Today
Everyone knows the GOP led State of Texas doesn’t pay attention to folks like the Chron E-Board. Heck, they probably don’t subscribe to or read the Chron. Probably not even the sports section.
Today, the E-Board weighs in on Hurricane Harvey funds, the General Land Office, and the federal government. Here is the hard copy headline:
Feds must stop state’s missteps on Harvey funds
Here is the entire read: Still no Harvey money for Houston? Feds must stop GLO’s discriminatory plan. [Editorial] (houstonchronicle.com).
Over five years since Harvey. Five years. I am a tad disappointed the feds haven’t stepped in by now. What is the hold up?
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Here is the lead story in today’s Chron:
Less than half of Houston ISD first, second and third graders are reading at grade level, creating concern among educators about a possible domino effect that could put students behind for years.
First and second graders saw a significant performance drop from pre-pandemic years. About 44 percent of first graders are reading on grade level at the beginning of this school year, down 10 percentage points from the same time in the 2018-19 school year, according to the reading screeners for 2022-23. Second graders fared similarly with 46 percent reading on grade level, a four percentage loss from pre-COVID times. Third graders remained stagnant at 46 percent.
While the pandemic is partly to blame, educators say, the decline in literacy has been years in the making, and the severity of the effects are seen across socioeconomic lines. When virtual learning was put in place, teachers caught a glimpse inside students’ homes. Some were in a quiet room at a desk with no distractions, while others were babysitting younger siblings and grappling with unstable internet connection.
“It really comes down to the haves and have-nots,” Michelle Williams, a teacher at Forest Brook Middle School said. “It’s been like this since before the pandemic, but the pandemic put us in a crisis that unveiled to the world what was happening in HISD with students that are economically disadvantaged, emerging bilinguals or any other special population.”
Nationally, Houston ISD scored lower in reading on the National Assessment of Educational Progress assessment, than several large city districts across the nation of a similar size. However, the districts that scored better than HISD tended to have lower percentages of families on food stamps and higher median incomes, according to an analysis from Good Reason Houston.
Here is the entire read: Houston ISD students are falling behind in reading. Here’s why. (houstonchronicle.com).
This is sad. What are we going to do about this? Probably nothing.
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“Today” co-host Savannah Guthrie is 51 today. Happy Birthday, Savannah Guthrie!
Savannah and co-host Hoda Kotb have been taking a few days off. Al Roker is still on the sidelines recovering from blood clots.
Commentary is not paying attention to the stories that keep popping up online about “Today.” Heck, it is a very successful show.
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Former Astros center fielder Michael Bourn is 40 today. Michael went to Nimitz High in Aldine ISD and the University of Houston. Happy Birthday, Michael Bourn!
Former Astros shortstop Craig Reynolds is 70 today. Craig went to Reagan High, now Heights High School. Happy Birthday, Craig Reynolds!
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For Christmas I got a Hopsulator Trio. It is a gizmo that chills your can or glass of Saint Arnold. How about that!