This year, every Dallas ISD physical education teacher will have easy access to their very own first-aid kit. The idea came after Lisa Whitaker, director of the Health and Physical Education Department, saw a need for extra resources in the classroom. “I noticed an opportunity to provide student and teacher support during physical education classes,” she said. “My goal was to support teachers during physical education classes and be in direct partnership with campus nursing staff.” This summer, interns with the Health and Physical Education Department recognized the same need. This inspired the team’s final project: assembling 245 first-aid kits…

For Bethany E., learning a language is a gateway to the world. “I think it’s important to learn a new language because you learn more about the world you live in and experience something different,” she said. Bethany is taking Italian language classes at Skyline High School, which is the largest Italian program in Dallas ISD. She enrolled in the class her freshman year and never looked back. “I wanted to take Italian because I was very interested in its culture and history and wanted to learn about it more in depth,” Bethany said.  Now a senior, she plans to…

In one Dallas ISD school, raising your hand in class to request a hall pass is now a thing of the past. At Robert T. Hill Middle School, under the leadership of Principal Candice Ruiz, commitment to innovation has transformed the campus into a safer and more focused learning environment. “You have to take risks to get different results. So we try to take the risk,” said Ruiz.  This mentality led her to find ways to utilize leading-edge technology to increase safety, enhance student attentiveness, and give instructional time back to teachers. EHall Pass, a digital alternative to traditional, physical…

At John J. Pershing Elementary School, diversity is a superpower. Over 80% of the student population identifies as Hispanic. And many recently moved to the U.S. Students bring with them a wide range of life experiences, cultures, family backgrounds, and talents. Meeting the unique needs of each child while uplifting and celebrating their diversity can be a challenge, but teachers and administrators say it is their calling. “We stay here — and in the profession — because we have a passion for it,” said Maria Fernandez, a fourth-grade teacher. “It’s vocational. We could be in any other place, but we…