With a grant from the Dallas Education Foundation, a new Dallas ISD initiative called “I Matter, We Matter, Words Matter” will prepare teachers to use culturally authentic texts written by Black authors to help students see themselves mirrored in the books they read. The program aims to increase Black student achievement in reading and expose students to read-aloud instruction. The professional development is a part of the Teaching and Learning Division’s support for the Racial Equity efforts underway in Dallas ISD, including the district’s training on cultural intelligence and unconscious bias, said Charissa Govan, executive director for Professional and Digital…

In a webinar focused on emotional intelligence and strategies aimed at dismantling racism in Dallas ISD, district leaders signaled last evening that parents and students can look forward to a much-improved environment of equity in every aspect of district operations. The promise came with a commitment to change the culture of Dallas ISD by training staff, enacting new norms and actively measuring progress and accountability around the goal. Watch the webinar here Director of Dallas ISD’s Racial Equity Office Dr. Sharon Quinn opened the webinar, “Using Emotional Intelligence to Create an Anti-Racist School System,” which was led by national diversity…

A new elementary school that will operate under the Montessori model is on track to open for the 2021 – 2022 school year. The E.D. Walker Middle School campus has undergone renovations, including a new addition to the building that will eventually house more than 400 pre-K-through-5th-grade students. The families in this North Dallas community have expressed interest in expanding Montessori opportunities, said Brian Lusk, Dallas ISD Chief of Strategic Initiatives. “If you look at the data, you’ll see that Dealey, one magnet school that is down-the-street from Walker, has a significant number of applications,” Lusk said during an Oct.…

On the eve of the one-year anniversary of the North Dallas tornados, H-E-B/Central Market announced at a press conference today that Central Market is donating $1 Million to the Dallas Education Foundation for the direct benefit of Dallas ISD as it continues with the rebuilding process. “My staff knows that I’m in pursuit of ‘wow,’ and this is a ‘wow’ moment,” Superintendent Michael Hinojosa said. Tornadoes on Oct. 20, 2019, changed the entire landscape of a 15-mile stretch in North Dallas, including 10 Dallas ISD schools, three of which experienced significant damage and were not able to reopen at their…