DISD to reverse charter partnership, a look at booming Celina's past: Your weekend roundup

One of the most politically heated battles the Dallas school board has undertaken in recent years was the decision to transform some classrooms into charters.  [Morning roundup]( 12/08/2019 By Mallorie Sullivan and Chelsea Watkins Good morning! Here is a look at the top headlines of the weekend so far. 🌥️ Weather: Partly cloudy and warmer. High of 70. 🔎 Prefer the online view? It's [here.]( The Dallas school district plans to reverse course on a controversial partnership that converted some pre-K classrooms into charters. (Shaban Athuman / Staff Photographer) DALLAS [Unexpected side effect of Texas school finance overhaul has Dallas schools nixing controversial charter partnership]( One of the most politically heated battles the Dallas school board has undertaken in recent years was the decision to transform some classrooms into charters. Parents and teachers crowded meetings for months urging the board to not "privatize" any part of DISD by handing control over to outsiders. Trustees argued amongst themselves late into the evening — and well into the early morning hours — before finally agreeing earlier this year to create partnerships that allow private operators to run some DISD prekindergarten classes as charters. [But now, DISD is hitting reverse.](  Commentary: George Dahl designed much of Dallas, [and his unseen archives reveal how his work shaped our lives]( writes Robert Wilonsky.   And: The South Central Jurisdictional Conference of the United Methodist Church has sued SMU over the university’s [steps to redefine its relationship with the church.](  ADVERTISEMENT POLITICS [Texas is one of the most gun-friendly states. These county officials want to keep it that way]( Since the fall, nearly 20 Texas counties have adopted resolutions declaring themselves sanctuaries for gun owners and fierce defenders of the Second Amendment, according to the conservative news website The Texan. The latest - and so far, the most populous - is Collin County, which adopted its resolution Nov. 25. The counties - including Hood, Ellis, and Palo Pinto - represent a tiny fraction of local governments in Texas. [And yet these same counties are part of a national movement.](  Also: Andrew Yang brought his promise of $1,000 for every American adult to Dallas on Friday [at what his campaign called his largest fundraiser yet.](   And: The University of Texas at Austin says [it will disclose the names of faculty and staff with sexual misconduct violations]( to anyone who submits an open records request.  (Jason Janik / Special Contributor) ADVERTISEMENT PHOTO OF THE WEEKEND [Mavericks turn practice facility into Christmas wonderland for at-risk kids]( Boban Marjanovic listens to Santa read a story to children attending a Dinner With Santa event Friday at the Mavericks Practice Facility in Dallas. The [entire Mavericks roster served meals and cookies to 50 at-risk kids]( and delivered to each child a dental kit from Jefferson Dental and a personalized bag full of presents and necessities. "Days like today, these kids will remember this for the rest of their lives," Mavericks center Maxi Kleber said Friday. "So this a very special moment. We feel very proud as players to be part of it." AROUND THE SITE - Food: Chef Brian Luscher, of longtime restaurant The Grape, [has taken a new job in the Dallas suburbs.]( - Crime: A former airline crew chief was sentenced Friday for [trying to smuggle meth onto commercial flights at DFW International Airport.]( - News: Collin County country singer Kylie Rae Harris [was drunk and driving 102 mph before a crash]( that killed her and a 16-year-old passenger, police say. FINALLY... [As newcomers spur booming Celina, Shirley’s Hair Shop is a window to city’s past]( The woman with a clutch of Sue Stafford’s hair in her fingers can still recall when she used to backcomb it into a giant poof, as if Stafford’s head had been dolloped with a whoosh of blonde whipped cream. "Backcombed up to heck," is how Shirley O’Neal, of Shirley’s Hair Shop in Celina, puts it now. "I mean, it was big." But that was a half-century ago, when the personable O’Neal was a 20-something stylist fresh out of beauty school. These days, Stafford opts for a more subdued perm. Since 1966, the cornerstone salon with the plain-Jane exterior has served clients with coiffures and camaraderie, a window to the booming city’s past and [a constant amid change in one of Dallas-Fort Worth’s fastest-growing municipalities.](  👋 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 [newsletter-feedback@dallasnews.com](mailto:newsletter-feedback@dallasnews.com?subject=). STAY CONNECTED WITH US [Unsubscribe]( | [Free newsletters]( | [Dallasnews.com]( | [Subscriber login]( | [Privacy Policy]( | [Contact us]( Copyright 2019 - [The Dallas Morning News, 1954 Commerce Street, Dallas, TX 75201, United States](