News Briefs

Here’s a friendly, fun reminder that after 81 days of summer break, school starts Monday, Aug. 22.

Texas Instruments (TI) announced that corporate and foundation grants of more than $3 million in 2016 will go toward improving K–12 STEM education in Dallas ISD. The TI foundation grants include: $1.7 million towards the training of up to 216 Dallas ISD middle school science teachers at Southern Methodist University, in hopes of reaching 46,000 students. $1.3 million to Teach for America in support of 60 Dallas ISD and Uplift Education school’s math and science teachers. Additional grants will be distributed to: Teaching Trust for Dallas ISD campus leadership teams’ one-year training program. Dallas ISD Foundation’s annual Innovations in STEM Teaching…

Dallas ISD’s science department offers a variety of opportunities for teachers to build confidence levels through targeted professional development. Differentiated sessions are geared towards increasing content knowledge and student-centered pedagogy skills in an inquiry-based setting. The science department has teamed with multiple community partners, Lunar Planetary Institute, the Dallas Arboretum, UT Southwestern Medical Center, the Frontiers of Flight Museum, Hot Wheels Speedometry, “Bringing those kinds of things into the classroom is amazing, so just being here is amazing in of itself,” said Sheneque Williams, a science teacher at George W. Carver Elementary School. For more information, contact the science department…

School starts on Monday, which, of course, also means that school zones will be in effect for motorists. The total fine for speeding in a school zone starts at $221. Also, all drivers are still prohibited from texting or using handheld cell phones while driving in a school zone. Drivers are encouraged to observe speed zones when flashing light signals are active, and to be aware of students walking near schools.