The email below was received on Saturday from former Dallas Achieves Commission Co-Chairs Arcilia Acosta, Pettis Norman, and J. McDonald Williams to Superintendent Mike Miles expressing their concerns.
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From: Don Williams [don@jmwilliamsgroup.com]
Sent: Saturday, May 04, 2013 9:16 PM
To: Miles, Mike
Cc: Bingham, Nancy; Blackburn, Lew; Cowan, Eric; Elizabeth Jones;
Medrano, Adam; Dan Micciche; Morath, Mike; Nutall, Bernadette; Ranger, Carla;
Sanders, Byron; Dolores Barzune; David Biegler; Adelfa
Callejo;
Robert Estrada; Jim Keyes; Clint
McDonnough; Liz Minyard; Holly Reed; John Scovell;
Sam Self; Ronald Steinhart; Victor Vital; Betheny Reid; Paula Blackmon; afarley; Mike Rawlings; Pauline Medrano; Tennell Atkins; Delia Hasso; Scott.Griggs; Dwaine Caraway; Vonciel Hill; Monica Alonzo; Carolyn Davis; Sheffield Kadane; Jerry Allen ; Linda Koop; Sandy.Greyson; Ann Margolin; Angela Hunt; Clay Jenkins; M Cantrell; John Wiley Price; Todd Williams; Arcilia C. Acosta; Pettis Norman
Subject: Letter from Dallas Achieves Commission Co-Chairs
May 4, 2013
Mr. Mike Miles
Superintendent
Dallas Independent School District
3700 Ross Avenue
Dallas, TX 75204
Dear Mr. Miles:
Having long been involved with the
Dallas ISD and being concerned for the quality of education for all the young
people in Dallas, the three of us agreed, at the request of Dr. Michael
Hinojosa, to co-chair the Dallas Achieves Commission. In that nearly 5
year process, we became even more deeply involved in Dallas ISD and its
operations, issues, and stakeholders. We pen this letter to you and the
board, in the spirit of expressing both our support for the District and our
concerns on the current direction of you and your new leadership team. Although
we generally share the goals of your Destination 2020 improvement plan, we are
disquieted by the process and some of the decisions being made in its
implementation.
We surely want any new
superintendent to be successful in transforming Dallas ISD into the top urban
public school in America. We know this is not easy. And we applaud
your focus on instructional leadership and classroom teaching, the improvements
in the IT systems, the continuing growth of the fund balance, and the implementation
of the STAR Commission personnel recommendations.
On the other hand, we are deeply
concerned that some of the processes and decisions you are making and the
manner in which these decisions are being implemented pose serious risks to the
future success of Dallas ISD and the nearly 160,000 children in your care.
The purpose of this letter is to
call your attention to our concerns and to suggest you learn from our
experiences with Dallas Achieves. To begin with one example, you, your
staff and supporters have been pointing primarily to a single statistic to
justify what’s wrong with the District (and hence the need for dramatic and
urgent change): i.e., low-income neighborhood high schools students are
not scoring higher than 1100 on the SAT test and thus not college ready.
We, of course, support an educational platform that results in low-income
children having the same college opportunities as middle and upper class
children. But given the socio-economic conditions these young people face, might
it not be more constructive (instead of immediately firing the principals after
only 4 months of the new principal evaluation process) for you to add more
pre-kindergarten programming, reading support and book clubs in elementary
schools, math and science reinforcement in middle schools and high schools, SAT
and ACT prep courses for these students (as all upper-income children have
access to) and to more Advanced Placement classes and support programs, as
developed and supported by the Peter & Edith O’Donnell Foundation?
In preview, we believe that surely
there is a better path forward than what you are proposing to get all our
students college or job-force ready. To put our concerns in context and
how they contrast with your process, we will describe our experience with the
Dallas Achieves Commission and recommend a similar inclusive process in
contrast to the one you are pursuing, and then raise some further issues that
give us serious concern.
Dr. Hinojosa appointed over 60
community members, including business, civic, and grass roots leaders,
philanthropists, students, teachers, parents, faith community leaders, and
current and former city and state elected officials– a very representative and
inclusive group of Dallas people to serve as members of the Dallas Achieves
Commission.
We began in the spring of 2005,
and decided to try a pilot project – i.e., reviewing policies, practices
and spending levels of certain Central Office functions. After considerable
research and benchmarking against the best practices of high performing
districts across the country (with the pro bono assistance of Boston
Consulting Group – BCG), and comments and discussions by members, the
Commission unanimously approved (on a motion made by former mayor Ron Kirk and
seconded by Adelfa Callejo), 12 recommendations for reform that were approved
by Dr. Hinojosa and the School Board (see attachment 1).
Encouraged by our ability through
data, collaboration and discussion (even with all our differences), we next
embarked on the much more ambitious subsequent plans of Dallas Achieves for
comprehensive transformation to improve student achievement and graduation
rates.
We engaged BCG, along with other
nationally and regionally recognized education research and best-practice
leaders, as well as trainers and facilitators, working alongside Dallas ISD to
develop a process for comprehensive transformation, always incorporating
research and best practices. Despite considerable differences of philosophies
and opinions in sub-committees, private and public meetings, we worked through
and resolved those differences over many months. On March 1, 2007 the
transformation plan was overwhelmingly approved by the Commission (on a vote of
37-4). Two of the dissenting votes were from representatives of the teachers’
organizations, who publicly stated they were very supportive of much of the
plan, particularly the additional support for teachers, but voted no because
they did not believe: 1) teacher evaluation should be based, in any part, on
student achievement; and 2) any part of teacher compensation should be based on
student achievement. One other dissenter expressed overwhelming support, but
said her no vote was because the plan did not include constructing a special
purpose building she strongly supported.
The plan was then presented to Dr.
Hinojosa, who approved it, and on to the School Board, which on April 26, 2007,
approved the plan by a vote of 6-0, with 1 abstaining and 2 not in
attendance. (See attachment 2 for the plan.)
Understanding that a plan,
standing alone, does not change anything, the Dallas Achieves Commission began
work on a detailed implementation plan, which included Dallas ISD’s formation
of a Transformation Management Office, to train, provide continuity and ensure
momentum and accountability for change. The project team identified various
critical work streams, along with timetables and deliverables. The Commission
was represented in the change management process by a very able loaned
executive from Texas Instruments, as well as BCG and trainers and facilitators
paid for by contributions we raised.
With alignment among the
administration, board and community, we embarked on a journey of work that went
well over a 2+ year period. We began with ongoing, regular meetings of
the Commission. The Commission concluded its work in late 2009. In
the less than 5 years of this process, Dallas ISD improved its academic
achievement and graduation rates as follows:
- Graduation rate improved
from 57% of entering ninth graders to 66%.
- Of the 6 urban districts
in Texas, Dallas ISD moved from tied for fifth with San Antonio to tied for
first with Houston.
- 57% of Dallas ISD campuses
were rated Exemplary or Recognized out of 228 schools.This compares with 37% in
2007.In particular, two schools that were slated to be closed subsequently
improved their ratings from academically unacceptable to recognized.
- Overall performance at the
2,300 college readiness standard climbed from 20% to 35%.
- Even though 48 schools
remained at an “unacceptable” rating from the State, this number had steadily
trended downward, and the number of recognized and exemplary schools had
increased from 49 to 127.
- More campuses earned
principal empowerment. (These are detailed processes by which a principal can
increase control over a campus based on student achievement and other important
criteria.) Improvement leaped from 10% to 42% of the campuses. Key
components that contributed to this positive trend included rethinking of the
school culture, the improved curriculum and recognition of the importance of
continually embedded professional development for all professional staff to
ensure sustainability.
As we all know, research
demonstrates that capable and empowered principals are crucial to recruiting
and supporting the best teachers and hence student achievement. (As Tom Luce
always says, “It’s the principals, stupid.”)
Also, both the Council for Great
City Schools and the Brookings Institution noted dramatic improvement at Dallas
ISD compared to other urban school districts across the country. We also
pointed out areas needing strengthening academically, since continuous
improvement is critical. As one example, Dallas ISD needed further aggressive
work on the math and science curriculum and learning.
The transformation process was
complex. Dr. Hinojosa already had numerous initiatives underway, and the Dallas
Achieves plan started out with hundreds of different or overlapping
recommendations. After analyzing what was already being done and what
Dallas ISD’s plans were going forward, these were narrowed down to 92 new
actions: of those 46 were 76-100% complete; 5 were 51-75% complete; 31 were
26-50% complete; and 10 were 0-24% complete, as we concluded our work.
(See attachment 3).
In order to fund the Commission’s
efforts, we raised over $11 million locally to support this work and Dallas
ISD in this initiative. With the District, we were also successful in
bringing in national funders, including the Broad Foundation, the Michael &
Susan Dell Foundation, the Gates Foundation, RGK Foundation and others.
Further, we received governmental support through elected officials including
Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison and Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson. Also we
had considerable pro bono, loaned executive, or reduced fee support from
others.
As a result of this hard work
and successful fundraising for Dallas ISD, we feel duty bound as stewards to
ensure this progress is carried on. Therefore, in our view, even though
much progress was made, much more needs to be accomplished. The plan included forming the Dallas Education Foundation
to continue support of Dallas ISD, including fundraising, programs and public
accountability. Following Dr. Hinojosa’s resignation, and the appointment
of an interim superintendent, we were anxious about the continuity of this good
work and progress. We are now alarmed to learn that virtually all of
Dallas Achieves work and ongoing Transformation Management Office has been halted.
Why? And what better is replacing this initiative?
When you were appointed, we were
excited about the prospect of working with you and your new team. We were
disappointed that after reaching out to you to share this effort by the Dallas
Achieves Commission, you were simply non-responsive. You never reached
out to any of us to understand and build on the success of this monumental
effort for Dallas ISD going forward.
We respect that as the new leader
you will be bringing in your own ideas and team. We cannot take any significant
issue with your Destination 2020 improvement plan, which appears on its face to
build on the Dallas Achieves goals and plans. However, we do object to the
apparent abandonment of the Dallas Achieves implementation plan and to the
closure of the Transformation Management Office function. From our long and
varied business experiences, we know that transformation is a never-ending
process of continuous improvement, requiring training, innovation and
accountability. We already hear of a regression to some poor practices of the
past. For example, it is our understanding that you are not currently
producing the crucial school scorecards for the Dallas community, with detailed
information on each school’s performance, nor the dashboard tool to provide
up-to-date information on key performance indicators for each school, and
increases in bureaucracy at the central office. If this is true, we want to know
why that is the case and what is the purpose of eliminating these practices for
public accountability, and the increase in the central office bureaucracy.
We are also deeply concerned about
the processes by which you are going about making these changes, and their
consequences, and are asking you for explanations. In one of your
PowerPoint presentations, you quoted Secretary of Education Arne Duncan in
calling for “disruptive” change. Disruptive change does not always
produce good results: witness the recent sudden and drastic failures of
former J.C. Penney Co. CEO Ron Johnson. Unlike the processes of Dallas
Achieves, we do not believe you are being collaborative and inclusive of a
broad base of stakeholders, both inside and outside the District. Further,
we observe little understanding and respect for the history of Dallas or Dallas
ISD. From insiders we hear of a culture of fear and reprisal (“my way or the
highway”) versus one of collaboration and teaming up to bring forth the best
ideas, people and results.
On Wednesday, one of us was in a
meeting, with 12 or so present, convened by a local philanthropist, which was
attended by Kerri Holt, a staff member in your Chief of Staff division. She
presented your Imagine 2020 improvement plan for the feeder pattern schools of
the Lincoln/Madison and the Pinkston clusters. She referred to over 60
community meetings to build community support for the plan. When asked which
community groups and leaders she met with and as to who supported the plan, Ms.
Holt could not name one single organization or individual. When asked if
Marian Willard, the principal of Madison, supported the plan, she replied, “Ms.
Willard will not be there next year.” When asked if trustee Bernadette Nutall
(in whose district the Lincoln/Madison cluster reside) supported the plan, she
said, “No, but community support and her support are unnecessary since we have
a 6-3 board majority.” When asked, “Well, which is it? Are you proceeding
out of community support, or out of power through board control?” she was
flummoxed and did not respond. Unfortunately, this is the kind of duplicity we
repeatedly have seen and see in the District and community – i.e., a
public narrative to business and other groups that is bold, positive and
constructive, but a private narrative to teachers and principals and small
groups that is power-based, resulting in a culture of fear, intimidation and
reprisal. We believe this type of culture is unhealthy for our public schools
and unlikely to produce the best results for our children.
In short, we believe there are
better solutions and that you and your staff should consider a different
approach to your implementation process. We feel strongly that your
current solutions may not bring the educational successes that our school
district deserves. It is very disconcerting to have 70 of our principals
put on the “growth plan” in preparation for firing (and in the meantime to be
losing so many good principals and teachers to other school districts or early
retirement); this pattern is not a hallmark of likely success. Of equal
concern is that so many of the leadership team you brought in (none remaining
from prior administrations) have so quickly left the District. This track
record is hardly reassuring that you can recruit and select 70 excellent new
principals. Also, we hear of confusion in the schools because your new
leaders provide no institutional memory and little working knowledge of key
policies and procedures to help them conduct their schools in accordance with
board policies and governing laws. If it would be helpful for any of us
on our team to meet with your team for a deeper dive into our Dallas Achieves
experiences, we of course would be pleased to do so.
We should appreciate the Board of
Trustees reviewing our concerns and providing a response to us. If you
help make a difference now, Dallas ISD may be able to achieve its prominence
among school districts in our country and our state. The substance and
processes of your leadership at this point in time has the potential to make a
crucial difference in what our future will become.
Our letter comes to you from the
sentiment of many who have lived, worked, raised and educated our children here
over many decades.
Sincerely yours,
Arcilia Acosta
Pettis Norman
J. McDonald Williams
cc:
Dallas ISD Board of Trustees
Dallas Achieves Commission Members
Dallas Achieves Funders
Dallas Education Foundation Board of Directors
City and County Officials
Commit! Dallas
