Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Magnet Center

The Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Magnet Center (TMC) is a complex of schools in East Oak Cliff, Dallas, Texas.[1]

TMC is a single building campus that houses six semi-independent magnet high schools in the Dallas Independent School District. The six component schools are:

Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Magnet Center is among the very few schools in the United States with high-achieving students while maintaining an ethnically diverse student population (current ratio: 30% Anglos, 30% Hispanics, 30% African-Americans, 10% American-Indians and Asian-Americans). It has consistently received notable recognition at the state and national levels as America's best high school with advanced academic curriculum comparable to a university setting.

Yvonne A Ewell Townview Magnet Center has computers available for classrooms, classroom labs, media center and school cluster labs. Teachers also have access to computers in the classroom and teacher work areas. Also available this year is Smart Boards as well as the digital projectors. The auditorium has video capabilities and sound projection. The media center has a Synergy system for delivering video, DVD, and cable. Teachers can use a remote to play VHS Tapes from the system. The media center also has a satellite dish to deliver channel 5 a French language station to French classes. Other assets include: Large TV Monitors for Math class instruction, dental clinic, dental labs, full student commercial kitchen, media labs, current industry software, and many other assets. TAG was ranked the best High School in the United States in 2006, 2007 and 2009 by Newsweek's Jay Mathews Challenge Index which measures the best public and private schools across the country.[2] Newsweek ranked SEM 8th best in 2006, 2nd in 2007, 4th in 2008 and 2nd in 2009.[2] In the 2005 study, SEM came 6th but TAG was excluded from the survey because of the way it pre-screens students for admission. There is much rivalry between the two schools for placement in the survey.
Also, recently for the 2008-2009 school year, all of the schools have been named Exemplary.
Business and Management is also a Blue Ribbon School.

History

DISD superintendent Linus Wright first proposed creating Townview in 1978 as a way to save costs; having a centrally located magnet center would reduce transportation costs. U.S. federal judge Barefoot Sanders, involved in desegregating DISD, supported the plan. Yvonne Ewell and one other DISD administrator were tasked with developing the center, and Ewell helped obtain 26-acre (11 ha) of land in East Oak Cliff. Ewell retired from DISD in 1984.[3] An economic downturn in 1987 stymied a DISD real estate scheme to sell Crozier Tech High School, and this in turn prevented the originally planned summer 1987 opening for Townview.[3] As of 1992 the proposed cost estimate for Townview was $30 million.[1] In 1992 Sanders allowed the district to scale back its plans for Townview,[4] but he also ordered it to be completed by 1995.[3]

Laura Miller, then writing for the Dallas Observer, stated that there was a lot of buildup in regards to Townview helping solve racial segregation issues in DISD, and also that there was a sense of sacrifice from landowners in Oak Cliff, many of whom were low income and elderly, who gave up their land for Townview.[3]

As Townview was developed there were controversies over what role the principals of the individual magnets would have relative to that of the head of Townview, as well as designs over the curriculum and instruction of those in the individual magnets.[3]

School Distinction

Rosie M. Collins Sorrells School of Education and Social Services is a blue ribbon school. 2012-2013 number 3 out of the building, before being dethroned the following school year. School of Business and Management has increasingly become the most prestigious school, with a bank, radio station and other student activities. Superintendent of the Dallas Independent School District Mike Miles has visited the School of Business and Management due to its tremendous effort.

References

  1. 1 2 Macias, Anna. "Starting his school work Hiring team of experts among Edwards' ideas for new bond program." The Dallas Morning News. December 7, 1992. Home Final News 1A. Retrieved on October 12, 2011.
  2. 1 2 "The Top of the Class: The complete list of the 1,500 top U.S. high schools". Newsweek. June 8, 2009. Archived from the original on June 12, 2009. Retrieved 2009-06-09.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Miller, Laura (14 March 1996). "The Truth About Townview". Dallas Observer. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
  4. ↑ Garcia, Joseph. "Judge OKs smaller Townview He expresses sympathy with blacks' frustration." The Dallas Morning News. November 6, 1992. Retrieved on October 11, 2011.

Coordinates: 32°45′08″N 96°48′24″W / 32.75222°N 96.80667°W / 32.75222; -96.80667

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