We need new leadership on the DISD Board in District 2 and Nancy Rodriguez

is the clear choice.  

​

Nancy is the only candidate who, as a district parent, personally understands the

failures of DISD's standardized test focused policies.   

​

Current trustee Dustin Marshall* boasts,

​

"Dallas ISD has seen strong and consistent gains for our students, with a

14-percentage point increase in [STAAR] achievement during my tenure on the

Board of Trustees."

​

While Mr. Marshall's tenure has focused on ensuring STAAR gains (a test not well

thought of by many including Texas educators), DISD has been flat to declining in

student outcomes on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, widely viewed

as the gold standard for evaluating educational progress. 

​

To give every student the quality education they deserve, we need a trustee setting

policies that are based on sound academic research, not on unproven hypotheses

focused on STAAR standardized test score gains.

​

Nancy is also the only candidate AGAINST paying our teachers for

standardized test scores. DISD's current merit pay system, named the Teacher

Excellence Initiative (TEI), is based on state STAAR standardized test scores.  

​

Dustin Marshall* says, 

​

"I am a strong believer in data. As a management consultant at Bain & Company,

        I developed a strong appreciation for research and analysis."

​​

"With TEI Dallas ISD knows exactly which teachers are most effective in the

        classroom."

 

Yet, a peer-reviewed report including Dallas ISD's TEI data found "weak to nonexistent

relationships" between TEI and the quality of teachers' instruction. Researcher

Dr. Polikoff said, "Our findings show that they are not picking up the things we think of

as being good teaching.....Given the growing extent to which states are using these

measures for a wide array of decisions, our findings are troubling.” 

​

Nancy as trustee will do more than speak of appreciating data, she will actually read the

research and ensure the policies implemented meet the standard for best practice.

 

As Nancy has said, "These are our schools." We deserve a trustee who will fight for our 

students' best interests instead of one's own political agenda. That trustee is Nancy!

​

​

​

*dustinmarshall.com/priorities 9.14.20