Inside Dallas ISD

Every morning, on screens throughout David G. Burnet Elementary School students can see a live newscast that includes announcements and the Pledge of Allegiance via Zoom presented by their classmates. The newscast is a project that started during the pandemic and has grown into a daily staple at the school. During COVID, Sophia Zolezzi, math instructional coordinator at the school, found a creative way for students to still give their morning announcements and Pledge of Allegiance despite being in a virtual setting at that time. “I was looking for a way for us to still feel a sense of community,…

When Gustavo Zaragoza, a teacher at Career Institute East, was a student and a newcomer to the country, he never imagined going into the education field. Through his work as a teacher, he is now able to identify with his students and empower them, as teachers once did for him. Having grown up in Mexico, and not knowing the language when he first arrived in the district, he said he felt intimidated at times, and that it was in his ESL classes that he felt safe. He says he’s committed to create that type of environment for his students, where…

Sandra Urton, a  teacher at Wilmer Hutchins Elementary School, first  came to work as a teacher when she heard of the district’s need for bilingual educators. Urton saw this as an opportunity to make a positive impact for youth in the community. Now in her 15th year teaching in the district, she had previously taught two years in the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico, at the Universidad Tecnológica de Cancún, as well as in a middle school and at a language school. Where are you from and how did you end up at Dallas ISD? I am from Mexico City.…

This coming primary election on March 5 may be the most important for public education in Texas history.  That’s why I am asking every teacher, every school district team member, every parent, every grandparent, every one of our family members, everyone we know to vote in this primary election, especially in races for the Texas House of Representatives and State Senate. About 90% of Texas children—5.4 million in all—attend public schools. Our children can’t vote, so we must.  Here are the facts:  Just 3% of voters who vote in Texas primaries elect who govern the other 97%. That means that…