DeSoto ISD Has a Much Bigger Problem Than Financial Mismanagement. And It Needs to Figure Out Why.

Parents enrolled their children in DeSoto ISD with the expectation they would receive a strong education. And, when the district’s taxpayers forked over hard earned dollars, they expected their money would be put to good use.They got neither from DeSoto ISD’s former top leadership, and now the district is in financial crisis.But even as we worry about how DeSoto will slash its way to fiscal balance, there is a deeper concern: DeSoto’s academic performance is among the worst in the region.DeSoto was a landing spot for many middle-class, African-American parents who had grown disenchanted with the progress of the Dallas ISD. From all outward appearances, the district should have been successful. Before the bill came due, it spent freely on teacher raises and programming. It had enhanced summer school and Internet technology. It enjoyed some of the lowest student to teacher ratios in the state, 14:1 in elementary schools, a number most teachers would die for.  Continue reading...