Author: The Hub

Dallas ISD Acting Superintendent Dr. Ann Smisko briefed trustees Thursday night on three recent surveys that asked targeted questions to students, parents, and campus staff to gather their feedback on the district. Trustees thanked district staff for compiling the survey results and asked several questions about specific parts of the different surveys. To learn more about the student survey, in which a strong majority of students said their teacher encouraged them to do their best; their teacher set high expectations; and their teacher clearly presented the information they needed to learn, click here. To learn more about the parent survey, in which 81 percent of…

Increasing reserves, manageable debt, a strong local economy and affordable retiree costs are among the reasons Fitch Ratings awarded the Dallas Independent School District a bond rating of AA+ for the second consecutive year. Fitch also again rated the Dallas ISD’s overall rating outlook as “stable.” According to Fitch, the ratings reflect the district’s commitment to effective fiscal management. The rating was made prior to the sale of $75 million in maintenance tax notes during the week of July 6. “The high ‘AA+’ rating reflects the district’s strong financial position and ample flexibility characterized by very sound fund balance and…

Between trustees considering the adoption of the 2015–16 district budget, hearing a draft recommendation to fund district facility improvements that could guide the future of Dallas ISD, and the final appearance by Mike Miles as Dallas ISD superintendent, tonight’s Board of Trustees meeting has a stacked agenda. The board meeting starts at 6 p.m. at the Ada L. Williams Auditorium in the Dallas ISD Administration Building, 3700 Ross Ave. The meeting’s agenda is viewable online here. People can view a livestream of the meeting here.

Multiple Career Magnet Center Principal Lynn A. Smith and John Quincy Adams Elementary Principal Nancy Bernardino will attend an intensive principal’s training at Harvard University this summer thanks to the Raise Your Hand Texas Harvard Leadership program. Selected principals attend a weeklong session in which they receive executive leadership coaching aimed at supporting and developing principals and educational leaders through professional development. Smith hopes to share her experience with other principals in Dallas ISD and use what she’s gained to support her teachers’ instructional strategies’ growth. She believes growing her teachers’ instructional strategies is instrumental in the success of the…

The 1 For All program recently announced the 40 winners of their First Amendment Challenge, including Rosa Rodriguez, a journalism and Spanish teacher at Sunset High School. Each awardee received $1,000 in recognition of their outstanding lesson plans and student projects. The challenge asked high school teachers across the country to share the ways they teach about First Amendment freedoms, and encouraged innovation and creativity in the classroom. The American Society of News Editors’ (ASNE) Youth Journalism Initiative coordinated the challenge. “I love teaching journalism and facilitating media production,” said Rodriguez, who gained hands-on journalism experience as a reporter in…

This week, Dallas ISD students are winding up participation in the two-week annual Summer Dance Intensive at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. The camp provides focused instruction on particular styles of dance, from hip-hop to ballet, jazz to modern and beyond. Students were chosen to participate in the camp after auditions. The camp will culminate in a performance on Saturday, June 27.

Dallas ISD offers summer camps that cater to a variety of interests, from dance and music to science and technology. Camps are offered at schools across the district. Many are free of charge, and some offer free breakfast, lunch and transportation. Parents can see program details on the attached list of summer enrichment opportunities. In most instances, campus counselors have applications and full details about enrichment programs. Learn more about the summer camps, and how they foster a love of learning, in the above video.

Retired Army Lt. Col. Robert Davis has been named Director of Army Instruction of the Year by the U.S. Army’s Cadet Command, which is based at Ft. Knox, Kentucky. Davis is the director of Army Instruction for Dallas ISD’s Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) program. His commendation is one of 12 national awards of excellence presented by the U.S. Army Cadet Command, which is responsible for the Army’s junior and senior ROTC programs. On the Cadet Command website, Army officials said the awards recognize the recipients’ “contributions to training excellence and their roles in furthering the Command’s dual missions…

The contributions of district employees will help make dreams of college a reality for 10 recent Dallas ISD graduates. The students will receive $1,000 scholarships funded by the annual employee UNCF giving campaign. Outgoing Superintendent Miles Miles and Trustees Lew Blackburn and Bernadette Nutall recently joined UNCF representatives at a ceremony held to honor the recipients. The students plan to attend public and private institutions as diverse as historically-black Prairie View A&M, Langston and Howard universities, and state schools Texas Woman’s and Texas A&M universities. The students’ intended majors are just as diverse, with some planning to pursue studies in business…

Eric Cowan, president of the Board of Trustees of the Dallas Independent School District, released the following statement in response to Mike Miles resigning as Dallas ISD superintendent: “Over the past three years, Dallas ISD has taken bold steps with one common goal: to improve the quality of education we provide to the students of Dallas ISD. It hasn’t always been easy, and it hasn’t always been comfortable, but through it all, Superintendent Miles stayed the course and continued to push for transformation. The Board is committed to working together to quickly find new, strong leadership for our school district, and we are…