Inside Dallas ISD

After two weeks off for winter break, students, teachers and staff returned this week and kicked off the semester on a high note! AP District Honor Roll Dallas ISD is one of 433 school districts in the U.S. and Canada being honored by the College Board with placement on the 7th Annual AP® District Honor Roll. (Learn more) School Board Recognition Month January is a time to thank trustees for their dedication and willingness to serve as advocates for children and public schools. (Learn more) Bridging the gap About 30 Lincoln and Madison high school students recently had an informal…

Hillcrest High School junior Jose Diaz is excited about the $21 million facelift his school is receiving under the district’s 2015 Bond Program.  Diaz, who has attended Hillcrest since freshman year, says it’s a good thing for the school even as he concedes his class will be all but out the door by the completion of the work in December 2018. “We’ll be the last class to witness the old campus, but we’ll be proud alumni when we come back from college to visit,” said Diaz, who was the sole student in attendance at the Jan. 10 community meeting held to…

In December, about 30 Lincoln and Madison high school students participated in classroom instruction and interactions with Dallas Police officers to help bridge the gap between police and the community. The African American Success Initiative helped host the event. The collaboration was designed to foster positive dialogue between Dallas youth and law enforcement officers, including about how to respond in traffic and pedestrian stops.  Called “Together We Learn,” the project combined efforts of the Dallas Police Department, the Black Police Officers Association of Greater Dallas, Dallas ISD’s African American Success Initiative and St. Paul United Methodist Church. The project, part of a larger initiative…

Carol Shelton, a third-grade teacher at Dallas ISD’s Jerry Junkins Elementary School, was recently named 2016-2017 Elementary School Teacher of the Year. Shelton works to create an atmosphere in her classroom that promotes safety, trust and encouragement so that students feel free to take a few risks. “This is my 21st year in education, 13 of those have been in the classroom,” Shelton said. “I love what I do. The thing that keeps me going, and makes me want to continue teaching every single day, is the relationships I get to build with my students.” She and her husband have…