Michael Hinojosa

Coalition That Wanted Nolan Estes to Return as Interim DISD Super Now Has Name, Agenda

The Rev. Zan Holmes​Back in June, some two dozen educators, religious leaders and activists -- among them The Rev. Zan Holmes, John Fullinwider, Frederick Haynes III, Diane Ragsdale and Beverly Mitchell-Brooks -- urged the Dallas Independent School District board of trustees to appoint former DISD ... More >>

Just as It Was Going Districtwide, Dallas ISD Had to Take Its Parent Portal Offline. Costs.

Via.​For two years, during test runs and slow roll-outs to a fraction of its campuses, the Dallas Independent School District promised that its much-ballyhooed Parent Portal would be The Future of Education. This was how parents were going to get deeply, profoundly involved in their kids' school l ... More >>

While Hinojosa Applied for Georgia Job in Secret, Texas Lawmakers Considered Making Superintendent Searches More Public

Photo by Patrick MichelsDISD Superintendent Michael Hinojosa at the Ann Richards Middle School groundbreaking ceremony earlier this year.​Right now, DISD trustees are meeting once again in closed session (Leslie drew the short straw on this one) to discuss their pick for an interim superintendent ... More >>

Coalition Pushes For Nolan Estes's (Temporary) Return as Dallas ISD Superintendent

Nolan Estes​As Patrick noted Tuesday, the Dallas Independent School District's board of trustees has narrowed down its short list of interim superintendents and hopes to name Michael Hinojosa's temporary replacement by no later than Monday. And while newly installed board president Lew Blackburn w ... 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 >>

While the Getting is Good: Why Shouldn't DISD's Michael Hinojosa Leave?

It's not like Texas cares about public schools anyway.

Your First Look at DISD's 2011-'12 Budget, Which Cuts $90 Million and Reinstates Full-Day Pre-K (On Most Campuses, Anyway)

From today's first look at the proposed 2011-'12 Dallas ISD budget​As promised earlier today, on the other side you will find the entirety of the Dallas Independent School District's proposed budget for the 2011-'12 school year, which was just released. And though it's still rife with cuts ("Staff ... 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 >>

Dallas ISD Super Hinojosa Talks About Why District's Going With $120 Mil Reduction

​Yesterday we took a look at the latest version of the Dallas Independent School District's budget reduction plan, as necessitated by the state Legislature's decision to gut public education in the wake of its $27-billion (give or take) shortfall. After the board briefing, Superintendent Michael H ... More >>

Say, Matthew McConaughey, You Got a Rangers Jersey? It'd Be a Lot Cooler If You Did.

Photos by Patrick MichelsTurns out, Matthew McConaughey's got a pretty good arm.If you'd been in one particular basement in Arlington a little more than an hour ago, you would've stood square in the middle of a fairly strange scene: Dallas ISD Superintendent Michael Hinojosa standing around, cheerfu ... More >>

All Right, All Right, All Right: McConaughey To Throw Out First Pitch at Rangers Game Friday

​Your Texas Rangers play the New York Yankees on Friday night, first pitch at 7:05 p.m. Got tickets? It'd be a lot cooler if you did.Because, see, the Rangers just sent word that Matthew McConaughey will toss out the ceremonial first pitch, right before he heads to Houston to pick up Aerosmith tic ... More >>

In DISD Trustee News: Ranger Unhappy With Citizens Budget Review Commission Line-Up, While Cowan Offers a "Budget Bracket"

DISD via FacebookThe first Citizen Budget Review Commission meeting, held on Monday​On Friday we were introduced to the Dallas Independent School District's Citizens Budget Review Commission, a 10-member group selected by the school board and Superintendent Michael Hinojosa that's been tasked with ... More >>

DISD Announces Members Of Its First-Ever "Citizens Budget Review Commission"

Sadly, Murray Blum was not available to trim DISD's budget.​Two weeks back we noted that at least one person had already been appointed to the Dallas Independent School District's first-ever Citizens Budget Review Commission: Dallas Friends of Public Education's Mike MacNaughton. The commission, m ... More >>

Dallas ISD Spokesman Jon Dahlander's Talk Show, Guest Starring Michael Hinojosa!

Inside Track February 2011 from Dallas Independent School Dist on Vimeo.What you see above is a video the Dallas Independent School District just posted to Vimeo in which district spokesman Jon Dahlander asks Michael Hinojosa to discuss the "staggering" worst-case scenario outlined at the board mee ... More >>

How's Will the Superintendent Propose Gutting the Dallas ISD's Budget? Let's Watch!

​Shame the Dallas Independent School District's board of trustees couldn't meet yesterday, when all the teachers and students were iced in and needed something to watch -- like, say, this afternoon's board briefing, during which trustees will get their first look at Superintendent Michael Hinojosa ... More >>

Shorter School Year. Teacher Furloughs. That Won't Shrink DISD's Budget By $280 Million.

The DISD super is doing his best to prepare teachers, parents and students for the very worst-case scenario.​While the Plano Independent School District is already preparing for a worst-case scenario and eliminating top-tier administrative positions, the Dallas Independent School District's board ... More >>

Jubilee Park Residents Still Wary of DISD's Plans for a New O.M. Roberts Elementary

bcWorkshopClick to embiggen this proposal drawn up by bcWorkshop to add a new O.M. Roberts Elementary building without creeping into the surrounding neighborhood.Last we checked in with the Jubilee Parkers fighting the Dallas Independent School District's attempt to snatch up their homes to make roo ... More >>

State Rep. Johnson Demands Answers From DISD's Hinojosa Over Jubilee Park Land Grab

Patrick MichelsJubilee Park residents have been protesting DISD's land grab for almost a year.​Exactly two months ago, it appeared as though the Dallas Independent School District was backing off its intentions to seize via eminent domain houses in Jubilee Park to make way for a new-and-improved O ... More >>

Dallas Independent School District's CFO, Larry Throm, Is Heading Home to Austin

Texas School BusinessLarry Throm​On November 20, 2008, only weeks after it came to light the Dallas Independent School District had come up with a sudden shortfall of $64 million, the district hired Austin ISD's chief financial officer, Larry Throm, as its new moneyman in charge. Said DISD superin ... More >>

Days After Cheering TEA Ratings, DISD Misses Feds' Adequate Yearly Progress Standards

​One week ago today the Texas Education Agency sent word: With significant help from the state, the Dallas Independent School District racked up 63 exemplary schools, while several high schools long on the academically unacceptable list finally get a reprieve. Not all was well, as dropout and comp ... More >>

Dallas ISD Trustees Will, Yet Again, Debate the Merits of Opening Over-Age High School

​At the Dallas Independent School District board meeting two weeks ago, the trustees held off on voting yea or nay on Superintendent Michael Hinojosa's plan to open an over-age high school in the 2010-'11 school year. Most agree that, yes, it's probably a very good thing to put, say, college-age h ... More >>

DISD Says It's Finishing the Year Up $23 Mil?

​The Dallas Independent School District's board of trustees will receive yet another briefing on the 2010-'11 budget Thursday -- here's that PowerPoint for those who like to get head starts on such things. But today, the district sends word that this year's budget wraps up with a ... this can't be ... More >>

Two Things Dallas Wants By 2020: College-, Work-Ready DISD Grads and the Olympics

​On April 1 the Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation announced the five finalists for the $2 million 2010 Broad Prize, which goes to urban schools that have made the "greatest progress in America in raising student achievement," and the Dallas Independent School District was not among them. This, despi ... More >>

Dallas ISD's Long and Winding Road to Broad Prize Just Hit a Dead End

​Perhaps you've seen the promotional materials -- they've been everywhere during the past five years, as the Dallas Independent School District (and superintendent Michael Hinojosa, especially) eased on down that Road to Broad, so named for the $2 million award given to urban school districts who ... More >>

While DISD Waits for Word From TEA, Board Considers Contingency Plans For Four Schools

​On Thursday, the Dallas Independent School District's board of trustees will have their "second reading" of contingency plans for four high schools at risk of being labeled academically unacceptable by the Texas Education Agency for a fifth straight year. The at-risk campuses are Kimball, Pinksto ... More >>

DISD's Full of Masochists, Apparently, As It Prepares to Pay $40,000 for Opinion Survey

​So, judging by this sneak peak at the Dallas Independent School District board of trustees' briefing agenda this week, Ron Price has decided to save the district $18,000-plus: He's now recommending giving DISD Chief Academic Officer Robin Ryan a $10,000 raise. Because, as you may recall, Price an ... More >>

On the SMU Campus, Hispanic High School Students are Getting a Taste of College

Megan FeldmanDallas Mayor Tom Leppert, DISD trustee Edwin Flores and superintendent Michael Hinojosa at SMU's Hispanic Youth Symposium kick-off yesterdayA cluster of local educators and politicos -- among them Mayor Tom Leppert, Dallas Independent School District Superintendent Michael Hinojosa, SM ... More >>

What Summer Vacation?

School's out for summer, but the Dallas Independent School District's board of trustees has one hellacious evening ahead of it, beginning with a 5 p.m. public hearing at 3700 Ross Avenue concerning the proposed 2009-'10 school year budget. After that's done, it's down to big business, some of which ... More >>

In Gutting Learning Centers, the Dallas ISD Clearly Has Learned Nothing in 39 Years

Sam Tasby, who sued the DISD in 1970, when his son Phillip was denied admission to two all-white schools near the Tasby residenceWell, we have now officially turned our back on school desegregation. I'm sure some of you will be thrilled. Personally, I'm sitting here at my computer in the back corne ... More >>

Hey DISD Trustees! Do the Math on Magnet Schools.

Magnets just aren’t the budget-busters trustees are pretending they are.

Carla Ranger Also Has No Confidence in Fellow DISD Trustee Ron Price

DISD school board trustee Carla Ranger The day before Halloween, three Dallas Independent School District board members -- Ron Price, Lew Blackburn and Carla Ranger -- told board president Jack Lowe, in writing, that they were calling for a "no-confidence vote" against superintendent Michael Hin ... More >>

At 3700 Ross Avenue Last Night, It Got Nasty. Then, It Got Even Worse.

Jack Lowe, DISD school board president Blacks were hissing rudely at Hispanics. Hispanics were yelling at other Hispanics. And just about everyone was taunting distraught school board trustees, themselves appearing to teeter on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Ladies and gentleman, this is you ... More >>

Yet Again, DISD Hires Paul Coggins to Look Into Its Bad Bidness

Paul Coggins After the jump, courtesy Dallas Independent School District spokesman Jon Dahlander, the district's announcement concerning the appointment of former U.S. Attorney Paul Coggins to look into the whole phony Social Security number mess. Coggins, now at Fish & Richardson, has a history ... More >>

DISD's Ghosts of Scandals Past

If history tells us anything, the recent security crackdown at DISD signals doom for its superintendent.

Poll Position

Don't Forget, the DISD Still Has a Preston Hollow Lawsuit to Deal With

DISD Parents Unite and Take Back Your Schools From the Money Guys.

Despite the $84 million shortfall and the axing of 550 teachers, it's business as usual at DISD headquarters

DISD's Shell Game

DISD Board Declares "State of Financial Exigency," But Will Not Call for Reduction in Force -- Not Yet

DISD Trustee Edwin Flores on Budget Shortfall: "We Need a Revolution."

The TEA Threatens "Alternative Management" or Closure For DISD's "Unacceptable" Schools

Homework's for Suckers

In Long-Overdue Audit, DISD Superintendent Michael Hinojosa Sees "A Roadmap for Improvement"

Scapegoat

How Michael Hinojosa escaped blame in the DISD credit card scandal

A Broad Gap for DISD to Clear

C'mon Get Happy

Even Buzz finds something to smile about in 2006

Tongue Twisted

A Spanish-language requirement reopens old wounds at DISD

Re: Hollow News

Cuts Like a Knife

Dallas Achieves! What, We Have No Idea.