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Nov 6, 2008 7:21 pm US/Central
TEA Report Delivers Another Blow To DISD Chief
TEA: DISD In Need Of More Qualified Math Teachers
DALLAS (CBS 11 / TXA 21) ―
Dallas Schools Superintendent Michael Hinojosa may be feeling more pressure after a report from state monitors.
A Texas Education Agency monitor was assigned to evaluate and assess the work at twelve low-performing schools in the Dallas Independent School District.
Thursday Judy Castleberry reported to the school board and the superintendent that ten schools are stuck in a cycle of low performance, and there's no indication that improvement is on the horizon.
"The current situation demands immediate attention," she said. "The information I have received from the campus intervention teams indicates that many of the math teachers at the ten high school campuses are not equipped to provide effective instruction for students who lack basic foundations skills and present behavioral challenges."
The following schools have multiple years of low performance:
A. Maceo Smith High School
Alexander Elementary
Conrad High School
Kimball High School
Molina High School
North Dallas High School
Pinkston High School
Roosevelt High School
Samuell High School
Seagoville High School
Spruce Academy (reconstituted)
Tatum Elementary School
Castleberry said the core of the problem is the district does not have enough highly-qualified and well-versed math teachers. District officials say they simply can't find them.
"I understand that providing fully certified math and science teachers is a major challenge for the district, but I believe that only in a few instances is a beginning teacher able to be effective in these schools, and we simply do not have time to lose while a teacher learns to do the job," said Castleberry.
Due to the continued failing performance of the twelve DISD schools, some of them may face possible state takeover.
Also on Thursday, a coalition of African American church leaders joined a growing chorus, calling for Hinjosa's resignation. "He really needs to resign so the school district can begin the healing process and move forward," said Rev. Jerry Christian, African American Pastors Coalition.
With pressure from teachers over job cuts, proposals from school board members to force a vote of confidence on his leadership, Hinojosa always pointed to success in the classroom as his first line of defense.
In contrast to Thursday's news, a recent report from the National Center for Educational Achievement delivered high marks for the district on academic achievement. An official wrote, "You are pointing your system in the right direction and I cannot urge you enough to stay the course."
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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