Dallas school board members will decide today whether to pay $2 million to a Wichita Falls company to expand a program that grooms select students for Ivy League colleges.

Dallas ISD looking at expansion for college prep program | News for Dallas, Texas | Dallas Morning News | Latest News

This program has been going on at my school for two years and I have some major reservations about it. 

First, they have a bunch of the school computers in her office, I’ve not seen all of them being used.  However, they weren’t being used daily were they were previously at.  I’d like to place half of them somewhere where they would be used for more academic pursuits.

Second, students leave my room and other rooms during class time to work with her.

I know three students who have worked with her and I am quite sure that two of them would have got into the college of their choice – they were our valedictorian and our salutatorian and neither of them are first-generation college attendees.  I know for a fact , that both of those student’s parents went to college. 

She did help a Hispanic young lady get into TWU.  A young lady who has been in my class for two years and is very hard working.  However, I don’t think she really could afford the class time she took to work on the program.  She lost a letter grade, but that is typical of high school seniors.

I’ve attended the presentations given to the faculty and staff, and I have set down with the woman who does our program and talked to her about it privately.  Her office has been across from my room this year, so I do have an idea of what is going on.

I’d love to see them reach more than the select few we’re seeing help at our school, but again, I think we’re wasting the computer and time resources.