Inside Dallas ISD

Eddie Garza has nearly 200 reasons to avoid eating meat at every meal. During a presentation to the Dallas ISD Menu Advisory Committee on Wednesday, March 25, he showed a photo of himself as a more than 300-pound college student. Once he made the choice to put more fruit and vegetables on his plate, his health improved significantly and the extra weight came off. His visit was part of the district’s unveiling of its Lean & Green initiative during a monthly meeting to learn more about Food and Child Nutrition Services’ offerings. Staff, students and parents had the chance to…

On March 19, the district recognized more than 1,000 students in 7th–10th grades who have demonstrated academic excellence. The students invited to the 2014–15 Dallas ISD Scholars Recognition Ceremony scored in the 95th percentile on state exams or at a college-ready level on national exams. At the event, the students received pens commemorating their achievement. Watch the above video to learn more.

Representatives from more than 20 district departments gathered on Tuesday to discuss the importance of recognizing employees that consistently perform their duties with excellence. The focus group was a part of Communication Services’ plan to formalize the district’s process for recognizing employee excellence. Approximately 50 employees from departments such as Risk Management, Accounting Services, Truancy, and Health Services agreed that employee recognition improves the work climate and makes staff feel valued. The tenure of the employees taking part in the focus groups ranged from four months to more than 25 years. Like many who attended the focus group, Keyla Kirton,…

A generous donation has helped outfit Dallas ISD students for future success. Todd Williams, a Casa View Elementary and Bryan Adams High School graduate, and his wife Abby underwrote “I Will Graduate” t-shirts for many schools across the city. On March 19, district officials recognized Todd and Abby at a ceremony at Casa View Elementary for the couples’ contribution to motivating students to graduate. “This is a great program that sets the expectation that every student in the district will graduate to make their way to college to better their lives,” Bryan Adams Principal Richard Kastl said. The districtwide project…