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MLK weekend inspires churches to seek more tutors, mentors
0St. Luke “Community” United Methodist Church and the Zan Holmes Jr. “Community” Outreach Center will spend the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday weekend encouraging parishioners and visitors to serve in the Dallas Independent School District as mentors and tutors in schools in Fair Park and South Dallas area. Beginning Sunday, Jan. 18,, both communities will train potential volunteers while emboldening interested parties during worship services. Those individuals that complete the training will begin volunteering next week. Last week almost 70 volunteers were trained to begin service with Dallas ISD. The effort is the result of a conversation between Pastor Michael…
Student surveys to shine light on teacher effectiveness
0As Teacher Excellence Initiative experts and principal focus groups continue to refine how the district will evaluate teacher effectiveness, another team – the students – are about to have their say. According to at least one study, students, perhaps the ultimate classroom observers, may be better suited to identify effective teaching than administrators who traditionally measure performance based on scheduled observations of teachers’ instruction and classroom management skills. Plans call for students to complete surveys, to be made available in English and Spanish, on paper the week of April 6. In future, the district will administer the survey online. Teachers…
Harry Stone steps into the world of IB
0Michael Smoot’s orchestra ensemble accepted playing second fiddle to Harry Stone Montessori Academy’s big announcement on becoming an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School, one of only two in the district to receive the designation. As his team of strings took center stage in front of a standing-room only audience for a special presentation, Smoot recalled his personal experience there. An orchestra teacher, he has spent the last 25 years teaching at Harry Stone. Throughout the years he’s watched the school evolve from a traditional elementary school to a magnet school and most recently a Montessori academy. Smoot is the only original…
Free viewing of “Selma” to offer unique learning opportunity
0Films on historic events provide a visual glimpse into important periods in time. Approximately 10,000 Dallas Independent School District students will receive the opportunity to view the civil rights movement through that lens when they attend a free screening of the movie “Selma” on Jan. 17-19. A group of local business and community leaders that includes Ron and Matrice Kirk, Ron McCray, Brenda Jackson, Levy and Diane Curry, and Paget and Deborah Alves are donating the free tickets to Dallas ISD students in grades 7-9. The timing of the viewing, during the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday weekend, provides even…