THE FLU DOESN’T CARE

BLOG SERIES: ‘CIVIC PUNCHING BAG’

For two weeks in September, it looked quite possible that Dallas ISD Superintendent Michael Hinojosa would leave the district to take the head at Clark County schools in Las Vegas, roughly twice the size of DISD. News headlines told us he was resigning, then told us he wasn’t, then he was one of three finalists, then the DISD board, after declining twice to extend his contract past 2012, voted to extend it until 2015, and then Hinojosa was passed over for the Vegas job. Advocate publisher Rick Wamre followed the back and forth on our Back Talk blog and, amid the hullabaloo, gave two cents of his own — or more like a quarter’s worth. Read post excerpts below, and for the full posts, plus links to much of the news coverage, visit and search: Hinojosa.

SHOULD HE STAY OR GO?

09.19.10 It wasn’t the relentless carping by teachers’ groups that turned Michael Hinojosa into a civic punching bag. It wasn’t the endless stream of Dallas Morning News investigative stories (and blog comments) about this or that DISD shortcoming that destroyed the man’s spirit. It wasn’t the surprise $64 million budget shortfall two years ago that permanently damaged his reputation. It wasn’t even the currently divided school board, which has three or four automatic “no” votes for just about any initiative Hinojosa brings forward. All of that contributed to Hinojosa’s ongoing flirtation with the Las Vegas school system, but none was the final straw.

Instead, it was the oddly timed and ill-fated powergrab by Mayor Tom Leppert to take DISD control away from Hinojosa and the board that ultimately made DISD’s superintendent realize that he had better look after himself because no one who counts in Dallas was going to cover his back. We’ve collectively created a toxic environment that Hinojosa can no longer stand, even for $300,000 a year and even though he’s a Dallas guy through-and-through who likely would have been happy to end his career here had we given him the chance.

A SOLUTION TO DISD’S BIGGEST PROBLEM

09.20.10 There’s something fundamentally wrong with a job description that requires one person to be both a right-brain and a left-brain genius. That person may, indeed, exist. But if that person really is out there, he or she is by definition way too smart to take a job as DISD superintendent.

Talk about a dumb career move: Who in their right mind would want a job that is a guaranteed political minefield, one that will assuredly result in you being

You Said It

called a racist and an idiot, even if you’re being paid $300,000 a year? The job expectancy is only around three years, so about the time you’re getting settled and have surrounded yourself with people you can trust, you’ll be shown the door for some perceived failing that will likely damage your future career prospects and might not even involve what you’re best at doing.

That’s the situation we’re in right now with the job description for DISD superintendent. The single person running the district is equally responsible for everything financial and everything academic. And I submit to you, that’s a big, big mistake. We need to break the superintendent’s position into two separate jobs staffed by two separate people. That’s right — we need an academic superintendent and a financial superintendent, and both should be independent of each other and report directly to the school board.

And here’s the other beautiful part of that plan: Suddenly, the school board is responsible for hiring and/or firing the person for each position independently, so we as stakeholders know exactly who to hold accountable for what.

VEGAS BOARD VOTES 6-1 AGAINST HINOJOSA 09.29.10 In a weird way, this whole thing could be a turning point for DISD. The board has now given Hinojosa more than four additional years to run the district. And once he signs the contract, he’ll have his money guaranteed. That puts him in a unique position to take some dramatic action in Dallas to continue turning around the district, and it could make him a motivated man on a mission because he really has nothing to lose. Think D.C.’s Michelle Rhee with a whole lot more guaranteed money.

DISD trustee Edwin Flores, who was part of a panel discussion after a screening of the education documentary “Waiting for Superman”, said something interesting: He predicted that within 10 years, DISD will have one of two structures — either the district will be a veritable multi-pronged collection of public and charter schools, or 130,000 of its 160,000 students will be enrolled in charter schools.

“Those PR folks at In-N-Out really know how to work it. There was no way they were opening the first of several locations in Garland. I think they’ll open them all at the same time. But will anyone really care?”

—LYDIA ON “IN-N-OUT LOCKED IN AT CARUTH HAVEN-CENTRAL EXPRESSWAY”

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Q uestion of the Month

what’s favorite dessert?

My wife makes an roll with cream cheese then she also adds filling. It’s definitely the season. —NATHAN VAUGHN

Pumpkin and spice

—MEREDITH STEGALL

My mom made this wonderful pumpkin cheesecake put pecan halves drizzle it with caramel ... scrumptious! —ANNETTE BOARDMAN

Pumpkin flan! —L

Pumpkin milk or Doghead Punkin Ale! —JADA HARDI

Marbled pumpkin and chocolate cheesecake. Time intensive but yummy! —ELIZABETH ARDANOWSKI

Pumpkin crème brulee.

—TERRY CASNER

Cinderella cake with Prince Charming icing. Made with walnuts and real pumpkin, bundt style. Deeelish! I make it every year.

—BETHANY HOWARD JOYCE web editor Christy robinson compiles the On Advocatemag.com section. If you have suggestions for this section or our website contact her at 214.635.2120 or crobinson@advocatemag.com.