Ridgewood Park Group Wants Kids Out of Dan D. Rogers
Submitted by Allen Gwinn on Mon, 02/08/2010 - 11:20.
Update: Attendance zone changes PULLED from Thursday's agenda--won't be discussed at Board meeting!
Dan D. Rogers Elementary School is 81% Hispanic and 13% African American. DISD records show that 90% of them are on the "free/reduced" lunch program.
According to a concerned former Rogers parent, a group of Rogers-area neighborhood parents don't want their kids to go there.
"They want their kids in a little bit whiter school," the mother of 3 former students at the school told us. "My kids did just fine at [Dan D. Rogers] and I don't see what the fuss is all about."
Dan D. Rogers is rated Academically Acceptable.
Lakewood Elementary, by contrast, is 72% white with an Exemplary rating.
Pushing to alter the attendance lines for the parents group is newly-elected DISD board member Bruce Parrott. Parrott is sponsoring a proposal by the Ridgewood Park Homeowners Assocation. The proposal would put houses right across the street from Dan D. Rogers (shown above in yellow) in Lakewood Elementary's zone.
DISD's administration opposes Parrott's plan. Accoring to a document produced by DISD, Parrott's proposed changes would increase Lakewood's overcrowding:
Allowing for this boundary change would take Dan D. Rogers from a current utilization of 87% to 70%, and an already overcrowded Lakewood from 110% to an estimated 123% utilization in 2010.
"They are hoping to just quietly make this change without a bunch of hoopla," said the parent. Indeed, Parrott's item currently appears under the Consent Agenda section meaning it can be approved without discussion at the Board meeting later this month.
Neither Parrott, nor representatives from the Ridgewood Park homeowners group, have responded to our requests for an interview.
Is this kind of harassment even legal?
Jim Greenwood said he never dreamed his HOA would have a problem with his new Ford F-150 pickup. Then he received the first of three notices threatening him with fines.
Stonebriar HOA rules allow several luxury trucks on driveways, including the Cadillac Escalade, Chevy Avalanche, Honda Ridgeline and Lincoln Mark LT. But most Ford, Dodge or Chevy pickups are restricted.
“It’s very frustrating and confusing. It’s hard to imagine how an HOA would try to dictate what type of vehicle you can drive and park in your driveway,” Mr. Greenwood said.
“The high-end vehicles that are allowed are plush with amenities and covers on the back. It doesn’t look like a pickup,” he said. “It’s fancier.”
Mr. Greenwood appealed, claiming his Ford F-150 isn’t much different from the Lincoln Mark LT.
“The response was: ‘It’s our belief that Lincoln markets to a different class of people,’ ” he said. “Furthermore, one board member told my wife that if we don’t like it, we can move.”
How about Homeowner Association Harrassment? or Foreclosed Homes
Banks Are Now Walking Away From HOA Fees
In an eye opening interview by Chicago Public Radio on Friday, I learned of a Chicago condo owner whose building had turned into an absolute nightmare – 2/3 of the residents were gone, the utilities had been shut off, the place was literally crawling with maggots.
Of the 27 unit building, Dee Hutchinson and two of her neighbors were left with the sole burden of all the HOA fees, leaving them virtually helpless to take care of even the most basic of necessities like heat and extermination.
What really caught my attention about the story, the problem wasn’t that the residents of the building weren’t paying their dues – that problem had come and gone… the interesting, albeit not really surprising fact about this story was the fact that almost all of the condos in the building were owned by banks, mostly large ones like B of A.
This story is yet another in a string recently that illustrates the fact that despite banks trying desperately to paint the picture that defaulting on one’s financial obligations is immoral, they are the first to do it when the tables are turned.
Paul Leonard is with the Financial Services Roundtable, a banking industry trade group. He says banks aren’t set up to handle this.
“The entire issue of a bank as landlord is a very challenging one, because they’re not in the business, nor do they want to be in the business of being a landlord. You know, they don’t have “Oh, we’ll just switch over to our system to pay condo fees.” They don’t have that.” said Leonard.
Aren’t set up to handle it eh? Yet they are set up to call and harass a family who’s main breadwinner has just lost their job, or just found out that they had cancer, or had just died? These stories are a dime a dozen, meanwhile while the banks are raking in record profits and charging ridiculous interest rates and fees to everyday folks just trying to get by, yet they see no moral responsibility to their new neighbors in the condo to help pay their share so the residents who have heeded their plea to do what’s right and keep paying, can have heat, and a fridge that isn’t infested with maggots.
But of course, far be it for us to ask them to “switch over their system to pay condo fees”, because that would be just unreasonable, immoral even. Boo-freakin-hoo guys, if you can dish it out, you should be able to take it. That’s kindergarten stuff. I don’t EVER want to hear an executive from B of A or one of these banks say anything negative about someone walking away from their underwater mortgage again. Hypocrites!
Grading and re-test policy
I simply cannot believe that DISD, in the 21st century, has maintained the grading policy that hinojosa brought on a couple years ago, to an overwhelming negative response from both the community and the teaching faculties and students! I was appalled then and am appalled now. (as both a faculty member and community member)
Our inside track rep heard from the man himself (I guess he has starting gracing their meetings with his presence...funny how he was absent when I was the rep), that 'since we are not hearing negative response' we will continue on with it. Uh, what about the huge amount of negative you heard months and months following the policy's inception??! Did ya listen? Did ya see the protestors in your neighborhood? guess not. Could you at least send around a survey to faculties...or something??
The biggest shock and greatest inequity in the minds of all teachers I talk to is the idea of retesting once a child fails a test. How unrealistic is that ? C'mon Hinojosa! This truly demeans and dumbs down our district reputation. Neighboring districts are laughing over this and have been.
[Ed Note: Most of the teachers we've talked to recently have indicated that they're "making do" with the policy. If this is not a fair description, then maybe it's worthy of a followup story. What do you think?]
lets give credit where credit is due.....
As a Lakewood faculty member, who has been there since before it was exemplary, recognized, or even low performing (yes we were!), may I just say that, yes, it takes a village. BUT the school rating lies much more with the tremendous faculty, than it does either the community or the LECPTA. Granted, those para-teacher groups are fantastic, and have certainly campaigned for others to funnel their children into our school. They raise monies for us that most other DISD schools probably both resent and envy. But it is the hard-working faculty that has truly raised the standard here, folks. Let's be real.
Certainly I, too, encourage Rogers' folks to get on the bandwagon and raise the standard there. But know that it will take much more than the community/neighborhood alone. If the school faculty and employees are not behind it, I fear the efforts will fail. Again, it takes a village. But if your comment is to indicate "the parent community group cleaned up the mess at Lakewood"....well.....hogwash !
The school rating lies much
The school rating lies much more with the tremendous faculty? Well in that case, what are they still doing there? We need to move this "tremendous faculty" to Dan D. Rogers, where they could use their prowess to bring those kids to the level of the Lakewood kids. I'd honestly like to see this... Put Dan D. Rogers faculty at Lakewood and see what "damage" they inflict.... Put Lakewood teachers at Dan D. Rogers and see them turn that gosh darn school around.... Give me a break... Me thinks you toot your own horn a bit too loud.... And by the way... what "mess" at Lakewood are you referring to?
Wait a minute. If you are
Wait a minute. If you are going to claim total success for the school's rating, are you also going to live up to the sad state of affairs the school was in a few years back?
Parent involvement = motivated students + good teachers = school success.
No parent involvement = student apathy + good teachers = school failure.
Yes, Lakewood should be grateful to the staff it has. I am certain there are great teachers who are underwhelmed by their student population at Dan D. Rogers. But as others have stated, take the seats in the class, put your support behind the teachers and staff and only then will Dan D. Rogers be able to succeed.
Just recall this: Just 8 years ago, most of the seats in Lakewood were filled by students who were brought in from another area of Dallas. Were they proud that they had a neighborhood school? Were their parents trying to make the most out of their "community"? Let's talk grass roots activism here. Neighborhood schools are what succeed, no matter what the demographic, no matter what the neighborhood. When you feel pride about your community, you make the most out of what you have. Balance that with a good staff at Lakewood, and you have a model for success. I am certain Dan D. Rogers hasn't employed an entire staff of doofuses.
Success
what parents really want is for their children to be succesful. they should forget about the other students who go to their children,s school because they are most likely not going to be in their future. PLEASE JUST FORGET ABOUT IT.
true dat
public school was never about educating the masses in truth.. it's more interested in propaganda and whether your kid can conform to state mandates.
Against Lakewood Move
Lakewood families have spent approximately 10 years trying to raise the standards in Lakewood Elementary. How did they do it? First, by enrolling in the school. They went out on a limb and enrolled their students in a school that was scoring as poorly as Dan. D Rogers is today. They poured their energy, fundraising and trust into the staff and the school.
It has become a prime example of what a neighborhood school should be. Folks, this is what neighborhood schools used to be. It's a return to having a neighborhood you are proud to live in. Make your own neighborhood a great place. Use your connections, be present in the decision making process. Don't give up. If the parents of Ridgewood Park would rise to the occasion, they might find themselves with a school of the same caliber as Lakewood.
I am certain there are members of the LECPTA and the Lakewood PTA that would gladly mentor the Ridgewood Park residents and show them how they have managed to make Lakewood into what it is today.
All I can say is be brave, go for it and just make the change yourselves.
Oh, and as for Parrott. Pfffffft.
[Ed Note: Yes and "another publication" needs to do a little more research into how the item actually wound up on the agenda for a vote. I have a feeling there are going to be a bunch of people more than annoyed with a certain board member after this package gets voted on--unless he can axe the Highland Meadows changes too.]
Finally, Some Common Sense
This comment is dead on. You get out of your neighborhood school what you put into it. My mom was a wage-earner raising me and my brother by herself for 10 years after she was widowed, yet she found the time to do PTA and Scouts. If you want a better school for your kid, put down the Cheetos, shut off CSI, and get involved.
Ridgewood Park to Lakewood
I find it strange that any white parents wanting to put their kids into DISD schools could be called racist. These parents are wanting a better school for their children and the area to the east and north of Fisher and Trammel is already in Lakewood - so I don't see it as a geographical problem.
DISD is now offering choice to transfer to the newly redesigned high schools such as Woodrow, which will be the only Dallas school to offer International Baccalaureate. When the Ridgewood Park park kids are in 6-12 they will be in a very diverse environment both ethnically and economically.
I see putting Ridgewood Park into Lakewood as a way of getting more middle class kids in DISD. That, we need. Besides, I know Ridgewood Park well and it's not all white.
Rogers vs. Lakewood Ele.
About 11 years ago a group of parents chose to send their preschoolers to Lakewood Elementary, instead of private schools, and build it up as a neighborhood school. About 9 years ago, when my children started, Lakewood was still Academically Unacceptable. In about 5 years the dedicated parents and staff have raised the accountability rating to an Exemplary, Blue ribbon school. All it takes is a hand full of people willing to work hard to make this happen. This is what I would suggest to the parents in Dan D Rogers boundary! It wasn't 72% white during those years either.
[Ed Note: Yes, you'd think with all this energy toward unbalancing boundary lines, that these "interested parents" would be able to create another Lakewood or Hexter.]
Calm Down!
If I were a parent living in that area I'd want my child at the exemplary school and would consider pulling my child out of the recognized school. There is nothing wrong with this. It opens communication and dialog between the groups who are in conflict. The most vocal usually have $ whilst the less affluent sit by, controlled by forces they do not know how to handle. It is reality that the rich want their kids to shove their prosperity and capability in the faces of those who have little.
[Ed Note: Again - if Lakewood and Hexter can do it, so can Dan D. Rogers. Parrott should be helping to push better education for all. A group of interested parents is a tremendous resource. What I don't understand is why no one has tried to tap this resource (or maybe they have?).]
Perhaps race is not the motive?
These days it is easy to play the race card- perhaps race has nothing to do with the motive of these parents. Are these parents white? How do the test scores and college readiness scores of the two schools compare? Writing this article without input from Mr. Parrot or the parents pushing for the change is socially inresponsible reporting. This smells like a politically biased article against Mr. Parrot.
[Ed Note: There is an email from me in Mr. Parrott's mailbox. He was invited to respond well before the article was posted. He has chosen not to. I already have a couple of people on record on this issue. You're welcome to encourage Mr. Parrott to respond and I'll post his response in its entirety.]
When does Parrott
So when does Parrott cease being a supreme deity to you and have to start standing on his own record? Now? Six months? A year? Two years? Give us a date. Your "politically biased" statement is [unjustified].
[Ed Note: Sorry for the edit but please watch the language!]
and perhaps it is
and perhaps race is the motive. if nobody else wanted to talk then why are you complaining? if it was that important to the parents or parrott he would talk.
Racists??????
It sure is easy to label people as "racists" behind being "anonymous." It is very offensive and irresponsible to comment on this when you don't know your facts. The facts are that the students at Dan D. Rogers scored a 42% in Math and 75% in Reading, versus, Lakewood at 93% in Math and 93% in Reading. Those are the facts. These parents objective is to support public schooling. However, they are unwilling to sacrifice their children's education. THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH RACE. If you want to read a responsible journalistic article, go read the post on The Advocate's website.
[Ed Note: So why don't you guys do what we did at Hexter--build a great neighborhood school? Or is unbalancing the District lines and more portables at Lakewood what you're trying to achieve? Sorry but this just sounds like laziness.
And, for the record, the one who used the race label is one of your own (white) neighbors.]
How's Parrot going to defend this?
Doesnt he have to speak about this?
[Ed Note: Yes, he will probably talk about this issue on Thursday. I think the Board Briefing is recorded. We'll try to pull his comments out and put them online at some point after the meeting. As I say, we really need to give Parrott a break and see what he says.]
I voted for Parrott
Is this the same Bruce Parrott supported by the teachers unions?
Send Lakewood homes to Rogers
I have to tell you this pushes my button. I understand how the families feel culturally isolated and this appears to be a racist covert action, but I had my ethnically different children in DISD elementary schools, and the fact is that the children have no friends from their culture, in this situation. They are treated as misfits. What DISD needs to do, is incorporate the Lakewood Elementary into Dan Rogers. They need to establish at least 35% of other than Black and Hispanic on each campus. That is the correct and RIGHT thing to do.
Racists
How can parents these days expect to get by with something that is so obviously racists can anyone tell me?
Ethnic Cleansing
Maybe Parrott thinks the way to magnet schools is through [rest of comment deleted].
[Ed Note: I almost didn't post this comment. Again, I think Bruce may not have had time to educate himself on the issues. Let's see what happens now that we're all discussing the issues.]
Didn't Parrott Campaign on Magnets?
Wasn't one of Parrott's campaign pledges to make all schools like magnet schools? Someone needs to ask him how this accomplishes that.
[Ed Note: We still don't know the whole story here. In fairness to Bruce, he may have been blindsided and may not know all the details. Even the District's meeting agenda doesn't contain details yet.]
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