Inside Dallas ISD

A Lincoln High School graduate has shot over adversity to become one of nine finalists for the NCAA 2016 Woman of the Year Award. Cameasha Turner graduated as the valedictorian at Lincoln in 2012 and went on to play basketball—and score a 4.0 GPA as a criminal justice major—at the University of Texas at El Paso. She is now in law school at Notre Dame. Turner has 11 siblings, and her dad has been incarcerated for most of her life. And while she faced challenges growing up, Turner’s mom, education, friends and mentors helped lay the foundation for her success.…

The African American Success Initiative partnered with Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship Turn Around Agenda to send 100 student athletes to Eastfield College to view a powerful documentary on Tuesday, Oct. 11. The goal of the documentary, “Direct Your Future,” is to inspire young men to let nothing stop them from their bright futures. The program was packed full of wonderful collegial experiences including a sensational performance by Eastfield College jazz band and an inspirational spoken word artist, whom is also a student of Eastfield College. Student athletes, specifically football players, and their head and assistant coaches participated from the following…

Dallas ISD has thousands of educators who go above and beyond every day for their students. Janis Shaw at Lorenzo DeZavala Elementary is one of those teachers. With more than 30 years of teaching experience, Mrs. Shaw loves her students and is excited to be a part of making them lifelong learners. “What makes Mrs. Shaw very special with her students is her unique style of delivering instruction in her classroom,” DeZavala Elementary Principal Lisa Miramontes said. “Students are able to be captured by a passion and by Mrs. Shaw’s creative spirit for learning.” Mrs. Shaw was born in West…

The list of 2016 National Blue Ribbon schools was released in late September, and among the award-winners are three Dallas ISD schools. Two of the schools, which happen to be on the same campus, celebrated the honor by ending the school day on Friday, Oct. 7, with a high-energy pep rally. The Dealey Montessori Vanguard and the Dealey International Academy both earned Blue Ribbons this year. The Dealey campus previously earned a National Blue Ribbon. Students from both campuses, which serve elementary students in the Montessori school and middle school students in the International Academy, came together for the party. Also…