“Stony the road we trod, bitter the chastening rod. Felt in the days when hope unborn had died.” These words from the Black National Anthem echo the journey of resilience that generations of Black scholars, educators, and leaders have walked. From the determined steps of students walking down Cochran and Hall streets in the 1890’s to attend Colored School No. 1 to the trailblazers shaping Dallas ISD today, the road has never been easy. Yet, the seeds planted long ago continue to bear fruit History doesn’t exist without a starting point. For 58 years, Colored School No. 1, opened in…

For years, a state-of-the-art film and music facility at New Tech High School at B.F. Darrell sat unused until Trenton Starks brought it to life when he became the school’s film teacher.  The school’s film pathway, which Starks said is Dallas ISD’s hidden gem, was the vision of Channel Hutchinson, principal at New Tech.  “Initially, our career pathways were only in animation,” she said. “I worked with school leadership to add a pathway in film. We now have film, animation and gaming.”   Starks has taken the facility and created a comprehensive film program and student film festival. This has given…

The 2024-2025 Dallas ISD Athletic Hall of Fame class boasts 10 legendary individuals who have made a fundamental impact on sports in the district and beyond. The induction ceremony is slated for Friday, April 11 at the Arts District Mansion in downtown Dallas. This year’s class of inductees includes: Lauren Blackburn – Sunset High School graduate, two-time UIL state champion in the 100-meter hurdles, and the 2010 Dallas Morning News Track & Field Athlete of the Year. Jerry Broadnax – Three-time football Player of the Year at Dr. L.G. Pinkston Sr. High School, and six-year NFL veteran with the New…

Beverly Tillmon, elementary math teacher at Personalized Learning Preparatory at Highland Meadows, represents the best of what it means to be an educator.  Recently selected as the school’s 2024-2025 Campus Teacher of the Year, her leadership, guidance and 55 years of experience have rewarded Tillmon with the unofficial title of matriarch at the campus.   Tillmon stepped into this school year confidently after spending time out of the classroom to provide guidance as a math instructional coach.  The key to being a great math teacher, Tillmon says, is to “stay ahead of the game, always prepared for what is to come…