Author: The Hub

The nine finalists for 2015 Principal of the Year are all rated in the top three tiers of the Principal Excellence Initiative. There are four elementary level finalists, two at the secondary level, and three from magnet and special programs. The winners will be announced at an event to honor their accomplishments Dec. 9. As a transformational leader, Dade Middle School Principal Tracie Washington has an unwavering commitment to ensuring that all children will learn by any means necessary. She has taken personal ownership in building a team that fosters an atmosphere in which all scholars embrace the importance of…

The nine finalists for 2015 Principal of the Year are all rated in the top 3 tiers of the Principal Excellence Initiative. There are four elementary level finalists, two at the secondary level, and three from magnet and special programs. The winners will be announced at an event to honor their accomplishments Dec. 9. John Quincy Adams Principal Nancy Bernardino lives by the African proverb, “It takes a village to raise a child.” As leader of the southeast Dallas campus, she seeks to surround her students with a similar circle of support. “I know that I cannot do it alone,”…

District officials are overseeing a complete overhaul of South Oak Cliff High School’s heating and air conditioning systems, which will solve the issue of some classrooms feeling overheated. As of Monday, the heating issues had been traced to five of the school’s 80 classrooms. The temperature differences are attributed to ongoing testing and implementation of the upgrades to the HVAC system. Moving from a steam-based system to a hydroponic system is expected to be more cost-effective and energy-efficient. Officials from Dallas ISD’s Construction Services Department, which is overseeing the work by contractors, says the work – which began this past…

As industries and the work force continue to evolve, requiring new fields of study and expertise, so goes the evolution of what constitutes college and career readiness in preparing students for tomorrow’s jobs. Jamila Thomas of Dallas Independent School District’s African American Success Initiative (AASI) will join such a conversation when she visits the White House this month on behalf of the My Brother’s Keeper Initiative and the Office of Science Technology and Policy. In the nation’s capital, Thomas will join others from around the country to participate in a discussion about Science, Technology, Engineering and Math and entrepreneurship. The discussion…

Students at James S. Hogg Elementary already know how to create computer code, and they also know it’s not difficult. “It’s fun, and it helps you learn,” said student Keeper Rendon, who is also on the school’s robotics team. “You don’t even realize it helps you learn, actually.” On Monday, Dec. 7, Code.org presented a $10,000 check to the school to help it purchase even more technology for students to use, kicking off Computer Science Education Week and participating in an Hour of Code. Both are meant to highlight the need for computer science education by encouraging everyone to try their…

The Dallas ISD Teen School Board has elected officers for the 2015-2016 school year. They are: Maya Farr-Henderson, president, School for the Talented and Gifted at Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Center; Harris Miers, vice president, W.T. White High School; Lili Vi, secretary, Thomas Jefferson High School; and Alexa Sanchez, service project chairperson, Moises E. Molina High School. The young leadership group is a student advisory board that meets monthly to discuss issues impacting students and is comprised of the senior and junior class presidents from each Dallas ISD high school. The Teen Board gives students a voice in leadership decisions…

The Dallas Morning News reports how the Pentagon opening up all roles in the military to qualified women has encouraged students such as Yorleni Saravia, an eighth-grader at Marsh Preparatory Academy and leader for the school’s Leadership Cadet Corps. Click here to read the full story.

Dallas ISD is creating new Transformation Schools that offer specialized academic programming, similar to Magnet Schools. Unlike Magnet Schools, Transformation Schools do not have any academic entry requirements — they are open enrollment for all students across the entire district, regardless of academic ability.  Transportation will be provided. Dallas ISD employees, parents and the community at large can get answers to these questions and take a close-up look at Dallas ISD Transformation Schools at a series of open house events. The dates and times are listed below. All meetings will have both English and Spanish options available. Solar Preparatory School for Girls…

Members of the public and district employees were invited to provide input on some of the elements of Dallas ISD’s 2016-2017 school calendar. Through the calendar survey, the public and district employees weighed in on the winter break, bad weather make up days, and early release days. District administration incorporated the feedback from the more than 7,600 responders when creating the proposed calendar for next school year. The calendar survey results included: 52.99 percent of responders voted in favor of holding Winter Break from Dec. 23–Jan. 6; the other 47.01 percent of responders voted in favor of holding Winter Break…

A recent event at Dallas ISD’s W.E. Greiner Exploratory Arts Academy gave students and their families a chance to see and experience science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics (STEAM). The Family STEAM Fest was conducted by students in the school’s AVID program, which is a college-readiness program that stands for Advancement Via Individual Determination. Principal Yvonne Rojas said AVID students created the booths, which demonstrated several aspects of STEAM. It was the school’s first such event. Jennifer Hatcher, a teacher and AVID coordinator at the school, said the event had more than one purpose. “Our goal is to increase their interest…