On Thursday, Dallas ISD announced its schools will reopen Friday, but with a two-hour delay. This decision came despite weather reports saying melting ice would refreeze overnight.
Arlington ISD, Duncanville ISD, Fort Worth ISD, Irving ISD, and Mansfield ISD all chose to cancel school. So did Dallas ISD, but not until this morning. This left frustrated parents looking for last minute child care options.
Decision Points: Opened Or Closed
Chief of Operations David Bates told local media they inspected its 250 school campuses. These inspections were both internal and external at both schools and other district buildings and drove the decision on schools bring opened or closed.
Bates said, “We have some minor pipes that have ruptured. A lot of them have been outside the buildings or on top of the building that we’re able to mitigate right now. Nothing major.”
The February freeze which has continued as the month begins saw several accidents this morning and a working house fire in northeast Dallas.
Who protects the children is being asked by Dallas Independent School parents. Parents at two schools – Geneva Heights and Lipscomb Elemenatry – are angry.
Dallas Police Department officials have had limited comment so far. The issue comes after accusations of sexual contact with students by a teacher. Some of the student victims identified are as young as four.
The schools in question are Geneva Heights Elementary and Lipscomb Elementary.
At those schools parents report their children stating a teacher made sexual contact.
More than one student told both Dallas ISD and Dallas Police they were touched sexually by a teacher.
These accounts started in early November. As early as November 2, Dr. Sandoval received a report from parents about the teacher.
Parents were not informed until November 18 at Geneva Heights. Parents did not learn about the incidents until November 28 at Lipscomb.
Parent town halls organized for for daytime hours still had a “very big group” at Geneva Heights. Present at that meeting with City Council Member Adam Bazaldua.
There were roughly fifty parents at Lipscomb at their Friday afternoon session. Many sid there were “lots of confused parents” since Dallas ISD was not telling them anything.
The Teacher
The man who teaches at both schools accused of grooming children as young as four may return soon. School officials would not deny that he could be back on campus at the conclusion of the inquiry.
Three parents say the teacher in question is Daniel Rosendahl. Rosendahl has been in Dallas ISD for at least two years and appears to have taught in Lewisville ISD before that. He did not respond when we reached him via cellular.
Dallas ISD officials would not respond to request for comment in administration. Additionally, neither principal, Ms. Lane or Dr. Sandoval, would respond.
Rosendahl’s certification lists him as a 6 – 12th grade Spanish teacher. It raises the question why was he at any elementary school.
The lack of charges has led to one family removing their child from campus already.
Additionally, Dallas ISD knew of accusations against Rosendahl for weeks before acting. As usual they waited until parents started working together corroborating one another’s accounts.
The grooming reported by parents includes providing gifts to “favorite” children. Confirmation of this account came from a school employee.
In one case a student asked Rosendahl why he started teaching at Lipscomb Elementary. She had been a student at Geneva Heights before.
His answer was that he “loved her so much.” In this case he was referring to a young elementary school aged student.
Parents say he also gave nicknames to certain students as a secret code for their “friendship.”
One exasperated parent said “no one will give us justice.” This parent went on to say this is why people take the law into their own hands.
One exasperated parent said “no one will give us justice.”
Another described the situation like the Uvalde school shooting. “The police and district are protecting themselves, not the children.”
Asking Again: Who Protects The Children?
Dallas ISD has had this problem before.
In 2012, a student was sexually assaulted on campus at Harry Stone Montessori in South Dallas. At the time, Board of Trustees Chairman Lew Blackburn swept the issue under the rug. He was able to so with the help of then DISD Police Chief Craig Miller.
Since then there have been credible accusations against a soccer coach also. He worked for North Dallas High School and also was able to escape without charges. His case too had many accusers.
As so often happens when criminals are not prosecuted they repeat their behavior. It begs the question who protects the children?
Dallas Police Non-Response
Dallas Police has been under fire for over a year for slow response times. DPD has chosen to focus on their hot areas, btu crime across Dallas is soaring.
Dallas Independent School District also spends tax dollars on its own police force. Theyy did not pursue this case at all and deferred to Dallas Police.
In 2020, Dallas Police botched the investigation into reported serial killer Jeremy Harris. Denton Police did later arrest Harris. He was then extraditewd to Collin County for charges there.
Maxie Johnson goes back to school and carries on a live broadcast without student permission. This is not the first time the Dallas Independent School District Trustee took to the air for self promotion.
Dallas ISD’s website says “Media should refrain from contacting Dallas ISD students, teachers or staff without FIRST receiving approval from our media team, and is asked not visit campuses prior to receiving approval.”
Dallas ISD Strategic Communication was contacted five times for comment about Johnson’s broadcast and policy rules surrounding it.
The new superintendent, Stephanie Elizalde, could not be reached for comment. Johnson did attend her first public meeting in June 2022 with the Next Generation Action Network (NGAN).
NGAN’s “CEO minister” Dominique Alexander has previously been convicted of felony assault against a child. It is unclear his relationship with the Dallas schools, but Johnson has similar problems.
It makes his lack of attention to safety details important for some parents.
Maxie Johnson Goes Back To School
While Johnson is the elected representative for his district it is also unclear how tightly school officlas monitor his behavior.
Johnson’s son was killed in 2019 and his daughter was arrested for Capital Murder.
Johnson’s son was shot in August 2019 per police and media reports at the time.
Christopher Whitfield Johnson graduated from South Oak Cliff High School in 2015.
He was 21 years old when he died in east Oak Cliff.
Police found his body lying in the middle of the street in the 3600 block of Utah Avenue at about 1:30AM. He had been shot in the chest.
Police sources state Johnson attempted to rob another person who exercised lethal force to protect himself.
Teilor Johnson, then 19, is the daughter of Dallas ISD trustee Maxie Johnson, is charged with capital murder in the death of Quincy Wyatt.
LaKevain Grant was also arrested. Affidavits say that in exchange for $600 Grant and Johnson lured Wyatt to a location where he was kidnapped.
Wyatt’s body was later found with gunshot wound and burned.
Among changes expected this year, students in grades six and up, are required to have clear backpacks. This is after the tragic response to the Uvalde school shooting last May.
National experts have called the move security theater and it appears to have drawn widespread criticism for first year Dallas Superintendent Stephanie Elizalde.
Back To School 2022 Calendar
The base Dallas ISD calendar is below.
Superintendent Elizalde’s first public meeting was with the Next Generation Action Network. That calendar decision draws questions about her work with Dominique Alexander.
USA Today shoots down security theater Dallas ISD is applying to the new school year.
In a Wednesday article, USA Today quoted security experts saying this was “theater.” They went on to say that this “funnels resources away from more effective approaches.” Dallas ISD did not respond to requests for comment.
USA Today Shoots Down Security Theater After DISD Decision
From the article: “It comes across as a knee-jerk reaction to make people feel as though something is being done,” said Jaclyn Schildkraut, associate professor of criminal justice at the State University of New York at Oswego. “But it’s really not going to do what people think it’s going to do, and it’s sending the wrong message.”
DISD says it will distribute free clear backpacks to students before the school year. DISD says the decision came from recommendations from an internal safety task force.
“Clear bookbags are a well intended but relatively ineffective measure,” said Michael Dorn. Dorn is a former police officer and Executive Director of Safe Haven International.
The group is the world’s largest K-12 school safety center. The group produced the video below showing the ease of moving weapons into a school.
Marjory Stoneman Douglas schools trialed a clear backpack policy. They abandoned the policy shortly. It became clear to school administrators that contraband was still coming into schools.
Parents at several high schools told Other Side Dallas that metal detectors are not used. The devices are time limiting and staff does not focus on them.
“They are a physical deterence, but only when they are actually used,” one parent said.
DISD Mandates Clear Backpacks – Unclear Reason
Dallas ISD has not released the results of its parent survey on clear backpacks. They did say they will issue a single backpack to students.
If it becomes damaged or otherwise unusable the student will supply a replacement. It is unclear how many students this will effect given district socioeconomic challenges.
It is not clear how this poplicy will stop incidents like last year’s.
The Next Generation Activist Network – or NGAN – for short hosted the event which was the first welcome reception for newly appointed superintendent Dr. Stephanie Elizalde.
The Next Generation Action Network (NGAN) self describes as one of North Texas’s largest social justice organizations, with several chapters nationwide. With a mission of lobbying for social change and equality for all regardless of race, religion, nationality, gender, sex, or age, the Next Generation Action Network focuses on legal advocacy and education. Daily NGAN bridges and fills individual and community needs as a catalyst for impactful change.
They claim to focus on education, but in the host committee graphic above it is clear they do not do their own editing. One person is listed twice and a member of the Dallas ISD Board of Trustees had his name misspelled.
Early Super Mistake? NGAN Hosts Stephanie Elizalde
A giant question is was this a good move for Stephanie Elizalde.
It is unclear why Elizalde feels NGAN serves the needs of minority students whose test scores reveal abysmal results by her predecessor’s administration.
NGAN’s focal point – the “CEO Minister” Dominique Alexander – is alleged to be in a relationship with former Dallas Police Chief U. Reneé Hall.
Once this allegation was public, confirmed by four separate police and civilian sources at Dallas Police, Hall left office within twenty-four hours.
Additionally, Alexander was convicted of shaking a 2-year-old baby in 2011. He was sentenced to five years but released on probation shortly after his sentencing. Alexander has also been convicted of theft, making a false police report and evading arrest. He’s also been indicted in Denton County for felony theft.
The threat came one day after a student was arrested at Berkner High School in possession of long rifles.
the threat came just two days after nineteen students were murdered in Uvalde, Texas along with two teachers.
Pinkston Threat
Reports indicate the student was detained, but is not being arrested.
The Dallas Independent School District has made suspensions and expulsions harder to “keep kids in the classroom,” but this is another incident involving a potential firearm on campus.
Dallas ISD dead end is becoming more than amoniker thrown at students in the city ISD, but is statistically becoming more true.
Dallas ISD high school graduates immediately seeking secondary education has declined.
This comes despites millions being poured into postsecondary options, testing, and preparation. These results also come with a superintendent who consistenty begs for more money.
New Superintendent Elizalde has been quick to request new dollars for expensive plans that never work.
Most school systems suffered some learning loss after COVID19, but Dallas ISD seemed to excel in this area.
Dallas ISD Dead End Predictable?
The response from Board of Trustees members immediately after the coronavirus pandemic was to lower standards.
In January 2021, a learning loss town hall occurred with these exact results predicted, but Dallas ISD glossed over the issues.
Overall DISD graduates who enrolled into college immediately after high school slid from 58% to 46%.
Brian Lusk complained about “summer melt” when students chose other paths, but had no answers other than more advisors and more money, not more teachers.
In a shock to the local political ecosystem, Camille White wins in Dallas Independent School District‘s District 4 Board of Trustee election beating education reform movement darling Karla Garcia.
The Dallas Morning News endorsed Garcia in her previous election despite issues with her filing affidavit that appeared at the time to be potentially criminal.
One issue that may have motivated turnout for Camille White was the recent report of moldy and spoilt food being served by Dallas ISD kitchens to children in low income areas.
Camille White Wins – The Data
In another low turnout local election with less than 1000 votes cast, White won 51.65% of the vote beating Garcia by 2.5 points.
The lack of intensity in the race may be a precursor of things to come in 2023 city council races.
