By Tamarind Phinisee, NDG Contributing Writer
Second in series examining the possible Home Rule plan for DISD
There are mixed reviews on the push to change the Dallas Independent School District into a home rule school district.
Both parents and teachers are concerned that the home-rule initiative may not be in the best interests of students, teachers and parents within the Dallas Independent School District (DISD).
They say groups and individuals pushing for the change within DISD – such as grassroots political action committee known as Support Our Public Schools – have not been completely honest or transparent as to the real reason for wanting such a large scale change.
In their opinion, the reason for the interest in initiating home-rule within the DISD is the desire to control the school district’s million-dollar budget and its expansive real estate holdings. Their concerns arise from a lack of specific information from supporters. Calls and emails to Support Our Public Schools, including attorney Jeronimo Valdez were not returned by press time.
Of course, home-rule supporters say DISD is plagued with problems that stem from top district officials. They say board trustees aren’t doing their jobs and that better governance is needed and that home-rule is the only way to address these issues. Though both sides agree that there are some problems within the school district, they are at odds as to how the issues need to be addressed.
This story will focus on those who support or oppose home-rule. It is the second in a series that addresses the home-rule topic.
Opponents
Chrisdya Houston, a middle school teacher within the district, says her concern is that the quality of education that students receive under a home-rule charter will decline. As executive board member of Alliance AFT, Houston has attended a number of home-rule meetings, including those held by the newly appointed 15-member home rule commission. Alliance AFT is the Dallas chapter of Chicago-based teacher’s union American Federation of Teachers.
During these meetings, Houston says, there’s been talk of saving the district money with a less-expensive curricula and less expensive textbooks. Bringing cheaper or less researched textbooks, she says, could impact student education at DISD.
Additionally, Houston says, it isn’t clear whether educational resources now available through the district would decline in an effort to save the money. Already, teachers have to spend money out of their own pockets to purchase materials needed for students. Having to dig deeper into their own pockets could increase the financial burden on teachers. In addition to this, she admits, teachers are worried about job stability.
“We want to see something that is not anti-public education and anti-educator. And we want something that is supportive of students’ needs,” says Houston, a 16-year teaching veteran.
Houston agrees that some changes need to be made in the district for the betterment of students’ education. But she says these changes can be made without a complete overhaul of the system.
“We have a lot of students who are academically very successful. Even though the district is not perfect and there are some improvements that need to take place, some of the top schools in the nation are located within DISD,” she says.
Houston says there needs to be more transparency by home rule constituents and a forum for allowing parents and teachers to voice their concerns and be heard.
Suzette Wiseman says she was bothered by the fact that individuals who had signed a petition in support for home rule came forward and admitted that they had been misled as to what it really was.
Wiseman, a parent leader with the Texas Organizing Project and a parent with two elementary school children in DISD, agrees. She opposes home-rule, in part because of the lack of transparency and no clear definition of the changes home-rule supporters want and she feels that there is a rush to get something approved. She says she’s attended a lot of the meetings but has never been given a clear answer as to what home-rule supporters want. Wiseman refers to the current home-rule issue as a “great divorce” battle, with the children and teachers caught in the middle.
“I feel that it will be detrimental for children and teachers. Instead of focusing on home rule, the main focus should be on restructuring the district (within the current framework) and on teaching our children to learn,” Wiseman says.
An additional concern, she says, is that under a home-rule charter, teachers may not be required to be state certified. If home-rule supporters push through a charter that she feels isn’t fair to everyone, she plans to pull her kids out of DISD.
Lakashia Wallace agrees, stating that the things that parents and students have come to expect from public education may no longer be available.
“Whatever we had in the past will cease to exist. We don’t know if there’ll be afterschool or extracurricular activities or anything else. My son has learned to play football and is academically sound. Right now he has the opportunity to earn and/or receive a full football scholarship,” says the mother of two. “As a charter district, that may not happen and I don’t have $100,000 saved for my child to go to college.”
Wallace also feels that teachers’ pensions could become a target of unscrupulous individuals.
In discussing the topic, Alliance AFT president Rena Honea, says six people initiated the home-rule conversation.
“In my opinion, I think the whole thing started with board trustee Mike Morath. He’s the one that researched the law, has been talking to legislators and was having a conversation with others and they decided to run with it,” Honea says.
Honea says her belief is that the push for home-rule is really political and financial in nature.
“It’s a total disruption and distraction from what’s going on in our district to try what most people feel is a power grab to get at the $1.4 billion budget,” she says. “It also has to do with real estate.”
As a charter school district, Honea explains, all DISD properties would no longer fall under federal domain, thus allowing unused or empty properties to be sold.
Supporters
But DISD board trustee Mike Morath says the true issue is governance. The district, he says, faces many challenges because of it high population of low-income students. Furthermore, he says, he feels that elected DISD officials need more incentives to work in the best interest of students. As the district is currently structured, Morath says board trustees often work to fulfill interests of a smaller voting pool. This problem stems from the fact that trustees are voted for in the Spring, he says, instead of during the November elections when voter turnout is greater and voter demographics are more diverse. Those voting for trustees under the current May voting structure, he says, are generally older and have an average age of 68 years old. The end result, he says, is that most of the decisions being made for the district may not necessarily reflect the needs of current needs of parents or administrators.
“And they’re generally focused on the here and now and on reducing costs,” Morath says. “Also I don’t believe we have a system of governance that’s focused on improving outcomes for kids.
Morath argues that state law does not allow DISD to move trustee elections to the November ballot. There’s no recall for ineffective board trustees and there needs to be one. Also, Morath says trustees spend about 80 percent of their time arguing over contracts awarded, with staff and with each other. Nothing is conducive to boosting student outcomes, he says. And there is no formal incentive for board trustees to work at this as a goal.
Therefore Morath says the goal is to use the home-rule structure to change when board trustees are elected – something he says can’t be done otherwise. Such a move, he says, will introduce November voters who come from all walks of life, whether young or old, rich or poor and breathe new life into the elected board trustees.
“One idea is that we could have a provision in the charter that said that every four years we should take a look back at the last few years and focus on whether or not student outcome improved within a trustee’s particular district,” Morath says. “If not, these individuals should be up for re-election.”
He admits, though, that pushing for voter approval for home-rule in the upcoming November election, may not happen. Most of it has to do with timing and the steps necessary to properly inform voters about what could change or stay the same.
As someone looking from the outside in, Kevin Chavous, says both sides needs to be objective and concrete about their goals whether these include access to every child regardless of social and economic status. Chavous is an attorney, author and national education reform leader.
“Home-rule supporters need to find a way to get the best teachers into the worst schools,” he says.
The lack of community engagement early on by home-rule supporters could crush the home-rule initiative before it’s ever replaced. Hence, Chavous says, home-rule proponents should focus on developing a partnership or relationship with parents, teachers and others.
“They need to be engaged in a campaign for change.,” says Chavous.
“Homerule” is just another trick to rip off the people of Dallas. It will have the effect of “privatizing” public education in the second largest city in Texas. In turn this will limit the educational options of the poor and middle classes. It will increase the educational options of the people who can afford to pay for education. More Black and Latino children will be “tracked” into prison and the lower monetary class.