Almost halfway through the 90 day "plan"... and what has changed?  From what I'm hearing, the answer seems to be "little to nothing".  This is not good for the future of the kids, staff, Admin, or Austin.  Business as usual, is it?  Truth of the matter is... that's not gonna work anymore.  Change is necessary, NOW, more than ever.



Who will be the first to step forward and grab the bull by the horns?  If the 90 Day Plan "A" doesn't work -- is there an alternative Plan "B" waiting in the wings?  Or will people just throw up their hands and say "Oh, well... we tried.  It didn't work.  Back to the same old same old"... and hope for the best?  Here to tell y'all -- you KNOW that isn't any plan at all!  Something, something DRASTIC needs to be done to bring GSS back to being a place that responsibly takes on the challanges of the incarcerated youth and the expectations of parents and taxpayers in the State of Texas.  The same old, same old isn't gonna make the grade no more.



Yes, it's time for a change.  Hopefully one that's not toooo awfully painfull, but anyone who expects meaningful changes to occur WITHOUT some pain is only deluding themselves.  Got that, Admin?  Austin?  It's going to hurt to get better.  That's just a fact.  No pain, no gain... that's the name of the game at this point.  How MUCH of a change remains to be seen... if it's possible to just tweak The System, then that's OK -- if it's enough.  If it's not enough, then the Powers That Be may need to look at a total upheaval in the way they do business.  This may include getting rid of that dead horse CoNextions... some of the deadwood supervisors... taking away some of the youth's "privileges" in order to encourge responsibility and compliance.  I don't have the answers -- but DO have -- and HAVE HAD suggestions that seem to have been ignored by most anyone who was in a position of authority to put them into action.  Oh, well... not my problem so much anymore.  But I'm here to tell ya -- what can't  be changed peacefully and gradually will be changed in less positive ways, and NO ONE wants THAT. 

When the time for change comes it will happen, like it or not.  The ways in which TJJD/TYC has gone to hell took some time; there will be NO "quick fixes" to get things back on track again, 90 days or otherwise.  Unless the issues of staff safety, working hours, authority and responsibilities are tackled head on -- and soon -- GSS may be facing something FAR WORSE than what's happening now.  Listen up, folks.  It could happen...