Two historically black high school football programs battled on the gridiron Monday, Sept. 1. Teams from Dallas ISD’s James Madison and Little Rock’s Central high schools faced off in the district’s only game played on Labor Football game Day. Check out this story told by WFAA-Channel 8 on the first meeting.

Former Moisés E. Molina High School quarterback Diondre Preston received the gift of mobility on Thursday, Aug. 28, during halftime of a game between his alma mater and R.L. Turner High School. Preston suffered a spinal cord injury on the field in 2010, which left him fully paralyzed. With the help of Gridiron Heroes, the former football star was presented with a handicap-accessible van. It was a moment he and his mom will never forget. For more than a year, the Prestons have had no readily accessible way to transport Diondre. Gridiron Heroes is a non-profit that provides resources and…

Fifth-graders at Joseph J. Rhoads Learning Center heard from members of the National Guard who are spreading the message of staying in school and away from drugs during Operation Crackdown, Friday, Sept. 12. The City of Dallas hosted the initiative to focus on targeted areas where high drug activity exists, like in parts of South Dallas. After the presentation, the entire fifth-grade class met with Mayor Mike Rawlings and other city officials at the demolition site of an old drug house located in the 3200 block of Trezevant Street that was torn down.

Rewarding effectiveness. That’s the purpose at the heart of the Dallas Independent School District’s Principal Evaluation System, which is the first of its kind ever initiated in a large urban school district. The new system came to fruition this week as Dallas ISD principals were notified of their 2014-2015 salary based on their performance under the new appraisal system. The new evaluation structure has transformed the way campus leaders are compensated. Overall, 126 returning principals this school year will each receive a pay increase of $10,000 annually, based on their performance. “Our new principal evaluation system is groundbreaking, transformative and…