Inside Dallas ISD

In Sunny South Dallas, the seven legacy schools that make up the Lincoln-Madison vertical team are celebrating a milestone that reflects strong leadership, dedicated families, and a community invested in its own future: a B rating for all of its schools. Charles Rice Learning Center, often called a “beacon of hope” in South Dallas, had long been the anchor of success in the area, standing as the only school of the seven, to consistently maintain a B rating over the years. Paul L. Dunbar Learning Center and James Madison High School later joined Rice in maintaining consecutive B ratings.   When…

Lizette Rivera knows how it feels to be lifted by her community. As a student at Sunset High School, dance gave her a stage, her teachers gave her guidance, and her classmates gave her encouragement. Now, as a first-year dance teacher at Robert T. Hill Middle School, she is returning to the district that helped shape her, teaching dance and career prep classes. “My high school dance teachers inspired me to continue doing dance as an educator,” she said. “I hope to be that person for my students. I hope to inspire them to try new things and to see…

Students attending the Future Doctors Camp this summer weren’t the only ones learning new things. Teacher Lawanna Evans, who helped lead the camp, walked away with important lab skills and life lessons of her own. “It’s always interesting to hear from medical students about some of their personal experiences. There has been a wealth of knowledge that I have acquired even for myself,” Evans said. Now, in her second year teaching at the camp, Evans said she is more comfortable in the science lab and is ready for the hands-on learning that comes with studying anatomy. “My favorite part of…

For Army Sgt. Maj. Leon Johnson, senior JROTC instructor at Emmett J. Conrad High School, the military promised opportunities he did not imagine having. Now, at Conrad, he sees himself in a lot of the students and wants them to be aware of the opportunities that were available to him. “This is something personal for me,” Johnson said. “When I come to school and I look at these kids, I think, ‘I was sitting in their seat one day. I didn’t have a lot of money; my parents were both working; and college wasn’t even an option.’” A native of…