San Antonio ISD, Frisco ISD, Fort Worth ISD, Dallas ISD & Houston ISD

Coverage of San Antonio ISD, Frisco ISD, Fort Worth ISD, Dallas ISD and Houston ISD week of Oct. 11-15, 2021

San Antonio ISD Trustee Sarah Sorenson votes against pilot elementary program after learning the administration did not consult with Teachers’ Union

San Antonio ISD adopted a pilot literacy program for elementary students through a company called Amplify in a 5-1 vote, with Trustee Sarah Sorenson opposing, at a meeting Oct. 12. At a whopping cost of $236,789.50, Sorenson voted against the new program due to a lack of input from the local Teachers’ Union. 

When Sorenson asked about input from the Teachers’ Union, she was told SAISD principals and other school staff were given the information and data about the pilot program. 

“My concern is, talking to principals isn’t the same as talking in consultation with the Union,” Sorenson said. 

Schools were able to choose whether or not they wanted to participate in the pilot program, and 18 schools in SAISD chose to opt-in

“I know this is a pilot program, but what happens is we end up adopting programs with very little communication or buy-in from staff,” Sorenson said. 

Sorenson said she would like to encourage working with the Union -- with educators, not at the principal level. She said the District should be working with the teachers who will be doing the implementation of the progam.

SAISD Board President Christina Martinez said it can be a “slippery slope” with a pilot program versus a program that is rolled out campus-wide. 

“I think we hear your point about just being mindful that we are using consultation for the purpose in which it is described, as we are legally obligated,” Martinez said to Sorenson.  

Frisco ISD approves appointments for District Advisory Council

Frisco ISD Trustees unanimously approved the appointment of 73 non-staff members to the District Advisory Committee -- a relaunching of the District’s Long-Range Planning Committee, at an Oct. 12 meeting. 

Frisco ISD’s Executive Director of Government and Legal Affairs Daniel Stockton said the Council will be made up of five standing committees that will deal with various topics. 

Stockton said the structure of the LRPC was kept for the District Advisory Council in terms of membership. He said there are still 146 members, 73 staff members -- one from each campus -- and 73 non-staff members.

“We have mostly parents in that group [non-staff members], but we do have some non-parent community members as well, which is a voice we felt was an important voice to have on that group,” Stockton said. 

Members of the DAC will serve one-year terms, with a maximum of three consecutive terms. 

Stockton also said the District has implemented a universal application process for all District Committees. 

Fort Worth ISD nominates former trustee to Tarrant County Appraisal District

The Fort Worth ISD Board of Trustees appointed former Trustee Joseph Ralph Martinez to the Tarrant County Appraisal District in a special-called meeting on Oct. 12. Trustees then met with their Lone Star Governance Team for the remainder of the meeting. 

Dallas ISD Trustees clash over drafts of redistricting maps

With a deadline of Oct. 22 to submit redistricting maps to the demographer, Dallas ISD Trustees return to the drawing board at their Oct. 14 meeting.

Presented with three draft redistricting maps, Dallas ISD Board Secretary Joe Carreon referenced a presentation from a Sept. 9 meeting that detailed the voting-age population growth by ethnicity in the District. 

From 2010 to 2020, Carreon said there was an increase of 4,458 in the voting-age population of African Americans, a 9,258 increase in the voting-age population of Asian Americans, a 20,109 increase in the voting-age population of Anglos, and a 53,665 increase in the voting-age population of Hispanics. 

Carreon said Hispanic growth was roughly 2.5 times that of Anglos, 5 times that of Asian Americans and 12 times that of African American during the time span. He said he did not understand why none of the plans respected the growth of the Latino vote, and Latino voters in Dallas ISD. 

“This prima facie retrogression,” Carreon said. 

Carreon said his expectations were that any map provided to Trustees, “even in draft form, should be able to stand on its legs legally.” 

“Eliminating two of the three Hispanic opportunity seats when the growth in the last decade has been Latino is, again, on its face retrogression,” he said. 

Board 2nd Vice President Maxie Johnson said the West Dallas community has been upset over the redistricting plans. 

Johnson said there had been racist statements made at a community meeting recently about West Dallas. He said someone had said, “Let’s get rid of the Black Trustee because we’re not building West Dallas for the Black community.” 

The Black community in West Dallas is offended, Johnson said. 

“We can dance around this all we want,” he said. “I’m not going to let Black folks be pushed out of my community where I Pastor. I’m going to fight for that school. I’m going to fight for my community.”

It’s a major issue of equity, Johnson said. 

“The gentrification that is going on in West Dallas is not meant for Black people,” he said. “That’s a problem … We’re not going to be bullied. We’re not going to be pushed around.” 

Trustee Dustin Marshall said it appeared as if “significant time and creativity was invested into trying to address the quote-unquote issue of West Dallas,” but that no time seemed to be invested into preserving the Hispanic Opportunity Districts.  

“I will soundly reject all three of these maps, and will do what I can to encourage my colleagues to do similarly,” Marshall said. “So if I were you guys, I would throw all three of these away and start over because there are much broader concerns than those that are reflected in these maps.” 

Marshall also said he felt unheard and ignored in the process, that he had given specific directions and suggestions about what could be done with District 2.

“All three of these maps remove part of District 2 that I will not consent to remove,” Marshall said. 

Marshall said his objective is to shrink the District 2 borders, as needed from a population standpoint. He said Hispanic parts of District 2 could be given to District 8. He also wants to keep as much of the feeder pattern together as possible. 

“Aside from me not being willing to vote for them, I think all three of these maps would get us sued,” Marshall said. 

Trustee Joyce Foreman said she wanted to address Mashall’s statement about “some conspiracy to try to create maps that maintain the three African American Districts.”

“I think that’s ludicrous,” Foreman said. “Only one Trustee showed up today to create maps to present to you … Don’t like the maps they’re presenting, draw your own.” 

Foreman said she was not going to get into the fight over who is going to represent West Dallas, but that Plan 3 illustrates District 4 (68.9% Hispanic), District 7 (69.4% Hispanic) and District 8 (61.9% Hispanic) as Hispanic Opportunity Districts. 

The District works best with a 3-3-3 model, Foreman said, meaning three African American, three Hispanic and three Anglo Districts. 

“That’s what’s been successful, and I think we need to try to stay there as much as we can,” she said. 

Foreman said she gained more Hispanic and Anglo populations in her District, but that she was “not crying about it” because she represents everyone in District 6. 

Trustee Dan Micciche said District 3 constituents do not want to see attendance or feeder pattern changes. 

“On the three maps that have been put forward as alternatives, there’s not really that much of an impact on District 3,” Micciche said. “I’m assuming that’s the way it will end up, given that we are in the corner of the District.” 

Dallas ISD Board President Ben Mackey said he, too, has some serious concerns about the retrogression for the Hispanic voting population in the draft maps. 

“I did not see the population growth reflected in that way to maintain that we are trying to avoid retrogression,” Mackey said.

Mackey asked what statistics would help determine whether or not retrogression is happening, and was told the Voting Age Population (VAP) is the baseline used, but that Citizen Voting Age Population (CVAP) could be used also, depending on a benchmark that has not yet been determined. 

Trustee Justin Henry asked if Districts typically submit VAP or CVAP maps to the demographer, and was told it is typically VAP, which is what was submitted by Dallas ISD in 2010.

Henry said the Board needed to figure out if they want to use VAP or CVAP, and use it consistently. 

“If we switch back and forth, it’s almost impossible to come to a map,” he said. 

Using VAP, Henry said the Hispanic population for District 8 is 59.5%, but using CVAP, it’s 35%, citing the significant difference in the data. 

Henry said in his District, District 9, the African American VAP is 36.8%, and hops up to 51.7% using CVAP. 

“It’s just too big of a variance for us to balance between the two, in my opinion,” Henry said. “I’d really like us somehow to trust President Mackey to pick one, and let’s move forward.” 

If Trustees provide solutions or suggestions to help, Henry said he did not understand why they would not be included in the presented draft maps. 

“The clock’s ticking, and this is another meeting we’re leaving where it sounds like we’re starting over -- I’m not sure,” he said. “But at least one Trustee said he’s not supporting any of these.”

Henry said it was important to remove as many variables as possible. Several other Trustees were outspoken in their agreement with Henry’s comments.  

View the Presentation/Maps here:  Dallas-ISD-Redistricting Process Timeline Next Steps PwrPoint-Revision 3.pdf (1,396 KB)

Houston ISD parents highlight school violence, maintenance issues

Houston ISD parents highlighted school violence and school maintenance issues at the Board of Trustees meeting on Oct. 14.

Student Safety Concerns

Local business owner, parent and activist Travis Mcgee said he was concerned about the safety of children on HISD campuses. 

“I had an incident with my kid last week,” Mcgee said. “I still haven’t received a phone call from the administration as of today.” 

Mcgee said bullying was an issue on campuses all over the district, and that students were going to counselors, principals and HISD Police with issues and incidents. 

“Just because the middle schools are not reporting it, does not mean it’s not happening,” he said. 

Later, Mcgee said there was a knife on campus the day before the meeting, and the student could have died. 

“Somebody’s got to give a damn about these kids, like I give a damn about my kid,” he said. “I give a damn about all the kids in this District.” 

At that point, Mcgee’s allotted speaking time had run out.

“I’m not going to be one of those parents where y’all come out with a damn candlelight vigil,” Mcgee said, after his microphone had been cut. “We’re telling y’all it’s a problem right now.” 

Current candidate for the HISD Board of Trustees District IX, parent and activist Gerry Monroe, spoke earlier in the meeting about his child being cut in the face at Jack Yates High School the day of the meeting. 

Maintenance Issues

Dr. Haley Delagarza, a pediatric anesthesiologist and parent, said maintenance in HISD schools is “pretty deplorable.” 

Delagarza said her third grade son sustained an entire week without air conditioning at Poe Elementary. 

“I was not notified by anybody at the school that this was occurring, and only figured it out when he returned home on a Friday dehydrated,” she said.  

The following Monday, Delagarza said her son’s teacher reached out to her via email, asking for fans to help cool the classroom off. 

Delargaza said when she contacted the HISD Maintance Department, the employee in charge asked her for the District’s open work orders at the school, which she as a parent would not have. The same employee then said the air conditioners at Poe Elementary had been fixed. 

“The very next day, a fifth grade classroom was documented at over 85 degrees for the day,” Delagarza said. “This is absolutely unacceptable for our children.”

Several other speakers also spoke about maintenance issues in HISD that need to be addressed, including broken toilets and broken water fountatins.