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Dallas ISD Election Results Could Strengthen Superintendent Mike Miles' Position

Bill Zeeble
/
KERA News
Edwin Flores, center, at a recent campaign event in District 1 in Dallas ISD. The former trustee regained his old seat during Saturday's elections.

Dallas school board elections Saturday should strengthen the position of Superintendent Mike Miles, just days after he survived another vote to oust him.

Former trustee Edwin Flores reclaimed the seat he used to hold in District 1, which is near the Dallas North Tollway and Interstate 635. He replaces one of the three trustees who voted to oust Miles -- Elizabeth Jones chose not to run again.

Flores says voters liked his campaign for Miles-style change.

“Slow and incremental is not what they want,” Flores said. “They want urgency. And I think we need to work as quickly and as fast as we can to make as much progress as possible.” 

Flores says others may not be comfortable with rapid reforms implemented by Miles, but as a patent attorney whose life revolves around constant change, he is.

Changes he’ll champion on the board include the school choice plan. Miles is creating campuses that stress certain subjects, like science or entrepreneurship. They’re like magnet schools, but students won’t need to test in to attend.  

“And those are the kind of innovative bold ideas that we need to bring to the table to make sure students and parents have choices everywhere in the district,” Flores said.

The two Dallas school board incumbents on the ballot won easily on Saturday. Bernadette Nutall, an outspoken Miles foe, vows to continue challenging the administration. She says Dallas has lost too many good teachers in the past few years and students are paying the price.

And District 3 trustee Dan Micciche will return, tooHe recently said the district needs a succession plan should the superintendent leave.

Bill Zeeble has been a full-time reporter at KERA since 1992, covering everything from medicine to the Mavericks and education to environmental issues.