Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Dallas County Community College District retirement

Twenty-two years ago I began a journey at Dallas County Community College District as Dean (Chair) of the Communications Department at Eastfield College.

Today  I end my journey at DCCCD as Executive Director for Community Partnerships and enter the unfamiliar world of retirement.

I cannot truly retire.  I don't know what that means.

We shall see, but it seems to be a place of both uncertainty and freedom.

Maybe it means when you wake up you know you have more yesterdays than tomorrows.

Maybe it means memories will be more important.

Maybe life will unfold at a different and less-rushed pace.

Not sure I will like retirement other than the opportunity to rest.  So many midnight hours ...and
mornings of stress.

Perhaps  I can take regular walks or learn Tai Chi again for exercise.

Life is still more about today and tomorrow than yesterday.

I look forward to a different path and a full life.

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

4-Year Trustee Terms will be considered today at 5:00 PM.

There is a special Called Board Meeting today (Tuesday) at 5:00 P.M. to discuss and decide certain "election cycle" issues that could create 4-Year Trustee terms - depending on which option is approved by the Board.

Notice of the Tuesday  suddenly called meeting was sent late last Friday afternoon.

Our monthly Board meeting was just held on the night before. It would seem that this very important item could have been placed on the Thursday monthly Board agenda where there would have been at least some opportunity for public comment on this important voting rights issue.

The Board will make a decision today with no opportunity for public feedback.  The meeting agenda does not mention 4-Year terms.

I will not be present because I must attend community meetings at two of my AU Schools today
at 5:00 P.M. and 6:00 P.M.  (Hulcy Middle School and Carter High School). The AU community meetings are important and Trustees are expected to be present. 

Of course, I am not in agreement with 4-year terms and have fought against such a change for Dallas ISD.

While this time Senate Bill 100 involves new issues,  there are several options that will be discussed, and no clear requirement is stated.  It all appears to be optional.

No opportunity has been provided for public input. 

The public should have been included before making such an important voting rights decision.

Friday, August 26, 2011

Board Resignation

Board of Trustees
Dallas ISD

Dear Trustees:

Via this email, I am today submitting my resignation as District 6 Trustee
effective on the earliest date of Board acceptance.

It is my hope that the Board will appoint a replacement until the next
regularly scheduled election date.

Immediate acceptance and appointment of a new Trustee
prior to the September Board briefing would be appreciated.

Thank you.

Carla Ranger
District 6 Trustee

How Board non-resignation ended on Wednesday, August 31, 2011 - Click Here

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Trustee Blackburn plots to take 8 schools and facilities from District 6 by force

The Board workshop on last Thursday, August 18 ended on a totally mishandled note when Board President Lew Blackburn instructed police officers to evict community leader Rev. Holsey Hickman from the meeting primarily because Rev. Hickman was accusing the Board President of unfair conduct of the meeting.

Unfair conduct of the meeting continued last night at another Board redistricting workshop when a meeting that was posted as a general discussion of redistricting maps and plans was instead turned into a discussion of only the map that the Board President favored.

That might be called  "unfairly stacking the deck."

At the beginning of the meeting Board President Blackburn instructed Trustees to decide on one map to vote on at the Thursday Board meeting.  Of course, that map was being set up to be the map based on his plan.

The problem with that is the meeting was announced as an open discussion of any map.  That was changed by the Board President to a discussion of one map - the one that allows him to take by force eight schools and facilities from District 6 without ever asking or disclosing the dirty plan.

The meeting agenda posting said we would discuss any maps or plans.  However, the Board President stated the Board would discuss one map and make a decision last night.

Of course, that would be a clear violation of the Texas Open Meetings Act.  The decision would already be made before the official board meeting on Thursday.

District 6 schools and facilities Trustee Blackburn wants to take by force include:

  • Wilmer-Hutchins Elementary School located in the city of Dallas
  • Wilmer-Hutchins High School located in the city of Dallas
  • Nolan Estes Plaza
  • Clinton P. Russell Elementary
  • Boude Storey Middle School
  • John Leslie Patton Academic Center
  • Elementary DAEP
  • Barbara Mann High School

The Board President wants to rush the vote through on Thursday in order to complete the dirty deed.

Trustee Blackburn has unethically interfered in District 6 for some time in his effort to take  Wilmer-Hutchins Elementary School and Wilmer-Hutchins High School. 

Neither the public nor Trustees will have any adequate opportunity to understand, or provide input on newly created maps which will not be seen by Trustees or the public until the Thursday Board meeting.

This very important redistricting process is being hijacked by the Board President Lew Blackburn's agenda to rip off schools from District 6.


There is no need to rush.

The Board attorneys have already confirmed that  the redistricting vote can be held at the September Board meeting with no problem.

The public has seen only sample, illustrative maps - not the new maps now being presented by different Trustees for Board action.


Citizens and voters are being denied the right to see and comment on any new maps the Board will consider before a final decision is made. 

This is very bad faith and might be a violation of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Opening Day at Wilmer-Hutchins Elementary and Wilmer-Hutchins High School

Yesterday was a great day at Wilmer-Hutchins Elementary and Wilmer-Hutchins High School.

I arrived before 8:00 A.M. and was able to greet and observe students, parents, teachers and staff on the first day at their brand new school.

All were excited and eager to begin the new school year.  I visited with parents and students from the Dallas area and the adjacent cities of Wilmer and Hutchins.

It was fun  visiting with the kindergarten class below:


Wilmer-Hutchins Elementary School class


Wilmer-Hutchins Elementary  School students were engaged in story time with their new teacher.
Wilmer-Hutchins High School English Class



























Wilmer-Hutchins High School eagerly participated at their refurbished new school.

The majority of the students in the Wilmer-Hutchins High School class I visited were from the city of Dallas.

It was a good beginning of a whole new opportunity for students, parents and teachers.





Monday, August 22, 2011

Dallas ISD Opens three new schools in District 6

Today Dallas ISD will open the first four new schools built under the 2008 Bond Program.  The district’s landscape now includes three newly opened District 6 schools.



Wilmer-Hutchins Elementary and Wilmer-Hutchins High School are both located in District 6 in the city of Dallas - precinct 3556 - Dallas zip code 75241. The campuses occupy separate locations on the same property.  There is sufficient distance and land that separate the two.  However, with the high school in full view, parents can regularly help students to visualize staying in school and setting an early goal to go to and graduate from the High School.


Wilmer-Hutchins Elementary School
Wilmer-Hutchins Elementary School
7475 J.J. Lemmon Road
Dallas, Texas 75241

District 6 

We welcome all parents and students.




Wilmer-Hutchins High School 
5520 Langdon Road
Dallas, Texas 75241
Repurposed High School
District 6 


We welcome all parents and students.


Kathlyn Joy Gilliam Collegiate Academy
1700 East Camp Wisdom Road
Dallas, Texas 75241
District 6 

We welcome all parents and students.

We wish all Dallas ISD teachers and students a very great first day of school.