Inside Dallas ISD

As students returned to class on Monday, Aug. 20, Dallas ISD teachers were well prepared to start a great school year of learning, thanks in part to the district’s summer professional development opportunities. As part of the 2018 Summer Institute, Dallas ISD offered more than 1,730 sessions at four campuses for four weeks over the summer. From building positive classrooms to differentiating instruction in the digital age, teachers received the tools and learning needed to succeed in the classroom. The Dallas ISD Teaching and Learning Department also brought in external professional development from partners such as the Dallas Zoo, Region…

At a special in-class ceremony, Kroger donated more than 5,000 school supply kits and $14,000 in Kroger gift cards to help all students succeed. Kroger, along with its parters KDFW FOX 4, KDFI My 27, iHeartRadio and Dasani, teamed up to hold the Backpack Boosters school supply collection drive from July 18-31. At the special ceremony held at L.L. Hotchkiss Elementary School, Trustee Dan Micciche thanked Kroger for its support of Dallas ISD. “Kroger has been a really good citizen to our schools and all of our students, and we are so thankful they are investing in our schools and…

On Aug. 14, teachers and staff from the 35 schools in the Dallas ISD Southeast Schools Network convened at Loos Field House for a packed pep rally. The Southeast comprises schools in the W.W. Samuell, H. Grady Spruce, Seagoville and Wilmer-Hutchins high school feeder patterns. The festive atmosphere included performances from student groups representing each of the four high schools, music and dancing – the network’s principals also got into the act.  But besides the fun, leadership aimed to set the tone for the coming school year. Laura Garza, who oversees elementary schools in the Samuell and Seagoville feeder patterns,…

It’s two weeks before the first day of school, and teachers at Edward Titche Elementary School are hanging up posters, setting up their classroom work stations and making to-do lists of the dozens of tasks that must happen before Aug. 20. While this is a common scene at campuses across the district, there is extra celebration inside Titche Elementary. The school, which faced closure last year if it failed to meet state standards, is coming off some of the best academic gains in the state. Titche Elementary Principal Damien Stovall said the possibility of closure brought out the best in…