Inside Dallas ISD

Participating in debate requires students to spend hours in research, writing, and team practice, all of which help cultivate self-discipline, problem solving and critical thinking skills. Studies say debate increases the likelihood of college attendance and promotes intellectual abilities that range from stronger written and oral communication skills to better reading comprehension and increased knowledge of current events. Some Dallas ISD debaters recently learned that public recognition is another benefit of debate, as the Dallas Urban Debate Alliance presented middle and high school competitors with awards and recognition for their efforts this school year. A nonprofit organization, the Dallas Urban…

It may not be easy being green, but it pays. That’s the lesson learned by students and teachers at three elementary schools who won the district’s first-ever Green Shield award for adopting environmentally-friendly practices. Staff and students at Lorenzo DeZavala Elementary won first place, trophies, medals and a $500 gift card in the competition. The school’s Green Team has grown from only a few students to involve the school’s entire fifth-grade. The 50 recycling champions manage daily pickups of the school’s recycled materials. DeZavala impressed the judges with the extensive program of recycling and green activities documented on its Green…

Khalilah Johnson found her way into the classroom in just one short year with the help of the Compass: Alternative Certification Teacher Academy. The academy offers intensive training in district-identified critical need areas.  Through the academy, interns are eligible to receive a standard teaching certificate in one year and a guaranteed position in a critical need assignment within Dallas ISD. In the above video, Johnson explains the Compass process and how it helped her in the classroom. For more information on Compass, click here.

A total of 40 fourth- and fifth-grade students at James Bowie Elementary will be featured on the national TV game show “Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader?” in June. The show’s producers contacted the Bowie Elementary principal after the school gained recognition as one of six schools nationally, and the only school in Texas, to receive the Gold National Healthy Schools Award at the Alliance for a Healthier Generation 2014 Leaders Summit. Physical education teacher Sharon Foster, a National Healthy Schools Program ambassador, said that after the school was invited to participate on the game show, the school submitted a…