DISD school board trustee Carla Ranger Yesterday, school board trustee Carla Ranger was insisting you can’t trust Dallas Independent School District’s leadership. Today, in advance of the board of trustee’s vote on their own ethics policy amendment, Ranger again insists it doesn’t mean squat: “The proposed Dallas ISD Ethics policy…
DISD school board trustee Carla Ranger Yesterday, shortly before the Dallas Independent School District officially announced it’s rehiring 57 of the teachers laid off two weeks ago, school board trustee Carla Ranger yet again laid into the district and its leadership. As in: “It is hard to do the right…
Those Eagles aren’t buzzards. Yet. Didn’t see this coming. You? When high-school coaching legend Todd Dodge took the job at North Texas back in December ’06 I predicted great things. Great, instant gratification-type things. Yikes. Never did I envision Dodge overseeing a porous defense of record-setting proportions, a 2-18 record…
Tomorrow’s the Dallas Independent School District job fair at the Dallas Convention Center, and the district’s Web site has all the details — including the list of employers who’re scheduled to attend. A few interesting names leap off the list, among them the more than 60 Texas school districts sending…
A Friend of Unfair Park whose school lost one of the 375 teachers laid off yesterday by the Dallas Independent School District sends this blog entry from National Education Association-Dallas president Dale Kaiser, which was posted Thursday evening. The gist is below. –Robert Wilonsky Today, October 15, 2008 is one…
Illustration by Brian Stauffer The Dallas Independent School District has plenty of other things to worry about, especially today, as the district begins laying off 450 teachers to make up for its $84 million budget shortfall this school year. (And for those who may have missed it, DISD Superintendent Michael…
Patrick Michels From DISD trustee Carla Ranger this morning, in a note to teachers: “May your lives be blessed in spite of the unjust price you now pay for the mistakes of others.” Briefly this morning, a dispatch from the front lines of the DISD teacher layoffs coming down today…
Brandon Thibodeaux Kent Fischer at The Dallas Morning News writes that late yesterday, he received “a copy of a document titled ‘RIF worksheet’ dated 10/14 at 8 a.m.” The district, of course, was to begin its layoffs today, but pushed back the so-called reduction in workforce till tomorrow — creating…
On the eve of Dallas Independent School District’s 460 teacher layoffs, delayed till tomorrow, the latest issue of Newsweek features an essay by Dallas teacher Heather Robinson, who proclaims, “I Am Not A Babysitter.” Below is a highlight among many from a teacher who clearly likes her gig, which was…
Dallas Independent School District Superintendent Michael Hinojosa’s been very clear about this one thing: He desperately wants the district to win The Broad Prize for Urban Education, given out annually “to honor urban school districts making the greatest overall improvement in student achievement while at the same time reducing achievement…
DISD school board trustee Carla Ranger Fifteen minutes before it was scheduled to begin this morning, Dallas Independent School Board trustee Carla Ranger posted this notice to her Web site: Dallas ISD, community leaders and businesses will launch a massive effort to help hundreds of teachers and other staff released…
That’s what Dallas Independent School District managers are supposed to do, right after they tell a teacher: We really, like totally, screwed up, so, like … um, ya know?. Of course, the suggested small talk — “Hey, man, how’s it hangin’?” — will no doubt cushion the blow of the…
If nothing else, someone at the Dallas Independent School District has learned how to turn a negative into a cozy, comfy positive! –Robert Wilonsky…
The Dallas Independent School District board of trustees is meeting, yet again, to discuss laying off some 675 teachers courtesy the $148-million budget shortfall. The link to the live feed’s here, as the “budget workshop” began promptly at 3:14 p.m. Feel free to watch along and pipe in with comments…
Moments ago, the Dallas Independent School District posted to its Web site a media release announcing the elimination of “at least” 160 central staff positions today — “63 of which had been filled by employees.” Says the release, it’ll save the district “up to $3.6 million for the current 2008-2009…
A Friend of Unfair Park who teaches government and history in a school district not named “DISD” sends along this article from Milwaukee. Can’t imagine why. –Robert Wilonsky…
To deal with the projected $84 million budget shortfall the district is facing, superintendent Michael Hinojosa just laid out what he called “prudent, fiscally responsible, feasible” solutions that are “doable right now.” To which he added, “Despite that, they will be painful.” His solutions, however, total only $77 million. He…
Until the feed goes down, you can watch the DISD board of trustees meeting, which just began. Superintendent Michael Hinojosa has just begun discussing “the process” whereby the district will find its missing millions. “It’s not quite finished,” he said, but that “brings us to the end.” Recommendations are forthcoming…
Moments ago on The Dallas Morning News’ DALLAS ISD Blog, Kent Fischer asked the question, “Can the district borrow to fill the budget hole?” He answered it, as well: Yes, as what’s another million in interest, and just think of the goodwill it’ll buy. Alas, “Trustee Garza told me yesterday…
The Dallas Independent School District board of trustees will meet twice today: at their 3 p.m. “financial workshop,” then again for their regularly scheduled 5:30 p.m. meeting. It is the former, of course, that’s of most concern today, as on the agenda is Item No. 3, which reads, “Consideration and…
Not just because his free-wheelin’, pirate-lovin’, pass-happy Texas Tech Red Raiders are up to 10th in the nation this year. I’ve always loved Leach. Way I remember it, I once even endorsed him to be Bill Parcells’ replacement as head coach of the Dallas Cowboys. “Conversate … ”? “Watch her…
Sometime in the last couple of days, the Dallas Independent School District added to its Web site a “Dallas ISD Finances” page, where it lays out those pesky frequently asked questions (as in, “How did the figure rise from $64 million to $84 million?”) and offers answers, more or less,…
