For a little over 35 years, Tim (Timmy to his friends) Ramirez was in the trenches of education at the Brownsville Independent School District.
He started out as a teacher at Clearwater elementary, then move up to Central Middle School, and then Cummings.
Cumming since has become a technical training center for the BISD, and Ramirez says his years of experience as teacher, coach and department head and his participation in the various committees that make the BISD work can bring insights from the classroom to the policy-making board.
"I am a strong advocate of proving a strong curriculum," he said recently. "That's why I want to run for the board and share the experience I have accumulated over that time and help our district regain its status as one of the best in South Texas."
There are three trustees whose election terms are expiring this November. They are Cesar Lopez, Carlos Elizondo and Joe Rodriguez. So far, two candidates – Erasmo Castro and Mark Cortez – have filed their treasurer appointments. Ramirez says he will file his shortly. And, unlike the trustees whose terms are expiring, he says he does not do business with the district and has no plans to become a vendor.
Although he has not said what place he will seek, Ramirez says that the the competition from charter schools to the BISD has resulted in lower enrollments that are costing the district attendance funds.
For example, during a recent budget presentation, the administration said this year – 2017-2018 – the district will have the lowest enrollment in the last 10 years with 45,578 students. The peak year during that time was $49,800 in 2010-2011, he said. The average daily attendance (ADA) which is used by the State of Texas to provide school districts funds dipped downward as well, with 41,578, also the lowest in the last 10 years. That trend, Ramirez said, must be addressed.
"I believe that if we offer our students a meaningful curriculum we will retain the," he said. "As it is, the BISD can offer students in our district much more than the charter schools can to prepare them to compete in the global market place. We just have to let them and the people know what we have to offer."
Ramirez has also worked with college-bound students in the University of Texas' Brownsville Kids College Program. A Sunday School teacher, he has also volunteered his time as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) which assists minors going through the local courts. A father of two, he has a daughter who graduated from Hanna and a son currently attending there.
11 comments:
Yet another ex-BISD loser. This guy's accent is too-Mexico!
(Yet another ex-BISD loser. This guy's accent is too-Mexico!)
Let's just say, that we're lucky that he even speaks any english.
Elchuko.
He has my vote as long as he has no ties to Joe Rodriguez, Cesar Lopez or Carlos eluzondo!
Does he not have a brother who works for the company that sells graduation paraphernalia to the district? Is that not a "could-be-conflict-of-interest?
We need someone who was just born in Alaska and is not related to anyone here in Brownsville or even know anyone in Brownsville. We all know each other and that's alright, but some us are still from the school of thought that if you know someone in high places, you can hang on to their coat tails. As for his idea of providing better curriculum for our students, where has he been? Our kids are so involved with their particular interests and doing so well in that area coming out with a license, certificate, AA, and ready for the work force. If I would have had the opportunity our children have in BISD, I would not be sitting here writing to a blog cause I don't have anything else to do. Tim, how do you plan to improve it? You better have a good platform with new incentives that you are going to introduce - again another governance problem telling our administrators what the can and can not do. Anyway, thank you for having the gut to try. Pero ponte los pantalones y no dejes que te coman vivo las viejas!
Good news.
We need someone on the board who is familiar with the classroom.
I am impressed.
He had good rapport with his students but his curriculum was the old-fashioned one, like the one I used to teach without technology. If he means going back to the basic curriculum where the children actually get a chance to participate with each other and the teacher, then he has got my vote. But as far as improving it, how?
Just another person who wants a big pay day, credit card, mileage and an expense account, then he will get his own black book then he is made.
Ese vato esta sanfarinfas de a madre! El y Castro juntos nos manda a la chin...…. en un dia. All talk and no action - that is not what we need. I don't have the money to support a strong campaign or I would make my try to
run and win and perform to the best of my ability and knowledge and not let anyone tell me what to do or not do. Pero, money talks and all mine says, En donde estoy?" It would be so interesting to go do my best and get into it behind closed doors when all these chin...… are going on. I'd come out of that room so fast and squeal to the TV and the newspaper.
Don't worry about the accent worry how the city can hire a director with only a GED and is getting paid 80k a year and from harlingen.. Equal opportunity my ass
I’ve known Tim for several years. He’s a stand up guy, honest and approachable. Give him a chance, he’ll work hard for the students and taxpayers.
I'll give this guy my vote. I want to give him a chance. Better than what we have
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