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Matt 11/25/2008 6:34:00 PM
"Schutze, until people like you, Angela Hunt and the city staff quit fighting development (i.e. the "hated McMansions") in Dallas, the parents you so desperately want to move in and support the school system ain't coming.
They won't live in the little pasteboard houses you all are trying to save. These families, with 2 or more kids, want up to date homes with nice kitchens, large closets and more than two bedrooms...and a two- or three-car garage. As long as you guys fight the developers at every turn and try to crucify the McMansion buyers, they will stay away.
Are you willing to lighten up to get them to come here? Nah, didn't think so"
Um.... the McMansioners are moving here in droves... and yet nothing is better in DISD. You see, all the McMansioners are STILL sending their kids to private schools.
You make a terrible point.
Just had to call you out on it real quick.
There are plenty of concerned parents that live in 'pasteboard houses', you pompous douchebag.
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Americano 10/26/2008 8:11:00 AM
There are dedicated parents in the DISD, just not very many of them. Most are probably spending more time worrying about what they can get for free, from those evil rich people, and don't have time to spend with their kids, or pushing their local school to get better. A little discipline and work ethic on the parents part would go a long way.
On a more positive note, Jim you are the Grand Marshall in the jerk parade, so smile and wave!
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Another fred 10/24/2008 1:40:00 AM
Some of those private schools are little more than white flight academies - true there are some good ones and everyone knows which ones they are -- when will any of the others even produce a NMSF? In any case, those kids will not be prepared for the real world, which is not like Highland Park.
Some people call all DISD schools terrible, and would rather shell out private school tuition than even cross the door of the local public school to investigate. Now, who is stupid?
DISD schools aren't all good but there are many in Dallas which can compete with the best private and suburban schools. In most cases these are the ones with AP and TAG programs - so if you don't check it out, you won't find them.
Believe me we are loudly protesting in East Dallas. We shall survive this administration. We shall not abandon our schools. We care about all children, not just Buffy and Biff in HP or the private schools. They are our neighbors and our friends. And they will be for life.
Hell hath no fury like a Lakewood mom. In the battle, they are tried and true. I would place my bet on them over 3700 Ross.
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Billy 10/24/2008 1:10:00 AM
Jim,
Great article. I think one thing standing in the way of parents getting involved is the sheer size of DISD. Break up DISD into twenty or thirty pieces. One high school, two middle schools, and four elementary schools per district. Each district designed to be a majority minority district (should be doable since the district has over 90% minority enrollment.) Very flat organizational structure. Big districts are difficult to run in the best of times. DISD cannot and will not be reformed.
Dismantle DISD and the parents would step up. So would the neighborhoods. DISD is full of solid hard working teachers. They would rejoice at DISD's demise. Take up the cause. I'll even run for school board.
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Fred 10/23/2008 8:57:00 PM
Schutze, until people like you, Angela Hunt and the city staff quit fighting development (i.e. the "hated McMansions") in Dallas, the parents you so desperately want to move in and support the school system ain't coming.
They won't live in the little pasteboard houses you all are trying to save. These families, with 2 or more kids, want up to date homes with nice kitchens, large closets and more than two bedrooms...and a two- or three-car garage. As long as you guys fight the developers at every turn and try to crucify the McMansion buyers, they will stay away.
Are you willing to lighten up to get them to come here? Nah, didn't think so.
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amhunt007 10/23/2008 7:14:00 PM
Want the white parents in Dallas who care about education to step it up in DISD? First, you've got to convince them to pull their kids away from the excellent education they're getting in private school and subject them to a sub-par education in DISD for a few years. The white parents who care about their kid's educations turned their backs on DISD a long time ago. Quite frankly, you've got to give them a reason to fight for a system that they've already written off and resent paying taxes to every year.
And the only way to do that is money. Remind the white residents of Dallas of the economic impact that DISD has on the city. We've lost 2 large corporate relocations (Boeing and one other) in the last 10 years because of DISD. Remind people of that and you'll find a way to get people who previously had no vested interest in DISD to care. Talking about kids and education just doesn't do it for everyone. Some people need to see the full picture to understand the bigger impact.
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Amy S 10/23/2008 7:06:00 PM
"White people have to be jerks. Black people have to be jerks. Latinos have to be jerks. Everybody has to be able to get mad at everybody. And everybody has to get over it and join together to fight for educational excellence.
I know there are people out there in the community who would fill this bill. I have their phone numbers. But it's up to them. One of them must step forward, as Carolyn Boyle said, and be the one to make it happen."
So cue the "Jim Schutze for School Board" campaign signs? Otherwise you're just debating why someone else won't solve the problem - which really solves nothing.
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lorlee 10/23/2008 5:56:00 PM
As someone who has run both City Council and School Board elections -- it wouldn't take a lot of money to elect a new school board. City Council races generally cost north of $100,000 -- In a school board race, we felt really lucky if we raised $20,000.
That, of course, presupposes that you have candidates who want to run. It is a thankless job.
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bryan west 10/23/2008 1:11:00 AM
Isn't the problem with a parents PAC is that it inevitably ends up in the hands of bookburners with specific ideas on the origin of life and sex ed? Hopefully not.
Should someone that does not live in the DISD attendance/taxation zone even be allowed on the school board? Doesn't their home value increase every time the DISD falters?
