Is anyone home?

It's been a while since I have posted a blog. That doesn't mean that I haven't been working...just means I haven't blogged about any of it.

Just an update on what has occurred in the past few months...NOTHING. I went to Germany on a two month stint, thank to the US Air Force. I returned last week and got right back to work.

I visited Sam Houston for a total of 10 hours during my first week back. I found out that tutors/mentors from UT@Austin were being allowed to sit in the cafeteria after school, but were NOT allowed to recruit students and encourage them to come to the tutoring sessions. According to the high school administration, this was due to a school board policy. I spoke with the school board president and he was unaware of any policy that would restrict them from recruiting students. I then went back to Sam Houston and spoke with the VP who was all for allowing the tutors to recruit students, as long as it was in compliance with district policy.

As I spoke with the VP a young man from the school staff stopped by and gave me his insight on the matter. He said that the tutors were federally funded and that for every kid they recruited, the program received more money. Therefore, he was opposed to the program because the tutors looked at all the students as dollar signs. I asked him if the money was coming out of our pockets. He said no. I asked him if the money was coming from the district. He said no. "So, if the money isn't coming out of our funds....then WHO CARES?". He replied with a head nod.

I have contacted the school board president five times in the past two weeks and have left messages with the Principal, yet I have received no answer. I bet if I told them that I had basketball or football players from UTAustin that wanted to run a clinic at Sam I would have gotten a call back.