DISD School Board Meeting 7-22-14, 2:43 AM to 4:05 AM

7-21-14 at 5:30 PM the DISD Trustees began a board meeting to address a request for contract extension, retirement vesting, clearance to begin consulting, a "salary bump" and possibly other items not made public.  They went into closed session about 5:50 PM on 7-21-14.  They did not return to an open meeting until 2:43 AM on 7-22-14.




Dallas ISD Board Meeting 2:43 AM to 4:05 AM on 7-22-14

The video record of this exceptionally informative board meeting is online at http://www.dallasisd.org/Page/663 .   The meeting starts at 9:17:00, 9 hours and 17 minutes into the tape, at 2:43 AM.   The first action after the resumption of the open meeting was the reading of the proposed contract. 

It is strongly recommend everyone concerned about Dallas ISD students listen to all of this video tape.   The statements by board members were very informative.  Share it with your friends.

Ultimately the superintendent's contract was extended to July 1, 2017 but not until two critical, but failed, amendments were attempted.  That amendment process was exceptionally informative.

The first amendment was to delay the planned vote tonight until after the formal evaluation of Miles was completed.  There was much debate.  It was only supported by Trustees Foreman, Jones, Blackburn and Nutall and failed.   While Miguel Solis and others made statements that all the needed data is now available, what about the TEA school evaluation data that will not be available until August?

The second amendment was to eliminate the ability for consulting from the contract.  The proposed contract allows Mr. Miles to consult 8 days a year using vacation time for the consulting and then giving any money earned, less expenses, to the Dallas Educational Foundation.  Only Foreman, Blackburn, and Nutall voted for that, but Jones documented many excellent concerns in her statement.  

The final vote to approve the contract until 2017 passed 7 to 2 with only Foreman and Nutall voting against it.   This extension mandates that if Mr. Miles is terminated without reason that the complete liability of DISD would never go beyond one years' salary, or $300,000 presently since there was no raise given this evening.

Only media, from every TV station in town, and 3 of us "civilians," were present for this latest morning meeting in DISD history addressing a superintendents' contract extension.

Dallas can be thankful.  It was not an easy process for those involved.   A lot of work went on this evening behind closed doors.  Sadly the data on the student lack of achievement from the STAAR tests and the shrinking size of the most recent graduation class appear to have been ignored by the majority of the board.

What else counts?   Dallas needs this to be explained by the board members who supported Miles this evening.  If Mr. Miles had a principal whose school tested worse year to year in 4 out of 5 subjects by an average of over 3 percentage points, and only improved by 1.9 percentage points in only one subject, and had a minority achievement gap that virtually exploded, what would Mr. Miles do?  This is what has happened inside DISD to the 65,000 students grades 3 to 8 we have entrusted to Mr. Miles.   See data charts here. 

Regarding the vesting issue and a "salary bump," they were not granted.  The final agreement appears rather austere in detail, not granting many of the extras that were requested .   

Dallas needs a public debate of the data that is collecting about our children's progress in DISD.    

Dallas is loosing critical focus due to "home rule," while DISD has been deteriorating since July 2012 following the 5 greatest years of progress in DISD history!  The public must be contacting all board members about the damage now happening inside DISD.

Please listen to this 80 minute meeting that starts at 9:17:00 on the tape.  It exposes the DISD Board regarding dedication to detail, data, professional management, and following established procedures.