As of Nov. 20, more than 78 percent of Dallas ISD seniors had applied to at least one college. Dallas ISD Goes to College Week, a weeklong push from Nov. 16–20 that encouraged district seniors to apply for colleges and universities, helped the district surpass a goal of having 70 percent of seniors apply to at least one college by Nov. 20. In addition to emphasizing that it pays to go to college, Dallas ISD Goes to College saw central staff volunteer to share their college experiences with seniors. Oscar Rodriguez, a Dallas ISD Educational Technology employee, volunteered at Dr. Wright L. Lassiter…

In Mrs. Vadillo’s kindergarten classroom at Bethune Elementary, the start of the school day is not filled with lessons or discussions of the previous night’s homework. Instead, the school day starts on a much simpler note, with students sitting at their desks eating a fresh, hot breakfast. On this particular Thursday morning, students are washing down their chicken sausage sandwiches with orange juice and milk while talking about their weekend plans and favorite superhero (Batman is declared the “coolest superhero” of this particular class). A similar scene plays out every day at thousands of classrooms across Dallas ISD. Since 2012,…

Just like permanent classroom teachers, substitute teachers play an important role in improving student achievement in Dallas ISD. With that in mind, here are the Top 10 Reasons to become a substitute teacher in Dallas ISD: You can become a mentor to students to help inspire their creativity. You will be able to join a transformational school district focused on improving student’s achievement and making our students college- and workforce-ready. You will learn new best teaching strategies that impact the achievement of students. You will assist with ensuring students’ education is not interrupted in the absence of the teacher. You will join a…

Nov. 19, 2015 marks the 20th annual National Parental Involvement Day, established by Project Appleseed to recognize the extraordinary impact that public school parents have made in shaping America. Dallas ISD “highlights the powerful contributions of parents, guardians and other caregivers of our students throughout the year in a variety of ways, including our parent recognition in May, which is usually attended by hundreds of parents,” said Mari-Carmen Eroles, Manager of the Office of Family and Community Engagement. “We know that parents get involved in their children’s education in a variety of ways, and we encourage them to participate in…