YES (Prep) We Can!

Oprah couldn't say no to gifting Houston school $1 million

Oprah didn't hesitate to reward a Houston school with $1 million to help innercity kids.
There's nothing no-go about Houston's YES Prep Public Schools.

She might be God to the middle-aged female contingent of your family. And her book club may catapult mere mortals from fraudulent to famous.

In fact, say what you will about the woman. But that Oprah still makes dreams come true.

And now she's done it in your backyard.

Today, Oprah donned her fairy godmother gown and touched her well-funded magic wand to Houston's YES Prep Public Schools, a public, open-enrollment charter school system serving low-income students across eight schools in our area.

For an exclusive, education-focused episode, which aired Monday afternoon at 4 p.m., Oprah extended an invitation to YES Prep CEO Chris Barbic and alum-cum-teacher Melanie Singleton, in recognition of the school system's excellence.

But she didn't stop with handshakes and goody bags.

Oprah went all Publishers'-Clearing-House-Prize-Patrol-style on the unwitting YES Prep duo.

It just so happened that there was a big ol' check from her ubiquitous Angel Network with YES Prep's name on it. For a whopping — hold onto your pencil boxes — $1 million.

Surprise!

"We had no clue," CEO Chris Barbic said of the hefty chunk of change award. "We knew the show was about education reform, and that it was framed around Waiting for Superman."

A movie from Davis Guggenheim, acclaimed director of An Inconvenient Truth, Waiting for Superman zeroes in on the current state of public education in the U.S. "We're hoping the film moves the education conversation forward the way An Inconvenient Truth did for the environment," Barbic told CultureMap.

YES Prep expected to be a key player in the Oprah banter, but what came next wasn't in their wildest dreams.

"It was a total surprise, and a great light to shine on the program," said Barbic. "It's great to be put out there as a national example."

So what'll YES Prep do with all that loot? "We want to use the money to continue to grow," Barbic said. "We'd like to increase from eight to 13 schools, and serve 10,000 kids."

It looks like Oprah has magically turned those wishes into reality.

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no more trips to Colorado

Bill to legalize marijuana in Texas filed by Dallas Democrat

Photo courtesy of Texas Original

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Texas Rep. Jessica González (D-Dallas) has filed a bill to legalize recreational marijuana in Texas. House Bill 1208 would legalize the cultivation, manufacturing, transportation, and sale of cannabis.

The bill would allow adults 21 and older to use, possess, and transport up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana for personal use. Adults could also keep up to 10 ounces of cannabis in their residence, as long as it is stored in a secure location.

Smoking or consuming cannabis while in a public place or in a car on a public road would not be allowed.

Gonzalez filed the bill in mid-November, one in a suite of bills that also included expanding insurance coverage for in vitro fertilization for LGBTQ couples; and requiring landlords to disclose all fees before a rental lease is signed.

Her bill was filed prior to an initiative launched by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on December 4 to ban THC products in Texas entirely.

In addition to legalizing recreational use, the bill also makes provisions for its production and sale including requiring that the packaging be child-resistent and clearly labeled, so that it's not confused for candy.

Businesses looking to grow, transport, test, or sell cannabis would need to be licensed by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. A 10 percent tax would be imposed on the sale of all cannabis and cannabis products. Some of the profits would go towards funding public schools.

If passed, the bill would take effect on September 1, 2025.

Medical cannabis is currently legal in Texas under the Texas Compassionate Use Program, which allows low-THC cannabis to be prescribed for conditions such as epilepsy, MS, autism, cancer, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Some cities have also approved decriminalization for the possession of four ounces or less of marijuana, including Austin, Bastrop, Dallas, Denton, Elgin, Killeen, and Lockhart.

politics marijuana