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THE TIME IS 4 P.M.. WE HAVE A QUORUM AND THE MEETING HAS BEEN DULY POSTED.
[1. NOTICE AND RETURN]
GOOD AFTERNOON AND WELCOME TO THE BOARD BRIEFING, A MEETING OF THE DALLAS INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD OF TRUSTEES.ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
HONOR THE TEXAS FLAG. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THEE, TEXAS.
ONE STATE UNDER GOD, ONE AND INDIVISIBLE. THE FOLLOWING TRUSTEES ARE PHYSICALLY PRESENT OR PARTICIPATING SIMULTANEOUSLY BY VIDEO CONFERENCE. A QUORUM OF THE BOARD IS PHYSICALLY PRESENT AT THIS LOCATION.
WE HAVE TRUSTEE FOR DISTRICT TWO SARAH WEINBERG.
DISTRICT THREE, DAN MICCICHE. DISTRICT FOUR, PRISMA GARCIA.
DISTRICT SIX, JOYCE FOREMAN. DISTRICT SEVEN, BEN MACKEY.
DISTRICT NINE, ED TURNER. DOCTOR STEPHANIE ELIZALDE, SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS JOINING US JOINS US.
AND I'M JOE CARREÓN, TRUSTEE FOR DISTRICT EIGHT AND BOARD PRESIDENT.
THE MEETING WILL BE AVAILABLE, THIS MEETING WILL BE AVAILABLE SIMULTANEOUSLY IN ENGLISH AND IN SPANISH AT ESTA REUNIÓN ESTARÁ DISPONIBLE SIMULTÁNEAMENTE EN INGLÉS Y EN ESPAÑOL EN IN ORDER FOR THE BOARD TO HOLD THIS MEETING IN AN EFFECTIVE MANNER, I WANT TO LET IT BE KNOWN THAT THIS MEETING WILL BE CONDUCTED IN AN ORDERLY FASHION AND ASK THE PUBLIC TO ABIDE BY THE RULES OUTLINED IN BOARD POLICY BED LOCAL PERTAINING TO PUBLIC PARTICIPATION.
IT IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE FOR A PERSON WITH INTENT TO PREVENT DISRUPT A LAWFUL MEETING, TO SUBSTANTIALLY OBSTRUCT OR INTERFERE WITH THE ORDINARY CONDUCT OF A MEETING BY PHYSICAL ACTION OR VERBAL UTTERANCE, AND THEREBY CURTAIL THE EXERCISE OF OTHERS FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS. SPEAKERS ARE CAUTIONED THAT WHAT THEY SAY COULD VIOLATE THE RIGHTS OF OTHERS UNDER THE LAW OF DEFAMATION OR INVASION OF PRIVACY, AND IF THEY ARE UNSURE OF THE LEGAL EFFECT OF THEIR REMARKS, THEY MAY WANT TO SEEK LEGAL ADVICE PRIOR TO THE UTTERANCE.
ANY PERSON WHO BECOMES BOISTEROUS, DISRUPTIVE, OR FAILS TO ABIDE BY THESE RULES OF THIS ASSEMBLY WHILE ADDRESSING THE BOARD OR WHILE ATTENDING THIS MEETING, SHALL BE ASKED TO LEAVE. FAILURE TO LEAVE WHEN REQUESTED TO DO SO, MAY RESULT IN THE PERSON BEING ESCORTED FROM THE MEETING AND SUBJECT TO ARREST.
TRUSTEES. WE WILL NOW TURN TO AGENDA ITEM THREE.
[3. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS]
ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF ELECTED OFFICIALS IN THE AUDIENCE.I THINK I SAW OUR STATE SENATOR, STATE SENATOR ROYCE WEST IS WITH US HERE TODAY.
THANK YOU. COUNCILWOMAN. OTHER ELECTED OFFICIALS? OKAY. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR FOR BEING WITH US HERE TODAY.
TRUSTEES WE'LL NOW TURN TO AGENDA ITEM FOUR, THE PUBLIC FORUM PORTION OF OUR MEETING.
[4. PUBLIC FORUM]
OUR AGENDA NOW CALLS FOR THE PUBLIC FORUM SEGMENT OF OUR MEETING. WE WILL HAVE SPEAKERS TO AGENDA AND NON AGENDA ITEMS. I'M ASKING SPEAKERS TO BE MINDFUL THAT THERE ARE CHILDREN IN ATTENDANCE.CHILDREN AND UNWILLING ADULT RECIPIENT MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC IN ATTENDANCE AT THIS MEETING SHOULD NOT BE EXPOSED TO LEWD, FILTHY, VULGAR, OBSCENE OR EXPLICIT LANGUAGE FROM SPEAKERS.
SPEAKERS THAT INSIST ON EXPOSING THE PUBLIC TO THIS LANGUAGE SHALL BE ASKED TO LEAVE IMMEDIATELY. FURTHER, PLEASE BE MINDFUL OF YOUR FELLOW SPEAKERS AND TO REFRAIN FROM USING INDIVIDUALS NAMES, TO INCLUDE STUDENTS NAMES, AND TO ADDRESS THE BOARD AND NOT INDIVIDUAL TRUSTEES.
THE DISTRICT HAS ADOPTED PROCEDURES TO HEAR AND ADDRESS COMPLAINTS ABOUT SPECIFIC INDIVIDUALS, AND IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT SPEAKERS AVAIL THEMSELVES OF THE GRIEVANCE POLICY TO SEEK RELIEF VIA THOSE PROCEDURES. AUDIENCE, I'M ASKING YOU NOT TO TO NOT ENGAGE IN CONDUCT THAT WILL DISRUPT THE MEETING.
UNLAWFUL OR DISRUPTIVE CONDUCT, INCLUDING INTERRUPTING SCHEDULED SPEAKERS, SPEAKING OUT OF TURN, CROSSING OFF THE ROPED OFF BARRIERS, OR INTERFERING WITH THE RIGHTS OF OTHERS WILL NOT BE TOLERATED.
EACH SPEAKER IS LEGALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CONTENT AND CONSEQUENCES OF HIS OR HER OWN STATEMENTS. SPEAKERS, PLEASE BE REMINDED THAT SUBSTITUTIONS ARE NOT ALLOWED. IF YOU SIGN UP TO SPEAK, YOU CANNOT SPEAK ON BEHALF OF SOMEONE ELSE. SPEAKERS WHO FAIL TO ADHERE TO THIS RULE WILL BE INTERRUPTED AND INFORMED THAT YOUR COMMENTS ARE OUT OF ORDER.
DOCTOR JORDAN, WILL YOU PLEASE CALL THE NAMES OF THE SPEAKERS? YES, SIR.
GOOD EVENING. I WOULD LIKE TO REMIND THE SPEAKERS THAT YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK.
WHEN YOU ARRIVE AT THE MICROPHONE, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME.
PLEASE COME TO THE MICROPHONE. FORMER TRUSTEE HONORABLE CAMILLE WHITE AND JOHN FULLINWIDER, FOLLOWED BY BILLY LANE AND TRAVIS CARTER ON DECK.
CAMILLE WHITE. NOT PRESENT JOHN FULLINWIDER. I'M JOHN FULLINWIDER, AND I'M HERE TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF RENAMING CITY LAB HIGH SCHOOL TO HONOR DIANE RAGSDALE.
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I ATTENDED DISD SCHOOLS FROM CHILDHOOD TO AGE 18.MY CHILDREN GRADUATED FROM DISD SCHOOLS. DIANE RAGSDALE HAS BEEN ONE OF DALLAS MOST IMPORTANT COMMUNITY LEADERS AND PUBLIC OFFICIALS FOR THE PAST HALF CENTURY, BEST KNOWN FOR HER SERVICE ON THE DALLAS CITY COUNCIL 1984 TO 1991.
DIANE WAS 11 WHEN HER MOTHER, LULA RAGSDALE, ENROLLED HER IN JUANITA CRAFTS NAACP YOUTH COUNCIL.
DIANE FINISHED COLLEGE WITH A NURSING DEGREE, BECOMING A REGISTERED NURSE.
SHE WAS AN EARLY MEMBER OF THE FREDERICK DOUGLASS VOTING COUNCIL, FOUNDED BY J.B.
JACKSON AND ELSIE FAY HIGGINS. IN 1980, MISS HIGGINS WAS ELECTED TO THE DALLAS CITY COUNCIL, AND SHE APPOINTED DIANE TO THE CITY PLANNING COMMISSION.
IN 1984, SHE WAS ELECTED TO THE DALLAS CITY COUNCIL FOR THE SOUTH DALLAS AREA.
SHE LAUNCHED THE DISTRICT SIX LAND USE COMMITTEE IN ORDER TO STOP THE DEMOLITION OF AREA HOMES AND THE OVERSATURATION OF LIQUOR STORES IN SOUTH DALLAS, AND PROMOTE NEEDED SERVICES AND BUSINESSES. SHE WORKED ON HOUSING AND TRANSPORTATION ISSUES WITH NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS ACROSS THE CITY.
IN 1986, COUNCILWOMAN RAGSDALE ESTABLISHED ICDC, THE SOUTH DALLAS FAIR PARK INNER CITY COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, WHICH HAS DEVELOPED HUNDREDS OF AFFORDABLE HOMES.
THIS YEARS LONG STRUGGLE ON THE COUNCIL, IN THE STREETS AND IN FEDERAL COURT WAS FINALLY VICTORIOUS.
IN 1991 RAGSDALE AND LIPSCOMB SUPPORTED COMMUNITY DEMANDS FOR DIVESTMENT OF CITY FUNDS FROM THE APARTHEID REGIME IN SOUTH AFRICA, AND THEY WERE THE STRONGEST VOICES AT THE TIME ON THE COUNCIL FOR ESTABLISHING A CITIZEN BOARD TO REVIEW POLICE MISCONDUCT.
I COULD GO ON FOR HOURS ABOUT DIANE RAGSDALE'S LIFETIME OF COMMUNITY SERVICE, WHICH IS ONGOING, BUT IN SOME THERE IS NO NAMESAKE MORE FITTING THAN DIANE RAGSDALE FOR THE CITY LAB HIGH SCHOOL.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU. WILL THE NEXT TWO SPEAKERS, PLEASE COME TO THE MICROPHONE? BILLY LANE AND TRAVIS CARTER, FOLLOWED BY MICHAEL BROWN AND ERIC RANSOM ON DECK, BILLY LANE.
GOOD EVENING. GOOD AFTERNOON, PRESIDENT, TRUSTEES AND SUPERINTENDENT.
MISS RAGSDALE'S PROFESSIONAL LIFE HAS BEEN DEFINED BY VISIONARY LEADERSHIP, THOUGHTFUL PLANNING, AND AN UNWAVERING COMMITMENT TO THE CITY OF DALLAS AND TO SOUTH DALLAS FAIR PARK NEIGHBORHOODS SPECIFICALLY.
HER WORK REFLECTS THE VERY PRINCIPLES THAT CITY LAB SCHOOL WAS DESIGNED TO TEACH: URBAN PLANNING, ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN, AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.
WITHOUT THAT FRAMEWORK, LAND USE DECISIONS LACK STRUCTURE AND COMPATIBILITY, AND SHE HAS SAID AND CONTINUES TO SAY, YOU COULD DO ALMOST ANYTHING, ANYWHERE, RESULTING IN INCOMPATIBLE USES THAT UNDERMINE NEIGHBORHOOD STABILITY AND LONG TERM GROWTH.
THAT PLAN WAS ADOPTED BY THE CITY COUNCIL IN 1986.
THAT INSTITUTION BECAME INNER CITY COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION COMMITTED TO RESPONSIBLE DEVELOPMENT AND REVITALIZATION IN THE AREA. HER INVOLVEMENT DID NOT STOP THERE. SHE PLAYED AN INTEGRAL ROLE IN PLANNED DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT 505 IN THE 1990S, AND HAS BEEN ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN THE RECENT SOUTH DALLAS FAIR PARK AREA PLAN.
[00:10:05]
FEW INDIVIDUALS CAN CLAIM SUCH SUSTAINED HANDS ON INVOLVEMENT.AFTER REPRESENTING THE CITIZENS OF DALLAS OF SOUTH DALLAS AS COUNCILWOMAN, SHE SERVED AS ICDCS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR ALMOST 20 YEARS, CONTINUING THE VERY WORK SHE HELPED INITIATE DECADES AGO.
MISS RAGSDALE'S LIFE WORK EMBODIES THE VALUES THIS SCHOOL INSTILLS IN ITS STUDENTS THOUGHTFUL PLANNING, CIVIC RESPONSIBILITY, EQUITY, AND LONG TERM VISION.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU. WILL THE NEXT TWO SPEAKERS, PLEASE COME TO THE MICROPHONE? TRAVIS CARTER AND MICHAEL BROWN, FOLLOWED BY ERIC RANSOM AND SARA FLORES.
MY NAME IS TRAVIS CARTER, AND I AM HERE TODAY TO STAND AND STAND IN STRONG SUPPORT OF NAMING THE HARRY STONE MONTESSORI BACCALAUREATE ACADEMY AFTER MY GOOD FRIEND, MISS SHIRLEY ISON-NEWSOME. I'VE KNOWN SHIRLEY FOR OVER 25 YEARS AS AN EDUCATOR, A PUBLIC ADVOCATE, AND A COMMUNITY LEADER. BUT IN MY VIEW, THAT ONLY TELLS HALF OF HER STORY.
ABOVE ALL ELSE, I'VE KNOWN SHIRLEY AS A BUILDER OF BELIEF.
WHEN I FIRST MET HER, IT WAS TO HAVE HER HELP US BUILD A BLUEPRINT FOR AN ACADEMIC AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM THAT WOULD BENEFIT CHILDREN FROM THE SOUTHERN SECTOR, THE FUTURE LEADERS PROGRAM. AND WORKING WITH THE BREWER FOUNDATION, WHICH FUNDS AND MANAGES THAT PROGRAM IN SCHOOLS ACROSS DALLAS, WE TOOK ON AN INCREDIBLE AMBITION TO CREATE A NEW PATHWAY FOR SCHOLARSHIP, LEADERSHIP AND HIGHER EDUCATION FOR STUDENTS FROM SOUTH DALLAS.
FROM THE VERY BEGINNING, SHIRLEY DID WHAT EVERYBODY IN THIS ROOM PROBABLY ASSUMED SHE DID.
SHE BROUGHT ENERGY, PASSION AND A CAN DO ATTITUDE TO THE PROJECT.
SHE MADE SOMETHING VERY CLEAR AND VERY QUICKLY.
THESE CHILDREN WERE DESERVING OF OPPORTUNITY, INVESTMENT AND OUR BELIEF.
AND SO TODAY, 25 YEARS LATER, THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS HAVE GRADUATED FROM THE FLP.
ABOVE ALL ELSE, THEY'VE REALIZED A VISION OF GREATNESS FOR THEMSELVES.
AND THAT HAS BEEN SHIRLEY'S LIFE'S WORK HELPING PEOPLE DO THAT.
SHE'S NEVER TREATED EDUCATION AS A SYSTEM TO MANAGE, BUT AS A PROMISE TO PROTECT.
AND THAT BRINGS US BACK, I THINK, TO THE DISCUSSION OF TODAY, THAT WHY DO SO MANY OF US SUPPORT NAMING THIS SCHOOL AFTER SHIRLEY? BECAUSE NOT DOING SO IS JUST ABOUT HONORING REMARKABLE CAREER.
SHE HAS CERTAINLY HAD THAT. BUT IT'S ABOUT DECLARING VALUES, TELLING EVERY CHILD WHO WALKS THROUGH THOSE DOORS, YOU MATTER, YOUR SCENE AND YOUR FUTURE IS WORTH INVESTING IN.
FOR ALL THESE REASONS, I RESPECTFULLY URGE THIS BOARD TO APPROVE NAMING THIS SCHOOL AFTER MY DEAR FRIEND, SHIRLEY ISON-NEWSOME. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. WITH THE NEXT TWO SPEAKERS, PLEASE COME TO THE MICROPHONE.
MICHAEL BROWN AND ERIC RANSOM, FOLLOWED BY SARAH FLORES COX AND ROBBIE WILLIAMS ON DECK.
GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE. MY NAME IS MICHAEL BROWN.
I'M A FORMER EMPLOYEE OF THE DALLAS SCHOOL. EXCUSE ME, THE INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT.
I WORKED IN THE ACTUALLY ON THE SUPPORT SIDE, AND I HAVE FIRST HAND KNOWLEDGE OF WORKING WITH SHIRLEY, NOT ON A DAILY BASIS, BUT ON INCREMENTAL BASIS.
AND I'M GOING TO SAY THIS ABOUT SHIRLEY. SHE'S A GREAT PERSON TO WORK WITH, JUST A GREAT FRIEND.
AND I MEAN ALL KIDS. AND IT GOES BEYOND KIDS.
SHIRLEY TRIES TO HELP ADULTS. SHE TRIES TO REACH OUT NOW TO ADULTS.
IF YOU EVER HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SIT NEXT TO SHIRLEY, YOU'RE GOING TO GET A MOUTHFUL.
HOWEVER, EVERYTHING DOESN'T GO WELL IN EDUCATION.
AND I'M GOING TO BRING YOU BACK TO A DAY WHEN WE LOST POWER AT ONE OF OUR SCHOOLS.
AND IT HAPPENED WHEN KIDS WERE COMING TO SCHOOL.
I WAS ON THE PHONE WITH SHIRLEY. SHIRLEY, WE'RE NOT GOING TO MAKE IT TODAY.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO HAVE SCHOOL AT THIS LOCATION.
SHIRLEY LOOKED AT ME, TALKED TO ME. SHE SAYS, DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT.
I HAVE IT COVERED. WITHIN 30 MINUTES AFTER MY CONVERSATION WITH SHIRLEY, BUSSES WERE ROLLING UP.
[00:15:03]
ONE THING ABOUT SHIRLEY, WHEN IT COMES TIME TO PIVOT, SHE KNOWS HOW TO PIVOT.THE OTHER THING I WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK TO YOU ABOUT IS SHIRLEY'S EMPOWERMENT OF HER STAFF.
THERE IS NO PERSON THAT YOU WOULD NOT WANT BEHIND YOU, IN FRONT OF YOU, ON SIDE OF YOU, TO HELP YOU.
SURELY YOU HAVE THESE, WHAT I CALL THESE BREAKING SEMESTERS WHERE SHE WOULD BRING ALL THE PRINCIPALS IN AND TALK TO THEM ABOUT THE GOALS THAT THEY COMPLETED, ABOUT THE THE ACTIVITIES THAT WENT ON IN THAT PAST SEMESTER.
AND THEN SHE WOULD GIVE THEM THIS POP UP DEAL.
SHE WOULD LET THEM KNOW THAT COMPETITION IS ALWAYS OUT THERE.
COMPETITION DOES NOT REST. IT DOES NOT SLEEP.
YOU GOT TO KEEP MOVING. YOU GOT TO KEEP PUSHING.
THAT WAS SHIRLEY, ALWAYS ENCOURAGING YOU TO DO BETTER.
AND EACH OFFICIAL WAS GIVEN ONE QUESTION TO NAME A PERSON THAT INSPIRES YOU.
AND THIS INDIVIDUAL SAID SHIRLEY ISON-NEWSOME, WHAT AN HONOR.
ONE, AN HONOR TO HEAR SOMEONE ELSE WHO'S TRYING TO MOVE UP.
THANK YOU, MR. BROWN. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. WILL THE NEXT TWO SPEAKERS PLEASE COME TO THE MICROPHONE? ERIC RANSOM AND SARAH FLORES COX, FOLLOWED BY ROBBIE WILLIAMS AND LINDA SANDERS ON DECK.
I WAS ONE OF HER STUDENTS. I'VE KNOWN HER FOR OVER 40 YEARS.
THAT'S QUITE A LONG TIME. AND SHE'S MADE A BIG IMPACT IN MY LIFE.
MY GRANDPARENTS RAISED ME. I GREW UP IN OAK CLIFF.
MY GRANDPARENTS HAD A SEVENTH AND EIGHTH GRADE EDUCATION.
SO MS. NEWSOME STEPPED IN AND REALLY INSTILLED IN ME WHAT IT MEANS TO GET AN EDUCATION.
WHEN YOU GROW UP IN AN AREA OF POVERTY. AND EDUCATION IS THE KEY TO EVERYTHING TO GET OUT OF THAT, AND I'M SO THANKFUL FOR ALL OF HER WORK. WE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TWO YEARS AGO TO GO BACK TO HARRY STONE AND SPEND A DAY WITH THE CHILDREN AND THE PRINCIPAL THERE.
IT WAS AMAZING TO BE THERE WITH HER AND TO WALK THOSE HALLS AGAIN AFTER ALL THOSE YEARS.
COMING BACK. I NOW LIVE IN SOUTHLAKE AND WELL, PART, PART TIME DALLAS AS WELL.
BUT WE ALSO SPENT A LOT OF TIMES OVER THE YEARS WITH OTHER PROJECTS, AND I ALWAYS GO BACK AND VOLUNTEER BECAUSE OF HER, BECAUSE OF WHAT SHE TAUGHT ME, GO BACK, REACH BACK OUT TO THE COMMUNITIES, HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH MANY CHILDREN IN DISD SOUTH OAK CLIFF, WHERE I GRADUATED FROM AS WELL. AND CONTINUE TO DO SO.
SO IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO HAVE THIS SCHOOL RENAMED FOR ME, JUST BECAUSE I KNOW WHAT IT'S IN HER HEART WHEN IT COMES TO CHILDREN, NOT JUST 40 YEARS AGO, BUT EVEN TODAY. SO I STAND AND SUPPORT THAT, AND I HOPE YOU DO THAT AS WELL.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU. WILL THE NEXT TWO SPEAKERS, PLEASE COME TO THE MICROPHONE? SARAH FLORES COX AND ROBBIE WILLIAMS, FOLLOWED BY LINDA SANDERS AND CONNIE MCCALL ON DECK.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. MY NAME IS SARAH FLORES COX.
THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK THIS AFTERNOON.
WHAT I BELIEVE WOULD BE A MEANINGFUL AND DESERVING CHOICE FOR DALLAS ISD SCHOOL.
SHE WAS THE 16TH BILINGUAL TEACHER HIRED IN THE DISTRICT, HELPING PAVE THE WAY FOR GENERATIONS OF MULTILINGUAL LEARNERS AT A TIME WHEN BILINGUAL EDUCATION WAS STILL GROWING UNDER UNCOMFORTABLE CIRCUMSTANCES.
ONE OF THE THINGS MY MOTHER USED TO TELL ME, DON'T JUST LOVE YOUR STUDENTS, LOVE THEIR PARENTS AND FAMILIES TOO, AND DON'T JUST LOVE THEIR SUCCESSES. LOVE THEM IN THEIR STRUGGLES AND IN THE PLACES WHERE THEY ARE STILL GROWING.
SHE BELIEVED THAT EDUCATION WAS NOT JUST ABOUT ACADEMICS, IT WAS ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS, DIGNITY, AND THE WHOLE CHILD. SHE DIDN'T JUST TEACH LESSONS, SHE BUILT TRUST AND COMMUNITY.
MY FATHER'S STORY IS JUST AS POWERFUL. BOTH OF MY PARENTS WERE ORPHANS.
MY FATHER GREW UP RAISED BY HIS GRANDPARENTS.
HE OFTEN SHARED THAT STORY, BUT NOT WITH SHAME, WITH GRATITUDE INSTEAD.
[00:20:01]
BECAUSE TEACHERS BELIEVED IN HIM, THEY VISITED HIS HOME.THEY ENCOURAGED HIM. THEY INSPIRED HIM TO LOVE READING.
AND ONCE HE STARTED READING, HE NEVER STOPPED.
HE ADVANCED GRADE LEVELS AND EVENTUALLY SURPASSED THE VERY CLASSMATES HE HAD ONCE FALLEN BEHIND.
AS A CHILD, I REMEMBER ALWAYS SEEING HIM READING THE NEWSPAPER.
LATER, I UNDERSTOOD WHY HE WORKED FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE IN THE CIVIL RIGHTS DIVISION, HAVING GROWN UP EXPERIENCING INJUSTICE HIMSELF, HE WAS LATER IN A POSITION TO HELP OTHERS FACING INJUSTICE, INVESTIGATING CASES AND WORKING TO ENSURE FAIRNESS AND OPPORTUNITY FOR FAMILIES LIKE HIS OWN.
BOTH OF MY PARENTS WERE ALWAYS DEEPLY SENSITIVE TO THE UNDERDOG.
THEY BELIEVED DEEPLY IN STUDENTS AND FAMILIES THAT OTHERS SOMETIMES MISSED.
AND NOW THAT I'M A TEACHER MYSELF, I UNDERSTAND THAT THOSE SACRIFICES WERE NEVER IN VAIN.
THEY HELPED MAKE DALLAS AND TEXAS A BETTER PLACE.
EVEN TODAY, I MEET EDUCATORS WHO TELL ME, YOUR DAD HIRED ME AND THEY STILL SERVE THE DISTRICT TODAY.
OTHERS SAY YOUR MOM INSPIRED ME TO BECOME A TEACHER.
AND I ALWAYS SMILE AND SAY, ME TOO. EVEN TODAY NAMING.
IT WOULD HONOR BILINGUAL EDUCATION. IT WOULD HONOR CIVIL RIGHTS.
IT WOULD HONOR COMPASSION FOR THE UNDERDOG. IT WOULD HONOR THE BELIEF THAT EVERY CHILD, ESPECIALLY THE ONES WHO STRUGGLE, DESERVES SOMEONE WHO SEES THEIR POTENTIAL AND WALKS WITH THEM AS THEY GROW.
MOST IMPORTANTLY, IT WOULD DOCUMENT A HISTORY THAT HAS ALREADY SHAPED GENERATIONS WITHIN DALLAS ISD.
THE NEXT TWO SPEAKERS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. PLEASE COME TO THE MICROPHONE. ROBBIE WILLIAMS AND LINDA SANDERS, FOLLOWED BY CONNIE MCCALL AND HECTOR FLORES. ROBBIE WILLIAMS. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS ROBBIE L WILLIAMS. I'M A RETIRED TEACHER OF THE DALLAS INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT, AND I'M HERE TO RECOMMEND THAT HARRY STONE MONTESSORI SCHOOL, MONTESSORI SCHOOL BE RENAMED SHIRLEY ISON-NEWSOME MONTESSORI ACADEMY AT HARRISTOWN.
I MET MISS NEWSOME WHEN HER SON, BRIAN WAS A FOURTH GRADER, AND I WAS A TEACHER AT MAYNARD JACKSON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. I WAS SO IMPRESSED WITH HER KNOWLEDGE OF SCHOOLS, TEACHING AND LEARNING. AND YEARS LATER, I WAS HIRED TO TEACH READING TO SEVENTH AND EIGHTH GRADE STUDENTS AT HARRY STONE.
WHERE, DON'T YOU KNOW, SHIRLEY SHIRLEY ISON-NEWSOME WAS THE PRINCIPAL.
I ENJOYED THAT BECAUSE I HAD ALWAYS BEEN IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
SHE WAS AN EXCELLENT PRINCIPAL WHO KNEW HOW TO NURTURE STUDENTS, TEACHERS AND PARENTS.
UNDER HER LEADERSHIP, HARRY STONE BECAME A NUMBER ONE MIDDLE SCHOOL.
THAT'S ALL BECAUSE OF SHIRLEY. SO I THOUGHT THE LADY WAS SMART, BUT I FOUND OUT SHE WAS A GENIUS WHO KNEW HOW TO GET THE BEST FROM STUDENTS, TEACHERS, AND PARENTS.
SO RENAMING THE SCHOOL IN HER NAME WOULD GIVE HER THE HONOR THAT SHE RICHLY DESERVES. AND ALL OF US WHO TAUGHT UNDER HER WOULD BE SO PROUD.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU. WILL THE NEXT TWO SPEAKERS PLEASE COME TO THE MICROPHONE? LINDA SANDERS AND CONNIE MCCALL, FOLLOWED BY HECTOR FLORES AND RENATO DE LOS SANTOS.
GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS LINDA RAGSDALE SANDERS.
OUR FAMILY, THANK YOU FOR NOMINATING DIANE AS THE NEW NAMESAKE OF CITY HIGH SCHOOL.
LET ME BEGIN BEFORE THE BEGINNING. TODAY, YOU CAN DRIVE ABOUT AN HOUR SOUTHEAST TO JACKSONVILLE, TEXAS, WHERE YOU WILL FIND HISTORIC LANDMARKS CONNECTED TO THE RAGSDALE FAMILY.
[00:25:09]
AND SERVICE. DIANE GREW UP IN A HOME WHERE HER WIDOWED MOTHER, MY GRANDMOTHER LULA, WELCOMED, CARED FOR AND RAISED PHYSICALLY CHALLENGED FOSTER CHILDREN WITH THE LOVE AND SUPPORT OF OUR EXTENDED FAMILY.BORN TO FIGHT. DIANE BEGAN A LIFE OF ACTIVISM AT THE TENDER AGE OF NINE, WHEN SHE AND HER 11 YEAR OLD SISTER, CHARLOTTE, JOINED THE NAACP YOUTH COUNCIL AT THEIR MOTHER'S URGING.
MY GRANDMOTHER, LULA, WAS DIANE'S ULTIMATE SHERO AND THE SINGLE GREATEST INFLUENCE ON HER LIFE.
DIANE LOVES GOD, FAMILY AND COMMUNITY. SHE IS A LIFELONG MEMBER OF KIRKWOOD TEMPLE, WHERE SHE SERVES AS SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHER, TRUSTEE, AND CHAIR OF THE SOCIAL JUSTICE MINISTRY.
THROUGH HER INVOLVEMENT WITH THE NAACP, SCLC, AND THE STAFF DALLAS INFORMATION CENTER, DIANE WAS A FORMIDABLE ADVOCATE FOR COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT LONG BEFORE HER ELECTION TO THE DALLAS CITY COUNCIL, AND SHE CONTINUES THAT WORK TODAY. IN FACT, DIANE'S LIFE OF SERVICE EXEMPLIFIES CITY LAB SCHOOLS MOTTO LEARNING TODAY, LEADING TOMORROW. FOR THESE REASONS, WE, DIANE'S FAMILY, FRIENDS, AND COMMUNITY PRAYERFULLY ASK YOU TO HONOR HER DECADES OF SERVICE BY RENAMING CITY LAB HIGH SCHOOL IN HER NAME. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.
WILL THE NEXT TWO SPEAKERS PLEASE COME TO THE MICROPHONE? CONNIE MCCALL AND HECTOR FLORES, FOLLOWED BY RENATO DE LOS SANTOS AND RENE MARTINEZ.
I'M SORRY, SHIRLEY ISON-NEWSOME HARRY STONE, IB MONTESSORI ACADEMY.
BEFORE THIS ESTEEMED BOARD AND DEDICATED BODY WITH DEEP RESPECT FOR THIS COMMUNITY.
MISS NEWSOME HAS BEEN AN ASSET FROM SOUTH OAK CLIFF.
SOUTH OAK CLIFF BEAR. AND IT'S JUST SOMETHING ABOUT THAT BEAR SPIRIT AND THAT BEAR BLOOD.
MISS NEWSOME HAS DONE WONDERS. AND A PROFESSIONAL EDUCATOR IN THE DISTRICT.
WE'RE HERE FOR THIS BOARD BRIEFING, NOT JUST TO NAME SHIRLEY ISON-NEWSOME ON THE BUILDING, BUT TO CONSIDER THE LEGACY THAT REFLECTS THE UNWAVERING, IMPACTFUL COMMITMENT TO CHILDREN AND FAMILIES OF THE GREAT DALLAS ISD.
NAMING THE SCHOOL AFTER MISS NEWSOM WOULD NOT SIMPLY COMMEMORATE OR CELEBRATE THE PAST.
IT WILL ACTIVELY SHAPE THE FUTURE BY GIVING THE STUDENTS A LOCAL PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION THAT THEY CAN RELATE TO, PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES WHERE THERE WAS ONCE BARRIERS.
IN THESE PERILOUS TIMES WHEN STUDENTS ARE SEARCHING FOR DIRECTION, THE NAME OF A SCHOOL CAN SERVE AS A CONSTANT REMINDER THAT GREATNESS, INTEGRITY, AND SERVICE CAN AND MUST ARISE FROM THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS, THEIR CLASSROOMS, THEIR OWN CIRCUMSTANCES.
FINALLY, BY NAMING THE SCHOOL AFTER SHIRLEY ISON-NEWSOME, YOU'RE NOT ONLY HONORING THE INDIVIDUAL, YOU'RE SETTING A STANDARD. YOU'RE DECLARING THAT SERVICE MATTERS.
CHILDREN CANNOT SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES. SO LET'S BE THAT VOICE IN 2026 BY DOING TWO THINGS.
NUMBER ONE, PROVIDE AN AFFIRMATIVE VOTE TO THE NAME OF THIS SCHOOL SHIRLEY ISON-NEWSOME HARRY STONE, IB ACADEMY, AND TWO TO VOTE FOR THE 2026 DALLAS ISD BOND PROGRAM.
THANK EACH OF YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. THANK YOU.
WILL THE NEXT TWO SPEAKERS, PLEASE COME TO THE MICROPHONE? HECTOR FLORES AND RENATO DE LOS SANTOS, FOLLOWED BY RENE MARTINEZ AND DARSHANA OSSIO.
GOOD EVENING, MR. PRESIDENT. BOARD MEMBERS AND FORMER COLLEAGUES.
[00:30:04]
MY NAME IS HECTOR FLORES AND I WASN'T BORN IN DALLAS, TEXAS.I WAS BORN IN DILLEY, TEXAS. SO I COME FROM LITTLE D TO BIG D.
I USED TO COME TO THIS TOWN IN THE BACK OF A TRUCK, IF YOU CAN IMAGINE, AS A MIGRANT WORKER AT THE AGE OF 11, WE'D WIND UP IN MOUNT SUMMIT, INDIANA, WHERE WE PLANTED THE TOMATOES.
WE KEPT ON GOING TO MICHIGAN AND PICKED THE CHERRIES.
COMING BACK TO MOUNT SUMMIT AND PICKING THE TOMATOES WE HAD PLANTED, THEN WENT BACK.
COMING BACK TO TEXAS. I HAPPENED TO ALSO BE ONE OF THE VERY FIRST ONES IN MY HOMETOWN OF DILLEY, TEXAS, POPULATION 2400, TO GO TO SCHOOL WITH ANGLOS.
WE ALSO HAD SEPARATE. THERE WAS A MEXICAN SCHOOL AND AN ANGLO SCHOOL AND THEY WERE SEPARATED.
SO THEY WANTED TO TRY, I GUESS, A THEORY WHETHER WE COULD MAKE IT OVER THERE IN COMPETING AGAINST LANDED GENTRY, SO TO SPEAK. AND BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THOSE OF US THAT DID GO AND WERE EXPOSED TO TEACHERS THAT WERE ACTUALLY PREPARING THOSE YOUNG PEOPLE TO GO TO THE MAJOR UNIVERSITIES IN OUR, IN OUR, IN OUR STATE AND IN OUR COUNTRY.
WE HAD THE BEST CURRICULUMS. WE HAD THE BEST TEACHERS.
THEY ACCEPTED US, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS VERY SEPARATED RACIALLY AND ETHNICALLY.
MRS. NEWSOME, NOT ONLY HAD SHE STUDIED AT UT AND HAD A MASTER'S DEGREE IN EDUCATION, SHE HAD GONE TO MEXICO, TO THE NATIONAL UNIVERSITY AND HAD A DEGREE IN SPANISH.
I SAID, WELL, I WANT TO PREPARE MYSELF FOR THE SEVENTH GRADE.
FROM THAT MOMENT ON, SHE BECAME MY MENTOR. AND ANY TIME THAT I WOULD DO ANYTHING.
SHE WOULD COME AND COACH ME AND TELL ME YOU HAVE THE CAPACITY TO GO TO COLLEGE.
IN FACT, SHE USED TO GIVE ME HER OLD READER'S DIGEST.
AND IF YOU RECALL, THOSE OF YOU THAT ARE OLD ENOUGH, THE READER'S DIGEST IN THE BACK USED TO HAVE ALL THESE WORDS, AND THEY'RE LONG ONES, AND I LOVE SPELLING. SO I WOULD SHE TOLD ME TO MEMORIZE THEM ALL AND BE ABLE TO DEFINE THEM AND PUT THEM IN A SENTENCE, AND I DID EXACTLY LIKE SHE TOLD ME. AND I JUST REMEMBER THAT WHEN WE HAD THE SPELLING BEE, THERE WAS ONLY ONE YOUNG LADY WITH RED HAIR THAT COULD BEAT ME [LAUGHS], AND SHE WAS IRISH AND PROBABLY THE ONLY ONE IN TOWN.
ANYWAY, LIKE ANYTHING ELSE, SHE EVEN GAVE ME THE PLAN.
I SAID, I CAN'T AFFORD TO GO TO COLLEGE, MISS NEWSOME.
BUT YOU'RE A MAN. YOU CAN GO AND WORK YOUR WAY.
THANK YOU, MR. FLORES. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED.
THE NEXT TWO SPEAKERS, PLEASE COME TO THE MICROPHONE.
IT'S ALWAYS DIFFICULT TO FOLLOW THE MAN, RIGHT? [LAUGHS] GOOD EVENING. PRESIDENT CARREÓN, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, SUPERINTENDENT ELIZALDE, AND OF COURSE, OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS THAT ARE HERE TODAY. MY NAME IS RENATO DE LOS SANTOS, AND I HAVE THE HONOR OF SERVING AS THE DIRECTOR FOR THE LULAC NATIONAL EDUCATIONAL SERVICE CENTERS. I AM HERE TODAY TO SPEAK IN STRONG SUPPORT OF NAMING THE PROPOSED IDEA SCHOOL AT NOLAN ESTES PLAZA IN RECOGNITION OF OUR MY FRIENDS AND OUR FRIENDS, FOR MANY OF US, GERTRUDIS "TULA" FLORES AND OF COURSE, MR. HECTOR M. FLORES, TWO EXTRAORDINARY FIGURES WHOSE LEGACY IN DALLAS ISD IS BOTH PROFOUND AND ENDURING.
TULA, AS HER FRIENDS AND FAMILY CALLED HER, DEVOTED HER LIFE TO THE STUDENTS OF DISD AS A LONGTIME TEACHER AT BETHUNE ELEMENTARY, WHERE SHE FOSTERED EXCELLENT CURIOSITY AND CONFIDENCE IN GENERATIONS OF STUDENTS.
HER HUSBAND, HECTOR M. FLORES, ALSO MADE REMARKABLE CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE DISTRICT DURING HIS SERVICE IN MULTIPLE ROLES IN HUMAN RESOURCES, GOVERNMENT RELATIONS, AND SO MUCH MORE. BUT SUFFICE IT TO SAY, HE BROUGHT A LOT OF PEOPLE TO THE DISTRICT.
HECTOR CAME TO ME AND SAID, I NEED YOUR HELP.
I NEED YOU TO WRITE A PROPOSAL FOR ME SO THAT WE CAN WIN.
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BECAUSE THE STUDENTS NEED IT. AFTER A LOT OF NEGOTIATION BACK AND FORTH, I AGREED TO DO IT.ON TOP OF THAT, WE WROTE THE PROPOSAL, WE GOT IT FUNDED, AND THEN HE CAME TO ME AND SAID, OKAY, WE GOT THIS FUNDED. CAN YOU HELP US IMPLEMENT THIS? I TOLD HIM, I GOT TO DO THIS DISSERTATION. I'LL GIVE YOU A YEAR AND A HALF.
THAT YEAR AND A HALF HAS TURNED INTO 27 YEARS.
THAT DISSERTATION NEVER GOT WRITTEN. BUT I DON'T REGRET IT, BECAUSE ALL THE WORK THAT WE DID TOGETHER, THE THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS THAT HAVE RECEIVED SCHOLARSHIPS, THE THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS THAT HAVE BEEN BENEFITED THROUGH THAT WORK, IS A TESTAMENT NOT ONLY TO THE WORK OF THE STAFF AND THE PEOPLE AT THE CENTER, BUT THE VISION THAT THIS MAN BROUGHT TO HOW WE CAN IMPROVE EDUCATIONAL OPTIONS FOR STUDENTS IN DALLAS.
AND FOR THAT, I'M EVER LASTINGLY IN DEBT TO YOU, TO THIS MAN AND WHAT HE'S DONE, MR. FLORES. AND I HOPE THAT YOU CAN NAME THE SCHOOL IN HIS BEHALF IN RECOGNITION OF THE LEGACY OF HIS EDUCATIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU [APPLAUSE]. WILL THE NEXT TWO SPEAKERS, PLEASE COME TO THE MICROPHONE.
RENE MARTINEZ AND DARSHANA OSSIO, FOLLOWED BY BEATRICE MARTINEZ AND RAMON PALOMARES.
BOARD MEMBERS. MR. CARREON, SUPERINTENDENT ELIZALDE.
I MET HECTOR IN 1973 DURING THE TRAGEDY OF THE SHOOTING OF SANTOS RODRIGUEZ, AND WE DIDN'T AGREE ON A LOT OF THINGS, AS WE STILL DON'T AGREE ON A LOT OF THINGS, BUT HE BECAME MY FRIEND.
WE BECAME VERY GOOD FRIENDS AND I MET HIS BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL WIFE, TULA.
WE CAME. WE BECAME INVOLVED IN THE TRIATHLON COMMITTEE WITH THE COURT ORDER LATER SERVING ON THE DALLAS ALLIANCE AND EDUCATION TASK FORCE THAT CREATED THE 1976 COURT ORDER. WORKING TOGETHER IN 1978, WE BECAME COMPADRES.
WE CREATED LULAC COUNCIL 100, ONE OF THE OLDEST COUNCILS IN DALLAS, IN MY MOTHER'S BACKYARD PATIO.
WE HELPED LEAD MANY ISSUES, AND HECTOR WAS AT THE FOREFRONT OF DEALING WITH THOSE ISSUES AND PROBLEMS THAT FACED OUR CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT AND DISD. FOR SOME OF YOU THAT DON'T KNOW, HECTOR WAS A POLICEMAN IN SAN ANTONIO WHEN HE GRADUATED FROM SAINT MARY'S UNIVERSITY.
HE LATER BECAME A FEDERAL AGENT WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE AND LATER OCR, NOT WITH ICE [LAUGHS].
HE LATER JOINED THE DISD IN HUMAN RESOURCES, AND HE HELPED RECRUIT AND HIRE HUNDREDS OF BILINGUAL TEACHERS FROM ALL OVER THE AMERICAS. WE WOULD NOT HAVE THE FOUNDATION FOR DUAL LANGUAGE IF IT HADN'T BEEN FOR HECTOR'S VISION, HARD WORK AND DEDICATION. HIS ULTIMATE, HIS ULTIMATE PRESIDENCY WITH LULAC NATIONWIDE LED TO THE FIRST EVER CONVERSATIONS WITH THE MEXICAN GOVERNMENT AND LATER THE PRESIDENCY OF MEXICO AND LATINO LEADERS IN TEXAS.
HIS LEGACY AS PRESIDENT, OPENED UP DOORS TO THE WHITE HOUSE UNDER GEORGE W BUSH.
AS A GRANDFATHER TO SIX KIDS, HE PROVIDES A LOVE AND GUIDANCE THAT HE GAVE TO HIS SONS AND DAUGHTER.
NONE OF THIS WOULD HAVE TRANSPIRED WITHOUT THE SUPPORT OF MY COMADRE TULA FLORES.
TULA WAS A TEACHER AND MADRE ONE OF THE FIRST BILINGUAL TEACHERS IN DALLAS.
I COMMEND THE BOARD. THE SUPERINTENDENT. THANK YOU, MR. MARTINEZ. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. NAMING OF THIS SCHOOL.
WILL THE NEXT TWO SPEAKERS, PLEASE COME TO THE MICROPHONE.
DARSHANA OSSIO AND BEATRICE MARTINEZ, FOLLOWED BY RAMON PALOMARES AND CASEY THOMAS.
GOOD AFTERNOON. DARSHANA OSSIO HERE SPEAKING WITH THE EIGHTH GRADE SPRUCE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION.
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AS A COLLECTIVE OF PLEASANT GROVE RESIDENTS, ALUMNI, PRESIDENTS AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, WE HOLD THAT THE REMAINING EFFORTS, THE RENAMING EFFORTS, PROCESSES AND COMMUNICATION OF OUR NEIGHBORING JEWEL HAS BEEN UNDERMINED.THE NEEDS, VOICES AND THE LIFELONG LEGACY OF THE PLEASANT GROVE STADIUM AND OUR COMMUNITY.
THE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION POSITION IS NOT TO CRITICIZE ANY ONE GROUP OR INDIVIDUAL IN THE NAME CHANGE.
RATHER, OUR POSITION IS THE LACK OF COMMUNITY CONSULTATION, THE DISRUPTION TO A LONG STANDING COMMUNITY SYMBOL, AND THE EROSION OF PLEASANT GROVE'S RIGHT TO DEFINE AND PRESERVE ITS OWN LEGACY.
PLEASANT GROVE STADIUM REPRESENTS DECADES OF LONG HISTORY, PRIDE, AND IDENTITY.
ANY CHANGES TO THE NAME SHOULD BEGIN WITH THE PLEASANT GROVE COMMUNITY.
NAMING REFLECTING SHOULD ALSO BE CLEAR AND HAVE SUBSTANTIAL TIES TO THE PLEASANT GROVE, AND THE PROCESSES THAT DO THE RENAMING SHOULD BE TRANSPARENT, INCLUSIVE AND HONORING OF THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE, WORK AND LEARN IN THE PLEASANT GROVE COMMUNITY.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU. WILL THE NEXT TWO SPEAKERS, PLEASE COME TO THE MICROPHONE? BEATRICE MARTINEZ AND RAMON PALOMARES, FOLLOWED BY CASEY THOMAS AND ROBIN STUBBLEFIELD ON DECK.
GOOD AFTERNOON, BOARD MEMBERS AND DOCTOR ELIZALDE.
IT IS AN HONOR TO BE HERE IN FRONT OF YOU TODAY.
I DON'T COME TO BOARD MEETINGS. I DON'T LISTEN TO YOU ALL.
BUT TODAY, I'M TRULY HONORED TO ASK YOU ALL FOR THE RENAMING OF THE IDEA SCHOOL.
YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT HECTOR AND TULA, BUT HECTOR AND TULA FLORES, FOR ME, HAVE BEEN PILLARS OF INSPIRATION AND INFLUENCE NOT ONLY TO LA FAMILIA MARTINEZ, BUT ALSO TO THE CITY OF DALLAS AND DALLAS ISD.
MY CONNECTION WITH THEM BEGAN IN 1977 THROUGH MY HUSBAND, RENE MARTINEZ.
HECTOR IS THE EMBODIMENT OF A SERVANT LEADER.
THERE'S ALMOST NOTHING YOU COULD ASK OF HIM THAT HE WOULDN'T EMBRACE AS A PERSONAL MISSION.
HIS DEDICATION HAS BEEN UNWAVERING AND CONTINUES TO THIS DAY.
THAT'S MY COMPADRE. TULA, ON THE OTHER HAND, HAS BEEN A FORCE OF NATURE IN EDUCATION.
NOT ONLY DID SHE INSPIRE AND EDUCATE IN THE CLASSROOM, BUT SHE ALSO PLAYED A PIVOTAL ROLE IN TRAINING BILINGUAL TEACHERS DURING THE TIME WHEN THERE WAS ONLY A FEW A HANDFUL. HER LEGACY LIVES ON THROUGH HER DAUGHTER SARA, WHO IS HERE, WHO NOW SERVES IN THE DISD SCHOOLS. WHILE TULA WASN'T AS PUBLICLY VISIBLE AS HECTOR, HER IMPACT WAS NO LESS PROFOUND.
HER VOICE RESONATED POWERFULLY IN THE REALM OF EDUCATION, AND SHE TIRELESSLY, AND I HAVE TO SAY, TIRELESSLY, BECAUSE HECTOR WASN'T ALWAYS THERE, BALANCED HER FAMILY COMMITMENT WITH AN UNSHAKABLE DEDICATION TO HER WORK.
TOGETHER, MY COMPADRES HECTOR AND TULA HAVE EXEMPLIFIED WHAT IT MEANS TO BE DEEPLY COMMITTED TO DALLAS ISD AND TO THE BETTERMENT OF THEIR COMMUNITY. THEIR INFLUENCE IS NOTHING SHORT OF REMARKABLE.
PLEASE. PLEASE DO. NAME IT AFTER TULA AND HECTOR FLORES.
IT IS AN HONOR AND THANK YOU ALL FOR THE CONSIDERATION.
THANK YOU. WITH THE NEXT TWO SPEAKERS, PLEASE COME TO THE MICROPHONE.
ROMAN PALOMARES AND CASEY THOMAS, FOLLOWED BY ROBIN STUBBLEFIELD AND MYRA VAUGHN.
GOOD AFTERNOON, BOARD PRESIDENT CARRION, TRUSTEES AND SUPERINTENDENT ELIZALDE.
MY NAME IS ROMAN PALOMARES, AND I AM THE NATIONAL PRESIDENT OF THE LEAGUE OF UNITED LATIN AMERICAN CITIZENS, LULAC. AND I'M HERE TODAY TO RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THAT THE DALLAS INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT CONSIDER RENAMING THE IDEA SCHOOL CAMPUS IN HONOR OF HECTOR FLORES AND GERTRUDIS TULA FLORES, TWO INDIVIDUALS WHOSE LIVES REPRESENT SERVICE, INTEGRITY AND UNWAVERING COMMITMENT TO THE CHILDREN AND FAMILIES OF DALLAS. HECTOR FLORES IS, MOST OF YOU KNOW, DEVOTED 21 YEARS TO DALLAS ISD.
HIS WORK RECRUITING TEACHERS HELPED SHAPE THE VERY FOUNDATION OF OUR CLASSROOMS. AND AS ALL OF YOU KNOW, THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION BEGINS WITH THE QUALITY OF EDUCATORS.
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AND MR. FLORES UNDERSTOOD THAT DEEPLY. HE WORKED TIRELESSLY TO BRING TALENTED, COMMITTED TEACHERS INTO THIS DISTRICT, MANY OF WHOM HAVE GONE ON TO SERVE GENERATIONS OF DALLAS STUDENTS.IN THAT ROLE, HE WORKED ON COMPLEX CIVIL RIGHTS MATTERS, OFTEN INVOLVING SCHOOL DISTRICTS, HELPING COMMUNITIES NAVIGATE DIFFICULT CHALLENGES WITH FAIRNESS, DIALOG, AND JUSTICE.
HECTOR ALSO SERVED AS THE NATIONAL PRESIDENT OF OUR ORGANIZATION, THE LARGEST CIVIL RIGHTS LATINO ORGANIZATION IN THE UNITED STATES, AND THAT CAPACITY HE ADVOCATED FOR EDUCATIONAL EQUITY, VOTING RIGHTS, AND COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT.
HECTOR NOW SERVES AS OUR NATIONAL CHAIRMAN FOR OUR 18 EDUCATIONAL CENTERS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES.
BUT BUT THIS RECOGNITION IS EQUALLY ABOUT GERTRUDIS.
TULA FLORES, MISS FLORES DEDICATED 31 YEARS AS A CLASSROOM TEACHER IN DALLAS ISD OR ISD.
31 YEARS OF SHAPING YOUNG MINDS, 31 YEARS OF LESSON PLANS, PARENT CONFERENCES, SCHOOL PROGRAMS, AND QUIET MOMENTS ENCOURAGING STUDENTS TO BELIEVE IN THEMSELVES.
TEACHERS ARE OFTEN THE FIRST TO SEE POTENTIAL IN A CHILD, AND MISS FLORES DID THAT FOR DECADES.
HER LEGACY LIVES ON IN THE THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS WHOSE LIVES SHE TOUCHED HECTOR TOGETHER, HECTOR AND TULA FLORES REPRESENT MORE THAN PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT. THEY REPRESENT PARTNERSHIP AND SERVICE.
THEY REPRESENT THE VALUES WE HOPE TO INSTILL IN EVERY DALLAS STUDENT, WHICH IS EDUCATION, CIVIC ENGAGEMENT, EQUALITY AND COMPASSION. NAMING A SCHOOL IN THEIR HONOR WOULD NOT ONLY RECOGNIZE THEIR DECADES OF SERVICE, IT WOULD SEND A POWERFUL MESSAGE TO FUTURE GENERATIONS THAT DEDICATION TO COMMUNITY, CIVIL RIGHTS, AND EDUCATION MATTERS. IT WOULD. IT WOULD SHOW THAT DALLAS ISD HONORS THOSE WHO BUILD BRIDGES, STRENGTHEN INSTITUTIONS, AND PUT CHILDREN FIRST.
I RESPECTFULLY ASK THAT THIS BOARD CONSIDER INITIATING THE PROCESS TO RENAME THE IDEA SCHOOL ON BEHALF OF HECTOR AND TULA FLORES, SO THAT THEIR LEGACY OF SERVICE MAY CONTINUE TO INSPIRE YOUR GENERATIONS TO COME.
THANK YOU. THE NEXT TWO SPEAKERS, PLEASE COME TO THE MICROPHONE CASEY THOMAS AND ROBIN STUBBLEFIELD, FOLLOWED BY MYRA VAUGHN AND DOCTOR TODD ADKINS.
CASEY THOMAS. GOOD AFTERNOON. BOARD PRESIDENT.
BUT TODAY, I GET A CHANCE TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THREE.
FIRST OF ALL I DON'T KNOW A BETTER PERSON THAT'S DESERVING OF THIS HONOR AS AN EDUCATOR THAN DOCTOR SHIRLEY NEWSOME. I HAD THE HONOR OF TEACHING IN THIS DISTRICT FOR OVER TEN YEARS, AND I TAUGHT UNDER DOCTOR NEWSOM IN AREA TWO.
NOT ONLY DID HER REPUTATION PRECEDE HER, THE FEAR THAT CAME WITH THE NAME AND MANY OTHER THINGS, BUT THE LOVE AND THE PASSION THAT SHE HAD FOR CHILDREN I'VE HEARD A LOT ABOUT THE AREA TWO MIRACLE AND HOW THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BLACK SCHOOL EDUCATORS CHOSE AREA TWO AS A DEMONSTRATION NOT ON SCHOOL BUT DISTRICT, BUT TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO KNOW HER NOW AS A FRIEND AND TO SEE THE LEGACY OF SO MANY EDUCATORS WHO HAVE FOLLOWED HER.
IT WOULD BE A PLEASURE TO HAVE A SCHOOL NAMED AFTER HER, BUT THEN ALSO TWO FRIENDS THAT AS FELLOW CIVIL RIGHTS LEADERS, I HAD A CHANCE TO SERVE ON THE BATTLEFIELD WITH BOTH OF THEM.
FIRST I TALKED ABOUT HECTOR FLORES. HE'S ALSO A LEGEND, A LIVING LEGEND.
MANY PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN ABOUT HIM BEFORE I EVEN MET HIM.
HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE IN LEADERSHIP.
I'VE WATCHED HIM FROM A DISTANCE. I WATCHED HIM UP CLOSE.
WE'RE GOOD FRIENDS. WHEN HE CALLED, I PUT STOPPED EVERYTHING THAT I WAS DOING I HAD PLANNED TO DO TO MAKE SURE I WAS HERE TO SPEAK ON HIS BEHALF. AND THEN LASTLY MY GOOD FRIEND DIANE RAGSDALE.
BUT TO BE IN LEADERSHIP BACK DURING THAT TIME, BACK DURING THE TIME WHEN THEY WERE STANDING ON TABLES AND TURNING OVER TABLES DOWN AT CITY HALL, A TIME WHEN IT REQUIRED THAT TYPE OF LEADERSHIP, NOT ONLY SOMEONE WHO COULD LEAD AT THE HORSESHOE, BUT ALSO LEAD IN THE COMMUNITY. DIANE RAGSDALE HAS GIVEN A A A LIFETIME OF SERVICE NOT ONLY TO THE CITY
[00:50:05]
OF DALLAS, BUT THE SOUTH DALLAS COMMUNITY. YOU DON'T THINK ABOUT SOUTH DALLAS WITHOUT THINKING ABOUT DIANE RAGSDALE.THE COMMITMENT, THE DEDICATION, THE FACT THAT WHEN SHE LEFT THE COUNCIL, SHE TURNED AROUND AND STARTED AN ORGANIZATION TO CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR HOUSING FOR INDIVIDUALS AND COMMUNITIES THAT NEVER HAD HOMES BEFORE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. WELL, THE NEXT TWO SPEAKERS, PLEASE COME TO THE MICROPHONE.
GOOD AFTERNOON. I AM ROBIN STUBBLEFIELD. BOARD PRESIDENT, TRUSTEES AND SUPERINTENDENT.
I'M HERE TONIGHT SPEAKING IN OPPOSITION OF RENAMING PLEASANT GROVE STADIUM.
I WAS RAISED IN DISTRICT FOUR. I ATTENDED R.C.
BUCKNER ELEMENTARY, R.C. BURLESON ELEMENTARY, E.B.
COMSTOCK, AND GRADUATED FROM THE EIGHTH GRADE SPRUCE.
I'M A PROUD MEMBER OF THE EIGHTH GRADE SPRUCE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION.
AND I EVEN RETURNED TO BURLESON ELEMENTARY TO TEACH FOR A WHILE.
AND I WAS ON THE INAUGURAL TEAM SCHOOL BOARD.
THAT WAS ME. DAD HELPED SHAPED ME, BUT PLEASANT GROVE RAISED ME.
AND TODAY I AM SERVING THAT VERY COMMUNITY AS AN ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL AT PLEASANT GROVE PRIMARY IN 75217, SERVING FAMILIES EVERY DAY. I WANT TO BE CLEAR.
THIS IS NOT ABOUT DIMINISHING REVEREND MARION BARNETT OR HIS CONTRIBUTIONS.
I RESPECT EVERYONE WHO IN THIS CITY HAS SERVED WITH COMMITMENT.
AND I WANT TO ADD MY KUDOS. DIANE RAGSDALE. IN RECENT YEARS, PLEASANT GROVE HAS WORKED INTENTIONALLY TO RECLAIM ITS NARRATIVE, AND THE NAME PLEASANT GROVE STADIUM IS A PART OF THAT IDENTITY.
WHEN YOU CHANGE THE NAME, YOU CHANGE OUR STORY.
MY OWN FATHER, ROBERT STUBBLEFIELD, WAS A LOCAL CIVIL RIGHTS LEADER WHO FOUGHT FOR THE SOUTHERN SECTOR, HELPED PROTECT WHAT IS NOW THE TRINITY AUDUBON AND IN CHALLENGING ILLEGAL DUMPING IN THE 1990S.
HIS WORK REFLECTS THE KIND OF ROOTED INVESTMENT THIS COMMUNITY UNDERSTANDS.
IF WE'RE GOING TO PERMANENTLY RENAME SOMETHING IN PLEASANT GROVE, IT SHOULD REFLECT PLEASANT GROVE.
PLEASANT GROVE HAS WORKED TOO HARD FOR ITS IDENTITY TO DILUTE IT NOW.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION. THANK YOU.
WITH THE NEXT TWO SPEAKERS, PLEASE COME TO THE MICROPHONE.
MARA VAUGHN AND DOCTOR TODD ATKINS, FOLLOWED BY ROBERT CECCARELLI AND MIKE HOOK ON DECK.
MARA VAUGHN NOT PRESENT. DOCTOR TODD ATKINS AND ROBERT CECCARELLI.
THANK YOU. DADDY. SUPERINTENDENT PRESIDENT, I'M REVEREND DOCTOR TODD ATKINS.
I'M GRATEFUL TO BE HERE. I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF PASTORING SALEM INSTITUTIONAL BAPTIST CHURCH, BUT ALSO LEADING THE SOUTH DALLAS FAIR PARK FAITH COALITION.
I CAN REMEMBER BEING A STUDENT AT RONALD MCNAIR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, AND I CAN REMEMBER MY FIRST PRINCIPAL, MISS BAILEY, WHO MADE IT HER JOB THAT WE KNEW WHO ASTRONAUT MCNAIR WAS, AND WE HAD THE PLEASURE OF HAVING HIS WIFE SPEAK TO US AS STUDENTS. BEING AN ACADEMIC, I REALIZED THAT SCHOOLS ARE INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING.
IT NOT ONLY SHAPES WHO YOU ARE, BUT IT ALSO REMINDS YOU THAT THE SKY IS NOT THE LIMIT.
AND WHEN WE HAVE SCHOOLS AND WE HAVE THE NAMES, DIANE RAGSDALE IS A WOMAN THAT STUDENTS CAN LOOK UP TO, THAT THEY CAN REALIZE THAT YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE BORN IN CERTAIN COMMUNITIES TO BE SUCCESSFUL.
THAT YES, YOU CAN BE ON THE GRASSROOT LEVELS AND STILL ACHIEVE TO THE HIGHEST OF MOUNTAINS.
YES, YOU CAN STILL SHOOT FOR THE SUN AND THE MOON.
AND IF YOU FALL SHORT, YOU'RE STILL AMONG THE STARS.
I'M GRATEFUL FOR HER COMMITMENT TO EVERY STUDENT, FOR EVERY COMMUNITY, AND HAS THE SCRIPTURE SAYS THAT WE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE LOOKING OUT FOR THE LEAST OF THESE? SHE IS ONE WHO REMEMBERS THAT THE LEAST OF THESE IS NOT JUST PEOPLE WHO ARE BEYOND HER, BUT IT'S HER HERSELF. AND SO AS WE WALKED TOGETHER, FIGHTING FOR OUR COMMUNITY, FIGHTING FOR SUCCESS, CHAMPIONING THE OFTEN SILENT VOICES OF OUR COMMUNITY, SHE IS WORTHY OF THIS HONOR.
[00:55:04]
THEY SAY THE MOMENT YOU SAY THAT YOU'RE HUMBLE, YOU'RE NO LONGER ARE.ROBERT LITHIUM SAID, IF YOU WANT TO CHANGE COMMUNITIES, YOU NEED TO SEE YOUR REALITY AS GOD SEES IT.
BUT THEN YOU NEED TO TAKE AN HONEST ASSESSMENT OF WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE.
BUT THEN YOU NEED TO CREATE A STRATEGY TO TAKE IT FROM WHERE IT IS TO WHERE IT SHOULD BE.
MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND MAY GOD KEEP YOU. THANK YOU FOR THE NEXT TWO SPEAKERS.
GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYBODY. TUESDAY NIGHT, KIMBLE PLAYS CARTER.
BIG GAME. HOPE I SEE YOU ALL THERE. AND I'LL BE THERE.
AND I'LL MAKE SURE THAT THE SCHOOLS ARE TIGHT WITH THE METAL DETECTORS.
OKAY. OH. SOUTH OAK CLIFF HAD A PROBLEM WITH METAL DETECTORS AGAINST CARTER IN NOVEMBER.
STILL HAS AN ISSUE WITH IT. GET ON IT, PLEASE.
I'M GOING TO. EVERY TIME THERE'S A PROBLEM, I'LL STAY IN TOUCH WITH YOU.
I'M GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT THE CHILDREN AT RISK.
BEFORE, I WAS TALKING ABOUT THE GRADES OF ALL THE HIGH SCHOOLS IN DALLAS.
NOW I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU NUMERICAL GRADES. WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS FOUR SCHOOLS IN DALLAS.
KIMBLE, ROOSEVELT, CARTER AND WILMER-HUTCHINS ARE IN THE BOTTOM 1% OF ALL THE HIGH SCHOOLS IN TEXAS.
CHILDREN OF RISK HAS 980 SCHOOLS THAT THEY RANKED.
KIMBLE WAS RANKED 969. LISTEN UP. ALEXANDER ROOSEVELT 970.
CARTER 972. WILMER-HUTCHINS 974. 2024. I'M TRYING TO GET 2025, BUT 2024 SHOULD BE A WAKE UP CALL.
I'VE BEEN SAYING THIS FOR THE LAST FOUR MONTHS, PEOPLE, THEY DON'T LISTEN TO ME.
LISTEN TO ME NOW WITH THESE COLD, HARD FACTS.
5%. WE HAVE FIVE HIGH SCHOOLS BELOW 5%, MEANING THEY'RE WORSE THAN 95% OF THE SCHOOLS.
AND THAT'S 21% OF HIGH SCHOOLS IN DALLAS. I'M TALKING ABOUT ONLY THE REGULAR HIGH SCHOOLS, NOT MAGNET SCHOOLS. THE REGULAR HIGH SCHOOLS ARE 22.
YOU HAVE FIVE SCHOOLS BELOW 5%, AND THAT'S 21% OF THE REGULAR HIGH SCHOOLS, 10%.
EIGHT SCHOOLS ARE BELOW THE 10% LINE. THAT'S 36% OF THE REGULAR HIGH SCHOOLS ARE BELOW 10%.
SO YOU STILL GOT 90% OF SCHOOLS BETTER THAN DISD 20%, 14 SCHOOLS, 64% OF THE DALLAS REGULAR HIGH SCHOOLS ARE BELOW THAT MARK. 30% 17 SCHOOLS, 77% OF SCHOOLS ARE BELOW THE 30% MARK.
NOW THE TOP 500 WHEN CHILDREN AT RISK GRADES IT.
THERE'S ONLY THREE HIGH SCHOOLS THAT WERE IN THE TOP 500.
IT'S WILSON. WILSON. TWO OTHER SCHOOLS. OH, YEAH.
ADAMSON WILSON AND BRYAN ADAMS. THOSE ARE THREE HIGH SCHOOLS THAT MADE THE TOP 500.
ONLY THREE HIGH SCHOOLS. HOW ARE YOU GETTING THIS GREAT PUBLICITY? THIS IS COLD, HARD FACTS. I WANT YOU IF YOU CAN'T TALK TO ME, PLEASE EMAIL ME THE INFORMATION IF YOU FIND IT.
YOU'RE NOT DOING THAT. MORE YOU DON'T TALK ABOUT.
THE MORE I'M PROVEN I'M CORRECT. I'M JUST GIVING THE FACTS.
AND YOU GO WITH IT. WHATEVER YOU WANT. NOW, ALSO.
A SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER ASKED YOU ABOUT WHY THE SCORES WENT FROM ELEMENTARY TO MIDDLE SCHOOL, WHY THEY WERE DOWN. DID YOU EVER. DO YOU EVER GIVE THAT ANSWER OUT? YOU EVER GIVE OUT THAT ANSWER? I KNOW YOU CAN'T SAY ANYTHING. CAN YOU EMAIL ME, PLEASE? IT'S VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE YOU DON'T TALK ABOUT HIGH SCHOOLS BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT DOING. THANK YOU, MR. CECCARELLI. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED WITH THE NEXT TWO SPEAKERS.
FIVE YEARS AGO, YOUR 2020 BOND WAS 3.47 BILLION BUCKS, THE LARGEST IN STATE HISTORY UNTIL 2025, WHEN YOU COOKED UP 79% MORE AT 6.2 BILLION. THE CURRENT BOND AMOUNT, THE WAY YOU GOT TO 2020 FIGURE WAS A 217% INCREASE OF THE PREVIOUS 2015 BOND. THIS WHILE YOU ASSAULT THE ENVIRONMENT OF TEACHERS, BUS DRIVERS, STUDENTS AND OTHER EMPLOYEES, YOU CREATE INSURMOUNTABLE BOTTLENECKS WHILE YOUR JOB IS
[01:00:08]
TO PREVENT THEM. THESE BOTTLENECKS INCLUDE BULLYING OF ALL KINDS, SEXUAL ASSAULTS, STABBINGS, SHOOTINGS AND MURDER OF CHARLOTTE SIMMS AT SPRUCE HIGH SCHOOL.BY THE WAY, IS MARIAN WILLARD STILL EMPLOYED AFTER TELLING A STUDENT SHE'LL BE NOTHING IN LIFE EXCEPT ON HER BACK LIKE HER MOTHER? YOU FOCUS ON STRUCTURAL BUILDING, BUILDING COMPUTERS, ILLEGAL STUDENT DATA MINING AT THE BEHEST OF GREG GRABBIT AND MIKE MORATH.
GROWING OVERHEAD EXPENSE WHILE MASSIVE STUDENT EXODUS OCCURS FOR AT LEAST THE LAST TWO DECADES, YOU HAVE ALLOWED 67% OF THE STUDENTS IN ALL GRADE LEVELS PERFORM BELOW THEIR GRADE LEVEL.
BECAUSE YOU IGNORE YOUR BOSS, THE TAXPAYERS GET BOOKS.
TEACH READING. WRITING, MATH. CRITICAL THINKING THAT PRODUCES HEALTHY, HAPPY ADULTS.
YOUR CURRENT ASSAULT PRODUCES UNEDUCATED, UNHAPPY 12TH GRADE EXETER'S SHOP.
STOP BLEEDING AMERICA OF OUR CAPITAL CAPITAL.
EDUCATE OUR KIDS. CITY HALL IS ASSISTING YOUR DESTROYING OF OUR COMMUNITIES BY CLOSING LIBRARIES IN AN ERA OF DISD IMPOSED SOCIETAL DESECRATION. WHAT ARE OUR PARENTS AND KIDS TO DO UNDER DESTRUCTION? STARTING AT THE GOVERNOR AND FLOWING THROUGH THE DISD? WOULD YOU WHITE COLLAR PHDS STOP THAT? ALSO, DAN BONGINO AND BRANDON TATUM ARE TWO COPS WHO WHO SHOW ACTUAL LEADERSHIP AS LEGITIMATE OATH KEEPING LEOS. SO.
FOLKS LIKE ME KEEP SHOWING UP YEAR AFTER YEAR.
OUR KIDS NEED EDUCATION. THEY'RE NOT GETTING THE PROPER SUPPORT.
OUR PARENTS ARE NOT GETTING THE PROPER SUPPORT.
OUR BUS DRIVERS ARE NOT GETTING JUST COMMON COURTESY.
OKAY. I ALSO HEARD THAT THERE WAS A DEATH THREAT RECENTLY, AND I'LL COMMENT ON THAT.
MR. HOOK, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED WITH THE NEXT TWO SPEAKERS.
HI. MY NAME IS ANA RACINES. I WANT TO SPEAK ON EDUCATIONAL TRAUMA.
ALTHOUGH WE'VE HEARD SO MANY GREAT STORIES ABOUT TEACHERS AND MENTORS AND ADVOCATES IN THIS COMMUNITY, THE CULTURE IS STILL PROTECTING AND CELL PHONE REPORTS ARE BEING DONE.
TEACHERS. SORRY. THIS IS THE CONTRACT PROTECTS TEACHERS, SO PARENTS ARE NOT ABLE TO KNOW IF A TEACHER HAS A HABIT OF SCREAMING AT OUR KIDS, OR IF A TEACHERS HAS CONSTANT REPORTS OF MOVING A CHILD TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ROOM.
AND THEN WITH ADMINISTRATORS NOT FULLY TAKING ACCOUNTABILITY, AND DISD PD NOT FULLY INVESTIGATING OR COLLECTING DOCUMENTS OR INTERVIEWS OR ANYTHING TOGETHER, THAT'S NOT DOING A JUSTICE FOR OUR KIDS AND IT'S NOT HELPING US.
AND Y'ALL REALLY NEED TO JUST HELP, LIKE, TAKE US SERIOUSLY.
EVEN THE FNG PROCESS, IT'S IT'S BACK AND FORTH.
Y'ALL JUST NEED A BETTER SYSTEM. SOMETHING SOMEONE NEEDS TO BE IN PLACE TO BETTER THE CULTURE.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU. WITH THE NEXT TWO SPEAKERS, PLEASE COME TO THE MICROPHONE.
JAMES FOWLER AND MARGO POSEY, FOLLOWED BY ANGELA ALEXANDER AND CAMILLE WHITE ON DECK.
JAMES FOWLER. NOT PRESENT. MARGO POSEY.
THAT'S TOO HIGH. THAT'S TOO LOW. OKAY. GOOD AFTERNOON.
I'D LIKE TO THANK THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK THIS AFTERNOON.
I WILL SAY THAT I SIGNED UP TO SPEAK THINKING I WAS SPEAKING AT THE 6:00 SESSION WHERE THIS WILL BE A CON CONVERSATION. HOWEVER, I WAS TOLD THAT THEY COULD NOT CHANGE ME TO THE SIX.
[01:05:05]
SO YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR FROM ME? AT THIS THIS MEETING AS THE PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE DALLAS FORT WORTH BUSINESS COUNCIL, FORMERLY THE DFW MINORITY SUPPLIER DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL, WE ARE PROUD TO CONTINUE OUR LEGACY OF ADVANCING BUSINESS COLLABORATION, EQUITY AND GROWTH ACROSS NORTH TEXAS. SINCE 1973, OUR MISSION HAS REMAINED STEADFAST TO SUPPORT, ADVOCATE FOR, AND UNLOCK OPPORTUNITIES FOR DIVERSE BUSINESSES.WE PROVIDE HANDS ON TRAINING, MEMBERSHIP, ACCESS TO CAPITAL, AND MEANINGFUL CONNECTIONS THAT HELP DIVERSE BUSINESSES GROW, SCALE, AND COMPETE IN TODAY'S ECONOMY. THE 2026 BOND PROGRAM ALIGNS DIRECTLY WITH OUR MISSION.
IT CREATES REAL CONTRACTING OPPORTUNITIES FOR SMALL BUSINESS ENTERPRISES AND STRENGTHENS PATHWAYS FOR INCLUSIVE ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP AND PARTICIPATION. UNDER THE LEADERSHIP AND OVERSIGHT OF CHIEF BRANT ALFRED, THE CURRENT BOND PROGRAM HAS DEMONSTRATED STRONG ACCOUNTABILITY, DIVERSE, DELIVERING PROJECTS AHEAD OF SCHEDULE WHILE ACHIEVING HIGH UTILIZATION. THESE BOND INVESTMENTS GENERATE JOBS, SUPPORT LOCAL VENDORS, AND CREATE MEASURABLE ECONOMIC IMPACT THROUGHOUT THE DALLAS FORT WORTH REGION.
MOST IMPORTANTLY, IT IS ABOUT THE STUDENTS. THE 2026 BOND PROGRAM INVESTS IN SAFE, MODERN LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS THAT PREPARE STUDENTS FOR LONG TERM SUCCESS WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY STRENGTHENING THE REGIONAL BUSINESS ECOSYSTEM. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
ANGELA ALEXANDER, NOT PRESENT. FORMER TRUSTEE, HONORABLE CAMILLE WHITE.
GOOD EVENING. BOARD OF TRUSTEES. SUPERINTENDENT.
WELCOME TO BLACK HISTORY MONTH. I WANT I WOULD LIKE TO FIRST START OFF BY THANKING SOMEONE IN ACKNOWLEDGING CHIEF DAVID BATES, WHO IS LEAVING. I WANT TO JUST WISH YOU JOY, HAPPINESS AND PROSPERITY IN YOUR NEW VENTURE THAT YOU'RE TAKING ON.
AND THE REASON I'M MENTIONING THIS IS BECAUSE I WAS ALWAYS CALLING MR. BATES ABOUT THINGS, THAT HE TOOK CARE OF THEM.
AND WHEN HE DIDN'T, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE SOMETIMES YOU TELL PEOPLE SOMETHING THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN.
HE GOT RIGHT ON IT. I AM GOING TO MISS YOU AND YOUR HARD WORK ETHIC.
AND I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU ONCE AGAIN. I ALSO WANT TO MENTION CHIEF ALFRED.
IT'S KIND OF LIKE YOU GUYS ARE THE WONDER TWINS.
YOU ACTIVATED US. SO WHEN I TALK TO YOU ABOUT THE PLEASANT GROVE STADIUM, THE CONDITION THAT IT'S IN YOU GUYS, ACTUALLY. AND I. AND I KNOW I SOUND LIKE A BROKEN RECORD AT TIMES, BUT YOU GUYS ACTUALLY JUMPED IN AND DID YOUR WORK.
I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THE 714,000. I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S 375,000 OR JUST 714,000, BECAUSE THERE'S A I SAW A DISCREPANCY WHEN I WAS LOOKING AT THE 34 G, WHICH IS THE ACTUAL AGENDA ITEM, AND 28 A, WHICH IS WHERE THE MONEY MAN PUT THE MONEY.
SO I'M NOT SURE WHO'S RIGHT, BUT WHATEVER AMOUNT IT IS, THANK YOU FOR IT.
I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THE SOUND SYSTEM BECAUSE WHEN I CAME, IT WAS IT WAS HORRIBLE.
NOW I WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON THE NAMING OF THE STADIUM WHEN IF YOU HAVE TO ASK WHO SOMEONE IS, WHO SPENT A LOT OF TIME WORKING IN YOUR COMMUNITY. YOU YOU JUST HAVEN'T BEEN AROUND.
I HAVE KNOWN REVEREND BARNETT FOR OVER 20 YEARS OR MORE.
THAT'S WHAT WE START OFF WITH. OUR LEARNING CURVE IS KINDERGARTEN AND AND DAYCARE CENTERS.
I ALSO WANT TO MENTION THAT HE WAS A STRONG ADVOCATE, NOT DID HE OWN.
[01:10:05]
FOR THIS LITTLE NITPICKING THINGS. I DON'T HAVE A LOT OF TIME.SHE IS A GREAT WOMAN, AND I FEEL LIKE SHE DOES DESERVE THAT HONOR.
AND ALSO I WILL BE SPEAKING. I SIGNED UP FOR THE NEXT THING.
AS FAR AS THE BOND IS CONCERNED. I AM IN FAVOR OF THE BOND.
MY WHOLE THING IS I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE DISTRICT FOUR GETS WHAT IT NEEDS.
THANK YOU, MISS WHITE. PRESIDENT. CARRY ON. THIS CONCLUDES OUR SPEAKERS.
THANK YOU. SPEAKERS. TRUSTEES. WE WILL NOW TURN TO AGENDA ITEM FIVE, CLOSED SESSION.
[5. CLOSED SESSION - The Board will retire to closed session pursuant to Texas Government Code Section 551 concerning the following sections:]
THE BOARD WILL RETIRE TO CLOSED SESSION. THE PUBLIC AND STAFF ARE WELCOME TO STAY IN THIS ROOM OR CONNECTED ONLINE, WHILE THE BOARD LEAVES THE MEETING TO ATTEND THE CLOSED SESSION.A PUBLIC PORTION THE PUBLIC PORTION OF THE MEETING WILL RESUME AFTER CLOSED SESSION.
THE BOARD WILL RETIRE TO CLOSED SESSION PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 551, CONCERNING ANY AND ALL PURPOSES PERMITTED BY THE ACT, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE FOLLOWING. SECTION 551.071 FOR PRIVATE CONSULTATION WITH THIS ATTORNEY ABOUT PENDING OR CONTEMPLATED LITIGATION ON THE MATTER IN WHICH THE DUTY OF THE ATTORNEY TO THE GOVERNMENTAL BODY UNDER THE TEXAS DISCIPLINARY RULES OF PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT OF THE STATE BAR OF TEXAS CLEARLY CONFLICTS WITH THIS CHAPTER, INCLUDING SECTION 25.0823 OF THE EDUCATION CODE, SECTION 551.072 TO DELIBERATE THE PURCHASE, EXCHANGE, LEASE, SALE OR VALUE OF REAL PROPERTY.
SECTION 551.074 TO DELIBERATE THE APPOINTMENT, EMPLOYMENT EVALUATION, REASSIGNMENT DUTIES, DISCIPLINE OR DISCIPLINE, OR DISMISSAL OF A PUBLIC OFFICER OR EMPLOYEE, OR SECTION 551 .129 TO CONSULT WITH HIS ATTORNEY BY USE OF TELEPHONE VIDEO CONFERENCE, TELEPHONE CONFERENCE CALL, VIDEO CONFERENCE CALL, OR COMMUNICATIONS OVER THE INTERNET IN AN OPEN MEETING AND OR CLOSED MEETING.
TRUSTEES. THE TIME IS 5:12 P.M. AND WE ARE IN CLOSED SESSION.
06:14 P.M. AND WE ARE BACK IN OPEN SESSION. THE BOARD TOOK NO ACTION IN CLOSED SESSION TRUSTEES. TONIGHT WE WERE POSTED FOR FOR TWO MEETINGS, THE 4 P.M.
BRIEFING AND THEN THE 6 P.M. SPECIALLY CALLED MEETING.
WE HAVE A NUMBER OF SPEAKERS, TRUSTEES THAT ARE HERE FOR THE 6 P.M.
MEETING AND THEN RETURN TO THE BOARD BRIEFING AFTER THE 6 P.M.
MEETING. IS THERE A MOTION? I LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO RESET THE 4 P.M.
MEETING. SO RESETS THE 4 P.M.. TRUSTEES, WE HAVE A MOTION TO RECESS.
IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND. OKAY, TRUSTEES, WE HAVE A MOTION.
AND A SECOND. ANY DISCUSSION? SEEING. NO DISCUSSION.
TRUSTEES. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF RECESS, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
OKAY. ALL THOSE OPPOSED. MOTION PASSES EIGHT ZERO.
OKAY, TRUSTEES, THE BOARD BRIEFING IS NOW IN RECESS.
WE NEED TWO MINUTES NOW TO REBOOT THE COMPUTERS.
AND THEN I WILL OPEN UP THE 6 P.M. MEETING HERE MOMENTARILY.
THANK YOU. THE TIME IS 7:58 P.M., AND WE ARE RECONVENING THE BOARD BRIEFING OF THE DALLAS INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT BEFORE I JUMP BACK INTO THE AGENDA.
THIS IS A STUDENT AT REINHARDT ELEMENTARY. REINHARDT IS AN IS AN A CAMPUS.
AND HER MOTHER, HILLARY, I CALLED OUT BEFORE, AND NOW I WANT TO THANK NELLE FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT.
STAND UP NOW, I. KNOW WE'VE PASSED THIS BOND PROGRAM FOR YOU AND YOUR FELLOW STUDENTS. THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT.
PUTTING YOUR HANDS UP. OKAY. WELL, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT.
ALL RIGHT, TRUSTEES, WE'LL JUMP BACK INTO THE BOARD BRIEFING AGENDA.
WE'LL JUMP BACK INTO SIX. WE LEFT OFF AT SIX A THE VISION AND PROGRESS MONITORING.
[6. VISION/PROGRESS MONITORING]
SIX A 20, 25, 2026 CONSTRAINT PROGRESS MEASURE CPM 2.1.[01:15:04]
WALK US THROUGH CONSTRAINT CPM 2.1. AND I'LL TURN IT OVER TO ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT SMITH.YES. GOOD EVENING, TRUSTEES AND DOCTOR ELIZALDE.
DEPUTY CHIEF WALKER AND I WILL QUICKLY WALK YOU THROUGH SHARING PROGRESS ON CONSTRAINT PROGRESS MEASURE 2.1, WHICH OF COURSE CENTERS ON TEACHER RETENTION IN THE DISTRICT.
WE'LL START WITH THE HEADLINE. AND IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN IN A 240 POINT FONT.
WE HAVE MET THE CPM FOR THE 2526 SCHOOL YEAR.
THIS IS A TIA METHODOLOGY. WHILE DATA ON TURNOVER REFLECTS A LAG YEAR, IT DOES GIVE DISTRICT LEADERS AND HCM A CONSISTENT MEASURE FOR TEACHER TURNOVER RELATIVE TO OTHER DISTRICTS. THE ESC REGION TEN AND THE STATE AGAIN YOU'LL SEE AS OUTLINED ON THE TABLE HERE, WE HAVE EXCEEDED THE REGION, THE REGION TEN TEACHER RETENTION RATE BY ABOUT 2.7 PERCENTAGE POINTS.
WHILE CPM 2.1 FOCUSES ON THIS MOST RECENT YEARS DATA, WE CAN CONTINUE TO HIGHLIGHT AS A DISTRICT OUR SUBSTANTIVE GAINS IN TEACHER RETENTION OVER TIME OVER THE PAST TEN PLUS YEARS. DALLAS ISD HAS FLIPPED THE NARRATIVE ON TEACHER TURNOVER.
IN 20 1314, OUR ATTRITION RATE WAS NEARLY SIX PERCENTAGE POINTS HIGHER THAN THE STATE.
WE'RE PROJECTING AT 15.3% FOR 2526. OF COURSE, DIFFERENTIAL RETENTION VIA THE TEACHER EXCELLENCE INITIATIVE CONTINUES TO PAINT AN EVEN MORE CLEAR PICTURE OF TEACHER RETENTION IN THE DISTRICT.
OUR PROFICIENT ONE AND HIGHER TEACHERS HAVE BEEN RETAINED IN THE DISTRICT AT A RATE EXCEEDING 90% IN ALL YEARS OF IMPLEMENTATION, WITH RETENTION OF OUR DISTINGUISHED TEACHERS EXCEEDING 95% IN MOST YEARS.
SO THERE'S MUCH TO CELEBRATE IN THESE NUMBERS, BUT WE KNOW THERE IS CONTINUED OPPORTUNITY TO ENSURE THAT OUR TEACHERS MAKE DALLAS ISD HOME AS UPGRADES. IN THE NEXT YEAR, WE LOOK TO REALLY FIVE KEY ACTIONS ONE.
LEVERAGE THE ENHANCED TEACHER INCENTIVE ALLOTMENT OPPORTUNITY BEGINNING IN 2627, TO FURTHER EXPAND TEACHER COMPENSATION AND ENSURE THAT DALLAS ISD TEACHER SALARIES AGGRESSIVELY LEAD THE STATE AND REGIONAL MARKETS.
FOR NOVICES IN PARTICULAR, WE KNOW THAT THE MENTOR TEACHER MATTERS, SO WE ARE EXPANDING TRAINING AND SUPPORTS THAT BOLSTER THAT MENTOR AND MENTEE RELATIONSHIP. AT THE SAME TIME, WE ARE INVESTING IN TARGETED PROFESSIONAL LEARNING THAT ACCELERATES EARLY CAREER TEACHER GROWTH FOR OUR EXPERIENCED RETURNING TEACHERS. WE'RE LOOKING AT DIFFERENTIATED REALLY DATA DRIVEN SUPPORTS THAT BOLSTER THEIR PROFESSIONAL GROWTH, BOTH TO PROFICIENCY AND ON TO DISTINGUISHED STATUS.
AND THEN FINALLY, VIA SCHOOL LEADERSHIP, JUST CONTINUE TO WORK TO INSTILL CAMPUS CULTURES THAT BALANCE HIGH EXPECTATIONS WITH ACCOUNTABILITY AND TEACHER SUPPORT, AND CONTINUE TO PROVIDE TO OUR CAMPUS LEADERS TOOLKITS FOR COACHING AND FOR STAY CONVERSATIONS THAT CAPTURE AUTHENTIC TEACHER VOICE AND ENCOURAGE RETENTION.
AND I DON'T THINK I TOOK A BREATH, BUT I THINK I DID DO IT IN 3.5 MINUTES.
TRUSTEE FOREMAN. SO, SUSIE, I'VE BEEN WARNED I SHOULD TAKE IT LIGHT ON YOU.
SO I'M GOING TO TRY TO DO IT. BUT JUST A FEW QUESTIONS.
SO ABOUT 2013, MAYBE 2012, 2013, WE HAD ABOUT 10,000 TEACHERS.
WE'RE NOW DOWN TO ABOUT 9000 TEACHERS. HOW DO WE ACCOUNT FOR THE LOSS OF THE NUMBER OF TEACHERS WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THE WHOLE RETENTION RATE? WELL, WE'RE USING THE STATE'S METHODOLOGY FOR THIS CONSTRAINT, WHICH IS A CALCULATION OF TOTAL FTES AND THE PERCENT THAT RETURN EACH YEAR THE NUMBER THAT RETURN. SO THE MEASURE IS CONSISTENT WHILE THE TOTAL POPULATION OF TEACHERS MAY HAVE DECLINED.
SO IT'S A PERCENTAGE. SO IF IT'S SO WHEN WE SAY I THINK IF YOU PUT THAT SLIDE BACK ON THAT HAS THE PERCENTAGE TRUSTEE FOREMAN EVEN IF THE NUMBER IF, IF THE DENOMINATOR OR THE NUMBER OF TEACHERS DECLINES, IT'S STILL A PERCENTAGE OF THAT PARTICULAR NUMBER.
[01:20:06]
SO IT ACCOUNTS FOR IF THERE'S A LOSS OF THE NUMBER OF TEACHERS THAT WE HAVE.SO MAYBE I'LL FEEL A LITTLE BIT MORE COMFORTABLE IF I COULD GET THE NUMBER OF TEACHERS IN 2013, 2014, 2014, 2015, 2015, WE CAN CONVERT THESE TO ACTUAL AND WE CAN DO THE.
THAT WOULD HELP ME. YEAH. WE CAN. WE CAN CONVERT THE PERCENTAGES TO ENDS.
YES, MA'AM. LOSING TEACHERS ALSO. AND THEN MY LAST QUESTION, BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO GET IN TROUBLE.
I'M ON PAGE SIX. AND WE TALKED ABOUT THE UPGRADES, THE LEVERAGE ENHANCED TEACHER INCENTIVE ALLOTMENT. WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? AND WHAT KIND OF DOLLAR AMOUNT WOULD WE BE TALKING ABOUT? SURE. SO THE THE BUDGET AND THE COMPENSATION PROPOSAL FOR NEXT YEAR IS NOT YET FINALIZED.
WE DO KNOW VIA THE ENHANCED TEACHER INCENTIVE ALLOTMENT, WE'LL SEE ABOUT AN 80% INCREASE IN OUR ALLOTMENT FUNDS FROM AROUND 28 TO $32 MILLION, UP TO CLOSE TO 56 TO 58 MILLION. AND THAT WILL GENERATE DOLLARS WE CAN PUT DIRECTLY BACK INTO OUR TEACHER COMPENSATION BEGINNING IN 2627.
THE STATE IS GOING TO GIVE US SOME ADDITIONAL FUNDS TO ALLOW MORE OUR TEACHERS TO QUALIFY UNDER T.I.
BUT WITH THE STATE NOW CALLS TIA, WE'LL BE GETTING WE'LL BE GETTING MORE MONEY, BUT ONLY DALLAS, POSSIBLY HOUSTON. I DON'T THINK THEY'VE ACTUALLY RUN IT LONG ENOUGH, BUT DALLAS QUALIFIES BECAUSE WE HAVE HAD THIS IN PLACE FOR A LONG ENOUGH PERIOD OF TIME THAT THE STATE NOW ALLOWS DALLAS ISD. ALL DISTRICTS WILL EVENTUALLY BE ABLE TO DO THIS, BUT WE'RE GOING TO BE THE FIRST GROUP THAT GETS THE ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FROM THE STATE.
AND THERE ARE OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS THAT ACTUALLY HAVE TIA.
WE JUST HAVE T.I, WHICH IS A LITTLE BIT ENHANCED.
WELL, SO TIA IS THE OVERALL UMBRELLA. T.I IS THE PARTICULAR INSTRUMENT AND METHODOLOGY WE USE TO QUALIFY FOR TIA. SO YOU CAN USE DIFFERENT WAYS TO QUALIFY FOR THE TEACHER INCENTIVE ALLOTMENT.
OUR T.I QUALIFIES US FOR THAT. AND SO THAT'S WHY THE THE ACRONYM.
SOMETIMES IT IT GETS CONFUSING. BUT ULTIMATELY, WHAT THIS MEANS TO US, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION DIRECTLY IS IT'S MORE DOLLARS SO THAT WE CAN PUT THOSE DOLLARS BACK INTO TEACHERS. OKAY.
THANK YOU. TRUSTEE MACKEY. YES. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH.
FIRST OF ALL, CONGRATULATIONS. I KNOW THIS IS I MEAN, A LOT TO DO WITH THE COMPENSATION SYSTEM, BUT ALSO THE WORK THAT YOU DO, CHIEF HEWETT AND EVERYBODY ON THE TEAM, BECAUSE WE KNOW TEACHERS DON'T JUST STAY FOR COMPENSATION. THEY STAY BECAUSE THEY FEEL VALUED. THEY'RE IN BUILDINGS THAT ARE NICE. THEY THEY FEEL LIKE THEY ARE LEADERS ON THEIR CAMPUS. SO KUDOS TO THE ENTIRE SYSTEM FOR CONTRIBUTING TO THIS INCREDIBLE GROWTH THAT WE HAVE SEEN. I DON'T KNOW OF ANOTHER DISTRICT THAT HAS SEEN A GROWTH LIKE THAT IN TEACHER RETENTION.
TWO QUICK QUESTIONS. THE FIRST ONE, BUILDING OFF OF TRUSTEE FOREMAN JUST TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND IT, IF WE HAD A DISTRICT WITH TEN TEACHERS TOTAL AND EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM WANTED TO STAY, BUT FOR SOME REASON WE ONLY NEEDED NINE.
CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT. OKAY. SO LIKE EVEN IF A TEACHER IS EXITING BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE SPACE FOR THEM, THAT STILL COUNTS AGAINST OUR RETENTION RATE.
BUT THERE WAS ALSO A BIG EXPANSION BECAUSE I THINK IN PREVIOUS THERE WERE THREE TIERS OF DESIGNATED TEACHERS IN THE STATE, WHICH WOULD APPROXIMATELY BE LIKE 30% OF TEACHERS COULD BE ELIGIBLE.
AND I THINK THE STATE ADDED A FOURTH ONE, UP TO 50% OF TEACHERS.
DO WE HAVE ANY UNDERSTANDING OF HOW MUCH ADDITIONAL FUNDING WE WILL GENERATE FROM THE STATE THAT CAN GO DIRECTLY INTO THE TEACHERS POCKETS FROM THAT? AND WE DO. SO WE'RE PROJECTING TO BE ABLE TO DESIGNATE AT THE ACKNOWLEDGED LEVEL OUR PROFICIENT ONE.
I CAN DO SOME QUICK MATH. JUST FOR THE NEW DESIGNATION LEVEL, I THINK IT'S BETWEEN 11.5 AND 13 MILLION. WOW. ON TOP OF THE 20 SOME MILLION THAT WE RECEIVED.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR WORK ON THIS. WE'RE THINKING AROUND $30 MILLION TOTAL NOW.
I THOUGHT WE ALREADY GET AROUND 30 MILLION. THAT WAS LIKE 2627.
SO SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 8 TO 11 MORE TO WHATEVER WE HAVE.
SO I THINK WE HAVE LIKE 26, 27 DEPENDING ON TOTAL NUMBERS.
SO IT'LL BE WELL OVER THAT. BUT WHEN WE DO OUR COMPENSATION AND THE TEAM HAS BEEN WORKING ON THAT, WE'LL BE BRINGING YOU EXACTLY WHAT DOES THAT ACTUALLY GENERATE? THANK YOU. TRUSTEE MICCICHE. YEAH. ALONG THE SAME LINES, I WANT TO CONGRATULATE SUPERINTENDENT AND THE
[01:25:08]
ENTIRE TEAM ON THE RETENTION GENERALLY BECAUSE THAT THAT REFLECTS A HUGE IMPROVEMENT IN CULTURE OVER THIS PERIOD OF TIME, AS WELL AS COMPENSATION AND OTHER OTHER ISSUES AND OTHER IMPROVEMENTS.TO GO FROM SOMETHING LIKE FIVE POINTS BEHIND THE STATE TO EIGHT POINTS AHEAD OF THE STATE IN TERMS OF OVERALL PERCENTAGE RETENTION, IS IS REALLY AN AMAZING ACCOMPLISHMENT.
AND THEN ONE OTHER COMMENT I WANTED TO MAKE ON THE T I SUPPLEMENTAL MONEY THAT WE GET.
I LOOKED AT THIS PROBABLY A YEAR AGO, AND DALLAS ISD, WITH APPROXIMATELY THE 30 MILLION THAT WE WERE GETTING A YEAR WAS NOT ONLY THE THE DISTRICT THAT GOT THE MOST TIA MONEY, BUT IT HAD MORE TIA MONEY THAN THE NEXT FIVE DISTRICTS COMBINED. AND SO DALLAS ISD IS REALLY TAKING, TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THIS INCENTIVE AND NOW THAT THE INCENTIVES HAVE BEEN ENHANCED. I THINK WE HAVE A LOT MORE MORE ABILITY TO COMPENSATE OUR TEACHERS.
AND I, I REALLY THINK THAT WE'VE WE'VE DONE THIS THE RIGHT WAY.
WE EVERY YEAR, YOU KNOW, WE DO THE SALARY COMPARISON.
WE JUST SAY, WELL, WHAT IF ALL THESE TEACHERS WERE ON THE ON THE SALARY SCALE? THE SENIORITY SCALE? AND YOU WE RESORT ALL OF OUR TEACHERS AS IF WE DIDN'T HAVE T.I.
AND AT EVERY SINGLE LEVEL, OUR TEACHERS, THE AVERAGE TEACHER, THE MEDIAN TEACHER IN EACH ONE OF THOSE SENIORITY CATEGORIES MAKES MORE THAN THE THE COMPARATIVE GROUPS, WHETHER IT'S USING THE STATE OR USING THE THE REGIONAL AVERAGE.
THANK YOU. TRUSTEES. FURTHER QUESTIONS. OKAY, TRUSTEES.
SEEING NONE, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION. TRUSTEES.
WE WILL FOREGO SEVEN A AND SEVEN B AND AND DISCUSS THOSE NEXT MONTH'S BRIEFING. SO TRUSTEES WILL NOW MOVE TO AGENDA ITEM NINE, WHICH WOULD BE THE MINUTES.
[9. MINUTES SUBMITTED FOR APPROVAL]
THE MINUTES WILL BE POSTED IN BOARD DOCS FOR YOUR APPROVAL.SO TRUSTEES WILL NOW TURN TO STATUTORY ITEMS.
[10. STATUTORY ITEMS]
ITEMS UNDER TEN. ANY THING. ANY QUESTIONS UNDER STATUTORY ITEMS. MR. PRESIDENT, JUST JUST A REQUEST ON ON TEN A THAT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THIS AT THE NIGHT BOARD MEETING, IF THE ADMINISTRATION WOULD JUST PREPARE A SHORT SUMMARY OF WHAT OUR CURRENT POLICY IS, WE DON'T WE DON'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH IT TODAY.ON MY ACCOUNT. TRUSTEE CURRY. THANK YOU. SO I WANT TO ADDRESS TEN A, WHICH IS THE WE'RE REQUIRED BY SENATE BILL 11 TO PUT FORWARD A RESOLUTION ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT WE WE AS A DISTRICT WANT TO SET ASIDE A DEDICATED PERIOD FOR PRAYER AND FOR THE READING AND READING OF RELIGIOUS TEXTS.
AND THE PROPOSED RESOLUTION BEFORE US IS TO NOT ADOPT A POLICY DOING THAT.
AND I WANT TO TALK ABOUT WHY BECAUSE THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S ACTUALLY QUITE PERSONAL TO ME. ONE, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT PRAYER IN SCHOOLS, THAT'S OBVIOUSLY IT'S BEEN A HOT BUTTON TOPIC FOR SINCE LONG BEFORE I'M BORN.
I WANT TO MAKE VERY CLEAR THAT EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT WE HAVE LOTS OF PRAYER IN SCHOOLS. IF YOU'VE EVER HAD A MATH TEST, WE HAVE HAD A PRAYER IN SCHOOLS, AND STUDENTS RIGHT NOW HAVE THE FREEDOM TO PRAY DURING THEIR OWN TIME, DURING THEIR FREE TIME, DURING THEIR LUNCH PERIODS, TO CLOSE THEIR EYES WHEN THEY NEED TO, TO PRAY ANYTIME THEY NEED TO, TO READ THEIR BIBLES, TO WEAR RELIGIOUS ICONOGRAPHY, TO HAVE RELIGIOUS GROUPS LIKE THE YOU KNOW, THE FELLOWSHIP OF CHRISTIAN ATHLETES AND OTHER GROUPS LIKE THAT.
THEY'RE VERY COMMON ON CAMPUSES. THOSE TYPES OF THOSE HAVE LONG BEEN THE LAW.
[01:30:02]
AGAIN, THERE IS PLENTY OF PRAYER IN SCHOOLS. I CAN REMEMBER VERY CLEARLY WHEN I'M ASKING A GIRL TO GO TO THE PROM, HOW HOW MANY TIMES I'M PRAYING IN THAT HALLWAY, HOPING SHE'S GOING TO SAY YES. SO BUT THIS IS ABOUT SOMETHING DIFFERENT.THIS IS ABOUT GOVERNMENT GOING FURTHER THAN ALLOWING THE FREE EXPRESSION OF RELIGION TO ACTUALLY CREATING YOU KNOW TO, TO INSTITUTING A PERIOD DEDICATED FOR THE SPECIFIC PURPOSE OF PRAYER, THE READING OF RELIGIOUS TEXTS, AND THAT THAT GOES QUITE A BIT FURTHER. I'M A CHRISTIAN MAN.
AND EVERY DAY I DON'T GET WHERE I NEED TO BE. BUT I WAS RAISED TO UNDERSTAND THAT YOU KNOW, CHRIST TEACHES US THE GOSPEL OF GRACE, AND CHRIST TEACHES US THE GOSPEL OF TO LOVE TO LOVE GOD AND TO LOVE OUR NEIGHBORS.
AND I TRY TO LIVE THAT EVERY DAY IN MY LIFE. AND I DON'T OFTEN SUCCEED, BUT I DO TRY.
BUT I AM AGAINST SETTING ASIDE THIS PERIOD AND THUS FOR THIS RESOLUTION, NOT IN SPITE OF MY FAITH, BUT BECAUSE OF IT. MY DAD IS A BAPTIST PREACHER.
SO TWO PREACHER'S KIDS GOT TOGETHER, AND WE'LL SEE HOW THAT'S GOING TO WORK. BUT ONE OF MY DAD'S DEEP PASSIONS IN HIS LIFE WAS WORKING ON RELIGIOUS LIBERTY AND RELIGIOUS FREEDOM ISSUES. HE RAN AN ORGANIZATION CALLED TEXAS BAPTIST, COMMITTED FOR HIS ENTIRE CAREER. AND MY MY PARENTS WERE DIVORCED WHEN I WAS YOUNG.
AND SO I HAD A LOT OF CAR RIDES GOING OUT TO MY DAD'S IN WEST TEXAS AND SAN ANGELO, AND WE DID A LOT OF LISTENING TO ERIC NADEL AND THE TEXAS RANGERS AND A LOT OF TALKING ABOUT LIFE AND ABOUT HIS WORK AND WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A MAN, WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A CHRISTIAN, WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A BAPTIST. AND THAT'S WHERE I LEARNED A LOT OF HISTORY ABOUT WHAT BAPTISTS STOOD FOR, WHAT RELIGIOUS FREEDOM MEANT. THAT CAUSES ME TO SPEAK TODAY.
I LEARNED ABOUT A MAN NAMED JOHN LELAND. MANY OF YOU HAVE PROBABLY NEVER HEARD OF JOHN LELAND. JOHN LELAND WAS A PASTOR IN VIRGINIA, AND IN 1788 HE WAS CONSIDERING RUNNING FOR THE VIRGINIA RATIFYING CONVENTION TO RATIFY THE CONSTITUTION, AND HE AGREED TO STEP DOWN FROM DOING THAT AND TO INSTEAD SUPPORT SOMEONE NAMED JAMES MADISON.
AND IT WAS A BAPTIST PREACHER THAT DID THAT. HE DID THAT BECAUSE THE STATE RELIGION IN VIRGINIA AT THE TIME, THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, WAS THE ANGLICAN CHURCH, AND BAPTISTS WERE BEING PERSECUTED IN THAT THAT STATE.
YOU KNOW, WE LIVE IN A VERY DIFFERENT WORLD THAN 1788, BUT THAT PRINCIPLE REMAINS THE SAME.
AND AND WHAT I APPRECIATE ABOUT UNDERSTANDING MR. LELAND WAS HIS DEEP COMMITMENT TO WHAT'S CALLED THE FREEDOM OF CONSCIENCE THE FREEDOM FOR EACH OF US TO DECIDE WHO WE WORSHIP, HOW WE WORSHIP, WHAT WE THINK, WHAT WE DON'T THINK.
THE FREEDOM TO CHOOSE TO TO FOLLOW GOD OR NOT ACCORDING TO YOUR OWN CONSCIENCE.
AND THAT'S EMBODIED IN BOTH OF THOSE PRINCIPLES IN THE FIRST AMENDMENT AND THE FREE EXERCISE OF THE NO ESTABLISHMENT CLAUSES. AND HE WAS A BIG SUPPORTER OF THAT BECAUSE, AS HE PUT IT, HE BELIEVED IN THE FREE MARKETPLACE OF IDEAS AND THAT IN THAT MARKETPLACE, HIS FAITH CHRISTIANITY WOULD DO WELL.
I TRUST GOD TO SPEAK TO PEOPLE, HOWEVER GOD CHOOSES TO SPEAK TO THEM.
BUT I DO BELIEVE IN THAT CONCEPT THAT IN A FREE MARKETPLACE OF IDEAS, A TRUE FAITH BASED ON LOVE OF OTHERS AND LOVE OF NEIGHBORS CAN DO WELL NOW, THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT GOVERNMENT IS DEVOID OF MORALITY.
I CERTAINLY VOTE TO TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT GOVERNMENT EMBODIES THAT LOVE OF OTHERS AS MUCH AS I CAN, BUT IT DOES MEAN THAT GOVERNMENT DOESN'T NEED TO PUT ITS THUMB ON THE SCALE TO TRY TO IMPOSE VIEWS OR BELIEFS ON OTHERS.
PEOPLE SHOULD BE FREE TO COME TO THEIR CONSCIENCE.
AND I DON'T THINK OURS DOES. OUR MIND DOES EITHER.
SO I BELIEVE IN THE FREEDOM FOR ALL FAITHS TO PRACTICE MY FAITH, THE JEWISH FAITH, THE HINDU FAITH, BUDDHIST FAITH, MUSLIM FAITH, THE MILLIONS OF OTHERS THAT I'M NOT THINKING OF OR THE FREEDOM TO CHOOSE NOT TO WORSHIP AT ALL, IF THAT'S WHAT YOU CHOOSE TO DO. AND WHAT I CERTAINLY DON'T WANT TO DO IS LET OUR DISTRICT AND GOVERNMENT TRY TO TRY TO PUT OUR THUMB ON THE SCALE TO INDOCTRINATE OUR CHILDREN INTO DOING SOMETHING RATHER THAN LETTING THEM COME TO THAT THAT REALIZATION THROUGH THEIR OWN FAMILIES, THROUGH THEIR OWN CONSCIENCE, THROUGH THEIR OWN LEARNING.
[01:35:04]
THEM. AND SO I SUPPORT THIS RESOLUTION. I HOPE WE DON'T ATTEMPT TO PUT OUR THUMB ON THE SCALE, AND THEN WE LET CHILDREN LEARN AND DEVELOP AND GROW AND FIND THE LOVE OF WHATEVER CREATOR THEY'RE ABLE TO FIND IN THEIR LIFE.SO THANK YOU. TRUSTEES. ANYTHING ELSE UNDER STATUTORY ITEMS? OKAY. TRUSTEES WILL TURN TO POLICY UPDATES. ANYTHING UNDER 11 A OR B.
NOT SAYING ANYTHING. THEN TRUSTEES WILL TURN TO 12.
[12. PROPOSED NAMING OF FACILITIES]
PROPOSED NAMING OF FACILITIES. QUESTIONS UNDER 12 A TRUSTEE.GARCIA. ONE OF THE PROPOSED NAMING OF FACILITIES.
WE HAVE PLEASANT GROVE STADIUM. I RECEIVED EMAILS AND I'VE HEARD OPPOSITION TO THE TO THIS APPLICATION TO RENAME THE PLEASANT GROVE STADIUM TO REVEREND MARION PLEASANT GROVE STADIUM AS SUBMITTED BY FORMER TRUSTEE WHITE.
AND ALTHOUGH I RESPECT THE EVIDENCE THAT HAS BEEN SHOWN AND THE HISTORY THAT HAS BEEN BROUGHT FORWARD THIS STADIUM IS A CORNERSTONE OF PLEASANT GROVE. AND I THINK THAT WE AS A COMMUNITY NEED TO HAVE MORE CONVERSATION AROUND IT.
THIS WAS A SURPRISE TO ME AS IT CAME ON THE AGENDA.
TRUSTEE TRUSTEE SANDERS. I JUST WANTED TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THE TWO SCHOOL RENAMINGS THAT WOULD BE COMING, OR THE TWO RENAMINGS THAT WOULD BE COMING.
IN DISTRICT FIVE. WE HEARD FROM A NUMBER OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS TONIGHT ABOUT DOCTOR SHIRLEY NEWSOME AS THE NAMESAKE FOR THE NEW RENAMING OF HARRY STONE MONTESSORI ACADEMY, BEING SHIRLEY NEWSOME MONTESSORI ACADEMY AT HARRY STONE.
THIS IS OUR FIRST READING. THERE WILL BE ANOTHER READING AGAIN.
SHE WAS WATCHING TONIGHT ONLINE, AND I'M SO GLAD SHE WAS BECAUSE ONE OF THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO SPOKE, MR. BROWN, SAID THAT HE WAS PLEASED TO HEAR THAT AT ONE OF THE PUBLIC FORUMS IN ONE OF THE DURING THE CAMPAIGN SOMEBODY STOOD UP AND SAID THAT THE PERSON THAT THEY WERE MOST PROUD TO HAVE THE ENDORSEMENT OF WAS SHIRLEY ICE NEWSOME, AND THAT WAS ME. SHE HAS BEEN A MENTOR OF MINE FOR YEARS.
I'VE LOOKED UP TO HER FOR YEARS. MY MOTHER WORKED IN THIS DISTRICT UNDER HER AND ALONGSIDE HER, AND SO I KNEW OF THE STANDARD OF EXCELLENCE THAT SHE REQUIRED, BECAUSE MY MAMA HAD SOME THINGS TO DELIVER, AND SHE WAS GOING TO MAKE SURE IT WAS GOING TO BE RIGHT AND TIGHT. BUT ALSO EVERYBODY HAD THAT STANDARD OF EXCELLENCE BECAUSE THEY ALSO KNEW THAT SHE WAS DEAD CENTERED, DEAD, FOCUSED ON MAKING SURE THAT THESE YOUNG PEOPLE GOT EVERYTHING THAT THEY NEEDED.
AND IF YOU EVER WANT TO MEET SOMEBODY WHO BELIEVES THAT CHILDREN FROM OUR COMMUNITIES IN SOUTHERN DALLAS ARE CAPABLE OF EXCELLENCE AND WILL LOOK AT YOU CRAZY IF YOU ACT LIKE YOU HAD ANY THOUGHT THAT THAT WASN'T THE REALITY.
THAT'S SURELY I SEE, NEWSOME, AND IT IS WITH GREAT PRIDE THAT I SAT UP HERE GETTING MISTY EYED, THINKING THAT I GET TO SIT IN THE SEAT TO HAVE THE HONOR TO ENDORSE WHAT THAT HARRY STONE COMMUNITY DECIDED THEY WANTED TO BRING TO THIS COMMUNITY TO HONOR THIS LIVING LEGEND. IT IS A JOY AND A PRIVILEGE, AND I AM PROUD, AND I AND I, AND I PRAY THAT THE MY COLLEAGUES SUPPORT IT AS WELL.
AND THEN LASTLY, FOR JORGE CASTRO TO NAME BE ACKNOWLEDGED IN THE LEGACY HALL YOU WILL NOT FIND A PERSON MORE COMMITTED TO PINXTON THAN JORGE CASTRO.
YOU WILL NOT FIND A MORE VIKING HUMAN BEING IN NORTH AMERICA THAN JORGE CASTRO.
TRUSTEE FOREMAN. SO I JUST WANT TO SAY A COUPLE OF THINGS ABOUT THE PLEASANT GROVE STADIUM.
[01:40:07]
WHEN WE MOVED INTO THIS BUILDING, WE GOT A NAME BROUGHT FORTH THAT NONE OF US KNEW.TRUSTEE MITCH BOUGHT THE NAME FOR IT. BUT WE.
YOU DID? YEAH, BUT NONE OF US NONE OF US KNEW THE INDIVIDUAL.
BUT WE TRUSTED HIS LEADERSHIP TO BRING FORTH THE NAME.
SO IT'S NOT NEW THAT WE HAVE NAMES WE DON'T KNOW.
I DO KNOW REVEREND MARION BARNETT, WHO HAD A CHURCH AND A BUSINESS, A DAYCARE FACILITY IN THE PLEASANT GROVE AREA. YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW HIM, BUT I DO KNOW HIM AND DO SUPPORT HIM.
I DO SUPPORT THE OPPORTUNITY. REVEREND BARNETT SERVED ON THE BOND COMMITTEE FOR 20 2015, PROBABLY 2008 AND MAYBE EVEN 2002 WORKING IN THIS DISTRICT.
I'D LOVE TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT IT, BUT I GUESS THE QUESTION THAT I HAVE IS, DID TRUSTEE WHITE AT THE TIME THAT SHE WAS A TRUSTEE, DID SHE SUBMIT THE APPLICATION CORRECTLY? THAT'S THE QUESTION. YES. I'LL ASK IN ACCORDING TO BOARD SERVICES, IN MY OWN DETERMINATION.
YES YES, YES. SO IT WAS SUBMITTED CORRECTLY, TIMELY AND EVERYTHING.
SO THERE'S A DIFFERENCE IN A CENTRALIZED FACILITY AND A FACILITY LIKE A SCHOOL NAMING. AND BY THE WAY, I SUPPORT DIANE RAGSDALE.
I SUPPORT YOUR SAM NEWSOME. I SUPPORT ALL OF THOSE.
BUT I WANTED TO BE CLEAR THAT SHE DID IT IN GOOD FAITH.
SHE DID THE RIGHT THING. I BELIEVE SHE DIDN'T.
SHE COMMITTED TO TRYING TO FIND AN OPPORTUNITY TO HONOR REVEREND MIRIAM BARNETT, BUT IT WAS A DISTRICT WIDE FACILITY, SO I WILL BE SUPPORTING THAT. TRUSTEE TURNER.
YES I AM, MAN, I HAVE ABOUT FOUR NAMES ON HERE.
I'M DOING WORSE THAN MAXIE. PLEASE. HEY. YOU KNOW.
BUT ANYWAY. BUT ANYWAY I AM REALLY HONORED. MY ALMA MATER JAMES THE GREAT JAMES MADISON HIGH SCHOOL. BECAUSE YOU CAN'T SAY MADISON WITHOUT SAYING THE GREAT JAMES MADISON HIGH SCHOOL.
TO BE ABLE TO HONOR COACH KID, THE LEGENDARY COACH KID, WHO NOT ONLY WAS A COACH TO WIN A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP, BUT ALSO WAS AN EDUCATOR AT THE GREAT JAMES MADISON HIGH SCHOOL SINCE THE 70S, AND TO SPEND NEARLY 30 PLUS YEARS IN SOUTH DALLAS AT THE GREAT JAMES MADISON HIGH SCHOOL. THAT RIGHT THERE DESERVES AN HONOR.
AND TO HAVE A COMPETITION GYM NAMED AFTER HIM.
I AM PLEASED TO BE ABLE TO BRING THIS BEFORE THIS BOARD, AND I HOPE THE BOARD DOES SUPPORT IT.
AND THAT'S WHY THE SPDM WAS IN SUPPORT OF NAMING THE CONCESSION AREA OUT OF HIM, BECAUSE THE CONCESSION AREA REPRESENTS SUPPORT FOR THE CAMPUS, ESPECIALLY FINANCIAL SUPPORT. AND IT'S JUST A NO BRAINER TO NAME CITYLAB AFTER DIANE RAGSDALE. AS YOU SEE, A LOT OF PEOPLE CAME HERE AND SPOKE IN FAVOR OF CITYLAB.
AND THE REASON I CHOSE CITYLAB IS BECAUSE OF DIANE'S THE HONORABLE DIANE RAGSDALE'S BACKGROUND IN CITY AND URBAN PLANNING. SO I AM HONORED TO HAVE THIS SUPPORT.
AND I NEVER THOUGHT IN A MILLION YEARS THAT A LITTLE KID THAT WATCHED DIANE RAGSDALE ON TV, I'D BE A SCHOOL BOARD TRUSTEE, HAVING THE HONOR TO NAME A FACILITY AFTER HER.
SO THIS IS VERY THIS IS A VERY PROUD MOMENT FOR ME AND HECTOR FLORES.
AND I WAS A FRESH COMMUNITY ORGANIZER THREE MONTHS IN THE GAME.
[01:45:10]
CHURCHES HAVE TO GET TOGETHER, YOU KNOW, WE'RE IN A CRISIS.AND THAT'S THAT'S REALLY WHAT IT WAS. AND WE AND HECTOR FLORES WORKED WITH ME, MENTORED ME AS I WAS THE CO-CHAIR OF OUR COMMUNITIES, OUR SCHOOL THE GROUP OF US FOUGHT AGAINST HOME RULE, AND WE DEFEATED THE TAKEOVER.
AND I HOPE THE BOARD SUPPORTS THE NAMES THAT I WROTE BEFORE YOU.
THANK YOU. TRUSTEE MACKEY. YES. THANK YOU. AND WHILE I HAVE NO RENAMINGS IN DISTRICT SEVEN, I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT I'M EXCITED TO SUPPORT SO MANY.
70% OF OUR SCHOOLS ARE A AND B BUT THAT DIDN'T START THIS YEAR.
AND SO I LOOK FORWARD TO SUPPORTING HONORABLE DIANE RAGSDALE SHIRLEY ISOM NEWSOME.
HER PRESENCE IS LARGER THAN LIFE. AND THEN TULA FLORES AND HECTOR FLORES.
AND SO IT'S JUST AN HONOR TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THAT WORK.
IT'S BEEN SOMETHING WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST. AND THEN FINALLY, THOUGH I DO, I JUST WILL NOTE, I THINK WE INEVITABLY EVERY YEAR HAVE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THIS NAMING POLICY.
AND I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF WAYS THAT WE CAN IMPROVE THIS NAMING POLICY TO CREATE CLARITY.
SO I AM GOING TO DEFINITELY WORK TO PUT TOGETHER SOME WAYS IN WHICH I WOULD RECOMMEND US TO DO THIS.
I WOULD IF ANY TRUSTEES WOULD LIKE TO JOIN ME, WE'D LOVE TO TALK TO YOU.
OF COURSE, MAKING SURE THAT ANY CONVERSATIONS HAPPEN IN OPEN MEETINGS. BUT I WOULD JUST POSIT TO THIS BOARD THAT I WILL TRY TO LEAD AND BRING SOME CONVERSATION BACK ON THIS NAMING POLICY. SO WE ARE ALL CLEAR ON IT AS WE GO FORWARD, BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE WE HAVE THIS CONVERSATION EVERY SINGLE YEAR.
SO THAT CONCLUDES MY COMMENTS. TRUSTEE MICCICHE.
THE THE QUESTION I HAVE, THOUGH, IS ABOUT THE THE NAMING POLICY ITSELF.
AND I KNOW OVER, OVER THE YEARS WE HAVE YOU KNOW, MADE EXCEPTIONS AND, AND NOT FOLLOWED POLICIES AND, AND IN IN THE SENSE OF MAKING THE EXCEPTION TO THE GENERAL GENERAL RULE.
BUT I WOULD LIKE TO JUST ASK IF THE ADMINISTRATION SORTED THROUGH ALL OF THESE PROPOSALS AND SAID THESE MET THE REQUIREMENTS AS WRITTEN IN THE POLICY AND THESE RECORD, THIS OTHER GROUP REQUIRES EXCEPTIONS.
SO THE ONES THAT DO NOT REQUIRE AN EXCEPTION, WE CONSIDER THOSE THE ONES THAT REQUIRE AN EXCEPTION.
WELL WHAT IS THE EXCEPTION THAT'S REQUIRED? I MEAN IS IT IS IT AGE? IS IT THAT THERE WAS A LACK OF A COMMUNITY MEETING OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT SO THAT WE, WE GET AN UNDERSTANDING FOR WHAT RULES WE'RE WAIVING AND WHY WE'RE WAVING THEM.
SOMETIMES I DO REMEMBER ONE WHERE WE WAVE THE AGE REQUIREMENT BECAUSE THE PERSON WHO WAS BEING HONORED WAS WAS SUFFERING FROM ALZHEIMER'S. AND THERE WAS A SHORT WINDOW OF TIME IN WHICH SHE WOULD UNDERSTAND WHAT THE WHAT THE HONOR WAS.
[01:50:06]
ON PRINCIPLE BASED PRINCIPLE BASIS OR JUST YOU KNOW, WHOEVER CAN MUSTER FIVE VOTES FOR IT? AND I THINK I WOULD, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO KNOW WHICH OF THESE FILES ARE ABSOLUTELY COMPLETE AND READY TO BE VOTED ON AND WHICH OF THEM NEED EXCEPTIONS, LIKE THEY NEED ANOTHER COMMUNITY MEETING.THEY DIDN'T CHECK OFF ALL THE BOXES AND THEN LOOK AT THAT AND SAY, WELL, IF WE NEED ANOTHER COMMUNITY MEETING PER OUR RULES, DO WE WANT TO WAIVE IT IN THIS PARTICULAR SITUATION? SO RATHER THAN JUST LOOKING LOOKING AT THEM ALL AND WITHOUT NOTING WHICH ONES ARE SQUARELY WITHIN THE POLICY AND WHICH ONES NEED AN EXCEPTION, AND I CAN I WANT TO TAKE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION BECAUSE A LOT TO SAY HERE AND SOME INSIGHT HERE. SO I 100% AGREE WITH WHAT TRUSTEE MACKEY JUST SAID IN THAT CW COULD THE BOARD THIS IS A BOARD POLICY. COULD THE BOARD COULD DO A LOT MORE TO MAKE CW A LOT CLEARER, NOT JUST CW THE POLICY, BUT ALSO CW THE EXHIBIT. AND AS BOARD CHAIR HAVING TO FIGURE THIS OUT, IT GETS KIND OF COMPLICATED AS TO WHAT'S NEEDED AND WHAT'S NOT NEEDED.
AND WHAT IS IT? AND IT'S NOT WRITTEN AS CLEAR AS IT COULD BE.
LET'S JUST SAY THAT PART. BUT TO YOUR POINT, YES, EVERYTHING THAT'S BEEN BROUGHT TO THE BOARD HERE TODAY EITHER EITHER MEETS THE REQUIREMENTS OR HAS THREE TRUSTEES SUPPORTING IT TO BRING IT FORWARD, WHICH AS YOU ALL KNOW, THE THREE TRUSTEES SUPPORT SOMETHING. THEY OVERRIDE THE BOARD CHAIR AND CAN BRING ANYTHING FORWARD.
IT DOESN'T MEET THE, THE THE A DOESN'T MEET THE AGE REQUIREMENT OF CW.
PLEASANT GROVE MEETS THE REQUIREMENTS. SO IT'S COMING FORWARD.
AND IT DOES HAVE THAT PINKSTON IS FINE. JAMES MADISON IS FINE.
THOMAS EDISON WILLIAMS IS IS FINE. BOTH CITYLAB AND IDEO REQUIRE THREE TRUSTEES TO BRING THEM FORWARD, BECAUSE THEY'VE ALSO BEEN NAMED WITHIN THE LAST 50 YEARS.
AND BOTH OF THOSE HAVE THOSE THREE TRUSTEES COHORTS, THREE TRUSTEES TO BRING THOSE FORWARD.
SO EVERYTHING IS BEING BROUGHT FORWARD. TO YOUR POINT TRUSTEE MICCICHE.
EITHER BECAUSE IT MEETS THE CW POLICY AS WE UNDERSTAND IT OR BECAUSE IT HAS THREE TRUSTEES THAT HAVE AGREED THAT THEY WANT TO HAVE A VOTE ON IT, THAT THEY WANT TO HAVE IT HEARD. OKAY.
THANK YOU. THAT THAT THAT SATISFIES MY MY QUESTION I APPRECIATE IT.
THANK YOU. TRUSTEE FOREMAN. GOOD JOB. I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO HAVE TO DO THAT FOR YOU BECAUSE ONE OF THE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'M WELL AWARE OF IS THAT ON DISTRICT WIDE FACILITIES.
YOU DON'T HAVE COMMUNITY MEETINGS, YOU DON'T HAVE THE DM TO SIGN OFF.
YOU DON'T HAVE ANY OF THOSE PARTICULAR FUNCTIONS.
ON DISTRICT WIDE FACILITIES. AND AGAIN, I REMIND YOU, WE NAMED THIS FACILITY USING THAT DISTRICT WIDE FACILITY INFORMATION. BUT I WANTED TO JUST TAKE A MINUTE, BECAUSE IF I DON'T SAY SOMETHING ABOUT HECTOR AND TULA, I WILL BE IN TROUBLE. SO I HAVE TO SAY, BECAUSE I LOVE TULA, I KNEW HECTOR FIRST, BUT I LOVED TULA.
AND AGAIN, MOST OF YOU ALL WERE NOT ON THE BOARD.
BUT SARAH, HECTOR'S DAUGHTER, WHO IS A TEACHER.
ONE NIGHT I JUST DECIDED I WAS GOING TO BRING HER SON UP, AND HE WAS THEN TRUSTEE.
NICK. WE PULLED THE CHAIR UP AND SET HIM UP HERE, AND HE'S A BIG GUY NOW.
HE'S NOT THE SAME. OF COURSE. DIANE RAGSDALE AND I WERE IN THE STREETS TOGETHER, FIGHTING AND TRYING TO MAKE SURE THINGS HAPPEN THE RIGHT WAY. THERE'S NO BETTER PERSON THAT WE COULD NAME A SCHOOL AFTER.
AND MY NUMBER ONE FAN IS JORGE CASTRO. SO I HAVE TO SAY THAT THIS IS AN HONOR FOR JORGE CASTRO, AND I AM EXCITED THAT WE ARE NAMING SOMETHING AFTER HIM.
AND I DO THINK WE SHOULD DO MORE OF THAT FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE REALLY SERVING THE DISTRICT WELL.
WE SHOULD CONSIDER. I KNOW SOME PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT WE NEED TO ELIMINATE SOME OF THE NAMING, BUT IN SOME CASES, I THINK THAT WE'VE GOTTEN BEHIND.
[01:55:02]
AND THAT INCLUDES MYSELF ON NAMING THINGS FOR INDIVIDUALS IN MY DISTRICT.SO I'M EXCITED. I'M GOING TO SUPPORT ALL OF THEM.
AND WE'LL JUST MOVE FORWARD. THANK YOU. TRUSTEE TURNER.
YES. I WANT TO SPEAK TO THE JAMES MADISON COMPETITION.
JIM AND THOMAS EDISON CONCESSION STAND. ONE THING THAT WAS VERY IMPORTANT TO ME IS THAT WE HAD A MEETING WITH THE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION AT THE GREAT JAMES MADISON HIGH SCHOOL TO TALK ABOUT A PROCESS ON HOW THINGS ARE NAMED AT MADISON HIGH SCHOOL.
AND THOSE PROCESSES DIDN'T REALLY EXIST BECAUSE THOSE THOSE PROCESSES ARE NOT IN POLICY.
SO MY PROCESS MOVING FORWARD ANY TIME ANYBODY WANTS TO NAME SOMETHING AT A SCHOOL, ESPECIALLY A HIGH SCHOOL, I'M GOING TO ASK THAT YOU MEET WITH THE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION.
THEY THEY SUPPORT IT. AND THEN SECONDLY, THAT YOU BRING IT BEFORE THE SPDM.
AND IF IT'S DONE IN THAT PROCESS AND THEN AND ONLY THEN WILL I BE IN FAVOR OF SUPPORTING A NAME CHANGE OR NAMING OF A WING OR AUDITORIUM OR A BUILDING. BUT IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT OUR SCHOOLS HAVE PROCESSES WHEN IT COMES TO NAME CHANGES.
SO MADISON ALUMNI ASSOCIATION WAS PRESENTED TO THEM AS WELL AS BROUGHT BEFORE THE SPDM.
AND THE GREAT THING, YOU KNOW, YOU ALL WHEN I WAS THERE.
THERE WERE OTHER NAMES IN THE HAT, AND STUDENTS WERE A PART OF THE PROCESS IN MAKING A DECISION TO HEAR THE HEALTHY DEBATES THAT ADULTS WERE HAVING OVER NAME CHANGE, AND THEY GOT A CHANCE TO VOTE ON WHAT THEY WANTED THE NAME TO BE.
SO I WAS PROUD TO EVEN BE A PART OF THAT CONVERSATION TO WITNESS THE SPDM.
HAVE A GREAT CONVERSATION ABOUT NAMING THE COMPETITION GYM AS WELL AS THE CONCESSION STAND.
THANK YOU. TRUSTEE GARCIA. I SIMPLY WANT TO REITERATE THAT I WAS NOT SAYING THAT I WAS OPPOSED TO THE NAME BEING REVEREND BARNETT. IF THAT'S THE NAME, THE COMMUNITY AND THE APPLICATION IS COMPLETE, THEN WE CAN MOVE, YOU KNOW, EVALUATE THAT. BUT IT WAS MORE SO ABOUT THE SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION, I THINK WHEN WE HEARD FROM LEADERS THAT CAME HERE TO SPEAK THE MANY EMAILS I RECEIVED, THERE WAS A MENTION OF HOW THE PETITION THAT IS INCLUDED IN SUPPORT OF THIS APPLICATION WAS SPECIFIC TO THE JESSE OWENS ATHLETIC COMPLEX.
AND ALTHOUGH MR. REVEREND BARNETT MAY HAVE MADE CONTRIBUTIONS TO PLEASANT GROVE, AND I KNOW THAT THAT IS A FACILITY THAT IS USED ACROSS THE THE DISTRICT, NOT NECESSARILY JUST SPRUCE SAMUEL, OR EVEN JUST PLEASANT GROVE.
YOU KNOW, IT WAS CALLED OUT TO ME. WHY? WHY IS THIS? PETITION ONLY REFERRING TO THAT COMPLEX AND NOT PLEASANT GROVE STADIUM? SO THERE ARE 233 PEOPLE THAT HAVE SIGNED THIS PETITION, BUT THEY WERE SIGNING FOR SOMETHING ELSE.
SO THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS MENTIONED TO ME BY CONSTITUENTS.
ALSO, I KNOW THAT CURRENTLY IT MAY NOT INCLUDE STUDENT VOICE, BUT I FEEL THAT THAT IS IMPORTANT IN PARTICULAR BECAUSE OUR STUDENTS ARE THE ONES THAT PLAY THERE. WE CAN THINK ABOUT GENERATIONS PAST AND ALUMNI, BUT OF COURSE, IF OUR STUDENTS ARE THERE, WE WANT THEM TO HAVE PRIDE IN THE NAME. AND I'M NOT SAYING THAT REVEREND BARNETT'S NAME IS NOT SOMETHING OF PRIDE.
SO I THINK SOME OF IT REQUIRES EDUCATION. I'M HAPPY TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTIONS.
AND I'VE ALWAYS, YOU KNOW, OPEN DOOR TO ANY OF OUR TRUSTEES HERE AND FORMER TRUSTEES.
AND SO IF WE CAN HAVE THAT CONVERSATION, I WOULD, YOU KNOW, POSSIBLY SUPPORT THIS.
AS IT STANDS TODAY, I WOULDN'T VOTE FOR THIS.
SO I WANT TO BE SURE THAT THAT IS ON THE RECORD, BECAUSE TO ME, I BELIEVE THAT PLEASANT GROVE HAS PRIDE IN THE STADIUM BEING CALLED PLEASANT GROVE STADIUM, JUST SIMPLY AS THAT. IT'S AN ACT OF RESISTANCE, IN MY OPINION, AND SO I WILL LEAVE IT AT THAT.
TRUSTEES. ANY FURTHER ROUND? TWO QUESTIONS FOR 12 A OKAY.
SEEING NONE, TRUSTEES WILL NOW MOVE TO CHIEF OF STAFF DIVISION, WHICH IS 15, 16 OR 17 CHIEF OF STAFF DIVISION.
[02:00:08]
OKAY, THEN. TRUSTEES WILL NOW MOVE TO HUMAN CAPITAL MANAGEMENT DIVISION, WHICH IS 19 A.SEEING NONE TRUSTEES WILL MOVE TO ACADEMICS AND TRANSFORMATION DIVISION, WHICH IS 2121 A. I WAS TOLD I COULDN'T ASK ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT. OKAY. OKAY. AND THAT STOPPED.
TRUSTEES WILL TURN TO INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DIVISION, WHICH IS 23 AND 24.
[22. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DIVISION]
ANY QUESTIONS THERE? 24 A 24 A TRUSTEE FOREMAN.I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHY. PREVIOUSLY, WE HAD A CONTRACT, A FIVE YEAR CONTRACT AND $750,000, AND WE SPENT 676,826. BUT NOW WE'RE ASKING FOR A FIVE YEAR CONTRACT FOR 3 MILLION.
YEAH. THE PREVIOUS CONTRACT WAS FOR JUST FOR MAINTENANCE AND SUPPORT.
THIS NEW BOARD DOC ALLOWS US TO REPLACE THE GENERATOR.
THE GENERATOR IS OVER TEN YEARS OLD, SO THE PREVIOUS ONE DIDN'T HAVE THAT FACTORED IN.
THIS NEW BOARD DOC HAS THE MONIES FACTORED IN TO REPLACE THE GENERATOR.
OKAY, I'LL BE ASKING SOME ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS.
YES, MA'AM. I'LL SEND IT TO YOU. OKAY. ANYONE ELSE FOR 24? AYE. TRUSTEES WILL TURN TO FINANCIAL SERVICES DIVISION, WHICH IS 26, 27, 28 OR 29.
TRUSTEE FOREMAN YOUR LIGHTS ON. IS IT OKAY? OKAY.
THEN TRUSTEES WILL MOVE TO OPERATION. SERVICES DIVISION WHICH IS 31 A OR 32
[30. OPERATION SERVICES DIVISION]
A OR B 31 A TRUSTEE MACKEY. 31 A.SO IF MY CALCULATIONS ARE CORRECT, THIS MAINTENANCE FACILITY SERVICES ITEM IS THE LAST ONE THAT I WOULD GET DAVID BATES UP HERE FOR, IF THAT'S CORRECT. THAT'S RIGHT, THAT'S RIGHT.
YEAH. AND I JUST WANT TO TAKE THIS MOMENT TO SAY FROM THIS LAST THING THAT YOU WERE DOING HERE, NOT TO MENTION A BOND TO FOCUS ON FIXING THE WASHER, THE DRYER, THE ICE MACHINES, THE THINGS THAT GO BEHIND THE SCENES.
I THINK IT'S VERY FITTING FOR THE WORK THAT YOU HAVE DONE IN THIS DISTRICT.
FROM THE MOMENT YOU SET FOOT IN THIS DISTRICT, FROM YOUR TIME AT MARSH AS A TEACHER, JROTC INSTRUCTOR, ALL THE WAY THROUGH EVERY ROLE YOU'VE HELD IN THIS DISTRICT, ACADEMICS OR OTHERWISE, YOU HAVE BEEN THE ONE BEHIND THE SCENES HELPING THIS DISTRICT BE AS SUCCESSFUL AS IT IS. AND I JUST WANT TO SAY FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART, THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU HAVE GIVEN TO THIS DISTRICT.
EVERYTHING THAT YOU HAVE POURED INTO THIS COMMUNITY, THE STUDENTS, YOU ARE GOING TO LEAVE A HUGE HOLE IN ALL OF OUR HEARTS AND OUR WORK, ESPECIALLY BRENT'S. I DON'T KNOW HOW HE WILL FUNCTION WITHOUT YOU.
YEAH. BUT I KNOW THAT YOU WILL BRING GREAT THINGS TO EL PASO ISD AND BE ABLE TO BRING TOGETHER YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF FACILITIES AND ALL THE THINGS BEHIND THE SCENES, ACADEMICS AND YOUR MILITARY EXPERTISE IN A PLACE THAT REALLY NEEDS YOU RIGHT NOW, AND I'M HAPPY FOR THE KIDS, THE FAMILIES AND THE COMMUNITY OF EL PASO ISD.
AND LASTLY, GO, GATORS. HEAR, HEAR! YES.
TRUSTEES. WE'LL GO TO CONSTRUCTION SERVICES DIVISION.
ANYTHING UNDER 34 OR 35? OKAY. SEEING NONE, THEN TRUSTEES WILL TURN TO AGENDA ITEM 36.
ADJOURNMENT. THE TIME IS 8:49 P.M. AND THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.