Photo courtesy of Dallas ISD
And just like that, the State Fair of Texas is over, and fall weather is headed our way. Below, you’ll find the summary of what the Board has been up to:
Make your voice heard in Dallas ISD’s future: Dallas ISD is setting out goals which will guide all our actions over the next five years. Please, make your voice heard in either or both of the following ways:
- Attend a Community Listening Session (schedule here)
- Fill out, and share, this Dallas ISD goal survey linked here.
Dallas ISD District 7 monthly updates:
Teacher hiring, compensation & retention in Dallas ISD: It’s no secret that great teachers are the most impactful resource we have in a school system and I’m proud to share the results of the work Dallas ISD has been doing for years. We began the year at 99% fully staffed, with only 70 vacancies out of approximately 10,000 positions. Additionally, this year, 99% of teachers across the district received a raise which now brings our average teacher salary to $70,500, up more than 21% since 2019 and leading all neighboring districts.
A family legacy at Molina High School: Last month, I was proud to share about the incredible work that Molina has done becoming a model for college readiness, smashing its way towards the top of the district’s rating. Now, I get to follow up with a local family story about what this means on a day-to-day basis. This month, we highlight Ms. Pegues who is an English teacher and coach, and her daughter, who has chosen to go to high school at Molina.
Authors from Henderson Elementary inspire students: At Margaret B. Henderson Elementary School, two staff members – Smriti Adhikary and Kena Sosa – are published authors with books that inspire students at Henderson and beyond to dream big. We’re so thankful to have such amazing educators in our schools.
College & Career Readiness goal update: This month, we received updates on progress towards out College & Career Readiness goal which has shown incredible growth over the past two years. Dallas ISD met its goal. Some highlights are below:
- TSI (College) Readiness in the district increased 25 percentage points from the Class of 2023 to the Class of 2024.
- Students earning Industry Based Credentials under the new calculation methods increased 21 percentage points between Class of 2023 to Class of 2024.
Discover Dallas ISD and choice school enrollment. Thank you to all families who joined us at Discover Dallas ISD at Fair Park on Nov. 9. For those who couldn’t attend, virtual information sessions are available on Dec. 7 and Jan. 18. Don’t miss your chance to explore our choice programs and apply by Jan. 31.
Ben Mackey
As always, please reach out to me if you have thoughts, ideas, questions, concerns, or simply want to say hello. Just reach out to me at BenMackey@dallasisd.org
Best,
Ben Mackey
