Inside Dallas ISD

Dallas ISD’s Arlington Park Early Childhood Center may be the district’s smallest campus, but that’s OK because its students are also among the smallest. The school is the only one in the district to serve pre-kindergarten students exclusively. It opened in August and currently accommodates 103 pint-sized 3- and 4-year-old students in its all-day program. On Tuesday, Nov. 6, staff, students, parents and community members officially dedicated the new facility. Principal Enrique Escobedo, who also leads nearby Obadiah Knight Elementary School, said it takes a special kind of teacher to spend the day with 3-year-olds: someone who is patient, humane…

The School for the Talented and Gifted in Pleasant Grove breaks new ground in many ways, the most prominent that it’s the first such school in Pleasant Grove and the district’s first Dual-Language TAG campus. On Nov. 2, the new school celebrated its official dedication. Just like the school’s curriculum, speakers gave remarks in both English and Spanish. Principal Ruby Ramirez said the school develops a strong pride for bilingual education that goes further than programs in traditional school settings. “The energy behind our program is what pushes us to not only challenge the status quo, but create buy-in from…

When Paul L. Dunbar Learning Center Principal Alpher Garrett-Jones started setting up for the school year’s first Parent Teacher Association meeting, she fielded questions on why they should set up so many chairs. After all, only three people signed in for the PTA meeting the previous school year. But Garrett-Jones, who previously served as the longtime principal at Charles Rice Elementary School—which many consider one of the best schools in Dallas—made parental involvement a top priority after taking over the campus this year. And by the time the PTA meeting kicked off with giveaways, student performances and a special talk…

Students at J.N. Ervin Elementary School got a closeup look at Dallas Police cars, a DART bus and one special vehicle few get to see in person – one of the 10 Lexus LC500 cars used in the movie Black Panther – complete with simulated scratches and bullet holes. During the “Career Day on Wheels,” students talked to police officers and DART representatives, as well as Toyota employees who, along with the special Lexus coupe, brought a more standard version and a giant Toyota Tundra pickup. Toyota has a special partnership with Ervin Elementary that includes pairing students with company…