Author: The Hub

The Advocate has a great story on the district’s new summer enrichment opportunities for students. Click here read the Advocate story on how Dallas ISD is teaming up with the City of Dallas and Big Thought on the summer learning effort.

Parents of graduating seniors may not be aware that filing their tax returns early can put their child in front of the line for financial aid consideration. Dallas ISD counselors are working to inform parents that early filing can mean more tuition aid dollars for students headed to college. Families in North Texas who earn less than $54,000 can get personalized help from an IRS-certified tax preparer at more than 30 area tax preparation sites. Families can also file online with United Way’s MyFreeTaxes, a product of H&R Block, at no charge if they earn less than $62,000. The Free…

Lyriq Turner, a fifth-grader at Charles Rice Learning Center, took the top spot in the 24th annual Gardere MLK Jr. Oratory Competition final. She and seven other finalists vied for the top honors on Friday, Jan. 15, at The Majestic Theatre. Multiple media outlets covered the great event. Go here to see NBC DFW’s report; go here to see WFAA’s report; and go here to see a story from the Dallas Morning News.

After much hard work and rehearsal, Charles Rice Learning Center fifth-grader Lyriq Turner was named the winner of the 2016 Gardere MLK Jr. Oratory Competition. Turner was the judges’ top choice from among eight orators who recited their original speeches in response to the question,“What would Dr. King say in his campaign speech if he were running for president this year?” The student orators were judged on their delivery, stage presence, content interpretation and memorization. Approximately 135 students participated in the annual competition that began in October with in-school competitions that identified 15 semifinalists. Of that group, eight finalists were selected…

Established in 1983, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day celebrates the accomplishments of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in the fight for civil rights in the U.S. In addition to activities celebrating the life of Dr. King, the holiday has been combined with a national day of service to honor the spirit of his life’s work. We’ve compiled a list of events in and around Dallas this holiday weekend for you and your family to enjoy. 35th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday Celebration and Parade: The Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center in Dallas has several events scheduled for…

Lyriq Turner, a fifth-grader at Charles Rice Learning Center, took the top spot in the 24th annual Gardere MLK Jr. Oratory Competition final. She and seven other finalists vied for the top honors on Friday, Jan. 15, at The Majestic Theatre. Watch her deliver her winning speech in the video above. The theme of each speech was to present what the students thought Martin Luther King Jr. would say if he were running for U.S. president today. Marcos Mares, a fifth-grader at William Brown Miller Elementary, took second place. Za’Kiah Bell, a fifth-grader at J.P. Starks Math, Science and Technology…

Eric Cowan is no stranger to public service and child advocacy. He has served on the Dallas ISD Board of Trustees since 2010 and is the current board president, a position he was twice selected by his board colleagues to fill. President Cowan represents District 7, which includes North Central Oak Cliff and parts of West Dallas. Throughout his years on the board, Cowan has continued to champion students throughout the Dallas Independent School District and, as a district parent, he continues to be a voice for parents as he makes decisions that affect the districts roughly 160,000 students. For…

Seventeen Dallas ISD students spelled their way to the Dallas County spelling bee after the district round was conducted on Tuesday, Jan. 12. There were 95 students from 60 schools who participated at bees at César Chavez Learning Center, Clinton P. Russell Elementary School, Henry B. Gonzales Elementary School, Jerry Junkins Elementary School and Jimmie Tyler Brashear Elementary School. The county bee will feature winners from public schools in the county and will be 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 18, at the Dallas County Schools Technology & Training Center, 5151 Samuell Blvd. Dallas ISD students advancing to the county bee are:…

Leslie Romero, a fourth-grade student in the dual-language program at Harrell Budd Elementary, has many reasons she is thankful to be bilingual and biliterate. For starters, she is able to help her Spanish-speaking parents when they need to translate or understand something in English. She also knows that being bilingual and biliterate will be useful when she looks to get a job down the road. But knowing two languages provided an extra bonus this month, as her essay titled “Why I’m Proud To Be Bilingual” won first place in the National Association for Bilingual Education (NABE) Essay contest for the…

Superintendent Michael Hinojosa and trustees said a demographic report showing a slight student enrollment decrease this year is a call to action to determine ways to bring families back to the district. The student enrollment in 2015–16 is 158,692, which is down from the 2014–15 student enrollment of 160,253. The largest enrollment drop—approximately 1,000 students—came on the kindergarten level. Hinojosa said the slight student enrollment decrease is a wake up call for anyone who believes the district can go about “business as usual.” “We must determine why students are leaving or not choosing to come to Dallas ISD, and we…