Dan D. Rogers Is On The Way Up
Submitted by Allen Gwinn on Mon, 02/22/2010 - 07:43.
by Michael Millican, President, Dan D. Rogers Elementary PTA
I am known as "El Presidente De Dan D. Rogers PTA."
There is something special going on at "Big D" (as I like to call Dan D. Rogers Elementary)
The Mouse That Roars!
We have along our Texas border an emerging insurgency of thugs crossing into our country with the soul purpose of creating a permanent drug mob within our Texas. It is of my own opinion that our best hope in stopping such a mob from becoming more established lay within the plight of our elementary children.
No parent I know would wish for their child's best financial future to be one of a drug pushing culture. But that threat is a real one and it's war now lay at our Texas State door steps.
The people of Dan D. Rogers, as an emerging community as they are, are our best line of defense in hopes of our continued area's prosperity and celebrated culture of class.
The challenges that Dan D. Rogers faces (if we continue to rise as we have in science, we will become a recognized school) are community based in nature.
This is a timid community that resides in mostly isolated, silent and benevolent community activity. But, because of our highly regarded and highly gifted staff, we are the "Mouse that Roared".
This is reflected in our rising statistical scores as well as our celebrated displays of "class". Dan D. Rogers took 3rd place in DISD Ballroom Dance Competition. That means that there are only 2 others in the DISD that could out dance us. What did mighty Lakewood place?.... "We got class"!
So here's a perspective of Dan D. Rogers that is well overlooked but is reflected in our rising statistics;
Take a bunch of children, all from an elite group of families, place them in a regular DISD school building with a "regularly competent DISD staff" (let's say Lakewood staff) and you will have a recognized school.
Now take that same "regular Lakewood staff" and place them in "Mexico City", same building, same Lakewood regular DISD staff ready to battle the plague of ignorance. I dare say that, "that school" would not be up to being or becoming, a recognized school by Texas standard anytime soon.
My point is, is that this school, Dan D. Rogers, and it's staff are defeating that ignorance.
"Big D" is fighting in a improbable battle for success, in an unlikely situation for success, yet is taking ground which is reflected in it's rising scores. That's a fact and not a boast. Big "D" is winning in the war against ignorance, year by year. Lose ground, take ground, Dan D. Rogers is taking, holding and continues to gain new ground. That's a good unit that can survive and be an example for others to follow.
Dan D. Rogers Elementary sits just across the border of Interstate 75 from the very rich Highland and University Park's community. The Park's community is expanding beyond it's borders, yet these people don't seem to wish to come to our School and are opting for Private Schooling.
If you took only half the amount spent in private schools I could dip the entire Dan D. Rogers building in gold.
In my opinion private schools only lead everyone to a class gap which leads to other conflicts. Whether you're talking about Fallujah or a people in Dallas, ''education is the key and the cornerstone of freedom, in Mason's alchemy. It's the same game going on here at Dan D. as in Iraq, just softer. In the words of the Mayor of Dallas, "education is freedom".
I hold no Degree and you wouldn't find my face on any magazine, or written in history books, but I was once one of three sergeants who trained the trainers, of the entire U.S. Army at the Army National Training Center. I am one of the inventors of the 7 day war and I can tell you that we can win this one by 2012 and take that success across White Rock Lake through Casa Linda and to the borders of Eastfield.
Ignorance is the plague of freedom; and diversity is the pathway of lasting success.
Plato taught that some arguments could never be properly resolved because each language had in his words a "bewitchment" by which we could never overcome unless we fully know the pitfalls of all languages. I believe that what has been stated here in this forum, suffers from a form of similar circumstance.
The measurement of a human's ability has always been an argumentative subject. The TAKS test is our best effort in evaluating our schools. That is why I say that "The A Team" faculty at Dan D. Rogers is second to none!
The purpose of this article, is to point out the plight and dignity of an emerging people.
The people I speak of are a very large emerging Hispanic community of which I am the only Gringo of my PTA (aka. "El Presidente" of which I am very honored).
My dominant Hispanic community has little hope of rising in their station in life but have great hopes for their children's rise.
Does this remind you, "of you"?
It is in the concerns of these hopes that I reach out to my white community's special understanding. Just think about it, how special our Dan D. Rogers teaching staff really is and what they could offer "your children and all of our children" for a better education.
The moment of our freedom has arrived.
This is a great moment in the history of "our America". It is within this generation that is now attending our elementary schools that "will see" a dominant Hispanic influence in the most important State of our United States.
They will truly become the Mouse That Roared. Further, it is most likely that the first Hispanic Governor of our Texas will be voted in office in the wake of this emerging dominant community.
Our first Hispanic Governor is sitting in our elementary school's desks and I pray that they are receiving the very finest in education, such as is being taught at our Dan D. Rogers. And through him or her, we will find a way to overcome the bewitchment between our two languages as well as our cultures where our TAKS test seems lacking to be a better judge of our education's true quality.
The bewitchment of the TAKS test, is that it effects our home values and right now, those home values are all screaming to get ahead of the pack.
So the down side to TAKS scores are the effect in our "end all, be all" quest for a thriving home seller economy and not in our quest for a lasting progression of our education, culture and community.
There's something special happening at Dan D. Rogers that flies far below our educational radar scopes and that is the true top quality education our children receive at Dan D. Rogers; and if that fact is realized by the eclectic community that surrounds our school, parents will be falling all over themselves to have their children attend.
My three children's grades are as follows; #1child, A-B+, #2 A+, #3 B,C* (*special education). How different are your child's scores in the Park Cities or Lakewood?
In my opinion our Dan D. Rogers, is the Bell of the Ball and a dandy place for any child, of any color or any religion to find the moment of their freedom.
[Ed Note: There is hope for this school and Sgt. Millican is an example of why there is. It's too bad that battle lines are being drawn the way they are in Ridgewood Park.
For a trustee who campaigned on "elevating all schools to Magnet School status," it's a shame he would rather divide and repress his constituents--as opposed to using this as an opportunity to find ways to turn this school around.
I hope other young Ridgewood Park parents, who I know this situation doesn't sit well with, will stand up and speak out. Here's an opportunity to do something great for your kids and others'.]
Counselor at Dan D. Rogers
Can anyone tell me why the counselor at Dan D. Robers left her position to work as a counselor at another elementary school in Plano? I'm wondering if she was effective in her role and how the school lost her. It seems that this is a school that could really benefit from a stable, long-term counselor to advise and guide the students and their parents.
Previous Counselor at Dan D. Rogers
What happened to the previous counselor at Dan D. Rogers? Why did she leave for a job at a school in Plano/Richardson ISD?
Thanks. I'd heard she
Thanks. I'd heard she herself had children at neighboring Stonewall Jackson, wanted a counselor position there and didn't like the position at Dan D. Rogers. Maybe just a rumor.
She was part of the RIF and
She was part of the RIF and was reassigned to another Dallas school, which was too far away a commute for her. So she found a job in Plano.
Dan D. Rogers PTA President
I think you are amazing! I think you are brave and intelligent and I applaud you for what you are doing.
Again, I think you are phenomenal....there is only glory in advancing the cause of minority children in a school that has challenged achievement scores and is disregarded as a neighborhood school because of questionable ethnic concerns.
I wish I had met you 3 years ago. Your strength would have helped me endure a school experience that I think only you could understand.
To Parents: Whatever school you go to, instill respect for teachers and authority, be mindful of attendance and punctuality, make homework a first priority for your children at the end of the day, read to them, volunteer in the classroom whether it's only an hour a month or 5 days a week, don't make a blanket assumption about people that live in apartments or McMansions, about Caucasians or Hispanics or African Americans. People really should be judged by the content of their character. Defy assumptions, presumptions, preconceived prejudices, treat others as you would like to be treated and remember.......be part of the solution and not the problem. Take your time, talents, energy and resources to make Dan D. Rogers the school you think it should be. Grassroots movements across history have made changes that we all have benefited from today in every aspect of our lives.
Listen to an old Beatles song, revisit the words of Martin Luther King, listen to the words of a traditional worship hymn, reads a passage out of the Bible, watch the Blind Side, be truthful to yourself about inherent prejudices, invite a person of a different social, ethnic and economic standing to your home, get to their children, live the sermon you hear every Sunday and be somone that makes a real change in the community. This fight is really all about the incredible education that Lakewood offers? Really?
We lived a school experience that proved what many suspect. There is more to this story than quality education. I've heard the truth personally out of the mouths of East Dallas parents that didn't realize I have no respect for any kind of profiling. And the things I heard were NOT just about scholastic achievement. And yes, I'm an educated professional and Caucasian.
Go Mr. President. I am a fan.
Our Great Dan D Rogers Staff
Any change in the Dan D. Rogers Staff would be a very big mistake!!!
Light Shines Everywhere...
Let's take a different view point. Let's suppose that we have a DISD wide "Einstein competition", where all the schools from literally everywhere had a smart competition, or in other words, an "Education Received" competition. Now from "your view , not mine", maybe you'd figure that our Dan D. wouldn't be mentioned.
I will not bring children into this forum, but you need to do your research paper with more research-ability. Because if you took that chance we gave you at our open house to personally meet and greet our Darwin's or Einstein's into the wonderful world of being free through education, then I can't explain to you what a wonderful privilege that truly was. "If I were you", I would have met their parents and spoken with them on what level of education their child is receiving at our "Dandy".
On the other hand, let's talk home values. Because if your not talking about bringing any children to Dan D. Rogers (like your own), then, "your opinion doesn't matter because the scores reflect that they are and have been rising".
So let's get back to home values. Let's say I include your home into Lakewood. "You get a $10,000 jump in your home values, Sweet"! Then you could afford to send your kids to privet school and still not have payed a dime.
If that's what the plan is, "I Say Go For It Because It Gives My Kid More Elbow Room"!
Have we all no shame? I ask all of you, when am I my brother's keeper? Maybe I don't like Jack that lives down the street from me, or Jill that lives just a block from my house. Why settle for Lakewood? Why don't we all just take over Highland or University Parks and take from their collective tax money? When did tax money become yours or mine but not ours? Maybe we could ask the soldiers fighting our wars to just "shoot less" because I got payment due on my Jag? Maybe we can just rope off all of the lower income families that fight our wars so we know who they are? Maybe we could just draw up a new district plan that could separate us more by income or the price of our homes, or maybe the goodness in our hearts? I ask you all, are we just a bunch of pirates and racketeers?
I am a constructivist, not an obstructionist. I do hope truth provides a better light.
El' Pres. Dan D. Rogers PTA
own staff rated her low
The principal's own staff gave her a rating of 20 out of 100 on the latest OHI ratings.
These are not ratings of kids. This is her own staff rating her near the bottom of the barrel in Dallas.
If she were the manager of a company, she would up for firing, except for her peers at Truett and Sequoyah and Stephens Park who are also rated extremely low with no consequences.
DISD spent almost a million dollars on the contract for gathering data on the principal ratings. A rating of 20 puts the principal right at the bottom.
Her SEI rates her effectiveness as marginal.
Yet, rather than dealing with the facts, sling mug regarding parents' willingness to put their kids in a school with a very weak principal on every measurement by the school district. Weak principals, weak school, get it?
Why isn't anyone asking the board member why this principal is still on this campus? There is no data to support her remaining there.
El Presidente-your grasp of housing values is as clouded as your ability to discuss the issues. No one cares about the race or income of the students attending Rogers. The school is one of the most ineffective in Dallas. If it were a hospital, it would be on a watch list, but your response is to have an open house rather than dealing with the source of the issues, and it's not the kids currently attending.
If you truly want to be your brother's keeper, try cleaning house at the administrative level of that school rather than hosting a bubble gum open house. The state of Texas has spent billions rigging up data systems to show exactly how effective schools are in the hopes that parents will use the information to make informed decisions.
Based on the data, educated parents will stear clear of this school. If that makes you unhappy, ask your board member to take action instead of continually using the kids' ethnicity or income as red herrings. Ask Bruce why an ineffective principal on every district measure is allowed to remain at that school.
Nutall has been asking the same questions of other elementary schools and got referred to Viramontes who know exactly zip about education.
And that is the basis of the real problem, not kids from apartments or parents' money, but the fact that the chief of staff of an major school district has never even led a campus.
Good luck, because unless Bruce is willing to exert major effort on the behalf of this school, not much will change.
[Ed Note: Before we go any further, yes, the OHI scores were low at this school but these aren't aimed at the principal. They're procedural. So this probably warrants either a correction or a clarification.
Bruce Parrott supported the Ridgewood Park parents group, completely, in their quest to remove the kids from the school. If this is an indicator on how he feels about Dan D. Rogers, I would say there's little hope of him "exert[ing] major effort" on the school's behalf.]
OHI is a rating of the principal
OHI is the rating by the faculty of the principal. There is nothing "procedural" about it, except that it is a rating of the current effectiveness of the procedures of the principal. It is the only SOS left to teachers in this district that their current leadership needs to change.
Take the current OHI scores across the district and compare them to academic outcome measures. It is apparent that low OHI scores are indicative of huge instructional issues directly related to principal effectiveness.
These scores don't correlate to race or income. There are extremely effective principals at schools of every race and income across the district. The kids don't make the principal effective or ineffective.
The district contract to get this OHI information was near a million, and the district fought the Dallas Morning News tooth and nail to keep the results a secret. The secret is exposed, the same way you exposed the pcard felonies.
Problem is, in both cases, there have been few consequences.
There is no such thing as a weak school without a weak principal. But the way to keep middle class parents off kilter is to call them racists when they don't want their kids in failing schools. Got news for you--Latino and black middle class parents would act exactly the same way. Every year their kids sit in a classroom with ineffective instruction is a year the kid doesn't get back.
The school is not weak because of the kids. Parents didn't ask for a change because of the kids attending the school. They want their kids in an effective instructional environment, and Rogers doesn't make the grade.
When companies and schools don't make the grade--the person in charge needs to be changed. Unfortunately, the district doesn't have the talent it needs to make these changes because hiring is based on church relationships, fraternity relationships, kinfolk, nepotism, and race-based hiring practices.
But then again, guess we could say all those millions in illegal pcard expenditures were just principal "procedural" errors.
The past board member did nothing about those "procedural" errors. Let's see if the current member lifts a finger to do anything about all the measures of principal effectiveness (OHI, SEI, middle school readiness) that indicate a much stronger principal is needed on this campus.
Until then, middle class parents who can read the data will continue to leave the city when they can't get a decent education for their kids, and that includes the brown and black ones. And they aren't leaving because they have a sudden dislike of poor or minority children.
Or, they can send their kids to private school the same way you did when you found middle school offerings were not appropriate for your child.
And they can still search for political solutions (change the board, change the board, change the board) for why they continue to pay ridiculous amounts of property taxes for substandard schools.
Forget all the emotion for a minute
Forget all the hurt feelings on one side and the taunts of racism. Parents who don't want their kids attending Rogers have years of evidence that it is a low functioning school.
Dan Rogers, according to its own Dallas ISD report card, is not even functioning at a mediocre level. Half the kids who leave it are not prepared for middle school. Its SEI score is extremely low, indicating an inability to perform well with the students who curently attend. Its Texas Growth Index indicates very little improvement in learning from year to year.
Forget the acceptable label, and look at the scores by grade level. Want your kid in classes that are achieving at this level? Of course not!
There is no indication that Rogers performs well with the students it currently has, so why hasn't there been a change in the administrator? The SEI is her grade, and she currently earns a D with scores consecutively less than 50. Those are district measures based on the outcome with the kids she receives every year. Why no administrative change, or are bubble gum analogies and singing supposed to cover the facts?
As far as parents coming in and changing the effectiveness of the school, the effectiveness of the instructional program boils down to teachers and administrators. Parents can support their efforts, but parents don't change the effectiveness of teachers or the instructional program just because they are involved. They can, over time, insist that better teachers and leaders be sent to the school, but that takes years. In the meantime, their kids' will go BACKWARDS in true measures of learning.
Teachers are not widgets. They vary wildly in terms of effectiveness. As it stands, the primary question parents should be asking is when they get a new principal who knows how to put an effective program in place. All the PTA money in the world counts for nothing until these changes occur.
If Rogers had more activist parents, they could still expect a lag of 3-4 years before substantial progress is made in getting better teachers and administrators.
Regarding the race, poverty level, or domicile of the current students at Rogers, if the school were topnotch, like the Environmental Academy at Sequoia, middle class parents would be knocking the doors down to get in and it could be a majority minority school. Funny how willing parents are to have their kids mingle with all races and social classes as long as a great education is being offered.
It is also very odd that Mr. Blogowner did not take this same attitude when his own child visited Spence and declared it unacceptable. Mr. Blogowner did not run across town and insist that with enough time and good parents, the situation could be turned around in a couple of years. That did NOT happen.
These parents are wise to use the data available for the purposes it was put there: to educate consumers on the quality of offerings based NOT ON RACE, but on instructional effectiveness.
In regard to the PTA parent, nothing in your remarks speaks to the fact that kids who attend Rogers are not achieving at anything but minimal levels. Bubble gum, Santa Ana, etc and all the inclusiveness in the world have nothing to do with the fact that the school is not an effective educational institution. Honor choir and TAG kids not withstanding, kids are not being prepared to enter middle school with the academic skills they need to be successful. With Dallas ISD middle schools being as weak as they are, in most cases, these Rogers kids will fall even farther behind before they reach high school. Choirs of angels won't affect the difficulties that lay ahead in high school after attending a series of lower quartile schools.
Bottom line, the refusal of parents to send their kids to a school that is ineffective is a mark of wisdom, not racism.
[Ed Note: So I'm trying to make a connection here. You appear to be taking the position that there are some schools that are just worthy of abandon. Is this a fair summary of your position here?]
Ignorance is bliss, huh?
The ONLY reason I see hope for Rogers is the principal and staff. If they took out our principal, I would leave the school. Shes a huge reason why I have such faith in the school in the first place. Do you even know her yourself to cast such judgment? Or are you going on assumptions and a grading system that is totally illogical. Its comments like this that make me frustrated in this situation cause if you were in charge my kids would be a lost cause. We have to start some where in educating these children who come from backgrounds that have way more to make up in school. Should we just give up on this generation of children? When the Hispanic community starts taking charge more in our government (which undeniably they will) I bet you'd be way more interested in their education when they are making decisions that effect you and your family. It is racism and prejudice, and you can claim all you want that its not. ALL children deserve the best education. Personally, I think if anything these parents that are against this school are more for being treated special because they have more money. If they want special treatment because they have better financial positioning, go to a private school and use it. Otherwise just shut your yap!
No Abandonment Issues
Until you as a parent are willing to place your child in a low performing school, it is rather odd to suggest that other parents do the same. Since you were not willing to walk the walk...
The suggestion was made to lobby for a more effective principal, for starters. An SEI of 45 is indicative of needed regime change.
As far as Lakewood is concerned, there is progress to made there also. With what is walking in the door, that school is not performing at the level it could/should either, and the teacher's remarks that kids he/she is receiving from that school are not performing at top level is also apparent from the data on Lakewood. 30% of the students from that school are not prepared for middle school.
Parents who are involved are wonderful to behold, and a group well-armed with the right data and attitudes could help reset the dial at Rogers. HOWEVER, that does not mean the group has to include parents who don't want their children in the school as it exists now. It will take years to make a change, and who want their own chilren thrown under the bus?
In fact, outside parents are in a much more powerful position to effect change since their kids won't be the target of harassment and retaliation and the school won't have the halo effect from the choir of angels. That choir of angels cited by the President is a heart-tugger, but the choir still has to be prepared for middle and high school and it's not happening at Rogers for enough kids.
As far as the bleating from the teacher of, "If we got better kids, we'd be better teachers," Rogers is not being measured on advancing the students of Lakewood. They are measured on how much growth they produce in the students at Rogers, and at this point, that growth is minimal.
Finally, trying to produce growth in kids at the top is much harder that producing a growth spurt from those at the bottom. At this point, Lakewood is getting twice as much growth as Rogers.
Again---start with holding the principal accountable for the fact that student achievement is lagging miserably. The current parents are not doing that. The president of the PTA is busy with building a mishmash of philosophical comments rather than organizing for an effective intervention based purely on one thing: academic achievement must occur at about twice the level it currently exists. Put the principal on notice and quit paying attention to all the school performances intended to entice parents who know better into the school.
Once El Presidente goes in with a focused group of parents, the following will happen:
-El Presidente will be called a racist for asking that student achievement be the focus of the day (racists are people who expect their children's education to meet middle class standards)
-El Presidente will be awarded a different chorus--one of bleating teachers whining about demographics
-El Presidente will become persona non grata if he carries out a mission of making those who are very comfortable with mediocrity very uncomfortable.
An elementary school that receives just an acceptable rating in the state of Texas is an elementary school that is failing. The low standards already allow kids way below grade level to pass the state test.
Maybe El Presidente needs to quit cheerleading and start asking for his money's worth as a taxpayer. If he wants to make a sea change at the school, he's going to have to make a lot of employees there very uncomfortable and quit gathering round the campfire with kumbaya melodies.
[Ed Note: I'm not with you on this. I think the problems at Dan D. Rogers are more than one person can fix. I think they're on the right track with a PTA president who actually gives a darn--and wants to move the school up.
Other than one commenter, here, I haven't heard anything negative about the Principal--not from parents, not from staff. There are plenty of comments about how little the administration cares--or how little support they're getting.
As best I can tell, there are a whole bunch of people (parents, teachers, staff) who want to overhaul the school. They're doing what they need to do to win.
We're going to keep following this story.]
Teachers at schools like Dan
Teachers at schools like Dan D. Rogers should be commended. Year after year, people like to pin blame on educators for ineffective schools throughout Dallas ISD. The truth is that many of the teachers face adverse conditions and do the best they can with the cards they are dealt. I still contend that if you put Lakewood teachers in Dan D. Rogers, the school would remain in the same status that it is now. Then take Dan D. Rogers teachers and put them in Lakewood. The status of that school would not change... It might even improve. I don't work at Rogers, but I work at a school with a similar population. My school is filled with "Teachers of the Year" in my opinion. We work ourselves to the bone. It is an uphill battle the whole year. At the end of the year, I am exhausted. The fact is: the population of Lakewood is 30% minority. Dan D Rogers....over 90% minority. The majority population of Lakewood comes from families that are well off. The majority population from Dan D. Rogers comes from families of low income. But, that wasn't always true. Lakewood used to have a greater percentage of minority kids than they do now...kids bused in as little as 4 years ago. But, somebody finally kicked those kids out. My school got some of them. Believe me, they weren't setting the world on fire. But, I worked with the cards I was dealt. And you know what? I found out that most of those kids weren't even given a chance at Lakewood. I have even heard from teachers that used to work there...that those students were even somewhat segregated. Several of those students that came to me that year that they were moved were pretty low at the beginning of the year...like they had hardly been taught. But with a little unbiased attention they showed tremendous growth under my instruction. Is it a coincidence that Lakewood suddenly became a great school when the kids from the Northwest Highway/Abrams/Skillman corridor were moved to another school? I think not.
[Ed Note: We go blue in the face saying that the key to all of this is parental/family/community involvement. The young, recently married couples who are moving into the Ridgewood Park area could make a huge difference at Dan D. Rogers.
It's obvious that there are passionate people like Sgt. Millican who want to see the school succeed--and are working hard to make it happen.
Then there are other folks who are working hard to see that it doesn't. What a shame.]
How dare they!
Unlike Michael, who is the main representative at our school for the PTA, I personally find that these parents in the Ridgewood area acted in a very selfish manner. I'm sorry but I call it like I see it and at this point I find it rather tactful than the other words I find fitting. When I was at the performance I saw only one face in the crowd I didn't recognize. Wheres all these parents that supposedly wanted a better education for their kids? When the staff of the school found out that people were saying they weren't doing a good job and had to do a special night just for nay sayers they all were busy trying to prove them wrong. You know these teachers and other staff were busy worrying about their job security and not wanting to be under scrutiny of their efforts to educate. What a waste of their time and my childrens to be busy running aroundgetting ready for this event. This time devoted to these supposed well wishers of their own childrens future, sure didn't care at alll about my childrens or others who need it also. I have great hopes for my kids future. I myself did not get far in school and in that regret I do everything in my power to have them succeed. My only hopes of college for them is in scholarships. I work so hard to make sure they understand the importance of today in their education. These children have more options then my own for schools by their wallets, I have mine with time, effort and hope. I would love to have these children attend with ours but if you didn't truely mean it in the first place your just hurting other's children, and for that please go somewhere else. I don't want your children in my school if they are anything like you. I see the benefit of my children learning in a school with a prodominent hispanic culture that i living in a small town did not get. They will get the jobs that demand bilingual employees, they learn to respect others differences, and unlike some, appreciate it and reap the rewards. My children see the sacrafice and struggles in some of their friends families and in that they learn something you just won't get in a private school. Respect, Acceptence, Human Equality, Hard work, Family values, Sacrafice, and Succeeding when so many want your failure. I even as a parent have learned a lot from knowing these families. They want the same as i want for my children but have even more things to overcome than I at times. I sure can't get that from a stuffy rich private school. My family has learned way more from attending here that money just can't buy. Thanks to all the staff of Rogers for working so hard for the children. I see your efforts and I appreciate your dedication to the community and our future. I hope these people didn't make you feel unappreciated for all the time you devote to others children while being away from your own quite frequently. There is no amount of words that fully explain my respect and gratitude of your hard work. THANK YOU!
[Ed Note: That's why we also need to keep an eye on our new board member. He may not be aware of the implications of some of the things he pushes for.]
Bruce Parrott
How can Parrott be so callous as to want to destroy a school like this?
Dan D. Rogers Elementary
Dan D. Rogers, The Aftermath;
Out of 380 pieces of Bubble Gum, about 230 now remain. The evening was full of smiles and cheers for our Principal's wonderful rendition of Dan D. Rogers past and present. Our Honor Choir was in top form as they sang great hits like, "The Dan D. Rogers Anthem and Rock Around The Clock" complete with two sets of perfectly preforming swing dancers from our Ballroom Dancing Team. Most all of our great TAG students attended. It was a very impressive sight when all the Tag Students stood up taking up 3 center auditorium rows (that's alota' kids!). Of those students, we have about 5 or 6 Darwin's and yes we do have one very impressive Einstein so you'd better watch out challenging our Math Club (which we should see the beginnings of soon).
No Prisoners;
You don't have to come to my school, it's your loss, but it's my loss too and I'm reminded by that in every smiling face of my PTA. It's when we come together, that we are our greatest, which is reflected in some of our earliest national flags. We at Dan D. Rogers have great friends to help. Wonderful parents, selfless Local Volunteers, The Lion's Club, "The Lion's Roar" and I can't say enough about all of their help.
No Siege?;
As the bulldozers wiped out older apartments in our service area, the number of students dropped from 800+ to below 500 at Dan D Rogers. The teaching staff and portable buildings were all adjusted to fit our need. Yet there is no siege of returning local community from our privet schools. The Lakewood schools provide a perfect blue print of how a community can reclaim it's schools through a strong funded PTA. This is your school, our school and the doors are all wide open.
Plato was right in his description of the "bewitchment of languages". As far as the issues of who comes Dan D. Rogers I say that; The question isn't about if your kids will receive a great education, because if their at Dan D. they will. And as far as "this bewitchment" it's only a fear of finding new words or treading new ground, by which we can all understand and progress forward to see that there is no monster in the closet.
In The Beginning;
In an earlier meeting at Starbucks in Casa Linda, Mr. Parrot and I attempted to address the concerns of some future Dan D. Rogers parents to put them at ease of their fears and I hope we did so. "I would really like to see their children attend". These people all looked like great examples of good local parents with genuine concern for their children's future.
El'Presidente's Words of Wisdom from all of it;
If you've never been PTA President or District Trustee before, remember this, "You Can't Please Everyone". You can try, but some will always be left upset that your decision didn't exactly match theirs. Everyone has delusions of grandeur and finds the frailty of Man, some overcome the frailty of man and achieve something grand, yet no one will ever achieve anything, unless we achieve it together.
You can trust El'Presidente on that fact ;)
Thanks!
Open House
Come See Our Dan D.Rogers For Your Self;
Dan D Rogers Elementary is holding an open house. For all that wish to come, Bubble Gum will be served in recognition of our Texas culture. Because on the day of February 23 in the year of our Texas 1836, General Santa Anna's Army arrived at the Alamo beginning the most tragic event in our relations with Mexico and as Texans we all know it's outcome.
Well after this unfortunate decision of Santa Anna, he went on to help in the invention of Bubble Gum with the help of Thomas Adams and a Gentlemen named Wrigley.
For all those who do come, you are most welcome.
But Remember This;
Rev. Dan D Rogers himself was a man of prayer and not a soldier. General Santa Anna was a soldier without a prayer and I am sure from the outcome of his decision, that he would have rather made Bubble Gum.
Our Dan D. Rogers elementary is no fortress, it is a Texas prayer for our community's inevitable future's best outcome.
Many people ask me "El' Presidente how much is your Bubble Gum?" and to them I say, the price lay inside your heart.
Event List;
6:30 PM - Our Choir will be singing, Deep in the Heart of Texas and a tribute to Rev. Martin Luther King. (our chior sounds just like the angels they are, truly wonderful).
Following this, our special forces teaching staff will be available to speak on the education that our wonderful Dan D. Rogers provides. They are not into politics, they are just very special teachers.
However, If you are into politics or have any other issue you wish to discuss, The Dan D. Rogers Counselor General and I, El' Presidente, will be "more than happy" to speak with you.
Dan D. Rogers, Where Everyone is Welcome!
Thank You,
El' Presidente De Dan D Rogers PTA
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