Well the days are getting closer and closer for our children to return to school. And while some of our children are excited to return to school from summer break, it’s time for me to once again step up to the plate and try to swing for the fences. Unfortunately we still have a part-time superintendent who can run the school from his lake house, according to Dr. Mack. But while we were enjoying our summer with our kids nothing has been done to fix our corrupt school district. This year I am going to focus on one thing at a time until that issue is fixed, and then focus on other problems one at a time so that I am not jumping all over the place and not looking over any department that needs help. My father always would ask me when I had a lot on my plate “How do you eat an elephant?” his response was one bite at a time, and that is what I am going to do. I will be taking one bite at a time to help our teachers, staff, and students fight to get the things they need in order to have a better learning and work environment. I am going to start off this year with our special education department. I find this issue close to my heart. When I was a senior in High school during the summer I volunteered my time at Crisman School as a PE instructor dealing with children with special needs. This experience really created a special place in my heart for these kids. In high school I would also take up for these kids at Longview High School when they were being bullied and brought them into my group of friends and made them a part of a group of friends that would protect them and treat them with respect. The problem today with our special education department is the same problems these kids faced when I was in high school, being bullied by the system. Our special education department has great staff members with great education background, yet they are not backed by the head of our special education department head Joyce Thompson. Mrs. Thompson and her crew of misfits is one of the many reasons our district is falling apart. Grievances have been filed against this department and all but one board member have ignored the illegal activities going on in the special education department. We currently have students in life skills classes that should not be in them, students whose needs are so great that they need specialized teachers that the department is failing to supply. In the past we had a great place for these special needs students at LISD, it was the LISD service center ran by Vikki Green. This center supplied the severely handicapped with specialized teachers for their needs. Mrs. Thompson closed this center. Our special education staff is not given the proper items needed to teach our special education students, unless the instructors spend their own money, due to the fact they are not backed financially by the special education director. I continue to hear from teachers and parents who are involved in the special education department at LISD about the many problems they have faced and the abuse not only to our teachers, but to the children. Let’s just call it as it is Joyce Thompson is just in it for the money and power. She does not truly care about our special needs staff or students. She is on a power trip that needs to be brought to the attention of our school board, and if our school board continues to ignore this issue, then I suggest they step down. Our special education staff and students are not getting the care they need from our district to supply a proper education to these special students, and that reflects solely in the hands of Joyce Thompson. As members of the LISD community we are the ONLY ones who can help. Our teachers are not being heard and our special education students are being deprived of the education skills they need. The money that our special education department needs is given back to the district, because Joyce does not want to spend a dime to help our students, and teachers. Her only desire is to make herself look good to the ESC. As a taxpayer in the district I WANT MY MONEY TO GO TO HELPING THESE CHILDREN! And you all should want to do the same. Stand up for the children who are unable to do it for themselves. Stop the abuse of our kids and teachers in our special education department. Stand with me. I have a message for you Mrs. Thompson and it is a quote from a great movie. “I’m coming and hell is coming with me”. This is one pissed off bulldog that’s bark is not as big as his bite. I will put my heart and soul into getting our staff and students the things they need in order to receive a great education and return LISD to the great district it should be. Thank You, Jason Bates