On Wednesday July 16, 2008 at 9:30 am-11:00 am in the Conference Center of The Greater Dallas Chamber of Commerce at Plaza of Americas-700 N. Pearl Street (12th floor of the parking garage elevators) Dallas Achieves will have a discussion about DISD Board of Trustees Ethics Policy. Please join me and others at the meeting who are concerned about DISD. This meeting is not open to the public, but 3 DISD Trustees will be there and it is about our tax dollars.
While there are people who are apart of this group that I have great respect for, I am concerned that a non-elected group is in the position to direct the policies and people who have been elected by the citizens to run the public schools. In my opinion this is the beginning of an effort by the business community ( Mayor Tom Leppert and others) to takeover the schools for the 1 billion dollar per year operating budget and 1.35 billion dollar construction budget just voted in by the people.
President of the School Board Jack Lowe made it clear that prior to moving into Dallas from Highland Park to run for the school board that it was cleared with DISD officials that he could still do business with the district. It has also been stated that by limiting board members from doing business with DISD that it would limit the pool of people running for that office.
I do not know another public entity in Dallas where that kind of policy is allowed. Is that being pushed because Mayor Leppert believes that he will have the opportunity to appoint board members and want to leave that open for his friends?
There are more important issues at DISD. Let's spend time working on the low performing schools. The H. Grady Spruce situation shows us that we had better start talking about educating the students and not about making someone rich.
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Oh, I think the Mayor has bigger plans. Someone needs to ask him to stop tipping around the Mulberry bush and just say when he plans to take over the district. When I asked, he responded that the way that would happen is for DISD to continue to perform poorly. Have you seen? Look for the upcoming legislative session to bring many surprises. While the game may have appeared to change, I think you will find that the players are all the same.
I agree that there are plans for this legislative session. Why would State Senator Florence Shapiro be on the Dallas Achieves if there are not plans in the legislature? She lives in Plano "Collin County". Its all about the billion dollar budget and not about the education of children. Leppert's paid consultant Carol Reed is also on Dallas Achieves. Remember Leppert is also associated with a group that call themselves the "Inner Circle" and they are all about contract dollars.
Can our community be saved? You have to be Stevie Wonder not to see what is going on. Why do you think 'we the people' have become so powerless? What else can we do to stir people toward action? We are on so many levels a house divided.
Yes our community can be saved. We must work together to do all that we can to make a difference.
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