Edward Conger, the principal of Thomas Jefferson High School, one of the Dallas Indepenent School District’s toughest high schools, came to public education after two decades in the U.S. Marine Corps. He brought a lot of that Marine attitude with him: If his students don’t do their homework, it generates an immediate call home and a mandatory two-hour stay after school.

“It sounds silly, but what’s made the difference is actually holding the kids accountable and helping them understand that choices have consequences — that in the real world, if they don’t do their job, they ...

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