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​So, the Plano Independent School District has opted out of President Obama's speech to students on Tuesday, but what says the Dallas ISD? I asked Jon Dahlander, district spokesman, via e-mail this morning about the district's plans. While I was out of the office, he left the following message on my voice mail: "The president's address will be available to all of our schools on our cable system and on C-SPAN, and principals and teachers have the option to show the speech to students. That's it."

​A few minutes ago, I spoke to Dallas Independent School District spokesman Jon Dahlander concerning his voice-mail message this morning. I wondered if today's decision, to let teachers and principals decide whether their classes could watch President Obama's speech to students on Tuesday, was a change from any kind of previous policy in place regarding the talk. As it turns out, Dahlander says, the speech "wasn't even on the radar till yesterday," when district officials began hearing that some folks were up in arms about the talk being broadcast in classrooms."I don't know if someone else received some kind of communique, but there was nothing till everyone started saying, 'Ya know, presidents shouldn't be allowed that platform,'" he tells Unfair Park. "And we were like, 'Oh, there's a speech?'"Then again, Dahlander says, at least a few district officials knew something was up: For the last two weeks, the DISD's been prepping for a visit from former Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk, who, of course, is now the U.S. Trade Representative. Kirk will be at the Booker T. Washington High School for the Visual and Performing Arts on Tuesday "watching the speech with students," Dahlander says, and Kirk will "also speak with them as part of the initiative."

Patrick Michels​A couple of weeks back, we mentioned that the Dallas Independent School District's board of trustees is considering putting a cap on how long speakers get to, ya know, speak at board meetings. Turns out -- surprise, surprise -- there's some dissent amongst the board regarding the proposal: At Thursday's briefing, the board will consider two versions -- one from board president Adam Medrano, and yet another from former president Jack Lowe.Lowe, who lost the title of president in May, offers up this mathematical equation: If seven people or fewer want to speak to the board, they get three minutes each; but if there are eight to 14 speakers, they'll be allocated two minutes each; 15 or more will get but 60 seconds to speak their mind. To which Medrano says, Unh-unh. His proposal allows for three minutes per speaker, no matter how many are lined up to address the board. Both men, however, are agreed on the other suggested restrictions -- including the one that calls for the ouster of "boisterous" audience members and the one that allows for the removal of media members who refuse to stay in their "designated area." Again, I blame Schutze for this.

Photos by Patrick MichelsRon Kirk answers students' questions at Booker T. Washington High School after President Obama's speech this morning.​While President Obama's speech to students met a lukewarm reception at some schools around Dallas-Fort Worth, former Dallas mayor and current U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk made sure the speech played to a full house this morning at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts.At a podium in Booker T. Washington's Montgomery Arts Theatre, fronted by a sign reading "My Education, My Future," Kirk took questions from students in the audience and onstage behind him, before watching Obama's speech on a projection screen.Kirk told students that in his first few months traveling the world and cutting trade deals, he's seen that "we're in a horribly competitive world," and that it'll take hard work for the U.S. to maintain its place as a world leader.DISD Superintendent Michael Hinojosa looks on from the front row.​A number of Cabinet officials fanned out across the country to host similar speech-watching soirees with students, but though Kirk was just one of only two who ventured too far from the East Coast."One of the dirty secrets in the U.S. is that the dropout rate is killing us," he said, nodding to DISD Superintendent Michael Hinojosa in the front row. "Half the kids in DISD won't graduate from high school," he said.

From the Dallas Landmark Commission Nomination Form, which recommends giving Adamson High School historic landmark status​We have 508 Park Avenue; The Dallas Morning News, Adamson High School, which the Dallas Independent School District wants to demolish, save for the facade, to make way for a new facility next door by August 2012. A few weeks back, the paper made note of the DISD's tussles with the Adamson High School Alumni Association, which wants the 94-year-old structure afforded historic landmark status (and the attendant protection) and refuses to let the Oak Cliff school go without a fight. Notes one good Friend of Unfair Park in a missive recently sent our way, "Rather than continue to consider Landmark Status and allow the independent appraisal of the facility, the administration has apparently recommended that the board take steps to abandon a usable facility in a closed session without citizen input. We are concerned that this has been recommended without public input in an open session and vote on the proposal where alumni and others could be present."So, then, this heads-up for all Adamson alum wanting to give the district the what-for: At its Thursday briefing, the DISD's board of trustees will discuss the Adamson adios. Matter of fact, here's the very document to be voted on at the September 23 board meeting: "Opposition to Proposed Historic Landmark Designation of W.H. Adamson High School." It reads as follows:BE IT RESOLVED BY THE DALLAS INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD OF TRUSTEES:That any proposal to designate W.H. Adamson High School as a historic landmark by the City of Dallas or any entity acting on behalf of the City of Dallas is opposed and rejected by the Dallas Independent School District. The Board of Trustees finds that the criteria of policy CL (local) for granting historic designation have not been satisfied, including but not limited to, the fact that the proposed designation will substantially increase the cost of maintaining and improving the structure. The Trustees authorize the Superintendent of Schools or designee to take all action necessary to oppose, under all available grounds and before any forum, any efforts by the City of Dallas or any entity on behalf of the City of Dallas to designate W.H. Adamson as a historic landmark. This resolution shall take effect immediately upon its adoption.The board has also, rather helpfully, included Adamson's Landmark Nomination Form, which contains a lengthy history of the school -- as well as the Landmark Committee Designation Task Force's recommendation that the school is "meritorious of designation."

Galactic Butterfly​As the Friends of Unfair Park can probably guess, there were two good reasons why we suffered through nearly four hours of a Dallas Independent School District board of trustees briefing today. The first: the fate of W. H. Adamson High School, whose historic main building district officials want to demolish. The second: a certain amendment to the public participation code that cuts down the amount of time any parent, student or wingnut has to address the board. The meeting started at 11:30 this morning, and 40 folks took their seats inside the wood-paneled DISD board room at 3700 Ross. Eight had signed up in advance to address the trustees (save for Edwin Flores, who was out of town) and Superintendent Michael Hinojosa. Of the eight, three were members of the W. H. Adamson High School Alumni Association.The gist of their message was that they've been very conservative in their opposition efforts thus far and still have hope to reach a compromise with the board. There is no reason Adamson should be torn down, they insist. It could be modernized while still preserving the American Classical Revival style main building, designed in 1915 by St. Louis architectutal legend William B. Ittner and tinkered with 23 years later by Dallas's Roscoe DeWitt. They want it designated as a historic landmark."In short, we've always felt we could find a compromise," said alumni association president John Ruiz. Ruiz acknowledged that Dallas isn't exactly famous for embracing historic preservation efforts, but insisted: "We feel that Adamson is worthy of being preserved."After the public forum ended, Ruiz spoke to Unfair Park and said that he fully expects the DISD board to turn down their efforts to designate Adamson as a historic landmark. At that point, he said, he will turn up his opposition efforts. "There are other resources we have at our disposal that we have not put to use yet," Ruiz said. Ruiz hinted the secret weapons would include the avid support of other conservation groups, as well as increasing the visibility of their opposition efforts.

Courtesy Jon Dahlander/DISDDalton Sherman and Jenna Bush Hager, who interviewed the DISD phenom for a Today segment scheduled to air tomorrow.​There's an awful nice Associated Press piece floating around about 11-year-old Dallas Environmental Science Academy sixth-grader Dalton Sherman, who, as you no doubt recall, became the Dallas Independent School District most famous motivational speaker after his back-to-school keynote in '08. There's a good reason for the follow-up a year later: As we noted last week, Sherman -- along with Jerry Jones's EnormoDome -- will be featured on tomorrow's Today, which brings Matt Lauer and Al Roker to Arlington and Jenna Bush Hager to teevee as an NBC correspondent.In the AP piece, DISD spokesman Jon Dahlander says of the Sherman phenomenon: "It just keeps going and growing. The power of YouTube strikes again for Dalton Sherman. It couldn't happen to a nicer family or a greater kid." Which is why Dahlander sent to local media types this pic of the former First Twin and Sherman taken during a break in taping. He also sends this note: "This past summer, Kids Who Care Inc. of Fort Worth created a musical that was inspired by his speech called District XI: Believe in Me. Dalton and his brother Demosthenes are now members of the production's cast. The next performance is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 2, at the Scott Theatre in Fort Worth." When I was a DISD student, I appeared in The Pajama Game.

Courtesy Jon Dahlander/DISDDalton Sherman and Jenna Bush Hager, who interviewed the DISD phenom for a Today segment scheduled to air tomorrow.​There's an awful nice Associated Press piece floating around about 11-year-old Dallas Environmental Science Academy sixth-grader Dalton Sherman, who, as you no doubt recall, became the Dallas Independent School District most famous motivational speaker after his back-to-school keynote in '08. There's a good reason for the follow-up a year later: As we noted last week, Sherman -- along with Jerry Jones's EnormoDome -- will be featured on tomorrow's Today, which brings Matt Lauer and Al Roker to Arlington and Jenna Bush Hager to teevee as an NBC correspondent.In the AP piece, DISD spokesman Jon Dahlander says of the Sherman phenomenon: "It just keeps going and growing. The power of YouTube strikes again for Dalton Sherman. It couldn't happen to a nicer family or a greater kid." Which is why Dahlander sent to local media types this pic of the former First Twin and Sherman taken during a break in taping. He also sends this note: "This past summer, Kids Who Care Inc. of Fort Worth created a musical that was inspired by his speech called District XI: Believe in Me. Dalton and his brother Demosthenes are now members of the production's cast. The next performance is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 2, at the Scott Theatre in Fort Worth." When I was a DISD student, I appeared in The Pajama Game.

No doubt, the reason for the SMU Mustangs' rather exciting start to the season​George W. and Laura Bush are scheduled to speak at 11 this morning at Cowboys Stadium -- who knows, maybe the ex-president slept over? Of course, Arlington school kids won't be out there for the announcement concerning the North Texas Super Bowl XLV Host Committee's historic service-learning program, about which we'll learn more shortly, but Jordin Sparks, Roger Staubach, Bill Lively, Daryl Johnston, Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith and Pat Summerall will be. (Oh, so this is why I agreed to go.) In the meantime, The Onion this morning catches Bush on the front porch of his Dallas home, feeling all reflective and stuff: "George W. Bush Chuckles To Self Upon Thinking About How He Was President Of The United States For Almost A Decade."

All photos by Danny HurleyLaura and George Bush and the 2007 American Idol, Jordin Sparks. Because you see this everyday. And, yes, a slide show is forthcoming.​In the end, Jordin Sparks had way more time with the microphone than a certain former president at Cowboys Stadium, where, this morning, George and Laura Bush were among those on-hand to unveil the North Texas Super Bowl XLV Host Committee's educational outreach initiative called Service Learning Adventures in North Texas -- or, SLANT 45 for short. Which will no doubt infuriate those Arlington ISD students denied the opportunity to say they were there when the American Idol  winner performed two songs, including "Battlefield," for the Bushes. Poor Jerry McCullough -- the AISD super just can't win.Ah, but at least a few DISD students were there from Bowie, Turner, Kramer, Lipscomb, Withers and Foster elementary schools; so too were DISD Superintendent Michael Hinojosa and trustees Adam Medrano and Ron Price, sitting alongside Dallas City Council members Ron Natinsky and Pauline Medrano. Also on hand: Mayor Tom Leppert and City Manager Mary Suhm, espied reading the latest Dan Brown novel before kick-off. "Well, they told us to get here at 9:45, and I was the first one here," she told Unfair Park.The former First Couple will serve as honorary chairs for the program, which officials say will serve 20,000 North Texas students who will perform 45,000 hours of community service between January 1, 2010, and the Super Bowl in '11. And so the couple spent most of their time on stage this morning sitting behind a parade of speakers that included host committee chair Roger Staubach, host committee member Daryl Johnston, some high-ranking suits from Bank of America and the National Football League and Gigi Antoni, president of Unfair Park downstairs neighbor Big Thought, which will oversee SLANT 45's operations.Daryl Johnston will chair the SLANT 45 committee for the North Texas Super Bowl XLV Host Committee.​So what, exactly, is SLANT 45? Well, for now it's still a concept-in-progress -- but one that officials expect will have kids out planting gardens, erasing graffiti, painting parks and so forth all in the name of creating what Johnston called "the largest service-learning project in our nation's history." Richard Holt, president of Bank of America Dallas, said that kids might go out planting trees, during which they'll learn about everything from "cost ... to code compliance."Johnston and Bill Lively, president and CEO of the host committee, both told Unfair Park after the event the program will take $25 to $30 million to implement. Right now, they've got $1 million -- $500,000 from Bank of America, $500,000 from attorney Ted Skokos and wife Shannon via their foundation. But Antoni says others are committed as well, naming, among others, the Wallace, Simmons, Meadow and Ford foundations, as well as the U.S. Department of Education.After the jump, Johnston, Staubach and Lively talk more about the program's genesis. And a few word from the former president.