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Dallas ISD District 1 Newsletter – September 2026 Recap
Note: Please see our website for Spanish version when available.
Fall is here, the State Fair is open, and our schools are in full swing. September brought our first look at this year’s beginning-of-year diagnostic results, the official kickoff of the 2026 Bond program, and new leadership at two District 1 campuses: Thomas Jefferson High School and Walnut Hill International Leadership Academy. More below.
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Dallas ISD Updates
Beginning-of-Year Diagnostics Show Early Progress: At our September 10 briefing, Dr. Elizalde shared the results of the diagnostic tests our K-8 students take in the first weeks of school. Compared with this time last year, more students are starting the year on grade level in both math (16%, up from 14%) and reading (31%, up from 30%), and fewer are starting two or more grade levels behind. Third grade and our middle schools showed the biggest gains. These are starting points, not final results, but they are moving in the right direction with a full year of instruction still ahead.
A K-12 Writing Strategy: Dr. Elizalde also laid out a districtwide writing strategy. Writing now accounts for nearly 20% of the score on the STAAR reading language arts tests in grades 3-8 (16% in English I and II), and it is the same skill the SAT, AP, IB, and TSIA2 exams test down the road. The plan starts with sentence-level writing and targeted grammar instruction in kindergarten through second grade, adds writing practice in science and social studies (where short constructed responses now make up 5-10% of those STAAR exams), and trains principals and instructional leaders so the approach is consistent from campus to campus.
Bond 2026 Is Underway: Design Workshops and a New Dashboard: Work on the $6.2 billion bond program voters approved in May has begun. In September the district held its first design workshop, bringing principals, staff, and families from the first group of campuses together with architects to shape the vision for their new and renovated schools. The district also launched a Bond 2026 Dashboard where you can search your campus, see the planned improvements, and follow project status as work gets underway. If you want to know what the bond means for your neighborhood school, that is the place to look, and I will keep you posted here as District 1 projects move from planning to construction.
New Classroom Screen-Time Guidelines: Dallas ISD has adopted Classroom Screen Time Guidelines that cap daily instructional screen use at 60 minutes for pre-K through second grade, 90 minutes for grades 3-5, and 120 minutes for middle school; in high school, screen use varies by pathway (AP, IB, P-TECH, dual credit, and career and technical courses). The guidelines rest on a simple principle: technology should enhance strong, teacher-led instruction, not replace it. Instead of simply watching an educational video, for example, students are asked to predict, summarize, and discuss. Several of you have raised screen time with me, and I appreciate the administration taking those concerns seriously.
District 1 Updates
Here are highlights from our District 1 schools. Please e-mail any ideas you have for highlights to LanceCurrie@dallasisd.org.
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Dr. Philip Meaker Named Principal of Thomas Jefferson High School: Thomas Jefferson High School has a new principal, and he is a familiar face in District 1. Dr. Philip Meaker spent the last four years leading Walnut Hill International Leadership Academy, where the campus went from a C rating to three A’s and a B, enrollment grew from 368 to 571 students, and the school moved home into its rebuilt building after the 2019 tornado. He succeeds Benjamin Jones, who led TJ for five years, including its own move into the new campus, and who now serves as executive director of school leadership for the Conrad feeder pattern. Dr. Meaker says his first priority is getting every TJ student involved in something on campus, whether athletics, fine arts, a career pathway, or a club. Welcome to TJ, Dr. Meaker, and thank you, Mr. Jones, for your service to our Patriots.
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Walnut Hill Welcomes Principal Travis Jacobs: With Dr. Meaker moving to TJ, Walnut Hill International Leadership Academy welcomed Travis Jacobs as its new principal. Walnut Hill is in a strong position after four years of growth, and I look forward to working with Mr. Jacobs to keep that momentum going for our Hawks. Welcome, Mr. Jacobs!
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Foster’s Diana Feagins Featured by Dallas ISD: Dallas ISD’s The Hub featured Diana Feagins, a custodian at Stephen C. Foster Elementary who joined the district in 1992 as a part-time evening custodian and retired in May 2023, for a few months. Her husband predicted she would not stay retired, and he was right. Ms. Feagins is the first one in the building each morning, unlocking doors and walking the grounds, and she has enlisted Foster’s older students to help keep their restrooms clean. “If the building’s not clean, it can disrupt the whole learning process,” she says. Thank you, Ms. Feagins, for more than three decades of service to our students, and happy belated National Custodian Day to the custodial teams at every one of our District 1 schools.
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A Reminder About W.T. White’s Scholar TAG Program: As I mentioned last month, W.T. White launched its Scholar TAG Program this year for sophomores and juniors, with freshmen added in 2027-2028. Built on the College Board’s AP Capstone program, it combines rigorous AP coursework, SAT preparation, service learning, and the chance to earn college credit, all while students enjoy the full experience of a comprehensive neighborhood high school. Eligibility is based on GPA, PSAT scores, and prior AP performance. If your student is interested, their school counselor is the place to start.
Upcoming Events
- Now through Sunday, October 18 – State Fair of Texas (Fair Park)
- Thursday–Friday, October 8-9 – Fall Break – No School
- Monday, October 12 – Professional Development Day – No School for Students
- Thursday, October 15 at 4:00 p.m. – Dallas ISD Board Briefing (5151 Samuell Blvd)
- Monday, October 19 (high schools), Tuesday, October 20 (middle schools), and Thursday, October 22 (elementary schools) – Parent-Teacher Conferences – check with your school for details
- Monday–Friday, October 19-30 – Early Voting (Election Day is Tuesday, November 3)
- Thursday, October 29 at 6:00 p.m. – Dallas ISD Board Meeting (5151 Samuell Blvd)
- Tuesday, November 3 – Professional Development Day – No School for Students
- Saturday, November 7, 9:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. – Discover Dallas ISD school fair (Automobile Building, Fair Park) – meet every Dallas ISD campus under one roof and apply on site to application-based schools; the Legacy School transfer deadline is January 31
Thank you for the opportunity to serve our students and community. If you have questions, thoughts, or want to talk about how we can work together to make Dallas ISD the best school district in the country, please reach out. I’m happy to grab coffee or set up a Zoom call. Just e-mail me at LanceCurrie@dallasisd.org or lance@lancecurrie.com.
Thank you,
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