Author: The Hub

The Dallas Independent School District announced today that the management structure of the School Leadership Department has been realigned to create more efficient and streamlined processes and improve communication. The new configuration eliminates the structure that divided the district into five divisions. This change transitions the responsibilities of five assistant superintendents to two deputy chiefs who will work together to support the district’s 22 feeder pattern executive directors. One deputy chief position is already filled by Stephanie Elizalde. Israel Cordero, former assistant superintendent for Division 5, has been selected to serve in the second deputy chief position. “We want to ensure that…

Dr. Cynthia Wilson, an experienced leader of schools, has been appointed as Dallas ISD’s Chief of Staff, effective Oct. 1, 2015. Wilson is currently the superintendent of the Orangeburg Consolidated School District 5, a 7,000-student school district in South Carolina. In Dallas ISD, she will report directly to Interim Superintendent Michael Hinojosa and assist in supporting the strategic work of the district. “Dr. Wilson is a great addition to our team. She is experienced in working with both school boards and administrative teams in large urban school systems,” Hinojosa said. “She is a former college student of mine, so I…

Dallas ISD’s groundwork on the Teacher Excellence Initiative paved the way for the district’s implementation of a fair, accurate and rigorous evaluation system and strategic compensation model that has been continuously molded by those it impacts most directly—teachers. Let’s revisit Dallas ISD’s timeline on the Teacher Excellence Initiative from conception to implementation. Following the Texas Education Agency’s announcement that the PDAS, or Professional Development Appraisal System, which was the traditional means of teacher performance evaluation, would cease, state school districts were given the option to create their own evaluation system. In 2011, Dallas ISD leaders proposed a pay-for-performance model that…

For Tim Maiden, a 1996 graduate of David W. Carter High School, football instilled in him a sense of teamwork and other valuable skills that he has used to make a path in the banking industry. Today, this former Carter Cowboy has participated in more than $350 million in capital transactions during his career in commercial lending, land acquisition and development, and numerous real estate projects. AlumNow, a Hub feature that checks in with district alumni to see where they are now, caught up with Maiden at one of the many community events organized by the corporation he owns and operates with his twin…

Where can parents go for guidance on ways to support their children’s education while students enjoy entertainment and games and the entire family has access free health screenings? Dallas ISD’s Office of Family and Community Engagement offers these services and more at its popular PREP U Super Saturday events held at district high schools to provide information and resources to parents in various neighborhood feeder patterns. Now in the fourth year, the PREP U events attract thousands of families. Parent feedback indicates that one of the biggest draws is the resource booths staffed by representatives of clinics, social service agencies and…

From the Dallas Fire Chief to a business proposal consultant, Dallas ISD alumni have gone on to do a variety of great things. Enjoy the above video shown to teachers during convocation that features alumni sharing encouraging words with Dallas ISD teachers.

Leading up to Sept. 18, which is when teachers will receive their first-ever TEI scorecards, this episode of Ed Talk with Dr. Bravo provides background and context on the district’s comprehensive teacher evaluation system. TEI director Lindsay Coshatt talks with Dr. Robert Bravo, the Dallas ISD Chief of School Leadership, about the three main components—defining excellence, supporting excellence, and rewarding excellence—that make up TEI. Coshatt explains that, under TEI, an effective teacher over 15 years has the earning to potential to make $100,000 more than they could under a traditional step salary schedule. She added that no teacher would see…

A recent article in the U.S. News & World Report recognized Dallas ISD’s effort to encourage students to return to school. Click here to read the article that spotlights a teacher from Lincoln High School who invited community professionals to welcome students back to class on the first day of school this year. Click here to read the article in the Hub about the event.

Efforts are currently under way to find the more than 5,700 students designated as “no-shows,” or students in Dallas ISD’s system who have yet to show up for classes this school year. The initial 5,768 students were identified through an automated process, but schools are reviewing their enrollments to see if additional students are also missing. Dubbed “Operation Comeback,” the coordinated effort to find and return the students is in its sixth year. As part of Operation Comeback, district staff are operating a phone bank Sept. 10-16 to call no-show students and their parents. Schools have already begun making calls…

Dallas real estate icon Ebby Halliday, who is also the namesake of a Dallas ISD school, has died at the age of 104. Halliday, who founded Texas’ largest independently-owned residential real estate company, earned a national reputation for helping countless people realize their dream of owning a home. Ramon Delgado, principal of the Ebby Halliday Elementary School in southeast Dallas, said the staff was sad to learn of Halliday’s passing and observed a moment of silence in her honor. Though he had not met her during his two years as principal, Delgado said he was honored to work at a school graced…