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DhhD

(4,695 posts)
Sat Jun 14, 2014, 11:28 AM Jun 2014

Dallas ISD Targeted For Takeover by Corporate Special Interest Leaving Students and Parents Behind

http://texasaftblog.com/hotline/?p=3839

Much is at stake for the whole state in the Dallas dispute over home rule. Dallas ISD, the second-largest school district in the state, has been targeted for takeover by corporate special interests making unprecedented use of this device known as home rule. Under a state law never used until now, a specially created home-rule charter commission can put a proposition on the ballot to turn all of Dallas ISD into a charter district that would be exempt from most state safeguards of educational quality and due process for students and teachers, paving the way for wholesale privatization of neighborhood public schools. If this scheme works in Dallas, it could be coming soon to your school district, too. - See more at: http://texasaftblog.com/hotline/?p=3839#sthash.2VblCY1F.dpuf

http://texasaftblog.com/hotline/?p=3847
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dem in texas

(2,672 posts)
1. Yes, this plan is rotten to the core
Sat Jun 14, 2014, 11:43 AM
Jun 2014

I live in Dallas and have been following this home rule movement and it is fishy as hell. John Arnold, a billionaire hedge funder who lives in Houston is one of the main players in this movement. He and his wife are already deep into the DISD pocket book with a education program. Why would someone who lives in Houston and his secret backers spend thousands of dollars to push this home rule in Dallas? The other parties are funding this home rule movement will not reveal their names. The only school board member who supports this once worked for a company that provided services to the school district. What is their payoff? Charter schools for all of Dallas with home rule backer's companies running the show? That is my guess. Yes, there are problems with the DISD, but this is not the way to solve them. You can't have something like this go on with hidden agendas and secret backers and secret money. Well, I take it back, this is Texas and big money can cause a lot to happen here, most not good. One thing I do know, these home rule advocates care nothing about the school children of Dallas, they are looking for a way to make some bucks off of them.

If the home rule petition makes it to the November ballot, I urge all Dallas votes to vote a big fat NO!

DhhD

(4,695 posts)
2. The names are missing. Six clicks takes you through the Educational Interest Business Members too.
Sat Jun 14, 2014, 12:15 PM
Jun 2014
http://www.dallaschamber.org/files/StructuresforStrategicPageofweb1.10.11.pdf

Fill in the names.

Home-rule is a private business management and profit model.

The Regional Area Chamber of Commerce is very ready to help profiteers. They just need a bank rolling foundation, or interest. Did you notice how the Dallas Mayor was all to ready to speak up about Dallas ISD several weeks ago?

http://www.dallaschamber.org/files/StructuresforStrategicPageofweb1.10.11.pdf

http://www.wfaa.com/news/education/Mayor-Rawlings-critical-of-DISD-home-rule-campagin-Calls-for-reboot-discussions-253465441.html

What group is Mayor Rawlings distancing himself from? That might be your answer or the members of that group probably know who is behind this Home-Rule business.

dem in texas

(2,672 posts)
3. Thanks for the info.
Sat Jun 14, 2014, 12:34 PM
Jun 2014

As usual, the Dallas Morning News is under reporting on this important event, you can always know that the DMN has a finger in the pie when they under report, but then again, even the Observer hasn't had much on this matter. Anyone in other cities need to pay attention to this. If it succeeds in Dallas, they will be coming after your city next.

The ALEC's were in Dallas this week organizing a new group to go after the local elections and laws, in addition to their efforts to control state legislatures. We have the Koch Brothers and their unlimited amounts of money and the Citizens United ruling from the Supreme Court to thank for all these things that are happening. All so the rich get rich and the poor taxpayer foots the bill.

DhhD

(4,695 posts)
4. I have seen the connection between the Chamber of Commerce and ALEC many times in my studies and
Sat Jun 14, 2014, 01:04 PM
Jun 2014

research.

I am thinking that I made a post or two about the connection to ALEC on DU or Texas Group. This connection is to Jeb Bush too. Other posts that I have made are the connections to ALEC, with speeches to ALEC, Red State and the Texas Tea Legislature by Jeb Bush.

Let me/us know what you find if you care to.

kjackson227

(2,166 posts)
5. I think a lot of people are confused about Home Rule Charter School Districts because...
Mon Jun 16, 2014, 02:44 PM
Jun 2014

... Democrats and Republicans are supporting it. I was surprised to find out that Jim Schultz of the Dallas Observer is a supporter. I can tell by his articles because he's a strong supporter of board member Morath, and Morath is the weasel who was instrumental in all of this.

Morath has ignored and broken board rules to further his agenda for his school district and himself.

DhhD

(4,695 posts)
6. Push for Home-Rule Charter is power grab that threatens pubic school quality and parental rights.
Mon Jun 16, 2014, 02:56 PM
Jun 2014
http://allianceaft.tx.aft.org/press/push-home-rule-charter-power-grab-threatens-public-school-quality-and-parental-rights

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 3, 2014

CONTACT:
Rena Honea (214) 796-2250

Push for home-rule charter is power grab that threatens public school quality and parental rights

The Dallas ISD School Board will meet tonight at 6:30 p.m. to discuss a petition drive aiming to establish a home-rule charter for the district, a move that would endanger many of the quality safeguards and parental rights currently provided by state law.

The petition drive—being funded and pushed by John Arnold, a former Enron trader and hedge fund manager—would seek a November ballot initiative for a home-rule charter, a status allowed under a 1995 state law that never has been implemented in Texas.

“The proponents of this horrible idea are trying to say it will provide flexibility, which in reality means that corporate interests will seek to turn our neighborhood schools into privately operated charter schools with no accountability to the public,” said Rena Honea, president of Alliance-AFT, which represents Dallas ISD school employees.

Honea noted that districts under home rule can kill off class-size limits for most K-4 classrooms, eliminate teachers’ contracts, wipe out parents’ and students’ and teachers’ rights to due process in student discipline, and much more. In fact, she said, the entire parental-rights chapter of the Education Code would no longer apply, including parents’ rights to see what their kids are being taught. Accountability to the community through an elected board also could be eliminated.

“This is a power grab, pure and simple,” Honea said. “The home-rule charter is part of a plan to underfund our schools, declare them a failure, and contract out to private operators the control of our neighborhood schools, disenfranchising parents and community stakeholders and deprofessionalizing teaching. This initiative ultimately is for profit, not for kids.”

Honea said that if the real goal is sensible flexibility to achieve campus improvement, there’s a better way to do it. In contrast to the false “home rule” version of parental and community empowerment, there is an authentic version elsewhere in the Texas Education Code’s chapter on charters.

Under Section 12.052, a majority of parents and a majority of teachers at a campus acting together are empowered to petition their school board for an in-district charter campus, without having to forgo any of the educational quality standards and safeguards in the Education Code. The local school board may not unreasonably deny the petition under Section 12.052.

“This model has worked well in San Antonio ISD in more than a dozen schools and also in Austin ISD, where it has fostered collaboration with community partners to support school innovation and improvement,” Honea said. “It provides real parental empowerment and retains local, democratic control of public schools.”

Honea said parents shouldn’t be fooled by the name of the organization sponsoring the petition drive—Support our Public Schools. “We will be educating the public on the true intent behind this petition, and how stripping away public control and quality safeguards like class-size limits will harm our schoolchildren,” she said.

Alliance-AFT represents school employees in Dallas ISD and is affiliated with: Texas AFT, which represents more than 65,000 teachers, paraprofessionals, support personnel, and higher-education employees across the state; and the 1.5-million-member American Federation of Teachers.
. - See more at: http://allianceaft.tx.aft.org/press/push-home-rule-charter-power-grab-threatens-public-school-quality-and-parental-rights#sthash.kQNq2T2Y.dpuf

kjackson227

(2,166 posts)
8. Yes, I've met and seen Ms. Honea many times at our community...
Mon Jun 16, 2014, 03:55 PM
Jun 2014

...meetings. You couldn't meet a nicer person, but she's tough also Alliance-AFT has a temporary restraining order against DISD. DISD is full of corruption. Hope your school district's administration is better. If we can get this Home Rule Charter District mess out of the way, I'm going to do all I can to help elect new school board members, and try to get rid of this superintendent.

DhhD

(4,695 posts)
7. My guess is that Shultz has been promised a seat on the Charter Board (School Board) by appointment
Mon Jun 16, 2014, 03:16 PM
Jun 2014

instead of being elected as a Dallas ISD public school, Board of Trustee, member, would be.

With the Home-Rule Charter, business owners appoint everyone, from board members to theology preachers as science teachers. Parents and the State have no control; no elected officials to answer to the taxpayer, parents, student 18 years of age or older, voters, and community members. It is a PRIVATE BUSINESS if it wins over PUBLIC Education on the November ballot. Your children WORK for a business that is there for PROFIT.

Are there others setting themselves up to take over the administration by appointment? They support
HOME-RULE. Are INVESTORS making promises of appointments for support of Democrats? Will Home-Rule Board Members be paid?

Who made Home-Rule Law possible? The Texas GOP Tea Party Legislature.

Who will cut funding for Public Education in the upcoming 2015 Legislative Session? GOP Tea Party.

They hope to set an example using DISD to turn over all public education in Texas to Private Profiteers which probably includes themselves. Are some Legislators investors?

kjackson227

(2,166 posts)
9. Wow! I wouldn't elect Schultz for dog catcher...
Mon Jun 16, 2014, 04:01 PM
Jun 2014

... much less appoint him to help write this charter for the school district. I commented to him in one of his articles that he was another paid lackey for SOPS, and he replied back making a joke of the idea... of course.

DhhD

(4,695 posts)
11. IDEA with lots of links.
Sun Jun 29, 2014, 05:16 PM
Jun 2014
http://idea.ed.gov/explore/home
Look at all the side links. IDEA works with NCLB. Birth Place of No Child Left Behind is in Texas with GW Bush and the Bush Family.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Individuals_with_Disabilities_Education_Act
for a history and summary about Public law 108-446.

http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2006-08-14/pdf/06-6656.pdf
Federal Register 108-446. Explains the implementation of IDEA.

DhhD

(4,695 posts)
14. Duncan cannot get around the fact that the ARD Committee can rule that a State's Assessment is
Sun Jun 29, 2014, 08:05 PM
Jun 2014

not appropriate especially after a move to Common Core. Privatizers vs. Public Education. Privatizing is a business model. Creating consecutive, year after year, IEPs that are set up on higher and higher expectations, using documentation, is Public Education. You can see why Mitt Romney wanted to take down IDEA and said so in one of the 3 Presidential Debates that he had with Obama.

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