Inside Dallas ISD

Jazz filled the classrooms of Franklin D. Roosevelt High School of Innovation as student musicians spent part of their summer break learning improvisation and exploring the rich history of an art form deeply rooted in Dallas ISD’s legacy. Now in its second year, the Roy Hargrove Summer Jazz Camp continues to honor Hargrove, one of the district’s most celebrated alumni while preparing the next generation of musicians. Leading the camp are two music educators, Kermit Gray and LeManuel Williams. “We teach elements of swing, playing in different modes, and then we really focus on improvisation and teaching the kids how…

Written by Julian Spearman, Student Activities  George Bannerman Dealey Montessori Academy is now the number one Dallas ISD middle school is the number one Dallas ISD middle school, according to the Texas Math and Science Coaches Association. Lorelei Nguyen, a TMSCA coach at Dealey, encourages students to look at room for improvement and learn from their mistakes rather than competing against one another. In turn, they had less anxiety and performed better. “Consistent practice and a focus on growth are most important to success. Another thing I do is make growth the focus of their grade,” said Nguyen. “Students need…

When Christian “Kiki” Recino Gonzalez, current soccer coach and geography teacher at W.T. White High School, stood on a pitch facing the 2015 U.S. women’s soccer national team, it felt surreal. She had grown up in Arlington, the daughter of Guatemalan immigrants, watching stars like Alex Morgan and Marta Vieira da Silva on TV. Suddenly, she was lining up against them, wearing Guatemala’s blue and white. Her mom worked as a school cafeteria worker and her dad was a truck driver. Soccer, though, was her father’s great love, and it soon became hers. “I just followed my dad wherever he…

Meghan Royal, nurse and safety coordinator at the School for the Talented and Gifted in Pleasant Grove, will tell you she doesn’t like talking about herself.  She calls herself a helper, someone who’s more comfortable taking care of others than being in the spotlight. But when she starts talking about her students and her school, it’s clear why she deserves recognition. National Nurses Day, on May 6, recognizes the work nurses perform every day to improve the health and well-being in their communities, and for school nurses, of their schools.  Before she ever stepped into a school clinic, Royal had…