Underpaid Teachers in Texas

     On November 29th, 2015 Kevin Mai posted an article called "Pay the Teachers!" to his blog Give me life, Give me Liberty! Kevin Mai's debates over the controversial problem that is underpaid teachers and educators in Texas. He specifically points out that K-12 teachers are those that are underpaid, so higher education teachers are not included in this list.

     The first point that is made by the author is that many Texan teachers are leaving the state due to a low salary. Many teachers are migrating to other states so that they can receive more generous salaries. The migration of teachers is leaving Texas with a shortage of teachers and the demand for educators is increasing year by year. He includes a specific example of this by mentioning that Round Rock Independent School District is currently experiencing problems because they do not have enough teachers at their disposal.

     Kevin Mai's second argument mentions the factors that contribute to the migration of Texan teachers. The biggest incentive teachers have to leave Texas is the salary that they make. Kevin mentions that the average salary for a teacher in the US is around $56,000. He then states that the average annual salary in Texas is of $48,000. The annual salary in Texas is $8000 lower than the national average. $8000 doesn't sound like much but it makes a substantial difference to the teachers.

     Kevin Mai proposes a solution to this problem. He believes that raising the salary of educators in Texas is something that is very much needed. Kevin argues that a better education can be given to the youth of Texas if teacher salaries are increased. If teachers get paid more they will most likely do a better job, that sounds logical. I think it is the case for any job not just teachers. The author then gives examples of countries that have exceptional education systems because they pay their teachers very substantial salaries. Switzerland, the Netherlands and South Korea all have education systems that are far superior to the one that the United States has.

     His topic is something that can widely discussed and argued. He makes very clear, logical and arguable claims and offers evidence to support said claims. People who are against or skeptical about the increase of teacher salaries are the intended audience. The article tries to persuade in a way anyone who believes teachers are not important enough to receive decent salaries.  Education is essential to the future of our country and it completely perplexes me to know  certain people believe that education is not worth investing in. After all teachers are the people who will be preparing our society's children.

    I am completely in favor of increasing the salary of educators, not just in Texas but in the whole US. Kevin Mai's blog post is very well elaborated in many aspects. His use of evidence make everything very credible, All of his arguments and persuasive techniques tie the article together and make it worth reading. So as Kevin says "Pay the Teachers!"

Is Texas Following California's Footsteps?

   According to the Lower Colorado River Authority, the Colorado River is currently facing it's driest conditions in history. 87 percent of the state is considered to be in drought.These dry conditions started to emerge in 2008 and have not gotten any better. Even with all of the rainfall in 2015, the lake reservoirs are still not near full capacity. The water shortage has forced Texas to go to other states in search for water. Texas has recently been in a dispute with Oklahoma over the water rights of the Red River which can be found in both Texas and Oklahoma territory. Even though Texas is not as dry as it used to be four years ago back in 2011, the drought is still something to be concerned about. 

   Many people don't notice the severity of the drought that is upon Texas. Texas has been dealing with a water scarcity for a while now. The current Texas drought is considered to be the worst one in the history of Texas. All of these problems exist because the government has failed to impose water saving policies and laws.


   In Texas the surface water belongs to the state and is intended for the public's use. The other type of water is the underground water. Basically if you own a piece of land and you happen to find an aquifer or any other body of water, then it's yours to keep. I think all water in Texas should be regulated the same, regardless of it being surface or underground water.

   In response to the ongoing drought, a constitutional amendment was approved in 2013. This amendment being the Texas Rainy Day Fund Amendment or also known as proposition 6. This amendment is intended to take $2 billion dollars from Texas' rainy day funds and invest it in water planning projects. This amendment was passed while Rick Perry was in office as governor.

   An example of precautions that have been taken because of the low water levels, are those of Austin. Austin is currently implementing what is called stage 2 water restriction. These stage 2 water restrictions limit the hours of household irrigation, prohibit washing your car at home and prohibits restaurants from serving water to customers unless it is requested. Another interesting thing is that charity car washes are prohibited in the city of Austin. All of these restrictions can be found at the Austin Water Department website.

   Sure we have gotten huge amounts of rain in recent months but that is no reason to lessen water restrictions in Texas. Livestock and agriculture is also affected by the water shortage. Texans have to be aware of the potential danger of extreme drought, such as what California is experiencing. We have to be conscious of how much water we waste year round and try to cut down, even if it is a minimal cut back.

An Outlook on "The Land of Opportunity"

     On Monday November 2nd, 2015 Grand State Texas posted an article titled "The Land of Opportunity". Min Kim discusses the difficulties an international student encounters when coming to the United States to receive a higher education.

     Min starts off the article by mentioning that proper education is not offered in many countries around the world; and due to this many international students pick the US as their destination for a college education. The author states that their was approximately 800,000 international students in the US and that number is increasing each year. As the article mentions, even though their is a large amount of foreign students, many of them are forced to return to their home countries due to the fact that they can no longer afford it. Min makes a good point by stating that college tuition for an international student is a lot more expensive when compared to how much an in-state resident pays. Another important factor that is mentioned is the fact that foreigners can not work unless they have a work permit. So these international students can not have jobs that could potentially help them pay for some expenses. The author points out that it is possible to acquire a work permit but it is a long and tedious process. So it makes it even more difficult to pay for college or at least other expenses such as rent, transportation and food.

     This article is very well elaborated and provides many statements and facts that support the main idea. The structure is very well planned and all of the ideas transition very effectively. All of the facts and statements that are mentioned in the article come from credible sources. I completely agree with Min Kim, I believe the United States should make it easier for international students when seeking a higher education. I strongly believe that more work permits should be provided to these international students. The United States should not see these students as a burden but as an investment for the future of this country. This article caught my attention not because I am directly influenced by it, but because I have many friends that have to deal with this issue.

Expanding Transportation Alternatives

   Something that is guaranteed in Austin is traffic everywhere in between MLK Jr. Blvd and Oltorf St, especially during the morning and afternoon rush hours. It is just absolutely insane that it takes 30 minutes to drive 6 miles. Austin traffic has has increased throughout the years and it doesn't look like its going to stop anytime now. The ridiculous amount of traffic is due to the fact that the government has not been able to amplify the transportation infrastructure in Austin and it's surrounding areas. According to USA Today Austin is ranked fourth place in the most congested cities in the United States. Austin continues to be the city with the fastest growing population in the US, coming in at a 3% population growth in 2014.

Implementing new alternatives of transportation is something that is very much needed for our city. Other Texan cities such as Houston, Dallas and San Antonio also have this problem but those are cities that have a lot more territory and places to expand. Austin is growing at a rapid rate, but it is growing in only one spot, which is the downtown area. The lack of expandable territory has become a huge problem and who knows what will happen in the future.

    Local government should definitely consider investing in the expansion of the Metro Rail System. Riding the train is just so much more convenient compared to other transportation methods. Say you want to go to downtown but you don't want to deal with traffic and parking, your best option is to take the train.The Austin Metro Rail system currently has 9 stations across the Austin area. The route starts at downtown near the Austin Convention Center and goes north all the way up to Lakeline and Leander. The Austin Metro Rail system has been operating for 5 years now and each year the number of riders increases. I can say from personal experience that riding the rail is a very pleasing experience when compared to taking the bus or driving your own car during rush hour. The crowd that is mostly interested in this subject is probably people who work in or near downtown, such as myself.  The only factor that might not appeal to many people is the slightly higher price of a ticket when compared to the price of a regular bus ticket. A one ride pass is $3.50 and a "Day Pass" comes out to $7.00. More lines should be built, for example another route that goes north and south in another part of town. Also another line that goes east and west perhaps. There are plans of expanding but they are not yet near execution. Maybe if there is more support from Austinites, the process might be accelerated.

Austin Metro Rail Route

 

"Whitewashing" U.S. History

   On October 6th, 2015 Katie Sing posted an article called "Not Just “Workers”; Texas Textbooks Have Been Whitewashing History For Years" to the Burnt Orange Report. 

   The main point of Sing's article is exactly what is mentioned in the title. Texas has been trying to "whitewash" United States history. The controversy has appeared because Texas textbooks have started to refer to the slaves from the pre-civil war era as "workers" or "immigrants", something they were not. These textbooks fail to mention completely the slave trade that occurred in the United States. Katie also claims that these Texan textbooks fail to mention many other racial occurrences in the US. Things such as the racial group known as the Ku Klux Klan, Jim Crow Laws and renaming slave trade as the "Atlantic Triangular Trade. The biggest mishap being that all textbooks put slavery last when listing the reasons of why the Civil War took place. All of this is due to the people that are in charge at the Texas State Board of Eduacation(SBOE). As a result, Katie Sing emphasizes the importance of voting in Texas, so that we can elect people that are actually capable of giving Texas' youth a good education.

    Katie Sing mainly targets Texans in general as her audience. This matter should be noticed by all people living in Texas; not just people that are directly involved with elementary schools such as teachers or parents. 

   I think Katie Sings argument is very solid and her evidence is supported very well. She does a great job of including details that reinforce her main idea or claim.Her logic is spot on as well. In my opinion the author is very credible, being an author who regularly posts articles to the Burnt Orange Report. 

   The fact that the government constantly tries to hide racial issues throughout history is quite upsetting. Not only Texan children but all American children need to know the origins of this country and how it has changed to become the country that it is today. If we want change then it is up to us to make that change, by simply voting. The future of Texas is in our hands. 

A Battle Against Obesity

     It is no secret that obesity has been a problem in the United States, and it is getting worse. Approximately 1/3 of the adult American population is obese, and how can they not be when fast food and huge portion sizes are so vastly consumed. Obesity affects all of America, due to the high medical expenses of these people. The American nutrition culture has gone from bad to worse.

    On August 23rd, 2015 The Dallas Morning News posted the article "Texas moving wrong direction on school lunches, so it's up to the feds." The main focus of this article  being about school lunch nutrition in Texas.

   The unnamed author's main argument is the importance of renewing the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act before September 31st, 2015. The main motive of the act being to give schools more money and raise nutrition standards for school lunches. The act would promote much healthier options like vegetables, lean meats and whole grains as opposed to fast food such as hamburgers and pizza. It is mentioned in the article that some parts of government are in some form opposed to the act. Such as agriculture commissioner Sid Miller who wants the return of deep fryers to school cafeterias.

   The  author of this article tries to mainly reach out to Texan parents or guardians. However, when the author states "Obesity costs this country almost $200 billion a year" the audience has now expanded to not only Texans but also all Americans. It is a financial concern to all taxpayers in the United States.  According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention "The annual medical costs for people who are obese is $1,429 higher than those of normal weight."
 

   In my opinion the author has some good statements but he lacks credibility. I think the author should include more solid statements, facts and statistics in his/her work so that the readers can actually see and consult the sources. I am all for the renewal of this act, but the article needs stronger statements and more in depth research. The argument needs a lot more support and evidence.

   The September 31st deadline has passed and congress did not reauthorize the act. The Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act can still be renewed but it will have to wait until the next renewal deadline.
 

Syrian Refugees. A Global issue?

    Recently something that has been causing a lot of commotion in the news is the Syrian refugees situation. As many people know, the uprising and fleeing of Syrian citizens because of disastrous events has been going on since early 2011. 70,000 civilian casualties have been recorded and about one fifth of Syria's population has fled to nearby countries.

    According to a recent article from the Texas Tribune, Texas is expected to receive a substantial amount of Syrian refugees, since the US is ready to welcome about 10,000 refugees in the next year. Many Americans are against the idea of accepting said refugees. The group which is against this idea is mainly composed of Republicans. A recent poll suggests approximately 70% of Republicans oppose the acceptance of refugees, while only a 30% of Democrats oppose it. 

    I found this article interesting because I actually have an opinion about this topic and we are also able to see the different attitudes of democrats and republicans based on the polls. I am for the acceptance of refugees. Many people find it easy to just say that it's not our problem or that Europe needs to handle it. That's not the case, I consider this to be a global issue. Many people don't realize what the Syrian citizens have to go through. They are desperately trying to find a new home, and are willing to risk their lives in the process.Every human being should be able to live in peace and belong to a nation they can call "home". 

Source: http://www.texastribune.org/2015/09/13/texas-could-see-increase-syrian-refugees/