Inside Dallas ISD

The North Texas area is home to some of the most innovative and highly-regarded venues featuring the arts, culture, history and science, but often these experiences are inaccessible to Dallas ISD classroom students because of lack of funds. To help bridge the gap, Target’s corporate responsibility group offers grant funding. Now through Oct. 1, K-12 educators can apply for up to $700 to support a field trip that provides an engaging learning experience for students. To apply, visit the field trip grants section of the Target website, and be prepared to submit the following: A description of the field trip…

This summer, Humanities Texas selected Skyline High School AP English Literature and Composition teacher Margie Robinson as a recipient of a 2014 Humanities Texas Outstanding Teaching Award. Robinson was selected from more than 500 nominations of Texas social studies and language arts teachers. The recognition is another distinction for the NASA project manager turned teacher, who instills a passion for learning in her students. The award is a “pat on the back that all teachers need from time to time,” said Robinson. “But it really speaks well of the students. It’s an award for all of us.” While working at…

Dedication is what retired Dallas ISD Maintenance and Facilities employee Brent Ditmars says kept him on the job for 41 years. Ditmars, who has worked at many Dallas ISD schools, started out painting facilities and then working on wooden floors. That’s when his supervisor,who knew he could draw, asked him to paint the mascots on the floors in the gyms. You can find Ditmars’ artwork in places such as L.G. Pinkston High School, H. Grady Spruce High School and numerous other facilities. He’s proud of the legacy he’s left behind in his work. “I have mixed emotions about it, after…

Dallas ISD teachers interested in teaching Modern Band will soon have the opportunity to participate in a Little Kids Rock training workshop to prepare them to teach their students how to play popular music including hip hop, rap, rock and blues. Composition, improvisation and recording are also emphasized. Dallas ISD has partnered with the nonprofit organization Little Kids Rock (LKR) since 2008, giving thousands of students the gift of music. Approximately 75 district schools will benefit from LKR this school year. Nationally, more than 100,000 students take part in the program.“We are able to reach a group of students who…