Author: News and Information

The best evaluation of the Spanish Interpreter Hotline in the Dallas Independent School District came from an assistant principal at J. L. Long Middle School. “You have equipped me to better serve the students and their parents,” read the note from Wilma King to the district’s Translation Services Department. Introduced in 2013, the Spanish Interpreter, or “Sí,” Hotline offers school staff members a more personal and faster way to communicate with non-English speaking parents via a 3-way call. The hotline recently surpassed 4,000 calls for the 2014-2015 school year during the week of Jan. 12. By comparison, calls to the hotline…

Former 2008 Gardere MLK Oratory contest winner Dalton Sherman, now a junior at Barack Obama Male Leadership Academy, is doing what he does best – public speaking. This weekend he was one of the key speakers to deliver a strong message at the African American Pastors Coalition (AAPC)celebration, which honored Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Sherman’s push from the pulpit among thousands can be seen in a report by CBS 11. LINK: http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2015/01/19/save-our-sons-hopes-to-stop-negative-judgement-of-black-children/

The Dallas Independent School District is forming a task force aimed at enhancing steps the district is currently taking to close the achievement gap for African-American students. Board of Trustees First Vice President Lew Blackburn will lead a group that will review progress made under the district’s African-American Success Initiative and explore ways to improve its outcomes. The task force announcement was made as part of a presentation on the initiative during today’s monthly Board Briefing. Check out this news report on the initiative to improve black student success from CBS 11. LINK: http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2015/01/15/disd-working-to-improve-black-student-success/

St. Luke “Community” United Methodist Church and the Zan Holmes Jr. “Community” Outreach Center will spend the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday weekend encouraging parishioners and visitors to serve in the Dallas Independent School District as mentors and tutors in schools in Fair Park and South Dallas area. Beginning Sunday, Jan. 18,, both communities will train potential volunteers while emboldening interested parties during worship services. Those individuals that complete the training will begin volunteering next week. Last week almost 70 volunteers were trained to begin service with Dallas ISD. The effort is the result of a conversation between Pastor Michael…

A group of local business and community leaders that includes Ron and Matrice Kirk, Ron McCray, Brenda Jackson, Levy and Diane Curry, and Paget and Deborah Alves are donating the 10,000 free tickets to Dallas ISD students in grades 7-9 to see the movie “Selma”. Students may attend a free screening of the movie on Jan. 17-19. The timing of the viewing, during the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday weekend, provides even more incentive to share the story of the March on Selma and how it shaped the past and present. WFAA’s Demond Fernandez spoke with students and staff at…

Michael Smoot’s orchestra ensemble accepted playing second fiddle to Harry Stone Montessori Academy’s big announcement on becoming an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School, one of only two in the district to receive the designation. As his team of strings took center stage in front of a standing-room only audience for a special presentation, Smoot recalled his personal experience there. An orchestra teacher, he has spent the last 25 years teaching at Harry Stone. Throughout the years he’s watched the school evolve from a traditional elementary school to a magnet school and most recently a Montessori academy. Smoot is the only original…

Films on historic events provide a visual glimpse into important periods in time. Approximately 10,000 Dallas Independent School District students will receive the opportunity to view the civil rights movement through that lens when they attend a free screening of the movie “Selma” on Jan. 17-19.    A group of local business and community leaders that includes Ron and Matrice Kirk, Ron McCray, Brenda Jackson, Levy and Diane Curry, and Paget and Deborah Alves are donating the free tickets to Dallas ISD students in grades 7-9.  The timing of the viewing, during the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday weekend, provides even…

Check out The Hub Friday, Jan. 16 to watch fourth- and fifth-grade students deliver their inspirational essays live at the 23rd Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Oratory Competition. The event will be streamed on The Hub beginning at 11 a.m. Eight finalists will present essays to a host of judges on what they believe Dr. King would say in his acceptance speech if he were alive today and won the Nobel Prize. The finalists are: Kywin Brown, fourth grade, Wilmer-Hutchins Elementary Serenity Dugan, fourth grade, Thomas L. Marsalis Elementary Jalien Hedgeman, fifth grade, Clara Oliver Elementary Walker Homan, fifth grade,…

Homeowners will often refinance their mortgages to obtain a lower interest rate. The Dallas Independent School District took the concept to a new level, netting $29 million in savings by refinancing two sets of bonds. On Jan. 8, the district refinanced bonds issued in 2006 and 2008 worth more than $234 million that were issued at a higher interest rate. Due to Dallas ISD’s district’s strong credit rating and increasing financial strength, the refinancing resulted in a lower interest cost that resulted in gross savings of $41 million and net present value savings of $29 million, or 12.1 percent in…

North Texas is experiencing unprecedented seismic activity, and the Dallas Independent School District is equipping its school leaders with information to better protect students and staff. The district’s Office of Emergency Management emergency operations team has forwarded a packet of information to all principals detailing a drop-cover-hold procedure to be used by school communities during an earthquake, as well as posters that can be placed throughout a campus. Dallas ISD does not have a specific earthquake protocol. However, the district employs an “all hazards” approach to protecting students. Student and staff safety is always a No. 1 concern. The drop-cover-hold…