Inside Dallas ISD

Students who face the challenges of blindness, deafness, physical or intellectual disabilities have a team of advocates working to ensure they have the same opportunities to progress academically and socially as their fully abled peers. The Special Education department provides a variety of services to level the playing field for students challenged with disabilities. The department offers a full array of services to help disabled students. These range from occupational/physical therapy, which provides equipment such as walkers for students with cerebral palsy, to Dyslexia Services, which assists dyslexic students to develop literacy skills. Students with auditory or speech impairments can…

It’s science fair season in Dallas ISD, and SMU Physics Professor Dr. David Dalley wishes more students would translate their curiosity about the world into science fair projects. President of the area’s Regional Science Fair, Dalley thinks more kids would participate in science fair if adults simply encouraged students’ natural curiosity. “It’s all about asking questions, but it has to be a question a student is interested in,” Dalley said. “There are so many simple questions they can ask, like why is the sky blue, or how do birds know where to go when they migrate.” Once students choose an…

American history is replete with narratives of immigrants who came to America in search of a better life. In spite of obstacles and challenges, for many the journey has proven worthwhile. North Dallas High School student and soccer athlete Ricardo Gonzalez has hope he will join the legion of success stories. He was born into a family of modest means who immigrated from León, Guanajuato, México, where much of the city’s economic stability rests upon the labor of factory workers who produce leather, shoes and cars. Through all the changes involved in making an 885-mile move from his home in…

The lack of books in the homes of some children can pose a major barrier to literacy, which explains why Dallas ISD corporate and community partners have recently stepped up to fill a critical need in the district’s literacy programs. Retailers Macy’s and Target, financial services firm KPMG and the Dallas Association of Retired Teachers are making a difference for students through book donations to school libraries and to children for their personal home libraries. This month, KPMG will deliver 250 books and a bookshelf to six Dallas ISD schools. “Strong reading skills are the basis for future success, and…