Author: The Hub

A group of nearly 500 Dallas ISD teachers will gather tonight to review and weigh in on several district initiatives, including the Accelerating Campus Excellence (ACE) plan that the district launched last week. The teachers known as Teacher Excellence Initiative (TEI) campus experts will weigh in on retention bonuses and stipends offered to DTR-eligible teachers who serve on the six ACE campuses. The ACE plan aims to equip campuses where students are struggling academically with strong leaders and teams of highly effective teachers. TEI campus experts will also provide input on the proposed changes for the 2015–16 school year regarding…

Pre-K Registration Week is underway in Dallas ISD, and district elementary schools are inviting parents to submit applications to enroll their child in pre-K for next school year. Registering your child for pre-K is an opportunity that parent Brittany Brown says is too good to pass up. Brown, whose daughter Za’naae attends pre-K at Arthur Kramer Elementary, says it’s crucial to ensure that students get the all-important academic head start that pre-K provides. She said she’s witnessed the benefits firsthand. Just since the start of school in August, Brown said her daughter has grown by leaps and bounds. “She speaks Spanish and…

As part of the Teacher Excellence Initiative, the district is committed to identifying, supporting and rewarding effective teachers. But how, exactly, are effective teachers identified? Teachers are evaluated on their performance in the classroom, student achievement results, and for many, the results of a confidential student perception survey that will be administered early next month. Here is what to know about the survey. What is the student perception survey? The student perception survey is a research-based survey that will be administered to students in grades 3-12 and be available in English and Spanish. Each student will complete two surveys. The…

From April 6–11, Dallas ISD is holding its weeklong effort to encourage parents to enroll their children in pre-K. Here are the details for Pre-K Registration Week. Why should I register my child in pre-K? Accepted research shows that 85 percent of a child’s brain development occurs in their first five years. Simply put, the research proves that quality early education is critical in preparing children for lifelong success. Where do I register? You can register your child for pre-K at your local elementary school. To learn your local elementary school and its location, click here. Can I register at…

Stuffed bunnies, Clifford the Big Red Dog, Mother Goose, Dora the Explorer and Arthur are among the notable characters that peer out from almost every bookshelf in the library at Anne Frank Elementary School. It’s testing week at the north Dallas school and, for the moment, the library is quiet. Outside the glass door, young students march in single file through the hallway as they take a breather from the STAAR exams. Inside, Librarian Lisa Mead is waiting for the students to return. Talking with Mead about her classroom experience and her passion for teaching, it’s not hard to see…

Victoria Rodriguez Villafana says that volunteering at Casa View Elementary, where her three sons attend, has helped her better assist in her childrens’ education. Villafana said participating in school activities alongside Casa View’s friendly staff has been a rewarding experience because she is able to see her children grow as successful students. Villafana encourages other parents to volunteer at their child’s school because it’s a great way to learn different ways to support their child’s education.

Following on the heels of Dallas ISD’s record-breaking job fair held in March, the Human Capital Management (HCM) department is gearing up for another massive event to ensure all district classrooms start the 2015-2016 school year with an effective teacher at the helm. From 9 a.m.-noon Saturday, April 11, all 226 Dallas ISD schools will convene at Emmett J. Conrad High School in their search for highly qualified teacher candidates. Nearly 1,200 candidates attended the March job fair, and over 400 of them received job offers. “For this upcoming event, we have a goal of getting over 1,000 teacher candidates…

Today, Dallas Independent School District announced the six principals, all selected from within the district, who will lead the 2015-2016 Accelerating Campus Excellence (ACE) schools. The new ACE principals are: ACE Campus Incoming Principal Incoming Principal’s Current Campus Annie Webb Blanton Elementary School Ms. Laura Garza Ascher Silberstein Elementary School Roger Q. Mills Elementary School Ms. Janeen Pantoja Current Division 2 Coordinator Elisha M. Pease Elementary School Ms. Angel McKoy Soto Elementary School Umphrey Lee Elementary School Ms. Roshonda Clayton-Brown Birdie Alexander Elementary Thomas A. Edison Middle Learning Center Mr. Luis Valdez Raul Quintanilla, Sr. Middle Sarah Zumwalt Middle School…

No debate about it, Seagoville Dragons are hot. As the new kids on the block, the Seagoville High School Debate Team started the year strong earning the title of City Champs in the novice category of the Dallas Urban Debate Alliance fall competition. To close out the year, they clinched the novice division again winning the competition’s spring event. Not a bad record and certainly one that’s bringing excitement and stirring up Dragon pride throughout the Seagoville community. “This is a great accomplishment,” Coach Mark Harrington said. “This was their first year in competition and their record is the best…

The annual Beeping Egg Hunt for Blind and Visually Impaired Students happened Thursday, April 2, at Flag Pole Hill near White Rock Lake. The event, coordinated by the Dallas ISD Special Education Vision Department, uses special eggs that emit beeps to allow visually impaired students to find them more easily. Other activities for the students included cookie-decorating, basket-making and a petting zoo. Watch the video above to learn more.