Trustee textbook decision

Recent reports indicate there was an uproar sparked at the Dallas ISD Board meeting on last Thursday, March 25, 2010.

Dallas ISD trustees' textbook decision sparks uproar

The "uproar" was caused because the 5-4 vote approved a Spanish reading textbook that was stated to be "riddled with errors."  It was reported that this angered Latino Board members Edwin Flores and Jerome Garza.

Trustee Flores requested in Spanish that those who "voted for - and against - Spanish-speaking school children" be identified.

Trustee Nancy Bingham stated that she hoped "every Hispanic parent in this city .. gets up in arms because they have a right to."

The textbook in question was a sample provided by the publisher and is on the Texas State Board of Education  list of approved textbooks.  Normally, errors are corrected before entering into the final state contract.

Voting for the K-5 textbook selected:

• Blackburn
• Medrano
• Nutall
• Parrott
• Ranger

Voting No:

• Bingham
• Flores
• Garza
• Lowe

It was stated that the debate "ignited passions and racial tensions."

Yet, the very same K-5 global textbook publisher that Dallas ISD selected was also selected by the overwhelmingly Hispanic San Antonio ISD on February 15, 2010.

Here's the link to that San Antonio ISD decision.

San Antonio Textbook Selection Committee - February 15, 2010
http://www.boardbook.org/apps/bbv2/temp/B3390E63-BC44-5B62-43C0B882AA5003DC.pdf
Page 3

Student Demographics - San Antonio ISD
Hispanic - 89.5%

African American - 7.4%

White (not Hispanic) - 2.7%

The San Antonio ISD is 90% Hispanic.  The very same K-5 textbook publisher was selected for their children.

Still, in San Antonio, there were no irresponsible and inappropriate Trustee calls for "every Hispanic parent in this city" to  "get up in arms."

Dallas ISD can do better.