Author: The Hub

One mom was so determined to turn in an application for her child to attend one of the district’s two new Transformation Schools opening next year, she dropped off the application in-person while on her way to the hospital with pregnancy-related contractions. Meanwhile, district staff who called other parents to tell them their child could attend one of the Transformation Schools next school year were often greeted with screams of joy. Mike Koprowski, chief of transformation and innovation, shared these stories with trustees on Thursday to describe the excitement surrounding the Transformation Schools. “The response really exceeded our expectations,” he said.…

For those who want to relive the graduation ceremonies or see them for the first time, Dallas ISD has compiled videos of the ceremonies into one place. Click here to see a playlist of the videos from the ceremonies. More ceremonies will be added to the playlist as they become available.

Whittling down 542 nominations to a list of 40 is no easy task. Judges for the Dallas Business Journal’s 2015 40 Under 40 list recently accomplished that task, reviewing reams of papers describing young professionals making their mark on the Dallas community. In the end, Alan Cohen, the Executive Director of Dallas ISD Early Childhood and Community Partnerships, was one who rose to the top. “I will admit that it made me smile,” Cohen noted. Cohen went on to say that he considers it an honor to be named to the 40 Under 40 list alongside other professionals he admires…

Participating in debate requires students to spend hours in research, writing, and team practice, all of which help cultivate self-discipline, problem solving and critical thinking skills. Studies say debate increases the likelihood of college attendance and promotes intellectual abilities that range from stronger written and oral communication skills to better reading comprehension and increased knowledge of current events. Some Dallas ISD debaters recently learned that public recognition is another benefit of debate, as the Dallas Urban Debate Alliance presented middle and high school competitors with awards and recognition for their efforts this school year. A nonprofit organization, the Dallas Urban…

Una encuesta realizada de manera independiente muestra que cerca del 81% de los padres del Distrito Escolar Independiente de Dallas están muy de acuerdo o de acuerdo con la dirección del distrito. Los resultados de la encuesta muestran un incremento notable comparados con los resultados de la encuesta de la primavera del 2014, en la que el 70% de los padres dijo estar de acuerdo o muy de acuerdo con la dirección del distrito. Más de 18,000 padres respondieron a la encuesta conducida por el Servicio Nacional de Investigaciones, con base en Fort Worth. La directora ejecutiva de relaciones intergubernamentales…

As the students prepare to participate in this weekend’s Taste of Dallas, CW 33 visited the budding chefs at the Culinary Arts Program at Wilmer-Hutchins to see what they had cooking. Click here to view the report from CW 33. Richard Grimsley, director of Career and Technical Education in Dallas ISD, told The Hub that Taste of Dallas offers a phenomenal opportunity for Dallas ISD culinary arts students to have experiences beyond their high school classroom. The students will be challenged with preparing food for 100,000-150,000 people, creating arrangements for food service from a booth, and interacting directly with clients.  Get…

It may not be easy being green, but it pays. That’s the lesson learned by students and teachers at three elementary schools who won the district’s first-ever Green Shield award for adopting environmentally-friendly practices. Staff and students at Lorenzo DeZavala Elementary won first place, trophies, medals and a $500 gift card in the competition. The school’s Green Team has grown from only a few students to involve the school’s entire fifth-grade. The 50 recycling champions manage daily pickups of the school’s recycled materials. DeZavala impressed the judges with the extensive program of recycling and green activities documented on its Green…

Khalilah Johnson found her way into the classroom in just one short year with the help of the Compass: Alternative Certification Teacher Academy. The academy offers intensive training in district-identified critical need areas.  Through the academy, interns are eligible to receive a standard teaching certificate in one year and a guaranteed position in a critical need assignment within Dallas ISD. In the above video, Johnson explains the Compass process and how it helped her in the classroom. For more information on Compass, click here.

This weekend at Fair Park, many of the top Dallas restaurants will sell samples of their wares at the Taste of Dallas, a culinary showcase of flavors and foods of all types and descriptions. And among the established culinary artists and restaurateurs will be a younger group of chefs: students from two of Dallas ISD’s culinary arts programs. Wilmer-Hutchins High School’s culinary team, which competed and won Texas Restaurant Association’s Students’ Taste of Dallas at Trinity Groves in February, will serve three-ounce pork sliders at the event. Meanwhile, the School of Health Professions at the Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Center’s…

Dallas ISD is offering free Princeton Review PSAT Prep sessions this summer. Space is limited, so district officials recommend those interested to register soon. The free prep sessions are open to all incoming Dallas ISD students in grades 9–11. There will be two two-week sessions held Tuesday–Thursday from 8:30 a.m.–1 p.m. The sessions will be: Session A: July 7–9 and July 14–16 Session B: July 21–23 and July 28–30 The sessions will be held at Thomas Jefferson High School, North Dallas High School, L.G. Pinkston High School, and Woodrow Wilson High School. Breakfast and lunch will be provided daily. To register, visit…