Dallas ISD has established an aggressive timeline to complete conversations toward a goal and support plan to eliminate suspensions in the 2021–2022 school year, while still having any serious infraction go through the disciplinary alternative education program. At the April 8 board briefing, district leaders told trustees that local and national data shows that Black and Hispanic students are disproportionately suspended. Acting Chief of School Leadership Orlando Riddick said it’s a moral imperative to rethink school discipline. “This is a different mindset,” Riddick said. “But we need to work to resolve the underlying issues students face instead of watching them…

As part of the “Finish Strong ‘21” campaign, Dallas ISD is urging all seniors to return to on-campus learning full time starting Monday, April 12. Here are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about this campaign. What is the “Finish Strong ‘21” campaign? The Finish Strong ‘21 campaign is Dallas ISD’s effort to get as many high school students as possible back to in-person instruction, 5 days a week, beginning on April 12th.  The priority will be for seniors to return to ensure they are on-track to graduate and to give them a memorable end to their…

From using 100 percent compostable plates and trash bags by 2027 and piloting zero-emissions school buses by 2025–to ensuring future new schools and remodels are built in an environmentally sustainable way–Dallas ISD is seriously considering how it can have a greener footprint. On Feb. 27, 2020, the Dallas ISD Board of Trustees unanimously passed the Environment & Climate Resolution. The resolution created an Environmental and Climate Committee, which has been meeting to develop goals and progress measures for how the district can act on climate change. District leaders and members of the Environmental and Climate Committee updated trustees on their…

It’s Wednesday morning at Harold Lang Middle School, and the campus leadership team is holding a banner while cheering loud enough that people walking by on the sidewalk stop to see what’s going on. The school is celebrating their adoption of an intersession calendar, which will extend the school year to start at the beginning of August and end in late June. “We feel like this will be a huge lever in closing the achievement gaps that we always talk about,” Lang Principal Nicole Lyons said. “We feel like this extended time will give us more concentrated time with our…