Four Dallas ISD schools have been named 2014 National Blue Ribbon Schools. The announcement was made today by U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, who recognized 337 schools across the nation for their academic excellence or for making exemplary progress in closing the achievement gap. Kathlyn Joy Gilliam Collegiate Academy, Dr. Wright L. Lassiter Jr. Early College High School, Henry W. Longfellow Career Exploration Academy, and School of Business and Management at the Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Center each received the coveted award.  “This is a tremendous achievement for the students, staff and parents of each of these schools, and…

Dealing with an emergency situation like the Ebola virus can be unsettling, to say the least. The stress alone can have serious effects on one’s mental and emotional well-being. To help Dallas ISD teachers cope, medical staff from Children’s Health spent time visiting each of the affected schools to talk with teachers and answer questions about the virus. “Our goal was to give everyone the facts—what we know and what we don’t know about Ebola,” said Dr. Angela Moemeka, Community Health vice president and medical director at Children’s Health. “This virus is relatively hard to catch. Unless you are exposed…

It was day two of easing concerns for students, staff and parents across the district and at Dan D. Rogers Elementary School, Principal Lisa Lovato says today was just another day. “For us to remain one collaborative unit for our students and to show them that it’s business as usual today,” Lovato said. She says what helped was the amount of resources provided from the district and better understanding from outside organizations. “We had a doctor from Children’s Medical Center come out and they actually were able to explain the Ebola virus and give us some understanding of it,” Lovato…