Inside Dallas ISD

Pamela Taylor’s first teaching job was 14 years ago in the L.G. Pinkston High School Reconnect Center. She enjoyed teaching, but struggled with the challenging nature of the program. One evening nearly four years into her role at Pinkston, she saw a ticker across the bottom of her television saying that there was a shortage of school librarians, and she knew what her next step would be. “I immediately began pursuing my certification to become a librarian. I’ve always loved reading and knew this was where I could make a difference,” said Taylor. She and her husband relocated to Louisiana…

Zero teacher vacancies for the start of the 2014-2015 school year was the goal of Dallas ISD’s Human Capital Management department. “To be able to reach that goal, we had to change our mindset, “said Tony Muñoz, executive director of Human Capital Management. The department came incredibly close to reaching its goal as there are currently no bilingual teacher vacancies, and only 17 teacher vacancies districtwide — many of which are in Career and Technology Education (CATE) courses. CATE teachers are required to have experience in specialized fields (such as cosmetology, automotive, etc.) and those positions can be challenging to…

In the span of 60 seconds, one’s life can change in many ways. What if students chose to use those 60 seconds to read? That is just what Dallas ISD librarians are hoping to achieve when International Literacy Day (ILD) lifts off on Monday, Sept. 8. The worldwide event, sponsored by the International Reading Association, will encourage students to read for an additional 60 seconds each day for 60 days. The hope is that by the end of the 60 days, students will have formed a reading habit that will continue throughout the school year. The theme for this year’s…

Dallas ISD’s annual college fair aims to increase students’ awareness of the benefits of attending college, and to get families face to face with the representatives of the higher education institutions that are expected to participate in this year’s event. The free fair is scheduled from 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 17, at Ellis Davis Field House, 9191 Polk St. Dallas ISD Counseling Services Executive Director Dr. Sylvia Lopez said the event is all about exposure to the world of college, increasing awareness and providing opportunities for students to talk directly with college admissions staff. “The fair introduces our…