Author: News and Information

Hub (noun). The center of activity or interest; a focal point. A hub is the center around which all things revolve. A hub, much like communications, connects individuals to people, places, and things of interest. In Dallas ISD, there is fervent desire to effectively communicate with parents, students, staff and community members in a way that earns respect and garners positive interest and engagement. Parents expect more. Staff members expect more. Community members expect more. And we hear you. The Dallas ISD Communications Department is thinking differently and acting courageously as we rethink how communications are delivered. And we have…

Today, 184 returning principals will receive new salaries that are based on a combination of performance measures and student achievement results. Gone are the salaries based primarily on years of experience. For the first time in Dallas ISD history, a principal’s base salary (the salary without stipends) is reflective of actual effectiveness. The higher the effectiveness, the higher the salary. The new principal evaluation system has been in place for two years, but the district timed the new compensation structure to begin after two years to ensure the system was fair, accurate and rigorous. “I don’t know of any other…

Over the weekend, district officials acknowledged that they have a lot of work to do to ensure high school graduation rates reflect attainment of rigorous academic standards and not “seat time.” For months, Dallas ISD has cautioned against placing too much emphasis on the recent increase in the graduation rate, saying it is something worth noting but that it must be accompanied by college readiness rates. District officials note that even the principal evaluation system, which has been in place for two years, does not include graduation rates as a performance indicator for principals. Instead, the evaluation includes a more…

National Blue Ribbon status is one of the highest honors any school can achieve. Each year, the U.S. Department of Education announces the schools considered high-performing or those where students are making significant improvements in achievement levels. This year, Dallas ISD has four schools nominated for consideration, which is a huge accomplishment. This is a two-part series highlighting the schools. “Think globally, act locally, and go boldly into the future.” That is the school motto at Henry W. Longfellow Career Exploration Academy, and it is a driving force for the school’s approximately 430 students each day as they prepare for success…

Editor’s note: The following is an editorial piece from the Dallas ISD news team.  “The Dallas Independent School District does not discuss personnel matters.” You often read or hear that sentence when the school district is approached by a media outlet regarding an event involving a staff member. No doubt, that response is frustrating when you and others want and need more information in order to understand the whole story. We understand. When we don’t elaborate on a personnel matter, it can lead community members to potentially speculate on the reasons why or can fuel a belief that important information…

Operation Comeback returns this year as the district steps up its efforts to locate students known as “no-shows” who have not shown up for the first weeks of school. During the next few weeks, district staff will attempt to connect with these students to convince them to return to school or determine if they have moved out of the district. As part of Operation Comeback, district staff will operate a phone bank Sept. 10-19 in an effort to call no-show students. The initiative will culminate in a neighborhood walk on Saturday, Sept. 20, as staff, community leaders and volunteers fan out…

On Wednesday, Sept. 10, students from Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts will help celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra’s move to the Morton Meyerson Symphony Center. A free showcase, “We are Booker T … A Collaboration of the Arts,” will feature a visual arts exhibit by students and presentations by the school’s street mimes, West African dance troupe, mariachi ensemble, jazz singers, orchestra and choir. The event finale will be “America the Beautiful,” an orchestral and choral arrangement that will feature all of the performing arts groups. The event begins at…

More than $27,000 was been donated via the GoFundMe website to support a G.B. Dealey Montessori and International Academy student’s family following an Aug. 24 fire at their home. According to the fund’s page on GoFundMe, the family lost nearly all of their possessions in the fire. However, a host of friends, family, colleagues and kind-hearted people have donated money and necessities such as clothing to the family. To donate, visit the fund’s page on GoFundMe.

Fifth-graders at Joseph J. Rhoads Learning Center heard from members of the National Guard who are spreading the message of staying in school and away from drugs during Operation Crackdown, Friday, Sept. 12. The City of Dallas hosted the initiative to focus on targeted areas where high drug activity exists, like in parts of South Dallas. After the presentation, the entire fifth-grade class met with Mayor Mike Rawlings and other city officials at the demolition site of an old drug house located in the 3200 block of Trezevant Street that was torn down.

Rewarding effectiveness. That’s the purpose at the heart of the Dallas Independent School District’s Principal Evaluation System, which is the first of its kind ever initiated in a large urban school district. The new system came to fruition this week as Dallas ISD principals were notified of their 2014-2015 salary based on their performance under the new appraisal system. The new evaluation structure has transformed the way campus leaders are compensated. Overall, 126 returning principals this school year will each receive a pay increase of $10,000 annually, based on their performance. “Our new principal evaluation system is groundbreaking, transformative and…