As part of a major effort to create an equity mindset in Dallas ISD, all 23,000 district employees by August 2021 will receive training on unconscious bias, dismantling racism and cultural intelligence. The district’s goal is for 100% of staff to show an increase in their understanding of cultural intelligence (CQ) based on pre-tests, individual action plans, and post-tests. “No matter where you turn and what office you enter, racial equity is at the forefront of the work we are doing,” Deputy Chief of Racial Equity Sharon Quinn told trustees at the Oct. 8 board briefing. Another element of this…

It’s the first day welcoming students across grade levels back to on-campus learning, and Edward Titche Elementary School Principal Jazmume Jenkins is waving a sign and personally greeting students as their parents drop them off. “We are so excited you are here with us today, thank you for being a part of our family!” Jenkins says to a second-grader as his temperature is checked and he walks to the front door. “Are you ready for the best school year yet?” Jenkins is still in disbelief from the Sept. 24 announcement that Titche is one of three Dallas ISD schools to…

With preliminary data showing students falling behind academically due to the Covid-19 impact on schools, Dallas ISD administrators briefed trustees Oct. 8 on a possible strategy of giving families the option of extended learning time to help mitigate learning loss. Dallas ISD is exploring three different potential options for the 2021–2022 school year that would add learning and enrichment time for some or all students. House Bill 3 offers additional funding for districts that add learning time for elementary students. The half-day funding for grades pre-K–5 is for up to 30 days beyond the normal 180 days of instruction. The district…

Dallas ISD has launched a Covid-19 Dashboard that tracks internally confirmed positive cases at schools and facilities across the district. Go here to view the dashboard.  Meanwhile, we know there are some questions about what happens when there is a reported positive Covid-19 case at a school. Here are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about the Covid-19 tracking and reporting process in Dallas ISD. Read a PDF with more details on contact tracing and reporting. What happens when there is a positive case on campus? Who is notified? Anyone on a campus who is not feeling…