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 lives, by using…
The George W. Bush Institute this morning unveiled its Global Report Card, which compares and contrasts 13,636 U.S. school districts with their in-state peers and national and international counterparts. Long story short: U.S. school districts, even those considered affluent, are squarely middle-of-the-pack’ers when it comes to math and reading scores…
Turns out, Rick Perry was right after all.What you see at right is a slide I received last night from a fellow Dallas Independent School District parent. It was, until this morning, available on the district’s Curriculum Central website, accessible only to teachers and administration and a resource for instructors…
Speaking of Dallas ISD public hearings …A few weeks back, in advance of a series of town halls, we sneak-peaked the district’s vague suggestions offered to improve its 33 academically unacceptable campuses. But on the board’s meetings-and-agenda website, you’ll find the so-called School Improvement Plan for each individual campus prepared…
Here’s what we know about the Dallas Independent School District’s search for a new superintendent to replace Michael Hinojosa: nothing. Here are the criteria the trustees have agreed on for what they’d like to see in a new superintendent: none yet.Now that I’ve summarized the salient points of last night’s…
Anna’s going to swing by Midway Hills Christian Church tonight at 7, where Dallas Independent School District trustee Edwin Flores will host a town hall. The point of this meeting, per a DISD heads-up: “Dr. Flores requests input from the public on selecting a new Superintendent of Schools.” Oh, I…
Earlier this week, The News reported that former Cowboy and smack-talking DirecTV fairy Deion Sanders was hoping to break into the education business. He was just awaiting state Board of Ed approval to open two charter schools in DFW — one in Oak Cliff, the second in Fort Worth –…
In May, you no doubt recall, longtime Washington Post education columnist Jay Mathews put the Dallas Independent School District’s School of Science and Engineering at Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Magnet Center at the very top of his list of the best public high schools in the country. In the video…
A little while ago, in this item below, Mike MacNaughton posted a link to this freshly minted release from the Texas Education Agency, which leads with the good news: “Texas has experienced a huge increase in the number of college-bound minority students who take the SAT college admissions test.” At…
Earlier today, when word broke that Donna Micheaux was out the door as the Dallas Independent School District’s chief of schools, I asked Jon Dahlander if there was Official Comment concerning the surprising departure. Because it is surprising, at least on the surface: Micheaux, who was appointed chief administrative officer…
“Thought-provoking events” — that’s how SMU said it wanted to honor the 10th anniversary of September 11, with a series of “thought-provoking events.” There would be lectures, speeches, prayer services and, tonight, a half-time tribute at Gerald J. Ford during SMU-UTEP — events political and spiritual, a few attended by…
The jury’s still out, but the fact fetishists at the Texas Freedom Network seem to think that the recently enacted Senate Bill 6 may help neuter the historically science-averse state Board of Education. The law provides districts with state money for text books and tech devices like laptops and tablets…
Got a robocall from the Dallas Independent School District last night asking me to help round up any truants I might know of. Sorry, wish I could help. Turns out, it was just a precursor to tomorrow’s kick-off of Operation Graduation, which is now in its fourth year and involves…
Got stuck watching Footloose the other night — what, like you’re one to judge? Well, it was right before the warehouse scene. Who’d miss that? OK, sure, I’d had a drink, maybe two. It was late. Anyway. Can’t believe Craig Brewer’s remade the thing, due October 14. Sacrilege! Turns out,…
Earlier today we revisited the Dallas Regional Chamber’s plan, blessed by Mayor Mike and Lew Blackburn, to save the Dallas Independent School District. And while Commit! is still in its vague, unformed infancy, clearly this is Very Important to a few very important people. Which is why Blackburn wants the…
Still waiting on a response from Mayor Mike concerning the Dallas Regional Chamber’s so-called Commit! initiative, which we took at long look at Sunday. Turns out, Rawlings, Dwaine Caraway, Uplift Education board member Todd Williams and Dallas ISD board president Lew Blackburn paid The Dallas Morning News a visit yesterday…
For the past six days, the Dallas Independent School District has been hosting “community meetings” on campuses deemed academically unacceptable by the Texas Education Agency — 33 in all, based, of course, on last school year’s TAKS scores. Tonight’s meeting will be held at North Dallas High School, one of…
Spend this morning learning how to convert carbon dioxide into oxygen — by filtering it through algae, duh. Thanks, Param Jaggi! No, seriously. Thanks. The Plano East Senior High School senior’s a genius. Says so right here, in the latest issue of Popular Science, in which he was named one…
As timing would have it, our 8-year-old entered third grade just as the state’s rolling out the new State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness test, which, of course, replaces the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills test, which also turned 8 this year. That means his mom and I…
For a split second in the second quarter, SMU was this close to tying up A&M, 20-20. Backup QB J.J. McDermott, subbed in after Kyle Padron tossed two picks in four pass attempts, had a man open with nothing but open field in front of him. But the pass sailed…
At its August 11 board briefing, Michael Casserly, executive director of the D.C.-based Council of the Great City Schools, told the Dallas Independent School District’s board of trustees: It could be a good, long while till you find a suitable replacement for Michael Hinojosa. Casserly, invited by board president Lew…
You probably noticed: It’s been quite the last few days for the Dallas Independent School District’s board of trustees, what with the board president Lew Blackburn being compared to Idi Amin by a speaker at the last boarding meeting, and trustee Carla Ranger resigning and then, a few days later,…
