Author: The Hub

Declaring that “it’s a new day in Dallas ISD,” Superintendent Michael Hinojosa Thursday announced a major expansion of school choice options for next school year. In making the recommendation to trustees, Hinojosa said the district has to act aggressively and think differently to make Dallas ISD the district of choice for Dallas families. Next year’s new choice programs will be launched on new and existing district campuses. The programs proposed for the 2016–2017 school year include: 12 two-way elementary dual language programs that provide both Spanish and English instruction to students in the same classroom developing bilingual and biliterate students…

Rachel Harrah knows that many of her students have been through struggles in their personal lives, and that drives her to brings her “A” game to class every day. “The fact that I can be there for them as a person, and that I can also push them instructionally as an educator lets them know I am not going to let them down,” Harrah said. “And then they know that they’re not allowed to let me down, either.” Harrah, who teachers Theater Arts at Dallas ISD’s Thomas Jefferson High School, was named 2015-2016 Secondary Teacher of the Year. “She’s not…

While this year’s NFL season might have ended with the Denver Broncos winning the Big Game, Super Bowl memories are alive and well in several Dallas ISD high schools. The National Football League recently sent commemorative Wilson Golden Footballs to the high schools that graduated a player or coach who appeared in a Super Bowl. Dallas ISD high schools have received more than 20 Golden Footballs to honor those players. “We are very proud of our alums who have accomplished this very distinguished award that all NFL players strive for,” Dallas ISD Athletic Director Gil Garza said. “These Dallas ISD past athletes…

In honor of Black History Month, fourth-graders in Tiffany Hughes class at McShan Elementary have created some great grid art pictures of five inspirational African American figures. Here are the pictures displayed in the school hallway:

More than 130 volunteers from DaVita Rx spent a recent afternoon at Gooch Elementary School, working in the garden, building reading benches, supporting classroom teachers and acting out readers theater activities with students. They also donated $5,000 to support school needs, including recess equipment. Enjoy the above slideshow for an inside look at their volunteer efforts.

Student Council members from Dallas ISD’s Bryan Adams High School Leadership Academy got a taste of municipal government on Wednesday, Feb. 10, when they visited Dallas City Hall and sat in on the morning segment of the City Council meeting. The students visited with District 9 Council member Mark Clayton, and District 10 Council member B. Adam McGough, who represent the area around the high school, and also a few city officials, including Dallas Fire Chief Louie Bright. During the meeting, council members appointed nominated students to the Dallas Youth Commission, a revived advisory board comprising Dallas youth. The commission was…

A proposed Dallas ISD P-Tech (Pathways to Technology) Early College High School has the potential to be a game changer for the Seagoville community and Dallas ISD students, district officials say. If approved by the Texas Education Agency, Dallas ISD would launch the first P-Tech Early College High School program in Texas at Seagoville High School next fall. In collaboration with an industry partner—AT&T—and Eastfield College, the school would offer three pathways and degree plans for students: Electronics/Computer Technology, which would offer a basic electronics technology certificate; Computer Information Technology, which would offer a software programmer/developer assistant certificate; and Business Administration,…

The approximately 40 Skyline students in Shawn Coyle’s floral design class in the school’s Eco-Tech cluster don’t have any time for idle chitchat this week. In their effort to trim and prepare 1,000 roses and 1,200 carnations for their big Valentine’s Day flower sale on Friday, the students are hard at work taking orders and making sure each flower looks perfect. The class is a part of Skyline’s Agriculture Career and Tech program. “It’s phenomenal what these students can do after just four or five months of being in this class,” Coyle said. “They are able to work on the…

What would life be like without books and reading? The question alone is a scary thought for anyone who loves reading. The children at Cornerstone Baptist Church, one sponsor of the Feb. 20 African American Read-In, may have tapped in to that idea in coming up with the theme for the event, Reading is the Wave of Life. The theme emphasizes the importance of reading and suggests that without books and reading, life would be much less interesting. Given that view, you might wonder why aren’t more people reading and why aren’t more parents reading to their children. These are…

The Budget Services division of the Dallas Independent School District has been awarded the Meritorious Budget Award for its 2015-2016 budget from the Association of School Business Officials International (ASBO). To earn the award, the district followed rigorous guidelines for effective budget presentation, including meeting stringent criteria and adhering to the principles and standards of the organization. According to the ASBO, “The budget is an outstanding document which includes a wealth of information in graphic and narrative form.  The document is user-friendly for the average taxpayer with an abundance of data presented in different forms to meet the needs of…