Smoke and Mirrors vs. Real Reform
(a collaboration between Thoughtful Reader and Little Red Hen) Changes are occurring so quickly at the Dallas Independent School District that the community is beginning to feel somewhat like the boxer...
View ArticleDrip Along Daffy
If you were there to witness Superintendent Miles’ triumphant arrival in Dallas, complete with flashy billboards and glowing editorials, did you wonder what that dust cloud following the new sheriff...
View ArticleWasted Time is Wasted Opportunity
There were warnings on this blog when the teacher’s day was extended by 45 minutes last year that the extension was just a prelude to the real song and dance Dallas ISD had in mind, the extension of...
View ArticleThe Times, They are A’Changin’ – Part 1
Thanks to “Disgruntled” who sits on Miles’s Teacher Advisory Committee (TAC) for the updates to our blog. Specifically, Disgruntled said the following in the comments section of one of the posts 10...
View ArticleWill Trustees Sleep Through Another Budget Cycle?
With Dallas ISD trustees, it’s hard to tell. Flip a coin and heads up, they are just too lazy to dive into the budget and understand its repercussions on instruction. Tails, they don’t have the...
View ArticleWhy I Cannot Join the PTA
I can no longer afford to join the PTA at the school where I work. This saddens me because I respect and admire the PTA parents at my school. I can no longer afford to join because, like many...
View ArticleMiles’ Catch 22 Teacher Compensation Plan
Miles needs to be named Chief Carnie Barker of Dallas ISD. His teacher compensation plan, the highly revered plan that Arne Duncan thought was such a fantastic idea, is only believable as some carnival...
View ArticleScott’s Graphs
A man named Scott Smith posted graphs showing teacher salary data on the DMN site. The data shows the national average for teacher salaries. If you can ignore the national part and some of the missing...
View ArticleIt Wasn’t My Show
That is Jason Villalba’s explanation of his epic fail performance at Thursday’s Support Our Public Schools Town Hall. My suggestion is that he be more diligent with his homework next time. He can ask...
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DISD Teachers are Too Smart for Schemes
Since Mike Miles has arrived in Dallas, the number of Improvement Required (IR) schools has increased. That’s right, Miles fans: despite a Rides on Rims debacle, subjecting 1st graders to ACP exams in...
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DISD’s ACE Schools Kick Weak Kids in the Teeth
I’m sure it helps test scores, but punishing the weakest, least supported kids in Dallas by driving them out is no way to run a school district. And yet, that’s exactly the crux of Miles’ latest idea:...
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Why I Wouldn’t Transfer to a DISD ACE School
Three years after Mike Miles arrived, DISD is still glutted with low-performing schools. In fact, the number of low-performing (or Improvement Required) schools has gone up under Miles. So, because the...
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