News Briefs

Dallas ISD is launching a dedicated phone number that Spanish-speaking parents, staff and community members can call to reach a representative fluent in Spanish who will be able to connect them with the information and resources they seek. The dedicated Spanish line can be reached by dialing (972) 925-3702, which will be available during Dallas ISD’s regular working hours. “We embrace the diversity of our district, and this will be another step towards ensuring we are all in on creating a welcoming environment for our families and community,” said Vincent Reyes, assistant superintendent in charge of parent advocacy and support…

The Dallas ISD Language, Literacy, and Social Studies departments held their annual Fall Conference at Bryan Adams High School on Nov. 9. Nearly 300 teachers and staff came together under the theme of “Empowering Students through Disciplinary Literacy” and were treated to keynote speeches from Chief Academic Officer Ivonne Durant and global literacy expert Pam Allyn. Students from Maria Moreno Elementary School’s Ballet Folklorico provided entertainment with a variety of songs and dances. Throughout the day, teachers and staff facilitated sessions to participants in a wide variety of trainings, such as Differenti—WHAAAAT?, in which teachers were given tips on how…

Students from six schools got to see the new movie “Harriet,” which tells the story of heroic abolitionist Harriet Tubman, at AMC NorthPark thanks to Ford Motor Company and Jackie Bazan. Meanwhile, Digital Promise/Verizon Innovative Learning Schools provided all students at five other Dallas ISD schools with the opportunity to see the film. After the viewing at AMC NorthPark, Ervin James III, professor of humanities and social science at Paul Quinn College, and Shalon Bond, director of the Dallas ISD Social Studies Department, led a panel discussion with students about the movie. The schools that attended the screening sponsored by…

Two Dallas ISD high schools will each receive $250,000 worth of support from IBM and AT&T to use AI or 5G connectivity to address real-world educational problems. The P-TECH students at Seagoville and Adamson high schools won the second round of the IBM EdTech Cities Challenge, which tasks students with proposing game-changing ideas. According to Dallas Innovates, the general concept for both teams is an application that learns how students are learning, and then gives insights to both teachers and students on how to best focus their efforts in mastering new material. Each Dallas ISD P-TECH school has a corporate…