Today we’d like to introduce you to LaKashia Wallace.
Hi LaKashia, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
A South Dallas native, I graduated from the Great James Madison High School in 1987. I was the first in my immediate family to graduate from college, and I hold a degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Houston. While in college, I married my high school sweetheart, and we later had four children, all of whom also attended Dallas ISD.
Because of my own experiences, I struggled to trust Dallas ISD with my children. In their early years, my oldest three children attended St. Philip’s School and Community Center. After a move, we could no longer afford private school, and I realized that sending them to public school would require commitment, dedication, and my full involvement. I have served on numerous PTAs (Parent Teacher Association) and SBDM (Site Based Decision Making) committees, was recognized by the district as a parent volunteer of the year for multiple years, and even worked as a substitute teacher in several schools.
It amazes me now that almost every day, I hear from a parent who needs help advocating for their child, and almost everywhere I go, I run into a former student or parent who I have had an opportunity to work with or support during the 20+ years I have been active in Dallas public schools. That is why I am now formalizing all of my policy and advocacy work into the South Dallas Parent Coalition, which, by the way, is not limited to involvement from parents in South Dallas, but it is geared to support us and our needs.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
As my children entered Dallas ISD, I knew that there would be barriers; my concern as a parent was whether or not Dallas ISD could meet their needs. Inevitably all children, all people, will experience difficult moments in their education, from personality struggles with staff to not being supported fully in their unique needs. Racial inequity in education is something different. It is an underlying behavior that indicates a belief that for Black children, for Brown children, education should be difficult, that their experiences and the children themselves will and should be hard.
No matter how difficult the experience, I used it to strengthen my resolve and taught my children to do the same. My middle son Joseph who now is in his second season with XFL (Go DC Defenders!!!) Before he reached the age of 8 had experienced multiple suspensions, as well as physical and emotional abuse. The district failed to listen to me as a parent when I asked for additional support. I was being ignored and told that my kid was ‘just a bad kid.’
Parent advocacy comes with risks. Even with my visibility and accomplishments and being the parent ‘allowed’ to sit at the table, my children were still targeted. Most recently, my youngest child was targeted as a result of my advocacy, and I had to remove him from the district. He was the only child to not graduate from Dallas ISD.
So many of our teachers, staff, and administrators deeply care about children. Even with the best of skills, experiences, and intentions, what I witnessed across schools was a lack… a lack of support for both teachers and students, a lack of protection, and a lack of commitment to the long-term well-being of our children well beyond the data of test scores and graduation rates.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
There is a wealth of educational equity and advocacy organizations in Dallas, many of whom I have worked alongside. However, a majority of the people leading and working in this space often don’t have children and are not from or currently live in the communities most impacted. The thing that sets me and the South Dallas Parent Coalition apart is the emotional investment in real children on the other side of advocacy work, and the work that we do is from a place of direct experience. The information I am providing to parents is because I have walked in these shoes. At the end of the day, my goal is to make SURE that children succeed and parents are informed. Parents need to know, and kids need to be given EVERY opportunity to be successful.
In addition to my commitment to my own community, my professional background gives me unique insights and skills to be effective. I have been a lot of firsts where it relates to parent advocacy and school discipline:
I was the first parent to sit on a panel at the Texas Supreme Court, and I inspired a committee on school discipline created by former Dallas ISD superintendent Lew Blackburn. I’ve been published in the Washington Post, was interviewed by the BBC on school suspensions, and served as an advisor for the district to address changes in the code of conduct, served on committees for several trustees and on a countywide commission on juvenile justice, and have spoken on panels across the state.
What really sets me apart is that all my work is informed by real-world experiences at the other end of inequitable education as a probation officer, mother, and student of Dallas ISD.
It might sound like what I am describing is a system broken beyond repair. But I work so hard because I BELIEVE in protecting public education. No, it is not currently an equitable institution, and our district has a long way to go to fully serve our kids. Eroding our power as a community to advocate for our children by removing the ability to vote is not in the long-term best interest of anyone.
What were you like growing up?
As a child, I never met a stranger and made friends easily; many of my earliest friendships are even stronger today. Growing up, I was an only child; therefore, I spent a lot of time by myself; I enjoyed reading and spending time with family.
I took pride in being a good speller and reader and was excited to sit in the first chair in math class and participate in the spelling bee. In high school, I was class president a spokesperson for my high school for two years and got funding for our school.
I was very close to my grandmother. Some of my favorite times we spent together were during the holidays. I looked forward to cooking sweet potato pies with my grandmother and mother. My children to this day, celebrate many of the same traditions. Family is everything.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://southdallasparents.org/#home
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lakashia-wallace-771b1128b/
