Author: The Hub

To acquire everything the growing band at Dallas ISD’s Adamson High School needs to be considered a quality program, director Chris Green and staff members estimated it would take $270,000. Green is one of 15 finalists for a $100,000 grant, which he says would make great strides for the program. Read a NeighborsGo article on the band program and its needs here. Vote for Green’s proposal by Oct. 31 at thankamericasteachers.com.

Every week, the Hub’s AlumNow feature checks in with a district grad to see what they are up to now. This week marks the 13th edition of AlumNow. Here is a recap of the AlumNow features that have run to date: Darnna Banks, a theater arts student at Booker T. Washington High School, always loved science, but she never knew that her dream of being a doctor would take her so many miles from home; SEM grad Thomas Jung helped found a technology startup that uses sensors and learning algorithms to assist first responders and athletes; Carter grad Terrence Maiden has helped…

Carter High School head football coach Patrick Williams has personally seen what can happen when an overall good person makes serious mistakes. As a sophomore who played on the 1988 Carter High School championship football team, which is the subject of the film “Carter High” that has a limited release on Friday, Williams saw police arrest six of his teammates for aggravated robbery. Williams said he was shocked when he learned that his teammates committed robberies, since they were “high character guys, leaders, who worked hard in the classroom and out on the field.” “I just couldn’t believe the news…

While students at Dallas ISD’s T.C. Marsh Preparatory Academy were enjoying a day off to go to the State Fair of Texas on Oct. 16, 230 employees from Fidelity Investments were hard at work on their campus. When students returned to school on Oct. 20, they found newly painted college and university logos on the doors to the school’s portable classrooms, directional signs pointing to institutions of higher learning and stepping stones featuring college logos. There are also new benches painted in the school’s yellow and black colors. The entrance to the school features a new desk and reception area…

Skyline students are on a mission to raise 300 bags of gently worn shoes to then ship to Haiti and Honduras. Fox 4 reports that if Skyline can reach their goal of 300 bags, Funds2org will donate $3,000 for college scholarships for the Class of 2016. Click here to view the Fox 4 report on the shoe drive. Image courtesy Fox 4

Recycling saves money, conserves natural resources and cuts down on waste dumped into landfills. It just so happens it can also pay off for schools. Students at three Dallas ISD schools have embraced the practice in a major way by collecting paper waste, soft drink cans, and other recyclables on a consistent basis. Their efforts won their schools a $1,000 cash award. Funds for the awards were donated by Waste Management, Inc., the district’s waste management service provider. The award-winning schools are Skyline High School, which recycled 80.02 tons; H.W. Lang Middle School at 45.72 tons; and Lorenzo De Zavala Elementary…

There might be 10 months left until the start of next school year, but the Dallas ISD Human Capital Management department is already hard at work recruiting effective teachers for next August. Last week, HCM staff kicked off their effort to recruit bilingual teachers from outside the United States with a trip to Puerto Rico. More than 100 people signed up for interview slots in Puerto Rico, and HCM staff selected 26 candidates to move forward in the recruitment process. Dallas ISD recruiters are scheduled to travel to Spain and Mexico later in the school year. “There is a critical bilingual…

Dallas Cowboys cornerback Brandon Carr made a stop at Dallas ISD’s James Bowie Elementary School on Monday, Oct. 26. Carr talked to fifth-graders about the importance of making good choices when it comes to nutrition and saying no to drugs. His visit was during Red Ribbon Week, an annual event set aside to focus on avoiding drug abuse. He also answered questions about his early life, his start playing organized football in the fourth grade and his professional football career. After talking with the fifth grade as a whole, Carr joined about 30 students in the school’s gym. Under the guidance…

As a theater arts student at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, Darnna Banks (Class of 2004) always loved science, but she never knew that her dream of being a doctor would take her so many miles from home. Today, she is back home applying for residency and AlumNow, a Hub feature that checks in with district alumni to see what they’re doing, caught up with her for an update. What are you doing now? I recently earned my doctor of medicine degree and am currently applying for residency. Briefly list a few of your…

When retired NFL great, Heisman Trophy winner and NFL Hall of Famer Tim Brown is formally recognized Friday, Nov. 6, lots of local fans will share the pride of his storied accomplishments. Many of those in the stands at the game will doubtless be alums of Woodrow Wilson High School, which is where Brown got his start on the school’s varsity football team. The first and only Dallas ISD grad to achieve hall of fame success in football, Brown began his career on a team that won only four games in his three years on varsity. From humble beginnings, the…