Dear%Dallas%ISD%Board%of%Trustees,% % % In%May%2013,%The%Foundation%for%Community%Empowerment%(FCE)%prepared%a% DisCussion%Paper%outlining%our%ConCerns%about%the%direCtion%and%proCesses%of%Dallas%ISD% Superintendent%Mike%Miles.%This%paper%was%prepared%in%the%Course%of%a%few%weeks%when%the% Superintendent%targeted%the%firing%of%effeCtive%prinCipals%in%lowJincome%neighborhood%schools.% In%preparing%the%paper,%we%relied%heavily%on%interviews%with%many%eduCators,%researChers,% parents,%students%and%others,%as%well%as%books%and%artiCles%by%eduCation%professionals%on%all% sides%of%these%issues.%Since%we%are%not%professional%eduCators%or%sCholars,%and%beCause%time% was%limited,%our%aim%simply%was%to%state%our%position%in%an%informal%treatise%designed%to%spark%a% wider%Conversation%among%stakeholders%in%Dallas.% % Yet%the%Crisis%oCCurring%in%Dallas%ISD%was,%and%is,%too%serious%to%drop.%We%were%not% satisfied%with%stating%our%position%without%a%more%thorough%engagement%with%and%presentation% of%supporting%researCh.%Thus%over%the%Course%of%the%summer,%FCE%Continued%to%analyze%Dallas% ISD%and%soliCited%the%help%of%professional%eduCation%researChers%in%Texas%and%around%the% Country%to%review%and%Comment%upon%our%May%2013%“DisCussion%Paper.”%We%were%amazed%by% the%amount%of%responses%we%reCeived.%Some%of%these%sCholars%were%already%well%aware%of%the% firestorm%raging%in%Dallas%ISD,%suCh%as%renowned%eduCation%historian%Diane%Ravitch%who%posted% a%Critique%of%Miles’%first%year%on%her%blog.%Others%were%not%aware%of%what%was%oCCurring%in%Dallas% speCifiCally,%but%resonated%with%our%position%as%the%same%marketJdriven%eduCation%reforms% Championed%by%Mike%Miles%have%already%proven%to%be%damaging%to%other%distriCts%around%the% Country.%Still%others,%who%did%not%share%our%views,%helped%us%Clarify%and%sharpen%our% understanding%of%these%important%issues.%% % % In%the%course%of%engaging%these%researChers,%new%issues%Came%to%light%that%exacerbated% ConCerns%about%Mike%Miles’%leadership%and%effeCtiveness%as%Superintendent%of%Dallas%ISD.%Most% notable%is%the%investigation%into%allegations%that%Miles’%improperly%attempted%to%influenCe%the% outcome%of%a%bid%for%a%Dallas%ISD%vendor%Contract,%as%well%as%allegations%of%a%subsequent%CoverJ up%into%the%matter%and%the%bullying%of%a%Cabinet%member.%Yet%the%tenure%of%Superintendent% Miles%was%problematiC%long%before%he%beCame%the%subjeCt%of%a%speCial%investigation.% % Over%the%Course%of%his%first%year,%a%number%of%alarming%events%Called%the%effiCacy%of%his% leadership%into%question.%The%Miles%administration%faced%an%internal%audit%for%violating%distriCt% poliCies%with%respeCt%to%hiring%practiCes%used%to%assemble%his%staff.%Then,%over%the%Course%of%the% year,%an%unpreCedented%number%of%these%senior%level%staff%members%left%the%distriCt%midJyear,% in%spite%of%historiCally%high%salaries.%It%is%now%doCumented%that%many%of%the%prinCipals%who%were% pressured%to%resign%or%retire%in%light%of%Miles’%newly%adopted%PrinCipal%Evaluation%RubriC%actually% led%their%sChools%to%meet%or%exCeed%state%standards,%several%with%distinCtions.%The%news%media% reported%that%the%Miles%administration%faced%double%the%amount%of%endJofJyear%teacher% vacanCies%than%Dallas%ISD%normally%experienCes%from%year%to%year,%a%Clear%indiCation%of%the%lowJ morale%pervading%the%distriCt.%These%are%just%a%few%of%myriad%examples%of%what%prompted%us%to% seek%help%evaluating%the%Crisis%in%Dallas%ISD.% % Engaging%with%researChers%in%Texas%and%around%the%Country%yielded%fruitful%results.%We% were%able%to%revise%and%expand%upon%our%May%2013%“DisCussion%Paper,”%and%produCed%the% enclosed%report%Complete%with%Citations%and%referenCes%to%sCholarly%researCh%pertaining%to% eduCation%reform%and%pedagogy.%This%report%provides%an%overview%of%the%history%and%Current% ConstituenCy%of%Dallas%ISD,%reviews%the%researCh%and%best%practiCes%of%Competing%approaches%to% eduCate%this%population,%and%evaluates%the%reCord%of%Mr.%Miles’%administration%to%date—all%to% answer%the%Central%question%of%how%to%best%address%the%eduCational%and%soCial%needs%of%the% Children%in%our%Community.%Additionally,%sinCe%the%issues%facing%Dallas%ISD%are%so%vast,%FCE% commissioned%two%additional%reports%Completed%by%leading%sCholars%in%the%field%of%eduCation.% % Dr.%DeCoteau%J.%Irby,%of%the%University%of%WisConsin%at%Madison,%agreed%to%Complete%a% Comparative%analysis%of%the%eduCational%theories%Contained%in%Miles%Destination%2020%Plan%to% those%found%in%best%practiCes%researCh%in%eduCation.%Examining%Miles’%brand%of%eduCation% reform%he%writes:% % The$Miles’$administration$represents$a$new$wave$of$non5educators$who$are$committed$ to$reforming$schools$based$on$business$principles.$With$a$focus$almost$solely$on$the$ importance$of$training$school$leaders$to$comply$with$business$concepts$such$as$Total$ Quality$Management,$many$so5called$“transformational”$and$“innovative$reform$ strategies”$fail.$They$fail$because$they$undermine$the$very$purpose$and$nature$of$school$ leadership,$teaching,$and$student$learning.$Market5oriented$school$reform$principles$ narrow$the$curriculum$and$reduce$the$work$of$teaching$to$standardized$instruction$and$ benchmarking.$$ % Dr.%Irby’s%report%examines%the%Miles%administration’s%first%year%reform%efforts%and%Covers%five% elements%that%superintendents%must%attend%in%order%to%improve%student%learning.%These%inClude% (1)%distriCt%CultureJClimate,%(2)%sChool%CultureJClimate,%(3)%prinCipal%quality,%(4)%teacher%quality,% and%(5)%Community%engagement.%This%report%is%enClosed%in%this%package%of%materials%for%your% review.%% % % Dr.%Julian%VasquezJHeilig,%of%the%University%of%Texas%at%Austin,%Completed%a%report%that% traces%Miles’%reform%philosophy%throughout%his%Career%in%publiC%eduCation.%Examining%his%tenure% at%Harrison%DistriCt%2%in%Colorado%Springs,%doCuments%published%by%his%Consulting%firm,%and%his% affiliation%with%the%Broad%Foundation,%Dr.%VasquezJHeilig%illustrates%that%Miles%embodies%what% some%have%Called%“triCkleJdown%eduCation%reform.”%Evaluating%outcomes%of%Miles’%reform% efforts%during%his%previous%superintendenCy,%he%writes:% % There$are$several$disconcerting$data$trends$in$the$years$spanning$Mr.$Miles’$time$in$ Harrison,$specifically$the$rates$of$attrition$at$the$secondary$level$and$academic$ performance$for$minority,$Free$and$Reduced$Price$Lunch,$English$Language$Learners$ (ELLs),$Special$Education,$and$Students$“needing$to$catch$up.”$The$Harrison$data$ complicate$the$positive$spin$that$Mike$Miles$has$framed$about$student$success$during$his$ six$years$as$superintendent$in$Harrison.$$ % Dr.%Heilig’s%report%explores%the%methods,%actions,%and%results%of%triCkleJdown%reform%efforts% under%Mike%Miles%in%Dallas%ISD,%and%uses%data%and%evidenCe%to%illustrate%the%Complexities%and% ConsequenCes%of%triCkleJdown%reform%in%a%large,%urban%distriCt%setting.%This%report%is%also% enclosed%for%your%review.% % % Now%is%a%CritiCal%time%for%disCussion%and%deCision.%Superintendent%Miles’%evaluation%is% slated%for%later%this%month%and%Dallas%ISD%is%at%a%Crossroads.%Miles%and%his%leadership%team%have% substituted%Community%engagement,%researChJbased%initiatives,%and%managed%transformation% for%a%selfJdesCribed%“disruptive”%series%of%Change%initiatives.%Miles’%poliCies%were%initially% designed%to%improve%the%quality%of%instruCtion%and%inCrease%acCountability%for%eduCators.%But% after%a%year,%his%administration%has%been%marred%by%high%levels%of%turnover%in%his%Cabinet,%a% misaligned%professional%development%program,%the%fostering%of%fear%and%mistrust%among% administrators%and%teachers,%and%an%investigation%into%interferenCe%with%a%vendor%Contract%and% the%subsequent%bullying%of%a%senior%level%offiCial.%Should%our%Children%Continue%down%this%road%of% disruptive%Change%in%the%form%of%Chaos%and%Controversy?%Or,%will%the%Board%of%Trustees%advoCate% for%ConstruCtive%Change%by%doing%the%right%thing%for%our%Children?%We%hope%this%package%serves% to%bring%Clarity%to%this%deCision.% % % Very%Truly%Yours,% % The%Foundation%for%Community%Empowerment% DISRUPTIVE CHANGE: MIKE MILES AND THE CRISIS IN DALLAS ISD A Report by the Foundation for Community Empowerment Released September 2013 “So goes the public school system, so goes the city.” – Linus Wright, former Superintendent, Dallas ISD ! Table of Contents Acknowledgements! 3! Executive Summary! 4! Introduction! 5! Dallas ISD: Historical & Contextual Overview! 6! Brief History of Dallas ISD! 6! Current Demographics and the Economic Landscape of Dallas ISD! 7! Socioeconomic Status and the Achievement Gap! 8! Education Reform and Dallas ISD! 10! Market-Driven Reforms! 10! Holistic Public School Reform! 12! The Dallas Achieves Commission! 13! Comprehensive Community Efforts! 13! Early Commission Success and Results! 15! Challenges with Mike Miles’ Record, Leadership and Policies! 15! District Leadership: Strengths and Challenges! 16! Professional Background! 16! Colorado Springs Record! 17! First Year at Dallas ISD: Instability and Disruption! 18! Destination 2020: Year One! 19! Principals and Professional Development! 19! Teachers and Classroom Instruction! 21! Communication and Professional Relations! 23! Pending Investigation! 25! Recommendations! 26! Conclusion! 27! Appendix 1! 29! Appendix 2! 31! Appendix 3! 33! References! 39! ! 2! ! Acknowledgements In preparing this paper, we relied on interviews with many educators, researchers, parents, students and other stakeholders on all sides of these issues. These include conversations with current and former teachers, principals, administrators and superintendents of Dallas ISD. Additionally, we