During the application period, applications will be available at any Dallas ISD school, Student Transfers Department and the School Leadership and Administrative Services Department at 3700 Ross Avenue, or online.

Based on interests, talents, and aptitude, select up to two programs, one per school.

Download and print magnet application from the Dallas ISD Web site or obtain an application from any Dallas ISD school, Student Transfers Department or the School Leadership and Administrative Services Division at 3700 Ross Ave. Applications for the vanguards and academies may be picked up at any elementary or middle school.  Applications for magnet high schools may be picked up at any middle school or high school.

Complete one magnet program application.  Submit the application to the first-choice school (see application timeline).  Include a first semester report card and last years test scores (i.e. Iowa Test of Basic Skills, Stanford 9, TAKS). Include an Individualized Education Plan or 504 Plan, if there is one, so that appropriate accommodations can be made during the magnet assessment.  Proof of parent/guardian residence (current lease, utility bill, etc.) must be submitted with the application.

Note: The parent or legal guardian is responsible for submitting the application by January 31, 2012.

Key dates, times of events, and descriptions of the magnet assessment will be provided when the magnet application, report card, norm reference test scores, and proof of residence are submitted.  Prepare for the magnet assessment and meet all deadlines.  Follow all directions. Magnet assessment days are held February through March.

Make Dallas ISD your first choice for a great education in one of our outstanding magnet programs.  One is just right for you.

The online survey may be accessed at DallasISDSurvey.com.  Six community meetings open to the public are scheduled for:

January 9, 2012; 6:30 – 8:00 p.m.
W.T. White High School Auditorium, 4505 Ridgeside Drive

January 9, 2012; 6:30 – 8:00 p.m.
South Oak Cliff High School Auditorium, 3601 S. Marsalis Avenue

January 10, 2012; 6:30 – 8:00 p.m.
Moises Molina High School Auditorium, 2355 Duncanville Road

January 10, 2012; 6:30 – 8:00 p.m.
Woodrow Wilson High School Auditorium, 100 S. Glasgow

January 11, 2012; 6:30 – 8:00 p.m.
Dallas ISD Administration Building Board Room, 3700 Ross Avenue

January 11, 2012; 6:30 – 8:00 p.m.
James Madison High School Auditorium, 3000 Martin Luther King Blvd.

Based on stakeholder input, PROACT will develop a Superintendent profile which will be presented to the Board of Trustees.

For more information, go to Dallas ISD.org.

With an emphasis on literacy, we are recruiting as many as 1,111 volunteers to join students on that day for 11 minutes of reading.  On 11-11-11, at 11:11 a.m., district staff and high school students will join a host of volunteers from the business community, service organizations and others to read with and to elementary students throughout the district.

11.11.11, a literacy campaign I conceived, is part of Dallas Reads!, a larger city-wide initiative to encourage everyone to read.   Through Dallas Reads! the district is joining forces with the City of Dallas, local organizations and businesses, and parents and community members to emphasize the power of literacy.

Students who read are infinitely better prepared for life and personal success than those who do not.  On 11.11.11, Dallas ISD students and adults alike will be reminded of the importance of literacy to our lives.  Click on the link below to begin the process of signing up to volunteer to read to elementary school students in Dallas on 11.11.11.

Encourage your colleagues, family and friends to join us.  Register now.  We’ll see you Friday, 11-11-11 at a school near you.  Students will be waiting for you.

 

I have focused on student achievement since my election to the board in June 2001.  To recognize the academic achievements of students in District 5, I have planned Academic Pep Rallies one for each semester.  All students from pre-K to 12th grade, parents, teachers and staff members are invited to attend.

The purpose of the pep rallies is to inspire, encourage and support District 5 students to make good grades.  It is a simple plan and has proven to be successful. It’s really exciting to see 1st through 12th graders cheering together about good grades and academic excellence. It’s ecstatic!

The next District 5 Academic Pep Rally will be held Saturday, October 22, 2011 from 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 a.m. at South Oak Cliff High School, 3601 S. Marsalis Ave.Dallas,TX75216.

Bands, cheerleaders and other student groups will perform to pump up excitement about doing well in school.  We’ll have kids telling kids it’s cool to make good grades.  We’ll also give away prizes. 

Students who have made “A’s” in core subjects: Math, Science, English/Language Arts and History/Social Studies are eligible to win prizes like tickets to Dallas Mavericks and Dallas Stars games, laptop computers, iPods, and gift cards valued from $25 to $100. It’s exciting! 

I need your help in rewarding these kids and keeping them motivated to make good grades, stay in school, graduate and continue to college. It’s essential!

Will you consider being a sponsor to our District 5 Academic Pep Rallies? Your $100, $250 or $500 sponsorship will help provide prizes, food and beverages, decorations and costs incurred by the student groups that perform. You can donate gift cards or other prizes.  Take them to the Dallas ISD Board Services office at 3700 Ross Ave., Dallas, TX75204.  It’s engaging!

You may also send a donation to The Blackburn Foundation, 2130 Lanark Ave., Dallas, TX 75203.  Or you may donate online at www.blackburnfoundation.com.  For more information about donations, contact me at 214-232-6380 or lew@lewblackburn.com.

Of course, you may also make a donation online through this website to the Dr. Lew Blackburn Campaign.  

We will accentuate students being SMART: Students Making Academics Real Today! Imagine students from elementary school through high school cheering about the good grades they made! You should experience the excitement!

The event, celebrating the academic excellence in District 5 schools, also will include a community health fair co-sponsored by the Alpha Xi Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

Join us as we celebrate academic excellence!

Keeping in mind our vision and mission, as president of the board, I have proposed that trustees look outward as well as within as we focus on improving Dallas ISD. Our Core Beliefs are centered on students, educators, the achievement gap, the learning environment, finance, parents, and community.  Our goals call for improved student achievement, developing teachers and other employees, ensuring good financial management, maintaining district facilities, and a safe and secure environment.  Based on the vision, mission, core beliefs and goals as our foundation, we can succeed with the cooperation and support of the community.

Focus 2012

The Board of Trustees has adopted my proposed plan of action, Focus 2012, which will be the guide we will use to reach our goals.  It is not meant to be the ultimate solution, but rather a starting point for the school year; 2011-2012.

Focus 2012 is based on guiding principles and strategies.  The BOARD principles are Building Opportunities for Achievement through Relationships and Determination.  The strategies are from the Six Pillars of Dynamic Schools as expressed by authors Steven W. Edwards and Paul E. Chapman: 

• Communication & Relationships
• Leadership & Empowerment
• Planning & Evaluation
• Collaboration & Partnership
• Accountability & Responsibility
• Consistency & Repetition

Dallas ISD cannot become a premier urban school district without the cooperation and collaboration of many others.  It is only when service organizations join with those they serve that we can build the kind of community support necessary to build the village students need to succeed. Based on this premise, I am asking that the trustees and district leadership invite more people, groups, and entities to collaborate with us to improve our schools. 

Listening and Learning

Trustees make decisions each month that have a great impact on students, employees, parents, and the community at large.  Many of these decisions could be more effective if we engaged in more dialogue with the people who will be affected.  Focus 2012 provides two rather simple approaches to make this happen:  Dialogue and Dinner, and Listen and Learn. 

• Dialogue and Dinner would bring 10-12 concerned citizens together monthly with top-level district decision-makers at the dinner table to share information about the district and to discuss ways to build stronger schools.  The dinners would be hosted quarterly in private homes or restaurants with each dinner attended by guests of diverse backgrounds.  A top-level administrator and trustee would attend each dinner to listen and learn and share information with the participants. 
• Listen and Learn would be an opportunity for students, employees, parents, and community members to learn about district programs, discuss their concerns about Dallas ISD, and express ideas for improvement.   Top-level administrators and a trustee would attend quarterly meetings to listen and learn from the participants. 

 Community Commissions

We experienced significant results from the work of the Citizens Budget Review Commission whose members were appointed by trustees and the superintendent.  Focus 2012 will build on this concept by engaging citizens to help address our goals.  The intent is to have community members, experts in teaching and learning, and District staff collaborate to learn about our district’s many program offerings, analyze our programs and operations, and offer suggestions for improvement.

• The Blue Ribbon Education Commission will focus on curriculum and instruction, student achievement and development, student activities, school leadership and operations, and parent/community involvement.
• The Gold Star Employee Commission will focus on employee practices, procedures, and performance, assessment, professional development, and morale.
• The Community Relations Commission will focus on educational philosophy, community involvement, accountability, and public relations.
• The Financial Stewardship Commission will focus on fiscal management, business operations, food service, technology, facilities, the bond program, transportation, and real estate.
• The District Enhancement Commission will be a diverse group of business, civic, and community professionals with areas of expertise pertinent to district operations, offering trustees insight into viewing various aspects of the district from the outside.  The areas of expertise will include Finance, management, marketing, communication, personnel, real estate, facility maintenance, technology, construction, and health.

Trustees and the superintendent will each appoint one member to each of these commissions.  The Chief Officers and Senior Executive Directors will work with the commissions, along with a trustee serving a liaison to the board.

Partnership Initiatives

As we focus on our vision of becoming a premier urban school district with a mission of educating students for success, we need to enhance our partnerships with other entities.  As part of Focus 2012, partnership initiatives will work to develop and enhance working relationships with the goal of involving individuals, higher education, nonprofits and governmental agencies to help ensure student academic success.

• The Intergovernmental Partnership Initiative will include congressional, state, county, and city elected officials that represent portions of Dallas ISD.
• The Higher Education Partnership Initiative will include area colleges and universities such as Dallas County Community College District,Paul Quinn College,Texas A&M University-Commerce, Southern Methodist University,University ofDallas,University of NorthTexas atDallas,University of NorthTexas atDenton, andUniversity ofTexas atDallas.
• The Partners Interested in Education Initiative will include businesses, organizations, chambers, community, faith-based groups, parents, teachers, and students.

Focus 2012 is meant to be a guide for Dallas ISD trustees and its senior leadership to more actively engage the communities we serve in our efforts to improve our schools because I think we would all agree that as Dallas ISD and our children go, so goes our city. Working together as a community that cares, we can make Dallas ISD a premier urban school district that educates students for success. 

 Dallas ISD Board of Trustees Focus 2012

For Additional Information, Contact: Dallas ISD Board of Trustees President, Lew Blackburn, Ph.D.; lblackburn@dallasisd.org; 972-925-3720

Students have rested, tested, played, traveled, and camped enough. Some students went to summer school for extended learning. Still other students traveled to other cities and states visiting the many sites of our beautiful state and country. Others simply played the entire time with friends. Now they’re ready to go back to school.

Parents have had more than two months with their children on a daily basis; all day long. They have shared quality time their children and gotten to know them better. The past few weeks, parents have shopped and gathered for school wear and supplies. They have been anticipating their children going back to school.

Teachers and other educators ended the last school year exhausted from a long year of educating students for success. During the summer months, they took classes to increase their knowledge and skills. They traveled for rest and relaxation. Lately, they have been anxiously preparing their classrooms, eager for the students to come back to school.

Now that school is beginning, what will it take for Dallas ISD students to do even better than the last school year? What will your organization do to help the neighborhood school? What will you do to help students at the nearby school?

Call Dallas ISD to let them know which school you want to help by volunteering, mentoring or tutoring. The number is 972-925-3700.

Have a happy new school year as we move towards having world-class schools for our world-class city. Share your ideas for making 2011-12 one of the best school years ever for Dallas ISD.

The Board of Trustees appointed him to the position June 6, 2011 with a unanimous vote. That indicates a high level of confidence in his ability to handle the task.  We stand together in  our resolve to make the next school year a success, with King at the helm.

My optimism is based in part on King’s positive relationship with his peers on the Executive Leadership Team–Ivonne Durant, Chief Academic Officer; Donna Micheaux, Chief of Schools; and Claudia Rodriguez, Chief of Staff. I expect he will receive nothing less than full support from each of them as the ELT continues to work cooperatively, collaboratively and collectively towards moving Dallas ISD forward. More than 157,000 students and 20,000 employees are depending on this team.

With the support of the Board of Trustees, Alan King and his team of leaders can be successful. Working together, focused on the various tasks at hand, the Board will provide the governance and guidance, while the ELT provides the leadership and management to advance Dallas ISD toward our goal of becoming a premier school district that educates students for success.

Again, congratulations, Alan King! I look forward to a great year.

Dallas ISD is at an important crossroad. Starting with the next school year, our students’ achievement will be assessed using the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR), while transitioning from the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS). Balancing the 2011-12 fiscal year budget based on our adopted priorities and programmatic intent with a significant reduction in state funding along with lower property values is proving to be difficult, yet doable because of your determination.
In addition to our regular responsibilities, it is time to begin the task of redrawing trustee districts. And, we were anticipating the impending resignation of our superintendent, followed by the very important task of selecting his successor.

We as a board can meet and overcome the challenges we face. Working together as a team, focused on the various tasks at hand, we can provide the governance and guidance to lead Dallas ISD towards becoming a premiere school district while educating students for success.

I look forward to having a great year!

Sincerely,

Lew Blackburn, Ph.D.
President
Dallas ISD Board of Trustees
District 5

The purpose of the pep rallies, supported by community and business sponsors, was to inspire, encourage and support District 5 students to make good grades. It is a simple plan and has proven to be successful. It was excellent!

The last District 5 Academic Pep Rally was held Saturday, April 30, 2011 at the Ellis Davis Field House from 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 a.m.

It was really exciting to see more than 500 pre-K through 12th graders cheering together about good grades and academic excellence. We had kids telling kids it’s cool to make good grades. Principals told of the great academic successes at their schools.

Students who have made “A’s” in core subjects: Math, Science, English/Language Arts and History/Social Studies won prizes like tickets to Texas Rangers games, Hurricane Harbor, Medieval Times Dinner & TournamentMedieval Times Dinner & Tournament, iPods and gift cards valued from $20 to $100. It was exciting!

After a drum line play-off, Clara Oliver Elementary School, Oliver Wendell Holmes Middle School, and Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Magnet Center bands received $100 each for their performances.

I want to thank our speakers who motivated and encouraged students to do well in class; Dallas County Juvenile Judge Cheryl Shannon, Dallas Mayor’s Youth Council Earnest Mason, former KTVT 11 anchor Cliff Caldwell, and WFAA Channel anchor Shon Gables.

We celebrated academic excellence!  We accentuated students being SMART: Students Making Academics Real Today! We experienced the excitement!

The focus of the academic pep rally is on celebrating academic success, while encouraging students to demonstrate their academic knowledge and skills by earning high report card grades in core subjects; Mathematics, Science, Reading/English/Language Arts, and History/Social Studies. The Roosevelt High School and O.W. Holmes Middle School bands and cheerleaders will perform, along with several elementary groups.

Students with high grades (90’ or A’s) will have opportunities to win prizes worth $25-$100. They must bring their report card to qualify for the drawings. Parents and teachers will also have chances to win prizes. Dallas ISD will have representatives available with valuable information for students and parents.

Support students by celebrating their academic success, and encouraging them to perform well in the classroom. I’ll see you at the next Dallas ISD District 5 Academic Pep Rally!

Let’s Celebrate Academic Excellence!

Academic Pep Rally Flyer