Now It's Kunkle's Turn at the Chalkboard With His Plan to Address Dallas's Public Schools

By Robert Wilonsky Wed., Apr. 13 2011 at 9:08 AM

Mike Rawlings was the first candidate for Dallas mayor to address the Dallas Independent School District when, at the end of March, he unveiled his Education Plan. Said the former Pizza Hut CEO when discussing forming myriad partnerships and alliances with the district, "Some people will say education is not the mayor's responsibility. And technically it's not. But as leaders, we all have a responsibility to act."

Then, last week, council member Ron Natinsky introduced his "Priorities for Dallas," among them getting involved with the DISD. Said his campaign's statement issued immediately following that media gathering at The Cedars Social, "Natinsky has already met with Michael Hinojosa, Dallas ISD's superintendent of schools, and pledges to work in partnership with him and the business community."

Now comes former Dallas Police Chief David Kunkle to the lectern: Late Tuesday his campaign released a lengthy statement in which Kunkle said, first of all, "I believe DISD generally does a better job than it gets credit for," which doesn't mean there aren't some places in which he'd like to get involved. Such as: "I will improve coordination between the City and Dallas ISD in joint public facility planning and utilization including future zoning issues and population trends." And: "I believe our city leaders and staff should meet regularly with DISD officials to discuss ways to improve coordination and communication of our joint efforts." Says Kunkle of the need for the mayor to enroll in the process:

As your Police Chief, I spoke often of the need to improve our schools because I saw first hand that those who dropped out of school not only had a huge disadvantage in the job market, but that high school dropouts had higher arrest rates, greater involvement in violence, and higher usage of drugs. I often said, "If we don't educate, we will incarcerate." Graduating our kids and ensuring they are ready for college or the workforce must be a top priority not just of our schools, but our city as well. As Police Chief I supported and am a strong believer in after school programs that extend the educational opportunities beyond the regular school hours and provide good programming and a safe environment for our children.

We Recommend

tracker

Sarcasm and cynicism aside, I agree with Kunkle. The failures of the students are not necessarily because of the schools. His plans are realistic and address several of the failures of society that contribute to the failures of the students. A society can only do so much.

Phelps

I think Kunkle is confusing cause and effect. They dropped out because they are violent dope fiends, not the other way around.

Oak Cliff Res

Well all of the Punkle followers bashed Rawlings for getting into the DISD mess and said how he should run for school board if he cared that much about the issue. Do you all fill the same way about your own candidate??? To bad Mike took the lead on the issue because it's the right thing to do, and didn't have to wait for how voters reacted to and all of a sudden want to put you two cents in on it and repeat the same....

Travisdad

It's the "right thing to do" to get elected...but it's not going to help DISD one whit.

anon

wait, do I "fill" the same way after a good meal at El Ranchito, or do I "feel" the same way after a school board meeting?

Oak Cliff Res

I do both actually, you know you got 'em when their only come back is typo's...

Oak Cliff Res

@ MattL1 Again both, thanks for the input.

MattL1

Typos. You meant "typos." Plural, not possessive. [Sorry, I just couldn't resist.]

elbueno

Here's a thought...disband and privatize DISD.

Public school systems are failing worldwide. It wasn't built to last. Schools could break off on their own, band together to form their own districts (Highland Park anyone?). Tax monies would go away and people would just be responsible for paying the school directly like any private school. The model however, would allow for a great range of price points.

Alexander

HP has always been it's own jurisdiction. But thanks for coming to the metroplex 20 minutes ago and telling us how to run the place.

elbueno

Here's another thought:

have every neighborhood in the city secede into its own municipality (ala Park Cities). #breakupDallas

Blerg

Why? so that you won't have to "waste" your tax dollars on blighted neighborhoods in South Dallas? There's an idea: We should let the problems of poor communities escalate and do nothing about it. We could have shanty towns of unbridled violence, drug trafficing, and gang warfare. That would never have an impact on the larger metroplex.

I'm guessing you did not live in LA back in 1992. Do you not understand that this would lead to dangerous and volatile communities in close geographic proximity to where you live? Or is it that you don't want to understand?

trashtalk

Elbueno--there is a village somewhere without an idiot, a republican tea party meeting missing someone with an IQ less than 70, head lice missing from Rick Perry's big-haired do, a datapoint for faux news, a missing butt boy for Karl Rove, etc.

Hopefully, you get the point. Your talents are needed, but public discourse is not the appropriate arena.

Phelps

And of course, you have no alternative or argument, just insults.

Travisdad

So poor people get poor schools?

Phelps

Yup, right now poor people get poor schools.

Dallasite78

Well, they're certainly not being educated now, are they?

Any implementation of elbueno's plan would obviously include vouchers. Those "poor" children whose parents are so disengaged or lazy as to let them remain in the public school sewer in such a regime could be warehoused much more cost effectively if we quit pretending that they are getting anything out of school and replaced the "teachers" with uncredentialed minders...

Alexander

You are a vile person and I doubt you've ever stepped foot in a DISD school

Jay Hawk

But if the mayor and council start trying to run DISD, who will finish the signature bridges?

StopDISD.org

DISD could save lots of our tax dollars if they would only listen to the voters and taxpayers!

DISD MUST STOP wasting our tax dollars on renovating schools that will be demolished. Like the newly renovated O.M. Roberts. The contractors doing these renovations and building new schools are not suffering through any budget crisis. Millions were spent to renovate the school now DISD wants to demolish it and spend another 22 million to reconstruct a new one. Why not finish the renovations instead of wasting more tax dollars.

Bond monies will be used for this project, but if the citizens, voters and taxpayers had a choice they would revote to keep our teachers, revote for better education and revote for preservation.

And...in addition to the reckless demolition of the O. M. Roberts school DISD also seized homes residing behind the school only to destroy them to put in parking lots / playgrounds in-between the remaining homes. Does that make sense?

**NOTE DISD sent the residents letters in November informing them that their property was no longer needed, but DISD moves forward on spending millions to pave in a concrete wasteland in-between homes.

Also, over 1,600 signatures were submitted to DISD for DISD to consider an alternate solution that IS available, but they refuse to consider it.

Learn more at www.StopDISD.org

Click on the link below to view Satire Video on DISD's Land Grab

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...