By Shelley Kofler
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kera/local-kera-637421.mp3
Dallas, TX –
Three foundations have added one million dollars each to a public school initiative known as Dallas Achieves.
The goal is for the Dallas Independent School District (DISD) to win the Broad prize, given to the nation's most outstanding urban district.
The $3-million gift places Dallas Achieves near the new half-way mark of locally raising $20-million dollars to ensure all DISD students graduate college or receive training that prepares them for the workplace.
The Texas Instruments Foundation wrote one of the million-dollar checks. T-I Chairman Thomas Engibous
says the money will assist in continuing the most encouraging local education reforms in America today.
We believe this effort represents the most encouraging effort there is in education reform in America today. We believe this is the first time that the basics that Dallas Achieves is based on is being deployed in a major urban school district. And if it can be proved out to be true, it may be the turning point in things that happen across our entire country," Engibous said.
The Harold Simmons Foundation and the Communities Foundation of Texas also contributed $1-million each.
DISD board chairman Jack Lowe says much of the donated money will help pay for consultants who are recommending district changes.
We've got good kids. We've got good teachers. What we don't have is a good teaching effort, and we're working on that," Lowe said.
Lowe says the recommendations have so far lead to a reorganization of district staff which cut 169 positions and moved $9-million dollars into classrooms. The district has also reduced the student-teacher ratio in high school classes. Some test scores have improved.
While student achievement is still a prime challenge, and the drop-out rate is very high, district contributors say they now see signs of success, and reason to believe Dallas can win the best-urban-district Broad award by the year 2010.
Shelley Kofler KERA News