Dallas Public Schools Has Number One and Number Two Top Public Schools in the Country (Paris: low income, chapel)

[FarNorthDallas]

People, people, people, these two schools are SELECTIVE. You can take the best kids of any district (and you don't even have to live in the district to apply to DISDs magnet schools) and put them anywhere and they will do well.

In recent news of these two schools, parents of current kids are in a panic that the schools may start accepting kids who do well on the standardized tests taken in Spanish, and horrors of horrors their kids may have to go to school with kids who don't speak English.

[BstYet2Be]

Originally Posted by FarNorthDallas

People, people, people, these two schools are SELECTIVE. You can take the best kids of any district (and you don't even have to live in the district to apply to DISDs magnet schools) and put them anywhere and they will do well.

In recent news of these two schools, parents of current kids are in a panic that the schools may start accepting kids who do well on the standardized tests taken in Spanish, and horrors of horrors their kids may have to go to school with kids who don't speak English.

I'm well aware of what a magnet school is... my daughter attended one. The point is, it has to start somewhere. What's the alternative? From my point of view, only good can come from what is learned in setting a standard high enough for students in any district to strive for.

And, unless a person is personally going to be involved in making positive changes in the community and in the school systems, what purpose is served in lambasting those that are dedicated to doing just that?

[fratermus]

Originally Posted by MaryS80

Perhaps the problem isn't DISD curriculum or DISD staff, but the parents and students in under preforming schools?

Heretic. Surely, you will be cast out for your unbelief.

Actually, I had the unfortunate opportunity to do some contractint for DISD and saw how their administration works. It was amazing: sloth, ignorance, and greed on an epic scale.

[nativeDallasite]

Originally Posted by new2sa

Well, I for one, think that it is quite an honor for Dallas. This is no small feat to achieve, especially when most other cities the size of Dallas have thrown up their hands and given up even trying to make any improvements whatsoever in their schools, teaching or curriculums, especially with the exodus to the 'burbs and the loss of money and support that went with it.

It just goes to show you what can happen when people get behind and support the schools and develop programs and environments where students not only are able to learn, but actually excel when doing so.

What has been accomplished needs to be looked upon as a fine example of what can be, not only in DISD, but in all other districts as well. And, unless you're willing to put forth the same efforts as many obviously did to make this happen here, criticism is a mute point. Pointing fingers at what has not been accomplished yet, instead of celebrating what has, serves no positive purpose whatsoever.

As the old saying goes... put your money where your mouth is... it's efforts that make these type things happen... and it takes a community of efforts to set them into action. And, if you're waiting around for "them" to do it, then you've already missed the boat.

The DISD does have a right to be proud of its magnet schools, but it seems to me (and I'm not the only one) that they have thrown up their hands and given up on a lot of their failing schools and are throwing their energy and resources into developing schools that serve only a very small subset of the students in the DISD. My concern is that the development of these magnet schools is coming at the expense of other students, most of them minorities and most of them poor.

When I was a DISD student myself I saw a lot of institutionalized racism in the system and it seems that has not changed one bit. It upsets me and makes me all the more wary of supporting such a system through my tax dollars.

[Lakewooder]

I agree there was a lot of institutionalized racism back in the day. But now, we've had a black and Hispanic superintendent, majority minority boards, etc. The principal at my alma mater is an alumna who is half-Anglo and half-Hispanic. She speaks French, Spanish and English and is the daughter of a physician (also an alum). There are still many more Anglo teachers than any other race, but there are so many more minority teacher than even a few years ago.

The problem I continue to see (someday I hope it will change) is that many black and Hispanic students resist trying to do well in school because it is 'acting white'. I don't if that is prevalent because I have been at schools where the whites are very well-off and are often second, third or even fourth generation at the school. I know there are places where whites do the same thing not wanting to be 'nerds' (my experience in Arlington).

Also time and time again over the last 35 years our PTA has made herculean efforts to attract minority parents to participate. It usually falls woefully short (although it has been better in the last few years as more middle-class and professional minority parents have pitched in) -- but they keep trying.

[nativeDallasite]

Originally Posted by Lakewooder

I agree there was a lot of institutionalized racism back in the day. But now, we've had a black and Hispanic superintendent, majority minority boards, etc. The principal at my alma mater is an alumna who is half-Anglo and half-Hispanic. She speaks French, Spanish and English and is the daughter of a physician (also an alum). There are still many more Anglo teachers than any other race, but there are so many more minority teacher than even a few years ago.

The problem I continue to see (someday I hope it will change) is that many black and Hispanic students resist trying to do well in school because it is 'acting white'. I don't if that is prevalent because I have been at schools where the whites are very well-off and are often second, third or even fourth generation at the school. I know there are places where whites do the same thing not wanting to be 'nerds' (my experience in Arlington).

Also time and time again over the last 35 years our PTA has made herculean efforts to attract minority parents to participate. It usually falls woefully short (although it has been better in the last few years as more middle-class and professional minority parents have pitched in) -- but they keep trying.

And yet the DISD seems to do worse than other urban school districts who face the same issues.

[aceplace]

Originally Posted by nativeDallasite

And yet the DISD seems to do worse than other urban school districts who face the same issues.

Well, you're "begging the question"... two of them, actually.

Is the DISD doing worse than some other urban schools? Probably... is it doing better than others? Probably. Does the DISD face the very same issues as other urban schools? That would be very hard to believe. Each district probably has a unique set of problems. You would have to conduct a rigorous study to find another urban district that was similar enough to DISD to make a fair comparison.

Quite frankly, the results of trying to educate the poor and disadvantaged are going to be less than spectacular... that's what poverty is all about. They say you cannot make a silk purse out of a pig's ear... only out of silk. It is a credit to the DISD that it has something to offer the highly skilled (magnet schools such as the downtown arts magnet), as well as for the marginally talented. Yes, I know... God was not even-handed when He passed out the traits needed for survival and achievement in society.

When a school is trying to win a football championship, they don't pour their resources into training the clumsy to be a little bit better. They search out the very best talent and focus their efforts on those most likely to succeed on the gridiron. True, everybody gets a little PE, but nobody expects a school to make star athletes out of everybody. And this specific example translates into a general rule for one of the roles of a school... to enhance the welfare of society by developing extremely talented individuals. That's how we will cure cancer, develop new technologies to make our lives richer, etc.

The advances in human happiness are made by the exceptional, not by the marginal and mediocre. The DISD educational system can give stars such as Norah Jones, Ericah Badu and Ray Hargrove the training they need to win Grammys, but it cannot train everyone to win a Grammy. If you don't believe me, hire me to sing at your wedding.

[Lakewooder]

Yes nD but the process has been more gradual at other (smaller) districts and was not crammed down their throats by a Highland Park judge (who strangely enough let HP off 'scot-free'). Also we have the highest minority, ESL and economically-disadvantaged percentages.

[nativeDallasite]

Originally Posted by Lakewooder

Yes nD but the process has been more gradual at other (smaller) districts and was not crammed down their throats by a Highland Park judge (who strangely enough let HP off 'scot-free'). Also we have the highest minority, ESL and economically-disadvantaged percentages.

What, higher than LA, Chicago, New York, etc? I find that hard to believe.

However...if that really IS the case, you have to explain the disparity in the city's racial and socioeconomic makeup and the school district's racial and socioeconomic makeup. Why is there such a big difference? Possibly because many middle and upper class (and mostly white) parents turned their backs on the underperforming district years ago and started sending their kids to private school. Until the DISD shapes up, it's not going to get those kids back...but it can keep blaming its sh*tty performance on those factors until the cows come home. Personally I think the district is not fixable and it will only get worse.

[Lakewooder]

Well I was there and saw it first hand -- the whites left at first because of integration (some going to HP and making the home values skyrocket -- was it a plan?). Let's face it many were just as bad as the HP crowd with the 'n' word. Then when scores went down because a lot of black kids which had been in inferior 'separate but equal' schools brought down the scores, the discordant Caucasion cabal had a euphemism to excuse what was mostly racism. A lot of busing which was proposed never really happened. Funny thing, the general public and the suburbs believed then that every DISD student was bused - much like the same people today believe every DISD school is bad.

Fortunately in my area, there was a long and deep love for the schools -- I believe that is what saved us...