1. Dallas is still trying to help its citizens deal with panhandlers, this time by suggesting folks give to homeless charities rather than to homeless beggars. BTW: Phrase that works wonders for me, when I’m approached, as soon as I realize I’m being panhandled: “I can’t help you.” That one’s free.
2. Dallas-based Match.com is now working with Facebook to help people with an itch find someone to help them scratch it.
3. I read this DISD story slowly and carefully. I’m still not sure what the point is. Best I can tell, it’s about how the district thinks a bonus program to entice teachers to troubled schools is working because 65 teachers filled vacancies at 16 schools. But, apparently, the Morning News doesn’t think that it’s working, because experts make generic statements about how theoretical programs that are similar should be run, even though they or the paper never suggest a number that would make it a success, probably assuming rightly that such a number does not exist and that trying to make an instant analysis of a program that is designed to have a long-term benefit can’t be done by examining how many jobs were filled. It also says teachers making career switches to teaching shouldn’t get the bonuses, nor should new teachers hired right out of college, because “district research” (not cited) and a national teacher’s union (which obviously advocates for its more experienced members) says it shouldn’t. The other genius thing about this story is that it suggests (with lots of hedge words) the district spent too much money on this, THEN says one expert points out that to make it more successful (what that means is never defined), DISD would need to more than triple the amount spent on the bonuses. So the district is both wasteful and cheap. This is what happens when a newspaper treats its school district as an investigative beat and not an explanatory beat. You get nothing but gotcha stories that go nowhere, that diffuse the impact of important investigative stories and that create a general impression in the casual reader of a district gone amok, when those of us with kids in DISD have seen nothing but steady improvement in our schools for the past 10 years. And so it goes.
11 comments
Amen Eric!
So 65 is “few” when the pool of teachers is 10,000.
Would 65 still be “few” if, of the 20,000 employees, 65 had stolen from the school district? I think not. TWO stole using district credit cards and I don’t think we’ll ever hear the end of it.
Clearly, 65 is “excessive, obsessive or even abusive” when it’s the number of times DMN has written about the district credit card program.
Speaking of teachers, I found this on the school district website: http://www.dallasisd.org/news/news.cfm?View=19&DocID=7417
then checked to see when it was in DMN…….not.
I love you for this post. Especially the last line. Thank you.
My friend thought she met her “match” but ended up getting more than she bargained for. Now she’s taking pills because scratching alone isn’t going to clear up her itch. Yet another reason to be careful peeps.
It’s way too easy to shoot a hog tied to a post, much harder to actually go hunting for one- DMN why don’t you go into the classrooms thats where the real stories are!!!
I would like to know how many of DMN’s reporters or editorial board members actually have children going to a school in DISD- better yet, how about have even set foot in a DISD school.
What I don’t get is that it takes awhile to realize the ultimate effect of initiatives like this–whether positive or negative. So there’s a chance this program will fail miserably; but there’s just as good a chance (if not better) that it will be a huge success as teachers overcome their natural instinct to be skeptical of the metrics being used.
At any rate, the effect won’t be felt for years. So I’m glad I wasn’t the only one who missed the point. I’ll go back and read it again, though.
As to the credit card scandal–the story there is not how many people stole or abused their cards, it is how the investigation was expensive and botched (a mere 200 people looked at for a $1M outlay–with blame laid on a mid-level manager who had no authority to change the program). Unfortunately, the whole debacle continues.
As to the quality of education: I echo Christine. It has been a pleasure seeing my two go through the DISD elementary school they have. Now, to find a way to export that kind of quality everywhere in DISD…
How about 350? That was the number of volunteers last month working at the Lakewood Home Festival raising money for Lakewood, J.L. Long and Woodrow.
The DMN has been giving me a slow burn with DISD dog-piles since the 1970s. My latest gripe is the DALLAS Morning News gave a front page multiple puff-piece to Southlake Carroll’s musical. Everyone (except DMN) knows Woodrow has the best musicals – check the Cappie Awards.
To Lakewooder, I say read this:
http://backtalkprestonhollow.typepad.com/back_talk_preston_hollow/2007/12/better-than-pha.html
And read what our Neighborsgo editor, a private school grad, said about the show. I’m sure she would praise Woodrow too: “I have to say, I was really blown away….. had my high school’s musical been anything like that, I would’ve taken part. Mr. Parker is extraordinary. I’ve seen first hand this year how great DISD’s theater programs are in our area. Mr. Parker and Ms. Hayslip at Hillcrest are top notch. I can’t stress enough, I was beyond amazed.
Stay Tuned was just brilliant, and what talent everyone had. I was in stitches nearly the whole time…those kids were not only insanely talented, they were hilarious!”
Thank you Ms. Meyer for your pro-active support of our wonderful Dallas schools.
What you have pointed out is one of my greatest frustrations: if we could just get people across the thresholds of the school doors they would eat their words.
Speaking of Cappie Winners (Best Actor in a Musical, which also won Best Musical – Fiddler on the Roof), Woodrow-ex Matthew George is strutting his stuff in his fourth Yale production (it’s only his freshman year). Check out http://lakewood-now.net/view/article/1801 for the info and video clip.
You would never see such positive DISD news in the Dallas News.
Say Fred, Did you know Matthew George is among at least 4 Dallas ISD kids currently at Yale. In addition to Matthew, South Oak Cliff, Hillcrest and W. T. White are represented as well.
Any newly minted, freshly converted, out of retirement, or brave teacher who wants to help principal Cynthia Godspel and her staff at Bryan Adams HS restore that school’s once glorious academic reputation has my full support and $$$. Thanks Eric for pointing out how our local daily negatively affects the public’s perception of its school district– even when the district is trying everything it can think of to turn things around.