The message we send to our kids -- not in our kids best interest.

It's official I've been provided my own factcheck website. Now I am someone of importance and my stature in this community rises -- even if their intentions are of ill intent -- I believe any press is good press when you are trying to get the message out. After all if I wasn't hitting the right nerve, why would they even care -- I'm just a Trustee. It takes a majority vote the last I heard and I'm not much of a threat. Next stop a community organizer, the Senate and then the Presidency.

It's always easy to point out the bad in things, but it's harder to point out the good. If I didn't have faith in the Allen ISD school system I wouldn't be living here.

To tell you the truth I was quite surprised of Dr. Helvey's retirement announcement. I myself was expecting something else, but what is done is done. I do wish him well. It is not easy managing a ship that increases in size every year since the captain took command. When the ship gets large, its hard to manage every nook and cranny. Regardless, things are changing now. Although I do not stand behind the board's past judgements when it comes to prioritizing the issues, I am in support of the model to which we conduct business moving forward -- even if we have a ways to go. But, I for one, would not feel comfortable with a board that "gets along all the time". The basis for the board is the individuality of its representatives and I am under the belief that managed strife (or managed conflict) fosters and creates new ideas.

It is a fact that many, on both sides, can talk about what is good in the community and what the Allen ISD has to offer, but the important point to understand is that we have two sides and not just one. It's not a West versus East thing. Be assured even though there are those "message board enthusiast" who insist on infighting between communities, I have been to neighborhoods in Dallas, and other states, that make the entire Allen area look like the slums. If you believe that the material well being of the individual is what separates our communities, then you are ill advised and morally questionable. The fact that we highlight the two-sided view of what our school district looks like is proof enough that change needs to happen.

The statistics of the Allen ISD can be viewed in many formats, but the fact remains the same, we are below what we can achieve when it comes to SATs and minority success -- and these are just a few. No matter how much we personally believe our school system is the best, it can be proven over and over again that we may in-fact be viewed as just mediocre when it comes to our neighbors. Every school district needs improvement. If you believe the Allen ISD is perfect -- then you are blind. If you are steadfast and believe the message that our school system is the best -- then you aren't listening. The fact is we need improvement. Everyone needs improvement all the time. It is evident that we have started to put pressure on the seams, and it will only get worse before it gets better. We need to limit the impact on the student body, especially within the high school. No matter how much one may not agree, we must understand that 5700+ kids in one high-school is not the norm. But most importantly we need to send a message to our children as to what their real priorities need to be.

Side note: Personally, I like the makeup of the elementary schools, although I believe there are alternatives to splitting up neighborhoods. The fact is we need to adopt a philosophy for the school district that encompasses the need to protect our neighborhoods and the relationships of neighbors. The school district is not in the business of economic development for the city -- that is the cities mandate. We should not be splitting neighborhoods across geographic boundaries just to balance economic standings, once again that is the business of the city. There is nothing stopping the development of the East side of Allen from turning into the next Highland Park of North Texas. It just takes some ingenuity and clever economic development to make it happen.

By focusing more on the sports programs does not provide incentives for our teachers to excel. It also does not send the proper message to our children. I'm not saying that sports is not important -- what I'm saying is that we need to better balance the message to our children and the community. Why is it that we pay $10,000 stipends to athletic directors and only $300 to certain teaching programs? Why is it we buy a multi-million dollar stadium and crush our freshman class into an old 1950 era facility? What message are we trying to convey? If you are a parent is that what you want your kids being confronted with -- the belief that the sports programs are more important than their education. It's great that we win State Championships, but, to me as a parent, it would be better to boast about our number one rating in SAT scores or advancement scholastic honor systems. Don't get me wrong, I played many sports in high school, and had I attended high school in the United States, I would have most likely played college level as well. But I was not afforded that chance.

My mother was a single mom with three kids, going to school full-time and working two jobs, before she met my step father who provided us the means to see the world -- I was 11 at the time. My real father left us when I was 4. My Uncle used to tell me that there was two people that came back from Viet Nam -- those that were in body bags and those that weren't but might as well have been. My father was one that might as well have been. To my immediate family I was always going to be the blue collar job guy. "Nothing wrong with blue collar work" she say. "Maybe you just aren't designed for school like your brother".  What do you tell a 18 year old who was somewhat successful in sports, but ultimately was faced with working part-time jobs? For me I was lucky enough to find the military.

While in the military I maintained a family; worked 12 hour days; was constantly in the field or on travel; went to night school and attending as much schooling as I could on weekends, all while our Nation, at the time, was conducting war. For those that have never been in the military it will be hard to understand, but does that sound familiar? It should, I am just like the majority of those students who will share the same course and fate, but, for others, instead of the military it may be part-time work, it may be a craft, it may be marriage, or it may be prison. If we don't provide them a better message towards success, they too will have to struggle to make ends meet. Granted struggling is not bad all the time. It gave me the common sense not listen to the nay-sayers and to funnel that lack of confidence into what I could achieve. Today, I am the most educated person in my family. No I wasn't the poster child for advanced education, but, when time permits, I would love to hear about where you obtained your PhD. I'm sure it was a much better place than where I went. Regardless it was what I could afford, plus a dissertation approved by the Academy of Professionals is complex no matter where you went.


Dr. Michael Myers

ANY DISTRIBUTION OR COPYING OF THIS MESSAGE IS PROHIBITED WITHOUT THE WRITTEN CONSENT OF DR MYERS..