Mike Falick's Blog

Houston Have Your Say: The Education Crisis - Houston PBS to Present Live Town Hall Meeting April 20

   

I just received an email from Houston PBS announcing the upcoming live Town Hall style discussion on "The Education Crisis."  More information appears below.

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TUNE IN on April 20! HOUSTON PBS Ch. 8

Houston Have Your Say” Live TV discussion on The Education Crisis

Date: April 20, 2010: 7:00 to 8:00 P.M.

Are we preparing our kids to become our future workforce?

Be sure to tune in and call 713-743-8513 OR SEND AN E-MAIL TO [email protected]

We’ll discuss Houston's challenges and solutions for public K-12 education and would love to hear from you.

Houston Have Your Say is your chance to participate in a dialogue on the Crisis in our Public Educational System.

Houston Have Your Say is a partnership of Houston PBS, the Center for Houston’s Future, Houston Community Newspapers, and KUHF Radio.

Houston Have Your Say is a series of live, sixty-minute Town Hall-style broadcasts on issues critical to the region's future. You are invited to call in with questions and comments about the topic of the show.

Some Confirmed Guests: Gayle Fallon, Houston Federation of Teachers, Former Education Secretary Rod Paige, Lori Vetters Greater Houston Partnership former Education Chair, Linda McNeil Rice University, Paula Harris, HISD Board, Mary Spangler HCC Chancellor, Tina Reyes University of Houston, State Reps. Rob Eissler and Scott Hochberg, Ann Stiles Project Grad, Michael Holthouse Prepared 4 Life, Carol Shattuck Collaborative for Children, Chris Barbic YES Pep., Richard Farias Tejano Center, Martha Salazar Zamora EdD HISD Ass. Superintendent, and many more.

Patricia Gras, Emmy-award winning Senior Producer and Host of Houston Have Your Say: HoustonPBS

Take the Pew Research Center's Quiz to Determine "How Millennial Are You"

Millennials are defined as that group born after 1981.  The Pew Research Center has conducted an in depth study of this group to determine who they are, and how they view the world.  An overview of the research can be found here.

If you want to know how you compare to this group, the Pew Research Center has created a quiz that will determine how "Millennial" you are.

From the Pew Research Center website:

Take our 14 item quiz and we’ll tell you how "Millennial" you are, on a scale from 0 to 100, by comparing your answers with those of respondents to a scientific nationwide survey. You can also find out how you stack up against others your age. 

Click here to take the quiz.  My score, as indicated in the picture to the left is 38.

Spring Branch's Altharetta Yeargin Art Museum to Host First Saturday Program this Saturday (2/6)

Spring Branch's Altharetta Yeargin Art Museum hosts First Saturday programs for students and community members on the first Saturday of the month during the school year.  These programs include art lessons taught by experts that are suitable for all ages.

The First Saturday program for February is this Saturday (2/6) and the program is as follows:

FIRST SATURDAY
The first Saturday of the month, February 6
Open 10 am to 1 pm
Free art lessons (10am, 11am and 12 noon), film, and fun for all ages
This month the theme is VALENTINES
Film: "Who is the Artist", 26 minutes. Showing at 10 am, 11 am and 12 noon
 
 
Class: Pop-Up Valentines with Dr Phyllis Miller.
10 am only
Lesson suitable for all ages
 
Class: Pop ART Valenties with Mary Tavares.
Move over, Andy Warhol! 10 am, repeats at 11 am. Lesson suitable for all ages
 
Class: Valentine Books with Janine Nathan.
Six pockets in your accordian book to fill with your wonderful valentine creations!
11 am, repeats at 12 noon
Lesson suitable for all ages

The Art Museum is funded through generous donations by the Spring Branch Education Foundation, the Houston Endowment, the Baxter Trust, Texas Commission on the Arts, ConocoPhillips, the First Junior Woman's Club of Houston, and a J. Landon Short Mini-Grant.

Spring Branch FFA Livestock Show and Sale - February 4 - 6

The 32nd Annual Spring Branch FFA Show and Sale begins this Thursday (2/4) and continues through Saturday (2/6).  The FFA Program is part of the Agricultural Science program offered by the District through The Guthrie Center. 

Click on the image below or on this link to see the flyer regarding this great event.

My Brother's Latest TV Show -- Jobsite -- Airs Tonight (12/30) at 8:00p CST

My brother, Stephen David, has a new show  -- Jobsite -- airs tonight (12/30) at 8:00p CST on the History Channel.  The show is described in my brother's email below.

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JOBSITE

History Channel will be airing a special 2 episode premier of Stephen David Entertainment's newest series, JOBSITE, on Wednesday, December 30th. Episode 101, CONCRETE, will air at 9:00PM (EST) followed by episode 102, FEDEX, at 10:00PM (EST). Only on History.

Concrete Countdown
PREMIERE: Wednesday, December 30 9:00 PM (EST)/8:00 PM (CST)
 

Watch as a crew of 350 construction workers attempt to pour the top floor of a skyscraper in the middle of Manhattan, in less than 90 minutes. From the second water is added to the concrete mix, its already starting to harden and if it doesn't make it from the plant to the site, reach the 60th floor, get poured and smoothed out all in 90 minutes, its useless and a day of work is lost. Can this crew get the concrete into Manhattan and up 700-feet in the air to get the job done before their 90-minute deadline dries up?

Delivery Deadline

PREMIERE: Wednesday, December 30 10:00 PM (EST)/9:00 PM (CST)
 

A hospital patient is waiting in New York City for a radioactive pharmaceutical that could save her life, but it has to be shipped overnight all the way from China. We'll follow a global team of FedEx shipping experts as they fight the clock, from initial package pick up to delivery the next morning, we'll see a package-eye view of the entire process that enables any package to go anywhere, in under 16 hours. But, when an unexpected weather storm throws a wrench into their complex system, will this global shipping team be able to recover lost time and get our package, and thousands just like it, to their destinations before it's too late?

Stratford vs. Katy

Interested in the game today but unable to make it to watch in person?  You can follow the action online at this link (you will need Windows Media Player to listen).

Invitation to Tonight's Grand Re-Opening Ceremony of the Spring Branch Natatorium

The Grand Re-Opening Ceremony for the W. W. Emmons Natatorium is tonight (September 24).  The ribbon cutting will be at 6:00p followed by tours and refreshments at 6:30p, and then finally a diving exhibition, high school relays, and "big splash" contest at 7:00p.  (Click on the invitation below to enlarge).

Why I Oppose HCC’s Annexation of Spring Branch

On November 3, 2009, Spring Branch residents have an important decision to make – should we approve the annexation of Spring Branch by Houston Community College (HCC)?

Let me start this post with the following disclaimer. The opinions stated here are mine and mine alone.  They do not represent Spring Branch ISD, its Board, or Administration.

In addition, because I have been asked a number of times, there appears to be some potential confusion about this election. To be clear: Spring Branch ISD, our Board, and our Administration have absolutely nothing to do with HCC and its decision to seek to annex Spring Branch. HCC and its Board are completely independent from Spring Branch ISD and Spring Branch ISD’s Board of Trustees.

With that said, after significant deliberation, I am opposed to HCC’s annexation of Spring Branch.

My opposition is not an indictment of HCC as an institution. Indeed, as the proponent on the Spring Branch Board who initially articulated Spring Branch ISD’s “college focus” goal, regular readers know how strongly I feel about the need for students to obtain additional education beyond high school. I believe that community colleges like HCC play a critical role to reach that goal.

Nevertheless, despite my support for HCC generally, I cannot support the annexation of Spring Branch at this time for the following five reasons: (1) the taxes that would be imposed by HCC are too high; (2) HCC has failed to articulate exactly how the money raised by these new taxes would be spent; (3) HCC cannot guarantee that the new taxes raised will be spent exclusively within Spring Branch; (4) unlike Spring Branch, HCC does not freeze taxes on residents who are over 65 or disabled; and (5) it is currently unknown who will act as Spring Branch’s representative on the HCC Board.

Here is the Video of President Obama's Speech to Students

Here is President Obama's speech to students. The text of the speech can be found on my blog here.

Blue Willow Bookshop Presents Stratford Alum and ESPN Analyst Craig James

From the Blue Willow Bookshop website:

All Hail the Spartans!  Craig James of the 1978 Spartan State Champion team and an SMU alum, now a commentator on ESPN, will be in town to discuss and sign his book, Game Day: A Rollicking Journey to the Heart of College Football.

As we anticipate a large crowd for this event, we will hold it in the Stratford High School auditorium.

Although this event is free and open to the public, if you would like to go through the signing line and meet Craig James, you must purchase Game Day: A Rollicking Journey to the Heart of College Football from Blue Willow Bookshop. People who enter the signing line may also have Craig sign sports memorabilia, time permitting.

To order your copy in advance, please call the store at 281-497-8675.

Location: Stratford High School Auditorium
14555 Fern
Houston, Texas 77079