One problem: at least one teacher was missing from their specials classroom when the drill began. The second problem is was a second teacher not supervising students.
The result? Twenty elementary age students chose how to respond to an active shooter on their own.
Multiple witnesses state some students chose to run across the hall to another teacher. Others state students left in a state of panic and fear.
One parent said they raised the issue with former Assistant Principal Jennifer Schneider who ignored them. She has since left the district for Garland ISD.
The other teachers immediately sought employment outside campus. The first was assigned to another Dallas ISD campus. The second left for Northwest ISD.
Dallas ISD refuses to release the after action reports on the event.
What is clear according to information developed from witness statements is a lack of supervision and training.
Defenseless Dealey Surrenders Safety Again
In December 2021, white protestors were allowed to bring firearms on campus during a mask mandate protest. This happened with a salon “culture officer” asking what is a better weapon – the M16 or the AK47 – for defense.
These issues also arise in an environment where persons of Jewish faith are being targeted. Historically, Dealey has been located in an area with high Jewish population and residential concentration. The situation in the Middle East led to Friday the 13th attack warnings.
Statements from teachers say this follows the rushed announcement of Amber Garrett as principal.
It also follows what was the departure of one student who wanted to be TAG, but wasn’t qualified by testing. That student returned after being unsuccessful on another campus.
TAG Campuses Quiet
Neither Sudie Williams TAG, nor Travis TAG, representatives would respond to emails asking for comment.
PTA Presidents and Site Based Decision Making chairs were requested to comment about Dealey becoming a competing campus. Crickets was the response.
Annually, Dallas magnet schools complete against one another for the best and brightest students.
Sudie Williams SBDM Chair Lorin McGuire referred us to Dallas ISD coordinator of Strategic Communications.
Their office has previously refused to comment to us on multiple issues.
Dealey TAG – or Talented and Gifted – is being fast tracked by fast tracked principal Amber Garrett as payback for her position.
Garrett got her position in less than two weeks of interviews in what teachers are calling the fastest DISD promotion ever.
Garrett announced the meeting that was held only hours later.
Dallas Independent School District took six months to replace Beth Wing – the previous principal. Similarly, they used nearly a full academic year at Sudie Williams TAG to replace Michael Jackson.
The payback is going to Dealey PTA president April Labossiere Ogboenyiya and SBDM Chair Bridgett Neely. The two pushed for the marketing change last summer. New Principal Ibarra had an application period of fully qualified applicants meaning the marketing change was unnecessary.
Dealey TAG Surrendering Montessori
The TAG idea was to increase campus marketing without fixing underlying problems on the campus.
The Dealey school does have talented and gifted services throughout the campus including two teachers handling that curriculum currently.
One parent said, “the Dealey PTA is a consistent problem for the school.” He continued, “Under Beth Wing they were close with Lauren Davis who caused the masking protests. Now they want to pick a principal.”
Sarah Weinberg has not responded to numerous requests for comment. She also sends out emails to less than half the school population.
Another parent described Weinberg’s early board service as “Dustin Marshall in pants.”
Weinberg goes out of her way to avoid controversy with her boss Stephanie Elizalde, said another parent. She is easily led by the leash and does what they tell her.
“This was a set up,” said one teacher, “Dallas ISD can’t turn on winter heat until March.”
“Everyone knows that this course of action was decided before they removed Ibarra,” said a second teacher. She continued “They wanted her out so they made up a reason.”
Garrett served as an Assistant Principal at Barack Obama Male Leadership Academy and instructional coach. She has not served as a principal on any campus to date and is not Montessori trained.
Nancy Bernardino who led the process has not responded to calls for comment about her leadership.
Internal documents though show she was deeply involved with the decision to oust Ibarra.
Preferential Prechosen Principal Process
The new principal selection announcement was supposed to take place this week, but was announced Tuesday last week. That was the same day Superintendent Elizalde was reported to be interviewing candidates.
At the same time, Other Side Dallas has learned of multiple grievances started by a former staff member all closed without cause. Bernardino though re-opened them per a source in Human Capital Management.
Official Dallas ISD will not respond to repeated inquiries and DISD Office of Transformation is silent.
Sarah Weinberg stiffs Dealey parents – at least half of them – of information about bond improvements. These reportedly affect the north Dallas ISD Montessori campus.
There have been a number of issues with Dealey for years, but it is unusual for Weinberg to speak about a local matter in an email.
Earlier she emailed one parent saying board members do not handle local decisions such as the hiring and firing of principals.
Sarah Weinberg Stiffs Dealey After Principal Removal
Dallas ISD officials recently reassigned Principal Christina Ibarra with a half baked announcement. That announcement also went out to only half the parent population.
We will note that when a gun came onto another Dallas ISD campus that principal was not removed or reassigned.
Zenaida Martinez is still working as principal at Chapel Hill Prep despite a significant incident that went widely underreported. Additionally, the principal at Kimball High School is still in place after a video became public of a staff member beating a student.
Shortly thereafter Ibarra released what was referred to as a hostage letter.
Dallas football officials silent since the Friday night incident that has earned media attention from Sports Illustrated and other media organizations.
DFOA claims to be “one of the largest and premier chapters of football officials in Texas and the United States.”
They state they have approximately 700 members who officiate football not only in the Dallas & Ft. Worth surrounding areas but also throughout the State of Texas.
Official rips player helmet in an incident in Seagoville last night between Whitney High and Madison High of Dallas.
The post on X, formerly known as Twitter, is going viral as she asks “how is this allowed from a ref!!!!!!!”
The incident is viral after the player’s mom recorded the event from the stands at Seagoville Stadium in Dallas.
The video shows her son drop into pass coverage as Madison’s quarterback scrambles out of the pocket.
The player pursued on the backside and bumped into the umpire in the middle of the field. After the collision, the official ripped off the player’s helmet and threw a penalty flag on the defender.
The official then ejected the player. There is no word on charges for the official.
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.
Dealey divided again after the reassignment of Cristina Ibarra from the campus. The school is now seeking a sixth principal in four years.
Other Side Dallas has reached out to Cristina Ibarra, but she has not responded to multiple requests for comment.
On Tuesday. a letter was posted by Dr. Nancy Bernardino, who is leading the process to find her replacement. This is reportedly from Ibarra, but we have been unable to confirm.
One parent described it as a hostage letter.
The statement posted does not appear to match Principal Ibarra’s own tone or direction as late as Sunday, September 3.
Zenaida Martinez is still working as principal at Chapel Hill Prep despite a significant incident that went widely underreported. Additionally, the principal at Kimball High School is still in place after a video became public of a staff member beating a student.
https://youtube.com/shorts/-57MX3VWgLM
These issues call into question Dallas ISD’s commitment to due process and transparency.
Dealey Divided – Response Not
Other Side Dallas would like to thank the more than dozen parents and staff members that have contacted the website.
We heard from those for and against the reassignment of Cristina Ibarra and learned much more about the campus.
The parents and staff providing information paint a concerning picture of a campus in distress since Beverly Lusk was at the helm. Coincidentally, her husband, Brian Lusk, is the Executive Director over choice and magnet schools.
