Fall is in the air, the weather is cooling down and District 3 is thriving. I am proud to call this district home and to recognize a few of the many accomplishments that our teachers, students and team members have already brought about this school year.
Earning grants for innovation
Congratulations to the eight District 3 team members who received Junior League of Dallas Grants for Innovative Teaching — George W. Truett Elementary School: Shakirae Ajaga, Jennifer Belchi Segura, Juan Bustamante, Candace Klein and Lecharia Scales; Alex Sanger Preparatory School: Aileen Gomez Benitez; Bryan Adams High School Leadership Academy: Mario Ordonez and Lee A. McShan Jr. Elementary School: Arianna Zeb.
The grants of up to $2,500 are awarded to support unique programs that fall outside of school budgets to help improve education in Dallas ISD. These innovative teaching projects span all grade levels and subjects and will contribute to student success.
Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month
At 12 years old, Axsel E. accomplished a feat many kids his age could not imagine. With only a backpack, water and encouraging words from his mother, he walked with her from Tegucigalpa, Honduras, to Dallas, with purpose and determination, in the direction of hope. A year later, Axsel is a student at Sam Tasby Middle School, where hope is a reality. Apart from entering Conrad High School next year, his focus is on adapting to his new life and just being a kid.
Creating opportunities through P-TECH
Bryan Adams High School Leadership Academy’s 2022-2023 P-TECH program saw transformative wins, with 19 program students in the top 10 percent of their graduating class, $3.45 million in scholarships and a 100 percent college-bound student acceptance rate. Twenty-nine students also received paid tutoring and internships, and the program saw more than 200 industry engagements.
This school year, the team’s goals include ensuring that 30 percent of graduating seniors secure a paid internship prior to graduation and providing every student (400+) with at least one industry partner engagement per month. Keep up the great work, P-TECH teams!
Closing achievement gaps
Shoutout to all our hardworking team members who contributed to Dallas ISD by making significant progress in closing achievement gaps among students in grades three through eight. In comparison to the state and other urban districts, remarkable gains were made in the “Approaches” and “Meets” categories for reading and mathematics.
Congratulating Master Teachers
Dallas ISD is home to several newly designated master teachers. Join us in recognizing Noemi Arnal Villalba at L.L. Hotchkiss Elementary School, Autumn Brown at Personalized Learning Academy at Highland Meadows and Yessica Shaw at Jack Lowe Sr. Elementary School, for achieving this milestone.