OPINION

Re: "We protest teardowns," by Glenn Straus, and "School windows need repair," by Frances James, Saturday Letters.

Straus made the assertion that Dallas ISD plans to tear down the existing Adamson High School. As the district has stated on numerous occasions, there are no plans to do so.

James' letter raised concerns that school renovations promised during the 2008 bond program, particularly at Long Middle School, have yet to be made.

At its board meeting this week, trustees are set to approve contracts with several different vendors to begin Phase I of renovations at approximately 19 schools, so construction is about to begin with the bond program.

Long Middle School is slated to receive approximately $3.7 million in upgrades and renovations, including new windows, during Phase II of the bond program, which is currently in the design stage.

It should also be noted that if a window is broken in a classroom, the district's maintenance department responds immediately to repair it.

I have a file that goes back five years containing correspondence I have written to DISD trustees and the superintendent before and after the 2008 bonds for the schools were approved.

The panes are falling out of the windows at J.L. Long Middle School and other schools. We voters approved the bonds nearly two years ago, but I am unable to get a reply from anyone as to when the work to maintain the schools will begin. What is the money being used for?

DISD has wasted millions of taxpayers' money, and the heating and air-conditioning bills must be out of sight. Why are they allowed to neglect the maintenance of schools, when the children and teachers are sitting in cold classrooms? Who is in charge?

Re: "Cold in the classroom," by Jacquelyn Hatton, Monday Letters.

Greiner Middle School is not the only school in DISD where there are complaints about the nonworking heating units in portable classrooms. This is not only outrageous; it is, in effect, child abuse. Children can be locked into a classroom without heat on a winter day, and they will have to stay in that classroom no matter how cold they are and no matter how it affects them physically. They are captives, and aside from the rare teacher, like the one who wrote this letter, the children have no one to advocate for them.

Do the parents nowadays care nothing for the welfare of their children? Are teachers and administrators so scared that they might lose their jobs that they will tolerate this kind of abuse from DISD?

This is one of the few situations where I agree that we need a zero tolerance policy. My tolerance for this kind of egregious behavior by DISD is definitely zero.

When I walk out of my classroom, which is in one of the many portables at DISD's Greiner Middle School, I don't have to put my coat on. Neither do my students. We already have them on, plus gloves, coats and scarves. The thermostat is set to 70 degrees and registers at 59 degrees.

It feels colder. When my last class started to shiver, I found a warmer room.

Greiner is a great school. We focus on our students and tests, which come up next week. How do I teach and the students learn when it is this uncomfortable? I know it was reported earlier to downtown, but it's still cold.

Please, warm us up.

Re: "How do teachers grade schools? Scores vary, but some elite campuses have dismal atmospheres," Tuesday news story.

This is another DISD way of trying to find that silver bullet that does not exist. The entire Dallas community needs to be furious, not about the ratings, but about the money wasted on this survey that means absolutely nothing.

Will someone please look into the amount of money that these ex-superintendents are making to talk to the teachers and principals? These consultants have been raking in the bucks for years doing fluff talks.

There is no consistency with any instructional assessment to the organizational health scores. Many recognized schools had low scores and many low-performing schools had high organizational health scores.

It is clear that DISD continues to waste taxpayer money.

Re: "Plenty in DISD to cheer about -- We should celebrate success even as we lament setbacks, says Todd Williams," Monday Viewpoints.

Williams posits meaningful, fact-based progress is occurring at DISD and points to the increase in school rankings, the success of charter schools and the hiring of Teach for America teachers.

Here are some facts Williams left out:

-- The number of exemplary and recognized schools has increased, not because of educational gains, but because the standards have been lowered.

-- Although successes in charter programs are to be found, so are abysmal failures. Henry Braun and colleagues at the Educational Testing Service found that, after controlling for student demographics, student test scores in reading and math in charter schools were lower, on average, than those for students in regular public schools.

-- Teach for America teachers sign a two-year agreement and participate in a five-week training course. They are not four-year graduates in education with the classroom experience they would normally receive as part of their degree. These are not the teachers I want for my children.

I do agree with Williams on one point: This is not easy work, but it can be done.

It's very difficult to be sympathetic with Plano concerning their school boundaries.

In the '70s, Oak Cliff was going through this. It was never said to be "racist," but we knew people wanted schools that only "their kind" attended. Look what happened.

People moved in droves to Midlothian, Cedar Hill, Mansfield, Grapevine, Plano, or anywhere the schools were not racially mixed.

I stuck with Oak Cliff and have a beautiful home. Most of the people are older now and schools are no longer a factor. If everyone would just stay, our schools could gradually become diverse and everyone would live happily ever after! (You believe that!)

Re: "Church to make way for school -- Preservationists decry DISD plan to demolish building for new Adamson High site," Saturday news story.
In the past, generations of Dallas residents were educated in Dallas schools. Along with their accomplishments, the city grew and became a magnet for people relocating from less desirable areas of the country. Although, some may disagree with that statement, just ask the next person you see if he or she was born in Dallas.
The history of Dallas neighborhoods and its people could be a lesson for DISD officials and others who continue to tear down, or allow deterioration of, old structures that could be used to enhance older neighborhoods.
Adamson and the Oak Cliff Christian Church building must not be demolished. Both should be restored and used for nonprofits that would be of benefit to present and future Dallas generations. Adamson should not have the same fate that the old Crozier Tech building had.

I went to Adamson High School; my father went to Adamson. We both had some of the same teachers. Why should anyone now living outside of Oak Cliff care what happens to Oak Cliff when there is nothing left of our roots?

The old beautiful building that was the library is gone. Dallas is too willing to tear down buildings that mean so much to so many people. Tear Adamson down, and I don't care if the rest of Oak Cliff blows away.

After reading the articles published by The Dallas Morning News relating to the reasons for my dismissal as head boys basketball coach at Skyline High School, I felt compelled to respond. Although the outpouring of support expressed in the hundreds of e-mails, calls and letters I have received since my dismissal have been very gratifying, I believe my career and reputation have been unfairly portrayed.

I believe it is important to set the record straight: The allegations were false and unfounded. The district's own investigator called them inconclusive.

First, with regard to the basketball program at Skyline for the past 33 years - yes, I have had strict rules, but to suggest that I have used racial slurs is completely false. Racial slurs are not tolerated by anyone in the basketball program, including myself. As far as "strict rules," there are indeed expectations with regard to structure and organization, which include punctuality, attendance, manners, respect, appropriate attire and behavior. I make no apology for these rules. I believe it is part of my responsibility to prepare the young men I have coached for the world beyond high school.

Second, the alleged complaint lodged by a disgruntled parent suggesting that I "pocketed money for skills workshops and guaranteed spots on the team for participating athletes" is completely false. During my tenure, I was never made aware of any such complaint or given the opportunity to respond to any such complaint. I have had the privilege of coaching scores of hardworking student athletes for over 38 years on the way to achieving 700 career wins. To suggest that I would ever guarantee roster positions to undeserving players is preposterous.

Third, there has never been a "phony booster club with paying members." The Hoopster Boosters has always been an informal group of family and close friends, along with a few parents. Some parents of players who have gone through our program in the past have supported the program, and the monies that were given to Skyline High School were turned in to the business office. Skyline High School has records of the donations.

Finally, the saddest aspect of what has transpired for me has been the apparent effort to hurt me by smearing my son. My son is a highly regarded basketball trainer. He did conduct camps, and all camps were legal and conducted within the guidelines of the UIL. I have never taken any money from any camp, and in fact, my son has provided free tuition and instruction for many underprivileged kids over the years. In fact, the last camp, which was held in 2007, was free. The paperwork for any camps that were conducted was turned in and approved. When we were made aware that the District rented the facilities in question, we stopped using them.

Despite the recent turn of events, I still value many fond memories from my years of loyal service with the DISD. I still struggle with the fact that if there had been concerns and issues as alleged, it seems rather unusual that those concerns and issues were not brought to me before my dismissal. However, at the end of the day, I stand on my record of professionalism and integrity built over 38 years. I stand on the ongoing legacy of over 38 years of being a positive influence in the lives of countless students and athletes that have gone on to be successful and responsible citizens.

Re: "An education innovator should be recognized -- Tom Luce's work continues to make Texas better, says Peter O'Donnell Jr.," Tuesday Viewpoints.

Luce most certainly is deserving. However, O'Donnell himself is a giant. His contributions to the AP Incentive Program have challenged so many underprivileged students in Dallas schools who might never have even thought of attending college.

The 72 percent increase in AP exams passed by minority students is unbelievable, and O'Donnell's generosity in incentive money and AP teacher training has made this possible.

Re: "Report on coach makes a bad break worse," by James Ragland, Tuesday Metro column.
Eight years ago, a friend of mine referred me to a basketball trainer for my son. His name was Jason Mayo.
To this day, my son says Jason was the best coach he ever had. I trusted Jason then to take care of my son, and I would still trust him. I have watched Jason train kids of all ages. He trained those who couldn't afford it for free.
Jason doesn't ride anyone's coattail. I met Jason long before I met his dad. I think it's a shame that after 38 years of service to the Dallas school system that J.D. Mayo has to go through what he is going through.
DISD got rid of him. Now it should let it go.
To Jason and Coach Mayo, the people who know you know what kind of people you are. The others don't matter.

Re: "Candidates facing formidable dichotomy -- District 1's students are largely Latino, and voters largely Anglo," Thursday news story.

Kyle Renard's assessment that she can't tell parents it's not risky to put children in DISD schools only proves that she is not competent to represent District 1 in the upcoming DISD board race. As a long-time parent volunteer in District 1, I have witnessed great things.

Renard's assessment displays a reckless disregard for the type of thoughtful deliberation that is required for the culturally and academically diverse student population that makes up District 1. I'll be supporting Edwin Flores on Nov. 3.

Re: "Trustees accused of meeting boycott -- Only 4 came to session that could have led to Hinojosa reprimand," Friday news story.

Thank you to DISD trustees Lew Blackburn, Jerome Garza, Leigh Ann Ellis and Adam Medrano for attending Thursday's board meeting.

The possible "boycotting" by the five other members, whose votes might have resulted in reprimanding our superintendent and others for recent inappropriate staff actions, is noted.

We appreciate the fact that those who attended the meeting apparently take the school district's decisions seriously. Please continue to exhibit careful vigilance, both financially and academically.

Re: "DISD superintendent may face reprimand -- Administrator's raise added to agenda by mistake, Hinojosa says," Tuesday news story.

The DISD superintendent may not be the only one who needs a reprimand. Did the school board not know what they were voting on? With all the talk about Congress not reading bills before voting on them -- isn't that what happened here? Board president Adam Medrano, whose job is to help set the agenda, should know what is on the agenda.

Board members should know the exact agenda they're voting on before the vote -- including any revisions at the last minute.

Re: "$300,000 expense OK'd -- Trustees approve newsletters despite concerns about timing," Saturday news story.
So these $300,000 newsletters are supposed to tout DISD and school board members accomplishments?
I just attended my fifth-grader's DISD open house and listened to the teacher explain how she couldn't return our e-mails from weeks ago because her Windows 98 computer still wasn't connected to the Internet.
I wonder how many computers with technology from this millennium $300K could buy.

Re: "Schools may be named for Obama, justice," Friday news story.

DISD, please give us a break. President Barack Obama and Sonia Sotomayor do not deserve to have schools named after them at this time.

They have not spent enough time in office to have earned the right to have schools named after them. Let them prove themselves worthy first, then reward them.

Re: "Adamson deserves the best," by Jerome Garza, Saturday Letters.

DISD Trustee Jerome Garza wrote this about the W.H. Adamson High School building, "The foundation has continued shifting ... which has resulted in considerable and mounting damage."

He says this while the July 8 cover letter of the DISD engineer's structural study clearly states "the front facade was the only portion of the building with obvious structural problems."

If you were to tour the interior and exterior of W.H. Adamson High School, you would see a building in remarkably good condition, solidly built of plastered concrete walls that have served students well for many years. It makes no sense to tear down this historic structure and replace it with brick veneer and gypsum board.

We agree that Adamson students deserve the best educational environment possible. It would be a disservice to the students if the interior of the restored original building is not brought up to 21st century standards. We believe this can be accomplished best by the retention and interior renovation of the original building. It is, after all, a place where generations have learned and should continue to do so.

Re: "Official urges ban on hiring dropouts -- TEA seeks businesses' help after criticism of how state reports graduation rates," Friday news story.

With a public education system that is already failing many Texas families, Texas State Education Commissioner Robert Scott wants to fail these families again.

Instead of diminishing the opportunities of young people who have opted out of our public schools, we should be doing what we can to support them and transform them into more productive members of society.

We can reduce the number of dropouts, not by punishing those who have dropped out, but by attacking the problem at its root. We must take greater preventative action starting in elementary schools, instilling in students the importance of graduating and attending college.

We must explore new approaches to improving academic performance such as developing community-based tutoring and mentoring programs at every Texas public school. Under no circumstances should we follow Scott's suggestion and make a bad problem worse by punishing those who have dropped out.

Education has the power to change lives, fortunes, and the future of an entire community. As a longtime mentor to Dallas ISD students, I know we can do better. Please join me in becoming a mentor and helping those young Texans who need us most.

There have been many changes at W.H. Adamson High School, and we are very proud of them. The school has shown such solid academic improvement that it's set to earn the Texas Education Agency's recognized designation.

The students and teachers who are hard at work in this school, continually striving to improve, deserve changes that will make their environment even more conducive to learning at high levels. That is what the plans in the Dallas ISD 2008 Bond Program call for: a new campus worthy of the school's academic effort.

Since the current building was constructed, the foundation has continued shifting due to expansive soils, which has resulted in considerable and mounting damage. The district adopted Corgan Associates' recommendation to reconstruct the 1915 building and the 1925 auditorium. In accordance with U.S. Department of the Interior's acceptable recommendations for preservation of historic buildings, many architectural elements will be used in the new building, including existing brick, cut stone and wooden moldings.

The school will maintain its 1915 look on 9th Street and other historical features but will provide students with state-of-the-art facilities worthy of their hard work and dedication. They and generations to come deserve the best school the Dallas ISD can provide.

Re: "Scores plunge on retest -- Now writing results at Lang raise suspicions," Thursday news story.

The article on the Lang Middle School students who had to retake the TAKS test quotes DISD Superintendent Michael Hinojosa as saying that the passing rates weren't an accurate indicator of student performance because the kids were on summer break for a month.

If kids can't remember what they were taught for one month, I question if they were taught at all. And this statement from the superintendent, no less. Shameful!

Re: "Greenhouse wary of school's growth -- DISD sees next-door business as option for new O.M. Roberts," Sunday news story.

Losing Vickery Wholesale Greenhouse due to eminent domain to rebuild DISD's O.M. Roberts elementary school would have a great economic impact.

Literally hundreds of jobs would be at stake if the interior landscaping industry with hundreds of employees, designers and florists were to lose the source of the products we require to do our work.

Vickery is a singular business in a state-of-the-art facility. Probably 95 percent of the large palms and plants you see in malls and building lobbies have arrived in Dallas through Vickery's dock doors. Hundreds of businesses require Vickery's products to fulfill their contract obligations, pay our employees and collect the resulting sales taxes.

A much better option would be to expand in the other direction by eliminating the small cut-off road on the north side and relocating the car wash. This option would save the city the millions of dollars required to dismantle the excellent resource we have in Vickery.

Re: "Two schools of thought -- As DISD considers new building for Adamson, preservationists seek restoration, landmark status," Wednesday news story.

The Adamson building has been modified several times since it was built. The administration and board have already agreed to reconstruct the front facade to the original 1915 design using the bricks, stonework, etc., from the current structure. The existing facility continues to require repairs every year, and foundation repair building is questionable long term.

Lawsuits and legal proceedings will only delay a new school that the students of Adamson need today. I support the district, Dallas ISD trustee Jerome Garza and Adamson principal Rawly Sanchez in their plans to build a new state-of-the-art school from the ground up, while re-creating the original design of the school. I believe Mr. Adamson would have agreed.

Re: "DISD approves budget -- Trustees question expansion of Academic Success Program, but push to amend plan rejected," Friday Metro.

The academic year 2008 to 2009 began with DISD in a financial hole, resulting in the loss of several hundred teachers. The year ended with staffing cuts at the magnet schools and learning centers, all in the name of equality.

In recent weeks, we have read about the Academic Success Program supposedly targeting disadvantaged students. The reality is that top students were recruited regardless of their economic status or parents' education and the program served less than 300 students. ASP is on board again next year at an increased cost of over $2 million.

I fail to see equality or fiscal responsibility reflected in these decisions.

The city of Dallas and Mayor Tom Leppert are doing a great job of hitting the city budget issue head-on. They realized early on that tax revenues would fall and the budget would have a deficit, so they did what most politicians wouldn't do. They went public. They released a detailed proposed budget and then asked for input.

Dallas is a good city, but to become a great city, it needs a public school system that works. Frankly, I am hoping beyond hope that Leppert's budget initiatives become a model for the DISD trustees to follow.

While my grandson spent a productive year at Lakewood Elementary, he did not meet all the learner standards and was required to attend summer school at Mount Auburn Elementary.

I was surprised and a bit overwhelmed with the programs that DISD, challenged with budget deficits and a faltering economy, extends. There are kindergarten through fifth-grade remedial classes. In tandem, Mount Auburn operates its own summer camp as enrichment for those who attended during the past year. There was a class for pre-K special ed and another program for autistic students. Daily, a Science Center bus picks up students attending their summer program in Seagoville.

DISD has a large and disparate group of students. Its staff is on the job 12 months a year.

Re: "8th-graders at school to retake TAKS -- 'Irregularities' prompt TEA to ask Lang students to redo math exam June 30," Friday news story.

How does TAKS, the prototype for the federal No Child Left Behind law, benefit students if the local school system has no control over having to recall 400 students to tell them they haven't really passed eighth grade yet?

Why is it that students must take a test designed by a corporate entity and then be told they must return to school in the middle of the summer?

Re: "Teacher resigns amid sex scandal -- Police had found her and teen student in car in parking lot," Friday news story.

The teen student claims he told the officer the truth, but she forced him to say what she wanted to hear. If he took time to write to The Dallas Morning News, he must be trying to make a plea.

Why would a teacher in DISD jeopardize his career over a 17-year-old student? The teacher could have been counseling him or trying to talk to him about school-related things. Teachers are being put in a bad position when they get involved with their students as mentors. There need to be better guidelines on counseling methods.

Re: "Ending on a positive note -- Keith Brown thinks Pleasant Grove may have found its Moses in new Spruce principal," Saturday Viewpoints.
While I appreciate the spirit of Brown's column concerning H. Grady Spruce's improved TAKS scores under the leadership of Lucy Dávila Hakemack, I fear he has misrepresented the leadership of some of the school's finest past administrators and staff.
Having taught at Spruce for 24 years, I witnessed the coming and going of many administrators and teachers. Were they always the best leaders? Maybe not, but they exhibited a real love for the students and a sincere effort to help them succeed.
To state that "principals were ineffective at leading the school" is unfair. Brown was not walking the halls of Spruce day in and day out, as many of us were.
May success continue year after year, but please do not discount the accomplishments of those who went before.

Re: "Plan aids young Hinojosa -- District defends program meant for disadvantaged," Saturday news story.

On an almost weekly basis you can open The Dallas Morning News and find a story on DISD. I understand the need for everything, good and bad, to be reported. This time, however, there was a line crossed.

It is one thing to criticize the man in charge, or the school board or the district itself, but when you start to attack the children of the superintendent, that is unacceptable.

This student is a hard-working kid who deserves praise for his accomplishments. He is the valedictorian of a highly competitive senior class. He was one of only a handful of students who volunteered to take a zero period, meaning a class before school begins, so that he could have an extra AP class and test this year. Along with countless achievements as a student, he is a varsity athlete, a member of an award-winning mock trial team and a student class officer. These are wonderful accomplishments, no matter the last name on the resume.

Re: "Few seniors cranking out pranks -- Too many cameras, too little tradition stop mischief," Thursday news story.
When the '09 seniors of Woodrow Wilson High School got headlines with their juvenile prank, I applauded not only them, but their faculty, too. Both the prank and punishment were fitting. I doubt few students loathed cleaning up their mess, just as I doubt few of the faculty didn't eventually crack a smile at their temporary inconvenience.
What was disturbing was the reaction of a teacher who said thwarting these events invokes respect for authority. He failed to recognize respect for the student. I've been to too many graduations of late where faculty has denied the just rewards from 12 years devoted to education over a momentary act of exhilaration. Respect is earned by understanding and tolerance, and blindly wielding a big stick in the 12th hour ignores both of these virtues.
If our youth are expected to understand what we teach them, then shouldn't we set an example by trying to understand them?

The Dallas Morning News' editorial comment comparing DISD's decision to change its election cycle from yearly to every two years, with terms changing from three to four years, to a Third World dictatorship was a bit histrionic.

These statements are attention-grabbing but exaggerated. The DISD had been discussing moving to four-year terms for a long time.

Almost all the large Texas districts have four-year terms, which promote stability and save money. With four-year terms, districts only have to pay for elections every two years instead of every year.

Moreover, the attorney general's interpretation of the law (which is not binding legal authority) admitted that DISD could legally convert to four-year terms prior to Dec. 31, 2007, and after Jan. 1, 2013. So why would this be a threat to democracy? It happened in 2008 but it would have been perfectly legal and democratic 161/2 years ago and less than four years from now.

I would like to see an editorial answering that question based on facts, not hyperbole. The Dallas Morning News simply assigned a false motive to the DISD board and engaged in some unfruitful rabble-rousing. I would expect a more thought-out opinion in the future.

Re: "DISD can't afford to cut magnet programs -- Why would you dismantle DISD's most successful program? asks Rebecca McGowan Jensen," Thursday Viewpoints.

Rebecca McGowan, who teaches at the School for the Talented and Gifted at the Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Center, asked: "Why should we oppose special treatment for the specially skilled, talented or motivated?"

I teach at Moisés E. Molina High School, also in the DISD, and I would like to suggest that the reason many oppose special treatment for her "specially skilled" students is that every school in Dallas serves students with special skills, talents and abilities.

I find it profoundly sad that a veteran Dallas educator would need me to point that out.

Make a stand for magnets

The citizens of Dallas need to stop the very same school board members who brazenly extended their terms from now displaying no backbone whatsoever on maintaining staffing at the magnet schools.

Superintendent Michael Hinojosa and the board need to make a stand for superior schools and protect the magnet schools in Dallas.

Don't damage what has been built over years of hard work. Superior programs need to be maintained. Society advances through artistry from places like Booker T. Washington High School and advances from the finest students of that school and the TAG program. Show the courage to stand up for excellence.

Re: "DISD trustees can't extend terms, AG says -- Board not sure what's next but says November elections possible," Friday news story.
Last fall, seven members of the board decided it was morally correct to allow my trustee to serve four years when I elected him to a three-year term.
They only looked at the possible legality of the issue. Moral concerns are for students, parents and teachers. Then, it took our attorney general about six months to decide this legal decision was in error.
Most certainly the AG knew my chance to elect a new trustee was May 9. We need a board that has some moral scruples, and an AG who can do his job in a timely manner.

Re: "When 50% Is Progress -- DISD graduation rate cause for cautious optimism," Sunday Editorials.
I stood in a village in Darfur, Sudan, and held a young woman in my arms as she sobbed. She was wearing shackles because she wanted to further her education.
Her father wanted her to marry. His choice was a man of 53; she was 14 at the most. She threatened to run away. He shackled her to keep her in place.
We were there to repair the water pump in her village and were able to get the village leader to remove the shackles. He promised she could go back to school. A few weeks after that, the area around her village was bombed. I hope she was able to continue her education.
In northern Darfur, a photo showed kids with their hands raised in answer to a question: "How many of you have seen a family member killed?" They all raised their hands. Another school was bombed, and five children were killed.
And 50 percent of kids in DISD throw it all away. Ask them if they want to trade places with any of these kids I have mentioned.
Any one of these Darfuri kids would gladly trade places with them. I wish I could arrange it.

Re: "Firm: District's ID use not malicious -- Inquiry looked at past reliance on fake Social Security numbers," Saturday Metro.
I am glad that, after intensive review of the evidence, that the firm of Fish & Richardson, P.C., found nothing criminal about the issuing of "temporary Social Security numbers to foreign nationals" by DISD.
Little did I know (or, evidently, did the Texas Education Agency know) that it is a "practice employed by many educational institutions."
So, why did the TEA get so bent out of shape over this "common practice"? Maybe this practice only extends to "educational institutions"? Heads up Swift, Pilgrims Pride, etc.: Just add mandatory English language classes for your employees as "educational training," and maybe you will have no further problems with the Feds.

Re: "TEA will investigate DISD paddling case -- Official: Those involved in incident with student may lose teaching credentials," Saturday Metro, and, "Public flogging brings outcry -- Taliban say teen was immoral; others say she spurned top officer," Saturday news story.
A woman was beaten in a Muslim country for some minor infraction, and many people were outraged. The human rights groups were especially outspoken about this outrageous behavior.
Recently, at a Dallas school, reportedly a coach took a canoe paddle to a student and gave the kid 21 strikes. Tell me, how is this different than what happened to the woman, which so many found appalling?
I'm not opposed to a parent spanking a kid at home as a last resort to get the kid's attention. I do not think anyone else should have that right.
No kid deserves a beating from anyone unless it is in self-defense, and the case at DISD did not sound like self-defense.

Re: "TEA will investigate DISD paddling case -- Official: Those involved in incident with student may lose teaching credentials," Saturday news story.
Why is the beating of a Lincoln High School student referred to as a paddling case?

Re: "Skyline's coach out after 33 seasons -- Mayo guided Skyline to 698-350 record, 13 straight playoffs," Friday SportsDay.
During my 31 years of teaching with the DISD, I had the privilege of working with Coach J.D. Mayo for nine years at Skyline High School.
Mayo's althletes were immaculate in appearance every day. Also, they were always extremely polite and respectful. While their parents surely raised them to be that way, I could not help but think that Mayo had a big influence in the character development of his players.
Skyline is losing a legend as Mayo is replaced, but there are thousands of students, parents and co-workers who are greatly appreciative of his influence along the way.

Re: "TEA will investigate DISD paddling case -- Official: Those involved in incident with student may lose teaching credentials," Saturday Metro.
Disciplinary actions should be enforced in schools, but not to the point that the students have bruises so severe that they are not even able to walk.
Disciplinary action enforces better conduct from students. If kids know that there will be punishment or consequences for misbehavior, they will more than likely keep in line. Spare the rod and spoil the child, as the old saying goes. It's sort of an old-school way of raising kids, but it works.

Re: "Report: Boy took 21 'licks' -- Coach broke 'canoe paddle' reprimanding student, DISD finds," Thursday news story.
I think we sorely miss the point in your article. We completely leave out the culpability of the boy. What did he do to deserve the corporal punishment he received?
During my 21 years of military service, we utilized corporal punishment often and quite effectively. It was always preferred to give some sort of appropriate, measured and immediate discipline rather than make errant behavior a permanent part of someone's record. Had my superiors chosen to make some of my guff a part of my record, my career would have been cut short by some 17 years.
Do bruises and welts heal? You bet they do. Does embarrassment pass? It takes longer, but it passes. Can a written item entered into an official record ever be forgotten? Never. It is permanent.
Did the coach go too far? Maybe, but I applaud their caring enough to give this young man a second chance. I only hate that he blew it and gave up the faith they had entrusted in him.

... but violence lasts forever
Former head football coach Jerry Sands stated that by swatting this child on the buttocks until the paddle broke and then taping it together and continuing the beating, he was trying to help the child find "a way to get out of the inner city and make it in life."
Violence begets violence. Any adult who does not realize this fact should not be in a position to teach children. Everyone involved in this incident should be charged with a crime. This is at best assault and at worse child abuse. My question: Should coach Sands be given 21 "licks" to make him a better coach?

Recently, I was privileged to serve on an interviewing panel for DISD Teacher of the Year candidates, and I am still smiling.
Infectious passion -- for their students, their campus and their profession -- best describes the eight semifinalists we met. This small sample of the district's teaching force consisted of women and men; Hispanic, black, white; immigrants and rural transplants; young teachers and the very experienced, all committed to every child assigned to their classroom and to the parents and community they serve.
We heard about Saturday Schools, community gardens, data-driven instruction, home visits, innovative use of scrounged resources and personal stories that can break one's heart or make it sing.
I would love for my grandchildren to have all of these outstanding, dedicated and caring individuals as their teachers.

Problem-solve for both sides
Re: "DISD puts a high price on PTA's good intentions," by Jacquielynn Floyd, Tuesday Metro.
I am a teacher and can see the problem from both sides. The PTA has a hard time generating enough funds to do special things for the students, and the district has a hard time paying the enormous electric bills for lights and air created by staying open after hours.
I also feel the students are infinitely more important than the bills, so instead of treating the PTA like it is "getting away with" something by using the building for free, let's treat their efforts with respect and problem-solve.
A group that can come up with the very creative and wonderful idea of "Do-Dads" can surely come up with some Partners in Education (businesses that help support the school).
I see no downside to more community and parent involvement.
So, PTA members and principals, go talk to those businesses. Businesses, contact a school near you.

Getting away with something?
I found Jon Dahlander's and DISD's comments both amazing and insulting. Since Dahlander is with the DISD, you would think that he would know the "T" in PTA stands for teachers. Unlike DISD, all records from any Texas PTA are audited yearly and open to inspection.
As for "getting away with this" for too long, what exactly have your local PTAs been getting away with? Volunteering at events, fundraising for your schools, being there when teachers or staff needed assistance?
If that's what we've been getting away with, I am proud to say that during my 15 years with LISD PTAs, I've never been more proud to "get away" with something.
My local PTSA is one of those that was recently told that, due to what happened at DISD; we've had to make changes. This not only hurt the PTSA, which is here to help the local high school, but the students, staff and parents.

I hope my PTA is as active
Who ever heard of billing the PTA? My daughter will be starting school next week, and I hope we're lucky enough to have a PTA as active as Walnut Hill Elementary's. Shame, shame on DISD.

No wonder DISD gets a bad rap
DISD says it gets a bad rap because only the negative things are reported. Maybe if they made good, educated choices for the district, good things would be reported.
What is wrong with this district? DISD screams that the parents aren't involved, but when they try to be, DISD charges them for it.
This is the reason I quit teaching in DISD after 12 years and moved my family to RISD. They encourage family involvement, and they don't charge you for it.

Floyd's kidding, right?
Well, I have to hand it to the DISD for their creativity. Just when I thought they had exhausted the stock of "dumb things we can do to hurt our schools," they come up with another one.
Charging PTA volunteers exorbitant sums of money to use their school building for a fundraiser? The only words that keep coming to my mind are: "You've got to be kidding me."
Does anyone down at DISD have a brain? Or a heart?
God bless those parents who forked over money in this economy to help Walnut Hill Elementary School. Too bad they don't have a district backing them in like fashion.

Re: "Dallas lawmaker files bill to split up DISD -- Constituent concern, enrollment decline prompt Davis' move," Tuesday Metro."That ain't goin' to happen," said DISD Board President Jack Lowe regarding the bill to split DISD.
If Lowe's comment is representative of his expectations for excellence in our public schools, perhaps Rep. Yvonne Davis' bill to split the district really should be considered.

Re: "Records: School held 'cage fights' -- Ex-principal denies he, staff had students battle each other without protection," Thursday news story.
Employees at South Oak Cliff High School staged cage fights. These events, bundled with the credit card debacle, cheating on tests, changing of grades to ensure sports eligibility, budget oversights of millions of dollars, emergency layoffs one week and emergency job fairs the next, providing illegal job applicants with phony Social Security numbers -- where does it end?
If the administration barbequed and ate a few students, would that raise a question with Texas education officials? I'm not so sure.
How does any city official, trying to encourage businesses to move to Dallas, handle the question about local schools? Do they deny that we have them? If placed in that position that would be my solution. Either that or I would claim that we ate all the children before school age. The results would be the same.

Personal spending on district cards. Fake Social Security numbers. Huge budget shortfalls that result in teacher layoffs. Bohuchot and his boat rides.

Now it's cage fights at South Oak Cliff High School.

Check out our letters on Saturday to find out what one of our letter writers thinks the next big scandal from DISD will be. I doubt you could top it, but you're welcome to make your own suggestions in the comments.

Re: "Superintendent's right-hand man effective, if not too popular -- Viramontes' responsibilities have increased along with district crises," Tuesday news story.
Critics of Arnold Viramontes complain that he is autocratic and loyal to his boss. Read: They disagree with him, he is principled and he won't bend to their will.

Re: "Longer school years weighed -- Teacher bonuses, other proposals suggested for troubled campuses," Thursday Metro.
For the last 19 years I've been in the offices, hallways and classrooms of local school districts an a daily basis.
For 20 years prior I was a high school teacher and principal in a local school district with above-average test scores.
While longer school years and better pay might increase TAKS scores, we really need administrators backing faculty instead of a few parents, more intelligent instructors with enhanced teaching skills and smaller class sizes.
We need mothers and fathers who accept the responsibility of being parents and students who attend school to learn rather than thinking they run it.

Re: "It Ends When Cheaters Pay -- S. Oak Cliff players didn't change their own grades," Wednesday Editorials.
I have to take issue with this article which states that "SOC is a school with problems," as though these grade changes and the problems recounted ad nauseum in the press are ongoing. I hope the public realizes that not one of the people involved in this fiasco is currently employed at South Oak Cliff High School. Everyone -- the principal, the counselor, the data clerk, the teachers -- has left the district, either of their own volition or as a consequence of some misdeed.
Principal Regina Jones, who, by the way, is the current DISD Principal of the Year, is having to bear the burden of her predecessor by doing the research into school records and facing the press in an embarrassing dressing-down over lost state titles.
We are focusing on curriculum, improving test scores and making sure that our students are college-ready. We have been excoriated for things that we had nothing to do with. Enough already!

Re: "Leppert looks at taking over DISD -- Trustees, city officials taken aback, and some aren't happy," last Sunday news story.
There is a $100 million shortfall at City Hall, yet Tom Leppert wants to take over DISD. Leave it alone, and focus on the things at hand. Fix the roads and stop trying to build a city-owned hotel. Stop trying to build a park, which will be under water during floods and clean and keep our current parks open.
If Leppert had really wanted to help DISD, then why didn't he tap his deep-pocketed friends to pay off the shortfall last fall? That would have helped many students and employees.
Fix what's in your own backyard, and leave DISD alone.

Show me the details
How would Tom Leppert's proposition work? What are the details?
With an educator in the family, I am concerned about career security.
Although I agree that education is crucial for future success, I do not believe that the city government should intervene with such drastic measures.

Welcome Leppert's gesture
Tom Leppert's trial balloon of taking over the school district should be welcomed with open arms.
Years of mismanagement has led to dismal results of the school system. The ever-shrinking buck stays in perpetual motion, as it is passed from one to another.
In the past, conventions bypassed Dallas for other cities because there is no convention center hotel. Leppert knows how important a properly functioning school system, city and convention center draws people from the outside to Dallas.
May he continue to give us leadership into the ever-increasing fog of how Dallas functions in the 21st century.

Dallas needs this change
Re: "Few see mayor as DISD chief -- Lawmakers doubt Legislature would allow takeover, but Kirk says idea's worth exploring," Tuesday news story.
Mayor Tom Leppert is more than capable of taking over DISD. Will the next Dallas mayor be hard-working, smart and passionate about education as Leppert is?
If Mayor Leppert were allowed to take over the troubled district without granting that authority to future mayors of Dallas, I would wholeheartedly support his reported intentions.
The taxpayers, students and teachers of Dallas deserve a change.

Re: "Upside-Down Funding -- So Dallas and Houston are 'wealthy' districts?" Monday Editorials.
Since a school district's wealth is based on property values, not individual income, it would help the problem to appraise property on real value. An example would be the property acquired by the city for the new convention center hotel. This property was listed for years on the appraisal rolls at a fraction of the price the city paid.
Second, the price spent per pupil has little effect on education value. Many poor districts are spending more per pupil than Plano or Highland Park, with remarkably different results.
Check the salaries paid to the administrative personnel versus the pay at the school level, and you'll find a top-heavy, ineffectual bureaucracy.

Re: "Leppert looks at taking over DISD -- Trustees, city officials taken aback, and some aren't happy," Sunday news story.
Perhaps like many of us, DISD trustee Lew Blackburn is fed up with seeing two-thirds of his property taxes being misused, mismanaged and even stolen by those entrusted with the education of our children.
DISD has become a soap opera with one scandal after another, and the only ones sanctioned in these escapades are those who bring them to light. The grade-changing epic seems to have no end.
I applaud Leppert's efforts and support them wholeheartedly. We need a cleanout of Ross Avenue and a change of the ethical environment so our children can get the education they deserve without one scandal after another.

Re: "Grading scandal costs S. Oak Cliff second title -- Three players who were failing allowed to pass, independent inquiry finds," Saturday news story.
When are we going to see or hear of heads of teachers or school officials rolling down the unemployment lane? One or two kids playing their hearts out to win had their minds on winning rather than studying, and they get blamed?
Where are the adults who perpetrated this fiasco? Some young kids are going to end up paying the debt to society.

Re: "DISD without good answers," by John Fullinwider, Tuesday Letters.
I was looking forward to voting for a new trustee. It is not right for the school board to cancel the vote. That is what dictators do.

Re: "Teacher pay bid rejected -- District sought to save $15 million by using federal grant money," Saturday news story.
DISD's attempt to manipulate federal Title I funds to offset local spending cuts predictably has failed, and another $15 million is added to the deficit.
Why do we have to put up with surprise deficits totaling millions of dollars? Why do we have to put up with hundreds of teachers laid off? Why do we have to put up with our children dying from cheese heroin that they often buy and use at school? Why do we have to put up with high schools where not even half the students graduate on time?
And when we want to vote in new leaders for our school board, why do we have to put up with the cancellation of this spring's elections?

Re: "GOP still fails to get it right -- Hispanics won't ignore nasty immigration stance, says Ruben Navarrette," Monday Viewpoints.
I think that Navarrette is being disingenuous. When he wrote it wasn't that the GOP took a stand against illegal immigration that upset Hispanics, rather it was the tone the GOP took in doing so, I laughed out loud.
Just exactly how polite are you supposed to be to 12 million people who have overrun your borders?
If just saying "please" when asking the illegals to leave would do the trick, then we have wasted a lot of money building fences and conducting workplace raids.
I think Navarrette knows that the Hispanics moved to the Democrats' side this time because they see them as their best hope for winning amnesty.

Model wouldn't work today
Re: "A lovely legacy in stone, sweat -- In the depths of the Depression, the WPA put people to work and helped lighten Dallas' load," Tuesday news story.
I always enjoy the wonderful projects created by the WPA and the Civilian Conservation Corps during the Depression era, but we are living in different times. I am not sure this is a solution today. Has anyone counted the number of American citizens working on construction and highway sites?
I suspect our society does not consider the "manual labor pool" as job opportunities that will help improve the unemployment stats. If it did, we would not have so many foreign workers and illegal aliens doing these jobs today.

Give credit to the CCC
There are some small bridges at White Rock Lake Park built by the WPA. But as a researcher and historian of the Civilian Conservation Corps, including CCC Company 2896 at White Rock Lake, I can tell you that they did more work at White Rock Lake than the Works Progress Administration.
The CCC also worked at Lee Park and Dealey Plaza and in preparation for the 1936 Centennial at Fair Park.
The story gives the WPA credit for some of the road at Lawther Lane. The CCC enrollees went to rock quarries, made their own gravel and hauled it into the park for the roads. They helped dredge the lake.
They built the pavilion and latrine at Flagpole Hill and helped to make that hill.
They built the wall and bridge into the entrance of White Rock Lake. They built the buildings at Sunset Bay, the Big Thicket, started the construction of Winfrey Point, among other things, hauling concrete for its foundation up the hill in wheelbarrows.
They did the stone wall you find along the road at Winfrey Point.
For the Love of the Lake saw fit to honor the CCC by placing a CCC Worker Statue at Sunset Bay in 2004.

CCC human cost significant
The work that the Civilian Conservation Corps did in the 1930s is wonderful. There were many talented and creative young men who produced fabulous structures. They are definitely a large piece of American history.
While the concept of the CCC is great, unfortunately the lives of these young men were not so glamorous. Many had to travel across country to work and were separated from their families.
They lived in tents in campsites where their projects were. They worked outside in extreme weather conditions. While I agree more jobs need to be created for the millions who are out of work, I am not sure that this is the answer. In addition, with the withdrawal of our troops from Iraq, thousands more young men and women will be unemployed. I don't know the answer. If I did, I guess I would be the president.

WPA supported my family
I heard my father and mother talking about the Works Progress Administration when I was very young. My father worked on U.S. Highway 175, laying brick by hand.
My parents said if it had not been for the WPA, they did not know what they would have done. The job did not pay much, but the way they talked, it did put food on the table.
This was before my time, but to hear the stories that I heard, I am glad that I was not around then.
All I can say is President Franklin Roosevelt must have been a great president, as he did more for our working people than any president we had before him.
We have a president now who wants to set us on the right track once more after another Republican president has us in the same fix as President Herbert Hoover had us in back in 1935.
Mr. President, the Republicans do not want you to succeed, as it will show the world that they do not have a clue how to run anything right. So hang in there, as help will be on the way in two more years.

Re: "Day curfew may help keep kids in school," by Jacquielynn Floyd, Tuesday Metro.
We do not need a daytime curfew on children and teens. School attendance is the job of parents and schools. There are already truancy laws in place.
Daytime curfews place more burdens on already overworked and understaffed city police to monitor youth. They also infringe on the rights of working students, many private schoolers and homeschoolers to move around the city without fear of being pulled over by the police and having to explain themselves. This does not just affect Dallas, but also the surrounding cities and visitors to the city.
If there is such a problem with keeping youths in school, perhaps there is a problem with what's being offered at the schools and how it is being offered. Instead of torturing students with subjects many don't care about and will never use, why not offer classes in family life and child rearing, family finances, budgeting and basic economics?

Re: "Parents with truant kids taught a lesson -- DISD hauls more moms and dads into court when children habitually skip," Tuesday news story.It is astounding that Debbie Ballard would make the statement, "What they do inside the school, I don't know."
When Ballard made the decision to conceive and bring her daughter, Brittany King, into the world, was she not aware of her responsibility for the welfare and future of her child? Knowing what is going on in the school her daughter attends is a part of that responsibility.
As a retired middle school teacher, I saw too many cases where parents considered school a baby-sitting service and nothing more. It is time for Ballard to get involved in her child's life.

Re: "Easing education budgets," by Eddie Bernice Johnson, Monday Letters.Where did our country go wrong? Johnson believes that borrowing and spending $79 billion dollars is a good thing. Everyone wants a better future for our children, but how is enslaving them to this kind of debt going to provide them a better future?
I don't want to single out Johnson, because I am sure her heart is in the right place and she is only echoing the message of her fellow politicians. But the thinking of our leaders has got to change.
Would any of them personally get a loan from the Chinese and use their home as collateral? Is what they want to spend it on so urgent and important that they are willing to mortgage the future?

Re: "Reform list was wrong -- N. Dallas, Molina, Conrad, A. Maceo Smith campuses to be reorganized in 2009-10," Friday Metro.
Although the state labeled Moises E. Molina High School academically unacceptable for the second time, our staff, students and community are working hard to improve. Classroom instruction has improved dramatically. Molina teachers have prepared individual intervention plans for each one of our 1,700 students. Teachers monitor student progress relentlessly: Data is compared teacher-by-teacher, class-by-class and student-by-student.
Molina teachers work collaboratively to prepare lessons that meet individual student needs.
Molina parents are active and indispensable partners with the school. Parent Report Card Day was an opportunity for Molina parents to meet individually with a principal or counselor for the purpose of learning how they might effectively support their child. Several hundred parents attended.
These are just two of the many notable changes happening at Molina. If you were to walk the halls with me, you would see faculty members who are personally committed to the success of each student and parents who are willing to support the effort. I invite you to come to Molina and see for yourself.

Re: "DISD making visible progress with reforms," by Steve Blow, Sunday Metro.
Blow deserves kudos for his column acknowledging some positive results in DISD under Superintendent Michael Hinojosa. It baffles me as to why the media has to only report the negative news on the front page.
There is certainly excess spending of our tax money in other areas of government that is not put to the important expense of educating a child. Maybe The Dallas Morning News should thank Hinojosa for a job well done in that area.

Re: "DISD making visible progress with reforms," by Steve Blow, Sunday Metro.
Steve Blow is exactly right: Educationally, DISD is strong. Administratively, DISD is not so strong.
Since we lived in the district, our students started school in DISD by chance. Our students continued to attend DISD by choice.
After evaluating private and public schools in the area, we found DISD had some of the best total curriculum offerings in the nation and possibly the world; so we stayed in DISD.
One became a National Merit finalist. One became a National Merit scholar. Socially, DISD provided the opportunity for them and their classmates to become leaders and followers within an ethnically diverse student population.
Thank you, DISD, for providing the academic opportunities and the diverse social leadership skills which are so essential for success in the world economy today.

Re: "Hinojosa goal: Mend fences, rebuild trust -- Restored confidence at heart of yearlong public relations blitz," Friday Metro.
DISD's public relations blitz is all talk and no action. Superintendent Michael Hinojosa seeks to court the press, teachers and business leaders with the hope of rehabilitating the district's image.
Where are the parents of DISD students in this equation?
We want five things from Hinojosa: a thorough disclosure of the financial crisis, both prospective and retrospective; a faster, better way for getting incompetent teachers out of the system; repair of the most basic services at our schools, i.e. restrooms; revision of rigid curriculums that are destroying teacher creativity and defining our children as test-takers; and true public forums with open microphones.
DISD needs to earn my support. A glossy PR campaign just doesn't cut it.

Re: "A teen with a gun and a grudge -- How far can a teacher go to forgive a student who went after you? asks Osley Cook," Saturday Viewpoints.
A Dallas schoolteacher tells of a 15-year-old student who vandalized his truck after the teacher had taken away his pellet gun (a 9mm lookalike) and reported the incident to administrators and police.
Apparently soon after, the student was back at school and in line for a tardy pass. A coach asked if the teacher would forgive the student. The reply was, "Yes, I forgive him."
In the small Kansas town where I was raised, the parents, my father, the coach, principal or our judge would not say: "I forgive you." They would say: "Pay for what you have done."

Re: "Price proposes renaming North Dallas High after judge," Thursday Metro.
North Dallas High School is one of the oldest high schools in Dallas, with 87 years of history and tradition. Thousands of students, including Barefoot Sanders, have been proud of the orange and white, the Bulldog mascot and the distinctive NDHS initials.
While honoring a distinguished alumnus is a noble idea, our traditional name should not be changed. It's just hard to imagine that my beloved NDHS would become BSHS.

It's completely obvious that the powers that be should hire all the teachers and administrators of Woodrow Wilson High School to get the DISD under control and in shape to be the school system Dallas should have. Our schools have been a poor excuse for education in this great city for over 50 years.
If one school can do something right, why not try what it does?

Let's celebrate the life of Judge Barefoot Sanders, a 1942 graduate of North Dallas High School. I think it would be a fitting tribute to change the name of North Dallas High School to Judge Barefoot Sanders High School, based on his many years of service to this community.
Judge Sanders presided over the litigation to desegregate Dallas schools from 1971 to 2003. He approved the creation of magnet schools that offered academic programs in minority neighborhoods and attracted black and white students.
Judge Sanders is remembered and admired for his intelligence and kindness.

Re: "Texans to Watch -- Keep an eye on these newsmakers in 2009," Thursday Editorials.
Thank you for naming me as a "Texan to Watch" for 2009. The accomplishments at Woodrow Wilson High School are the product of group effort.
Bobbi Willhite and the PTA's recruiting committee are behind the "Choose Woodrow" campaign. Principal Ruth Vail and the teachers and administrators are in the trenches bringing about the academic achievements.
Our PTA, Site Based Decision Making team, community supporters and students are the ones who put the heart, soul and elbow grease into making Woodrow as great a school as it can be. Susan Schuerger and the Woodrow Wilson Community Council are leading the charge to make DISD as great a school district as it should be.
I invite the entire community, including The Dallas Morning News, to join in the adventure and celebrate all the reasons to believe in public schools -- and choose Woodrow.

First, study the changes at Sunset High School that moved it forward to being one of the lowest dropout-rate high schools in DISD. Five years ago it had one of the highest dropout rates. Study what happened at Sunset and the feeder schools to Sunset that helped students finish.
Second, spread these changes throughout DISD so that the class of 2009 at Sunset leads a trend for increasing graduation rates within DISD. The class of 2009 will have the highest graduation rate of any Sunset class in over a decade.
DISD needs to get up to a high school graduation rate of 50 percent, then well beyond.

Re: "Reserve fund may be far too low -- Stricter spending rules aimed at replenishing account; district awaits word on federal grants," Wednesday Metro.
I strongly object to the DISD using federal funds to help finance their folly. Federal grants come from federal taxpayers, after all. There are tens of thousands of school districts that could use help from the nations' taxpayers.
Why should Mabank ISD, my school district, help fund the DISD? If the federal government approves this absurd request, Katy, bar the door!

Don't you dare fire DISD Superintendent Michael Hinojosa or not re-elect the current school board members. They're about the only entertainment we get out here in Wylie.

It is difficult to understand why any DISD administrators or board members believes they should still be employed -- much less have the term extensions that board members have given themselves.
The board's failure to fire Superintendent Michael Hinojosa makes their inadequacy only more apparent.
I hope voters will remember these facts when the board members come up for election. The future of our economy depends on education; depending on the current leaders at DISD is a serious mistake.

Re: "Price on Hinojosa: 'No confidence' -- Trustee cites 'recent blunders' ahead of school chief's review," Thursday Metro.
Early on in the teacher layoff fiasco, DISD trustee Ron Price stated that Superintendent Michael Hinojosa should not be replaced because there have been a number of superintendents in a short period of time. Mr. Price further states that during his 11 years as a trustee there have been seven superintendents. What does that say about his ability to select a capable superintendent?
The blame for the DISD superintendent merry-go-round falls totally on the trustees. The DISD needs more than a new superintendent; it needs a new board of trustees. The trustees know they are in trouble because they extended their terms from three to four years. Dallas voters shouldn't wait for an election. Recall these fools now. Elect a clean slate of trustees who care about your children's welfare and can properly evaluate the qualifications of a superintendent. Give Mr. Price and his cohorts the boot.

Re: "An Oak Cliff principal beats the odds -- Clarissa Plair turning school into model of excellence, says William McKenzie," last Tuesday Viewpoints.
There is a lot wrong with DISD, and that's mostly what we hear. The bad news becomes expected -- a sort of self-fulfilling prophecy.
Many years ago I was a teacher. My first school was in a wealthy suburb and my last in a very poor blue-collar town. The expectations in the latter were rather low, but the kids at my school were thirsty for knowledge, and the teachers and staff gave them their best.
I'm willing to bet there are lots of wonderful stories like Ms. Plair's that deserve to be heard. I have one in my own neighborhood: Knox-Henderson. Bonham Elementary School is close to 100 percent Hispanic; the building is old and in need of repair. However, open the door and you can feel the excitement of learning among the kids, their eager smiles and the dedication of the teachers, the staff and volunteers.
There's lots that needs to be fixed within DISD, but thanks for reminding us that there are also a lot of wonderful things happening.

DISD has reached a point of no return. The incompetence, indifference, dishonesty and self-dealing can no longer be tolerated by weary and cash-strapped taxpayers. DISD has failed on every front, and for 30 years my family has paid property taxes for public schools but had to send our child to private schools. Let the parents educate their children; they will do a better job. Home schooling, parent cooperatives and interactive educational technology would benefit the taxpayers in these uncertain times and make parents more responsible.

Re: "Deficit symptoms missed, misread -- Papers show rising revenue hid lax accounting, spending," Sunday news story.
As a child of the 1970s and believer in government as the solution, the DISD budget deficit turns my world upside down. What $1.3 billion publicly traded company could unknowingly lose $64 million and survive investor lawsuits and the sharp drop in its share price? It seems the idea of transparency in public institutions via public oversight takes a backseat.

Re: "Trustees extend their terms -- Switch meant to save money; some question legality, timing," Friday news story.
At a time when the Dallas school district is in the worst financial crisis in its history, the members vote 7-2 to suspend elections and extend their terms. Those in support say it will save money. Did they also mention that the move might be illegal? That it protects members who clearly support Superintendent Michael Hinojosa? That it affects upcoming redistricting? No, I don't think that was on the agenda. This is an outrage, and the parents in the Dallas ISD community deserve better.

Only 329 out of about 125,000 schools in America receive the Blue Ribbon title. Right in our back yard, we have several winners of the No Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon School award for 2008. These schools are proof that all children can learn. They have a "no excuses" attitude that will have a lasting effect on kids, their achievement and their futures.
A prime example is 2008 winner Ben Milam Elementary School. At Ben Milam, only 77 percent of fifth graders were proficient in math five years ago. Now, 100 percent are. Another 2008 winner, Lakewood Elementary School, increased the number of students scoring proficient in reading from 81 percent in 2003 to 96 percent in 2007. Last year, 96 percent of fifth graders were proficient in reading and 98 percent in math.
All across our country, Blue Ribbon schools are getting similar results where achievement gaps between African-American and Hispanic students and their peers are non-existent across all grade levels assessed. But, we must not lose sight of the goal of every child learning at grade level or above.
We need more accountability, not less. We need more Ben Milam and Lakewood Elementary Schools.

It quacks like identity theft
Re: "Firm hired to look at fake ID issue -- Coggins to examine district's use of false Social Security data," Thursday Metro.
No one is calling the issuing of fake Social Security numbers by DISD what it is -- identity theft.
Who knows what damage has been done to those people by DISD employees using other people's numbers. This is an outrage, and I do not understand the rather lackadaisical attitude of Superintendent Michael Hinojosa and others. He should resign immediately, and someone should be appointed to clean house.

Hinojosa is fair game
Re: "Really Hard to Fathom -- Another fiasco in accountability-free DISD," Wednesday Editorials.
The editorial states: "To be fair to Superintendent Michael Hinojosa ..." The Dallas Morning News and almost everyone else has been more than fair. There has been scandal after scandal on his watch.
True, several were there before he arrived, but how many did he correct without first being identified by others? The only people in that district who are not being treated fairly are the children.

Illegal IDs: Not just for migrants
We complain about the illegal use of Social Security numbers by illegals. Then we find out that DISD has been doing this for years. Now we need to check and see if any laws were broken. Is this ol' country boy missing something?

Re: "Trustees extend their terms -- Switch meant to save money; some question legality," Friday news story.
This news is very disappointing to many Dallas citizens, especially to many past and present DISD employees, who are very concerned about our district's educational future and the direction it is going. Now is not the time for such action, even if some might make a strong case for it at another date. Stability and a vote of confidence need to be established before such a decision. Sadly, this untimely vote results in one more log being added to an already existing flame. When will the fire settle down?

DISD has overwhelmingly shown it cannot handle the $1 billion bond package voters approved.
Now is the time to start completely over, with the recall of the whole school board. Somebody approved all of Michael Hinojosa's decisions and mistakes.

A perfect DISD solution is to apply to the federal government for a bailout.
We have the same reasons everyone else has: DISD has bad management decisions, large-scale layoffs and huge economic losses.

Re: "Unused school workbooks tossed out -- Principal blames miscommunication with custodians," Friday news story, and "U.S. looks at false data -- Agency to see if Social Security numbers warrant formal inquiry," Saturday Metro.
Will somebody please help DISD? What is its problem? If officials are not misusing funds, they are stealing funds. If they are not overhiring, they need more teachers; if they are not paying teachers what teachers deserve, they are underpaid. They have a massive layoff.
The superintendent is not doing his job.
The DISD giving fake Social Security numbers to foreign bilingual teachers to get them on the payroll quickly is unlawful. Now, new school books, along with used school books that could be reused, are thrown out by the custodians at an elementary school, and "it was a horrible miscommunication."
This mess has been going on for years. What next?

Re: "DISD ignored ID rule -- Fake Social Security numbers were used to expedite bilingual hiring," Friday news story.
DISD is illegally using other citizens' Social Security numbers so people from other countries can get teaching jobs here. They were told years ago by a state agency to stop. They didn't. They admitted to using the false numbers for background checks. They said no numbers were reported to the IRS or Social Security. Does this mean taxes weren't being paid?

DISD human resources chief Kim Olson said their intentions were good. I don't understand how using someone else's Social Security number can be any kind of good intention. DISD is breaking the law. When will they be held accountable for this?

Re: "Executive advisers won't 'dig up past' -- Panel won't seek deficits' causes, will suggest safeguards," Monday news story.
The only reason the panel isn't looking into the causes for the budget shortfall is that DISD Superintendent Michael Hinojosa is afraid that if they find what they should be looking for, it could all fall on him.
Of all the things the panel is doing, they are trying to protect against another incident like this one, when they don't even know what caused this problem in the first place. How does one guard against the unknown? It's like going into war against an enemy you know nothing about.

Re: "DISD fiscal overhaul is near, Hinojosa says -- Details scant after school chief meets again with executives," Wednesday Metro.
I'm so relieved to know that all of DISD's financial problems will soon be resolved. We now have a group of self-appointed, self-anointed Dallas elite, mostly from the business community, who will advise Michael Hinojosa behind closed doors regarding remedies needed to right the financial ship and restore public confidence.
Public confidence?
Has anyone noticed the last couple of months the national financial crisis business leaders have helped produce?