Missing
from the “2013/14 District Action Plan” are any goals that
would adequately build toward and reflect the primacy of parental
involvement in the education of DISD children.
Goal
#4 on page 2 of this Plan states: “PARENTAL
INVOLVEMENT: Develop shared responsibility between parents/guardians
and schools that foster academic success and self management of
learning.”
While
some may consider this goal “adequate,” the key action listed
(page 3, copied below) so as to achieve this goal has almost no relationship to the
goal: “Expand early intervention programs and programs to support
early childhood education and support.” with an allocated cost of
$5,000,000.
 |
| Page 3 of 2013/14 District Action Plan (Right click and open link to enlarge and/or print.) |
How
is this listed “key action” any more related to parental
involvement that any other educational program improvement? Parental
involvement must be much more central, with direct attention given to
it! It must have constant attention throughout all the years that a
student attends DISD, especially during the middle and high school
years, and not just the early childhood education years!
The
goals listed do not mention either student or parental goals, or
helping DISD parents or their children to better understand the
potential in education so as to develop such personal goals. Without
such goal development how will DISD generate parental involvement and
student motivation?
Even
if parental and student goals and concerns are ignored by DISD
Central Office, they remain central to any successful education.
The DISD Board must change the 2013/14 District Action Plan to include such
goals by name. The official copy of the 2013/14 District Action Plan
presented on 4-11-13 is at
http://sire.dallasisd.org/sirepub/cache/0/24dogu45dto4oq55knmqg2nb/40357904222013121708416.PDF
The relative apathy displayed toward parental and student goals in this plan from DISD Central Office reflects a management culture that's generating decisions with no more than a token acknowledgment of public or parental concerns.
The relative apathy displayed toward parental and student goals in this plan from DISD Central Office reflects a management culture that's generating decisions with no more than a token acknowledgment of public or parental concerns.