When did we break the link between actions and natural consequences? My 4th and 5th grade science and reading teachers always seemed to have trouble getting their students to predict effects when given a cause or identifying possible causes when given effects or outcomes. The biggest problem, to me, seemed to be that the children had not experienced this for themselves. Too many times in their young lives had this natural learning experience been perverted through the interference of some well meaning adult. This happened at home, in public, at school and was often observed in the lives of 'role models' such as sports and entertainment figures. As a result children, and some adults, began to doubt the 'cause and effect' relationship in their lives.

This has been going on for some time, perhaps more than 20 years. In any event we now have a parental generation that seeks to totally insulate their kids from logical consequences in the name of protecting them. Case in point. Recently, at a home basketball game four Mexia starters decided it would be fun to break out several windows on the visiting team's bus, so they did. Their punishment? They had to sit out ONE GAME! Why, pressure from the coaches, school board, and even the administration because this team was highly ranked statewide and was expected to contend for a state championship. Another opportunity lost to demonstrate cause and effect.

There is another area involving cause and effect confronting many schools in Texas, including ours. There is no real penalty or consequence when a school or a district fails to perform academically. There are districts that have been UNACCEPTABLE academically for years while they continue to excell on the athletic fields and courts. This is wrong!

Any school's first responsibility is to prepare students academically to take their places as informed, educated citizens of our republic. Educational institutions must concentrate on the successful accomplishment of that function BEFORE seeking excellence in extra-curricular activities. 

I would strongly propose that when any school falls to a rating of ACADEMICALLY UNACCEPTABLE it be barred from UIL athletic competition until that rating has been overcome. No football, no basketball, no band, no twirling, etc. until academics have been improved! 

Too harsh? Inactions as well as actions have or should have consequences!

There is an article floating around this morning showing the Stars & Stripes with NO STARS! Instead, in the blue field where the stars should be, we see the image of Barack Hussein Obama! 

To the Editor of the Mexia News,

"Breakfast comes to MISD classrooms" trumpeted the front page article. "78-79 percent of MISD students are eligible for free or reduced lunches." The word 'free' was used four times in the article. While the program may not cost the students or their parents it is certainly NOT FREE.

This program COSTS 90 instructional hours (30 minutes/day times 5 days/week times 36 weeks/year) at a time when MISD is struggling to maintain an acceptable  academic standing. This program COSTS teachers the hassle of serving, monitoring, and cleaning up after the breakfast. MISD has ample experience with serving breakfast in the classroom. It was done for four years at the Mexia Middle School (current administration building) and no one was sorry to see the program go away.

Another COST is that more students will be late for school as parents realize that nothing academic happens between 8:00 and 8:30 except breakfast. So why worry about getting kids to school on time?

The only upside is that everyone gets a FREE breakfast but over 50% of MISD students arrive at school on the bus and the bus schedules allow them time to eat breakfast after they arrive. This program rewards irresponsible student behavior as well as irresponsible parent behavior and it reduces Academic Learning Time. MISD can't afford to lose a minute much less 90 hours! This program punishes teachers by reducing them to lunchroom monitors while taking away precious time from what they are trained and paid to do, teach!

Run the buses earlier, serve the cafeteria breakfast right up until 7:55, but don't take away the one commodity that cannot be replaced, 90 hours of learning.

Bill Matthews

Former Principal

Mexia ISD

There is growing evidence that the Obama administration is using the powers of the Internal Revenue Service to intimidate and in some cases silence opposition in the form of the Tea Party. The Tea Party is a very loose coalition of like-minded folks who are tired of uncontrolled spending, uncontrolled growth of government, and the uncontrolled erosion of the Constitution. Most Tea Party organizations are city, neighborhood, or county groups seeking to support candidates who share their values. Since these organizations are small and not nationally affiliated, they are almost always led by volunteers and have only enough money to buy cookies and kool-aide for the next meeting.