Question #1

1)    What are the three the most positive accomplishments approved by the DISD Board during the past five years of DISD History?  Why were they the most positive and what did they compete with?

Question #2

2)    What are the three greatest mistakes made by the DISD Board during the past five years and why were they the worst?

Question #3

3)    The five years from 2006 to 2011 stand out in DISD History, why?

Since this is a more data centered issue in my opinion, here is my answer to this one:

This was the greatest period of improvement in BOTH the graduation rate and general academic improvement in DISD History!  The academic improvement was reflected in the lowering of the Texas/DISD Student Achievement Gap to the lowest levels in history!

In 2011, for the first time in over 3 decades, the size of the graduation class was over 50% the size of the 9th grade class three years earlier! This progress led to the largest DISD graduation class in 32 years with the Class of 2013. See chart below on the Texas/DISD Student Achievement Gap: 

Question #4

4)   Given the history you identify, what would your goals be as Trustee?

Since I answered this question in several ways in earlier questions, I strongly believe a more complete and timely transparency must be achieved!  DISD should be talking about the data revealed constantly so that actions can be designed to respond to the data revealed, and then be held accountable as these changes are implemented.  I would work to encourage parents at every elementary school in Dallas to study the history of Pk-8 schools both inside Dallas ISD and in the nationwide research.  I would encourage parents to decide if they want their child to attend such a Pk-8 school.  Then work to allow schools to transition to Pk-8 and close middle schools but always have some for those students who want to be in a separate middle school.

DISD must achieve a much more true and timely centering on data! We cannot ignore that schools that have parents writing their child about their dreams for them, and then students writing about their own plans for the future, from 6th grade on, annually, have higher achievement and higher graduation rates.  The focus on the future works!  It also costs next to nothing compared to other academic solutions!

Three Final Questions

5)    How could these past 4 years of DISD history have changed if the Trustees, supporting transparency, had designed a monthly report with the 20+ most critical data items on it reporting on events inside DISD that have never been shared with the public in a timely fashion? This relates to measurements of student performance, student turnover and movement, and teacher movement and resignations. Data in these areas given monthly would have warned Dallas of what was happening within DISD much more quickly.

6)    Would you support such transparency and a Board requirement that a monthly report be designed and mandated by the Board to encourage more public involvement in our schools? 

7)   When the DISD Board is considering a major change generating public debate, would you support public debate events with each side able to present a team for open public questions in front of an audience at a very well-advertised venue?