On Aug. 28, state District Judge John Dietz ruled that the current Texas school funding system does not suitably, adequately or equitably provide the resources necessary to give all students a genuine opportunity to meet the state’s rising expectations. The ruling is significant for the Dallas Independent School District and other ISDs because it supports the belief that the state has significantly raised academic standards but its funding commitment does not match its expectations. This means our school district and others do not have the necessary resources to support student achievement for all students, particularly those who are economically disadvantaged.…

Dallas community members and business leaders will have the opportunity to hear from Dallas ISD Superintendent Mike Miles and Dallas ISD Board of Trustees President Miguel Solis at the 2014 State of the District luncheon. The annual event, sponsored by the Dallas Regional Chamber of Commerce, is set for Thursday, Sept. 16, at the Belo Mansion. Miles and Solis will explore the milestones Dallas ISD has achieved, celebrate accomplished goals and address the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. The Dallas Regional Chamber has partnered with Dallas ISD for many years to host the State of the District address, as…

Dallas ISD is deeply saddened by the situation that occurred today at Woodrow Wilson High School. This afternoon, responding medical authorities determined that a human fetus had been found in a girls restroom at the school. The Dallas Police Department, assisted by Dallas ISD Police, is handling the investigation. Dallas ISD immediately dispatched staff from the district’s Psychological Services Department to the school to provide professional support for students and staff members. Additional counseling support will continue to be available next week. The district encourages any member of the Woodrow Wilson community to utilize these services. Dallas ISD is in…

Dallas ISD’s new evaluation system requires principals and assistant principals to be certified before officially evaluating teachers. In the month prior to the start of school, the District provided training to 648 principals and assistant principals on how to evaluate teachers under the new evaluation system known as the Teacher Excellence Initiative (TEI). The rigorous TEI evaluator training includes three parts – system knowledge, rater accuracy and field experience. Of the 648 evaluators trained this summer, 99 percent mastered part one that assesses the administrator’s knowledge of TEI. Perhaps the most difficult part of the certification exam is the rater…