Shonneice Wallace wants to give her 3-year-old son Malik a jumpstart on his education, and in the process continue a family legacy at Dallas ISD’s Birdie Alexander Elementary School. “A lot of my family members have gone there,” Wallace said. “I just want to better his learning, and to have him learn how to interact with other kids.” In another room set up to allow children to play while their parents completed the enrollment process, Malik was already on his way to being a great pre-K student. He played respectfully with the other children and found several toys that interested…

A $215,000 planning grant from NewSchools Venture Fund will help Dallas ISD’s newest Transformation School prepare to successfully open in August 2018. Ignite Middle School (name pending board approval) will be a brand new Personalized Learning Campus that will open next school year, with the upcoming school year serving as a crucial planning year. The grant from NewSchools Venture Fund will fund professional development, equipment, technology, travel to model schools and more for the new school during this planning year. “The grant is incredibly important because it will help us prepare the best possible educational product for our future students…

Demeatria LaForte is getting a new kitchen, but it won’t be in her home.  LaForte decided to swap a restaurant kitchen for a school cafeteria in the Dallas Independent School District. But first, she’s getting a sneak peak of the new recipes that will be part of the school meals menu for the 2017-2018 school year. “I am super excited about the new recipes in the school meals menu,” said LaForte. “The new recipes will offer more variety to students, which will encourage them to participate in the school meals program.” Chicken & Waffles, Apple Cinnamon Texas Toast, Chipotle Fish…

The Dallas Independent School District will share a four-year grant with Big Thought, an educational nonprofit that coordinates out-of-school-time creative learning programs for Dallas students. Through the four-year Partnerships for Social and Emotional Learning Initiative, they will focus on implementing social and emotional learning (SEL) during in-school and out-of-school-time, helping children in Dallas develop the skills, knowledge and attitudes needed to be successful in school, work and life. SEL includes knowing and controlling your emotions, understanding and collaborating with others, making positive choices, and demonstrating resiliency. The initiative supports school districts and out-of-school-time organizations in six communities around the country…