Dallas County Schools--public and private

Interesting “snippets” from The COMMIT! Partnership’s annual report, “Our Kids.  Our Tomorrow.”

·         750,000 students served by COMMIT!

·         Coalition of 160 different institutions with a “vested stake” in Dallas     County’s educational outcomes.

·         Between 1980 and 2010, poverty increased by 242% in Dallas County neighborhoods.

·         Dallas has 3^rd highest childhood poverty rate in U. S. (38%), behind Detroit (59%) and Memphis (44%). 

·         Dallas County’s job growth lags behind surrounding counties.  Between 2000 and 2012, jobs increased in Denton County (+63%), Collin County (+71%), Rockwall County (+89%), Kaufman County (+4%), Ellis County (+21%), Tarrant County (+10).  In Dallas County jobs fell (-13%).

·         By not increasing each student’s level of attainment, our region loses $6.9 billion in lifetime earnings for every cohort of about 30,000 students entering the K-12 system annually.

 

·         Hispanic and African American students lag woefully behind white students in Dallas County in every measured category:  in 2014, only 345 black students graduated “college ready.” Fewer than half as many economically disadvantaged students graduated college ready as more affluent students (1,128 compared to 2,600). 

·         56% of eligible students are not enrolled in Pre-K or Head Start. 

·         36% of students in Dallas County are reading on grade level by 3^rd grade. 

·         $33 million is left on the table in Dallas County in student financial support/services. 

·         Teacher supply is declining by 4% annually, while student population is growing at 1% each year. 

·         While there are examples of high-poverty schools doing well or better, poverty remains a key driver in low performance.  

More clear and compelling evidence that we must attack poverty and its associated stresses on children and families.  And, NOW!

The challenges facing our children. . .and us

Consider the statistical dimensions of our challenge in Dallas County:

• 2.5 million people live in the County
• 800.000 students aged 0-22
• 500,000 children in grades K-12
• 91% attend public schools
• 70% qualify for free and reduced lunch program
• 12 of 15 school districts have more than 50% of children in poverty; 70% are economically disadvantaged
• Only 13% of students graduate college/career ready with only 4% of our African American/Hispanic students who represent 80% of all 1st graders
• By 4th grade only 1 in 3 students read at a level on track for college
• Only 1 of 7 early childcare centers have any type of quality rating
• Every year 5,000 students fail to graduate from high school
• Fewer than 50% of higher ed students graduate with a degree
• $5 billion of lifetime income loss to our region of each annual class of high school dropouts
• 344,314 total students not attaining post secondary readiness by high schcool graduation

--Source:  Commit!

Think on poverty: CitySquare

Check out "Think" on KERA 90.1 FM from yesterday, Wednesday, December 8 right here.  Once inside the site go to "North Texas in Need" to listen to a podcast of Krys Boyd's very beneficial program.   I was honored to be on the program during the first hour to discuss CitySquare and the challenges associated with poverty. 

Thanks to KERA for the opportunity to be on the program.

Imagining poverty in Dallas. . .

Working on a committee with Untied Way of Metropolitan Dallas, I picked up these facts of life in wealthy Dallas County:

11% of our households live on less than $10,000 annually

7% of our households live on between $10,001 and $14,999

16% live on annual income of 15,000 to $24,999

14% live on annual household income of $25,000 to $34,999

17% live on annual income of $35,000 to $49,999

15% live on between $50,000 to $74,999

7% live on between %75,000 to $99,999

6 % live on annual household income of between $100,000 and $149,999

3% live on annual income of $150,000 to $199,999

4% live on annual income of more than $200,000

Total residents of Dallas County, Texas as of July 2008: 2,412,827

Number of housing units in 2007: 938,053

Number of households 2000: 807,621

Consider the following definitions of livable wage earnings for Dallas, Plano and Irving, Texas without employer sponsored health insurance:

One adult/no children: $24,057

Two adults/ no children: $34,110

Single parent, one child: $38,644

Single parent, two children: $45,032

Single parent, three children: $59,671

Two parents, one child: $50,138

Two parents, two children: $54,259

Two parents, three children: $70,628

What are the most surprising findings that you notice in these numbers?
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