Inside Dallas ISD

Claudia Castro has made self-improvement a life habit. “I have always valued life-long learning, pursued personal growth and have had a deep desire to become better each day, not just professionally, but as a person,” said Castro, a self-contained kindergarten teacher at Larry G. Smith Elementary School. “As a teacher who is passionate about teaching young children, I feel a strong commitment to reach excellence so that I can make a positive impact in my students’ lives and in my community.” Castro was one of more than 245 Dallas Independent School District teachers who applied for the opportunity to attend…

This year, Dallas ISD is piloting a new program called Restorative Discipline in select elementary and middle schools. The program is designed to proactively address disciplinary and behavioral issues before they escalate. “Restorative Discipline is a chance for the students to build a relationship with the teachers,” said Jay Sheets, the district’s Restorative Discipline coordinator. “And what we’re hoping is, if a student has a relationship with the teacher, a lot of the issues that come across as classroom management and classroom discipline can be solved with the teacher and student.” The process includes students gathering in circles in their…

We’ve all heard the saying, “It’s what you don’t know that can hurt you.” That’s certainly true of social media, the popular online tools that people use to connect with each other.  The vast array of these tools and the prevalence of tweens and teens virtually glued to their smart phones can create problems for the unwary. The potential dangers explain why experts like Christine Mack with Dallas ISD’s Child Abuse and Domestic Violence Prevention team are working with parents to get them up to speed about the potential dangers of social media. Mack is busy this fall making presentations…

This Week in Dallas ISD is a new Hub feature that previews upcoming events happening across the district. Have something to add? Shoot an email to thehub@dallasisd.org. Wednesday, Nov. 18 Parkland is hosting a flu shot event for homeless Dallas ISD students. The event is scheduled for 6:45–8:15 a.m. at the John Leslie Patton Jr. Academic Center, 3313 S. Beckley Ave. A community meeting is planned to discuss proposed attendance boundary changes. Schools to be discussed include Ben Milam, Sam Houston, Esperanza “Hope” Medrano and Martin Luther King Jr., elementary schools. The event will be 6 to 7 p.m. at Ben Milam Elementary School,…