Candidates for the Board of Trustees must file by Feb. 17

Candidates for Dallas ISD school board must submit filing packets to secure a place on the ballot between January 18 and February 17. Elections for Districts 2, 6, and 8 will be held May 6, 2023.

Dallas schools tackling high dropout rate with credit recovery programs

Dallas ISD’s credit recovery program provides flexibility through online and evening classes to high schoolers behind in credits that will allow them to catch up to their peers. The district’s four year graduation rate is 80.1%. Leaders are working towards providing 24-hour on-demand virtual tutoring to students on a non-traditional graduation path.

Dallas ISD’s Computer Science Education Week helps students prepare for the workplace of tomorrow

Thousands of students and teachers took part in Dallas ISD’s 2022 Computer Science Education Week in December. During the week, students participated in coding workshops at Microsoft’s campus in Irving and robotics events led by VEX Robotics. Many middle school educators earned certificates in Microsoft productivity tools.

Here are five public education issues to keep an eye on during Texas’ 88th legislative session

Texas lawmakers will be making decisions that have a direct impact on public education during the current legislative session. Public education advocates support school finance reform to raise teacher salaries to combat a state-wide teacher shortage and switch Texas to an enrollment-based funding model. School safety will be at the forefront in the first session since the Robb Elementary mass shooting in Uvalde. School vouchers and materials accessible in school libraries are expected to be discussed over the next 5 months.

COVID-19 upended Texas schools’ finances. Now they’re calling for a new funding system.

School districts are calling for a change to the current student attendance-based funding. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, parents are more likely to keep students home from school when sick, causing attendance rates and funding to fluctuate, sometimes meaning millions of dollars in losses for districts. This, coupled with current inflation, has made budgeting challenging for districts and has forced school closures amid the deficits.

Governor Abbott Announces Over $54 Million In Career, Technical Education Grants Across Texas

Governor Abbott announced 152 Jobs and Education for Texans (JET) grants awarded by the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC). The grants will be used to establish or expand career and technical education programs offering certifications in high demand fields such as nursing, welding, automotive repair, and dentistry.

America needs carpenters and plumbers. Gen Z doesn't seem interested

Data shows that the application rate for young people seeking technical jobs such as plumping, building and electrical work dropped by 49% in 2022 compared to 2020. The US Chamber of Commerce warns of a massive shortage of skilled workers in 2023 with 4.3 million more job openings than unemployed workers in fields such as auto mechanics.

How This School Uses Architecture and Design to Improve Mental Health

The International WELL Building Institute, an organization that focuses on the relationship between design and health, shares research based strategies for improving educational outcomes and the mental health of students and staff in schools. Large glass windows, flexible collaborative spaces, and increased ventilation are all included in the WELL building certification available for schools.

How School Security Changed Since the Pandemic, in 5 Charts

According to federal data from the School Crime and Safety Survey conducted in November, 9 in 10 schools now have written plans in place for emergencies such as natural disasters, pandemic outbreaks or active shooters. 60% of principals report the need for more classroom management training amid a student mental health crisis. The use of school security officers has increased by 8% since 2017.