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This is the second part in a two-part series on the opening of school for Dallas County Schools.

Dallas County Superintendent Anthony Sampson said he and the school district are working through the issues that led to his suspension this summer.

Sampson was relieved of duties at the April 2024 regular school board meeting after an investigation began into complaints filed against the superintendent. The process took nearly a month, but the district decided to reinstate the superintendent upon completion of the investigation. The board also gave Sampson a list of directives to follow.

Sampson said he is following the process that was laid out by the school board to resolve the issues.

“There’s a process, and so I trust the process to be done and to be executed,” Sampson said. “So the trainings that we’ve embarked upon as a board in partnership with the superintendent, we’ve gone through those trainings together to work on board superintendent relationships. We’ve also worked between superintendent and executive staff, as well as district level staff and leaders to go through how to deal with conflict and what are some strategies and techniques we can use and employ to better understand different vantage points and different perspectives and at the same time, still value the relationship of what needs to take place. And then some more specific information has been shared with our school leadership teams, district level leadership and principals in terms of conflict resolution. So those pieces are already in motion. We’ve been doing those things since my reinstatement.

“I’m pleased to know that we’re on a path to move forward, and we can spend our time focused on forward movement.”

Sampson said they are making progress as a school district.

“The ultimate goal of what we’re trying to achieve is how do we do things in a way to impact student learning, to change the lives of the students that we see every day, to change the community and to change the trajectory of what the data has shown historically,” Sampson said.

Sampson said the district is working through the new teacher’s bill of rights, which in essence says that if a teacher sends a student out of the classroom, it requires action from school administration.

Sampson said they have developed and implemented a new process for student discipline. In most instances, a teacher would be required to document the misbehavior and action steps they have taken before a student can be sent to the office.

In extreme cases of misbehavior, the student can be sent to the office. Sampson said they are trying to find the most equitable way to implement that system.

“We want to make sure that we’re providing fair, equitable treatment so that when there is a conflict, that we can have a clear understanding, a good meeting of the minds so that parents know that we’re looking out for the best interests of their child,” Sampson said. “We’re sharing that information as a transparent organization to say, hey, these are the rules that we operate and execute.”

This year, the Office of Clean Energy Demonstration $5 million grant will help with the upgrades and improvement of the district’s facilities. Rep. Prince Chestnut and State Sen. Robert Stewart have helped obtain funds for instructional needs.

Sampson said this school year has an Olympic theme, “go for the gold.” He wants everyone in the district to reach for excellence.

And Sampson wants the goal of being able to “stand on the podium” to not just provide an acceptable education for Dallas County and Black Belt standards, but to be among the best in the state. Southside High School received a legislative award for the top 25 most improved school in the state. Last year, the district went from a D to a C, but he wants the growth to continue.

“That is our realistic expectation. We believe that it’s not a fluke,” Sampson said about the recognition the district has earned. “Our teachers are providing excellent instruction, and we’re getting excellent results, and we will stick to that plan of excellent instruction and stand on the podium and win the gold. Bronze is not our gold. Silver is not our gold. Gold is our gold.”