Author: The Hub

Preliminary results show Dustin Marshall won the Dallas ISD Board of Trustees runoff election on Saturday for District 2. Marshall, a businessman, fills the seat vacated by Mike Morath, who was appointed to become the state’s education commissioner. Jaime Resendez (Trustee District 4), Lew Blackburn (Trustee District 5), and Audrey Pinkerton (Trustee District 7) won their races in May for seats on the Dallas ISD Board of Trustees. The Dallas ISD Board of Trustees establishes the policies by which schools operate. In carrying out the task of setting policy, the board identifies needs and establishes priorities for the school system, allocates financial…

Dallas ISD’s Summer Meal program celebrated its kick off event on Tuesday. Select Dallas ISD schools participate in the free summer meal program along with churches, recreation centers, and other activity sites throughout the city. Future Focus Superintendent Michael Hinojosa shared advice with students at the Future Focus Camp hosted by United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, Accenture and the Dallas Regional Chamber. Hinojosa told students that knowledge, skills and a positive attitude would set them up for success for tomorrow’s workforce. Dallas Winds Band Camp Hundreds of middle and high school students attended an intensive, weeklong band camp conducted by the Dallas…

The H. Grady Spruce Feeder Pattern is ready to show the Metroplex all the great things happening in their schools. Executive Director Brian Lusk noted the schools have been going through a rebranding. “The principals are working with their schools to develop their identity of what their niche will be and what they want to be known for,” said Lusk. All schools in the Spruce feeder pattern value their partnerships with parents and local organizations, with parent involvement and community connections continuing to grow and strengthen the campuses. Check out the programs that make the feeder pattern unique, including the…

A program aiming to help promote a love of fresh fruit and vegetables was the backdrop to officially kickoff the Summer Meals program at Dallas ISD. Just in the second week of the program, students in the Summer Sprouts class at Balch Springs Middle School had cooked and sampled a few recipes with fresh items from the school’s garden. On Tuesday, June 14, students shared fresh Texas peaches and also a simple, low-sugar peach sorbet. Teacher Denesyn Figueroa-Freytes said the class also put an abundance of carrots to use by making carrot cupcakes. The girls in the Summer Sprouts program…

For those who want to relive the graduation ceremonies or see them for the first time, Dallas ISD has compiled videos of the ceremonies into one place. Click here to see a playlist of the videos from the ceremonies.

As a result of ongoing reporting issues with the state’s testing vendor, Commissioner of Education Mike Morath announced Friday that the state will be removing student consequences attached to State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) for fifth and eighth-grade students for the 2015-2016 school year. He also cancelled the June 21-22 fifth and eighth-grade retest administration. Commissioner Morath’s decision means the SSI Accelerated Instruction summer school program being offered to help prepare students for the next STAAR test is no longer required. However, schools will continue this program through Thursday, June 16, and we encourage students to complete…

Dallas ISD teachers have been visiting the Big Thought offices at South Side on Lamar to undergo training on social emotional enrichment teaching techniques, a key focus of the district’s upcoming Summer Achievers Academy, a full-day, tuition-free summer camp experience open to Dallas ISD students. Big Thought is a key partner in Dallas ISD’s Summer Learning initiative. Summer Achievers is the result of the district’s partnership with Big Thought, a Dallas-area non-profit, as part of the organization’s Dallas City of Learning, a city leadership endorsed national effort to extend learning throughout the summer in cities across the country.

The State Board of Education is seeking nominations for its Hero of Children Award. Each year the State Board of Education recognizes 15 people across the state for their outstanding volunteer work. If you know of a volunteer worthy of this honor, nominate them here. The Hero of Children Award recipients will be honored at the State Board of Education’s September 2016 meeting in Austin. July 1 is the deadline to nominate someone for the award.

The time spent in high school participating in her favorite club hugely influenced Krystal Esparza’s career choice. As a member of HOSA (Health Occupations Students of America), Esparza learned to apply what she learned in the classroom in real life situations. Today, this 2010 graduate of the School of Health Professions at the Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Center works as an athletic trainer in sports medicine helping patients recover from orthopedic injuries. AlumNow, The Hub feature that profiles district alumni, recently checked in with Esparza for an update on what she’s been up to since graduating high school. What are…

School is out, but learning never stops in Dallas ISD! The district’s STEM Summer Camps got underway this week. The camps feature fun and learning and cover everything from chemistry and electricity to forensic science. Meanwhile, a partnership is helping a garden grow into something great at one elementary school, and two longtime employees are moving into their next chapter. Great grant for BA The Bryan Adams High School Leadership Academy is the recipient of a $130,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Education to strengthen its schoolwide approach to social and emotional learning. (Read this) STEM Summer Camps Students…