Inside Dallas ISD

November is Native American and Alaska Native Heritage Month, and libraries across the district at elementary and middle schools will be getting books with Native American themes. Working with Library Media services, the Social Studies Department is deploying more than 300 books and some Native American memorabilia to libraries, so students have access to books that celebrate the culture and contributions of Native Americans, not just during November but throughout the year, said Shalon Bond, director of Social Studies. “We want to heighten the knowledge of Native American culture through identity and voice in our libraries, and we are doing…

Dallas ISD substitute teacher Carolyn Galvan loves being a substitute teacher, and students love her being there. Students come up to her and give her a fist bump or a hug, and she knows them by their first name. Team members say she lights up a room when she enters. Galvan says many of her students treat her like family, as she offers compassion and understanding in the classroom, no matter what kind of day the student is having. She feels appreciated at Henry W. Longfellow Career Exploration Academy, which is how the National Education Association hopes that all substitute…

The Beat has interviewed Master Teachers across the district to share their stories and introspections about their careers, including tips for teaching. Meet Master Teacher Flor Mendez Gonzalez. Flor Mendez Gonzalez, a master teacher at Annie Webb Blanton Elementary School, has been a teacher for 20 years, 11 of them at Dallas ISD. Before coming to the district, she was in Monterrey, Mexico, teaching at a private school when one of her colleagues told her about the Dallas ISD Visa Program, which offers the options of the H-1B visa and the J-1 Exchange Visitor Teacher Program. She sent an email inquiring about the…

Submitted by The Dallas Education Foundation With its new book vending machine, every day is a book fair at Marcus Leadership Academy. The elementary school hosted a literacy event in September – sponsored by NEC Foundation of America (NECAM) with the support of the Dallas Education Foundation in partnership with Catch Up & Read (CAR) – to highlight the school’s current and emerging programs that are accelerating academic outcomes for students. “[Students] can have the experience of a book fair every single day at their fingertips. They can access a new book, a new experience, new learning,” said Dallas ISD…