James Ragland wrote a column the other day that said (as summarized by his headline writer) that he was against DISD drama but for game-changing ideas in education. And I thought, me too! (Semi-related, things I’m also for: game-changing ideas in politics, religion, space traveling, weight losing, ninja training, tile laying, #longforming, Tim irritating, and gaming.) Ragland then pointed out some game-changing ideas that are to be discussed today in the game-changingest venue one can imagine: a joint DISD-City Council task force meeting.
Now, I’m all for making the city more accountable in fixing DISD’s problems. (Thus, the 10k-plus words I spilled over on Learning Curve in making suggestions to the Home Rule Commission, some of which dealt directly with ways to make Dallas and the other 15 cities that DISD touches have more skin in the game. But that ship has sailed.) But I also want to make sure the city is focusing on helping in ways that make sense. So I just wanted to provide a little context for today’s meeting.
According to Ragland, the Dunning group says it wants Dallas to pony up for pre-K:
Dunning acknowledges, for instance, that everyone’s talking about the need to expand pre-K, and DISD has begun taking steps to do that on its own.
But what the committee is proposing is not just offering more pre-K, but providing more training for pre-K teachers and partnering with community colleges and universities to certify pre-K teachers.
Funding, of course, is a big obstacle, and the committee recommends that local leaders not only lobby for more state and federal funding but come up with more local money to pay for the initiative.
“The idea,” Dunning explained, “was to not just get DISD behind this but all of Dallas.”
That’s all well and good. But where have I heard that before? Oh, right! In the 99-page proposal Alan Cohen, the district’s pre-K chief, gave to the school board in November (and which he has mentioned at least four times at pre-K events I’ve attended since then). The 30 things that need to be done for transformative, quality pre-K are summarized in a chart on page 16, which is at the top of this post. So, yes, thanks, those are great suggestions. I understand if Ragland didn’t see this. The paper never reported on it.
What else ya got!?
Just as intriguing is the committee’s call for a “coherent parent engagement strategy” and its proposal to get more nonprofits, private schools and faith-based organizations to adopt elementary schools.
That is intriguing! But where have I heard this before? Oh, right, when I talk to employees from nonprofits, private schools, and faith-based organizations who currently do this. Now, because the people at DISD are impossibly patient and kind, when I asked the director of this area for some current numbers, she wanted to make clear that they welcome welcome welcome people telling them to do what they’ve already been doing. [My phrasing, not hers.] Here is in fact what she said:
Destination 2020 holds engaging the community as one of the four most important segments of our long range plan.
We are so appreciative of the partnerships and volunteers we have but ALWAYS need more. Long range our goal is for each school to have a variety of committed, meaningful community relationships.Where we stand now:
• Volunteer program includes opportunities for tutoring, mentoring and career-awareness activities
• Reading tutoring program in place for all elementary schools
• More than 210 partners have formally committed to support the district and district schools with resources
• More than half of our partner groups are organizations (non profit or faith-based)
• An additional 1,750 have made contributions of funds, materials or other resources (last year totaled about $12 million in resources and volunteer time)Currently, our Partnership Clearinghouse is reviewing information from about a dozen entities interested in “adopting” a school or several schools or in providing resources to a district department.
Those who are interested in partnership with a school, department or the district as whole, or who are interested in volunteering, please review information at http://www.dallasisd.org/volunteers, or email [email protected] or [email protected], or phone 972-925-5440.
I’m putting this information on FrontBurner instead of Learning Curve because LC readers already know this stuff. They know that spending time talking about doing things that are obviously being done is silly. As councilman Adam Medrano says in the post, and as trustee Dan Micciche has said repeatedly, the best thing the city can do right now is to help provide after-school facilities and services, lobby for more money for pre-K, and fund libraries. Meeting adjourned.
