DISDTrusteeNancyBinghamWillNotSeekReElection

Havingserved12yearsastheDallasIndependentSchoolDistrictTrusteeforDistrict4,NancyBingham
announcedtodaythatshewillnotbeseekinga5thterminthisMayselection.Mrs.Binghamwasfirst
electedtotheBoardin2004,shortlyaftersheretiredfroma32yearteachingcareer.Thelongestserving
electedTrusteefortheDistrict,whichincludesPleasantGrove,SeagovilleandBalchSprings,Bingham
saidsheneverintendedtostaysolong.Ifeltthatmyteachingexperiencewouldbringadifferentand
valuableperspectiveonpubliceducationtotheDISDandlikemanywhogointopublicservice,I
expectedchangestohappenmorequicklythantheydid.
Whenshetookoffice,Binghamsdistricthadelementaryschoolsthatwereburstingattheseamsand
someoftheworstperforminghighschoolsinDISD.ButmuchhasbeenaccomplishedduringBinghams
12yearsontheBoardofTrustees.
Overthatperiod,votersapprovedthreebondprojectsthatprovidedover$3billioninfundingforschools,
includingadding5newschoolsinDistrict4(AdelfaCallejoElementary,EbbyHallidayElementary,
SeagovilleNorthElementary,AnnRichardsMiddleSchoolandBalchSpringsMiddleSchool)aswellas
majorrenovations,upgradesandadditionstoolderfacilities.Projectscoveredbythe2015bondelection
arenowinthedesignandplanningstagesandwillbeginconstructionwithinthenextyear.
ThemostrewardingaspectofmytenureontheBoardsaysBinghamisthatwehaveexpandedthe
educationalopportunitiesforstudentsintheirownneighborhoodswiththereturntoneighborhood
schools.IamalsoveryexcitedthatDistrict4willofferthefirstsinglegendermiddleschoolsinDISD
thatareopentoallstudentswholivewithintheneighborhoodschoolboundariesandarenotcontingent
ontestingcriteria.AccordingtoBingham,afteranenthusiasticpilotprogramin2015,BalchSprings
MiddleSchoolwillbecomeanallgirlsschoolandFredFlorenceMiddleSchoolwillbecomeanallboys
schooleffectiveinfall2016.Whenwerolledoutthepilot,theparentsweresoexcitedaboutthe
programsthatweactuallyhadstandingroomonlycrowdsandawaitinglistforadmission.
OthergoodnewsforDistrict4students:graduationrateshaveincreasedtremendously,thereare
academicincreasesateverygradelevel,andthose3lowperforminghighschoolsinDistrict4have
completelyturnedaround.
In2012,SamuellHighSchool,partneringwithEastfieldCommunityCollege,openedanEarlyCollege
program,thefirstschoolwithinaschoolinDallasI.S.D.Studentsenrolledintheprogramwillgraduate
thisMaywithboththeirHighSchoolDiplomaandanAssociateDegree.Thesuccessofthisprogram
pavedthewayfor2otherEarlyCollegeprograms.Infallof2015,SpruceHighSchoollaunchedtheir
programofferingstudentsanopportunitytograduatewithanAssociateDegreefocusingonCareerand
Technology,andtheSeagovilleHighSchoolEarlyCollegeprogramwillopenthisfall(2016),alsowith
anemphasisontechnology.
OneofthemostcontroversialeffortstheBoardhasundertakenwastodevelopanewevaluationsystem
forteachersandadministrators.Withover20,000employeesintheDistrict,itiscriticalthatwehave
highlyeffectiveteachersandadministratorsworkingwithourchildren.Thenewcomprehensive
evaluationtoolutilizesdatatohelpdetermineeffectivenessitsnotaperfectsystem,butisfarbetterthan
theformerappraisalsystemsaysBingham.
ThereisstillmuchworktobedoneBinghamcontinues,inPublicEducationtherewillalwaysbe
challengesandDistrict4willneedtoelectarepresentativethatwillcontinuetoputtheinterestsofthe
studentsatthecenterofeveryvote.It'stimeforsomeoneelsetocontinuetheprogressthatwehavemade
overthepast12years."
Formoreinformation:PennyAnderlyat2147931448orviaemailatpenny.anderly@anderly.com