Talk DISD Live
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STORY OF THE DAY
Justin Henry
Dallas attorney says Superintendent Mike Miles encouraged him to run against Bernadette Nutall
A Dallas attorney says that Superintendent Mike Miles encouraged him this month to run against trustee Bernadette Nutall in the May election.
Justin Henry said that Miles asked him about his interest in the District 9 seat and offered to help him better understand DISD and the area that school board seat represents. Henry said he was stunned by Miles’ inquiry.
“He asked me about my interest in running for the District 9 trustee seat. My immediate response was, ‘I just met you a few minutes ago,’” Henry, 32, said in an interview. “Recruiting is a strong word, but encouraging would be accurate.”
He added: “It’s a fair to ask that question but it was surprising to come from the superintendent, who I just met.”
Miles said Tuesday that he only offered to meet with Henry because he was told Henry might want to learn more about the district. Miles said he didn’t encourage Henry to run or offer to help him. Miles said “there was confusion” about how the meeting came about.
“I asked him if he wanted to know anything about the district,” Miles said. “It wasn’t about Bernadette; It was about education.”
Miles and Nutall, who is one of his nine bosses on the school board, have been at odds almost since the superintendent arrived in DISD in July 2012. Last month, Miles ordered three DISD police officers to remove Nutall from a middle school in her district. He forwarded three complaints he received about Nutall after that event to the district’s legal department, which hired an outside attorney to investigate.
Henry said that Miles’ assistant, DeeDee Rodriguez, set up the meeting in mid-November at a coffee shop. Henry said that he had seen Miles at events but never had a detailed conversation with him until their meeting. He said they spent between 30 minutes and an hour talking about education — and a few minutes about his interest in running for office.
Miles mentioned the District 9 race twice during their conversation, Henry said. And Miles brought it up the last time as they left the coffee shop.
“He said, “It is important whether it is [trustee Mike] Morath or someone else, they should have someone running against them and have a contested election,’” Henry said.
Morath, who represents parts of East and North Dallas, has won both of his elections unopposed.
Miles said Tuesday that he doesn’t remember saying anything about uncontested school board elections. “I remember saying something about Justin having a good future and ‘hope you stay involved,’” Miles said.
Henry said that Miles’ last comment irked him and prompted him to send the superintendent about their meeting. The email was obtained by The Dallas Morning News.
“I must say that I did not expect to be asked about any interest I may have in the District 9 trustee seat/race. I assumed that our conversation would touch on many things related to education, but not that…especially since this was the first time that I have had a conversation with you,” he wrote. “My first thought was that I do not think this is an appropriate question for a first-time meeting or from the Superintendent.”
Miles responded to Henry’s email about 40 minutes later and said he thought Henry asked to meet. “With regard to running for elected office, I had heard that you were considering running and that you might have questions about the initiatives of the District or how the team has operated. I apologize if this was not communicated. I actually thought that you had wanted to meet with me,”
Henry responded: “As I stated, when DeeDee from your office called me to set up the meeting I was surprised and had no idea what you wanted to meet about.”
Nutall, who hasn’t publicly announced yet whether she plans to run for a third term in May 2015, has mentored Henry the past three years and appointed him to two DISD committees. Henry said he is passionate about education and still considering whether to run for the board.
“There are people who know I am passionate about education and educational equity,” he said.
To review the email exchange between Justin Henry and Mike Miles, click here.
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Why are schools required to go without supplies, while Miles brags about a surplus of money in the bank? -
The schools in Binghams area are appalling. She needs to quite playing lap dog to Miles and actually look out after her schools. You can go to other poor parts of the city, and the schools look great. Not Binghams, her schools are a disgrace. Nancy, your job is not to pant after Miles, you are supposed to be an advocate for the children in your area.
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Why is Miles so nonchalant about making changes to the school district, even when parents are insisting? When he came into Dallas and made all these disastrous changes, it was rush, rush. He and Rawlings kept insisting that there was a sense of urgency to make changes. Everything had to be done, now.
Now that these foolish endeavors are shown to be what they are, and the populace feels the urgency to make changes for the children's benefit, it is "let's not rush this." Really, now that the taxpayers are pushing back against the fake, faux reform, it is turtle time?
He says he will have the in house TEI experts look into it next year. Who is he kidding? The "experts" are nothing more than shanghaied teachers, who do not have a say about anything to do with TEI. They are nothing but window dressing, so Miles can say that the teachers have decided things. The teachers I have talked to say questions go unanswered, and suggestions are ignored. These so called "experts" are a sham, just like the rest of the p4p scheme.
And Miles says, let's give it time. Let's give the ACP tests time while the children lose six weeks of learning. Let's give it time while the students are over tested in art, music and PE. Let's give it time while we continue to suck the joy, creativity and innovation out of the courses that are designed to give the children experience and enjoyment. Miles wants to give it time so he can continue with the destruction of the district. So Miles, the time is now to make these requested changes, not put off for later, now. -
No toilet paper for kids at ours school. Teachers responsible for buying. Roll has to be kept outside of kids restroom. Active roll is kept in larger ziploc bag in file cabinet. Kids roll off amount needed before going. They decide on how many squares it’s going to take. Yes, life in DISD.
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Dallas ISD and AP Success: Reading Between the Lines disdblog.com/2014/12/05/dal… #talkDISDby DFPE.ORG via twitter 12/6/2014 3:02:28 AM -
No paper towels and hand soap at my school. We were told that the district did not provide enough money to purchase hand soap and paper towels. The solution...bring your own hand soap and paper towels to school or suffer not having soap to wash and dry your hands. Miles and his cronies are corrupted and serial psychopath liers. Where is the money Miles bragged about?
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Miles has no spine that is why he left his family to stay put and continue to lie to the tax payers of dallas while getting his whooper free millon dollar monthly checks. Flunkie Freddie drives him around daily to do nothing while his cronies in the office take the heat for him.
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Mr. Miles when will you have the courage to come speak to the concerned parents of Dade. Tweet that.
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Yet again more changes from the top. First we were told to script everything on TEI for teachers so that we can measure it correctly. Also make sure you write comments so that there is enough feedback. We ask that scoring not be a determinant so that we could concentrate on feedback more. Now we are given the option to not score it, make sure to write comments and Miles mentioned that they never said we had to script. What is going on? We go to meeting after meeting and each time we get there we hear him downplay things but then we get to feeder sessions and we are lambasted for not doing it. Who do we listen to? No wonder some of us look like fools to the staff because we say one thing and then read on media that that's not it. Teachers those of us who are in support of you are trying. There are plenty who are kissing up and we see that a lot at our meetings. I for one am not kissing up to anyone. At this point I am going to concentrate on making sure students learn and take the heat for my teachers so they can teach. The only way is just to smile when they come visit, make up and excuse and move on. I know the survey will reflect how teachers feel about everything because even when we try to have positive climate we cant control what comes from the top and ruin it all. -
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Dallas has not had a reading plan since Miles came in and did away with many valuable services. Before Miles, the district went to great lengths to train all teachers in reading. Dallas always had a good reading plan, with highly effective professional development. Now days we are all still stuck on staff development that is all about writing the perfect DOL. Students reading levels have dropped. It used to be that most children were reading in Kindergarten. Miles does not know anything about reading, so it is pushed in a corner.
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I went to another brainless training today where we learned of a new directive coming from the person over the ED's. No more SMALL groups in reading. ONLY direct instruction and NO using anything other than Journeys. No Kamico. No Test Prep. What the hell is going on? This is insanity to the tenth degree.
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There are multiple problems in DISD! Call in tomorrow morning and share you comments about them!
Tomorrow, 12-6-14, from 9 to 10 AM, I will be on Gene Lantz's show at KNON 89.3 FM to talk about DISD and the damage over the past 29 months under Mike Miles. Study the data at www.dallasisd.us or just have your own concerns, and call in with comments or questions: 972-647-1893.
You may also email questions or comments any time before the end of the show to bbetzen@aol.com and we will try to get them on and/or answer questions. Let us know if we can use your name or not. -
Tomorrow morning, Saturday, 12-6-14, from 9 to 10 AM, I will be on Gene Lantz's show at KNON 83.9 FM to talk about DISD and the damage over the past 29 months under Mike Miles. Study the data at www.dallasisd.us and call in with questions: 972-647-1893. You may also email questions any time before the end of the show to bbetzen@aol.com and we will try to answer them. -
Tomorrow morning, Saturday, 12-6-14, from 9 to 10 AM, I will be on Gene Lantz's show at KNON 83.9 FM to talk about DISD and the damage over the past 29 months under Mike Miles. Study the data at www.dallasisd.us and call in with questions: 972-647-1893. You may also email questions any time before the end of the show to bbetzen@aol.com and we will try to answer them.
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In March of 2012 Fordham Institute published the study by Mr. Mike Miles with Ellen Belcher about pay for performance that you can find online at www.danagoldstein.com
It is an exceptionally interesting study that has only been cited 5 times during the well over 2 years since publication. In the middle of page three is the following paragraph:
Mike, a former U.S. State Department diplomat and Army Ranger, has been superintendent in Harrison since 2006. Just two years into the implementation of the district’s pay-for-performance plan, he is the first to say that he can’t prove that the plan alone is driving Harrison’s successes. (The district’s most recent average ACT scores were up more than one full point over the previous year; one elementary school’s third grade scored 100 percent proficient on Colorado’s state reading test.)
I have read many studies and listened to many people speak about Mike Miles and constantly mention this one point increase in ACT scores as reason to believe his methods work. This is the first such mention I have seen that pinpoints that increase to a one year time period in the years immediately before the Class of 2012. This is interesting due to the rapid decrease in 12th grade enrollment as Harrison appeared to have been increasingly strict with students on performance issues. The Class of 2010 has a 12th grade enrollment of 727. The Class of 2011 had a 12th grade enrollment of 595. By the Class of 2012 the 12th grade enrollment had fallen to 531. During this same year many Harrison students are reported to have transferred to District 11 to the north of Harrison. There the ACT scores went down during this time.
Was there an open effort to move low scoring students out of Harrison School District Two? You can see the data at schoolarchiveproject.blogspot.com -
It would be very interesting to hear what Greiner parents discussed and experienced with Miles...hint, hint
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Tawnell, when will the climate survey results be made public?
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I am totally disgusted with the direction in which the district is heading. It doesn't take rocket science to figure out that Mike Miles is tearing down the DISD with his ineffective strategies, bullying tactics, total disregard for others, and unethical behavior. It's time for the BOT to be replaced along with him. This is ridiculous and sad because the children are suffering the most. What are they going to do when the rest of the good teachers jump ship? Oh, I know, Mike Miles and his puppets can teach all the students since they know so much. Not!!!
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What is happening at Dade? Are the campus instructional coaches and academic facilitators making a difference? What is the new administration doing? Is the campus different?
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Dallas ISD first grader's wish to become a teacher comes true share.d-news.co/OFjLAHc #talkdisdby Tawnell via twitter 12/5/2014 5:57:03 PM -
I propose hosting an engaging conversations at an IR campus such as Spruce HS with your appointed third time's a charm (read - flunking Principal) and staff because of which that are soon to be out the door and see how nice a conversation is had with parents about moving DISD forward - and then post your engaging comments here.
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I notice Mr. Floyd tweets what he thinks and not what others know. The things I've been hearing about Greiner is not positive. BTW Mr. Floyd, you didn't tweet a thing when you raided Dade. This is what you should have tweeted: "Enjoyed raiding Dade this morning and having a Trustee thrown out and moving forward to raid the next campus very soon."
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Enjoyed speaking to @dallasschools parents this morning at Greiner and having an engaging discussion about moving Dallas ISD forward.by Mike Miles via twitter 12/5/2014 2:37:59 PM -
We made sure we answered every single climate survey question with 100% honesty. Stupid-Intendent Miles will be conducting another raid and a 3 Stooges pick up people and throw out us out the front door on our @$$ in front of the students like he did at Dade. Better bring a donut pillow, that will hurt. Because we will have ALL RED X'es.
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Thanks for making my color blind child feel like a failure on the art test. Wish I had known about these tests when we bought our house. We are leaving this district.
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@Diane Birdwell, I can tell you where the principals have been. The old timers have been trying to fight back and treat teachers as professionals, students with dignity. The new ones are kissing butt. But I think we have gotten to the point to where we can no longer try to make sure this sinking ship stays afloat. We are tired. We have great people as teachers that could be even greater without all this stress. Mike Miles has created a collasall mess.
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I have a question for all the concerned parents... for all the ones who say their kids are crying about ACPs and stress related to testing...
WHERE WERE YOU ALL WHEN WE TEACHERS WARNED THE CITY ABOUT THIS?
Hmmmm? You know, all the board meetings and public meetings and such, when a handful of us kept warning everyone what would happen if this scheme went into effect?
Same for the principals and teachers... Where have you all been? NOW, you notice problems? NOW?
Let me know when you all have grown backbones. THEN, maybe, we can get some things changed. -
Let's examine the 1st grade rubric for the writing ACP. It will be an exercise in "evidence-based writing." In order to meet the standards the student is expected, among other things, to "support the points made with relevant, accurate textual evidence" and "include sentences that are reasonably varied and adequately controlled." She must demonstrate a command of "transitions and sentence-to-sentence connections that are sufficient to support the flow of the writing."
The student must "include handwriting that is mostly legible" and "include spelling that is accurate for some grade level words." -
As an artist I am appalled that youg children are subjected to the testing that is going on in Dallasisd. Children should be able to enjoy the act of creating, not having to memorize the elements of Art and the principles of design. As an artist, when I create, I do not create to have my artwork reduced to these theories. As an artist, I want people to enjoy the work, not worry about my color scheme or intent. Art is to be enjoyed, as it is being taught in Dallasisd, it is a chore. Creativity is fun, the children should be allowed to experience it, instead of having to take Introduction to Art 101.
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Any fool can see the whole LO, DOL, MRS, spot observation thing is a failure led by someone who has minimal experience actually teaching kids in the classroom but is a politician that has sold himself as an "expert" that other fools have bought into. Witness the countless other "experts" who serve as principals and EDs with nothing more than an ego and an online doctorate degree. As history shows, there is no teacher like experience. Yet this administration advocates going the other direction. When is the stupidity going to end? -
Huge thanks to the principals who are speaking out here to confirm what we all know - that Miles deliberately mandates a brutal climate of inconsistencies. The climate surveys should set some new record lows, unless the very large amount of new teachers who are just grateful to be able to get paid while getting certified or having student loans paid off are afraid or lack the knowledge of the field to realize how severe situations have become.
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Another thing about the p4p, also mislabeled TEI (there is no excellence measured with this)is that even by beating the stacked odds, a teacher makes it toward the top, what guarantee is there that the district will pay up?? Before Miles put this little game in play, teachers were supposed to be paid step increases every few years. This was a board approved pay scale. When Miles came, we were denied the step increases every year. Miles failed to follow through on a plan that was already in place. Miles has proven to be a liar and a man without honor. Who is to say that the district will pay up on the ones that win this pay scheme lottery?
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All year admin has been emphasizing the need to write up teachers who aren't submitting lesson plans and the lesson plans have to be sufficiently detailed to the point where I waste time re-wording them. They have been telling us to write up teachers who aren't using MRS strategies every 10 minutes. I was told that teachers aren't allowed to sit to teach. They need to be up and constantly engaged with students. I had to get a special exception for guided reading groups after I explained why the standing wouldn't work. I was told that students aren't allowed any transition time once in the classroom and that my teachers needed to be teaching from the minute the students hit the door until the minute the students left. I was told that my teachers needed to have the lesson material out and ready to go--no chatting or idle time in the classroom. We were told "no coloring" allowed and no lights out and no doors closed and so many inane micromanaging rules that we have spent a large part of 2 years reviewing rules and regulations and policies with our teachers and staff. I am now at a loss about what is actually required and what we can let go. I am sick of micromanaging my teachers and staff. I am sick of the negativity that permeates the district. Trust me, I know the teachers have it hard, but the principals are threatened and cajoled and berated too. We are generating large amounts of data too.
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Microsoft's lesson on what not to do with teachers wapo.st/15cFEcX #talkDISDby DFPE.ORG via twitter 12/5/2014 3:16:01 AM
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I agree with the principal that stated that besides being stressed we are going crazy with what is said in word and then what is said at meetings. suddenly the change and no communication given rather we find out from the media. We have been told over and over check plans, write up teachers for not turning them in. Teachers can't get a break, if someone walks by and they are not up and around they assume no teaching happening. more work added and no relief in sight. my teachers are working hard everyday and then something changes in the middle of the game and we all stress because we don't want a bad evaluation but most importantly we care about our kiddos. We are more compliant on this one size fits all system. I agree that the system is geared to make it impossible to reach more pay. Just look at how one year principal at TAG made exemplary with no experience but because the kids do well all of a sudden he is better than everyone else. MOst of us will never reach exemplary because the numbers are stacked against us. Let's be real about the whole process. WE can work tirelessly but many will not reach it because of the complexity of it. I hope not to loose my teachers but I don't blame them. -
What a difference a principal makes and a new regime! As a teacher at Spence, I am thrilled with the receptiveness of Dr. Whigham! Most of us have PTSS...her leadership and quick response to ANY problem are spot on...pun intended. Shout out to Dr. Barrett and Mrs. Briscoe! Hornet Pride!