Parents of children zoned for Lewisville ISD's Hedrick Elementary and Central Elementary schools have the option of having their children attend other schools within LISD this year, because of a federal law requiring it when a school fails to make "Adequate Yearly Progress" in a particular area for two consecutive years. Letters would have been mailed to parents this summer, explaining the attendance options and that the district must provide free transportation.
Lewisville ISD said Tuesday that there were 42 students who left Hedrick for other schools, and only 10 students who left Central Elementary for other schools.
Of the students who left Hedrick Elementary, these are the counts for where they went:
Of the students who left Central Elementary, these are the counts for where they went:
College Street : 3 Independence : 2 Lakeland : 2 Lewisville: 3
The issue came to light at Monday night's LISD Board of Trustees meeting, when Flower Mound resident Jason Hitt addressed the board during the citizens' forum. Hitt was upset because he had heard that children from Lewisville were being bussed to his children's school, Garden Ridge Elementary, in Flower Mound.
"Influx" from Lewisville Irritates at Least One Flower Mound Resident Hitt had emailed the Flower Mound Town Council on the matter stating his objection to the Lewisville students attending, based on the assertion that residents like him had spent "great sums" to move to Flower Mound for the exemplary schools.
From Hitt's email:
"… Yet here we stand, seeing anyone capable of mustering a months rent for a low end apartment in Lewisville can send their students to Flower Mound schools simply because of another city's failure to provide even minimal state mandated testing. If I wanted to send my child to a Lewisville school I would have been able to do some for pennies on the dollar, pay far less in taxes, and drive less to work. However I would never do such as most are little better than DISD schools. The result will be schools with an influx of students with school with proved lower grades/test scores, high drop-out rates, and other associated issues currently seen at those schools."
Hitt went on to urge the Council to contact the LISD superintendent, Dr. Steve Waddell to ask him to reverse the policy, which he called an "injustice".
But these Lewisville students from Hedrick are not the only Lewisville students attending the school. Garden Ridge Elementary, where the highest number of students transferred to, was already zoned for a mix of Flower Mound and Lewisville students, with about 1/3rd of the zone consisting of City of Lewisville territory. It is adjacent to the zone for Hedrick Elementary.
After the school board meeting Monday night, we spoke with Hitt, and were joined quickly by Lewisville ISD Board Member Brenda Latham, of Lewisville, who took exception to Hitt's assertions. Latham explained that the school district serves 13 cities, and that the district doesn't ever give guarantees that zones will not change, but that the district strives to ensure that every student gets the same opportunities.
Latham grilled Hitt, trying to get to the heart of his complaint, and find out just what it was that was bothering him about the prospect of Lewisville students attending a Flower Mound school. "Is it that they're not white?" she demanded. (Several schools in Lewisville are predominantly Hispanic, such as Hedrick and Central.) Hitt said that it wasn't about race, but that he had paid a lot of money to move to Flower Mound, where he pays more taxes than Lewisville residents. Latham explained that the tax rate is set by the school district, and that everyone paid the same rate. Hitt argued that the per-capita tax in Flower Mound is higher than Lewisville - because the property values are higher, and he wants his tax dollars to support the schools in his community.
At the time of that conversation, Latham had not been aware that any students were being bussed, and rejected Hitt's assertion that the kids were being bussed because the schools had failed their accountability ratings. LTJ was also not aware of the AYP problem, but we knew that the every school in the district had at least acceptable ratings. Latham and LTJ both told Hitt that we would look into the issue and try to get to the truth of the matter.
Flower Mound Councilman Bryan Webb, who is one of the council members to receive Hitt's letter said "This is not a time to build walls of division between communities in the school district." "LISD’s Leadership seeks to improve the education of all students and they have a plan to do it; that includes students at Bridlewood Elementary & Central Elementary, Durham Middle School & Hedrick Middle School, LHS as well as FMHS. Encourage your elected leaders in Austin and Washington to allow LISD the flexibility to implement their plan by allowing them increased local control," added Webb. Webb's two daughters went to Hedrick Middle School in Lewisville, and then graduated from Flower Mound High School after the family moved. Webb expressed confidence in the district and said his daughters did equally well in both schools getting roughly the same grades, and that the only thing that changed was the building they took classes in.
The Reason: "Adequate Yearly Progress" Under NCLB It turns out that there are several ways that schools can be forced to offer school choice: The most publicized way is when a school fails to achieve an acceptable rating for three years in a row; in that case parents can even transfer their children to another district, and the funding will follow that child to the new district, plus some. Another way is under the No Child Left Behind law, when a school is listed as "Persistently Dangerous". Neither of these were a problem for LISD, instead it was a ticking time bomb called "Adequate Yearly Progress".
Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) is a requirement that schools achieve an increase each year in the percentage of students who meet standards in a particular subject, the percentage of students who participate in the assessments, and the graduation or attendance rate, depending on school's grade levels.
Performance standards for 2012 were that 87% of students meet standards in reading, and 83% meet standards in math. But campuses that do not meet those targets can still meet AYP under a safe harbor provision that requires a 10% decrease in the proportion of students failing to meet the standard for a given subject and student group. So for instance, if 80% of students met standard in reading in one year, then 10% of the 20% that failed would mean that a 2 point increase in the passing rate is required, and the school would have to have 82% passing in the following year.
NCLB's goal of having all students meet proficiency in all subjects is a laudable, if unrealistic goal. States must have 100% passing standards by spring of 2014 - a goal that is very difficult, very expensive, and sets schools up for nearly certain failure. This also happens at a time when the Texas Legislature has cut funding from public schools, and implemented the new STAAR accountability system. Linda Bridges, president of the teacher group Texas AFT had this to say:
“... To the extent that this year’s AYP numbers say anything real about school performance, we also would note that a decline in performance as measured by AYP was baked into the current state budget. The budget bill for 2012-2013 slashed $5.4 billion from school funding, more than $500 a year per pupil, even as federal and state performance requirements continued to rise rapidly. The official performance targets written into the state budget projected that the percentage of campuses failing to meet AYP standards would drop from 66 percent in 2011 to 61 percent by 2013—thus deliberately aiming for what we have called ‘failure by design.’ ..."
Predictably, numbers of schools missing AYP have risen over the past nine years as standards continue to increase. Statewide, almost 48% of public and charter school campuses missed AYP, as did an astonishing 71.4% of all districts. Elementary schools accounted for about half of schools that missed targets . The vast majority of campuses missing AYP are missing it on the basis of performance in math or reading, and not on the other measures. Middle schools were more than twice as likely to fail AYP goals than they were to meet them. Statewide, 1,111 middle schools missed AYP, while only 496 met it. A little less than half of high schools missed AYP targets.
Title 1, Part A campuses that miss their AYP targets for two consecutive years are mandated to implement school improvement plans, which are rated in five stages of increasing severity, starting at Stage 1, and going up to Stage 5 for campuses with persistent problems. Both of the Lewisville campuses affected are in Stage 1. Title 1 campuses are those campuses recognized by the federal government as having a high proportion of economically disadvantaged students, and are eligible to receive extra funding in order to close the achievement gap.
Central Elementary The problem for Central Elementary was achievement in mathematics, where the AYP required 2 point changes in percentages of all students and Hispanic students passing math, and 3 point improvements in the subgroups for Limited English Proficiency (LEP) and Economically Disadvantaged (ED). On the whole, all students did about the same, with 76% passing for math, with a 1 point gain for ED students, and 1 point drop for LEP students. Interestingly, there was a 19 point gain in Special Education students passing, although only 5 points were needed for that sub-group. Central Elementary is 91% economically disadvantaged, and is predominately Hispanic.
Hedrick Elementary Hedrick Elementary did not meet AYP for reading, where 2 point improvements were required for all students, Hispanic, ED, and LEP students. As a whole, students there lost 1 point, passing reading standards at a rate of 80%. Hispanics and LEP students dropped 2 points to 81% and 77%, respectively. Other groups' numbers were not great enough to be statistically significant for purposes of AYP. Hedrick Elementary is 81% economically disadvantaged, and also predominately Hispanic.
The District as a Whole Has Problems Meeting AYP In addition to Central and Hedrick, Lewisville ISD as a whole also missed its AYP performance targets in Reading and Math, according to preliminary 2012 reports. In reading, the district missed its targets for Economically Disadvantaged, Special Ed., and LEP students. In math, the district missed its targets for African Americans, Special Ed. ,and LEP.
The following other Lewisville ISD campuses missed AYP, but are not required to go into a School Improvement Plan for 2012-13:
• LEWISVILLE H S MISSED AYP READING (PERFORMANCE) AND MATHEMATICS (PERFORMANCE) • THE COLONY H S MISSED AYP MATHEMATICS (PERFORMANCE) • LEARNING CTR MISSED AYP GRADUATION RATE • HEBRON H S MISSED AYP MATHEMATICS (PERFORMANCE) • HEDRICK MIDDLE SCHOOL MISSED AYP MATHEMATICS (PERFORMANCE) • LAKEVIEW MIDDLE MISSED AYP READING (PERFORMANCE) AND MATHEMATICS (PERFORMANCE) • DELAY MIDDLE MISSED AYP READING (PERFORMANCE) AND MATHEMATICS (PERFORMANCE) • HUFFINES MIDDLE SCHOOL MISSED AYP READING (PERFORMANCE) • MARSHALL DURHAM MIDDLE SCHOOL MISSED AYP READING (PARTICIPATION) • COLLEGE ST EL MISSED AYP READING (PERFORMANCE) AND MATHEMATICS (PERFORMANCE) • PETERS COLONY ELEMENTARY MISSED AYP READING (PERFORMANCE) • INDIAN CREEK EL MISSED AYP READING (PERFORMANCE) AND MATHEMATICS (PERFORMANCE) • B B OWEN EL MISSED AYP READING (PERFORMANCE) • PARKWAY EL MISSED AYP READING (PERFORMANCE) AND MATHEMATICS (PERFORMANCE) • MARJORY VICKERY ELEMENTARY MISSED AYP READING (PERFORMANCE) • ROCKBROOK EL MISSED AYP READING (PERFORMANCE) AND MATHEMATICS (PERFORMANCE) • COYOTE RIDGE EL MISSED AYP READING (PERFORMANCE) • LEWISVILLE EL MISSED AYP READING (PERFORMANCE) AND MATHEMATICS (PERFORMANCE)
Even though these schools failed to meet their AYP targets, they all met State of Texas accountability standards.
Our Take It's a good thing for government to have high standards when it comes to education and other things important to society. But simply mandating a standard doesn't mean it will happen. Those standards have to be reasonable. For instance, calling for incremental improvements in fuel economy for cars is a good thing, and having 100 mile-per-gallon cars would be great for all of our wallets. The problem is that such a standard wouldn't be reasonably achievable anytime soon. Neither is it reasonable to expect that 100% of kids will achieve standards in math and reading, or that 100% will graduate high school. Not by 2014, and probably not ever. It's totally reasonable that we provide 100% of kids with those opportunities, and that we bend over backwards to nurture and guide them so that they can all thrive in a future that they create. What we have little control over are the cultural factors that come into play, and that small percentage of students who are either mentally incapable or unwilling. You can lead the proverbial horse to water, but you can't make him drink.
NCLB may be well-intentioned, but ultimately it will result in our limited education dollars being increasingly taken up with diminishing returns on increasingly draconian measures that could ultimately do more harm than good. It will unnecessarily punish schools whose challenges lie more with the disadvantages facing the students they draw, than with the quality of the instruction they provide.
Bridges says "It is to be hoped that the folly of pinning a ‘failing’ label on many schools that may actually be making real progress will speed the long-pending overhaul of the No Child Left Behind Act.” We say it's a shame that it will come to that, before lawmakers will acknowledge that folly.
None of this is to say that we don't have work to do, or that we can't improve. We do, and we can. But we have to get better and more realistic about measuring the value of the instruction that we provide, and the level of improvement that we impart to the students we're given.
And as far as the "school choice" aspect of NCLB based on performance, we think Webb has it right:
"Moving a student from one LISD school to another will not have a significant impact on that child’s education unless something else changes as well— More resources, more involvement from parents, or more involvement from the community. Resources are scarce and may only become more so."
Update 10/10/2012: According to LISD Executive Director of Student Services, Tommy Ellington, out of 37 students that left Hedrick Elementary for schools outside of Lewisville, 24 of them were on the Free or Reduced Lunch Program, 13 were not. While the population at Hedrick Elementary was about 80% economically disadvantaged, the kids who transferred were only about 65%. While the data from one school for one year does not constitute empirical evidence, this does seem to support the theory that the school choice only seems to concentrate economically disadvantaged kids at those schools. That would be counter to the ostensible purpose of NCLB. LISD did not provide data on ethnicity or academic performance of those kids.
The comments are owned by the poster. We aren't responsible for their content.
Poster
Thread
Anonymous
Posted: 2012/9/13 2:28 Updated: 2012/9/13 8:30
Re: Lewisville Parents Take Advantage of School Choice, ...
He is complaining about 28 kids? Wow! Brenda had it right when she asked him was it because they were not white. 28 kids spread out between 2 Flower Mound schools shouldn't have even been noticed. I hope he realizes how he made himself look.
Re: Lewisville Parents Take Advantage of School Choice, ...
For what it's worth, I don't think Hitt knew the number of students who had transferred. He might also not have known that Lewisville kids already attended Garden Ridge.
At any rate, I don't think the parents of the kids there at Garden Ridge have anything to worry about for their kids. Chances are that the kids who transferred are those with more involved parents, and who are higher-performing.
Though we don't have any figures for this, if I had to venture a guess, I would say it's likely that a disproportionate number of the students transferring were non-Hispanic. This kind of thing enables a sort of reverse-integration of schools.
Re: Lewisville Parents Take Advantage of School Choice, ...
I agree that it's more likely to cause the students with parents who care more and therefore it's likely to make the higher testers to transfer to other schools - thereby lowering the average scores and making it even harder for the under performing school to make whatever testing level is mandated this week.
It also creates a dysfunctional incentive for parents who want to be able to transfer their kids to hope that the current school fails so as to allow transfers out. The whole idea that you're gonna fix a school's students' test scores on achievement tests by enabling transfers out and loss of funds is so short sighted, moralistic and impractical I can't look right at it.
I think it's way too easy to jump on the racial/ethnic issue and attribute his concerns to that. I think his fairly frank comments about his perception of the economic situation of Lewisville students makes it pretty clear he assumes these kids are poor apartment residents whose parents don't value education and thus having these kids transfer in will undermine his school's scores, and thereby lower property values. Even if some people who share this concern also have some racial/ethnic concerns, even if you removed those entirely, you'd still have a core, class-based concern.
As for the statement that LTJ wasn't aware of the AYP problems, note:
Re: Lewisville Parents Take Advantage of School Choice, ...
John, my memory sucks so bad these days that I don't doubt I may have read or posted something in the past about AYP, but I don't see anything at that link. I will say that Hitt's statements Monday night caught me totally off-guard.
Re: Lewisville Parents Take Advantage of School Choice, ...
Oh man, it would have helped if I had scrolled down. Tellin' ya, I've had the mental sharpness of a pot smoker lately - without having any of that kind of fun. I wonder how early Alzheimers can set in. Yeah, totally didn't digest them, or realize that this was a consequence. It's hitting home for me now though.
Poster
Thread
Anonymous
Posted: 2012/9/19 10:32 Updated: 2012/9/19 11:21
Re: Lewisville Parents Take Advantage of School Choice, ...
I wanted to remind you (just in case you forgot) that you are a Republican, and that you will be voting for Mitt Romney in the upcoming election.
Re: Lewisville Parents Take Advantage of School Choice, ...
No idea how this off-topic entry got in but I feel compelled to reply. I have voted Republican since the late sixties, but I wouldn't vote for Romney under any circumstances. The only time I've watched and listened to him and he seemed to be acting naturally was at his $50,000 per plate fundraiser in Boca Raton. I believe that was the real Romney, being genuine and sincere with his fellow 1 percenters.
It actually sent a chill up my spine. Where's H. Ross when we need him?
Re: Lewisville Parents Take Advantage of School Choice, ...
I am not taking a side in the debate over transfer of the students. An elected official should never scold a constituent. I was not at this meeting, but a thick skin and the ability to control your emotions are both desirable qualities in someone who serves the public and our children in any capacity. These qualities seem to be lacking in this case.
Re: Lewisville Parents Take Advantage of School Choice, ...
I wasn't at the meeting either, but I do know Brenda and have actually chatted with her since the meeting in question. She was nothing but professional with regard to her discussion with the gentleman from FM. She never anything negative and was not upset.
I do know that we have seen examples of board members walking out of meeting when the discussions weren't going their way. I found that very unprofessional and was an excellent example of someone not being able to control their emotions.
Poster
Thread
Anonymous
Posted: 2012/9/22 19:00 Updated: 2012/9/22 20:18
Re: Lewisville Parents Take Advantage of School Choice, ...
I am sure Brenda is a completely reliable source of information on this issue. Bwahahahahahahahahaha!
Re: Lewisville Parents Take Advantage of School Choice, ...
Since Brenda was there and she did talk to the gentleman from FM who had the issues and since this was witnessed by others I would say yes, I believe she is reliable. She has never lied to me in the 4 plus years I've known her.
It appears that you have an issue with Brenda- this is apparent by your middle schooler rant at the end of your post. Why don't you give her a call and discuss whatever is bothering you? She is open to discussions - not like our previous - and some current - LISD Board Members.
Poster
Thread
Anonymous
Posted: 2012/9/24 17:12 Updated: 2012/9/24 17:57
Re: Lewisville Parents Take Advantage of School Choice, ...
Thanks for the offer but no thanks Brenda.
Poster
Thread
Anonymous
Posted: 2012/9/24 18:22 Updated: 2012/9/24 19:57
Re: Lewisville Parents Take Advantage of School Choice, ...
Re: Lewisville Parents Take Advantage of School Choice, ...
I see your point, and I'll admit there has been too much bully pulpiting (to misuse a neologism) on both sides in the past, but I really would like to see some elected officials show some guts now and again when it comes to constituents.
For example, in the last year or so, I've been to numerous "town hall" meetings held by Rep. Michael Burgess. He's a fairly reasonable guy, but when he's surrounded by some people at these meetings, it's embarrassing. People read off conspiracy theory emails about how the president is flying "the communist flag" at the White House or implanting chips in us or wasn't born in this country, ad nauseam, and Rep. Burgess nods his head, gives a rote answer as if these things are legitimate concerns, and moves on. Even he should be able to admit this has made him look ridiculous at times, such as last year when he foolishly agreed that we should impeach the president to "tie things up". I don't think Rep. Burgess really wants to impeach the president, but I do know he should be able to take on someone like that and say "what you're saying is preposterous, and it doesn't help our country one bit."
There are extremes on either side (Barney Frank comes to mind), but I'd like to see a happy medium of sorts. If someone comes up and complains about how those Lewisville people are going to come to "our" Flower Mound schools, it's not someone whom I would feel any need to reserve myself with. -BC
Re: Lewisville Parents Take Advantage of School Choice, ...
Very nicely written Brandon
Poster
Thread
Anonymous
Posted: 2012/9/25 0:27 Updated: 2012/9/25 0:31
Re: Lewisville Parents Take Advantage of School Choice, ...
Obviously, you missed the meeting where your most seniored board member walked out of a middle of the meeting in a tyrant fit of rage. You obviously live in Flower Mound and also probably feel the same way as Hitt. Shame on you if you do and Karma is a bitch.
Poster
Thread
Anonymous
Posted: 2012/9/25 13:18 Updated: 2012/9/25 13:49
Re: Lewisville Parents Take Advantage of School Choice, ...
Actually I do not live in Flower Mopund and the mtg you refer to when Carol Kyer left in a fit is an example of poor board behavior as well. Talking down to a citizen is poor board behavior and leaving in a fit is poor board behavior. I think everyone can agree on that.
Poster
Thread
Anonymous
Posted: 2012/9/25 17:40 Updated: 2012/9/25 18:19
Re: Lewisville Parents Take Advantage of School Choice, ...
I honestly do not feel that Brenda was talking down to Hitt. She just simply asked a question that many Flower Mound residents try to avoid....their reasons for not wanting Lewisville students attending LISD schools in Flower Mound. Jason Hitt was bold enough to say what the majority of Flower Mound parents have been wanting to say. Here's a little secret....Lewisville students do not want to attend the LISD schools in Flower Mound neither.
Re: Lewisville Parents Take Advantage of School Choice, ...
Please don't mistake low income parents as not caring about their children's education. They are probably both working full-time and are unable to help at the school. I think many forget how lucky they are to volunteer and help out at their kids schools. I would so like to see parents complaining that ANY school is having problems in our district. Not just the one that is affecting their child. All of our children deserve the respect of the adults of our community.
Re: Lewisville Parents Take Advantage of School Choice, ...
Good point. We generalize that they are often less involved, but that certainly doesn't mean they care less, or that there are not exceptions.
Poster
Thread
Anonymous
Posted: 2012/9/16 11:59 Updated: 2012/9/16 12:11
Re: Lewisville Parents Take Advantage of School Choice, ...
I think it is sad that Latham didn't know students are being bused. This board member is out of touch. For a board member, it would appear that she should be able to control her anger and listen to citizen's complaints in a professional manner. Her attacking the taxpayer is not good, but then she attacks staff the same. LISD is a good district and has to pay the price of NCLB, a law with good intentions, but with a target that is impossible to reach. Everything in education now is centered around a test, which is ridiculous. There has to be more accountablity than just a test. LISD board is in trouble and it is sending our district down the tubes. I would recommend everybody look at the candidates records and see if the candidate is representing LISD or their own little part of LISD. Latham is only for LHS zone and not the rest -- she is full of anger and has caused great harm to our district. For example - why did LISD hire an outside agency (Texas Association of School Board Association) to determine wages of LISD employees. If the district has financial woes, then why hire an outside agency that doesn't know the dynamics of our district. Taxpayers, wake up.
Re: Lewisville Parents Take Advantage of School Choice, ...
Whoa, there, hold off firing rounds just for a minute now, Yosemite Sam. Firstly, Brenda Latham and I have had a disagreement or two, but the way you're characterizing her is simply beyond anything I've ever seen or heard from her. "Anger"? "Attacking"? That's simply not her style, regardless of where you think she stands on the issues.
Re: Lewisville Parents Take Advantage of School Choice, ...
That "new pay structure" gave teachers about a $8/day gross raise, which comes out to less than $1/hr since teachers work on average 9 hrs a day (at least). The official times are 8 hours, but they are required to be at school early and late to provide tutoring sessions. The net is much less due to taxes, not to mention the fact that their insurance costs were raised as well.
Poster
Thread
Anonymous
Posted: 2012/9/16 19:09 Updated: 2012/9/16 19:36
Re: Lewisville Parents Take Advantage of School Choice, ...
You're off base about Latham. I teach in the district and Brenda Latham is one of the few board members who is really willing to listen to teachers. She knows that teachers who care about their students probably know a heck of a lot more how to help our children than the administrators. Name an example where she unfairly favored the LHS zone! What harm has she caused to our district?
Re: Lewisville Parents Take Advantage of School Choice, ...
RE: "Latham is only for LHS zone and not the rest -- she is full of anger and has caused great harm to our district" - name the incident(s) you are referencing??
I know Brenda well and she is far beyond 'full of anger' and "causing great harm to our district" is a comment that is beyond ridiculous. All is she doing is what our board should have been doing all along....looking out for ALL of the students of the LISD. You should be proud of the strides the board is making instead of making outlandish accusations, with no data to back them up.
Re: Lewisville Parents Take Advantage of School Choice, ...
I'm going to disagree with you on a few things here.
Board members may or may not have been notified that students in a couple of schools had school choice. As something required by federal law, there would have been no reason to take it to the board for any approval. Board members are better than the general public about knowing what's going on in the various schools, and where their attendance boundaries are, but I don't think they're expected to memorize them.
Latham was visibly agitated by the comments, but was the only board member to approach Hitt and directly address his concerns. In years past, board members would sit in stony silence, never using their legal ability to answer questions of fact and state policy when comments like this were brought up. Brenda took the initiative to try to get to the bottom of the complaint, even though you could tell she thought it was erroneous. She offered to get back in touch with the complainant, but as far as I could see, he didn't give contact info for her to do so. So she gave him her personal cell phone number.
Did Latham "attack" the taxpayer? Well, she definitely took exception to his characterization of the kids from the Lewisville schools. And she was somewhere between aggressive and assertive in trying to get to the bottom of it. I think "attack" is in the eye of the beholder here.
The board prior to Latham vastly over-represented tiny Highland Village, which had 3 board members. There was a meeting I remember where the board heard pleas from multiple parents in the Lewisville zone, where the district was about to draw some arbitrary and very inconvenient zones for elementary schools. The board sat stoned-faced and after those impassioned pleas from parents, and voted to screw those parents, offering no accommodations. In the same meeting, when a difficult rezoning was proposed that would affect Highland Village kids, the 3 Highland Village members proposed some compassionate alternatives, allowing kids currently at the school to stay where they are if they want. What the board needed wasn't to screw everyone equally, but rather to offer each zone the same compassion. Brenda Latham came in when that was needed for the Lewisville zone. Compassion is not a zero-sum game that requires screwing one to help the other. I've not seen Latham do anything that I can remember that would deny kids from any other zone, in favor of a Lewisville zone.
Whether she is full of anger or not, I'm not able to judge, but I will say that some anger was well-justified, based on how the Lewisville zone was treated in the past.
Also, like one other commenter mentioned, TASB doesn't determine salaries. That's a decision of the board to take that local policy. The administration sets those salaries with board oversight, based on that policy. There is 100% local control there, subject to state law.
Re: Lewisville Parents Take Advantage of School Choice, ...
Very nice Steve!!!!!!
Poster
Thread
Anonymous
Posted: 2012/9/19 15:08 Updated: 2012/9/19 15:38
Re: Lewisville Parents Take Advantage of School Choice, ...
To me it sounds like an attack. Shes there to serve the voters, not insinuate that someones racist because thier concerned over thier childrens schooling. Also agree with a previous comment that she should have known about the busing instead of denying it without knowing. Its not the job of the voter to know whats happening to the district THEN prove it to the board members.
Its only a handful of kids now but as YPT fails how many more will be allowed from Lewisville to come to better school simply because the district chooses to take federal money in what they admit is a game they can't win.
Re: Lewisville Parents Take Advantage of School Choice, ...
"Its only a handful of kids now but as YPT fails how many more will be allowed from Lewisville to come to better school...." This statement is just another classic example of 'them versus us". How sad since we are all LISD.
You would think that people would want all the kids in THEIR community, which is LISD, to succeed. It's not the schools that are the issue. It's a handful of kids who want THEIR education, but are struggling. So instead of mudslinging with the 'them versus us' mentality why can't we as a community band together to help resolve the issues instead of doing what has been done in the past which is just looking out for our little neighborhood.
I'm proud of Brenda. She has stepped up and given Lewisville a voice within LISD - something that was sorely lacking in the past. She is there - serving not just all "the voters". She is serving everyone - including you.
Re: Lewisville Parents Take Advantage of School Choice, ...
I ran across this thread after several people told me about it - knowing several people who work for the district, things have changed. LISD hired TASB to set salaries - cutting the cap on experienced people - anyway to make a long story short, there is an appeal to salaries taking place in LISD right now. I have viewed some of the messages received and the emails state "Once we receive the information from TASB, you will receive an official letter from the district indicating whether or not your appeal was accepted or denied. It will also have an explanation included with the basis for the decision from TASB." So it is not the district making salary decisions - it is the TASB making this decision and the board rubber stamping. But, this is also the way of Texas - local school districts hire TASB to make the decisions without knowing the dynamics of the local school district. It does create low morale in a great school district. Experienced staff are needed.
Re: Lewisville Parents Take Advantage of School Choice, ...
Can you please forward me a copy in confidence, of whatever emails you think are relevant? editor@lewisvilletexan.com
Thanks, -Steve
Poster
Thread
Anonymous
Posted: 2012/9/13 14:57 Updated: 2012/9/13 15:22
Re: Lewisville Parents Take Advantage of School Choice, ...
Shame on you Jason Hitt, for your elitism attitude. Especially for you to think that EVERY student in the Lewisville schools are poor, low-performing and apartment dwellers! Must I remind you that last year, it was LHS that had THE MOST awarded in scholarships and graduates! Must I remind you that LHS represents a REAL WORLD experience for students preparing them to deal with diversity in the workplace and real world. And as far as taxes go, EVERYONE is taxed at the same percentage. Maybe you might feel better if the Lewisville homeowners be taxed at a lower rate, since they are all deemed poor....LOL!!!
No one is knocking you for your decision to move to an area or a city where you felt your child could receive the best education to boot....just don't knock other parents for wanting the same advantage for their children as well. Remember it is all LISD....not Flower Mound ISD!
Re: Lewisville Parents Take Advantage of School Choice, ...
Excellent post. I was so angry this morning when I read this, I've been sitting on my response. Thank you from one LISD parent to another!!!
Poster
Thread
Anonymous
Posted: 2012/9/13 22:49 Updated: 2012/9/14 8:45
Re: Lewisville Parents Take Advantage of School Choice, ...
Well, at least that was only kind of sorta really disgustingly racist.
Poster
Thread
Anonymous
Posted: 2012/9/14 10:41 Updated: 2012/9/14 10:51
Re: Lewisville Parents Take Advantage of School Choice, ...
Don't know if you can assume racist. Classist might be more appropriate.
Poster
Thread
Anonymous
Posted: 2012/9/17 13:38 Updated: 2012/9/17 14:21
Re: Lewisville Parents Take Advantage of School Choice, ...
No I think it is racist and he only denied it to not come off looking worse then he already does. What he failed to realize is a quick search on Google tells us a lot about him. He isn't all that! I certainly hope his children don't thumb their noses at the new students in their school. We don't need more US against THEM in LISD.
Re: Lewisville Parents Take Advantage of School Choice, ...
I don't have any indication at all that what Hitt said, he meant to be racist. I think he's horrified by that thought, based on our conversation. Perhaps he misunderstood the situation and went off half-cocked, showing a bit of classism there, but I wouldn't call it racism - not in the absence of something more explicit. If you read our posts often, you know that we don't throw that around loosely, but we've used the word before, and in just about every case, whether we've printed it or not, it's been because we've had some explicit evidence of it. That's just not the case here.
Poster
Thread
Anonymous
Posted: 2012/9/23 22:24 Updated: 2012/9/23 22:29
Re: Lewisville Parents Take Advantage of School Choice, ...
This comment is for any person in Flower Mound who has the same attitude or concern about Lewisville students attending schools in Flower Mound.....WAKE UP, because you too fall into the 47%. If you do not want your children to attend schools with other humans, then may I suggest that you move to your own island, homeschool your child or move out of LISD.
Poster
Thread
Anonymous
Posted: 2013/4/14 22:59 Updated: 2013/4/15 0:12
Re: Lewisville Parents Take Advantage of School Choice, ...
It appears that Mr. Hitt's home is worth about $258,000 judging by the public tax roll. How does he know that the families sending their kids to Flower Mound don't own houses worth more than his? Why would anybody choose to send their kids to a school with kids of an entitled and elitist person like him? Lewisville should simply stop dividing up the district and just open all schools to all students. That's what Garland ISD did.
Re: Lewisville Parents Take Advantage of School Choice, ...
Re: Lewisville Parents Take Advantage of School Choice, ...
![Open in new window](javascript:CaricaFoto("http://cdn.motinetwork.net/demotivationalposters.net/image/demotivational-poster/0912/implied-facepalm-implied-facepalm-demotivational-poster-1259858393.jpg");)