Bruce Parrott

The North Dallas Plot to Take Over DISD

Rich, white, North Dallas businessmen are plotting to take over Dallas' schools. Maybe this time it'll work.

Residence Evil: DISD Trustees Can't Decide Which Employees Should Actually Live in Dallas

​Container Store co-founder Garrett Boone and the Star Employee Commission told the Dallas ISD trustees last month that the HR department was ... how did they put it ... well, let's just go with completely, totally and utterly effed. (Look, my kid reads Unfair Park, all right?) And they offered pa ... More >>

PAC EducateDallas Endorses Incumbents For Dallas ISD School Board, Give Each 10 Grand

​Just got off the phone with tax attorney Mark Melton, who, as you'll recall, is co-chairing EducateDallas, that political action committee with ties to the Dallas Regional Chamber. I had questions following receipt of a release this afternoon that says the PAC is endorsing two candidates for the ... More >>

If You Want to Run For Dallas ISD Board, And Want a PAC's Backing, Fill Out This Essay Test

​On May 12 of next year three Dallas Independent School District trustee spots will come up for grabs -- those presently held by Bernadette Nutall, Bruce Parrott and Edwin Flores. (And, depending on which rumors you choose to believe about possible doings on the Dallas County Commissioners Court ... More >>

Dallas ISD Trustees, Principals Express Their Deep and Profound Love for Teach for America

​Three hours after their start time, the Dallas ISD board finally got around to discussing whether or not to extend the district's contract with Teach for America -- which would seem like a no-brainer after you read this 2010 Atlantic piece about TFA or this January 2011 study by the University of ... More >>

"If You Don't Respect the Public, Why Are You in Public Service?" One in Carla Ranger's Series.

Billboard designed by Thomas Wilson​Though there are a few exceptions to the rule, for the most part any one Dallas City Council member may pull an item from the council's agenda and have it deferred till the next voting agenda meeting. Not so with the Dallas Independent School District, not ... More >>

Dallas ISD Trustees Want Superintendent Who's a Team Player "Here For The Right Reasons"

​At last night's called meeting of the Dallas Independent School District's board of trustees, representatives from PROACT Search, the matchmaking firm hired to help select a superintendent for the district, chatted casually with board members about the qualities they desire in a candidate. " ... More >>

DISD Will Buy Out "Excess" Teachers & Other Highlights from Testy, Tear-Stained Meeting

Dalton Sherman, seen here in '08, showed up to defend embattled former Ebby Halliday principal Kamalia Cotton.​Thursday evening, Dallas Independent School District trustees approved resignation incentives for the 209 "unassigned" employees who are under contract but lack permanent positions af ... More >>

"Force Place" or a Cut of $3 Million: Dallas ISD Teachers, the Choice, Apparently, Is Yours

​We told you yesterday that the Dallas Independent School District is considering offering "excess" Chapter 21 employees -- teachers, principals, librarians, counselors -- a pile of cash worth $3 million to retire. After last night's called board meeting, it became clear that while that's probably ... More >>

Six Months After Becoming Dallas ISD's CFO, Alan King's Named the Interim Superintendent

Photos by Leslie MinoraAlan King, with trustees Bruce Parrott and Adam Medrano, accepts his new position as interim superintendent.​Following their acceptance of superintendent Michael Hinojosa's resignation, the Dallas Independent School District board unanimously selected current district CFO Al ... More >>

DISD Board Narrows Its List of Interim Superintendents, Say They'll Decide By Monday

Photos by Patrick MichelsMichael Hinojosa and Edwin Flores bite their lips as trustees Lew Blackburn and Carla Ranger get into it.Brand-new Dallas Independent School District board president Lew Blackburn emerged from executive session this afternoon to announce the trustees have narrowed their list ... More >>

Two Days Before DISD Board Votes on Staffing Formulas, a Discussion About Interim Super

Photo by Todd Overman/Dallas Independent School DistrictCowan and Hinojosa with 2011 Outstanding Elementary School Volunteer Award-winner Maria Amaya last month​Michael Hinojosa is in Georgia today for a 4:30 p.m. meet-n-greet with the citizenry of Cobb County, most of whom appear happy to be taki ... More >>

Dallas ISD Trustees Ain't Pleased Hinojosa Made Himself Available For Job in Georgia

Photo by Patrick Michels​Shortly after The News broke the news that Dallas Independent School District Michael Hinojosa is a finalist -- perhaps the sole finalist -- for the top job at the Cobb County School District outside of Atlanta, I asked DISD spokesman Jon Dahlander if there would be a stat ... More >>

So How Does the Business Community Feel About Hinojosa's Likely Departure For Georgia?

Dallas Regional Chamber President and CEO Jim Oberwetter​Down below, Dallas Independent School District trustee Bruce Parrott says he wants to know "how does the business community feel" about Superintendent Michael Hinojosa's more-than-likely departure for the top job in Cobb County, Georgia. (T ... More >>

New Site Lets You Look at Numbers Crunched by DISD's Citizen Budget Review Group

Courtesy Dallas Independent School DistrictAt left, Steven Korby, director of DISD's financial services, chats up Chief Financial Officer Alan King before the first commission meeting in late March.​Who knows how seriously the Dallas Independent School District's board of trustees will take the su ... More >>

Dallas ISD's "Worst-Case Scenario" Not Nearly As Worst-Case As Originally Presented

​When Dallas Independent School District Michael Hinojosa initially told the school board last month about the coming budget cuts that could result in the district laying off 3,100 on-campus full-timers and some 600 at 3700 Ross, he warned that under the so-called "worst-case scenario," the losses ... More >>

Allen Vaught Wants to Plant Grassroots Movement That'll Save DISD's Teachers

Allen Vaught in the Green Zone​Brother Bill Holston directed our attention yesterday to the Facebook page of former state Rep. and movie star Allen Vaught, who writes of "organizing a grassroots program focusing on the legislature and DISD to not gut our schools." I called Vaught at his office at ... More >>

Old Guard Board Members Are At It Again, Trying To Destroy the Magnets. But A New Coalition Of Trustees Seems Determined To Stop Them.

Civility is the Last Thing the DISD Board Needs

Letters

Ganging Up, Parrott Uncaged

Divided She Stands

Is controversial DISD trustee Lois Parrott a champion of the little guy, or the bitter core of the board's infamous civil wars?

Idiot box

Dallas Community Television tries to convince the city it's must-see TV