Alief ISD (Houston, Spring, Aldine: apartment, best school, living in)

[texx]

I have been teaching at an Alief Intermediate school for two years and Alief really is that bad. Some Alief schools including my own will rival any so-called hood schools in inner-city Houston. I taught in Acres Homes for a year and it's not any different from where I work now. I have a son that just happens to be going to the 6th grade(the grade I teach) and its no way he coming to the jungle where I work- I sent him to Pershing. I belong in the public school trenches so I can make a difference but my son don't. The problem I think with Alief is not the teachers but the politics of the district and the kids themselves. Most Alief kids are apartment kids and they move very often year to year. They dont have stability at home and they surely wont have it when they leave their home. Alief allow their kids to get away with everything and they are very laxed. Last year a kid stabbed another kid and that kid got suspended for 3 days. He was back in my class the next week!!! Just another day in the S.W.A.T. (South West Alief Texas)

[LizzySWW]

Originally Posted by Vicman

Revere's actually the black sheep around here; Westbriar is considered to be much better than Revere. In fact people who are zoned to Walnut Bend and Askew (in the current boundaries) have the option to go to West Briar instead of Revere.

And as for HISD magnets, they get people from private schools frequenly, not seldomly.

Westbriar beats out Revere? West Briar has almost 50% of students on free lunches, rated only a so-so "acceptable" & is 75% minority (that may be a good school to some people, but????). I just searched for some West Briar Middle videos and, well, um. I'll try & attach the link below. In the video the students are dancing in classrooms & all through the campus to songs about wanting to murder your best friend.

Google Videos : look up West Briar: Koofreshkids1

Gotta love HISD and Alief! My point was that Royal Oaks parents aren't interested in the schools they are currently zoned to, nor would they like the HISD options across the street from them.

I disagree that HISD magnet schools FREQUENTLY get students from St. John's, Grace, St. Francis, Kinkaid......the better private schools. That was the point, that these R O parents aren't going to want an HISD "magnet" school after footing the bill for 9 years of expensive private, they just stay in private.

[crbcrbrgv]

Originally Posted by texx

I have been teaching at an Alief Intermediate school for two years and Alief really is that bad. Some Alief schools including my own will rival any so-called hood schools in inner-city Houston. I taught in Acres Homes for a year and it's not any different from where I work now. I have a son that just happens to be going to the 6th grade(the grade I teach) and its no way he coming to the jungle where I work- I sent him to Pershing. I belong in the public school trenches so I can make a difference but my son don't. The problem I think with Alief is not the teachers but the politics of the district and the kids themselves. Most Alief kids are apartment kids and they move very often year to year. They dont have stability at home and they surely wont have it when they leave their home. Alief allow their kids to get away with everything and they are very laxed. Last year a kid stabbed another kid and that kid got suspended for 3 days. He was back in my class the next week!!! Just another day in the S.W.A.T. (South West Alief Texas)

My buddy who taught 5th for Alief was white. He said one of the big issues Alief has is black teachers can go absolutely crazy (yelling and name calling) disciplining other black students while when a white teacher does so much as raise their voice a little, he or she is a racist. There was one teacher (black) at his school who would call kids out and put them on "ignorant island". Can you imagine if a white teacher did this?

I've been told by my friend and some other Alief teachers if you really want to know what things are like there, talk to one of the Alief Federation of Teacher employees.

[Vicman]

Lizzy, as of 2007:
*West Briar has 31% free/reduced lunch (not almost 50%) West Briar Middle School, Houston Texas / TX discounted/free lunch statistics
*Revere has 60% Revere Middle School, Houston Texas / TX discounted/free lunch statistics
There is a difference in the socioeconomic levels between those two schools.

In terms of academics:
* West Briar 8th Grade TAKS: http://www.schooldigger.com/go/TX/sc...ity=22&Grade=8
* Revere 8th Grade TAKS: http://www.schooldigger.com/go/TX/sc...ity=22&Grade=8
West Briar has higher TAKS scores than Revere.

And as for the video, I just see kids dancing individually. It just seems like a video introducing a circle of friends; it doesn't show rowdy or inappropriate behavior. I don't see what the problem is.

Revere used to have a more affluent student body, until West Briar opened in 2002.

Originally Posted by LizzySWW

Westbriar beats out Revere? West Briar has almost 50% of students on free lunches, rated only a so-so "acceptable" & is 75% minority (that may be a good school to some people, but????). I just searched for some West Briar Middle videos and, well, um. I'll try & attach the link below. In the video the students are dancing in classrooms & all through the campus to songs about wanting to murder your best friend.

Google Videos : look up West Briar: Koofreshkids1

Gotta love HISD and Alief! My point was that Royal Oaks parents aren't interested in the schools they are currently zoned to, nor would they like the HISD options across the street from them.

I disagree that HISD magnet schools FREQUENTLY get students from St. John's, Grace, St. Francis, Kinkaid......the better private schools. That was the point, that these R O parents aren't going to want an HISD "magnet" school after footing the bill for 9 years of expensive private, they just stay in private.

That sounds like a very cruel practice.

[LizzySWW]

Vic, look on the West Briar Middle web site to get the correct info about the school. Go to the "about WBM" tab and then to "Student Profile", and PRESTO...the stats from HISD!

Westbriar had exactly 39% of it's student body as economically disadvantaged. (Now realizing my mistake for saying almost 50% were on free lunches, BUT it wasn't really that far off either, right?) HISD also gives disciplinary details for West Briar, showing the school gave 493 children off campus suspension, and 28 students had to be placed in alternative schools for serious problems in 08-09. (Go to HISD/TEA direct for discipline info.)

For a family in Royal Oaks, West Briar isn't looking much better than Alief:

39% of a student body eceonmically disadvantaged
65% minority students
the school earns an "acceptable" rating (this equal to getting a D+ on your report card!)
A lovely internet video of kids dancing in school to lyrics "want to murder my friend" (Vic, can't believe you think that video was ok, considering the lyrics) (Or maybe "I want to murder my Best Friend is the school song at West Briar?)
30% of students at this school were labeled "AT-RISK" by HISD last year

The stats above are going to sound great to some parents & not so great to others. It's all about what you're looking for in a school for your child.

Originally Posted by Vicman

Lizzy, as of 2007:
*West Briar has 31% free/reduced lunch (not almost 50%) West Briar Middle School, Houston Texas / TX discounted/free lunch statistics
*Revere has 60% Revere Middle School, Houston Texas / TX discounted/free lunch statistics
There is a difference in the socioeconomic levels between those two schools.

In terms of academics:
* West Briar 8th Grade TAKS: West Briar Middle School, Houston Texas / TX 8th Grade TAKS test scores
* Revere 8th Grade TAKS: Revere Middle School, Houston Texas / TX 8th Grade TAKS test scores
West Briar has higher TAKS scores than Revere.

And as for the video, I just see kids dancing individually. It just seems like a video introducing a circle of friends; it doesn't show rowdy or inappropriate behavior. I don't see what the problem is.

Revere used to have a more affluent student body, until West Briar opened in 2002.



That sounds like a very cruel practice.

[EasilyAmused]

I thought WestBriar was just moved up recognized...free lunch or not.

edit: according to GREATSCHOOLS.org in 2008-2009 the school was rated "Recognized" by the Texas Education Agency. In 2007-2008, this school was rated "Academically Acceptable". This is the same rating Memorial Middle School had in 2006-2007. It's all a game to get those rating anyway.

PS- Memorial HS was the center of a scandal a few years back that make that video look tame. Kids are kids at the end of the day.

All that said, I really don't understand the whole Royal Oaks deal. Not in a great neighborhood, not great public schools, private schools are a haul, the build-outs are pretty average untill you hit 1.2 and up, and you have spend over a million not to have your roof lines touch.

[LizzySWW]

Yes! I see that now on TEA's site. The schools site links to HISD 07-08 stats & is why I didn't see the change. Looks like the school comes up on scores a bit, and they needed to for sure.

Wonder if the Royal Oaks parents will be pushing for a rezoning now to get out of Alief ISD? <cough>

I was kind of surprised to see so many economically disadvantaged kids there. What neighborhoods are zoned to WBM?

[EasilyAmused]

Originally Posted by LizzySWW

I was kind of surprised to see so many economically disadvantaged kids there. What neighborhoods are zoned to WBM?

Basically everything along Briar Forest from the Beltway to Highway 6, including Lakes of Parkway and all those Kickerillo things. So you have dwellings ranging from very low income apartments, to high income apartments, then houses from 200-1.2 million. Sounds about right for HISD. It's a mix, a "real world" demographic so to speak.

As to Royal Oaks...I don't see why they should get a free pass out. They built there, people bought there..THE END.

[crbcrbrgv]

Originally Posted by EasilyAmused

All that said, I really don't understand the whole Royal Oaks deal. Not in a great neighborhood, not great public schools, private schools are a haul, the build-outs are pretty average untill you hit 1.2 and up, and you have spend over a million not to have your roof lines touch.

I think Royal Oaks is an example of something that could only happen in Houston. It is bizarre indeed.

[LizzySWW]

Yep, I can't imagine Royal Oaks ever getting out of their current zoning either. I think Royal Oaks has a heavy international population. And you know how people from other countries with a little cash usually don't trust our public system at any rate. Lot's of them use Grace, it's pretty close.

Kids are kids at the end of the day. But at the end of the day, sadly some will go home to an apartment with drugs & violence. And sadly, these kids just repeat what they see at home. So knowing the demographics & stats can be a great tool for finding the enviornment that works best for your child. It's crazy that in order to get into the best public schools in Houston you have to pay big bucks for it, thus the race for the burbs.