A $215,000 planning grant from NewSchools Venture Fund will help Dallas ISD’s newest Transformation School prepare to successfully open in August 2018.
Ignite Middle School (name pending board approval) will be a brand new Personalized Learning Campus that will open next school year, with the upcoming school year serving as a crucial planning year. The grant from NewSchools Venture Fund will fund professional development, equipment, technology, travel to model schools and more for the new school during this planning year.
“The grant is incredibly important because it will help us prepare the best possible educational product for our future students and families,” said Ignite Middle School Principal Dr. Michael Gayles.
The grant is a part of $5.6 million in investments the NewSchools Venture Fund is making in 29 teams that are either beginning the planning process or getting ready to open new schools in the fall.
Ignite Middle School will immerse students in a rigorous project-based learning environment where they will have the opportunity to explore various career fields at their own pace. While the location is to be determined, Ignite will be open to any student in the district without admissions requirements. A team of accomplished Dallas ISD educators led by Gayles, who has most recently served as assistant principal at T.W. Browne Middle, designed the school.
Ignite will join 17 other schools under Dallas ISD’s Public School Choice Initiative. The goal of Public School Choice is to grow the range of options for families so that all Dallas ISD students can attend a best-fit school. Best-fit schools are schools where educators can deeply engage students by tapping into their individual interests, aspirations, and preferred learning styles.
There are still opportunities available at Dallas ISD’s existing Choice Schools for interested students. To learn more or enroll a student, contact the Office of Transformation and Innovation at 972-925-3306 or choice@dallasisd.org.
