Inside Dallas ISD

Parent ShaTonda Edmonds calls her 19-year-son Jheilaun Roberts a miracle.  Born at 23 weeks weighing one pound four ounces and only 12 inches long, he literally fit into the palm of her hand.  Released after a 10-month hospital stay, Jheilaun and his mom went home to start a new life that his doctors warned would be filled with challenges. “Jheilaun is on the Autism spectrum, and his doctors said he would definitely be intellectually delayed,” said Edmonds. Born with the serious eye disorder retinopathy, Jheilaun was at risk of losing his vision and hearing, and doctors predicted he would require…

W.H. Adamson High School senior Sergio Armendariz is a tall, slender young man with a soft voice and polite manner. He’s quick to open doors for others and defers to his coach in conversation. But when he begins talking about his love for track and field and cross-country, his eyes light up, he sits a bit taller and leans in. Recently named Dallas ISD’s male Student Athlete of the Year in recognition of his accomplishments as a scholar and athlete, 18-year-old Armendariz is a proud, lifelong resident of Oak Cliff and has attended Adamson High School for four years. For three…

Dallas ISD celebrated some of its amazing volunteers and partners at a special ceremony on May 22. The Volunteers and Partner Award Program recognized those who have gone above and beyond in supporting district schools. “We have more than 30,000 volunteers and tremendous in-kind contributions, so tonight we are just saying thank you to all of our campus volunteers and partners,” Dallas ISD Assistant Superintendent Usamah Rodgers said. These partners were individually recognized for their amazing work: The 2018 Succeeding Together Industry Partner Award: American Airlines American Airlines is a premiere industry partner at W.H. Adamson Collegiate Academy, providing staff…

A journey that started as a frightening experience for Thomas Jefferson High School senior Daniel Akwei has become the opportunity of a lifetime, thanks to caring teachers who reached out when he needed them most. With more than $20,000 in scholarship awards, the immigrant student turned future financial analyst will step onto the University of North Texas at Dallas campus as a freshman this fall. “My first day as a student in America was very hard. I cried the whole time. It was very challenging. And my teachers felt sorry for me,” recounts Akwei as he flashed back to the…