What is Going on with Houston?
 

I was reading an interview with Louisiana Senater Mary Landrieu in which she replied to questions and comments put forth by Yahoo readers regarding the aftermath of Hurricaine Katrina.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/judy_woodruff/j_woodruff9174

One reader comment that jumped out at me is this: ""I am from Houston. While I am proud of us taking in thousands and thousands of evacuees, the statistics are now showing that it has taken its toll…."

I wondered if anyone more familiar with Texas than I might be able to clarify that statement? It seems a shame if the people of Houston are suffering in any way as a result of their generosity toward the Katrina refugees.

The NYT had an article recently comparing how the Katrina refugees have fared in Houston vs. Atlanta that I thought addressed a lot of the problems New Orleanians have had assimilating in Houston quite well.

17% of homicides in Houston since the influx of refugees have been attributed to the refugees themselves.

Houston's murder rate increased 70 percent in November and December of 2005 compared to 2004's levels.

Levels for robbery, assault, and other small crimes have dramatically spiked aswell.

Yeah, I saw that on ABC. I didn't think I would like Charles Gibson, but he's doing an alright job. I really liked the working dynamic between Bob Woodruff and Elizabeth Vargas. I thouht it brought depth to the reporting.

back on topic: I'm really not surprised about these findings. I'd be willing to bet that in simillar situations throughout archeology (it's better than history). People get stressed and desperate and do desperate things in times of crisis.

I didn't move here until this year, so I have no idea what it was like before...but I think Houston sucks. I know of several friends who have had their cars broken into, I have personally seen a guy destroying property in a downtown parking lot, and I'm constantly approached by bums on the street for money, using the "I'm a Katrina victim" card. I'm from Florida, I should start telling them I'm a Hurricane Charley victim, and they should give ME money.

I’ve lived in Houston all my life. Were the forth largest city in America and it’s natural to have the crime that goes along with it. Has there been in increase in crime in areas where Katrina refuges have been placed? Yes. But in my opinion the Houston law enforcement community is taking great strides to curb this recent increase. I don’t think I have to tell anyone how Harris County residents feel about murderers and I believe that overtime the crime rate will go back to post Katrina numbers.

I've also seen statistics that show the Houston crime rate is still WAY down from where it was even 10 years ago, and has also historically had some pretty broad fluctuations from year to year.

But, Shaedy, overall, I'd say most of Houston kind of sucks. I have family there and there are some lovely things to do when you visit, but it's not a town I'd be thrilled to live in.

I had always believed (either by reading or by hearsay) that the people who ended up in Houston tended to be poorer or more likely to resort to crime because they tended to be the ones stuck in NOLA after the hurricane, while people with more money (regardless of race) got out to other cities beforehand.

I'm a Houston native and my sister is now an elementary school administrator in neighboring Fort Bend County. She said that the many kids who fled to her school district are grievously behind in academics, that most of the fifth graders are reading at about a 2nd grade level. She said that right off, the kids were complaining because they didn't get 2 recesses like they did in NO and some teachers from their school who came with them confirmed that they did get 2 recesses over there.

The teachers are desperately frustrated because all these kids are taking up their time and they hardly have time to deal with the kids who are average and better learners.:(

This is one of the worst things I've ever read on this site.

I'm guessing this is one of those "walk a mile in my shoes before you criticize" things.

Everyone has their limitations and if yours are being exceeded and you can't do anything about it, of course you're going to be frustrated. If you signed up to teach kids who are learning far below their grade level and know it's coming, that's one thing. It's quite another to have it thrust upon you w/ no warning.

That's right, 33girl. I know my sister and her neverending drive to help kids learn to read better (she's the reading specialist) from her little janitor's closet. Literally. They put her there because so many kids came from NO that they had to use all the classrooms for regular classes. She was flooded with students before Katrina and this has sent their county into a tailspin.

How many of you guys have taught classes in which even 2 misbehaving or misplaced students ruined the class for everybody else because the teacher had to concentrate on those 2? I have. And these teachers suddenly have a lot more than 2 of those.

That kind of frustration=goodbye teaching and hello, any other kind of job-even with a salary cut.

Houston sucked before Katrina. An increase in the number of homeless and illiterate people because of NOLA refugees really hasn't changed much except increase the number of Social Darwin experiments to clean out the gene pool. I will say that the area I have lived in over the last year and a half has gone from semi-decent urban to complete ghetto and I look forward to leaving the city next spring.

Thats why you should live in River Oaks.

:confused: This is difficult to say unless the teacher is in a private school where there is some control/background info over who is attending school there. Many many public schools, esp. those in low income neighborhoods where many Katrina evacuees have likely gone to, have students that read below grade level. There is a potential to get a student who is not up to par with the other students every year a families move in and out of the neighborhoods and schools. I don't see why this would be an absolute culture shock.

I completely understand the difficulty of working with students w/behavior problems or who are not at grade level. It does take time and creates a compromise in the classroom. However, it seems kinda tragic that these kids who sincerely need help are being looked upon as a burden to the teacher and other students.

From your lips to God's ears. I'm stuck in the (now) ghetto-fabulous Galleria-area. I <3 Westheimer traffic.

Gotta love it. I live right off from the mall, and it takes me 15 mins just to travel the 2 blocks necessary to get on 610.

i finally just finished apt. hunting, but when i was, i'd ask people around the office for opinions...

i heard many opinions like, "you don't want to live there it's katrina infested and not even pizza will be delivered after dark" or "not a good idea there are a lot of louisiana people and the cars get broken into"

so, that has been my experience... so far.

i feel your pain and all i have to do is cross westheimer... a five mile drive takes me at least 20 min.

Well, I think that in most areas of the country you pretty much know what you are getting into. For example, here in Pittsburgh, you know that the students that you'll be teaching in Pgh City Schools are going to be different than those you'll be teaching in the suburbs. And suburb to suburb will be different too. I would think that any teacher would check these things out before they accepted a position there.

It's one thing to get one or two students that read below grade level who require extra time and care and teaching - it's quite another to get 30 of them.

I was so happy when my office moved from Post Oak in the thick of it all, and closer around Voss. I get to move on the opposite flow of traffic and I'm no longer getting stuck in all the construction on San Felipe.

Luckily my neighborhood has been relatively unaffected. We are in this hidden area that is tucked away right off of the north loop. There has been some more sketchy people walking through the neighborhood but based on the reports not much of an increase in crime around us. I think we are too far north to have really gotten many evacuees in.

Working in education now there definately has been an impact on the schools. Its more with the increasing of class sizes though. The classrooms were already over filled and then were more so. From talking to some teachers this year seems to be going better just because they were prepared for it.

Yeah - Richard Geib posted an article about teaching impoverished immigrants in L.A. - http://www.rjgeib.com/biography/inner-city-blues/innerblu.html

His big problem is the fact that a lot of the kids didn't care.

That sounds like a big problem for society overall.