As long as we're all admiring Josh Benton,

Go look at his article on parents who transfer their kids to great charter schools. And the parents who don't.

Did you realize that Lancaster's Junior High is rated "Academically Unacceptable" by the Texas Education Agency? Why? Well, check out the comments at the GreatSchools.net site

(August 2006) My daughter has been at the Junior High for the past 2 years. She's never passed any part of the TAKS test and I don't see where they did anything to improve that. I agree that the teachers attendance is poor. Even though in some classes she was supposed to have a regular teacher she continously had subs.

(June 2006)"My son attended Lancaster Jr High for both 7th and 8th grade much to my regret.This district is in the worst shape as far as academics are concerned. "

(August 2005) " I have been greatly disappointed with the unprofessionalism of staff within the LISD Administrative Department as well as the previous principal of the junior high school. I have communicated with the principal and several instructors and I was disheartened by their lack of knowledge or willingess to share information on basic procedures. ... My property taxes are too high to accept such unprofessionalism."

(August 2005) " ... The teachers absenteeism was just as high as the students. I spoke with the assistant principle on several occasions and found him to be very unprofessional. My overall view of the school is very poor. My child will not be attending LISD every again. I am willing to sacrifice and pay for private school to help ensure her a proper education."

Anyhow, go read the other comments.

The point is, parents are ENTITLED BY LAW to pull their children out of such unacceptable schools. And have them enrolled in a better school, such as the KIPP Academy charter schools mentioned in the Benton article. This is free -- you're entitled to a state-funded education in an acceptable school, and if your local district can't provide one you may pick another school.

As Superintendent Lewis likes to say, Get the Facts.

In 1995, the Texas Legislature created the Public Education Grant (PEG) program [TEC §§29.201 - 29.205].

-- The PEG list identifies schools at which 50 percent or more of the students did not pass TAKS in any two of the preceding three years

-- Districts must notify each parent of a student in the district assigned to attend a school on the PEG list

-- Parents obtain a transfer by contacting the district the student desires to transfer to, in writing. The letter they have received from the home district, as well as the PEG list, provides adequate justification for the transfer request.

-- Parents may request a transfer under the PEG program any time during the 2006-07 school year.


A list of middle schools in Dallas County which might offer junior high students a better opportunity than the "Unacceptable" Lancaster ISD Junior High:



School Name Accountability rating
Lancaster Junior High School Academically Unacceptable
Highland Park Middle School Exemplary
William B Travis Middle School Exemplary
Aw Brown-Fellowship Charter Exemplary
McCulloch Intermediate School Exemplary
Coppell Middle North Exemplary
Coppell Middle East Exemplary
Ronald Reagan Middle School Recognized
Parkhill Junior High School Recognized
Children First of Dallas Recognized
Peak Academy Recognized
Irma Lerma Rangel Recognized
H Bob Daniel Senior Intm Recognized
Richardson North Jr High Recognized
B G Hudson Middle School Recognized
George B Dealey Middle Recognized
Grace R Brandenburg Intm Recognized
W H Atwell Middle School Recognized
W E Greiner Middle School Recognized
Apollo Junior High School Recognized
Austin Acad for Excell Recognized
Life School Red Oak Recognized
Westwood Junior High School Recognized
Henry W Longfellow Academy Recognized
Dallas Environmental Science Recognized
North Hills School Recognized
Coppell Middle West Recognized
Blalack Middle School Recognized
Kimbrough Middle School Recognized
St. Anthony Academy Recognized
Brandenburg Middle School Recognized
Webb Middle School Recognized
Polk Middle School Recognized
Lamar Middle School Recognized
Harry Stone Montessori Recognized
Perry Middle School Recognized
Field Middle School Recognized
Austin Middle School Recognized