Author: The Hub

The sultry sounds of the alto saxophone is what made dozens of ears perk up, while finger snaps (an artful expression of applause) filled the room during a recent performance by the Bryan Adams High School’s Jazz Ensemble on March 28. For nearly two decades, aspiring jazz artists have gathered for the Dallas Music Educators Association Jazz Festival hosted at the Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Center campus. The DMEA Jazz Fest has cultivated many successful musicians, including many of the band directors who have come back to teach within Dallas ISD. This year, 15 jazz bands across Dallas ISD featured…

As students this week take the STAAR exam, campus test coordinators have a new resource—five, to be exact—to help the process go as smooth as possible. Dallas ISD this year has five new districtwide testing coordinators who are on call to help the campus test coordinators at every school. The campus test coordinators are encouraged to call the districtwide testing coordinators, each of which is assigned to one of the five district divisions, with any question regarding the administration of the test, from test security to online test setup. Previously, there was only one specialist to support more than 200…

Dallas Morning News spotlighted a film by Francheska Johnson and Jamichael Morgan, freshmen at Dallas ISD’s Lincoln High School and Communications/Humanities Magnet, that is screening next week at a film festival. The Blue Ribbon, the students’ film, is about a destructive relationship between a father and daughter after the death of their wife and mother. The film is screening as part of the North Texas High School Shorts at the Dallas International Film Festival. The screening is scheduled for April 12 at 4 p.m. at Perot Museum of Nature and Science, 2001 N. Field St. To read the great Dallas Morning News profile,…

If a room is filled with 30 children with autism, Theresa Shattuck, Dallas ISD autism program supervisor, is quick to point out that the room is filled with 30 unique individuals who have their own personalities and talents. With April being National Autism Awareness Month, Shattuck said the conversation is moving from understanding the research and basics on autism to increasing appreciation for the skills that people with autism bring to the community. “You can’t just pigeonhole people with autism,” she said. “Each person has so much to offer, no matter the diagnosis.” Dallas ISD has more than 1,000 students…

After retiring from Dallas ISD—having worked as an English Language Arts instructional coach and teacher— in 2013, Valerie Wright-Fleming soon began volunteering for the district one year later. Wright-Fleming learned through her church that R. C. Burleson Elementary was in need of volunteers to read to students for Dr. Suess’ birthday and has been volunteering ever since. As a retired educator, Wright-Fleming engages primarily with fourth-grade students and helps with their writing. Sharing the joy with students who have achieved a goal they have been striving toward and helping the teachers make student success a reality are what make volunteering a…

The National Center for Urban School Transformation has named four Dallas ISD schools as ranking among the highest performing 24 urban schools in the country. Jimmie Tyler Brashear Elementary School, John Q. Adams Elementary School, Walnut Hill Elementary School, and John J. Pershing Elementary School are recipients of the 2015 National Excellence in Urban Education Award. The schools will be formally recognized at the Excellence in Urban Education National Symposium being held May 21–22 at the Westin Galleria Hotel in Dallas. Dr. Lynne Perez, associate director of the National Center for Urban School Transformation (NCUST), said NCUST started its award program in…

After completing the Distinguished Teacher Review application process, Erin Elliott, a kindergarten teacher at Stonewall Jackson Elementary School, caught up with The Hub about her experience. The Hub originally talked with Elliott in December as she entered the DTR application process. To view that original interview, click here.

Como parte de la Iniciativa de Excelencia Docente, el distrito se ha comprometido a identificar, respaldar y remunerar a los docentes eficientes. Pero exactamente, ¿Cómo se identifica a un docente eficiente? Los maestros son evaluados por su desempeño en el salón de clases, los resultados del aprovechamiento de los estudiantes y los resultados de la encuesta de percepción del estudiante, que será administrada el próximo mes. Esto es lo que usted debe saber sobre la encuesta. ¿Qué es la encuesta de percepción del estudiante?
La encuesta de percepción del estudiante es una encuesta respaldada por investigaciones, que será administrada a los…

Vanessa Sánchez, a fourth-grade student at Martin Weiss Elementary, took home first place in the National Association of Bilingual Educators (NABE) Bilingual Essay contest for grades 3–5. Students who participated in the contest had to be enrolled in a bilingual classroom, have a B average or better, and a 90-percent attendance record. Essays were submitted in English and judged on development of the theme, originality, content and clarity of expression, grammar and mechanics. Sánchez and her family were invited to be honored at the NABE Awards Luncheon held March 6, 2015 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Below is Sánchez’ essay: I am Proud…

Gatorade and USA Today High School Sports recently announced that Admon Gilder, a student at James Madison High School, is its 2014–15 Gatorade Texas Boys Basketball Player of the Year. Gilder is the first athlete in his school’s history to be chosen for the award that recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the court. “It means a lot to have been named for this honor,” Gilder said. “It’s a big accolade that not many players and athletes get a chance to experience. I’ve been working so…