What is your opinion on DISD schools?
Posted by AreYouSober@reddit | Dallas | View on Reddit | 104 comments
Did you graduate from somewhere in Dallas, work in the district, or have kids who attend any of the schools?
Tell us what you think—share the wealth with the rest of us who have curiosity surrounding DISD 🙂
ApprehensiveAnswer5@reddit
It is my personal opinion that while there re a lot of things that need improvement and need fine tuning, and a lot of past inequities that still need correcting, DISD for the most part, does a decent job for being a large urban metro district with a lot of complexities that other area districts and other comparable nationwide districts do not deal with on the same scale.
I have a lot of grievances with the district, but I have a lot of positive things to say too.
I will also say that having had kids at various campuses over the years, that there is a LOT of variation from campus to campus and also from administration team to administration team on the same campus.
It’s really hard to paint the district with one brush, which a lot of people do because of their direct experience.
(And I’m not saying they shouldn’t, but I am saying that if you have a great experience at one campus, you unfortunately cannot expect to have a similar experience at another campus, and vice versa with negative experiences)
I also am a big supporter of public education in general, so I am likely somewhat biased on why I want so badly for DISD to be up to par.
I currently have kids in DISD and I have older kids who are already college, and post-college, age that went to DISD. I have also sat on various district level committees and task forces, and have also been a PTA President, and SBDM Chair at various campuses and a lot of other volunteer positions in between, lol.
I manage a specialty work program for my company and work directly with college age kids (18-25yos), many of whom went to DISD schools, but also other area districts. So in addition to my own/my kids’ experiences, I get a new crop of young adults each round that brings their experiences to the table too.
spiritussima@reddit
I too have a lot of grievances with our individual experience sending our kids to 3 different DISD schools (two transformation, one neighborhood, also highly active on PTA/O at each) and the thing I have learned is that DISD is not "for" most middle class or wealthy families. The things the top 10-15% of socio-economic class families expect are not going to be provided by DISD. Food pantries are a higher priority than robotics teams on most campuses. Equity is a higher priority than your child's individual excellence. Staff and faculty are being stretched thin that even compliance with IEPs/504s or some other basic safety issues are seen as optional. Individual acceleration is unheard of outside of 90 minutes of TAG but the state curriculum is relatively easy for kids who have been in art and STEM camps since age 3.
I'm open to be told I'm wrong because this is just from my experience as a parent at these schools and I don't mean it as a negative judgment and agree DISD does a decent job for most of the actual population in Dallas.
I also really hate when people say "DISD is great, look at Dealey, Lakewood and Mockingbird! Or Sudie or Booker T!" but all things equal, a child whose parents have the means and environment to get them a seat at those schools would have performed just as well at another school.
ApprehensiveAnswer5@reddit
I don’t disagree with you. We have always done neighborhood schools with our oldest kids. With the younger, we attempted a choice campus twice and it was a disaster both times, so they are at a neighborhood school as well.
And while my oldest did go to Long and Woodrow, they went to Mt Auburn and not Lakewood/Mockingbird/Geneva/Lipscomb.
My youngest currently in DISD attend a neighborhood school in the TJ feeder, they’re in middle school.
Their campuses have never had the vast clubs and activities offerings that other campuses do, and I’m ok with that. I would rather us meet the needs of our campus families.
Both of my younger kids are in SpEd, and we have had to bounce campuses as the program offering sites and options change.
We did end up hitting on the current one, and have been there a few years now.
And the campus administration is extremely SpEd supportive and knowledgeable and that makes such a big difference.
The magnet/choice campuses we tried, were two of the worst places for SpEd implementation, and it was such a disappointment. Because it would be cool if kids who need more supports also got to have those opportunities too.
I also recognize that I am an involved parent, and SpEd needs aside, I could probably have kids that excel anywhere because I have the means and the ability to do enrichment on my own.
(I taught high school, not elementary or middle, but am fully capable of reading and interpreting the TEKs and understanding where my kids need to be and how to get them there if I needed to)
erod100@reddit
Regardless of school district it’s up to the students to get the most out of their education and it’s up to the parents to push them…. But DISD does the bare minimum for student success.
CommodoreVF2@reddit
To put a special needs slant on this, you have to fight them tooth-and-nail to get what the district is supposed to provide. If you don't, they'll roll right over you and put your kid in a segregated unit with very little interaction with the general student body. We are facing this dilemma with a special needs kid finishing up middle school years at Solar Prep. Our choices are either go into a segregated DISD unit next year or go private.
spiritussima@reddit
Agree that SPED has been my biggest gripe, by far. No efforts toward compliance (even on issues like restraint) but even worse to me is the general ignorance and use of archaic punishment (isolation, taking away recess, shaming tactics). It's not even just my kid where I have personal beef, though of course I see a lot of it first hand through my kid, but it's something I've seen inflicted on his peers.
The OTI school we were at was eons better than our zoned school because staff was largely young, teach for America types.
Tricky_Chard_6022@reddit
DISD does the bare minimum for teacher success. I did not have a district issued laptop until after I had worked there a year and a half. I had to buy my own projector. The white boards in my classroom were beat up and nearly unusable, so they gave me a smartboard and told me to write on it. Poor leadership and poor organization.
Repulsive_Option40@reddit
I couldn’t access my building or copy machine for several months. I also had two grade levels in one class, not ability grouped. Just a hodge podge of kids thrown together, like an over flow room or something. Oh, and there were 29 students in total. It was a horrible experience for me. I agree with the poor leadership and organization. That completely turned me off of DISD.
On the other hand, my students performed well and there was plenty of parent involvement. I didn’t love the reading curriculum, which many districts seem to be using now, but I felt like the educational part for the kids was good.
Parents involved in their children’s education is the most important factor for me in any school.
SandMan83000@reddit
There is no singular DISD experience, like in a small suburb like Highland Park. We have over 200 schools and they are very different.
Here are some fun facts for you to ponder: the number of third graders in a cohort who test at the mastery level in reading will be just about the same number of kids with bachelor degrees 15 years later.
The mothers level of education is the number one predictor of test scores
The number two predictor of test scores is household income
A student scoring 3+ on AP Calculus AB as a junior has the best chance at admission at a highly selective college
So, where does your family fall into these stats? Look up your neighborhood scores. In most of East Dallas they will be higher than in the suburbs.
Oh and lastly, most private schools in DFW are white flight garbage for people who like tacos but don’t want to go to school with Mexicans.
TheChrisSuprun@reddit
I'm not saying you're wrong, but where does the data come from about third grade reading proficiency. I ask because Dallas ISD keeps talking about college, but they don't even test reading ability anymore like they used to so we have less idea of where students are before they get to that critical point.
I'm a fan of learn to read so you can read to learn, but Dallas ISD has some new test they need to buy from a crony capitalism friend while trustees are busy doing photo ops and sending out political endorsements using taxpayer funded systems.
SandMan83000@reddit
Commit. I saw it in presentation several years ago.
Pick any school, go through the TEA fact sheet, and look at the third grade reading scores. If you go back far enough you can extrapolate the 6-year college completion rate (which I’m pretty sure is all Commit did).
It’s not one for one, meaning it’s not the exact kid you are tracking, but it works for the cohort.
TheChrisSuprun@reddit
Thanks for the update. By and large Commit makes me nervous because every time they play in local schools, the ISD seems to get worse, but good data is good data.
fuqsfunny@reddit
I can only speak about Dallas private schools, as my kids had at least part of their education at Dallas private schools (middle and high school).
St. Marks is 50% non-white
Jesuit is about 37% non-white
Greenhill is ~59% non-white
Hockaday is ~60% non-white
Ursuline is ~31% non-white
Bishop Lynch is 45% non-white
ESD is the big loser with only ~23% non white
Those are the heavy-hitters in Dallas proper that I have exposure to/experience with. Four out of 7 (and three of the four are what most would consider the best private schools in town) have non-white student bodies of about half or greater, and two are 30% or greater. It never felt much like a white-flight haven to me. It's also worth noting that a good number of the families (typically on the order of 30-40%) of children at these schools receive some sort of financial aid from the school; so it's not exclusively a rich-white-person thing at all.
boldjoy0050@reddit
Private schools are often more diverse than public schools. Public schools in lower income areas are often 90% or more one single race.
spiritussima@reddit
If we're talking about DISD though (and not a direct response to your point) it should be noted that if you ask anyone what the best elementary schools are, they'll rank them coincidentally in order of which schools have the most white students, and the most middle class students give or take (Lakewood > Mockingbird > Geneva Heights > Hexter > etc)
JesseCantSkate@reddit
Eh, “non-white” but the point still stands when Hispanics make up 49% of the under 18 population of Dallas, but most of the schools on the list have less than 15% Hispanic population. Asian and multiracial doing a lot of heavy lifting in your percentages.
SandMan83000@reddit
Now do the elementary schools. And for fun look up their founding years.
If you see 1971, or so, you have a white flight academy!
fuqsfunny@reddit
Half on my list are lower or middle school through high school. 3 of those are the ones with 50% or greater non-white enrollment.
No one cares when they were founded, what matters is what they're doing now.
SandMan83000@reddit
You should care! It wasn’t that long ago that Parish Episcopal (for example) was founded by parents as a protest to desegregation. It’s in the dna of the institution (and several others).
I’m not saying they wear hoods at the pta meeting, but it’s the point of the school. And when you look at the outcomes of those kids, they are on par with any other kid with the same resources. The school exists to segregate and shelter white kids, not to produce great citizens or scholars.
The Eric Johnson’s they let in are cover to make them feel better about dream hoarding.
Bbkingml13@reddit
Well you certainly have a misunderstanding of this school lol
fuqsfunny@reddit
And yet, Parish now has a little over 36% non-white enrollment. Not my top choice of school either, but clearly not as white-centric as your comments would suggest. Clearly they've changed and moved on.
PreferenceBusiness2@reddit
This really does flip my expectations! I had no idea on those stats at all.
bye_felipe@reddit
My parents (dad especially) did everything in his power to make sure I was accepted into one of the schools listed above, vs HPISD, for this exact reason. Private schools still have their own challenges, but I’m thankful I didn’t go to HP. And I knew someone whose parents made sure he went to one of the schools listed as well for diversity sake.
boldjoy0050@reddit
As a teacher, I don't find this to be true at all. Most parents who send their kids to private schools just want to give their child the best education possible. Private schools often have smaller class sizes which means a more individualized experience for students. A class of 25 vs 35 is a huge difference.
I found my private school classes to be far more diverse than public school classes which were almost entirely one race.
And my private school classes were less likely to have behavior issues. All it takes is one disruptive student who doesn't want to be there to derail the entire class.
hobbit_lamp@reddit
I agree that there’s no single experience within DISD, as the district is so large and varied however I feel like some of the generalizations in your comment, particularly about where people fall within certain predictors like mother’s education and income, can be problematic. not every family fits neatly into those categories, and implying that they should look at where they ‘fall’ feels a bit reductive.
you also suggested that East Dallas schools are better than suburban ones. some east dallas schools perform very well, but the fact is that many of these areas are very expensive to live in making it inaccessible for many families. It’s not that simple.
SandMan83000@reddit
The stats are nationwide, and it unique to Dallas. I apologize if that wasn’t clear.
I would disagree with your last point. While, yes East Dallas is expensive (see fun fact 3), can be very cheap to live here- almost half the kids in the Woodrow feeder pattern qualify for free lunch!- but people are making other choices. IMO, they often throw DISD under the bus as the reason they moved to Propser (or whatever) and not the fact that the believe a huge house is more important than a good education and a short commute.
hobbit_lamp@reddit
I understand the stats you mentioned are nationwide, but that actually makes them even less relevant when applied to individual families or specific areas like dallas. national statistics give broad insights but they don’t reflect the complexity of local housing markets or the personal decisions families have to make. I just think focusing on those stats feels a bit reductive, especially when individual circumstances vary so widely.
also the fact that nearly half of the students in the Woodrow feeder pattern qualify for free lunch actually underscores the economic disparity in the area, rather than proving it’s affordable to live there. there may be pockets of affordability, but the fact that such a large portion of the student population is economically disadvantaged points to significant financial strain for many families.
also the idea of “moving to the suburbs for a huge house” gets parroted a lot on this sub, but it’s not an accurate depiction for many families. Many families would love to live in areas like East Dallas, but the reality is that while some parts may have more affordable pockets, historic areas like lakewood or M streets are often out of reach for people due to high home prices. It’s not just about choosing a “huge house”, they are making decisions based on affordability, safety, school quality, and what’s realistic for their budget. Dismissing their choices as purely about getting a bigger house is unfair and doesn’t reflect the full picture of what they may be balancing.
SandMan83000@reddit
Was “reductive” on your word of the day calendar?
hobbit_lamp@reddit
it was actually on my contextual logic calendar, but I can switch to "simplistic" if "reductive" is giving you trouble
Traditional_One8465@reddit
DISD has changed into a "choice" district. Anyone in the district can now apply to attend a school that isn't in their immediate vicinity.
Although, there is the chance that they won't get accepted into the school that isn't their homeschool.
HoneyIShrunkMyNads@reddit
I'll say as somebody who went to public and then got shifted to private school for high school, it was nice not having a curriculum centered around the taks test.
Not saying it was day and night better but in don't think I get into a solid college without getting the attention I got from private school. And I fought my parents heavy to stay in public.
SandMan83000@reddit
I haven’t found “teaching to the test” to be a thing my kids have had to experience.
And while the top 2-3 private high schools here have great college counseling, you do recognize that the public schools send kids to top schools too, right? My prom date went to an Ivy!
new_grad_who_this@reddit
Lmao for the last part add * or blacks
Alt-account9876543@reddit
You’re last comment 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
omar_strollin@reddit
*your
:) sorry, thread about education
Alt-account9876543@reddit
Even better lol
AlarmedSnek@reddit
DISD is massive but it’s not that massive, there are only 240 schools in the entire district. 200 of them do not lie in Highland Park. You might be confusing DISD schools with other district schools in the area.
longhornrob@reddit
You may want to work on your reading comprehension.
AlarmedSnek@reddit
Haha. Touche. I’m tired
Nearby-Oil-8227@reddit
Depends on your standards and geographic location within DISD, in addition to the resources you have available to supplement your kids’ in-school education.
If you are an involved parent with high expectations, I’ve heard there are investments in some of the neighborhood schools, particularly at the elementary level, where upper-middle class, educated neighborhood families are choosing to send their kids to the DISD elementary. An example of this is Withers Elementary.
Lakewood and Mockingbird Elementary are also highly desirable and draw from a lot of the affluent families in Lakewood.
I personally do not know what those people intend to do at the secondary level, as the schools start getting rough. The reality is the district is predominantly low-income and 90%+ minority enrollment.
The exceptions at the secondary level such as BTW and TAG are fine IF you are accepted, but again, that’s more the exception with “bad” being the norm.
No-Cheese-713@reddit
I would add Degolyer in there with Withers. This will be interesting to watch over the next few years as there are so many young families that are sending their kids to Withers and Degolyer but aren’t sure what they will do once they hit middle school.
SandMan83000@reddit
They will get in to Sudie or go to Catholic school. It’s not a new trend
No-Cheese-713@reddit
The wait list for Sudie is incredibly long with little movement. Admission to private schools (Catholic is not the only option) have gotten increasingly more competitive post-Covid as well as the influx of new residents to DFW. All of that combined with interest rates having people feeling locked into their homes without the flexibility to flee to the burbs for the middle and high school years changes things.
lgoodat@reddit
I think with Principal Carter's move to the middle school it might be encouraging for parents to send their kids to 7th/8th at Marsh, because he is popular and a good leader. Not sure how it will pan out for high school though.
SandMan83000@reddit
The majority of white kids at Mockingbird and Lakewood go through to Woodrow.
Almost none at Withers go to White, however.
Dark-Vader-1310@reddit
Booker T is world class.
Townview TAG and SEM are excellent.
Woodrow is going downhill.
perfectdozen@reddit
I have kids in the Woodrow feeder pattern. Why is it going downhill?
I've been in East Dallas for 20 years now so I feel like the schools in the feeder pattern have gotten better in that time, so it would only make sense that Woodrow would improve once those kids make it to HS (which would then attract better staff, etc.). But I literally don't know much about this at all so I'd be curious to hear more.
Dark-Vader-1310@reddit
The last two principals have gutted the IB and Engineering departments.
txnewsprincess@reddit
I write about Dallas ISD and public schools in general. There are some pretty great schools that offer a mind-boggling amount of options, especially when you get to the high school level. Collegiate prep academies where you graduate with your HS diploma and 2 years of college (debt free), career institutes (think old school vocational programs but in career paths that are in demand now), choice schools and magnet schools. I also have a 13 yo who has been in personalized learning and project-based learning almost his entire DISD career, and is now in the process of picking his high school. What schooling looks like is likely to change a lot in Texas, depending on if a voucher bill passes and what that looks like. The compromise version from the last session included discussions about what accountability measures (like testing) would be in place for private schools that accept vouchers, too - don’t be surprised if that reappears in any new legislation. Happy to answer questions if you want to message me.
msondo@reddit
I attended mostly TAG programs at DISD.
In Elementary we were writing research papers and competing in state academic competitions. In Middle school we were reading Shakespeare, Homer, etc and even Cervantes in Spanish and Goethe in German. We took trips to UT to take extra classes, compete at the state and national level against (and often beating) schools like St. Mark’s. In high school we put on productions and I was even given the liberty to create my own classes with a budget for equipment and everything. We were recruited by big name schools and most of us got scholarships.
In short, I feel like we got a great education and as a private school parent, I feel like most of the private schools around here fall short of the experience that I received.
ILikeToParty86@reddit
Im going to tell you a quick story. My wife’s friend, who is also my friend graduated in the top 10% at Hillcrest and was able to go to UT because of this. I personally went to HP and graduated at the mid to bottom percentile of my class with a B+ average and had zero chance at UT (just saying that i didnt like graduate so low in my class because of grades, it was because everyone was a fucking maniac for A+++s). I guess the story here is, DISD is not the best but you can make it work to your advantage and of course be more culturally rounded than HP
Ziggurat00@reddit
DISD has some gems if you’re willing to do the research. I attended DISD magnet schools 4th-12th grade. Had a parent that was proactive about our education to say the least and deserves the credit for stewarding us through the bureaucracy that is DISD. Had many dedicated teachers and also had some duds.
I learned a lot about other walks of life - the magnet schools I attended were very racially and economically diverse, which is saying something for a city that remains fairly segregated.
I moved back to Dallas about ten years ago after attending college out of state. Much of my current social network is graduates who went to private schools in Dallas (Greenhill, Hockaday, ESD)… they are all lovely and well educated, but a ton of them had no clue magnet schools existed.
DM me if you’re interested in hearing more.
Robhow@reddit
Been a minute, but…
Graduated from WT White ‘91; this after going to private school through 8th.
Once upon a time it was regarded as one of the best public schools in the country.
It was the most terrifying experience of my life. The fights, the drugs, and having a gun pulled on me in study hall.
Drove my kids by there when we moved back to Dallas in mid 2000/ and they asked if it was a jail.
However I had some amazing (and some not so amazing) teachers. My computer science teacher was an absolute legend. Pushed me like none other.
I live in the WT White district again. My tax dollars go there, but I wouldn’t even consider sending my kids there.
dallaz95@reddit
Dallas ISD alumni. I will say, when I was there, the magnet schools are wayyyyyyyyyyyy better than the regular degular schools. The dynamic is different since the district is basically entirely majority minority and low income. It makes it more challenging, when a lot of kids come to school hungry or without school supplies. I didn’t come from a rich family, very working class, but I didn’t go through severe socioeconomic challenges like some of my peers did.
SandMan83000@reddit
You sound like you might be old enough that when you were in school we were underfunded (I’m that old!).
We’re now a wealthy district that sends money to the state via Robin Hood and has the same per pupil funding as any rich suburb.
That’s not to say the money we have couldn’t be spent more efficiently, but the gaps you experienced are no longer a factor.
TXmama1003@reddit
We may have to give money back for Robin Hood, but more than 80% of the current DISD student population qualifies for free or reduced lunch.
Traditional_One8465@reddit
I'm fairly certain that the entire district is now a free lunch district. It may just be for elementary students, so I'm not too sure if that's the case.
SandMan83000@reddit
That’s just a paper work designation. It’s cheaper to give everyone free lunch (which is a good policy!)
dallaz95@reddit
Sure, but they still have to deal with issues associated with being a majority minority low income district. I’m just gonna be real, white ppl in Dallas don’t send their kids to Dallas ISD schools for that very reason. Not trying to take it there, but you’d think Dallas is full of only Hispanics and Blacks based on the school district. When I was there, not one school in the district was mostly white. That’s why HPISD and other Dallas private schools are packed to the brim with white Dallasites. People have the right to send their kids where they please, but not having a large segment of the population not represented in the school district is noticeable.
TheKidsAreAsleep@reddit
DISD has some amazing schools. My DH went to the Arts Magnet and had an amazing experience.
Traditional_One8465@reddit
Graduated from (at the time) the #1public high school in the nation that wad in DISD. I only had 1 class left to finish my first bachelor's degree bc of the opportunities that particular school gave me and paid for during my high school years. I finished with 3 Bachelors & a masters from SMU by the age of 22, with a full ride. I'm now working on my 3rd masters degree from LSU, and the preparation that my younger years gave me certainly have helped me be able to manage these types of workloads.
I opted to put my daughter into a choice school (Biomed at UTSW) the first year they opened and plan to have her stay on a Magnet school route. It's free & a great program.
The thing is... DISD has some of the best schools in the state/nation at every level, but it also has some of the worst. If the kid doesn't get into their better, more "elite" programs at a young age, it only gets more difficult as time goes on for them to integrate into their magnet / choice programs.
Private schools in dallas are just for show, not actual educational merit.
46chinos@reddit
Long time DISD student… LG Pinkston High school, Pride of the West Side!!!!
Also worked at Roger Q Mills Elementary for a year.
yosoyjackiejorpjomp@reddit
Former mills teacher! Mills is now a magnet with some of best scores in the district ❤️
46chinos@reddit
What years were you there?
mnlvilla@reddit
They suck
mnlvilla@reddit
I went to them
JZfromBigD@reddit
Graduated from Hillcrest High School. Go Panthers. Mom has taught in DISD for 45+ yrs, was teacher of the year in the 80's for the district. Many great schools. Many Many great teachers. However, there are so many factors that influence metrics like socioeconomic. Also, pushing standardized testing and scores is not great, but a public school reality in Texas. The district has come a long way with disability awareness and equity, but again, individual experiences vary. Overall, a good district for having a large amount of factors that influence large, urban districts.
HovercraftDull3148@reddit
I went to DISD schools, I worked for DISD. I went to Townview, my kid could go there or Lassiter as far as high schools. I worked in what they referred to as a hood school, I wouldn't send a dog there. I could tell who went to school in that feeder pattern because those were the kids who struggled with reading and basic math. We had kids that lived in the suburbs but went to the HS because they played sports and they were so far ahead of the neighborhood kids. The violence was bad, I remember at one point there were multiple fights per day and blood and hair weave would be left in the halls. If your kid requires special education, there is a good chance they will not get the help they need, just passed with a 70. I didn't view this as right or fair because some SPED students really wanted to succeed, but when almost all of your SPED teachers are coaches, sports are prioritized and not the student. Classes were overcrowded like 35 kids but 30 desks. No librarian. No resources, no labs for science, slow chromebooks that the students refused to use. Bathrooms cleaned once per day. If I didn't use the restroom before lunch, I wasn't going to use them until I got home. By the end of the day the toilets were overflowing and used pads were on the floor. If the student bathroom was unusable the students would start using the staff bathroom. I have PTSD from my experience as a teacher in DISD, I never want to meet people like that again. I have videos of fights and student interactions that would traumatize the average person who didn't grow up in that environment.
diptripflip@reddit
Oh, boy…how long do I dedicate to my response. 😂
Test scores dominate too much of the decision making. This is a problem because most of the tests aren’t an accurate measure of student learning. The art of teaching is being squeezed out of the profession by a non-stop obsession with data gathering, data review, data reporting, data forecasting…Schools should absolutely be accountable to standards, but at some point you’re just chasing your own tail. Teachers want to educate, administrators want to walk in rooms and see data trends and standards plastered all over the walls. Many schools are required to have student rankings based on test scores posted in each classroom. Hope your child is smart. If they don’t score, well I hope they don’t mind seeing their name in the red zone all year.
There was a significant vibe shift from Hinojosa’s leadership to Elizalde’s. She’s a very divisive figure. On a teacher level, she’s not super popular. Administrators are all vying to kiss her ring.
Elementary curriculum for math is terrible. Eureka Math is well intended but it’s so convoluted and complicated that most teachers hate it. When taught to fidelity so many students are completely lost. Just search the r/teachers forum for opinions on Eureka.
Amplify at least focuses on letter sounds and phonics (hallelujah!), and throws in some cultural studies as well. I wish there was time for novel studies in the pacing calendar for all grade levels. In many cases the only stories children will hear are boring stories written by the publisher and based on skills building exercises. Please read to your children at home. Please let them see you holding and reading books in your free time.
Choice and magnate schools aren’t what they used to be. The current administration came in heavy and wants uniformity across the board, robbing the choice and magnate schools of what made them unique.
Statistics never tell the full story, so ignore rankings and consider schools on a case by case basis. There are A schools that I would never send my child too, and ‘failing’ schools that I’d feel perfectly happy sending my child to for certain grades. Visit potential schools and get a feel for the environment. Ask your neighbors about their experiences.
yosoyjackiejorpjomp@reddit
I have worked in the district and am a parent in the district. I pulled my kiddo out of her problematic private school (that has a huge waitlist) for the neighborhood school and kiddo is growing academically and socially.
The teachers in Dallas are amazing and really do anything to move the kids academically. Kiddo is also around a lot more social, economic and ability diversity and learning- plus there have been zero behavior concerns in her classroom.
Her highly “competitive” private school left academic gaps and had wild behavior from affluent boys. Kiddo left the private school with lead in her eye, 2 urgent care visits and various educational assessments to figure out what was going on.
Dallas ISD is the clear winner imo and ime. Go check it out in person, volunteer in the cafeteria and be there as a parent and it will be fine.
lonely_dove_@reddit
Problematic private school? 👀
theoneandonly78@reddit
TDC pipeline
hobbit_lamp@reddit
I feel like DISD is far too big to judge the quality of education based on the district as a whole.
I think it really depends on the school. there are some really great schools and some really not good schools.
Sanityovar8ted@reddit
I grew up and raised my kids in the hood and I have nuthin but good things 2 say about DISD and I didn't graduate in 95 cuz I kept being told u was a bad influence having 2 kids. In the 90s DISD was less than stellar but yet like I said its what u make it as a parent.
Brilliant-Spite-850@reddit
Shit, Plano and McKinney can’t even be judged as a whole district.
hobbit_lamp@reddit
exactly! Lewisville either really. but I think the difference between the quality of schools across DISD is even greater than any of those 3.
oakcliffian@reddit
Molina 2010! 🤙
iminlovewithyoucamp@reddit
Oh boy… I graduated from Skyline High School in 2011.
A lot of my friends are either dead, in jail, on hard drugs (excluding weed and coke) or a felon. Im lucky I do not fall into on of those categories. (Thank you to diabetic summer camp) but
I don’t think DISD prepared me for much, but I do know how to type 50 WPM and I have a okay job at a bank call center so that’s a plus. I wish I would of gotten into a technical high school to further my education.
If I were to rate DISD, I would give it 6/10. I graduated and I have an okey job, but I wish I was better prepared for the skills of what the job(s) I the DFW are looking for.
andreaxtina@reddit
Skyline must of gone downhill. I graduated in the early 2000s and for the most part the people I graduated with are fine. Some went to college and are in professional fields, some went into working directly but most are okay. There are a few exceptions, of course.
nicolelynndfw@reddit
I graduated 07 and the cluster I was in doesn't even exist in that form anymore tbh
nickgomez@reddit
Did skyline still have the various technical programs in place when you went there?
SandMan83000@reddit
Skyline was founded to meet the desegregation order and has always offered to vo-tech courses.
cheesuspotpie@reddit
I went to DISD from 1st to graduation. The elementary schools around me are fine, but I would want better for my kids past that. It was alright my Freshman and Sophomore year, but it turned in to penitently my Junior year. Middle School was the worst, too many terrible kids that everyone can't wait for to drop out.
Minimum_Ice_3403@reddit
My experience from 10 years ago doesn’t reflect DISD today . With the influx of new ppl to Dallas + large population of the problematic ppl moving to out of the area ..
And the experience you get from DISD also depends on what neighborhood you live in and what percentage of ppl in the school are low class , working class ,White collar or upper class.
arrowgold@reddit
Graduated from Dallas ISD. Bachelors and masters degree. Work for the district now. My kids also attend district schools.
It does really depend on the school.
Fiercededede@reddit
Texas ranks almost dead last in education spending (#46 out of the 50 states) despite being the second richest state.
beardlesswonder@reddit
Politicians are starving schools to push vouchers
Atomm@reddit
Every single child is provided a no cost breakfast and lunch. No judgement. No debtors lunch.
This level of caring and compassion surprised me for such a large district.
The Arts Magnet is ranked nationally for academics. Higher than a lot of other district schools.
Yes, there are issues but I see a district that cares deeply about educating children.
RockinIan121@reddit
I went through DISD from Kinder-7th grade before moving to Plano. DISD was a hell hole when I was in school.
I went to Jerry Junkins Elementary, then E.D. Walker Middle. Both schools had plenty of good teachers but just as many horrible teachers who couldn't do their job and would actively cuss out kids because the class was talking too much.
When I was in 4th grade, i remember my math teacher (at Jerry Junkins) cussed a girl out and told her "you'd be lucky to be a useless crack whore on the corner of the street with how much you love running your mouth."
I've been witness to quite a few other similar situations. However, I can only remember the one clear as day. I've heard different stories from different people, so it's ultimately dependent on what teachers your kiddos get.
I have heard that W.T. White High School is a pretty good school with good teachers, but I have no first-hand experience with the school itself.
Gloomy-Context4807@reddit
I survived it as a kid. I witnessed a lot of messed up things, but I still managed to get a college education.
No way I’d let my kids go there. It’s the district for 1st or 2nd generation Americans trying to move to up the next level in terms of family wealth.
khamul7779@reddit
I can give a bit of a specific perspective. I was a disd cafeteria and area supervisor for several years. Through group bargaining, the largest districts in the country have access to much better foods, and Michelle Obama's programs allow us unique fresh veggies every month. However, they're criminally understaffed. Only about 60% of schools had their own cafeteria supervisor, and most of the ones that did were close to (or beyond) retirement. The department could really use some love (and funding)!
Critical_Thinker_81@reddit
I would not move there to get my children enrolled even if living there was for free
SerenityNow_Then@reddit
Trash
MarysSoggyBottom@reddit
As a parent, I’ve had an excellent experience with Lipscomb elementary and Solar Prep for Girls.
hudbutt6@reddit
They are making major strides to improve access to quality education. This is my daughter's second year at a DISD "Choice" school, and I have learned so much about their programs/funding/resources.
DISD has open forum community meetings across the city that I suggest checking out. In particular, they are in the process of setting their next 5-year budget - so lots of import convos being had. Highly rec.
Tbh, I've gone on a lot rabbitholes and gotten involved in so many DISD programs, I could kinda go on and on😆 If you have any particular questions, I bet I can give or direct to answers.
ExoSierra@reddit
As someone that was in PISD K-12, DISD was always looked down on as the ghetto schools with mobile home classrooms
AlarmedSnek@reddit
I’ve personally been to and walked the entire campuses of 3/4s of the 240 schools in the district. There are some truly amazing schools and some that are need some love (like any district). DISD is certainly working to improve though, almost every school I’ve been to is in some sort of remodeling process. They also just built a brand new CTE center that is freaking incredible. I can also say with confidence that the teachers do actually care and are doing what they can with the budget they have. As a 2001 graduate of high school (different state), I will say that these kids have about a billion times the opportunity I had in high school, so much so that it almost makes me want to go back so I can get the training these kids get. It’s truly amazing. Experiences certainly may vary and I have stories for days but if anyone has any particular questions, I’ll do what I can to answer based on my experience.
longhornrob@reddit
If you are proactive and involved parent you can get a private school level education from DISD. If you are not involved and blindly send your kid through your feeder pattern you probably won’t get the same results.
TexasBookNerd@reddit
There are many really great schools in DISD. Besides magnet and neighborhood schools there are also choice schools. Look over the websiteand start visiting. You can tour schools (call the school ahead of time to schedule) and see what it is like inside. Your prospective student can shadow for a day and see what the school is like daily. Magnet and choice applications are accepted starting in November. If you don’t live in Dallas but you still hope your child could attend Booker T or Townview, look into DISD middle schools. If you come from a DISD middle school it gives you a better chance to get into the competitive magnet high schools.
sunsetrules@reddit
The career institutes are really cool.
adnoroc@reddit
I sat in disd until high school. Suddenly after years of flunking the math portion of the “taks” test, we moved to garland isd and I passed the algebra (now) “starr” test with flying colors. Why? My quality of education improved. Do with that what you will.
Sanityovar8ted@reddit
Also DISD is very caring it's not all about academics and grades but they care about the students well-being. It's a lot of students in DISD experiencing homelessness. DISD makes Provisions for kids to change clothes or wash clothes take showers aND Have what they need Lots of the teachers and principals really care , they r not doing it 4 a job but love of what they do. So it's on you, you have 2 do ur part , DISD is what you make it.
Sanityovar8ted@reddit
DISD is great if you are proactive in your kids education three of my kids graduated from DISD schools my oldest from Conrad my youngest son he went to Kathryn Gilliam Collegiate Academy and went on 2 give the commencement speech as he was in the 1st graduating class of UNT-Dallas. my daughter graduated from New Tech High School. Every child doesn't learn the same and it's your responsibility as a parent to figure out how your child learns and make the most of it and DISD has lots of different schools for different needs , for different types of academics,you know things for kids to do that they're interested in.
AlkalineFartWater@reddit
Don’t do it, I literally got stupid when my mom transferred me to T.G terry elementary school. All of a sudden I got better when I went to Duncanville HS