When the slide declaring Harry Stone Montessori and IB World School as a National Blue Ribbon School appeared on the screen, the 6th-8th graders in the auditorium erupted in cheers and applause. Meanwhile, teachers and students over at Trinidad “Trini” Garza Early College High School at Mountain View College celebrated their school’s Blue Ribbon status by dancing with the school’s mascot and waving pom poms in the air. The festivities on Tuesday were well-deserved: by being named 2015 National Blue Ribbon Schools, Harry Stone and Garza ECHS earn one of the most prestigious recognitions in education. The National Blue Ribbon…

Eric Hale, a third-grade math teacher at David G. Burnet Elementary, almost didn’t go through with the Distinguished Teacher Review process. Hale was originally excited about the DTR process, as he believed it would reveal his true effectiveness as a teacher. Plus, the opportunity for a DTR teacher to earn a $5,000 salary increase this school year wouldn’t hurt, either. However, when Hale’s mother suddenly passed away in January, he had doubts about whether he had the motivation to go through with the DTR process. But through the encouragement of his principal, fellow teachers, and feeder pattern Executive Director Tim…

Dallas ISD has earned the highest recognition of financial transparency—the “Platinum Level”— from the Texas Comptroller Leadership Circle. The Leadership Circle award recognizes local governments across Texas with a high standard for financial transparency. The award spotlights entities that: Open their books to the public; Provide clear, consistent pictures of spending; Share information in a user-friendly format that helps taxpayers understand how their tax dollars are spent. Dallas ISD Chief Financial Officer Jim Terry said the award is a testament to the district’s work and effort to make sure Dallas ISD’s finances are available to all stakeholders. “We hold ourselves to…

Dallas ISD interim Superintendent Michael Hinojosa told members of the Board of Trustees that approximately 71 percent of teachers returning to a Teacher Excellence Initiative-eligible role will see a salary increase next month. Hinojosa made his presentation at the Trustee’s regular business meeting on Sept. 24 at the district administration building. He noted the average pay raise for returning teachers this year under the Teacher Excellence Initiative (TEI) will be $2,700, which is about a 4.5 percent raise on average. More than 35 percent of returning teachers will receive a raise of $4,000–$5,000. Hinojosa’s presentation to trustees came after teachers received…