A record number of Dallas ISD schools have received a statewide award that recognizes great work happening in school counseling programs. Twenty-six Dallas ISD schools this month received a Counselors Reinforcing Excellence for Students in Texas (CREST) Award. The Texas School Counselor Association sponsors the CREST Award, which allows counselors to demonstrate the work they do helping students. “The CREST Award is about recognizing the success that school counselors have on their campuses,” Dallas ISD Counseling Services Director Dr. Sylvia Lopez said. “We are proud, but not surprised, that a record number of our schools are CREST Award winners this…

Walk down a hallway in Kimball High School and you will notice dozens of pairs of blue jeans hanging from the ceiling above the lockers. Stand by the hanging blue jeans for a few minutes and you will probably see a student or staff member look up and ask: “Why are there blue jeans hanging from the ceiling?” This question is exactly what students in Kimball High School’s Distinguished Academy of Hospitality and Tourism want to hear, as it means their guerrilla marketing campaign to draw attention to Teens for Jeans, which collects donated jeans to give to homeless youth,…

Trustees are considering adopting six new student achievement goals to set expectations that, in part, more students will graduate and be involved in school. Trustees and Superintendent Michael Hinojosa developed the proposed achievement goals after reviewing district results and holding multiple workshops. Hinojosa said most of the proposed goals have key performance indicators. The goals are: Goal 1: All students will exhibit Satisfactory or above performance on State assessments. Students below Satisfactory performance will demonstrate more than one year of academic growth; Goal 2: Dallas ISD schools will be the primary choice for families in the district; Goal 3: The…

A discussion on a proposal to consolidate approximately 24 administrative departments into one building focused in on how such a consolidation could ultimately save the district money. Dallas ISD Chief Financial Officer Jim Terry said a consolidated administrative building would save money by not requiring the district to continue operating and maintaining multiple aging facilities. A consolidated administrative building would also allow Dallas ISD to generate substantial revenue by selling the district properties that would be vacated. “This is a smart long-term solution that would help us meet our ultimate goal: better serving our teachers, students, and families in Dallas…