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17 Sep 2025
Every Child, Every Opportunity: Dallas Education Collective

Every child deserves access to a world-class education — but for far too many in Dallas, that dream still feels out of reach. Roughly 144,000 economically disadvantaged students live within DISD boundaries, and 40% of children living in poverty aren’t prepared to start school. These aren’t just statistics — they’re the future of our city.

That’s why the Dallas Education Collective exists: to bring the community together and change this story once and for all.

In this episode, you’ll meet Nakia Douglas, a DISD graduate and the Executive Director of DEC, who has dedicated his life to improving education for Dallas kids. You’ll also get a front-row seat to a powerful DEC community event, where education leaders tackle the toughest questions facing parents, teachers, and students today — from access and equity to preparing kids for a future we can’t yet imagine.

If you care about Dallas, its kids, and its future, this is an episode you can’t afford to miss. The path to tomorrow starts now — join us and be part of the movement.

0:00
Sarah Zubiate Bennett
Host
Nakia Douglas
Guest
Dr. Tiffany Clark
Guest
David Williams
Guest
Kevin Malonson
Guest

Episode Timeline

All Episodes
01:38
Meet Nakia Douglas, Executive Director for Dallas Education Collective
03:37
What brought Nakia to DEC?
05:31
How is Dallas Education Collective different than other organizations?
16:30
How can the DEC initiatives impact children currently enrolled in the DISD?
27:55
The one issues that seems to face most schools, no matter location
29:36
What does REAL accountability look like inside the classroom?
34:27
What should we be doing right now to ensure that education keeps up with tomorrow?
37:24
Let’s talk AI in schools
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Join host Sarah Zubiate Bennett on Let’s Talk Local as she uncovers the stories, people, and places shaping Dallas, fostering a stronger and more connected community—let's get to know the real Dallas!

Full Transcript

00:00
Sarah Zubiate Bennett
Hi. I'm Sarah Zubiate Bennett, and one of my greatest passions is helping Dallas grow, especially by creating opportunities for the next generation. I've shared before that my mother was a public school teacher in El Paso, Texas. She dedicated her whole life to making sure students who couldn't afford private school still had access to a quality education that will carry them into adulthood. Her passion shaped me.
00:21
Sarah Zubiate Bennett
It taught me that every child, regardless of income or background, deserves a great education. That's why I'm honored to support the Dallas Education Collective, an organization committed to building and opening public charter schools in Dallas' most underserved areas. Their mission is simple but powerful. Give every student access to high quality education, break the cycle of poverty, and prepare the next generation of Dallas' workforce. Leading this initiative is Nakia Douglas, a lifelong educator with a heart for this work.
00:49
Sarah Zubiate Bennett
I had the privilege of sitting down with him at a recent DEC community event, and I can't wait for you to meet this incredible leader who's bringing our community together to strengthen education in Dallas. Nikia.
01:14
Nakia Douglas
Yes, ma'am. How are you doing?
01:16
Sarah Zubiate Bennett
Oh, I'm well. Thank you. I'm so happy to be at the Moreland Y today.
01:20
Nakia Douglas
Yes, ma'am.
01:21
Sarah Zubiate Bennett
I love that you shared with me just a moment ago that your kids learned how how to swim here
01:25
Nakia Douglas
Yes, ma'am. And at
01:26
Sarah Zubiate Bennett
the Park Park South Y.
01:27
Nakia Douglas
Yes ma'am.
01:28
Sarah Zubiate Bennett
And we both share a mutual friend, Rodrigo Ross.
01:30
Nakia Douglas
Yes ma'am.
01:31
Sarah Zubiate Bennett
A beautiful exceptional woman.
01:33
Nakia Douglas
Yes. Oh.
01:34
Sarah Zubiate Bennett
And do you know who the executive director over this Y is now?
01:37
Nakia Douglas
The new executive director of this Y is Leanda Kelly. Okay. She set it up for us to be here this afternoon, taking care of our team. So no, this is special. And even going back further with my own personal history with the Y, when this Moreland's Y was off of Ledbetter, literally was that was a summer program I participated in as a kid as well.
01:57
Nakia Douglas
So, this is coming back home.
01:59
Sarah Zubiate Bennett
It's beautiful and I know that at the Park South YMCA, they have an early childhood school
02:05
Nakia Douglas
Yes ma'am.
02:06
Sarah Zubiate Bennett
Set up there and I know it's pretty robust.
02:08
Nakia Douglas
Yes ma'am. My kids actually participated in that.
02:10
Sarah Zubiate Bennett
You did?
02:11
Nakia Douglas
In May 2016, it'd be ten years that we brought them to our forever family. And when they first came to our home that December, my wife and I both were educators and we got to find someone somewhere for them to go. And they participated in the Park South early childhood program between Park South Y and Dallas ISD.
02:31
Sarah Zubiate Bennett
That's beautiful. That's beautiful. I used to raise funds for the YMCA and it's a very special organization. It has impacted my life tremendously and it's something that I love to continue supporting.
02:45
Nakia Douglas
Yes ma'am.
02:46
Sarah Zubiate Bennett
And is that why you requested that this very first Dallas Education Collective event be hosted here?
02:52
Nakia Douglas
I'll say yes and no.
02:54
Sarah Zubiate Bennett
Okay. Okay.
02:54
Nakia Douglas
How'd It that just happened serendipitously.
02:58
Sarah Zubiate Bennett
Uh-huh.
02:59
Nakia Douglas
But one of our close friends of the Dallas Education Collective said, had you thought about the Moreland's Wild? I'm like, I would love to have it there because of the symbolism that it has not only for myself and my family but more importantly for the community at large.
03:15
Sarah Zubiate Bennett
That's beautiful. And you're a lifelong educator.
03:18
Nakia Douglas
Yes ma'am.
03:19
Sarah Zubiate Bennett
You have been in education for as long as I know.
03:23
Nakia Douglas
Yes ma'am.
03:23
Sarah Zubiate Bennett
And you're a community gatherer, a person who I mean spearheads all different spaces within education itself.
03:30
Nakia Douglas
Yes ma'am.
03:31
Sarah Zubiate Bennett
What brought you to Dallas Education Collective and what helped you spearhead this?
03:36
Nakia Douglas
What brought me to the Dallas Education Collective was an understanding and alignment with my personal mission in regards to providing educational opportunities to those who need it most. As a lifelong educator, I've always sought to create the best learning opportunities for not only my students, but also for the families and the communities that I've been privileged to serve. And with this opportunity, it takes that to scale. I started off as a kindergarten teacher. I taught first and fourth grade, and I've been in elementary, middle, high school, and magnet school principal, and then also work with the school district.
04:10
Nakia Douglas
When you think about what we're able to do with Dallas Education Collective, we're able to push the status quo. We're able to allow not only kids, but more importantly, communities to dream again about what can be best for our kids. And more importantly, to dial in deeper with the community to create those wraparound supports and programs that'll be transformative. Because many people think that our kids aren't able to learn and or to progress. Sometimes it's not what they can do in the classroom.
04:37
Nakia Douglas
Sometimes it's those exterior challenges that they face. And so with what we're doing, creating that ecosystem around schools, it's gonna be so transformative that it's gonna change the lives of kids, families, and communities.
04:50
Sarah Zubiate Bennett
It's beautiful and I don't believe that there's anyone better than you to run this organization. I think you know this about me, but my mother taught in a an under Yes, ma'am. Privileged, underserved community for thirty eight years at the same school, Thomas Manor Elementary in El Paso.
05:06
Nakia Douglas
Yes ma'am.
05:07
Sarah Zubiate Bennett
And that's the community that I was raised in, in Ysleta. And you're right.
05:12
Nakia Douglas
Yes ma'am.
05:12
Sarah Zubiate Bennett
So many children in our type of communities Correct. Rarely make it out.
05:19
Nakia Douglas
Correct.
05:21
Sarah Zubiate Bennett
What is it that you are hoping Dallas Education Collective will do differently from many of the organizations that you've spearheaded before?
05:30
Nakia Douglas
Yes ma'am. One thing that we're doing differently and being more intentional is regards to our community convenings that we're here for today. These community convenings not only allow us to share information to the community, but more importantly, get insight and feedback in regards to their hopes and dreams, and more importantly, their expectations for any partner that's coming in. When we think about our school systems, whether it's the ISDs and other existing charters Charter here
05:58
Sarah Zubiate Bennett
schools.
05:58
Nakia Douglas
Yeah. Sometimes they are done in such a way that you forget about those that you're serving. We're putting those that we're serving at the forefront. And so through the Dallas Education Collective and our community convenience, we're not only educating the parents and the kids and the community about the changes of what's of what's happening in education, More importantly, we're allowing them to be an active participant because when they own a school, when they own a community, they're not only gonna invest in those students, but they're gonna invest in the entire community, and then therefore, it's trans transformational for generations to come.
06:31
Sarah Zubiate Bennett
I think that's exceptional.
06:32
Nakia Douglas
Yes ma'am.
06:33
Sarah Zubiate Bennett
And I hear through the grapevine that your team and you have been hitting the streets and asking entrepreneurs, local families a lot of questions surrounding what's been provided to them in the past. Yes, And what types of questions is it that you're asking of them for clarity surrounding your particular mission and purpose?
06:58
Nakia Douglas
Specifically, we wanna find out what are their current experiences and how the how they can be improved upon. How engaged are they? And are are they encouraged to be engaged? What ages are their kids? And more importantly, ages are they are they of their kids?
07:13
Nakia Douglas
What are their hopes and dreams, and how can we collaboratively work together to help them not only attain those dreams, but supersede those dreams.
07:20
Sarah Zubiate Bennett
Amazing. And what what does your funding situation look like at this point in order to enact these said dreams?
07:27
Nakia Douglas
Yes, ma'am. We have our original funder, mister Monty Bennett and his family that you all have laid the groundwork and now not only are we since making, but we're also gaining interest from other local nonprofits and more importantly philanthropic organizations that are curious about this work, that understand the need for the work and are looking to evaluate how they're gonna come alongside of us on this journey.
07:54
Sarah Zubiate Bennett
I'm just so grateful that your good name is at the front of this organization because I know there's oftentimes certain kinds of association with Monty Bennett and it saddens me so much because so many children need a second chance, need a first chance.
08:15
Nakia Douglas
Yes ma'am.
08:15
Sarah Zubiate Bennett
And have you found that your good name has somewhat worked to help pave the pathway to negate a lot of those negative thoughts and statements that were previously made?
08:29
Nakia Douglas
Yes, ma'am. Monte and I entered into this journey spiritually. That's how we connected. Beyond the mission, beyond the vision, it was two men understanding who we are and where we came from and what our goals and missions are in life and the legacy we look to lead. And it's been beautiful in regards to getting to know him.
08:49
Nakia Douglas
What's been powerful is the transformational ideas that are happening, not only internally, but externally. Mhmm. When I think about, you know, a lot of people second guess and question why I would partner with Monty. Mhmm. And I explained to them, I said this is a spiritual journey that I'm on that some people won't understand.
09:08
Nakia Douglas
But when you're doing what you're called to do or what you were put on this earth to do that is your God given gift, you do it unrelentlessly, unrelenting because you understand that he won't fail us and our kids need us. And if it takes unorthodox methods to encourage, create spaces, and more importantly, have better outcomes for our kids, I'm gonna do this today, tomorrow, and forever. And that's just who I am and who we are collectively as a Dallas education collective.
09:39
Sarah Zubiate Bennett
That makes me so happy to hear. And can you tell me a little bit about the model that you have pioneered? So are you working with schools already set up in the public school system or charter schools So or
09:54
Nakia Douglas
a long time ago, I started a school called the Barack Obama Male Leadership Academy.
09:59
Sarah Zubiate Bennett
Okay. Amazing.
10:00
Nakia Douglas
That was my last principalship.
10:02
Sarah Zubiate Bennett
I love that.
10:02
Nakia Douglas
And prior to starting that campus, I studied the best public, private, and charter schools, not only here in the state of Texas, but around The United States, and actually had the opportunity to travel abroad. I'm doing the same thing with this. And the reason I'm doing so is because that intentionality that we wanna bring the best to our kids and to our community. And so there may be a nontraditional program happening in Austin or Brownsville, Texas or in Seattle, Washington that is not only transformative, but more importantly, intentionally creating better learning opportunities for kids that we're gonna have in our city. And so in the in the intention of in regards to how we're building our program, first and foremost, we're hearing from the community, but secondly, studying those best practices of what's worked and finding and identifying those schools that are interested in coming to be here in Dallas to serve our kids in communities that historically don't have access to the best educational opportunities.
10:58
Nakia Douglas
And in doing so, we have a portfolio of schools and partners that we have, but also unintentionally but intentionally, there have been some great relationships that have developed not only within the charter community, but also with the ISDs. I've developed several informal mentorship opportunities with new and emerging leaders that are leading our schools. And so I see and I've always been taught that to them whom much is given, much is required. A lot of veterans poured into me when I was a young educator and so now that I have the same opportunity to do it to others, I'm ensuring that whether it's a school that is directly supported by DEC or one that's indirectly supported by DEC that our kids have access to the best.
11:41
Sarah Zubiate Bennett
That's terrific. Are you gonna you going to be utilizing any type of artificial intelligence? I know you I'm not sure if you toured the Alpha School.
11:50
Nakia Douglas
Yes, ma'am.
11:50
Sarah Zubiate Bennett
Oh, my goodness. I'm such a fan of theirs.
11:52
Nakia Douglas
I was blown away.
11:53
Sarah Zubiate Bennett
Right? Isn't it Yes,
11:55
Nakia Douglas
ma'am.
11:55
Sarah Zubiate Bennett
So where did you leave that conversation with them?
11:58
Nakia Douglas
I left that conversation two fold. Mhmm. I'm familiar with the Alpha Schools because that is a private school. Yep. But I'm also familiar with their AI student curriculum called Student.
12:09
Nakia Douglas
Yep. Student is a mastery based curriculum that allows kids to accelerate based off their skill sets. And but also, it also remediates where necessary. That is a tool that we're looking at considering for our campuses and communities as well.
12:25
Sarah Zubiate Bennett
That's terrific.
12:26
Nakia Douglas
Yes ma'am.
12:26
Sarah Zubiate Bennett
It's tremendous. Yes ma'am. So I was adopted and mother that raised me was an educator, like So I my birth mom was too poor to keep me. But thankfully, I was given to my parents and so she poured into me in a way that I guess otherwise wouldn't have happened. My birth mother, I love her very much and she was just living to survive and to give my two older siblings at the time just food on the table and whatever education they could have.
13:04
Sarah Zubiate Bennett
They were I think they lived in the wards in Houston.
13:06
Nakia Douglas
Yes ma'am.
13:07
Sarah Zubiate Bennett
And so all of us have such different upbringings. Right. Right? But the thing is that I remember so much my mom about my mom who raised me
13:17
Nakia Douglas
Mhmm.
13:18
Sarah Zubiate Bennett
Is that she always said, I hope that your life is one that touches many different backgrounds.
13:25
Nakia Douglas
Yes, ma'am. And Yes, ma'am.
13:27
Sarah Zubiate Bennett
I don't know what you're supposed to do, but you are special.
13:31
Nakia Douglas
Yes,
13:31
Sarah Zubiate Bennett
ma'am. It just feels so beautiful to me
13:36
Nakia Douglas
Yes, ma'am.
13:37
Sarah Zubiate Bennett
That, you know, you and I have different backgrounds
13:40
Nakia Douglas
Yes, ma'am.
13:41
Sarah Zubiate Bennett
Different lives now, but convening around something like education is something that every person in this world
13:49
Nakia Douglas
Yes, ma'am.
13:49
Sarah Zubiate Bennett
Can rally around.
13:50
Nakia Douglas
Yes, ma'am.
13:50
Sarah Zubiate Bennett
It doesn't matter the size, shape, color, anything
13:55
Nakia Douglas
Yes, ma'am.
13:56
Sarah Zubiate Bennett
Regarding these children because every child
13:58
Nakia Douglas
Right.
13:58
Sarah Zubiate Bennett
Every child Right. Deserves the opportunity to have the chance
14:04
Nakia Douglas
Yes, ma'am.
14:04
Sarah Zubiate Bennett
To make a different life for themselves than they otherwise would have just thought was baked in.
14:11
Nakia Douglas
Yes, ma'am.
14:12
Sarah Zubiate Bennett
Or Right? Just what everyone else decided to be a part of.
14:16
Nakia Douglas
Yes, ma'am.
14:17
Sarah Zubiate Bennett
And continue, I guess, a life that doesn't have a lot of hopes aspirations. Do you find that this particular footprint is something that can really spearhead that kind of change Yes ma'am. For kids in masses?
14:35
Nakia Douglas
Yes ma'am. Not only is it gonna change the kids, it's gonna change the parents and the community.
14:40
Kevin Malonson
I love this.
14:41
Nakia Douglas
There's a belief that I've always had and it's actually one of the core beliefs of one of my former campuses, engagement, encouragement, exposure, and excellence. When the kids are engaged in the learning process, they get to learn how to dream. They are exposed to careers that they may not have ever thought of
14:58
Sarah Zubiate Bennett
That's right.
14:58
Nakia Douglas
Through field trips, through college tours, through speakers. When we think about engagement, encouragement, exposure, that exposure lights a fire within them. It allows them to see beyond their current circumstances because there's a different mindset that you have when you're in survival mode That's right. As you're transitioning to thriving mode.
15:20
Sarah Zubiate Bennett
Yes.
15:20
Nakia Douglas
When we can teach and help kids understand that, yes, you may have to sacrifice a little bit now Mhmm. To have greater returns in the future because you're doing something you're passionate about. And so when we would bring speakers in, it would be beautiful because there was always an unspoken word. You never ask anyone how much they make. You find out how did they find their purpose and how did they find their passion to become the professional that they are today.
15:44
Nakia Douglas
When you are embedded that in a child in kindergarten, you never know what the sky is.
15:50
Sarah Zubiate Bennett
That's right.
15:51
Nakia Douglas
And they get to define for themselves. And there's power in owning the dreams that are not only placed in front of you, but also the dream and the path that you choose to on.
16:02
Sarah Zubiate Bennett
That's beautiful.
16:03
Nakia Douglas
Yes, ma'am.
16:03
Sarah Zubiate Bennett
Those are beautiful words, Nikia. They're so poignant and true.
16:08
Nakia Douglas
Yes, ma'am.
16:10
Sarah Zubiate Bennett
Is there anything in particular that you wanna share surrounding the kids in the existing Dallas Independent School District space and how quickly you believe this initiative can positively affect and impact these said kids?
16:29
Nakia Douglas
In thinking about the most recent scores that Dallas ISD and a lot of the surrounding districts have had, there's been great improvements.
16:36
Sarah Zubiate Bennett
Yes. Thank God.
16:37
Nakia Douglas
But we know that there's still work to do.
16:38
Sarah Zubiate Bennett
Of course. Yes.
16:39
Nakia Douglas
And so it further validates that our kids can do when given the best and the greatest opportunities.
16:45
Kevin Malonson
Mhmm.
16:45
Nakia Douglas
So that shift that happens isn't necessarily with the kids, it's with the adults. Mhmm. And so as people learn more about us as Dallas Education Collective, as people understand our mission and embrace the mission, we're gonna have more people collectively coming together to transform what public education can be and should be for all kids. The beauty of this role, and I've had a conversation with someone, they asked me, you know, so what are you gonna do? I said, we're gonna continue this work, we're gonna create schools.
17:14
Nakia Douglas
We're gonna create collaborative opportunities not only between our schools, but also with the community and the ISDs and the other existing charters. They said, okay. And I said, well, I have a question. Said, have we opened up a school yet? They said, no.
17:27
Nakia Douglas
I said, have we made any donations yet? I no. I said, so if me being in this seat makes you all do better by our kids and they have better outcomes, I'm doing exactly what I've been called to do. But there's also the understanding that there's more to still be done. Mhmm.
17:42
Nakia Douglas
And so collectively, we can do do more through the Dallas Education Collective and our partnerships.
17:49
Sarah Zubiate Bennett
That's terrific.
17:50
Nakia Douglas
Yes,
17:50
Sarah Zubiate Bennett
ma'am. Bringing it back to today, I had a whole bunch questions that I'm not even gonna reference. I'm just shooting from the heart here.
17:56
Nakia Douglas
Yes, ma'am.
17:56
Sarah Zubiate Bennett
What are you hoping will transpire today
18:01
Nakia Douglas
Yes, ma'am.
18:02
Sarah Zubiate Bennett
During this panel? First, who will be speaking?
18:04
Nakia Douglas
Yes. And
18:05
Sarah Zubiate Bennett
what are you hoping the call to action will be from here?
18:08
Nakia Douglas
The beauty of the panel will be that the community gets to hear from leaders, whether it's elected officials, whether it's educational leaders, whether it's nonprofit, whether it's business leaders in regards to the changes that they're seeing happening. Because now you're framing it from a perspective that there's a pathway for my child, for my family, for our community to enter into. The other beautiful part that we're able to witness now are the community partners that are coming in. Because a lot of the parents and families
18:39
Sarah Zubiate Bennett
I know.
18:39
Nakia Douglas
Aren't familiar or aware of the resources that exist. Mhmm. And there will also be school leaders here as well because there may be partnerships that they could have initiated and or maybe just weren't aware of that are gonna happen. When we talk about a collective, it's bringing people together. And so what's gonna happen?
18:58
Nakia Douglas
They're gonna be educated first and foremost from our panel. We're gonna have the opportunity to hear from our community vendors vendors and also potentially get resources and supports for their kids and for their families. And then they're also gonna be a part of creating a new vision of what tomorrow is gonna be through the partnerships with Dallas Education Collective and the entire community. It's happening exactly where it's supposed to. The beauty of a lot of these partners, some of them I worked with in my prior roles either at UNT Dallas as a campus principal or as an executive director or just through the community.
19:30
Nakia Douglas
And so it was that call to action that we need to be here collectively for our kids, for our community to create the next generation of leaders that are gonna take care of us when we get old.
19:42
Sarah Zubiate Bennett
That's right.
19:43
Nakia Douglas
We know one day we're gonna slow down. Yeah. So we wanna know that those doctors, those dentists, which I went to visit today, optometrists are the best.
19:51
Sarah Zubiate Bennett
That's exactly right.
19:53
Nakia Douglas
And it happens through the power of education.
19:55
Sarah Zubiate Bennett
That's right.
19:55
Nakia Douglas
Yes, ma'am.
19:56
Sarah Zubiate Bennett
That's right, it does. Is there anything else that you want our viewers or listeners to be aware of in anticipation of today and anything moving forward?
20:07
Nakia Douglas
I want you to be aware that the Dallas Education Collective is here and we're looking to have an impact, a strategic impact in the lives of kids. I want you all to be a part of this journey with us, whether it's donating, whether it's volunteering, whether it's supporting and or being an advocate, we need you. We can't do it by ourselves. As much as we would like to, we just wave a magic wand, we don't have that power, But there's power in the number of in in in Mhmm. And so when we were able to all come together for this single singular focus, kids and education.
20:40
Nakia Douglas
Kids education lead to our future. Mhmm. We can do that, the sky's the limit. So I'm calling on your listeners, all listeners, everyone visiting and or listening to our talk today to come join us in this journey.
20:54
Sarah Zubiate Bennett
And are they able to do that online? Is there a place where they can I I know they can donate online?
20:59
Nakia Douglas
Yes, ma'am.
20:59
Sarah Zubiate Bennett
And they can fill up out out a form to be involved?
21:02
Nakia Douglas
Yes, ma'am. Yes, ma'am. If you go to our website, dallaseducationcollective.org, you can donate and or you can sign up to be a part of our movement because this is not a moment. This is a movement that's gonna transform not only the lives of our kids and our community, but more importantly, our city and our futures.
21:19
Sarah Zubiate Bennett
Thank you so much, Nikia.
21:20
Nakia Douglas
Yes, ma'am.
21:21
Sarah Zubiate Bennett
I appreciate your time today.
21:22
Nakia Douglas
Oh, thank you for this opportunity. Yes. I can't thank you enough.
21:27
Sarah Zubiate Bennett
Thank you. Now that you've met Nikia one on one and seen that he's the real deal, let me tell you, he might shine even brighter in front of a crowd. Give this man a mic and audience and he somehow takes it to the next level. Nikia had the honor of kicking off the very first DEC community event at the Moorland YMCA. And if you want a clear picture of what the DEC is all about, his words will help you understand the mission piece by piece.
21:52
Nakia Douglas
First and foremost, this gathering marks the beginning of our shared journey in which we're transforming what public education can, should, and will be for our kids collectively. Whether your voices are utilized through the classrooms, through communities, and or in your living rooms, we will shape a new educational platform for the city of Dallas. DEC was founded with the principle, fundamental principles that no child's potential should be limited by the zip codes. We believe in seeing the whole child. As a lifelong career educator, I understand that every child deserves to be served.
22:28
Nakia Douglas
But sometimes children have to be served in different capacities. So when you think about the ecosystems that we're developing, we're looking at their mental health, we're looking at their food insecurities, we're looking at their after school time programs, we're looking at if they're dealing with homelessness, but we're also looking at the out of school time partners that can transform the lives of those kids. Because the parents can't do it by themselves just like we can't do it by ourselves. So collectively, we're able to do so. What the data tells us, why are we meeting now?
22:58
Nakia Douglas
I have to celebrate Dallas ISD. I'm a product of Dallas ISD. I'm a former employee of Dallas ISD and the work that they've doing they've done and I have been doing has been phenomenal. But all of us know that there are still gaps to be filled. We know that those different student groups across the district still have challenges.
23:18
Nakia Douglas
And so with that collectively, we can bring about not only solutions but more importantly, ensure that every child has access to the best educational opportunities that are available to us. When we think about DEC being student centered and a community informed approach, it starts tonight. These community convenings are not just for us to tell you all what we want to do and how we envision it. We want you all to have ownership. We want you all to look at and more importantly understand your role in your child's education.
23:52
Nakia Douglas
Your role in the education of all kids throughout the community. Your role throughout the community. And in understanding those roles, you become active participants. And so within these community convenings, you're gonna hear from leaders across our city, across our state, from elected officials, educational leaders, non profit leaders, and also just concerned individuals that have a love and joy for the lives of our kids. Next, we think about the community being the engine.
24:23
Nakia Douglas
Nothing happens within a community without the citizens. And when we consider the citizens, we all have voices. When we think about the voices, those voices have dreams. A lot of us were privileged to have some great educators that led us to who we are and where we are today. But all of our kids don't have those opportunities.
24:42
Nakia Douglas
All of our kids don't have the connectedness, the villages that were around us. When I think about this facility here, as I was talking with Sarah earlier during my interview, I said this this facility is significant. My children came here to swim. When it was Moreland's Y and it was all for Ledbetter, I used to spend summers there. Our kids came to our forever family, it would be ten years ago in the spring, they participated at Park South Y in the early childhood program.
25:08
Nakia Douglas
I know what a community centered approach can do, not only for my own kids, but I was a neighborhood kid myself. So while my mom couldn't fill every gap for me, she made sure that the Y, the boys club, my tutoring programs, all those other community individuals, our church poured into my sister and I to ensure that we were well prepared. Now we need to do the same for our next generation of young men and young women Because to them whom much is given, much is required. A lot was poured into us as we were growing up, as we were maturing. Now we have to make sure that we equip the next generation with the same tools and the same village regardless of where they come from.
25:49
Nakia Douglas
Our promise impact. Deck's work is anchored in the belief that education is the tool for transformation, for not only individuals, for families, and for communities. And so when we think about the transformational generational changes that can happen through education, it is just our evening this evening with the community convening. What's ahead? We're looking for a mindset.
26:13
Nakia Douglas
I've been privileged to again be in education for a while, and so I've always sought out and still seek out the best educational opportunities from public, private, and charters. What are you doing that is transformation in the lives of kids and how can we bring that back to our schools? That came from my mom sacrificing and my my sister and I attending private school from kindergarten to eighth grade. It always bothered me when I would go home and talk with my friends and ask, you know, what were you all learning? They wouldn't have the same experience as I talked about the field trips I went on.
26:42
Nakia Douglas
So when I accepted my calling to education, I always said I would offer a private school education at a public school cost. That's what DECC is seeking to do. We wanna offer the best opportunities that you would find at any private school, the highest performing ISDs, the highest performing charter schools to the kids of our communities. Specifically, Oak Cliff, South Dallas, and Pleasant Grove. We're not saying we're boldly going where no one has gone before, we're boldly going in with the expectation and a vision that we're gonna transform not only the lives of those kids but those communities.
27:18
Nakia Douglas
Because when you get the ecosystems developed, you have those strong schools and you have those strong outcomes, it's gonna change the trajectory of those communities as well.
27:28
Sarah Zubiate Bennett
At this community gathering, Nikia brought together a powerhouse panel of education experts to tackle some of the biggest challenges facing educators, students, and parents today. This well rounded group offered insights from every angle, helping the community better understand the unique challenges and opportunities facing students in underserved areas. But no matter where the school is, there seems to be one major issue facing our education system in Texas, and Doctor. Tiffany Clark speaks to that issue so eloquently.
27:55
Dr.Tiffany Clark
So when you are talking about advocating for education, you're looking at curriculum, you're approving or denying charter schools come into your districts. These people don't understand the foundational things that actually go into a classroom. When you look at these bills that are being passed recently, all 107 bills around education and you start deep diving into them, these are definitely made by people who haven't been in a classroom. When you start talking about social emotional learning and you can't you can no longer ask, hey, how are you doing today? Your well-being because now you're invading that kid's privacy unless that parent signs that permission slip, that's no longer a conversation you can have.
28:35
Dr.Tiffany Clark
So, these are things that are being swept under the rug and so when talk you about accountability and standards, who's setting these standards? What does this accountability look like? We don't know because they're not being actually done by people who are boots on the ground in the classrooms, your teachers, your counselors, your principals. Their voices are are ignored. And talking about accountability, the star test, that bill is is happening again right now in special session.
29:02
Dr.Tiffany Clark
But everybody's looking at the redistricting map situation that has been passed over. They're trying to add more star tests instead of erasing it now. But you wouldn't know that if you haven't been following these bills in this special session.
29:13
Sarah Zubiate Bennett
We talk a lot about accountability ratings and school grades because there has to be a way to publicly hold school districts to a standard. But just as important, there needs to be a way for parents to hold their districts, schools, and even teachers accountable. In this clip, David Williams, CEO and superintendent of Village Tech Schools, shares what he's learned about what real accountability looks like inside the classroom.
29:36
David Williams
I think the first thing we have to do is define success. So so what in fact do we mean by success in school for our children? When we ask parents what are your hopes and fears for your children, they come up with the same answers every time. I want my child to be in a place where they're loved and appreciated for who they are. I want my child to be in an environment that's challenging to them, that allows them to build skills and gain confidence.
30:00
David Williams
I want them to be in an environment that connects them to the world beyond school. I want them to participate in projects or work that means something, that doesn't just end up in a backpack or end up on you know a teacher's desk. And when we look at that as a measure of success, then I think that accountability comes through a shared dialogue and through partnership. It's like doctor Clark mentioned, we want parents in our schools. We want parents to partner with us.
30:27
David Williams
In fact, we have our chief school leadership officer here, miss Sheretta Stuart Mayes, and she always talks about the triangle between parent, teacher and school. And so we want that triangle to be in in force for our families. I think when you have that relationship, then accountability becomes a different kind of discussion. Remember in the classroom, had a young man, his name was Charles, and he was struggling. And I I gave a phone call to mom at home and said, you know, this is what's going on in class, Charles isn't succeeding, he's not completing his work, he's despondent to the to what we're doing.
30:59
David Williams
And the mom just laid into me. Let me have it for I don't know how long, probably too long, but I was 23 and didn't know how to change a conversation. And it's and at about I think the thirty minute mark of me taking it, she says, mister Williams, please please just look out for my boy, Chucky. And in that moment, we had a shared purpose. I didn't have a student who was misbehaving in class or not performing his work.
31:30
David Williams
I I had a young man with a name and a home and a mother who cared about him, and we could get on the same page about how to help him be successful.
31:37
Sarah Zubiate Bennett
How can parents all over Texas stay informed when choosing a school for their child? It sounds simple, but it's a little more complicated than looking at a website. Doctor Tiffany Clark gives her insights.
31:48
Dr.Tiffany Clark
So texasschools.gov is the website that a parent can go in, they can put in their address and or their zip code and it will show them the schools in the area. And it shows you all their accountability ratings. To me, it's not the easiest format to read. It'll tell you the basic letter grade, but then when you start looking to break down the different domains, I think that's where the information can get lost in translation. Yeah.
32:15
Dr.Tiffany Clark
But that's gonna be the first place or the easiest place to go look to see how schools are performing in your area. But again, I think it's a matter of going to the schools, asking for campus visits to see if you understand the culture, see if you appreciate the culture, see if if your kid could be a good asset or do well in that space, because every school is not for every kid. So that's why we have to take advantage of school choice. But again, it has to be the right fit and it has to be able to be that community space that your student and you as a parent feel like you could be a part of as well. It goes back to that village narrative honestly and that community village, community support, community lens is is really how you address anything related to the school system.
33:07
Dr.Tiffany Clark
And so much of that has been lost in this age of parenting almost. So, how can when you ask how can parents get involved, show up and if you don't know something, find someone who you can trust. Right? I have no kids but yet I'm on 10 kids emergency contact list. And the reality is those kids will call me and say, hey, doctor Clark, I need you to show up at school.
33:35
Dr.Tiffany Clark
So, finding that voice of reason as a parent and knowing that it's okay to ask. Mhmm. Right? A lot of times, I get I get a lot of emails from constituents all the time. Mhmm.
33:46
Dr.Tiffany Clark
I serve half a million people. I write them back because your question is valid, your concern is valid, and I think that's important. Just knowing that somebody is gonna listen to you is what parents want. They want to know that their voice is being heard and that you care about their student.
34:03
Sarah Zubiate Bennett
About 65% of today's children will work in jobs that don't even exist yet. That's why it's crucial that their education keeps up with the fast paced, ever changing world we live in. Otherwise, we risk preparing them for a future that's already outdated. Kevin Mallinson, Texas executive director for teach plus shares his perspective on what we should be doing right now to ensure education stays aligned with the careers of tomorrow.
34:26
Kevin Malonson
It's gonna take a lot of work that has already started. But I think the I think the adults in the room all need to get on the same page about what the role of the school is in the community. I also wanna say something that I've been itching to say up here and it it relates to the the question doctor Clark talked about and this question. And that is, go vote. Like, lots of these issues that we're talking about are administered or decided by elected officials and the state board for educator certification, all those folks are appointed by the governor.
35:00
Kevin Malonson
We kinda see what our politics look like in the state from that level. The first thing to do is go vote, right, and really get involved in what's going on so that you don't just you're not just reactionary. But I I really think the adults in the room need to get on the same page. That's frankly why I'm here. Like I support visionary leaders like mister Douglas and I'm always working for children.
35:25
Kevin Malonson
And so when I can find a space where the adults are walking in lockstep in support of the students, that doesn't mean all the adults have to agree all the time. I think there are many different avenues to get where we need to go, but we gotta have conversation. All the adults have to be moving in the same general direction, and also we have to have a longitudinal attitude or perspective about this. I've worked in education for thirty years and lots of the same issues that brought me into education are still vexing us, but I'm not going anywhere. And I think it's important for folks to get into the fight, stay in the fight and find your why.
36:07
Kevin Malonson
For me, that's my two children, the ones that my wife birthed, as well as the hundreds of thousands of kids that attend all kinds of different schools in the DFW area. And the last thing let me say is, I was itching the whole time to say, school choice has been politicized, that word. So we as parents and community members also need to just figure out, we are consumers. If you pay taxes, most of you do, then those taxes are paying for somebody's school. Whether that's a private school nowadays because of the the They don't wanna call them vouchers, but because of the vouchers.
36:46
Kevin Malonson
Public school, when you pay your property taxes, that's paying for school. Same thing with charter schools. People think charter schools are in a separate they are in a separate space, but they are real public schools. And so we've gotta become educated consumers, stay in the game, and I again, the adults need to start moving or continue moving in the same direction over a long period of time.
37:07
Sarah Zubiate Bennett
The panel discussion wrapped up with questions from the audience. One of the more compelling questions was about the use of AI in schools. How do we find the balance of using AI in schools? Because that's real life now and how do we still have students work independently. Most of our panelists chimed in on this one.
37:23
David Williams
You have to have a disposition that like this, that Pandora's box has been opened. That's not changing. It's not going back in the box. AI is here with us. Generative AI is here with us.
37:34
David Williams
Depending on who you read, it's only gonna get better. Right? So I think this is a very, can talk about policy and we can talk about you know district level policies and how those things are gonna either encourage or discourage. But really we have some significant pedagogical teacher instruction questions of how does learning happen, right. And what activities best lead to learning and then how to use these tools.
38:01
David Williams
And I'll say there's there's not a great answer today. College professors are trying to redesign their curriculums on the fly, somewhat unsuccessfully. Pre k 12 is trying to do the same thing. So I I think it's a combination of an openness and an experimentation with it, while also making sure that we're reflecting as as educators on how are students really learning and what's the potential impact. Because I think we all have to keep in mind, AI is a profit driven product.
38:33
David Williams
It's not designed to serve schools and students. So we have to be mindful of that in our implementations.
38:43
Kevin Malonson
I would just add, it's ironic that our state government just passed a ban on devices. So now middle school, nobody, no kid is supposed to have a device, a handheld device, a personal device throughout the school day. So, there's a little bit of tension there. I just wanna point out, it was literally maybe five to seven years ago that we just realized that three queuing rather than phonics or excuse me, that phonics rather than three queuing was the way to teach kids how to learn. So I'm not a 100% sure we've even got it right as the adults.
39:19
Kevin Malonson
What I do know is that there are some tools that can help the administrative piece of the teaching role. I'm not talking about pedagogy at all. I'm talking about master scheduling for your principals. I'm talking about building curriculum that's differentiated for all the different kids in your classroom. I do believe that we can take away many of the hours that teachers spend beyond the school day.
39:45
Kevin Malonson
But I just don't think educators or the profit driven folks that have built this stuff, I don't think they understand pedagogy enough yet. Most of the conversation is around keeping kids from cheating, you know, at this point. Doctor. Clark?
40:01
Dr.Tiffany Clark
Yes. So, when we talk about the cell phone ban, we know there's mixed reviews on it already. One thing I will tell you though, when I did my first day of school rounds, schools were calm this year. That that is that normal anxiety level that's there, it was not there this year. So that's a positive, right?
40:20
Dr.Tiffany Clark
So we're academic gains. However, on the flip side, when you talk about technology, I received an email from a parent from Irving ISD actually the other day because her kid needed their cell phone to do their dual credit sign because that's where all the information was. So when that's become almost your computer really, that has all of your information, maybe your social security number as a high schooler because you don't know it yet. Some kids don't even know their addresses in middle school, let's be real. So, that information is stored there and the fact that they couldn't use that, it was a hindrance to them now signing up for their collegiate courses.
41:03
Dr.Tiffany Clark
So how are we balancing it? We don't know. And again, this is why I said you have policy makers make making decision who don't understand all the implications yet. Because if you would have asked the teacher at what level can it be used, and how to actually set some good boundaries instead of just prohibiting it altogether, we may be in a different outcome and situation. So I think it's still a learning curve and it's gonna continue to be a learning curve and I wouldn't be surprised if we get a couple of lawsuits by the end of the year on this.
41:32
Sarah Zubiate Bennett
As this conversation shows, our education system is constantly evolving. And while there's still a long way to go, progress is being made. In fact, things in DISD have already improved compared to just a year ago. That gives us reason to be hopeful. The light at the end of the tunnel is not only brighter, it feels closer.
41:50
Sarah Zubiate Bennett
Organizations like the Dallas Education Collective are helping to make that progress possible by uniting the community to support those who need it the most. I encourage you to consider supporting Nakia and the DEC in this important work. One simple way to get involved is by attending the upcoming community meeting. There are two coming up. The first one is Tuesday, September 23 at the Park South Family YMCA.
42:12
Sarah Zubiate Bennett
The second is Tuesday, October 21 at the Pleasant Oaks Recreation Center. Both meetings run from 05:30 to 7PM. You can find more details at dallaseducationcollective.org.
featuring our host.
SARAH ZUBIATE BENNETT
Venture Philanthropist, Host and Executive Producer of Let’s Talk Local, bold leader driving growth in private and social sectors.
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