Inside Dallas ISD

Benjamin Franklin Middle School Principal Joseph Sotelo announced Dec. 12 that the International Baccalaureate (IB) has recognized the campus as an IB World School. Representatives of the IB had visited the school in September to interview teachers, parents, students, and administrators; to review course outlines and unit plans; and to observe classroom instruction. This authorization culminates a rigorous two-year preparation and training project that saw the inclusion of unit planning alongside daily lesson planning, a traditional eight period day modified to a block schedule, and the scheduling of all students into eight required subject areas in each grade level. First…

Lorenzo De Zavala Elementary School has two new mixed-age Montessori classrooms that have been a big success for the students and campus. The classrooms have 3-, 4-, 5-, and 6-year-olds working and learning together. “We have materials that really help the children develop their independence and building their empathy and kindness towards others,” said Marianne Carranza, a Montessori teacher at the school. Alejandra Abundis, a parent of a student in a Montessori classroom, said it’s been a great fit for her child. “What she learns in the classroom, she applies to everywhere she goes,” Abundis said. For students interested in…

KSBM Radio is live on air, and the four co-hosts are discussing how no one seems to be paying attention anymore to the Hurricane Harvey cleanup efforts. Meanwhile, the radio show’s social media team is snapping photos and streaming the broadcast on Facebook Live, producers are guiding the direction of the discussion, and the director is making sure everything is running smoothly. KSBM Radio is not broadcasting from some fancy building downtown; it’s coming live from the Townview Center and is entirely run by students in the marketing cluster at the School of Business and Management. Daniela, a senior and…

With Computer Science Education Week coming to a close, watch how Dallas ISD’s Frederick Douglass Elementary School is creating 21st-century learners by focusing on teaching computer coding to all its students, from pre-K to fifth grade. “They are actually solving problems with the programs that they are creating,” said Principal Marquetta Masters. “Not only at school, but also it translates to them solving problems at home.” The district is working to incorporate coding curriculum at all of its elementary schools to give students an advantage in their future careers. “Computer Science, it’s something that is a discipline,” said Oswaldo Alvarenga, executive director…