The Uninformed Parent: Recent Episodes
Keri Mitchell
We’ve come to our final episode of The Uninformed Parent. In an event hosted by Heritage Oak Cliff, I was invited to moderate a panel about public school choice. The panel consisted of Angie Gaylord, Dallas ISD’s Deputy Chief of Transformation and Innovation, and two neighborhood parents: Andy Ramirez and Kay Wood. Our conversation [...]
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Sacha Rappmund started kindergarten at Hogg Elementary last fall. (Photo by Danny Fulgencio) In this episode of The Uninformed Parent, I circled back to Denise Rappmund, whose story began this podcast series Choosing where her son would start his education was an anxiety-filled decision for her, as it is for many parents. [...]
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In this episode of The Uninformed Parent, I spoke with Laura Corkery, mother to a 5-year-old girl and 3-year-old boy who currently attend private primary school Springhill Montessori together. Next year though, the siblings are parting ways, as her daughter will be attending Harry Stone Montessori, a public Dallas ISD school, for first grade. [...]
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In this episode of the Uninformed Parent, I visited Reagan Elementary to check out the school’s project-based learning initiative. The Reagan students pinpointed problems that hit home for them — such as Oak Cliff’s water supply, and why they were losing classmates to new developments in the uber popular Bishop Arts District, where their [...]
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Intro: In this episode of The Uninformed Parent, I visited Stockard Middle School and spoke with principal Heather Holland, who had just wrapped up her first year as the campus leader. Prior to being principal, Holland was both a teacher, then an assistant principal at the school, and she lives in the neighborhood, so coming [...]
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Intro: In this episode of the Uninformed Parent, I sat down with Jamie Laws, a mother of two living in Winnetka Heights. After a great experience with a private Montessori preschool, Laws enrolled both of her children in Harry Stone, a public Montessori magnet school. Laws shares the purpose of the Montessori method of education, [...]
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Intro: In this week’s episode of The Uninformed Parent, I spoke with Louise Kahn Elementary Principal Monica Marquez and took a tour of the campus. It’s clear what Marquez is sculpting Kahn to be: not just any school, but a school shaped to each child’s needs. One way Kahn’s campus is putting this into action [...]
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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Lisa Taylor lives close to Quintanilla Middle School but didn't really know it existed until just before she began teaching there a few years ago. She's now an English as a second language, or ESL, teacher, and has made it her mission to create a holistic education for her students. Taylor has poured herself into [...]
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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]In a recent episode, we talked with a family, the Lukases (or Lukai, as they call themselves), that is on its second generation of students attending Lida Hooe Elementary. For this episode, I sat down with Lida Hooe Principal Fernando Rodriguez to talk about what makes the school special. A clear message that came through [...]
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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]If you listened to the last episode, you know that we did something different. A few months ago, we collaborated on an event with the North Oak Cliff Branch of the Dallas Public Library. The event was intended to help parents learn more about their school options. I invited three parents to join me, all [...]
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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Episode 17: The Lukas family did a 180 moving from California back to Gretchen’s stomping grounds in Oak Cliff. Not only were Mike and Gretchen forced to figure out their job status and living situation, but they had young children, Gwen and Ian, and were confronted with the big question every parent faces, “Where will I [...]
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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Episode 16: In this episode, we talk about tips and tricks for navigating school choice. Podcast credits: Keri Mitchell, produced by Advocate Magazines Music by HookSounds Full transcript This week’s episode is a bit different. A few months back, the North Oak Cliff Branch of the Dallas Public Library invited us to collaborate on an [...]
The post Picking a school is hard, but we’ve got 7 hacks to help you out appeared first on Oak Cliff.
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Episode 15: In this episode, we speak with education expert Pedro Noguera and Dallas ISD assistant superintendent Cecilia Oakeley about what parents should consider when choosing a school. Podcast credits: Keri Mitchell, produced by Advocate Magazines Music by HookSounds Full transcript When Pedro Noguera was in town last spring as the keynote speaker for Commit’s [...]
The post What should parents look for in a school? ‘Joy in learning’ appeared first on Oak Cliff.
Episode 14: Botello Elementary Principal Maria Puente is relatively new to the job but she isn’t new to the school. Puente served as assistant principal under Dr. Reyna Sotelo, who was promoted to oversee several schools in Oak Cliff and left Botello in the capable hands of her teammate. Puente has carried on the vision of [...]
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Episode 13: It’s one thing to research a school online. It’s another altogether to take a tour and experience it for yourself. In this episode, we accompany Becca Leonard on a tour of Felix G. Botello Elementary. It’s the school her neighborhood is zoned to and where her young children may attend someday, though few of [...]
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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Episode 12: What’s the difference between a good school and a bad school? Are those perceptions based on reality or do those perceptions become reality? Felix G. Botello Elementary in the Oak Cliff neighborhood of Dallas receives high marks from pretty much every school rating system that exists. But among families in Wynnewood North, who were [...]
The post When none of your neighbors go to the neighborhood school appeared first on Oak Cliff.
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Episode 11: Rachael Lieck Bryce has two children. Her daughter is in college and her son is in elementary school. Finding a school to fit his needs proved to be a difficult process. The family lives in Wynnewood North but as Rachael’s son entered kindergarten, they transferred him into Rosemont Elementary in Kessler Park, a well [...]
The post Sometimes the ‘best’ school isn’t what’s best for your child appeared first on Oak Cliff.
Episode 10: Mike Morath was a Dallas ISD board member for four and a half years before Gov. Greg Abbott appointed him to be Texas Education Agency commissioner. His children weren’t yet school age when he lived in Dallas, but when he moved to Austin, Morath was faced with the same decision that every parent faces: [...]
The post How did Texas’ top education official choose his child’s school? appeared first on Oak Cliff.
Episode 9: Nearly two decades ago, Amy Tawil’s oldest child started attending Rosemont Elementary in Oak Cliff as a kindergartner. Today, she's a kindergarten teacher at the school. We sat down to talk to Amy during her eighth year as a Rosemont teacher and listened to the story of the school’s evolution through the lens of her experiences, first [...]
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Episode 8: Rachel Moon led Rosemont Elementary for five years, three as principal and two as vice-principal. The school has one of the more engaged communities of parents in Dallas ISD. Lucky for Moon, she spent years at the school district’s administrative offices focusing on parent involvement. “We believe parents are our customers, and so [...]
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Episode 7: Brian and Emily Smith are leaning toward public school for their almost kindergarten son, Weston, partly because of their own good experiences in public schools. But they don’t know much about their neighborhood elementary school, Rosemont, and their online searches to find answers to their questions haven’t been very successful. Luckily, Rosemont Principal [...]
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Episode 6: Brian and Emily Smith live within walking distance of two elementary schools that are well-regarded by parents in the north Oak Cliff area of Dallas, Texas. Rosemont Elementary is a public Dallas ISD school, and The Kessler School is a private school affiliated with Kessler United Methodist Church. Their son will start kindergarten at one [...]
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Episode 5: Denise Rappmund shares some of the surprises that greeted her when moving her son from a private preschool to a public elementary school — namely, loss of control over his lunch (and even breakfast) choices and a lack of reliable digital communication. We also meet Brian and Emily Smith, who are trying to [...]
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Episode 4: A pay-for-pre-K option gave the Fernandez family the option to move their 4-year-old son from his private Montessori preschool to a public school, and it wasn't a decision they made lightly. Podcast credits: Keri Mitchell, produced by Advocate Magazines Music by HookSounds Return to Main Podcast Page
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Episode 3: Leadership is crucial to an organization. Any education expert, or even veteran parent, will tell you that a principal can make or break a campus. For Denise Rappmund, meeting James S. Hogg Elementary Principal Jairo Casco was further confirmation that Hogg was the school for her son. Podcast credits: Keri Mitchell, produced by Advocate [...]
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Episode 2: We're back at the James S. Hogg Elementary playground with Denise Rappmund and her son, Sacha, who started kindergarten at the school this fall. We talk about why so many Dallas public schools have room for so many more students, and what we mean when we talk about diversity at schools. Is diversity [...]
The post What do parents really want in a school? appeared first on Oak Cliff.
Episode 1: That's the main question we'll be exploring this year. Our hope is to help Dallas parents take a better and deeper look at their neighborhood schools, and journey with families for all of the questions, hesitations, soul-searching, etc. that revolve around school decisions. We're starting with schools in north Oak Cliff, where the [...]
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Thanks to Michele Meals, Oak Cliff resident and Advocate marketing director, for these photos of 10-year-old Lane Crew. The youngster entered the El Ranchito Elvis contest Thursday night. Click this link to watch a video: youngelvis
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Blocks away from Stevens Park Golf Course on a snowy or icy day, it is possible to hear children and adults screaming and laughing on the course as they zip downhill on sleds, makeshift or otherwise. Our neighborhood's public golf course might be the best sledding anywhere in Dallas. We took a few pictures of [...]
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Why were passengers stuck on the power-and-waterless Carnival Cruise ship so long? What was it really like spending five days on a “floating port-a-let”? Local real estate attorney Mike Patterson was onboard the infamous Triumph voyage with his wife. Yesterday, he talked to drive-time radio hosts (Corby Davidson, of Lake Highlands, Danny Balis, of East Dallas, and Mike Rhyner, [...]
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According to a variety of local reports, the DISD board has selected a Colorado Springs school superintendent — Mike Miles, 55 — as the new DISD superintendent, pending a mandatory state waiting period until the final vote in several weeks. A quick Google search turns up a few links to Miles, a 1978 West Point [...]
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Our guest for this week’s Advocate Radio interview podcast is Bill Bragg. Never heard of him? Possibly. But if you live in Texas, you’ve undoubtedly heard his voice. His most famous character? The State Fair’s Big Tex! Bragg shares inside info about his State Fair gig and his radio project Yesterday [...]
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This week’s Music Monday features Trey Johnson, the subject of an Advocate Q&A last year. Johnson’s new album “Where the East Ends” contains an eclectic musical mix featuring band members James Driscoll, Rich Martin and Don Cento, plus appearances from a number of their contemporaries. Two faves, “Salt of the Earth and “Rain”, are on [...]
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It’s Monday and that means local music on Advocate Radio. Today we have some good stuff: I have a song off the new record from Jackopierce, whose Cary Pierce is the subject of the Advocate’s “Conversation Piece” in the East Dallas and Lake Highlands September editions. Pierce will be teaching choir this semester at St. [...]
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Vicki Hitzges, motivational speaker, former television news reporter and author of the new book, “Attitude is Everything, 10 Rules for Staying Positive” joins us for a podcast interview this week. She shares some secrets to staying happy including tips on ridding your life of unnecessary worry, and talks a little bit about what [...]
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Rudy Bush, the city hall reporter for The Morning News, Rick Wamre and I discuss what comes next when the city council begins its budget deliberations in the next couple of works. Rudy doesn't expect a property tax hike, which made me happy. We also wondered how happy the cops will be with taking comp [...]
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This week's local music podcast features: The BAcksliders with "Damaged Goods", Charming Gardeners with "Mission to Mars", Morning Elephant's "Stubborn One" and Electro Magnetics with "I know Better". This week's music is all based on the recommendations of The Advocate's Facebook fan — thanks for your input! LISTEN HERE: Music Monday 7.26
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This week’s Advocate radio interview (Listen: Interview-John Slate) is with John Slate, city archivist, who was not here on official City of Dallas business, but just as an author discussing his book, “Historic Dallas Parks.” Slate tells us about what he considers some of the more interesting stories and legends behind the parks—Hattie [...]
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Totally aware that it's Tuesday, but since most were out of the office yesterday, we are posting the podcast today. Music Tuesday just doesn't have that ring. Today we have sounds from Eastwood, Local Honey and Taylor Vieger. music monday 6.5.10. (click twice to hear podcast).
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The Old Oak Cliff Conservation League recently compiled a list of at-risk historical architecture in Oak Cliff. The list was modeled on a similar annual list from Preservation Dallas. Conservation league president Michael Amonett recently talked to us about the list. Click here to listen to the interview.
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When the Advocate arrives at your door later this week or early next, you’ll get a look at our cover models — they are real lookers. On this week’s podcast, we announce the winners’ names, tell a few funny neighborhood pet stories and talk a little about our own. Listen here:Pet Podcast
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There’s no better way to mourn the departure of a dear coworker or celebrate a new addition to the team than a verbal tour of the neighborhood’s best pubs and bars. bar talk
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On alternating Mondays, we'll be listening to local music. This morning, tracks from Trey Johnson, Polyphonic Spree, Killdares and Boys Named Sue. Let us know who you want to hear: chughes@advocatemag.com. Music Monday 6.9.
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How do descriptions like “dire” and “unpalatable cuts” sound? That’s the word from Dave Levinthal, the ace city hall reporter for Dallas’ Only Daily Newspaper, who joined Rick Wamre and myself to talk about the impending crisis. What’s going to happen? Can we save the 200 cops and the beefed up code enforcement that we’ve [...]
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We invited Jim Schutze and Sam Merten of the Dallas Observer to discuss the city’s plan to build and own the convention center hotel. Our publisher, Rick Wamre, who has a few thoughts on the subject, joined in. Want to know what’s really behind the push to build the hotel? Worried about how much it’s [...]
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