Author: The Hub

About 1,000 teachers new to Dallas ISD gathered last week at the Music Hall at Fair Park to prepare for a successful school year. As part of New Teacher Academy, the teachers learned about their campuses, the district’s six new achievement goals, the Teaching Excellence Initiative, and much more. Superintendent Michael Hinojosa and Trustee President Lew Blackburn welcomed the new teachers to the event. There are fewer new teachers this year than the past several years, but those at the event are prepped and ready for the school year. “I wanted to give back to the community that molded me…

Dallas ISD has started notifying parents about their child’s application status for pre-K this school year. The district has placed robocalls to parents whose child is qualified for pre-K and has turned in all the necessary paperwork. The district last week began placing robocalls to parents who are missing required documentation needed to register their child for pre-K. All parents who have registered their child should be notified by Aug. 10 about their application status. Parents who still need to drop off documents to enroll their child in pre-K can email the documents to prek@dallasisd.org or drop the documents off…

Since 1996, the Mayor’s Back to School Fair has helped prepare Dallas ISD students for the first day of school. On Friday, Aug. 5, as the event celebrated its 20th year, current Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings was joined by the mayor who started it all, Ron Kirk. The event has grown since then to include free health screenings and eye exams, vaccinations, haircuts, books and school supplies for eligible families. Walmart has been the presenting sponsor in recent years, along with major sponsors Capital One and the North Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church. Attendees line up hours before…

The Dallas Titans Softball Team delivered school supplies to Dallas ISD schools over the weekend. The softball team delivered about $2,000 worth of supplies to Ben Milam Elementary School and Sam Houston Elementary School!

The Woodrow Wilson High School robotics team is celebrating after winning the inaugural UIL Robotics Championship held July 28-29 in Austin. The state title was a joint victory, with Woodrow Wilson students sharing the victory with Greenville High School, Clear Creek ISD and Harlandale High School. “We are so humbled, grateful, and excited to be a part of the first-ever UIL Texas Robotics State Championship winning alliance team in the FRC Division,” read a statement from Woodrow Wilson High robotics teachers Terry Tolleson, Daniel Garrison and Brandon Carver. “This is a huge accomplishment for our students and the Woodrow Wilson High…

Target and DonorsChoose.org are teaming up to support teacher- and student-driven classroom projects. Through a partnership with DonorsChoose.org, a non-profit dedicated to engaging the public to fund K-12 public school projects, Target will invest up to $5 million, reach up to 200,000 students nationwide and bring to life their ideas to promote healthy eating and increase physical activity. Examples include a school vegetable garden planted and tended by kids or playground improvements that focus on fitness and fun. Starting today, kids and their teachers can work together to submit ideas. In partnership with DonorsChoose.org, Target will fund all ideas that…

Substitute teachers in Dallas ISD can earn more money this school year. The district has raised the daily per diem for substitute teachers who have a college degree—which is the majority of substitute teachers—from $75 per day to $85 per day. Meanwhile, certified teachers who substitute teach in Dallas ISD will now make $95 per day, which is up from $90 per day. Additionally, a person who has completed 60 college hours or an associate degree can now substitute teach in Dallas ISD; in short-term assignments. Previously, a substitute was required to have at least a bachelor’s degree. The minimum age…

The start of school is just around the corner, which means back-to-school activities are ramping up. From the start of online enrollment to the end of prestigious summer internships for students, this was another great week in Dallas ISD. Watch the above short video—or read below—to learn more! Online enrollment begins Online enrollment opened this week, allowing most parents to enroll their children for school without standing in line or filling out paper forms. (Visit online enrollment homepage) Big donation Approximately 140 Dallas ISD teachers received more than $100,000 in materials and supplies for classroom enrichment projects thanks to DonorsChoose.org…

The Mayor’s Intern Fellows Program gives Dallas ISD high school juniors and seniors real world experience in a professional field. The Hub is spotlighting some of these Dallas ISD students participating in the program. Today, meet Qiana Lusk, a student at Kimball High School who is an intern with Dallas ISD’s Food and Child Nutrition Services (FCNS). What is your role as an intern? As an intern for Dallas ISD FCNS, I have worked on numerous projects, with the most important one being menu planning. Helping figure out what should and shouldn’t be on the menu for next year was actually very eye…

Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings and dozens of community partners and organizations will celebrate a major milestone in one of the city’s most popular and beneficial school-readiness programs. The 20th anniversary of the Mayor’s Back to School Fair, presented by Walmart and Sam’s Club, is Friday, Aug. 5, from 8 a.m. – 2 p.m., at the Automobile and Centennial buildings at Fair Park. “We’ve come a long way since Mayor Ron Kirk launched the first Mayor’s Back to School Fair back in the 90s,” said Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings. “There were about a thousand people in attendance and a handful or so…