Five stories that have North Texas talking: Students and a teacher get hurt during a science experiment in Frisco, a call for Dallas ISD's Mike Miles to resign, can you really earn $110,000 right out of school?, and more.
An eighth-grade girl at Roach Middle School in Frisco received first- and second-degree burns Monday after a “flash fire” during a science experiment, school officials told The Dallas Morning News. The student was transported via helicopter to Parkland Memorial Hospital. Students were burning salts and a chemical reaction sparked the fire. Fire officials say that the experiment included strontium chloride, methyl alcohol and a stick lighter. Another student and the teacher were treated for minor injuries at the scene.
- DISD’s Mike Miles: Will He Stay Or Will He Go?: The head of Dallas ISD’s largest teachers union says that the Dallas school superintendent should resign. Rena Honea, president of Alliance AFT, told WFAA-TV that Miles should leave before he gets fired. Her statement follows a district report released Friday that says Miles twice violated district policy by trying to interfere with an investigation into how he handled a contract. The report says each violation by Miles constitute “good cause” for dismissal. Many Dallas school board members have remained silent since the report was released. Miles is scheduled to appear at a Dallas Regional Chamber event at noon today to discuss the state of the district. KERA’s Bill Zeeble has been following the twists and turns in the Miles investigation and fallout.
- The Right Major Can Score You Major Money: Erin Ford is just 24. She’s making $110,000 a year. How did the University of Texas grad do it? She has the right major: a bachelor’s degree in petroleum engineering. An economist tells NPR’s Planet Money on All Things Considered that what you major in – not where you went to school -- has a bigger influence over your income. Meanwhile, Michael Gardner majored in psychology. He recently landed a job as a case worker. The salary? $36,000. It’s not oil money, but Gardner is happy with his career choice.
- Speaking Of Good Jobs …: Where should recent college graduates move to find work? Head to San Jose, the land of Silicon Valley, where there seems to be a tech company (or more) on every block. That’s according to The Atlantic’s Cities blog, which crunched the numbers based on job openings that require post-secondary education and in fields that have grown by at least 2 percent. Washington, D.C., ranked No. 2. Boston placed third. In Texas, Austin scored best, placing seventh. But don’t fret, North Texas. Dallas-Fort Worth has the fourth largest number of openings. (But based on the way The Atlantic's blog determined its rankings, it’s not just quantity, it’s quality.)
- Country Superstar To Say Adios In Arlington: George Strait announced Monday that he will end his two-year farewell tour at AT&T Stadium. He held a press conference at the stadium to announce the details. The concert will take place sometime after May. Several country music stars will join Strait on the tour, including Merle Haggard, Miranda Lambert, Jason Aldean, Eric Church, Sheryl Crow and Ronnie Dunn. But Strait still plans to record. In fact, he recently announced a deal for five more studio albums. [KTVT]
