Author: The Hub

A news report from CBS DFW shows how the Mock Trial team at Skyline High School, which is ranked as the best in Texas, is learning law and how to win at the same time. To learn more about the mock trial team, you can view the CBS DFW report here.

The Dallas Morning News on March 18 came out in support of the district’s plan to address its most critical facility needs. Specifically, the editorial board said the bridge plan, as it is called, would “green-light some of the most urgent repairs, renovations and expansions” at district schools. Click here to read the full editorial.

The district is continuing to refine the draft Accelerating Campus Excellence (ACE) Plan that would improve the distribution of effective teachers through educator choice and incentives. In his latest Notes From the Superintendent, Superintendent Mike Miles said plans call for ACE to begin as a pilot program at six Improvement Required (IR) schools that will be identified at the end of March 2015. The district will begin the implementation of the Accelerating Campus Excellence (ACE) Plan in the 2015-16 school year. Miles said in February that the pilot program is a part of the district’s goal to get an effective…

Alex Sanger Elementary School students shouted their favorite color, did (safe) karate chops, and performed a variety of other dance moves during a special Koo Koo Kangaroo concert on Tuesday afternoon. Koo Koo Kangaroo, an interactive comedic dance-pop band from Minnesota, performed at Alex Sanger Elementary after its students won a GoNoodle contest sponsored by Children’s Health. GoNoodle is an online service that provides “brain breaks” in classrooms through brief, interactive videos designed to encourage body movement. To win the GoNoodle contest, Sanger Elementary had the highest percentage of GoNoodle users in Dallas ISD between Feb. 9–March 6. “Brain breaks…

Based on a pay-for-performance model, the district’s Teacher Excellence Initiative offers rewards for educators who can prove their effectiveness in the classroom. J.P. Starks Vanguard Academy teacher Shalonda Alexander said she welcomes the challenge. “TEI gives educators the opportunity to be rewarded for their hard work and dedication to the teaching profession,” she said. Successful appraisals can lead to salary increases and contract extensions for those deemed to be among the district’s most highly effective teachers. Alexander is one of more than 1,400 teachers striving to document that they belong in this elite class of educators through their participation in…

Shirley Dolph, the assistant principal at David G. Burnet Elementary School, said the school’s Pre-K program is fantastic. However, the school does not have adequate room to serve as many Pre-K students as it could, Dolph said. The district’s proposed Bridge Plan, which would tackle immediate district needs, would, in part, fund a new wing with four needed additional Pre-K classes at the elementary school. View the above video to learn more.

In March, the National Athletic Trainers Association and the Youth Sports Safety Alliance commended Dallas ISD for putting athletic trainers at all 23 of its high schools over the last two years. A story from KERA looks into the benefits these trainers provide district students. Click here to view the story.

Meelina Khanal, a junior at Emmett J. Conrad High School, would have loved for a friend to teach her about her new adopted country when she moved to the United States at the age of 14. Specifically, a friend who could have taught her the language, customs, and, most importantly, guided her through the school’s curriculum would have been invaluable. Now, as a mentor in a pilot program that matches older refugee students with their younger counterparts, she is able to provide that help that she would have loved. “When I was new here, I wished I had someone like…

Algunos docentes sienten el llamado de la profesión en su juventud, pero para otros llega más tarde. Los profesionales titulados que deseen pasar de otra carrera a la docencia, cuentan con la Academia Docente de Certificación Alternativa Compass para obtener su certificado. “Compass, nuestra recientemente rediseñada academia docente de certificación alternativa, brindará entrenamiento práctico intensivo para asegurar que los maestros nuevos dominen las destrezas básicas más esenciales para tener éxito el primer día de clases,” explicó Meredyth Hudson, directora ejecutiva de Certificación Alternativa y Sistemas Especiales. Aquéllos que completen el proceso de solicitud y sean aceptados al programa tendrán un…