Scott Parks is the education columnist for the Dallas Daily News. He had some interesting items on his January 2007 wish list for Dallas schools. Some are touching and in dire need. Some are possible during this new year. Others are wishful thinking with little chance of success, regardless of the need. Here are just a few items on his 2007 wish list:
o Bilingual Education Programs. Parks would like Gov. Rick Perry and the Texas legislature to standardize the teaching of bilingual and “English as a Second Language” students. Currently, bilingual education programs are different from district to district. All students must learn English as soon as possible. Otherwise, bilingual students are prevented from succeeding just because of the language barrier.
o Dallas Schools Leadership. Parks cited several wishes from Dallas schools leadership:
o Board of Trustees and Superintendent Hinojosa. Although the Dallas schools’ board of trustees is stronger now than in the past, Parks believes Superintendent Michael Hinojosa is the district’s best hope for getting Dallas schools back on track. Hinojosa also has the support of business leaders and the public. Parks was encouraged that trustees Edwin Flores, Jack Lowe and their fellow board members are now focusing on education, rather than politics, as in the past.
o Texas Association of School Boards. The board of directors should reject the TASB’s recommendations. Instead, board members are required to regularly visit individual Dallas schools, speaking with teachers and staff. Then they’ll know firsthand what’s really going on inside Dallas schools. Parks accurately points out that the superintendent of Dallas schools and the Dallas school board are not a team. The Dallas school board is the boss, and the superintendent is “a valued employee,” and the TASB is not part of the Dallas school district.
o Special Education Students. The parents of these children have a lot to do beyond the typical parent. Dallas school administrators need to work as a team with these parents to help them understand what the law requires Dallas schools to do for their children with special needs. The current attitude that parents of children with special needs are the enemy, who can potentially file laws against the Dallas school district, is only hurting children and their education. As Parks noted, “it’s the right thing to do.”
o College preparation. At some point, someone decided that if a kid didn’t go to college, he wouldn’t be successful in life. Not all children are destined to go to college. Some do very well in careers that began in high school vocational education programs. Neither my daughter nor my son graduated from college, they chose, even though we discussed at length the benefits of a college degree. They each earn more than $60,000 a year: one is self-employed and the other works for a computer-related company that nearly rivals Microsoft®. My kids proved me wrong and Parks right: Not all kids are meant to go to college to succeed. So stop focusing only on college preparation and refocus some of your energy and resources on delivering strong vocational education programs.
or Textbooks. The law requires that each student receive a textbook for the course she is taking. Some Dallas high schools fear that too many children will lose or damage books, costing them some of the precious funds they receive each year for their meager budgets. Children learn best when they can take their textbooks home to study, give them to them.
Additionally, legislators continually advocate for the replacement of textbooks with laptops. For! I completely agree with Parks’ assessment of the situation. He believes that a media literacy course should be required for all high school students within Dallas schools. They must be able to analyze the barrage of advertising targeted at them now and in the future, as well as understand current events and non-objective biases built into news reporting by media owners.
o Gifts for School Leadership. Nothing should be taken away from companies that want to sell products or services to schools, not even a free lunch. This should apply to administrators, superintendents and board members. As Parks quoted, “it looks bad.”
or Masters. Teachers are understandably under a lot of pressure to meet prescribed standards set by federal, state and Dallas school officials, not only to meet funding requirements but also to meet performance goals to keep schools open. Because of this, Dallas schools are losing many great teachers to the business world, where they are amply compensated for the headaches. Parks’s wish is that these great teachers focus on the challenges and rewards that first got them interested in teaching, continue teaching because so many children need them, and stop obsessing over those things that have little to do with why they were taught. who became teachers in the first place.
or Parents. Many times, when a child gets into trouble at school or receives an undesirable grade, some parents conclude that the teacher is to blame or is messing with her child. Just like you parents, teachers have a hard job to do so that their children get a valuable education. It’s time for parents to team up with teachers to ensure that every child works hard and receives an education that will take them far in life. I remember my son would always complain about a particular teacher picking on him. When he got his report card, he was failing English and reminded me that the teacher didn’t like him. Unfortunately for my son, I had this same 7th grade English teacher and he knew the integrity of the man. His next report card had a much better grade. So parents, first assume the teacher is right, and then talk to them and your child about how to resolve any grade or discipline issues.
One of Parks’ best points concerns private sector companies and volunteers. Dallas school students need as much encouragement as possible to succeed. Presentations and mentoring by these private sector volunteers will give students in Dallas schools not only encouragement, but also ideas for opportunities that arise from those who are there.
