News Briefs

Families searching for a best-fit school for their students should make definite plans to attend this Saturday’s Magnet and School Choice Fair showcasing the full spectrum of magnet and school choice options. The fair is set from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Sat., Dec. 5, at Ellis Davis Field House, 9191 S. Polk St. Magnets and school choice programs have specially designed curriculums fashioned to respond to students’ aptitudes, career interests and learning styles. From middle schools that offer instruction in the arts and STEM to early college programs where students can take college classes while still in high school,…

For Sherril English, a graduate of Lincoln High School, 1972, a band director’s life lessons taught her the importance of making good decisions. Coupled with the memories of an incredible mother who instilled in her a strong work ethic, English continues to push toward her goals.  AlumNow, The Hub series that profiles district alumni, connected with English for an update on what she’s been doing. What are you doing now? Since leaving St. Philip’s School and Community Center in 2008 after serving eight years as principal, I have been employed with Southern Methodist University in the Annette Caldwell Simmons School…

The Dallas Morning News reports on a new pilot program in five Dallas ISD schools that rethinks how to discipline students. The restorative discipline program is designed to proactively address disciplinary and behavioral issues before they escalate. Click here to read the story from the Dallas Morning News. Photo courtesy Dallas Morning News.

The 51 teachers at Dallas ISD’s E.D. Walker Middle School must challenge the school’s more than 700 students because most of them perform at such a high level. To aid in that goal, teachers attended Kagan professional development training to implement cooperative learning strategies. “Kagan is really just kind of a strategy for keeping students involved and working with each other,” said sociology teacher Robert Ramsey. “It tells them, ‘OK, you have 30 seconds, talk about this.’ And so their brains have to really focus really quickly and then it gives them a focus strategy to use to be able…