joseph, after having saved them from sheer starvation told them what they meant for bad, God meant for good. Hope that clarifies this. Again, I would never compare anyone to satan.
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PermalinkI am voting no, no matter what you all say.
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PermalinkI don't know Mr. Caspar and I don't belong to the TeaParty. That said, he did not deserve the hateful tone of this piece by the General. I suppose if Mr. Caspar owns property within SAISD and his taxes will be impacted by this bond, the General would still complain about him voicing his opinion.
I guess that the General would also put me in that bucket of "people like Mr. Caspar". I'm certain there are more of us than you realize, General.
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PermalinkAgain.
I'm simply tired of everyone putting their hands in my pockets. Property tax, water, trash, all up.
Enough.
Live on a budget like we all have do.
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PermalinkJust because you don't agree with Casper, why do you say is doing bad and that God is on your side. Someone once said who is good. This has become too common in politics, if you disagree then you are branded as racist, a bigot, homophobic and now you are against God. You stated your case very well, we are all paying taxes. Many have said enough, I don't trust the government to spend wisely, I only trust them to spend.
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PermalinkPublic Education and Organized Crime are alike in that The Shakedown Never Ends. Vote No and NO!
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PermalinkI agree with the topic about the person not being able to vote here so his opinion means nothing, but I don't support the bond because we just finished using the money from a previous bond a few years ago and if I am not mistaken we are still paying on it. The biggest hidden issue is the ISD wants a new large gym so they can play beat the neighbor with other towns. They are hiding the facts in their false advertising they sent out. Two things I won't support is paying on two bonds at once and paying for lies. If the ISD was clear and accurate with their advertising I might think about it, but in the end would still say no if we are paying on an existing bond. Since the ISD isn't even being honest on what the bond includes in the flyers they mailed out (how much did that cost), the answer to me is NO on both.
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PermalinkBiggest problem with SAISD is lack of discipline in the classroom. There are no negative consequences for poor behavior. If you allow 2-3 students to disrupt the learning environment for the other 15 that want to learn, the grades, attitudes, and staff morale will all suffer. Anything you either tolerate or subsidize will only continue to grow.
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