Author: The Hub

In just three days, many students at the inaugural Cheer Camp held at Billy Earl Dade Middle School went from never cheerleading at all to performing a detailed routine that involved dancing, cheers, and throwing a fellow cheerleader in the air before safely catching them. Vonda Pipkin and Brittney Scott, two Distinguished Teacher Review-eligible teachers who voluntarily transferred to Dade Middle School as part of the district’s Accelerating Campus Excellence Initiative, started the cheer camp as a way to promote team building and leadership skills. The camp featured more than 20 cheerleaders-in-training from schools across the district. “It gives these students something…

El Centro College’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Center and Dallas ISD have signed an agreement to work together to foster students in STEM engagement. The partnership also intends to assist students in the pursuit of STEM degrees through interactive learning activities, workshops, and outreach events. “Partnering with El Centro will provide Dallas ISD students with even more opportunities for hands-on learning in STEM-related fields,” Dallas ISD Stem Manager Crystal Alexander said. “The district is committed to supporting excellence and expert partnerships such as this are a great help in preparing our students for a 21st century workforce.” Per the agreement, the El…

More than 280 Dallas ISD high school juniors and seniors are gaining real world experience thanks to the Mayor’s Intern Fellows Program, which kicked off June 15. The Hub is spotlighting some of these Dallas ISD students participating in the program. Today, meet Chandler Thomas, a Booker T. Washington senior.

To hear Dallas ISD alum Lorena Watson tell her story during a TEDx talk, you’d never know that she overcame incredible odds as a high school student who, in addition to being homeless her senior year, was searching for her voice and place in the world. During her TEDx talk, she commands the stage with great poise and confidence and engages you right away. It’s easy to see she’s a real person of interest and clearly destined for success. Today, this David W. Carter High School alum (2010) is working her way through grad school. AlumNow, a Hub feature that checks in…

The Dallas Morning News profiled how Dallas ISD police officers are trained in verbal judo, “a method used to de-escalate conflicts with verbal techniques.” Dallas ISD Police Chief Craig Miller said in the article that verbal judo is a way to defuse, and not escalate, a situation, according to the article. Click here to read the full article. Photo courtesy Dallas Morning News 

Starting Wednesday, July 29, shoppers can visit any North Texas Kroger to donate a pre-packaged Backpack Boosters school supply kit for $7 featuring pencils, markers, notebook paper and other classroom essentials. Kroger shoppers also have the option of donating $1 via a scan card at the register to help Dallas ISD students have a great school year. The 19-day collection drive, which runs through Aug. 16, is hosted by Kroger, FOX 4, My 27, iHeart Radio, Coca-Cola and Vitaminwater. The collection drive aims to equip thousands of children with the necessary tools for the 2015-2016 academic year. “We recognize having the proper school…

Brenda Benitez, a senior at Skyline High School, spent the summer as a Mayor’s Summer Intern with the Dallas ISD Food and Child Nutrition Services department. She wrote the following blog post. I always assumed our school meals program focused on preparing and serving foods that would get us through the line quickly, not caring if it was good or not.  Of course, I didn’t try everything and I did have some favorites on the menu, but this was my train of thought. I wasn’t concerned about who fed us. I, like many of my friends, just thought the school…

With the Teacher Excellence Initiative, Dallas ISD has created an innovative pay-for-performance evaluation system that identifies, supports and rewards effective teachers. In creating TEI, Dallas ISD faced the challenge of designing an evaluation system that was equally rigorous for all teachers. Put another way, TEI had to ensure the evaluations of a second-grade teacher and a high school English teacher would be equal and fair. The solution to this challenge is what the district calls a “target distribution.” Because the target distribution model is new to Dallas ISD, the Hub has compiled a Beginner’s Guide to help bring people up…

Make recycling at home an easy part of your daily routine. Dedicate an area in your home as a recycling station. Placing containers with handles near doorways will make it easier to grab on your way out. Have children draw plastic bottles or cans outside of bins for creative labeling. It is also a fun way for children to identify which bin to place their recyclables.

Texas Department of Agriculture representatives joined officials from Australia on July 23 in touring the Dallas Independent School District’s successful summer meals program. The Australian delegation is touring five states in search of program initiatives that are successfully implemented and maintained. The group included the Honorable James Chown, parliamentary secretary to the Minister for Transport; Paul Miles, state member for Wanneroo; and Angela Olige of the Texas Department of Agriculture Commission. While in Dallas, the group visited the Maria Luna Food Service Facility to view the central kitchen and food service preparation. Afterwards, the delegates traveled to Jack Lowe Sr.…