02/28/2015
Dallas Real Estate News friends - don't forget that I've moved the majority of my content to Heather Guild Group - Living, Loving, Listing Lakewood. Be sure to like/follow the new page for timely and informative information about the real estate market and other issues that may impact your home value. Are you following the DISD Funding Proposal? Here is an excellent article on the package along with even better commentary on the problem and proposed solution from the ever-wise John Franklin Guild. (Who, I'm really proud to call my husband).
"More than one trustee has said they will oppose the plan because Lakewood and Stonewall are just fine. They hint that the "problems" at both schools are just the entitled parents and when pressed, suggest that the issue of which schools are neediest in terms of facilities has never really been studied. I've taken this to mean: (1) those board members want to drive out the last remaining middle-class families to private school with the idea that this will leave more money for the most needy kids (a misguided idea given the relationship between property values and DISD revenue); (2) they refuse to do anything proposed by Miles and don't really care about the need (or worse, want to make this worse until Miles is forced out); or (3) they really don't know how bad the conditions are on the ground at those schools and chose to blindly follow the testing they decry as ineffectual.
The third problem might be attacked through education. Parents, please let the trustees know under no uncertain terms the conditions that exist.
I really have no idea how to deal with the first two problems.
The first really just comes down to us all being in this together. I want to improve public education for everyone. I know the greatest issues are faced by the majority of schools that are in poor areas. I also think that is where the greatest resources in terms of programming and study should be deployed. But that doesn't change the fact that the facilities at Lakewood and Stonewall are among the neediest, and those kids don't deserve to go to school in terrible conditions just because their parents provide ample support outside of school. If the DISD does that, the parents will chose to exit the DISD, public education loses more supporters, and everybody suffers.
Sadly, I think it is the second issue that is now driving everything when it comes to the trustees. I don't know what that has to do with whether my child goes to class in a 40 year old "temporary" portable. But I guess that is the issue, some trustees don't really care about what happens to my kid because they are so focused on their destructive squabbling."
Starting today, for the next eight days, the Dallas ISD board of trustees is going to get an earful (or, more accurately, an eyeful)...
