Dallas | Historic Maynard H. Jackson School to close July 2011

pic to right is the Honorable Dr. Sherwin Allen

DISD Board Trustee Lew Blackburn informing community of changes

Last night I attended a community forum at Maynard H. Jackson Middle School, formerly Vanguard School.I attended MHJ from 1985-88, when I first got there we were terrible in testing, when I left we were tops in the state thanks to a principal who really cared about our future(Dr. Allen). I owe a lot of respect to this man for instilling in me hard work and the LOVE of learning.

This place is actually where I got my first start in writing.We had to write Judge Barefoot Sanders and let him know why we didn't want A. Maceo Smith High School to open up across the street.The school eventually opened and it is also scheduled to close in July and reopen as a Tech School because of low performance on test scores.

What a travesty for the two schools who are named for great leaders to go out this way.A. Maceo Smith started the Democratic Progressive Voter League in Dallas along with Maynard H. Jackson Sr., the father of the first Black Mayor of Atlanta, Ga, in which this school is named after.

The area around these two schools are in certain death stages and in need of renaissance.Wish todays leaders of the DPVL cared about the well being of the children in this neighborhood.

What irony that these two schools are named after such great leaders and the Progressive Voter League(formerly Democratic Progressive Voter League), and John Wiley Price who heads the organization now has not said anything about the plight of this community and other communities in Dallas since he was elected to Dallas County Commissioners Court.

I know these guys are turning over in their graves right now!