Should students learn virtually or not? As first reported by a Townview group, statements from Dan Micciche and former Townview Principal Ben Mackey indicate your Dallas ISD students should be at home learning – particularly while Dallas County is in the Red danger area for COVID19.
COVID19 numbers are racing higher at a surprising rate given the preparation prior to students returning to campus, but the focus appears heavily focused in favor of Texas Education Agency funding over student safety.
One insider said this was due to the need for state funding to support the $3.7B bond package the administration has been pushing for new school facilities as enrollment drops annually.
There are also concerns about current and former Trustees who may have been implicated in recent reports about corrupt Dallas ISD contractors.
You Can Learn Virtually Today
Students have the option of moving from on campus instruction to virtual learning immediately, but can not move from virtual learning back into the classroom until a nine week grading period ends.
Chad West says street racing is a problem, but you can’t “police your way out of it.” This statement has made some local residents angry.
“Number one call in my district is speed racing and it has been before COVID and it actually got worse,” District 1 City Council Member Chad West said.
He said right now a task force is working on long term solutions. Temporary speed cones have been placed on Hampton to take it from three to two lanes of traffic in each direction. They’re currently asking residents what they think.
On West 12th, between Hampton and Edgefield Avenue, the road has been permanently reduced from two lanes of traffic in each direction to one. However, even with the changes, residents still want to see more done.
“What I would like to see is for them to have speed bumps on this side of 12th street which is south of Hampton,” Emilio Urbina said.
The father of three said even on his small residential street there’s speeding.
Gabriel Gonzales said he thinks more police enforcement is needed.
“You can’t stop them when you don’t see them,” he said.
“One of the challenges is that Dallas has a no chase policy,” West said. “Our officers, unless the speed racer has committed a felony or has a felony warrant or a misdemeanor that involves violence, they can’t chase them. Where as every city around us has chase policies. They can chase speed racers.”
Council Member West appears to recognize that other departments do policestreet racing by police enforcement – including chasing suspects – and that the department is tying its own hands by not following suspects.
Street Racing Issues
As recently as August street racing caused a fatality accident in Dallas.
On Christmas Eve, an off-duty Dallas police officer, Joseph George, died after he lost control of his 2015 Ford Mustang while racing with another car, according to police. He was a four-year veteran of the department.
The Lorenzo Hotel almost got $1.9M in CARES Act funding through a provision City Manager’s staff tried to push through this week.
Cara Mendelsohn, Dallas City Council member for District 12, on Thursday called out the city manager’s office for seemingly trying to hide the proposed $1.9M in COVID19 relief money to a prominent hotel developer.
The agenda item was described in a presentation as a $1.8 million debt payment, with no mention the money would be for the Lorenzo Hotel in the Cedars.
A deal the city council reached in 2013 used federal HUD money to turn a blighted abandoned building into the boutique Lorenzo Hotel. Visit Dallas has been unable to help and like many hotels is struggling. If the owner does not make the payments to HUD that is owes, the city is the guarantor.
Lorenzo Hotel or Rental Assistance
Months ago we did a story about rental assistance going to richer landlords and not South or West Dallas tenants in need. $1.9M would be almost 20% of the budget alloted for rental assistance. Instead of dollars going into an upscale private entity it is worth asking if those dollars would be better spent towards many with rental assistance needs.
Additionally, this is another example of city economic development not creating trust between itself and the citizens it serves. The current Economic Development Director Courtney Pogue has been rumored to be leaving for some time now.
College testing will go on in Dallas ISD next week as planned despite COVID19 cases in multiple Dallas ISD high school campuses and many colleges making test scores optional for college admissions.
COVID19 cases forced County Judge Clay Jenkins to raise the threat level to Red this week and Dallas ISD COVID19 cases tripled in one week and are currently at more than six times the original number after less than two weeks.
The ACT and SAT entrance exams are the proverbial Coke and Pepsi of college admissions. Both exams are widely accepted by U.S. colleges, which often prompts the question: Which test should I take?
The answer to that question lies in understanding the differences between the two tests.
Both college admissions exams are wildly popular. In the class of 2019, a reported 2.2 million test-takers completed the SAT while 1.8 million students took the ACT. It is unclear how many students took both, but some experts say it has become more common for test-takers to complete both college testing batteries.
The SAT takes three hours, though with an optional 50-minute essay, the time adds up to almost four hours total. The ACT lasts two hours and 55 minutes, though a 40-minute optional writing test stretches it to a little more than three-and-a-half hours.
The SAT features 154 questions vs. 215 for the ACT. Broken down by test components, the SAT has a reading test that takes 65 minutes, a 35-minute writing and language test and an 80-minute math section. The ACT is comprised of a 35-minute reading test, 45-minute English test, 60-minute math section and 35-minute science test.
The SAT does not include an independent science section but incorporates science questions throughout the exam.
The scoring for each test also differs. For the SAT, total scores range from 400-1600; for the ACT, the composite score runs from 1-36. Those ranges do not include the optional essays, which are scored separately from each exam
Joe Biden is supported by an Electoral College nominee – Terri Hodge – previously convicted of felony tax fraud after being caught in a bribery scandal. This news comes on the first day of early voting in Texas. She is listed as a representative of the Democratic Party per Texas Secretary of State records.
On the same day Dr. Jill Biden comes to Dallas we learned that Terri Hodge, the former state representative for HD100, is an Electoral College member designate for the Texas Democrats.
In July we noted both the momentum for Democrats – and the challenges – across the board in Texas to flip Texas blue. This incident along with the recent ethics issues surrounding Congressman Colin Allred and the public spat between MJ Hegar and Senator Royce West seem to be spoiling potential victories.
Problems For Terri Hodge In Texas Electoral College
Terri Hodge pleaded guilty to fraud and false statements on a tax return in February 2010 and was sentenced to a year in prison. Hodge was to go on trial March of that year on charges outlined in a 31-count indictment charging 14 public officials and their associates with various offenses related to a bribery and extortion scheme involving affordable housing developments in Dallas, but her plea agreement avoided trial.
As a condition of her plea with the government, Hodge, who was elected to the Texas House of Representatives, District 100, in 1996, and had been re-elected until her conviction, has agreed to resign her office and never seek or hold future public office.
It is not clear if Ms. Hodge has had her voting rights restored for elections, but she has worked as a community outreach and constituent services representative for Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson.
Dallas ISD‘s COVID19 cases triple. One week after return to campus for hybrid learners Dallas ISD is reporting three times the case load as last week’s numbers.
Initial numbers had Dallas ISD cases at 42 including students, school staff, and central office employees.
Given this context it is easy to understand why West was recently quoted saying he will not vote for MJ Hegar.
“MJ Hegar has my cell phone number. She has not called to ask for my support.”
During the primary runoff both candidates had pledged to support the Democratic nominee. This is the type of Democratic infighting that has some concerned that down ballot races will feel the hang over effects of a party that is not united going into the final weeks of the election. It appears West is simply voting his personal business interests – pocketbook over party.
Pocketbook Over Party Or Squadron Wingman
West’s actions have created a response as one group put together a video supporting MJ Hegar and asking why he is not on board with the Democratic nominee.
Their video includes a link to an ActBlue fundraiser.
The DISD Auditor Report should be back in the news shortly. An affidavit was filed by a former employee of a local construction firm stating that there were both significant and intentional cost issues to projects discussed in the DISD Audit Report of Steven Martin, but additionally several Dallas ISD Trustees including two former members were receiving payments and benefits including Dallas Cowboys game tickets for their support of project procurement practices.
The affidavit was filed with the US Attorney’s Office in Dallas. They would have jurisdiction over federal taxpayer dollars being lost due to fraud, waste, or abuse.
This should be the second report received on the topic by federal authorities. Trustee Dustin Marshall claimed to have sent similar information to the FBI in February 2020. He has not responded to a request for tracking or other confirmatory information on his submission.
One former Dallas ISD employee familiar with school leadership commented “wow.”
A second person said “this has been going on for years and no one does anything. We saw financial problems when Hinojosa was here before, it continued with [Mike] Miles. Why is anyone surprised?”
Dallas ISD officials’ focus has shifted to battling COVID19 as district numbers have tripled since they re-opened hybrid school on Monday, but this would be a major financial setback for the DISD who has struggled with getting students to return to campus and generate enthusiasm for a $3.7B bond package given ongoing issues with Dallas ISD procurement policies.
In September, the Texas Education Agency took over Desoto schools after travel procurement issues were found to have cost taxpayers more than $400,000. It is not clear how far and wide this scandal might spread.
DISD Auditor Report
The DISD Auditor Report has left more questions than answers. Dallas ISD staff including interim Chief Internal Auditor Alan King have not responded to multiple email requests for comment.
Eight years ago local news reported on what was then a rough start to the school year for Dallas ISD and this year has been worse. King is described then as leading the district in the “aftermath of former Superintendent Michael Hinojosa’s departure last year” was resigning from the district for the first time then.
King served as Chief Financial Officer from January to June of 2011, when he was elevated to interim superintendent. Most considered King a success as both CFO and Interim Superintendent. Hwas described “as the perfect fit for an interim boss role: pragmatic, straight-forward, no-nonsense.”
Board of Trustees President Justin Henry and 1st Vice President Dan Micciche have not responded to emails for comment either.
Multiple whistleblowers reported problems with Dallas ISD procurement. To date they have all been terminated, asked to resign, or forced out of their positions. An example includes Zachariah Manning who alleged criminal activity as far back as 2016.
Recently Next Generation Action Network’s Dominique Alexander was highly critical of Dallas ISD officials for ending a contract for Thomas Jefferson High School’s rebuild in a Facebook Live video.
From the Dallas Morning News editorial: “This could not come at a worse time for DISD. The board just approved placing its largest bond package ever before voters in November. The $3.2 billion request is really a vote of confidence in whether Hinojosa’s administration and whatever follows it can effectively manage a huge number of construction projects over a long period of time.”
In additionally to current allegations, Dallas ISD’s audit webpage no longer includes reports from Steven Martin. They are attached below. Dallas ISD has also not responded to Public Information Requests since March 2020 citing disaster declarations surrounding COVID19 as reasons to not respond. Dallas ISD operations have been in operation since August 2020.
We need to update the Candina S Heath previous article. Ms. Heath was linked to Erin Neely Cox’s office webpage.
Ms. Heath was in the US Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas. She is currently in the Washington DC offices of the Justice Department. The Public Information Officer for the Northern District of Texas did not respond with this information until late afternoon so this is our first opportunity to correct this information.
Update the Candina S Heath Story
We expect to provide more background on this story in the near future. We await a denial from Ms. Heath about her presence in the videos or the other allegations made by third parties.
The Community Police Oversight Board Chairman, Jesuorobo Enobakhare, appeared to attempt to take law into his own hands after a reported hit and run near downtown Dallas.
It is not clear if being an appointed member of a citizen advisory board provides some indemnification against vigilante style actions. He does provide a license plate and vehicle description – effectively doxxing a private citizen – who hasn’t been convicted of any crime.
Neither Council Member Thomas, nor the City Secretary’s Office has responded to a request for comment about the behavior of their appointee.
Community Police Oversight Board
The Community Police Oversight Board has largely been absent due – with one notable exception – due to a lack of subpoena power and a questionable relationship between its Chairman and the lame duck Police Chief U Reneé Hall, but few CPB members seem intent on actual oversight.
