Education sucks in Dallas

Sometime during my high school career, I found myself at a wedding shower in Albuquerque, N.M. A friend of my mother's asked me where I attended high school, I mentioned my small college prep school with no thought to how snobby I could sound. My answer was quickly followed up by, "oh, is that private?" 

The Dallas Independent School District (DISD) has been failing our school children for over two decades. One example of the issues surrounding DISD can be found during my middle school years, DISD went through 3 superintendents in less than 18 months. Our most recent superintendent left the position in May and departed Dallas for another job over the summer. A semester later, the DISD board is just now defining what they would like in their next superintendent.  

Growing up, I did not have much say in private vs. public because there was no option - if you could find the money, your children went to private school; if you had no problem finding the money, your children went really good private schools. 

It is still this way.  DISD is working to improve it's self, a just retired gentleman, named Mike Morath has giving himself 10 years to turn around DISD. He wants to reinforce with parents the importance of their presence by starting a program in the 2nd grade to show parents the positive influence they can instill in their children. This is absolutely wonderful, I wish Dallas had enough good public schools for our children; but until then - what? 

Growing up, I had in my head, the Episcopal School of Dallas (ESD) offered one of the best educations a student could ask for, while having an administration who was attentive to the needs of each student, family and community member. As I've matured, my opinion has changed. For many years I questioned if it was because I knew more about other schools or if it was because the school was failing its students.

Towards the end of 2011, ESD began to crumble among the mix of rumors, allegations and unmistakable lack of regard for its community. ESD found itself in the middle of a sex scandal and with it the drop of the focus from education. "Following nine weeks of testimony, on September 21, 2011, the Episcopal School of Dallas was found grossly negligent in how it handled a sexual relationship between a teacher and a 16-year-old student, and has been ordered to pay the girl's family an amount of $8.6 million in compensatory damages and another $700,000 in punitive damages," according to WFAA, ABC affilate in Dallas. In addition, it was recently announced that the Assistant Headmaster of ESD is resigning effective immediately and the Headmaster is stepping down. A committee has been formed to find his replacement.

So now the private schools are crumbling from the top and the public schools are crumbling from the bottom, before long the middle will be left. What does that say? 

We have left our children with a large challenge, in fact a challenge larger than some students are when standing tall. The challenge - how to succeed in school when your school is fighting against you. What happened to school board members who were no longer going for the world record of "longest serving school board member," but instead fighting for a better school, a better education and better teachers? What happened to a school board that didn't hide behind the pillars of its buildings, but owned up to its mistakes and tried to change the world? What happened that we now leave our children with schools that no longer lead by example, but instead lead with a checkbook?

Without a good education, a good support system and a good set of leaders, students are less likely to succeed, less likely to challenge themselves and more likely to wonder why they are at school. So here's my idea: start over. 

Currently the ESD school board has a member who has served well over 10 years? I personally find it short of insane that this person has been on the board that amount of time. Due to his length in service, I think this person should resign their position. If only due to the philosophy that the only constant is change. 

So let's change, it's start our school boards over and get a fresh look on how to save our children from failing school systems. For it is the educated, kind of heart and those willing to admit fault that can create change. We need to instill these traits in our children, and how can we do that without a quality education system.

During my Jesuit Volunteer year, a Jesuit priest reminded a room full of eager volunteers that we cannot change the world; but instead we can create the foundation for change and lead the way for real change. As depressing as it sounds it is true - Martin Luther King, Jr. died before he saw all 50 states allow someone of African American origin vote in an election; Abraham Lincoln died before all 50 states freed their slaves and changes will continue to come long after we die.

But we must believe in change, set the foundation for change and do nothing but demand change - our children deserve the best, so why is even the best education staring to fail our children?