DISD bucks damaging PR, decides to move some magnets to Conrad HS

In what I think is an excellent sign for the future health of DISD, the Morning News reports that the district has decided to move three magnet programs from Skyline High School to the new Conrad High School just down the street from the infamous Five Points corner in Vickery Meadows.

The decision is interesting from two perspectives:

1) A rowdy bunch of parents rallied angrily against the original plan to move six magnets from Skyline, threatening all sorts of mayhem; even Dallas councilman Dwaine Caraway jumped into the fray, threatening to withhold his support from DISD's May $1.3 billion bond election unless the district backed down. In past years, this would have been enough to send DISD politicos scurrying for cover and begging for forgiveness rather than pressing forward with something they  originally believed was best for the kids.

2) The fact that the decision was announced before the bond election means that someone at DISD (presumably Supt. Hinojosa) has the backbone to stand up and do what's he thinks is right, regardless of the threatened impact on the bond issue, which is important for DISD to simply keep pace with school maintenance and growth.

I like the fact that DISD made a decision that appears sound from the outside (Skyline has 4,800 students, and that is causing overcrowding and safety issues); weathered the initial and inevitable political firestorm that invariably happens when you mix kids, administrators, parents and change; and stuck to its guns.

One of the big reasons we've had so many problems with public education since I've been in Dallas (28 years now) is that the people running the schools have invariably managed the district as if they have to look over their shoulders all of the time for fear of being fired. And while that might have been true in the past, hopefully the board has moved beyond that type of punitive meddling and has settled back to let the people we're paying run the district.

Guess we'll see ...

Comments

[JKR]

This is not the end of Skyline.

Their supporters should think back to when Skyline opened and many schools felt their traditional attendance zones were 'raided'. For instance we at Woodrow lost nearly half of our student body from places like Forest Hills - including all of Sanger Elementary and other areas which had been a part of the school since 1928. Some of our outstanding teachers, including famed football coach Cotton Miles were also taken. Bryan Adams and Samuell also lost many students.

J.L. Long Middle School lost some of its luster because instead of everyone going on to Woodrow, nearly half went to Skyline. This interrupted long-term friendships and alliances.

We found ourselves with a student body of 900-something competing on the athletic field with the juggernaut of 4,000 students. Actually we did pretty well, considering..but there was a great toll taken at the time - the school board even threatened to close Woodrow in 1976.

Our 'us against the world' feeling helped forge and galvanize the spirit, support and success we enjoy today. So perhaps you Skyline Raiders could look at it in that light...

[Alex]

DISD just wants its newest school to be able to cheat at UIL competitions. You can't recruit players to a closed boundary school, but if you have a magnet then it's a free for all.

[Norman Alston]

I see this a little differently. On the surface, it appears logical but that's the problem. My knowledge on this event is only superficial. I'm skeptical.

Is this a case of the DISD showing backbone, or ignoring the legitimate concerns of its constituency? I've seen the latter, I'm afraid. Are they basing this decision on good data, or a just a gut feeling? I've seen the later here, too. Did they hold meetings with parents or parent groups, administrators and faculty to present their reasonings and get input, or did this just come running downhill from Ross Avenue? Boy, have I ever seen the latter on this one.

I've said since 1989 that there is nothing harder for a school district to do than anticipate and respond to school attendance. One of the things that makes this so hard is the fact that our schools often adopt the role of being the center of the community. We want this. We want emotional attachment, we want parental involvement, we want the participation of the local businesses, we want folks to care, participate and support the school. We want them to be proud of their school.

We want this because we know that the more of this you have, the more successful the school is likely to be. It's one of the reasons that middle schools went to 3 grades. The DISD determined that only two grades inhibited the development of this community commitment. As we speak, the Woodrow/Long Community Council of all the schools that feed into those schools is working to strengthen the commitment of elementary school kids and their parents to continue on together through high school.

The flip side is that once you have it, folks will fight to keep it. As well they should. JKR made mention of the years-long friendships that develop. The students and programs cannot be treated as inventory. There is a lot more in play here than available square footage.

[cesar]

I ask everyone to take a tour of Conrad HS. I've seen it and its a remarkable place. Bill Gates has provided the funding for their engineering magnet. Outback Steakhouse has provided the commercial kitchen and instruction for their restaurant management magnet. The diversity of the student body is incredible. 15 of the 18 students running for student council last year were from countries other than the United States (east Asia, eastern Europe, and the middle east to mention a few spots). The students from Skyline who can attend this campus will no longer be in overcrowded classrooms. And it's more than a grade A facility. Take a look, talk to the staff and you'll see a genuine committment to academic excellence for these students. It's not just about a new pretty place. You will be amazed at what you find.

[Amy S]

If the district grows and magnets are unable to match this growth because of their facility limitations, doesn't it short-change students who cannot attend because of enrollment caps and capacity, but who would qualify to attend because of grades and desire? Since Skyline is already one of the largest schools in the district, expansion of the school would not have been a realistic option.

The proposal not taken by DISD, would have reduced Skylines total population approximately 200 - 400 students, but divide that between 15 clusters and it really doesn't leave much room for expansion. Plus, the argument that these kids lived outside of Skyline's borders leads one to wonder is Skyline a neighborhood school or magnet school? Magnet schools generally allow kids from all over the district to attend, so how are non-magnet/non-neighborhood kids able to attend?

One option previously suggested, build multiples of the same magnets. But the very purpose of the magnet is to provide such a comprehensive learning experience that students are willing to travel to participate in, and by dividing this between two schools, you are diluting the available talent and resources to provide this goal.

BTW just went through a painful 2 years to be able to have a better facility to help more students achieve (unfortuntately not all schools have the generous resources that BTW had for their growth). The parents and staff saw a goal for the future of the schools, not just the disruption it would cause in the short term.

My kids bleed red & black, but if they want to choose a magnet program, they have to choose another school.

[Kent Fischer]

Norman Alston: Well said.