Inside Dallas ISD

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 José Ramos-Villicaña. José Ramos-Villicaña, a master teacher at Stevens Park Elementary School, first came to Dallas ISD in 2006. He was living in the city of Monterrey, Mexico, when he  learned about the district’s  Alternative Certification Program. When representatives from recruitment were in his city, he decided to apply—and a year and a half later, he began teaching in the district. Fast forward 18  years and he is happy that he made this leap of faith…

Submitted by the Student Activities department Dallas ISD debate coaches partnered with the Dallas Urban Debate Alliance (DUDA) to create Community Action Debate (CAD), a new debate format centered around local issues. With 158 Dallas ISD elementary and secondary campuses participating in the district’s debate program, DUDA is the second-largest urban debate league in the nation.  Michelle Read, Student Activities coordinator, said Dallas ISD debate provides students with an equal shot at success. “As the district continues making debate accessible to all students at every level, we take steps closer to educational equality where voices are heard and civil discourse…

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…