News Briefs

Lauren was a fifth-grader who had struggled reading through most of her elementary classes. She was shy and withdrawn, keeping mostly to herself, rarely making eye contact with anyone. Going into fifth grade, she knew it was not going to be an easy feat. Given her struggle through both the third- and fourth-grade STAAR assessment, odds were not on her side. School began and Lauren’s teacher was aware of her reading challenges. She also knew that there was a new opportunity on campus for additional reading support. Lauren was the ideal candidate! Once enrolled, Lauren was assigned a volunteer who…

Travis band’s 2nd-place finish a first for district Second place is not a bad place to be, especially when the competition is between the top honor bands from schools in 28 regions across the state. In the case of William B. Travis Vanguard/Academy, its second-place win in the Texas State Honor Band Competition is a first for the district. “No other Dallas ISD band has ever placed or won the honor band competition,” said Randy McCann, band director at Travis. “This is a great achievement, and I would like to thank the students for all their hard work. Thanks also…

Throwback Thursday with early photos from DallasISD Superintendent Mike Miles

Felix G. Botello Elementary teacher Jacqueline Martinez recently penned her thoughts in a blog written to the Dallas Morning News on the controversial new teacher compensation plan, known as the Teacher Excellence Initiative. During its rollout, the plan received criticism from various educators including some of the district’s own: teachers. These faces are the largest lifelines of the district who are ultimately charged with educating more than 160,000 students in Dallas ISD. Martinez makes no qualms about her stance. Read why she favors the new pay-for-performance structure for teachers who provide quality instruction while improving student achievement. http://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/latest-columns/20140912-unruly-teachers-disappointing.ece