Author: The Hub

A crucial part of launching any district initiative is communicating to stakeholders about how a program will affect them. The Teacher Excellence Initiative (TEI) defines, supports and rewards excellent teaching. With TEI, Dallas ISD has sought to both inform and gather feedback from stakeholders, including teachers, principals, parents, students and the community, in a variety of ways. Feedback and teacher input A critical part of the TEI design process was teacher and principal input. Identified teachers became “TEI experts” who have had early and continual input into the shaping the system. The experts became important sources of information about TEI…

Three hundred million square feet of retail—that’s a lot of space. It’s also, roughly, the total amount of real estate that Terrence Maiden, David W. Carter High School alum (1996), has been responsible for developing or leasing during his career. Still under the age of 40, Maiden has only scratched the surface. For Hub readers, Maiden’s face may look familiar and for good reason. AlumNow, a Hub feature that checks in with district alumni to see where they are now, recently profiled his twin brother, Tim. We thought it only fair to check in with Terrence for an update on his very impressive path…

Skyline High School sophomore Emily Raney is moving up to the big leagues. The young entrepreneur who designs and crafts handmade jewelry using metal and beads is on her way to New York City for the National Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge sponsored by the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship. The sole Dallas ISD representative, Raney will pitch the plans for her business, Alloy Interp., before a panel of judges in the national competition featuring 35 other young entrepreneurs from across the U.S. The goal: to win a $25,000 scholarship to fund her business or education. The Skyline family is behind Emily all…

The Dallas Independent School District Board of Trustees has named Dr. Michael Hinojosa as the lone finalist for superintendent of schools. The appointment followed a called meeting of the Trustees today at the Dallas ISD administration building. The Trustees will now wait 21 days as required by law before making the appointment final. Hinojosa will continue serving as interim superintendent of Dallas ISD during that time. “Our board is pleased to have Dr. Hinojosa back in a permanent capacity. In just a brief time since his return, he has proven to be the steady and experienced hand needed to guide…

Break out the (virtual) cupcakes: the Hub, which is the district’s online newsroom, today celebrates its one-year anniversary. For those who are curious, here is what the traffic to the Hub looked like in its first year: The Hub aims to spotlight the great things happening inside the district’s 226 schools. To do that, the Hub needs help in finding out about the great work teachers, students, and school leadership are doing at every campus. If you know of something happening in the district that deserves attention, send an email to thehub@dallasisd.org. Also, keep a…

Webster’s dictionary defines distinguished as notable, as renowned, famous, celebrated, prominent, or eminent. Under Dallas ISD’s ground-breaking Teacher Excellence Initiative (TEI), being distinguished requires exceptional teaching skill and expertise that makes a powerful impact on student learning. According to Lindsay Coshatt, who spearheads TEI, the Distinguished Teacher Review (DTR) is the district’s process of identifying the top 20 percent of highly effective teachers who excel not just in the classroom but as campus leaders; they are teachers who demonstrate a commitment to lifelong learning, pursue and share information with colleagues and contribute to the profession. Specifically, TEI defines a distinguished teacher…

There are 26 million reasons why the Communities Foundation of Texas wants this year’s North Texas Giving Day to be successful. That’s how many dollars the campaign collected from 75,000 donations last year, with money going to area nonprofit organizations. A number of the nonprofits support Dallas ISD students and schools. This is the seventh year for the regional campaign, and the goal is to surpass last year’s total. From 6 a.m. to midnight on Thursday, Sept. 17, the more than 2,100 certified nonprofits listed on the website will accept individual donations of $25 or more. Donating is simple and…

Dallas ISD celebrates the rich culture and important contributions of Hispanic Americans during National Hispanic Heritage Month, which is Sept. 15-Oct. 15 each year. Special events and educational lessons help bring the history to life for students. The time period is an important one for several Hispanic countries. On Sept. 15, the countries of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua celebrate becoming independent nations. The next day, Sept. 16, is celebrated as Independence Day in Mexico. Chile celebrates its independence on Sept. 18. Columbus Day, or Día de la Raza, is celebrated on Oct. 12. The observation started in 1968…

Fourteen Dallas ISD students have been named semifinalists for the 2016 National Merit Scholarship Program. According to the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, the National Merit Scholarship Program is an academic competition for recognition and scholarships that began in 1955. High school students enter the National Merit Program by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. Semifinalists are chosen based on their 2014 preliminary SAT scores. Each year, 1.5 million students undergo PSAT/NMSQT tests. Here are the Dallas ISD semifinalists: Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts Hennig, Elaine M. Science and Engineering Magnet School at Yvonne A. Ewell…

The groundwork for Dallas ISD’s innovative Teacher Excellence Initiative comes from the understanding that the one-dimensional nature of traditional evaluations fails to acknowledge the hard work, long hours and personal commitment required of an effective teacher. The Texas Education Agency’s recent mandate to replace the Professional Development and Appraisal System (PDAS) reinforces the inability of conventional evaluations to reflect the actual effect teachers have on their students. In 2009, a project funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation began in more than 3,000 classrooms across the U.S., including some in Dallas ISD. The MET (Measures of Effective Teaching) Project…