Failing DISD sues TEA over its new standards which show Dallas schools unable to educate students on a basic level.
Dallas Independent School District is joining other school systems in Texas to sue the Texas Education Agency over the state’s new report card.
Dallas ISD has 233 campuses and 145,000 students. On the last state report card roughly ten percent of these received a D or F grade from the state.
In an interview with NBCDFW, Superintendant Stephanie Elizalde said, “I would never have any evaluation of any member of my team based on previous evaluation criteria, and at the end of the period of time that I’m going to evaluate them say I’ve changed my mind I’m going to evaluate you on something else.”
However, Dallas ISD has done this – repeatedly.
Most recently, a principal was suddenly removed from a successful Dallas ISD school with no clear reason or cause.
Additionally, since at least 2020, Dallas ISD students have been shown to be failing at basic math and reading.
Dallas ISD’s answer then was not to improve education or seek innovation. They chose to lower standards.
Dallas ISD administration now seems surprised the state is holding them accountable while fewer students are heading to college.
Failing DISD Sues TEA
Mike Morath, former Dallas ISD Trustee, and current TEA Commissioner told media “small changes always happened.”
He said the new system incorporated several larger changes that will allow longitudinal views of student success.
One parent, Anna Ramirez, said TEA’s change is positive.
“Dallas ISD talks about teacher accountability all the time,” she said, “but never about the bureaucrats in administration who do things on a whim.”
“It’s about time parents got some choice after more than a decade of Dallas ISD spending tax dollars recklessly on crony capitalism,” she continued.
There are several smaller school districts already in the lawsuit. Fort Worth ISD will vote next week on joining the suit.
