Dallas ISD Board President Lew Blackburn refuses to put DK (LOCAL) on December Board Briefing agenda for clarification of board vote (7-0) on teacher workday

The interpretation and communications from the administration to staff  after the Board voted 7-0 to remove the 45 minute extension of the teacher workday are not consistent with the intent of the vote.

Therefore, I requested that DK (LOCAL) be placed on the Thursday, December 13, 2012 Board Briefing Agenda for clarification. 

I sent two requests to Board President Lew Blackburn - shown below. 

Trustee Blackburn refused to place board policy DK (LOCAL) on the December 13, 2012 Board Briefing Agenda.
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-------- Original Message --------

Subject:	RE: DK (lOCAL) - Board Briefing
Date:	Fri, 7 Dec 2012 19:40:53 +0000
From:	Blackburn, Lew <lblackburn@dallasisd.org>
To:	Carla Ranger <Carla@CarlaRanger.com>, "Miles, Mike" <MILESFM@dallasisd.org>, "
CC:

Trustee Ranger,
The Board of Trustees addressed policy DK(Local) last month during 

the Board Briefing November 8, and adopted your recommended language 

change during the Board Meeting November 29.  Thus, I am not inclined 

to revisit the policy at this time.  However, in accordance with board 

policy BE(Local), if you are able to solicite two additional trustees 

who want to revisit this policy, I will add it to the Board Briefing 

agenda in January.

With Regards for Children,


Lew Blackburn, Ph.D.
President, Board of Trustees
Dallas ISD
972-925-3720


Vision: Dallas ISD seeks to be a premier urban school district.

Mission: Educating all students for success

Mission: Educating all students for success

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-------- Original Message --------

Subject:	Follow-Up on DK (LOCAL) - Board Briefing Request
Date:	Thu, 06 Dec 2012 17:03:05 -0600
From:	Carla Ranger <carlaranger@tx.rr.com>
To:	Lew Blackburn (lblackburn@texanscan.org) (lblackburn@texanscan.org) <lblackburn@texanscan.org>, Miles, Mike <MILESFM@dallasisd.org>
CC:

Good afternoon,

Please confirm whether DK (LOCALl will be placed on the December 13, 2012
Board Briefing Agenda as requested below.

In light of administrative interpretation, the intent of the Board Action
regarding DK (LOCAL) last Thursday, November 29, 2012, needs to be clarified.

Thank you.

CR

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-------- Original Message --------

Subject:	DK (lOCAL) - Board Briefing
Date:	Wed, 05 Dec 2012 16:35:33 -0600
From:	Carla Ranger <Carla@CarlaRanger.com>
To:	Lew Blackburn <LBlackburn@dallasisd.org>, Mike Miles <MILESFM@dallasisd.org>
CC:

Good afternoon,

Please place DK (LOCAL) on the December Board Briefing agenda for 
discussion and possible action.

In light of administrative interpretation, the intent of the Board 
Action regarding DK (LOCAL) last Thursday, November 29, 2012, needs to be clarified.

Thank you.

CR

Dallas ISD Trustees should rescind the 45 minute daily teacher extension passed on January 26, 2012

The Dallas ISD policy on teacher hours was extended by an additional 45 minutes daily on January 26, 2012.  The Board policy was changed by Trustees (voting "Yes"- Blackburn-Flores-Bingham-Morath-Cowan) in a 5-3 vote on the same night eleven (11) schools were closed. 

Former Trustee Edwin Flores promoted the change in these words:
"We're going to pay for eight hours, we're going to get eight hours." (Unfair Park-Mon.1-30-12 - If Nothing Else, They Won't Run Out of Things to Ask DISD Trustee Edwin Flores Tonight)

Like Dallas ISD before the Board policy was changed on January 26, 2012, some school districts such as San Antonio ISD have a specific time limit stated in Board policy that is also less than eight hours.
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San Antonio ISD Board Policy on Assignment and Schedules (DK-Local) - Employee Work Schedules - states: "Teachers shall be on duty seven and one-half hours each day, between 7:15 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. ..."
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What is now being suggested by Board President Lew Blackburn will delegate the Board police-making authority to the Superintendent at a time when teachers are already feeling violated. 

Rescinding the Board action will restore the policy as it existed prior to the change. What is now being proposed will not do so.

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Dallas ISD Board Policy DK (Local) before January 26, 2012 - "... Time schedules may be arranged to suit the needs of individual schools, taking travel schedules into consideration, but must contain a minimum of seven hours and 45 minutes."
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Trustees made the change. Trustees should correct the mistake  by rescinding the action taken on January 26, 2012.

Dallas ISD 45 Minute teacher extension adopted on January 26, 2012

On Thursday, January 26, 2012, the same evening 11 schools were closed and citizens were denied their right to participate in a Dallas ISD board meeting, Dallas ISD Trustees voted 5-3 to extend the teacher day by 45 minutes. 

Voting "Yes" to add 45 minutes

Lew Blackburn
Edwin Flores
Nancy Bingham
Mike Morath
Eric Cowan

Voting "No" against adding 45 minutes

Adam Medrano 
Bruce Parrott
Bernadette Nutall


I did not vote on this matter because I remained in the auditorium when the board meeting was arbitrarily changed to the small board room in a manner that appeared to violate Board policy, Robert's Rules of Order and the Texas Open Meetings Act.

Teachers have been complaining about this 45 minute extension of their day since January 26, 2012.  

I repeatedly requested that this item be placed on the agenda. My requests were ignored by Board President Lew Blackburn.

I would not have voted for the change on January 26, 2012 but the result would have been the same - 5-4 instead of 5-3.

I would have voted "No."