Dallas ISD students and staff are returning from a well-deserved winter break. Many events occurred during the fall semester that caused distractions while providing a high quality education for our students. Hopefully teachers and other staff are rested and ready to resume the district’s mission of educating all students towards being ready for college or workforce. We must now return our focus to teaching our students well, providing the highest quality education we can.
Education Opens Doors
Education is the key to the doors of life. Many doors of opportunities will be available for our children. It is our responsibility to equip them with the knowledge and skills to make wise decisions about which doors to open.
Dallas ISD students have a right to receive a high quality education, provided by effective and caring educators. However, students should respect every opportunity to learn, in various situations. Ultimately, students have a responsibility to use the knowledge and skills they acquired through education to positively impact their community, city, state, nation, and possibly the world.
We must strive to provide an equal life chance for all students to obtain an exemplary quality education. With the community as our foundation, and with parental support and involvement in the educational process, our goal is to achieve high student academic achievement and social success in a safe and nurturing environment. Thereby, Dallas ISD is preparing our students to become successful and productive citizens in a culturally diverse and ever-changing technological society.
Education is paramount for a successful life. Through education, we acquire knowledge and skills that are valuable for the pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness. Dallas ISD exists for the sole purpose of providing an education for the children in our many diverse communities. The goal is for students to gain knowledge to develop their skills whereby they will be able to positively contribute to their community and mankind. However, the objective is not only academic development, but also social and emotional development.
Student Support System
Academic pursuit is the ideal of teaching and learning in schools. However, schools cannot educate children in isolation. For students to be successful there must be a systemic effort that will encourage and support student achievement. Students need a support system that will continuously maintain and sustain their efforts toward academic achievement and social and emotional development.
The Dallas ISD system must be a collaborative effort between the community, home, and the school. To support student achievement, our collective philosophy must be geared toward helping students to become productive citizens who are independent and interdependent supporters of a diverse and evolving community and society.
The community is charged with the responsibility of making sure students have the provisions to learn, and also serves as role models of success for the students. The community involves many organizations such as government, businesses, health providers, and civic. With their help, schools have the foundation for a successful educational system.
At home, parents are a child’s first and constant teacher, providing stability for their children, making sure they are prepared for school. Parents and other relatives can provide constant encouragement for students to become successful academically, as well as socially. Being closest to the student, they can interact with the student on a more personal level. With their help, students are better prepared for instruction in the classroom, and the school in general.
In Dallas ISD schools, administrators create an environment that is conducive to learning for diverse learners from diverse backgrounds in diverse communities. They make sure students receive high quality and equitable educational opportunities. Teachers provide instruction to their students in the classroom. Successful Dallas ISD educators teach using a variety of instructional methods, strategies, and techniques designed to benefit the unique needs of each student. Hence, we must believe that all students can learn, when taught effectively.
New Leadership
Mr. Mike Miles was chosen as Superintendent of Schools last April. Under his leadership, much has changed in school operations, human resources, and other district operations. My expectations are that the changes will lead to higher efficiency, but, more importantly, an increase in student achievement through effective teaching, strong leadership, parental engagement, and community support.
Miles’ plan of action is Destination 2020, the district improvement plan, has established goals;
- 90% of our students will graduate on time by Year 2020;
- 40% of our students will attain a 21 or higher composite score on the ACT exam; or SAT of 1110 on reading/math;
- 75% of our students will be proficient on the “Year 2020 workplace readiness assessments”; and
- 80% of our students will enter college, the military, or a “career-ready job” straight from high school.
The plan is based on key actions:
- Ensure staff members understand the direction of the District and the Core Beliefs;
- Improve the quality of instruction; Develop principals into effective instructional leaders;
- Create a professional and high-functioning central office team;
- Tie teacher and principal evaluations to student achievement data;
- Restructure the Department of School Leadership and its function;
- Create a career-ready certificate; and
- Create strategic feeder groups.
At the end of the current school year, we’ll expect to see improvements attributed to Mike Miles and the Destination 2020 action plan. Hopefully, the new leadership will help Dallas ISD achieve the vision.
Vision
My vision for the Dallas ISD is that it will become a premier urban system that values and supports its students, employees, and community while achieving excellence with a quality education organizational system. In collaboration with the community and home we will emphasize, expect, and achieve high performance. My aim is to provide quality leadership, in collaboration with trustees and other community leaders, to reach the shared vision and goals of the district’s stakeholders. With your support and encouragement, Dallas ISD will be successful.
Imagine Dallas ISD, A Premier Urban School System
