Inside Dallas ISD

Candace Balderas-Miller is one of the few female athletic coordinators in the district, leading the Hillcrest High School Athletic Department with a vision of opportunity, wellness, and athletic success for all students.  Overseeing 18 sports programs, she leads by example as a lifelong learner, inspiring the next generation of student-athletes, especially young girls, finding their place in sports. “Sometimes when we think of sports, especially because it is male-dominated, girls may feel like it’s not a place for them,” she said. “I hope that when any student sees me or interacts with me, they become open to new possibilities, because…

Each year, students from across Dallas ISD prepare for the debate stage, gathering at a workshop for a day of topic understanding and practice.  Hosted by the Dallas Urban Debate Alliance, fifth-grade students have the opportunity to participate in an interactive debate workshop designed to build essential skills for debate.  The overall goal of these preparation sessions is to prepare students for competitive debate and public speaking, honing their confidence, communication, and critical thinking skills both at the workshop and on their home campuses. Another goal is to equip coaches with the resources they need to bring what they learned…

At Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Arts Academy, the theater department is growing its creative force.  Ramad Carter, the school’s theater teacher, is drawing from his artistry and lifelong passion for education to prepare the next generation of actors to become authentic, expressive, and compassionate performers. Carter studied theater in New York City, where he earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dramatic Acting at The New School in 2017. While there, he trained in acting, directing, and playwriting while also performing professionally throughout the city. Even while pursuing his artist career, Carter continued to teach. During his time in…

As a young man, Roberto Garcia, Spanish teacher and wrestling coach at Thomas Jefferson High School, often got in trouble for fighting in school.  Though he chalked it up to low impulse control, he now views it as an early foreshadowing of his passion for wrestling. Garcia’s early years were marked by family, transitions, and challenges. In 2005, his family immigrated to Dallas in pursuit of better employment opportunities. His mother, who taught embroidery to low-income women, and his father, a government employee in Durango, Mexico, sought a new beginning.  The crossing itself was arduous for his mother and brother,…