COVID19 – Page 3 – The Other Side Dallas

October 13, 2021October 13, 2021

Dealey Protest

The word is no word on the Dealey Protest planned for Thursday. Two parents notified Other Side Dallas they had received no communication from the school about safety plans to protect their children on Thursday, October 14.

Per those parents at least half a dozen parents were planning on keeping their children home or picking them up early to avoid the confrontation.

Dealey Protest Background

It is unclear what Dallas ISD plans are for the school that day as a call to DISD headquarters yielded surprise when they were asked about discipline standards and safety plans on Tuesday, October 12.

In our previous post on this topic we noted that this is called a Child Abuse protest, but there has been no credible evidence that any child abuse is happening at Dealey. There are no police records or other indications of abuse – just an allegation of abuse because students are required to wear masks.

The same family organizing the protest is reported to be one of two families who was part of classroom disruptions earlier in the year.

In August, Superintendent Hinojosa over ruled Governor Abbott’s executive order banning mask mandates. A handful of families across the district have argued against the mask mandate and per sources Dealey Montessori has accomodated these students by allowing them to participate in class in the library.

The students in question still go to lunch in the lunchroom and attend outdoor physical education class with their peers.

Given these accomodations, many parents are asking why a Dealey protest at all.

October 12, 2021October 13, 2021

Child Abuse Protest At Dealey Montessori

A “child abuse” protest at Dealey Montessori is planned for Thursday afternoon’s school dismissal by the same parents who attempted a classroom protest disrupting student learning in September over school mask mandates.

Dallas ISD officials have not yet commented on the campaign or what they are doing to protect children, but several parents have voiced concern that the school address is being shared on social media.

A counter protest is being planned against those who arrive attempting to disrupt dismissal.

Protest At Dealey Montessori

The protest is planned for 3:15PM on October 14, 2021, the day prior to the district’s Fair Day per the Dallas ISD calendar. The timing of the protest puts it on a collision course with the release of students at a historically busy time of day.

This is the same school where students were attacked by fireworks earlier this year. Dallas Police have yet to take a report on that incident.

Dallas ISD leadership, Dealey administration, and Site Based Decision Making committee members were previously asked about the classroom protests, but none responded.

October 8, 2021October 8, 2021

Limo Liberal Al Franken Does Dallas Mask Free

Limo Liberal Al Franken does Dallas mask free at the Majestic Theatre despite demanding proof of negative COVID19 test or vaccination card.

The Majestic which is celebrating one hundred years open did not comment about why they were not enforcing the mask mandate other than to lay blame on former Senator Franken who resigned his United States Senate seat over sexual harassment allegations.

City officials claimed they could not enforce county mandates and were not subject to them per Jason Evans of Dallas Fire Rescue.

Limo Liberal Al Franken Does Dallas Mask Free

Several participants noted that at least forty percent of the crowd was mask free and there were several people coughing enough that they “belonged” in an ICU for breathing trouble.

Prior to the show, several emails when out from Franken’s promotion team stating masks would be needed for entry along with vaccination cards or proof of negative test, but no checks occurred at the door.

It is unclear if Franken will offer refunds to those unable to attend the show due to the lack of follow through on maintaining a clean environment.

September 19, 2021September 19, 2021

Parents Pushing COVID19 Protests At Dealey Montessori

A group of parents are pushing COVID19 protests at Dealey Montessori Academy just weeks after its sister school in South Dallas had an explosion in cases at Harry Stone Montessori Academy.

Dallas Independent School District had told the state that they plan to enforce a mask mandate despite Governor Abbott’s executive order this summer.

One Dealey parent said they were not sure if this was “a parent committing child abuse by intentionally sending a child to school maskless” or if it was “domestic terroism intentionally spreading germs in a communal environment.”

The parent who did not want to be named went on, “The parents are clearly more interested in making a political statement than they are in being in an environment of mutual contributions, respect, and learning.”

COVID19 Protests

Four students in the upper elementary program have chosen to attend school without masks and have been accomodated in another classroom together. On Friday, September 17, the four decided to attempt to enter other classrooms disrupting the school’s day.

It is unclear if they were subject to any discipline, but Dallas ISD magnets frequently have stringent requirements and regularly disrupting class can be a reason to remove the child from a magnet program.

We will update this topic when more information becomes available or DISD representatives return inquires.

September 13, 2021September 16, 2021

Cash For Vaccinations

Dallas Independent School District is offering cash for vaccinations to students and staff who get the COVID19 vaccination.

DISD is believed to be the first district in Texas to offer students ages 12 and up cash incentives for voluntarily getting vaccinated. The district said they will give fully vaccinated students a $50 gift card that can be used the same as cash.

Teachers are eligible for a larger incentive of $500.

As of September 13, Dallas Independent School District reported 1,546 confirmed cases of COVID19 among students and 650 additional cases in staff.

The district is enforcing a mask mandate despite being forbidden by the governor and his executive order banning such mitigation efforts.

Dallas schools have more than 140,000 students and an infection rate of just over one percent.

Other large districts like Arlington and Frisco have less than half the student population of the Dallas ISD and are reporting hundreds of more infections among students leading to higher infection rates – both Arlington and Frisco are three times as much as Dallas. Neither Arlington or Frisco has a mask mandate.

Cash For Vaccinations Details

The announcement of the student vaccination incentive comes as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Dallas County Health officials have raised the COVID19 alert to level red and reported that hospitalizations are rising at the fastest rate since the pandemic began, among all age groups, including children.

Participation in the student vaccination incentive is entirely voluntary and based on the personal preferences of students and their families. The information provided will help the district determine how many students who are eligible have been fully vaccinated and facilitate the contact tracing and quarantine processes, which are different depending on vaccination status.

More information can be found here.

September 4, 2021September 5, 2021

Shocking Harry Stone COVID19 Numbers

There are shocking Harry Stone COVID19 numbers, but only if you did not read our reporting last week.

The numbers mirror our previous reporting and confirm what is now five parents’ complaints that the school does not do enough to keep surfaces clean or enforce mask requirements – particularly on younger children.

Not Really Shocking Harry Stone COVID19 Numbers

As we previously reported, COVID19 cases jumped by a factor of almost ten overnight after we reported on data we were able to collect from paents and sources in both Dallas Independent School District and the Dallas County Health Department.

It remains unclear why school officials chose to try to hide hard data on the pandemic within the school walls, but this continues previous behavior of hiding information about the assault of a teacher by a student and improper cash handling of student account fees.

August 31, 2021August 31, 2021

COVID19 Coverup At Harry Stone

It appears a COVID19 coverup at Harry Stone is not new, but ongoing. This follows our reporting earlier this summer about a teacher assaulted by a student and questions about financial misuse of student activity money at the Dallas Independent School District southern Montessori campus.

The Dallas ISD dashboard currently shows two staff cases of COVID19 at Harry Stone, but in written conversations with six school parents there are allegations the number may be as high as twenty-two with seventeen student cases.

In one instance a parent reports the school nurse asked the parent not to submit positive COVID19 case history so that the district dashboard would not reflect the case.

The parent said in a written email, “She told me just to let [the student] do course work online and the student would be fine. I pressed the issue because the student was lethargic and didn’t want the student to work while sick and also didn’t want the student to be counted absent. They didn’t want to have to document a case and I wonder how many parents they did that too.”

Another parent indicates their child was diagnosed COVID19 positive, but does not have any possibility of community transmission. They only go to and from Harry Stone and do not otherwise go out.

Four separate parents have stated in similar stories that personnel at Harry Stone Montessori Academy privately confirming multiple students and staff members testing positive, but that they are not sharing the information with parents. It is not clear if they are sharing the information with Dallas ISD administrators either.

COVID19 Coverup At Harry Stone Continues Bad History

Earlier this summer we reported on a large percentage of teachers leaving Dallas ISD’s South Dallas Montessori campus. That resulted in dozens of calls and emails that show teachers are leaving due to campus assaults by students of staff members.

Two Zoom meetings were held by Trustee Maxie Johnson who stated he thinks parents are racist for bringing up assaults against teachers. We have reached out to Mr. Johnson for comment repeatedly without success.

August 10, 2021August 10, 2021

Governor Abbott’s COVID19 Retreat?

Has Governor Greg Abbott’s COVID19 retreat finally come?

Per a release yesterday it appears so though his spokesperson won’t admit it.

Abbott who last week denied Dallas area hospital’s request for emergency staff is now asking other states for both staff and supplies as COVID19 is hitting Texas hard.

Texas is actively seeking out-of-state health care personnel to help with the latest COVID19 surge. Abbott has also asked hospitals to voluntarily postpone elective medical procedures.

One physician in a Facebook post openly spoke about triaging pediatric trauma victims because of a lack of bedspace and not being able to accept patient transfers because local pediatric facilities are being used by adults.

COVID19 Retreat

While Abbott is asking other states for assistance in fighting coronavirus his leadership at Texas Education Agency is still balking on mask requirements. Austin ISD and Dallas ISD have both announced they are moving forward with mask requiements anyway.

August 9, 2021August 9, 2021

BREAKING: Dallas ISD Says Masks Back On

Dallas ISD just sent an email to parents saying masks back on as of August 10, 2021 confirming our story that Superintendent Michael Hinojosa may defy Governor Abbott and the Texas Education Agency on mask requirements.

“Masks Back On” Statement

The full statement from Dallas ISD:

Due to CDC recommendations and the red level alert issued by Dallas County based on the rise of hospitalizations among all age groups, including children, Dallas ISD will temporarily require all staff, students and visitors to wear masks while on district schools and other facilities effective Tuesday, Aug. 10. Dallas ISD is committed to maintaining the safety and well-being of students and staff and will continue to provide masks and other protective equipment to schools, conduct contact tracing and sanitize facilities regularly. If you have any questions about this requirement, please contact your child’s school directly. To look at other safety COVID measures implemented by the district, please visit www.dallasisd.org/covidsafety.

August 7, 2021August 7, 2021

Hinojosa May Defy TEA

Dallas ISD‘s Superintendent Michael Hinojosa May Defy TEA on virtual learning.

Classes have resume in several local ISDs including five campuses on an alternative Dallas ISD Calendar to make up for learning losses, but students are not showing up.

“We only got half the kids at our five schools from our projected enrollment, that’s telling me people aren’t coming back,” Hinojosa told local news.

“Next Monday we’ll have 41 more cases. By next Wednesday I’ll know a whole lot more on how serious we’ll have to be on standing up that virtual program.”

“The way this disease appears to be affecting children, people are just concerned about sending their kids to school,” Frisco ISD Superintendent Mike Waldrip said this past Thursday.

The COVID19 Delta Variant has caused a four fold increase in hospitalizations as Governor Abbott denies emergency staffing resources to Dallas area hospitals and the TEA doubles down on its mask policy.

Hinojosa May Defy TEA

Frisco ISD announced it would offer a virtual option and Austin ISD came out with a strongly worded tweet editing TEA’s guidance.

Hinojosa and the leaders of other school districts are trying to figure out how to pay for virtual programs since the TEA has said it won’t give districts money for virtual programs.

A Back To School registration event is scheduled at the Townview Magnet Complex this morning.