DISD Supt. Hinojosa To Speak At Dallas NAACP

Save the Date!

Dallas ISD Superintendant Michael Hinojosa will speak at the August 7, 2007 general meeting about Dallas Achieves. Come ask questions regarding Dallas Achieves and Dallas ISD.

The July general membership meeting has been rescheduled to July 24, 2007 at 7:00 p.m. at Thurgood Marshall Recreation Center.

Wilmer-Hutchins Group To Restart Weekly Town Hall Meetings

July 17, 2007 For Immediate Release:

Citizens to Restore Wilmer-Hutchins ISD will host one of a series of Town Hall meetings beginning Thursday, July 26, 2007 at Tommie M. Allen Recreation Center located 7071 Bonnie View Road Dallas, Texas 75241 at 7:00 PM. The group will use the Town Hall meetings to raise awareness on efforts they are using to reopen their neighborhood schools and to raise badly needed funds to pay attorney fees.

The group hired an Atlanta Georgia law firm to represent them in their case. That firm drew up petitions residents have been circulating for a show of moral support. The petitions will be submitted to the Texas State Legislature at a latter date. Any Texas resident can sign the petition and do not have to be a registered voter. The group hopes to get Texas lawmakers to support their cause.

“We are calling on all members of the community to join our movement as we work to bring back the “Hutch.” We’ve been in consultation with our attorneys and want to share that information with the residents. We will continue t o hold these again and again until victory in reopening our district” said Faye Gafford, Chairperson of Citizens to Restore Wilmer-Hutchins ISD.

In a March 21, 2005 letter to the Wilmer Hutchins board Texas Education Agency (TEA) Commissioner Shirley J. Neeley lowered the district from “Academically Acceptable” to “Academically Unacceptable.” However, in the same letter Neeley appointed a “Board of Managers” to run the district. That action violated Texas Education Code 39.131 (a) (9). The TEA code says, (an accused district must be given “a year or more” to challenge a lowered rating before a board of managers is appointed). Wilmer-Hutchins ISD was never given the opportunity to challenge the Neeley’s ruling.

Other Town Hall meetings will be held in the cities of Hutchins, Wilmer and Joppa neighborhood. Meeting dates and times will be announced in future press releases.

For more information please contact Faye Gafford at 972-225-3713 or fax 972-225-3521

Black Men Will Again Lead the Nation Back to School this Fall

Help Organize the Million Father March 2007 in Your City

This fall Black men will again lead the nation’s children back to school. We want 500,000 men in 200 cities to take their children to school this first fall school day of 2007. Last year, we had as many as 300,000 people in 127 cities who participated in the March. This event is open to men and women of all races and ethnicities, and we ask every parent or male caregiver to be with their children on this most important first day of school.

We need you to volunteer as the Million Father March 2007 Organizer in your city. The 2007 March will not take much work and you will get a huge return on time invested. We will give you all the help you need to manage a successful 2007 black-to-school March. Please pass this email on to men and women across the country so that we can have the greatest March ever on the first day of school this fall!

The Million Father March is the beginning of male involvement every school year in the lives of our children and students. The Black Star Project will share additional ways and activities throughout the year in which men can be involved with their children’s education. When fathers and other male caregivers are involved in the lives of children, their children learn better and have fewer social and discipline problems.

Please email us at blackstar1000@ameritech.net with your name, your email address, and your city/state if you wish to manage this event in your city. Please also let us know if you want more information about the March or The Black Star Project. Some cities might have more than one organizer.

To make your 2007 March a big success, you need to begin organizing now. The March will be an important event for your children and your city. For more information, please visit our website at www.blackstarproject.org or call 773-285-9600. ____________________________________________________

“I have been waiting and preparing for a time such as this. Our combined voices must be heard, and we can not stop until every Black man feels the power within himself to make a positive difference in the lives of our children, themselves, and our communities. We can do this.”

 

-Elder Felix L. Graham,
Million Father March Organizer, 2006
Indianapolis, Indiana

Dallas ISD Teacher of the Year is: Candace Wicks

The Dallas ISD Teacher of the Year is: Candace Wicks.

Candace Wicks, a kindergarten teacher at Erasmo Seguin Community Learning Center, on May 17 was named 2007-2008 Dallas Independent School District Teacher of the Year.

Erasmo Seguin Community Learning Center is located in District 6 represented by Trustee Carla Ranger.

Skyline High School’s principal wins Principal of the Year

Skyline High School’s principal wins Principal of the Year

Leslie Williams, principal of Skyline High School and Career Development Center, has been named 2007-2008 Dallas ISD Principal of the Year.

During a luncheon honoring the five Principal of the Year finalists held May 29, Williams received congratulations from Superintendent of Schools Michael Hinojosa and a check for $3,000 from AXA Advisors, the event sponsor.

Lew Blackburn’s Switch To Jerome Garza!

The Big Switch!

What is political integrity or the lack thereof at Dallas ISD?

After a month of behind the scenes jockeying by certain Anglo and Hispanic Trustees to deny Carla Ranger any position of responsibility on the Board, it appears Trustee Blackburn finally came to their rescue at the very last minute during the June 28, 2007 Board meeting held at Emmett J. Conrad High School.

Trustee Lew Blackburn had previously committed numerous times to nominate Trustee Carla Ranger for Second Vice President of the Board.

Lew Blackburn had already served in this same Second Vice President position twice before and had declined to be nominated for the same position once again at the May 24th Board meeting at David W. Carter High School by Trustee Leigh Ann Ellis – as did Trustee Ron Price after the same group attempted to use him for the same purpose.

Ron Price was actually absent from the May 24th Board meeting at Carter High but was elected Second Vice President anyway in a scheme by certain Anglo and Hispanic Board members. He was nominated by Jerome Garza. The next day Trustee Ron Price sent a letter of resignation to the Board President Jack Lowe – but also strangely recommended that the fully authorized position of Second Vice President be abolished.

At the May 24, 2007 Board meeting at Carter High School, Trustee Carla Ranger had nominated Trustee Blackburn for President of the Board because she felt he deserved the position on merit and Board experience.

Instead, Jack Lowe was re-elected and Trustee Carla Ranger voted for Lew Blackburn instead of Jack Lowe. It was clear Jack Lowe had the votes for President. However, Trustee Carla Ranger was not playing politics. She actually believed in Trustee Blackburn’s record of Board service and stood with him alone. No one else did so.

Her reward from Lew Blackburn for supporting him when no one else would do so – she was blindsided by Trustee Blackburn one month later at the June 28th Board meeting at Emmett J. Conrad High School .

Jack Lowe had made it quite clear that he was using his office as President in a personal vendetta against Carla Ranger because she is an independent voice and had stood for principles and policies on numerous issues that Jack Lowe did not appreciate.

Trustee Lowe further proved his hostile agenda by attempting to personally prevent the election of Trustee Ranger to Second Vice President.

The word was that Trustee Carla Ranger was to be ‘punished’ by the Anglo/Hispanic Board coalition that regularly insults the African American community. First year Trustee Adam Medrano was advanced to First Vice President. First year Trustee Leigh Ann Ellis was appointed Board Policy Chair by Jack Lowe. First year Trustee Carla Ranger was sidetracked by Jack Lowe and her fellow black Trustees.

Trustee Blackburn had given his personal commitment that he was supporting Trustee Carla Ranger and would nominate her for Second Vice President. This was well known.

Instead, Lew Blackburn walked into the Board meeting on June 28, 2007 and accepted a nomination to the position of Second Vice President from Trustee Jerome Garza – the same person who had nominated an absent Ron Price the month before.

Trustee Blackburn did not decline as he had done just one month previously when nominated by Leigh Ann Ellis for the very same position. He did not nominate Carla Ranger as he had previously stated. Instead, he blindsided his fellow Board colleague who fully trusted him.

This time Lew Blackburn was again elected to the same position he had held twice before – Trustee Carla Ranger even voted for him – in spite of his public switch that served the agenda of those who sought to deny her election.

Lew Blackburn even spoke briefly with Carla Ranger just prior to the Board meeting but never mentioned a word of his coming political change of support.

Trustee Carla Ranger now knows Trustee Lew Blackburn did not keep his commitment. Further, he hasn’t said a word to her about it. She had supported him when no one else would. She trusted him and thought he was a man of his word.

Perhaps, it is a very important lesson in Dallas ISD Politricks.

Did Lew Blackburn willingly participate in the scheme of certain Anglo and Hispanics Trustees to block the election of Carla Ranger?

Why the last minute switch? Why did Lew Blackburn fail to keep his commitment?

Carla Ranger would have stood with Trustee Blackburn against all odds and did so by nominating him for President of the Board.

Did Lew Blackburn break his word in the interest of Anglos (especially Jack Lowe) and certain Hispanics who were both desperate and determined to prevent Carla Ranger’s election?

It was Trustee Carla Ranger who shortly after her election to the School Board proposed a policy to remove the requirement that Principals speak Spanish as a condition of employment. As a result, Principals are no longer required to speak Spanish in Dallas ISD.

Trustees Jerome Garza and Edwin Flores publicly attacked Carla Ranger in the newspapers Al Dia and the Dallas Observer.

Trustee District 6 (Carla Ranger) was later attacked during the Wilmer Hutchins Redistricting by Trustee Jerome Garza with the support of Ron Price, Jack Lowe, Nancy Bingham, and Edwin Flores. Garza used the Wilmer-Hutchins redistricting to place one of his main former Hispanic political opponents – Ramiro Lopez – into Trustee Carla Ranger’s district. Ramiro Lopez believes this was a part of a scheme by Jerome Garza to set another political plan in motion.

Ron Price supported the adoption of the very same Wilmer-Hutchins redistricting map that Jerome Garza desired. Board hired redistricting lawyer Rolondo Rios tried to hide the fact that the map had been requested by Jerome Garza. The lawyer first stated he couldn’t remember who requested the map – then refused to reveal the source of the rip-off map by claiming attorney client privilege before the full Board when directly questioned about it by Trustee Carla Ranger.

Of course, it was again Trustee Ron Price who joined Anglo and Hispanic Trustees in opposing the effort of the remaining black Trustees to have a final public hearing for the former Wilmer-Hutchins parents and students North of I-20 – where the majority of the former Wilmer-Hutchins stakeholders actually lived.

In spite of the vote of a majority of the Dallas ISD Trustees not to have that final Wilmer-Hutchins public hearing, a community meeting was still arranged and on very short notice became the most well-attended of all.

Long term this would not matter greatly except for the fact that political integrity or the lack thereof is a very big issue on the Dallas School Board.

The control of blacks by the hostile agendas of others does matter because there can be no effective action without a reliable basis of trust.

It is an issue the community needs to watch very closely.

Trustee Blackburn, why did you not keep your word given to your colleague – Carla Ranger – who stood up for you?

You have provided absolutely no explanation of what appears to be your very last minute public political trick (poli-trick).

And so it was …