Guatemalans' migration decision, Texas education, a deferred dream takes wing: Your Monday morning roundup

Here in the tiny, picturesque community of San Martin, tucked into the foothills of Chimaltenango in central Guatemala, news of the quick journey that Ana Matzutz's husband and daughter made into the U.S. — an 11-day trip — generated instant buzz.  [Morning roundup]( 02/11/2019 By Wayne Carter and Nataly Keomoungkhoun Good morning! Here is a look at the top headlines as we start the day. ☁️ Weather: Cloudy and mild with scattered showers and a few thunderstorms, with a high of 63. 🔎 Prefer the online view? It's [her]( Ana Matzutz, 32, has a debate with her 14-year-old son, Esduardo, 14, about whether to leave San Martín Jilotepeque, Guatemala, for the United States, where her husband and daughter live. (Alfredo Corchado/Staff) IMMIGRATION [Guatemala town's residents weigh playing cat-and-mouse game on U.S. border]( Ana Matzutz and her teenage son, Esduardo, stood across from each other at the family's fruit stand, arguing about their likely migration north. The other half of their family — father and daughter — made it to the United States just days earlier in search of opportunity and away from gangs. They await Ana and Esduardo in New Jersey, and Ana, 32, considers it her duty to reunite the family. But Esduardo, 14, wants to finish school and study law. [Their struggle, one that Esduardo later confessed will go his mother's way, plays out against a tense standoff 5,000 miles north]( one led by an American president who has pledged to thwart illegal immigration and secure the U.S.-Mexico border by building a wall. President Donald Trump's policy of dramatically slowing the flow of asylum-seekers into the U.S. has led to the latest cat-and-mouse game along the border. Rather than be stuck in large itinerant communities for an undetermined amount of time and face prospects of drug violence, smugglers are telling potential clients here that they will move them — "human cargo" — through barren areas along the border, making it easier to turn themselves in to Border Patrol agents without wasting time in cities like Ciudad Juarez. Commentary: Republicans and Democrats [continue to kick the can on immigration reform]( writes political columnist Gromer Jeffers Jr. Commentary: [Forget about Trump's new immigration position]( — he will, writes Ramesh Ponnuru. ADVERTISEMENT EDITORIAL [Texas schools are not meeting the needs of the economy, and that has to change]( In his State of the State address last week, Gov. Greg Abbott rightly praised teachers across the state, pointing out that Texas now has "more public high schools ranked in the Top 100 and more Blue Ribbon public schools than any state in America." But he also noted — as is the case in so many states and school districts across America — [that far too many students graduate from high school "not ready for college or a career."]( At the advent of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, when digital literacy and coding are nearly as important as reading, writing and arithmetic for the jobs of the future, it’s crucial that educators embrace innovative approaches and solutions that focus on achievement and providing the skills needed to succeed in the Fourth Industrial Revolution economy. Educators, government and business have to come together to increase digital literacy and develop new curriculum that doesn’t leave behind the liberal arts but trains and educates for the 21st century, not the 20th century. Commentary: The Texas Legislature [must reform school funding this session]( no delays this time. Commentary: The heart of a school is its teacher, and [teachers should be at the heart of school finance reform.]( BUSINESS [After 35 years, former Southwest ticket agent gets her wings]( When Shari Rood turned in her application last June as an internal candidate for Southwest Airlines’ next flight attendant class, the woman processing the paperwork called to see whether there was a mistake. There didn’t seem to be enough digits in Rood’s employee number. Rood laughed and assured her that, yes, she was employee No. 5956 — compared with today's new hires, who number in the 138000s. "She said, ‘Really?’" Rood says. "And I said, ‘Yeah. You’re wondering if I’m crazy, right?’" Rood put her original plans when she joined Southwest at age 20 on hold to raise four daughters. But now that they've all finished college, [her dream is finally taking flight.]( Whole new ballgame: Dallas Fuel president Geoff Moore sees the future of esports [looking a lot like music festivals.]( Prime target: A hunting ranch east of Dallas has hit the market [with a $5.9 million price tag.]( EDITORS' PICKS - Caught criminal: A Plano man who agreed to pay $50 in exchange for [sex with a 13-year-old girl was sentenced Friday to more than 13 years in prison]( federal officials say. - Peppa mania: Kids are already going [wild for the new Peppa Pig playplace]( in Grapevine. - Traffic stop gone wrong: A man [bit off part of a Denton police sergeant's ear]( after a traffic stop late Friday, authorities say. Playwright Jonathan Norton (left) and director Derrick Sanders (right) worked with actor Kenneisha Thompson during a rehearsal for the play The 67th Book of the Bible in January 2015 at the Dallas Institute of Humanities and Culture (2015 File Photo/Smiley N. Pool) FINALLY [How an SMU art history class launched Jonathan Norton's career as a Dallas playwright]( Ten years ago, when Jonathan Norton was earning his graduate degree at SMU, he made a simple request: Instead of writing the final paper for an African-American art history class, he was hoping to submit the first few scenes of a play. Norton was in his early 30s and had returned to school seeking inspiration. But he found all he wanted to do was write plays. That art history class led to My Tidy List of Terrors; a civil rights pilgrimage led to Mississippi Goddamn. After Norton graduated in 2011, his plays began to appear all over town, one after another, each one earning more critical acclaim than the one before. But to understand how Norton became the playwright in residence at the Dallas Theater Center, you first need to understand this: [Making it as a playwright is no small feat. Especially if you want to be a good playwright or successful. Especially in Dallas.]( 👋 That's all for this morning! For up-to-the-minute news and analysis, check out [DallasNews.com](. Share the love! If you like this newsletter, please forward this email to a friend and [check out our other newsletters here](. Do you have feedback? Send your thoughts, questions, praise and corrections to [newsletters@dallasnews.com](mailto:newsletter-feedback@dallasnews.com?subject=). STAY CONNECTED WITH US [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [Twitter]( [LinkedIn]( [Tumblr]( [Google](dallasnews) [Reddit]( [OTHER FREE NEWSLETTERS]( [Unsubscribe]( | [Dallasnews.com]() | [Subscribe to The Dallas Morning News]() | [Subscriber login]() | [Privacy Policy]( | [Contact]( You received this message because you signed up for this Dallas Morning News newsletter or it was forwarded to you. Copyright 2019 - [The Dallas Morning News, 1954 Commerce Street, Dallas, TX 75201, United States]()