At Chapel Hill Preparatory School, students traded in their usual textbooks for compasses, multipurpose vests, canteens, and binoculars to embark on an educational journey. In June, these students participated in Summer Cool, a month-long program that helps develop the skills they need to navigate the next school year.  For the first half of the day, students attended math and reading classes, which consisted of teacher-led instruction and discussion, group work, and independent practice, followed by online math and reading games to end the class. The second half of the day was for enrichment activities centered around children expressing their creativity.…

This summer, high school cheerleaders from across Dallas ISD gathered for cheer camp, a multi-day event focused on team building, skill development, and leadership. For Gema G., a rising senior at Moisés E. Molina High School, the camp comes at a pivotal moment as she prepares to take on her new role as varsity cheer captain. After transitioning from cross-country to cheerleading her sophomore year, Gema said the sport has helped her grow more confident and connected. “Coming from being a girl who was feeling unnoticed, to my senior year, I feel unstoppable,” she said. Her advice to cheerleaders starting…

As we all take a well-earned break, I wanted to share some great news that each of you helped make happen. We received our STAAR scores, and like Bethany Erickson of D Magazine wrote on Monday, “This week, Dallas ISD found out that it had a lot to celebrate.” In 80% of the tested categories, Dallas ISD showed larger increases than the state The African American, Emergent Bilingual, & Economically Disadvantaged student groups outperformed their state peers in the “all subjects & grades” category, math, and social studies These data, wrote Erickson, are “a lot to be proud and happy…

The AlumNow series showcases former students’ post-graduation successes. We recently caught up with Miguel Cazarez, who is now an attorney. Read about his educational journey at Dallas ISD and how his teachers impacted him to give back to his community. What high school did you graduate from and what year did you graduate? School For The Talented and Gifted Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Center in 2010. What is your current occupation? I am a commercial litigation attorney at Witherite Law Group. What made your Dallas ISD education unique? The TAG program at L.V. Stockard Middle School gave me my start…