Author: The Hub

This week, The Hub is recognizing district staff who are instrumental in supporting the educational experiences of Dallas ISD students. Like their counterparts across the nation, Dallas ISD staff play an essential role in student success. During Staff Appreciation Week, we invite the community to join us in recognizing the dedicated employees who wholeheartedly commit themselves to providing an exceptional educational experience for all children. Each day this week, we recognize three of the hundreds of exemplary Dallas ISD staff across the district. As we highlight their experiences, we salute the role every staff member plays in making our schools, communities and…

Alfredo Ramirez, estudiante del último grado de preparatoria en Hillcrest High School, recibe beca de la Sulentic Family Foundation del 2015. Un vencedor por su propio derecho, el sendero de Ramirez al éxito académico ha sido uno lleno de obstáculos aparentemente insuperables.  Oriundo de Ciudad Valles, México, Alfredo y su familia labraron una vida por sí mismos en medio de la creciente actividad del cartel y decadencia económica. Para Alfredo, una tarde de verano de camino a casa después de jugar deportes con su papá, cambió su vida para siempre. El 22 de julio de 2010, mientras disminuían velocidad al…

Alfredo Ramirez, a senior at Hillcrest High School, is a recipient of the 2015 Sulentic Family Foundation Scholarship. A victor in his own right, Ramirez’ journey to academic success is one filled with seemingly insurmountable odds. A native of Valles City, Mexico, Ramirez and his family carved out a life for themselves amid increasing cartel activity and economic decline. For Ramirez, a summer evening drive home from playing sports with his dad would change his life forever. On July 22, 2010, while slowing as they approached a traffic jam, Ramirez and his father found themselves caught in the crossfire of…

Kymber’Lynn Jackson just won a new national wrestling title! The first female Dallas ISD student to win a state championship has overcome adversity on her way to victory, and USA Today has the details. Click here to read the full story from USA Today.

Overall, results for Dallas ISD students on the 2015 STAAR test administered in grades 3-8 show improvement. The results indicate progress and stability in most of the exams compared with the previous year. The gains shown in Dallas ISD STAAR results compared to a year ago include: A higher percentage of fourth- and fifth-graders passed the Reading test; A higher percentage of seventh-graders passed the Writing test; A higher percentage of eighth-graders passed the Science test; A higher percentage of eighth-graders passed the Social Studies test. The Social Studies test was only given to students in the eighth grade. While…

Jumping jacks, running and pushups—the old standbys of physical education—are getting an assist from fitness software and devices such as iPads, pedometers, fitness trackers, and interactive heart rate monitors in district PE classes. Working out still requires determination and perspiration, but for a generation raised on technology, it seems these devices are making the pursuit of fitness a lot more fun. The Health and Physical Education Department supplied schools with a variety of tech devices this year to enliven PE classes. Schools that incorporated the technology demonstrated the workout aids at the department’s year-end showcase, Tech Fest. For example, students…

“Too many of our schools are what I describe as under-appreciated,” said Louisa Meyer, a parent and community member involved with Dallas ISD, after the recent Thomas Jefferson Feeder Pattern Bus Tour. To properly appreciate the district’s schools is why Tim Hise, Division 1 executive director for the Thomas Jefferson feeder pattern, decided to organize the bus tour. He aimed to engage the community and shine a light on the positive things happening in the schools. “We call ourselves the T.J. Revolution because we’re changing, drastically, the way we prepare our students for college and the workforce,” Hise said. “We have…

This week, The Hub is recognizing district staff who are instrumental in supporting the educational experiences of Dallas ISD students. Like their counterparts across the nation, Dallas ISD staff play an essential role in student success. During Staff Appreciation Week, we invite the community to join us in recognizing the dedicated employees who wholeheartedly commit themselves to providing an exceptional educational experience for all children. Each day this week, we will recognize three of the hundreds of exemplary Dallas ISD staff across the district. As we highlight their experiences, we salute the role every staff member plays in making our schools, communities…

Dallas ISD will fund tuition for 150 district teachers to attend a three-week long professional development at the Annette Caldwell Simmons School of Education at Southern Methodist University this summer. The teacher professional development training will support novice, progressing and distinguished level teachers with the goal of helping them advance within the Teacher Excellence Initiative’s evaluation spectrum. For more information about the academies with the SMU Simmons School of Education, click here. Are you a Dallas ISD teacher? Visit the professional development online catalog to access more opportunities.

Dallas ISD students recently got a head start on world issues and civic engagement. Sixth graders from across the district gathered at Ellis Davis Fieldhouse to participate in the Model U.N., which is a simulation of the United Nations. Students at the event explored different cultures and learned about the political issues that confront countries around the world. Through research, debate, and re-enactment, these future leaders are preparing to change the world in their own backyard.