The deadline is Sept. 1 for the second round of letter of intents for the district’s Public School Choice initiative.
Dallas ISD’s Office of Transformation and Innovation has invited teams of educators to submit their ideas for future Choice Schools, which is part of the district’s effort to provide students with a high-quality, best-fit school. Some Choice Schools – named “Innovation Schools” – will be existing district neighborhood schools that repurpose their academic model but stay in their current facilities and continue to serve students from their regular attendance boundaries
Interested teams can learn more by visiting www.dallasisd.org/choice and clicking on “Public School Choice 2.0 Proposals.” The website includes complete information regarding the competitive proposal timeline, eligibility requirements and the application and selection guidelines.
“This entire process is about empowering educators to dream big about how to best serve our students,” said Mike Koprowski, chief of transformation and innovation. “We are excited to see the creative ideas that come out of this year’s process.”
Through this proposal process, the district will identify the next cohort of Choice Schools that will showcase specialized academic models that support increased student achievement. Specialized academic models include Montessori, International Baccalaureate, visual and performing arts, science/technology/engineering/math (STEM), and business and entrepreneurship.
A total of seven Choice Schools were identified through the first round of competition. As Dallas ISD works to ensure that all students graduate from high school ready for college and career, district officials say Public School Choice will help grow the range of options so that all students can attend a best-fit school. A best-fit school is one where educators can engage students by tapping into their specific interests, aspirations, and preferred learning styles.
By the year 2020, the district seeks to create a total of 35 Choice Schools.
