It’s 7 p.m. on a school night at South Oak Cliff High School, and it’s dark out. Classes ended hours ago, but the cheer team’s still in the parking lot practicing as band members blow their horns in and out of the band room.
It’s not quiet in the auditorium either.
District 9 trustees Edward Turner and District 5 trustee Maxie Johnson share a microphone, taking turns as they explain the meeting’s purpose to about three dozen people in attendance. They’re parents, students, community members, and even some SOC alums, teachers and other employees.
They’ve all gathered to help create a 5-year plan for the district. Trustees will then take what they hear to the superintendent, to plan it out.
“The board came up with the idea along with the administration. This is a team effort,” Johnson explained. ”We’re all working together, because we want to get it right. We know there’s no silver bullet to this. However, we want to make sure we’re hearing from all of our communities. Their voice matters.”
Hearing those voices is important to Turner, too.
“We’re asking for your input so we can establish the ‘what,” he said. “And after the ‘what,’ we want the superintendent to create the ‘how.’”
Those group is being asked what goals they have for South Oak Cliff and the district, and what constraints they see as possible obstacles.
They break out into smaller groups of 4 or 5 to answer the questions, written on a large sheet of paper.
Having her voice heard is important to Tonia Johnson, a graduate of Dallas ISD.
“You always need to hear community input,” she said. “It's just that they’ve got to devise a question so they can get the right input. We're not going to be bamboozled. You know, you can't ask us to extend the goal if we don't know what your goal is right now for the next five years.”
SOC alum Natashia Gerald is passionate about her group’s goals. The first: “To make sure that all of our kids are able to read and comprehend at grade level,” she said. “And then the second goal is basically focusing on safety and security, instilling a sense of community and accountability, not only for yourself, but for your peers.”
For recently elected school board member Turner, these meetings provide their own learning experience.
“A lot of people want to see an increase in literacy, in reading,” he said. “I will say this is across the board.”
Other goals are more nuanced. Some SOC students have been named to prestigious internship programs, but there’s no transportation to get to the companies running the programs.
It gets written down on the sheet of paper. On this night, no solutions are offered.
Dallas ISD will hold community meetings through Nov. 6.
Bill Zeeble is KERA’s education reporter. Got a tip? Email Bill at bzeeble@kera.org. You can follow him on X @bzeeble.
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