Greetings, District 2!
Happy fall! As the seasons change, so do the exciting happenings in our district. It’s been a busy month in our schools, and as such, here are a few highlights:
Schools, Programs Highlighted in D Magazine
D Magazine published an article highlighting a variety of programs and schools that are part of public school choice within Dallas ISD. In the potential upcoming special legislative session, funding for our public schools will likely be on the docket, as no adjustment has been made to the basic per-student allotment since 2019. Remind your legislator how important their vote for public school funding is to our thriving future!
Bond Construction Updates: Campus infrastructure upgrades funded by the proceeds from the 2020 Bond continue across the district. This month’s highlights on the ongoing bond work in D2 include a groundbreaking ceremony for Longfellow Career Academy on Wednesday, Oct. 4, at 10 a.m., and fire alarm replacement, storm sewer work and security upgrades at Preston Hollow Elementary, targeted for completion in the spring.
September Board Meeting Debrief: This month, Dallas ISD had its regular board briefing and meeting. I’ve chosen to highlight a couple of the most important items below:
Academic Achievement Update: For the school year ending May 2023, significant progress was made both in closing achievement gaps and relative to the state and other urban districts among our students in grades 3 through 8. While we still have more work to do to reach our 2025 board goals, kudos and thank you to our hardworking Dallas ISD educators for progress made.
Litigation Regarding A-F Accountability System: The Board voted unanimously to file a lawsuit against the TEA, asking the state to provide a transition benchmark year instead of retroactively applying new standards midway through the school year. The lawsuit seeks a temporary injunction on the timing of the changes. It is not seeking to lower standards.
Superintendent Evaluation Committee: I have the honor of serving on our Superintendent Evaluation Committee, which had its first meeting this month reviewing the tool and standards on which the Superintendent’s performance will be measured. I am proud that our drafted evaluation system is directly aligned to the rigorous academic goals that we set for our school system and consists of 60% focus on achieving our academic goals, and the remaining on critical areas like budget health, staff culture, and student culture.
Sarah Weinberg. Photo courtesy of Sarah Weinberg.
Upcoming Events:
As always, please do not hesitate to reach out to me if you have thoughts, ideas, questions, concerns, or simply want to say hello!
Best,
Sarah Weinberg
