Inside Dallas ISD

This week, students across Dallas ISD are sporting their favorite team jerseys, dressing as superheroes and having fun at activities planned to observe Red Ribbon Week. Behind this lighthearted celebration is the deadly serious issue of youth alcohol and drug abuse. To help educate students and parents, many schools are hosting assemblies and presentations about the benefits of living free of drugs and alcohol and the dangers of abuse. Since 1985, Red Ribbon Week has focused public attention on these dangers. Created in response to the murder of DEA Agent Enrique Camarena, Red Ribbon Week is now famous for the…

Ernie Banks was honored on Tuesday, Oct. 27, at Dallas ISD’s Booker T. Washington High School, where he graduated in 1950. Three years later, Banks would begin playing baseball for the Chicago Cubs, starting a highly successful 19-year career in the game. Banks passed away Jan. 23, 2015, at age 83. Members of the Banks family and the Booker T. Washington Alumni Association attended the ceremony, along with Trustee Bernadette Nutall, Superintendent Michael Hinojosa, state Rep. Eric Johnson– who hosted the event – and state Rep. Morgan Meyer. Johnson presented a memorial resolution honoring Banks from the Texas House of…

Eduardo Mata Montessori opened last school year as the first Montessori school of choice in Dallas ISD. As a school of choice, the campus is also the first Montessori program in the district to accept all students without a screening process. The school serves students age three years through third grade, and it will add a grade level each year. Dual language classes are offered at both the primary and elementary levels. The Montessori philosophy centers on the belief that children want to learn, and the classrooms provide the tools and guidance to facilitate their educational growth. At its heart, a…

Carter High School head football coach Patrick Williams has personally seen what can happen when an overall good person makes serious mistakes. As a sophomore who played on the 1988 Carter High School championship football team, which is the subject of the film “Carter High” that has a limited release on Friday, Williams saw police arrest six of his teammates for aggravated robbery. Williams said he was shocked when he learned that his teammates committed robberies, since they were “high character guys, leaders, who worked hard in the classroom and out on the field.” “I just couldn’t believe the news…