Author: The Hub

The boy’s soccer team at Benjamin Franklin Middle School is supporting the Kick for Nick Foundation by collecting new and gently used soccer balls to send to the foundation for distribution to U.S. military installations around the world. In July 2006, Pvt. Nicholas Madaras birthed the idea to donate soccer balls, after completing one of his tours in Iraq. Madaras hoped to round up as many soccer balls, as possible, to bring back to the children near his post. Unfortunately, Nick was killed by an IED on Sept. 3, 2006, and was never able to distribute the balls. Family and…

This year, Dallas ISD is piloting a new program called Restorative Discipline in select elementary and middle schools. The program is designed to proactively address disciplinary and behavioral issues before they escalate. “Restorative Discipline is a chance for the students to build a relationship with the teachers,” said Jay Sheets, the district’s Restorative Discipline coordinator. “And what we’re hoping is, if a student has a relationship with the teacher, a lot of the issues that come across as classroom management and classroom discipline can be solved with the teacher and student.” The process includes students gathering in circles in their…

Just like permanent classroom teachers, substitute teachers play an important role in improving student achievement in Dallas ISD. With that in mind, here are the Top 10 Reasons to become a substitute teacher in Dallas ISD: You can become a mentor to students to help inspire their creativity. You will be able to join a transformational school district focused on improving student’s achievement and making our students college- and workforce-ready. You will learn new best teaching strategies that impact the achievement of students. You will assist with ensuring students’ education is not interrupted in the absence of the teacher. You will join a…

We’ve all heard the saying, “It’s what you don’t know that can hurt you.” That’s certainly true of social media, the popular online tools that people use to connect with each other.  The vast array of these tools and the prevalence of tweens and teens virtually glued to their smart phones can create problems for the unwary. The potential dangers explain why experts like Christine Mack with Dallas ISD’s Child Abuse and Domestic Violence Prevention team are working with parents to get them up to speed about the potential dangers of social media. Mack is busy this fall making presentations…

Nov. 19, 2015 marks the 20th annual National Parental Involvement Day, established by Project Appleseed to recognize the extraordinary impact that public school parents have made in shaping America. Dallas ISD “highlights the powerful contributions of parents, guardians and other caregivers of our students throughout the year in a variety of ways, including our parent recognition in May, which is usually attended by hundreds of parents,” said Mari-Carmen Eroles, Manager of the Office of Family and Community Engagement. “We know that parents get involved in their children’s education in a variety of ways, and we encourage them to participate in…

Dallas ISD every day works with and helps students who are homeless. NBC DFW reports how despite the struggles the students face outside the classroom, many are excelling in it. Click here to read view the full report.

Dallas ISD Goes To College Week, which is happening Nov. 16–20, is part of a district effort to motivate all seniors to apply to at least one college. With the push to have seniors apply to college, it’s important to note that qualifying students can have their college application fee waived if they meet certain criteria. Each college has its own college application fee waiver, so it’s important for a student to check with the college they are applying to learn more. The most commonly accepted fee waivers are the College Board, ACT and NACAC waivers. Each fee waiver has…

Great things are happening in Dallas ISD schools every day. Show and Tell is a weekly feature on The Hub that rounds up some of the news happening across the district into one place. If you have any story ideas for Show and Tell, email thehub@dallasisd.org. Hockaday students, staff volunteer across feeder to support literacy Hockaday students and teachers arrived on campuses throughout the Thomas Jeffeson High School feeder last Thursday to support literacy projects at four elementary schools—Saldivar, Knight, Burnet, and Field. Hockaday is one of several private partners in the P3 Network, in which all TJ Feeder elementary schools participate.…

Skyline High School alum Levatta Dean Levels (1982) knows firsthand the power of great teachers who invest in their students’ lives, pushing them to excel and expecting them to achieve. Levels, assistant superintendent at the DeSoto Independent School District, recalls caring teachers who helped give her the tools needed to succeed and a school that prepared her for a world of diversity. AlumNow, the Hub feature that profiles Dallas ISD alumni, checked in with Levels for an update. What are you doing now? [I am] Assistant Superintendent for DeSoto Independent School District. Briefly list a few of your career and/or…

This Week in Dallas ISD is a new Hub feature that previews upcoming events happening across the district. Have something to add? Shoot an email to thehub@dallasisd.org. Wednesday, Nov. 18 Parkland is hosting a flu shot event for homeless Dallas ISD students. The event is scheduled for 6:45–8:15 a.m. at the John Leslie Patton Jr. Academic Center, 3313 S. Beckley Ave. A community meeting is planned to discuss proposed attendance boundary changes. Schools to be discussed include Ben Milam, Sam Houston, Esperanza “Hope” Medrano and Martin Luther King Jr., elementary schools. The event will be 6 to 7 p.m. at Ben Milam Elementary School,…