A COMMUNITY STATEMENT CONCERNING THE TURMOIL AT DR. BILLY EARL DADE MIDDLE SCHOOL

The Dr. Billy Earl Dade Middle School opened in 2006 with much optimism and enthusiasm for a school of excellence to serve the middle school students in sunny South Dallas.  The former elementary school transitioned well to a middle school feeding into Madison High School, giving the two high schools in south Dallas pure feeder patterns.  The excitement continued as the principal was one who was well known to the community and many of the students, teachers and ancillary staff were committed to making this an oasis in sunny South Dallas.

For two years, the principal and staff worked toward improving the academic progress of students while at the same time fostering basic social skills development of students, giving students a sense of their personal worth, and engaging the community and community partners in what was slowly but surely could become a beacon of hope and sunshine in sunny South Dallas.  The Bond Program provided for a new school, and the Dedication of the new school took place November 2012 under the administration of the principal and staff who had transitioned the school from elementary to middle school.  However, the optimism that had carried forth from 2006 through the dedication of the new building in November 2012 was cut short when the principal and teachers were summarily replaced before the move to the new building in the fall of 2013.  This transitional staff was replaced with a principal who had no experience as a secondary principal and no experience in sunny South Dallas.  To add to this lack of experience, the school was staffed with approximately 13 Teach for America teachers and 7 first year teachers.  These individuals with NO prior teaching experience replaced experienced teachers.   To further complicate matters, the central administration ignored information that two rival schools would be combined into one.   No plans were made to proactively address these teen rivalries.  The results: Dade went back academically in every measurable area, chaos was the order of the day, and the principal who was selected by the DISD Senior Administration was released to become a principal facilitator – one who coaches other principals! Another selection of the DISD Executive Administration was brought in for the next year —and summarily removed six weeks into the school year!  The stellar replacement for this middle school placed in turmoil by actions of the DISD Executive Administration is another elementary principal who has no secondary experience.  Simultaneously, the experienced assistant principals were removed and replaced by another group of those who have no ties to this community — coming in well after the start of the school year.  The student demographics for Dade are 69.5% Black; 29.3% Hispanic and 1 percent other.  The administration is:

1 Principal – Hispanic Female

4 Assistant Principals:  2 Female Hispanics; 1 White Female; and 1 Black Female (an all-female administrative team for a campus in turmoil and where there is a clear need for strong male models for both the female and male students.)   Additionally, the Executive Administration decided to remove teachers and replace them with Instructional Coaches from around the District – the result –day 1, over half of the Instructional Coaches were no shows, so the classes were doubled up; a food fight ensued, and the chaos continued.  Day 2 -three of the Instructional Coaches resigned leaving classes without assigned teachers; students continued their protests for the removal of trusted teachers and leaders.  The Superintendent canceled the Parent Meeting to brief parents — a meeting scheduled on Middle School Parent Conference Night which was an optimum time to reach the most parents, and a continued sense of chaos and disorganization continues. These missteps orchestrated by the Executive Administration of DISD are a disservice to the Dade School Community.

• We, the community, call upon the Superintendent to host a town hall meeting to address the future of Dade Middle School to ensure a semblance of stability and opportunity for student growth;
• We call upon the Superintendent to give respect to the parents of Dade students by addressing this directly with them and answering any questions they may have;
• We call upon the Board of Trustees to review this situation which has placed a troubled school in greater harm; to remove a current DISD School Board member from a public school is highly unacceptable and

an appropriate remedy MUST be developed and enforced.

• We call upon the Superintendent to cite specific statues that would allow for the ejection of an elected official from pubic school property, within that member’s Trustee District. We call upon the superintendent to address the criteria for permitting one trustee to attend staff meetings while excluding other trustees.  We call upon the superintendent to adhere to his amended contract that requires him to foster positive relationships among school board trustees.

Concerned citizens of the Dade School community desire a stable learning environment filled with high expectations, dedicated, competent educators with a successful track record of working with diverse urban students.

October 16, 2014                 Contact:  Dr. Roscoe C. Smith

972-741-8213

Partial list of supporters:

The Honorable Mavis Knight, Texas State Board of Education, District 13

The Honorable Carolyn R. Davis, Dallas City Council District, District 7

The Honorable Harryette Ehrhardt, former, State Representative

Dr. Michael L. Bowie, Pastor, St. Luke “Community” UMC

Dr. Zan W. Holmes, Jr., Pastor Emeritus, St. Luke “Community” UMC

The Honorable Diane Ragsdale, former Dallas City Council member

Minister Jeffery Muhammad, Muhammad Mosque, Number 48

Rev. Bryan Carter, President, African American Pastors Coalition

The Honorable Robert L. Price, former, DISD, Board member

Dr. Michael W. Waters, Pastor,  Joy Tabernacle AME Church

Dr. Ronald Jones, Pastor, New Hope Baptist Church

Dr. Harry L. Robinson, Jr., resident of South Dallas

Shirley Ison-Newsome, retired DISD administrator

Dr. Alfred L. Roberts, Sr., retired DISD administrator, resident of South Dallas

Dr. Roscoe C. Smith, retired DISD administrator