From: Sandra Guerrero
To: Sandra Guerrero
Sent: Mon, June 6, 2011 5:00:31 PM
Subject: Dallas ISD News: SUPERINTENDENT MICHAEL HINOJOSA RESIGNS FROM DALLAS
ISD
Contact Sandra Guerrero or Libby Daniels at (972) 925-3900
NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: June 6, 2011
SUPERINTENDENT MICHAEL HINOJOSA RESIGNS FROM DALLAS ISD
Accepts Superintendent Position in Cobb County, Georgia
DALLAS–Superintendent of Schools Michael Hinojosa submitted his letter of
resignation from the Dallas Independent School District today to accept a
similar position in Cobb County, Georgia.
Dr. Hinojosa has served as the superintendent for the state’s
second-largest school district for six years—the longest term since Linus Wright
held the position in the 1980s. His last day with Dallas ISD will be Thursday,
June 30, 2011.
“It has been an honor to serve as superintendent for the school
district I attended as a child and where I started my teaching career,” said
Hinojosa. “I am enormously proud of our shared accomplishments—the biggest of
which is that the number of students graduating from Dallas ISD schools is at
its highest since 1983.”
This school year, Dallas ISD expects to graduate a total of 7,200
students, up from 5,800 four years ago. The number has steadily risen each of
the last four years.
Under Dr. Hinojosa’s leadership, the school district implemented a
systemwide curriculum that was developed by teachers. In addition, principals
for schools that had vacancies during the last six years were selected through a
collaborative process that allowed staff and the community to provide input.
A $1.37 billion bond program to build and improve school facilities
that was approved by voters in 2002 was implemented on schedule and under
budget. Another $1.35 billion bond program that was approved by voters in 2008
will build 14 more schools, 13 additions and provide renovations to more than
200 district facilities.
Dallas ISD also became known throughout the country for its
leadership in arts education. The Wallace Foundation provided an $8 million
grant for the district to partner with Big Thought and the City of Dallas to
provide more arts opportunities for students both during and after school.
Under Dr. Hinojosa’s leadership, schools in the southern sector
received a significant boost. Two early college high schools are now operating,
an all-boys school will open this fall, as will a New Tech High School and three
renovated/new schools will open in Wilmer-Hutchins signaling a rebirth of
education in that community.
Grants from the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation and Bill and
Melinda Gates Foundation enabled the Dallas Independent School District to
become a pioneer in the world of student data. The grants gave principals and
teachers access to data dashboards, as well as established a Parent Portal for
parents to monitor the progress of their students.
During his six-year tenure, Dr. Hinojosa responded to several
crises, including the dissolution of neighboring Wilmer-Hutchins ISD and
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, all of which caused an unexpected influx of
additional students into Dallas ISD. The biggest crisis was a budget
miscalculation that eventually forced the layoff of hundreds of staff during the
2008-09 school year.
Since then, the district has put in place a number of financial
controls and rebuilt its fund balance to safer levels. The district now faces a
significant cut in state funding because of a statewide budget shortfall.
“It certainly isn’t easy to be an urban school superintendent in
today’s environment, but I am proud of what this community has accomplished
during the last six years,” said Hinojosa. “More students are graduating, more
students are scoring at college-ready levels and our teachers and principals are
better-trained. I hope whoever the board chooses as its next superintendent is
provided the same opportunities to make improvements to continue the momentum on
behalf of the students of this community. I am thankful to trustees, our staff
and so many other leaders and stakeholders in Dallas who have been part of this
experience.”
One of Dr. Hinojosa’s hallmarks was to make unannounced visits to
the district’s 225 schools each Wednesday morning. He said the experiences kept
him grounded on what was most important in the life of a large, urban school
district.
“Every school has individuals who are devoted to helping our
students succeed,” said Hinojosa. “I couldn’t help but be moved by the
dedication of so many people—from custodians to food service workers, librarians
to counselors, aides to front office staff and of course, principals and
teachers. The Dallas Independent School District will continue to shine because
of each of them. My address may soon be in Georgia, but a part of me will always
be in Dallas. It has been a privilege.”
Dr. Hinojosa said he is moving to Georgia in part to be closer to
his son whose wife is pregnant with their first child. He has two sons who have
recently graduated from Hillcrest High School in Dallas who will be attending
Ivy League colleges in the fall.
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A timeline of Dr. Hinojosa’s tenure as superintendent is included:
Dallas Independent School District
Superintendent Michael Hinojosa
Timeline, 2005-11
May 12, 2005
Superintendent Michael Hinojosa’s first day on the job; initiates Entry Plan—a series of interviews with individual board members, community leaders, selected principals, executive staff and teacher organizations to discuss expectations of the position.
July 2005
Wilmer-Hutchins ISD dissolves; is consolidated into Dallas ISD.
August 2005
School uniform policy for students in grades pre-K-8 implemented throughout district. (Policy approved in early 2005.)
August 2005
Superintendent Michael Hinojosa blocks off Wednesday mornings on his calendar to make unannounced visits to school campuses throughout the district; completes Entry Plan and reports to Trustees.
September 2005
After Hurricanes Katrina and Rita devastate parts of the gulf coast, Dallas ISD absorbs thousands of displaced students.
October 2005
Dr. Hinojosa contracts the National Center for Educational Achievement (NCEA) to conduct a best practices audit of the district’s curriculum and instructional programs.
November 29, 2005
Superintendent Michael Hinojosa and the Board of Trustees announce Dallas Achieves!, a new plan that establishes aggressive five-year performance targets to make the Dallas ISD the top urban school district by 2010.
December 2005
Superintendent Michael Hinojosa implements new “RFP” process for replacing principals who leave district campuses, due to retirement, resignation or reassignment. The “RFP” process stands for Request for Principals and calls for school staff, community members and parents from schools to be part of the interview team for selecting new principals.
December 2005
The National Center for Educational Accountability provides a report regarding Dallas ISD’s curriculum and instructional programs and proposes significant changes for improvement.
April 4, 2006
Dallas Achieves! Commission, comprising more than 60 community leaders, issues a report to trustees urging more resources devoted to classroom instruction.
May 2006
The School for the Talented and Gifted at Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Center is named the top public high school in the country by Newsweek. The School for Science and Engineering is ranked #8.
June 2006
The district rolls out a newly designed and rigorous “vertically aligned” curriculum, developed in conjunction with the National Center for Educational Accountability and Institute for Learning. The district adopts a common set of instructional best practices, the “Principles of Learning”, from the Institute for Learning.
June 5, 2006
Dallas ISD begins offering courses in its new, tiered teacher training program. Based on tenure with district and their performance, teachers are divided into levels and remain in the same level for three years. The training for each year builds on training from the previous year and provides skills teachers need to be successful in the classroom.
June 22, 2006
Board of Trustees approve performance incentive bonuses for Dallas ISD principals whose schools and students perform at a high academic level. The district identifies “Master Teachers” who, as a result of high student achievement results, take on district instructional leadership roles: providing professional development for other teachers, developing curriculum, etc.
July 13, 2006
The Texas Education Agency announces that the Dallas ISD has been awarded a Texas Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics grant to create a T-STEM Academy. The academies are designed to improve instruction and academic performance in science- and math-related subjects in secondary schools. The academy will be created at Emmett J. Conrad High School.
August 9, 2006
The Dallas Education Foundation is launched to raise funds to supplement programs and initiatives that enhance the education of Dallas ISD students. The foundation’s board is comprised of Dallas’ corporate and civic giants. To kick off the school year, the district invites all employees to the Dallas ISD Back-to-School Kickoff at the American Airlines Center. Superintendent Michael Hinojosa introduces staff to the district’s singularity of purpose: “to educate and graduate students ready for college.”
August 14, 2006
The district opens 11 new campuses with new attendance zones, returning students to their neighborhood schools. Most sixth-graders begin attending middle schools rather than elementary schools.
August 29, 2006
After a series of articles in The Dallas Morning News regarding lax accountability of the district’s purchasing procedures (use of P-cards), Superintendent Michael Hinojosa announces a five-point initiative to address a need for greater accountability, which includes the creation of the Office of District Integrity (later re-named the Office of Professional Responsibility) and an internal affairs task force, a fraud hotline, and the use of EthicsPoint resources.
October 2006
Superintendent Michael Hinojosa creates a district-wide principals’ leadership team. The group, which meets regularly to discuss strategies and initiatives, is made up of principals who have demonstrated sustained academic success at every school to which they have been assigned.
The superintendent also convenes the first-ever Teacher Advisory Committee, made up of the previous year’s Teacher of the Year finalists. Committee members are briefed on district issues and are given opportunities to share concerns and ask questions.
October 2006
To give his Executive Leadership team more input from campus-level staff, Superintendent Michael Hinojosa names an area superintendent and a principal to the team on a rotating basis.
November 2006
Dallas ISD is awarded a $22 million Teacher Incentive Fund (TIF) grant from the U.S. Department of Education to implement performance pay in 59 schools.
January 2007
The National Center for Education Accountability presents its one-year review to Board of Trustees, noting that overall, Dallas ISD has made tremendous progress in only 10 months and that there is a positive shift in the district culture.
January 11, 2007
District presents recommendations to redesign the way high school is taught. The goal of the recommendations is to increase rigor, relevance and relationships in high school so that all students graduate ready for college.
February 2007
The Wallace Foundation awards $8 million during the next three years to Big Thought, a Dallas-based nonprofit arts group, to help start the Dallas Arts Learning Initiative. The initiative seeks to increase the amount and quality of arts education in Dallas ISD elementary schools.
February 24, 2007
Superintendent Michael Hinojosa and the Board of Trustees host the first of several community forums to gain input on matters dealing with governance, academics, and support of the district and to increase public awareness and participation in issues facing the district.
April 30, 2007
The Dallas Independent School District is one of six districts nationwide selected by the Center for Reform of School Systems to participate in Reform Governance in Action, a comprehensive two-year training program for school boards and superintendents.
May 2007
District schools are grouped into learning communities—geographically by grade level—allowing for better collaboration among schools that share the same characteristics and making it easier for instructional leaders and teachers to focus on learning rather than administrative matters. Secondary schools are grouped by east and west, so as to remove long-standing barriers between north and south. In addition, 14 middle and high schools are grouped together based on their shared needs and challenges to more effectively concentrate resources and strategies to help these schools overcome obstacles that have stood in the way of their success.
May 2007
In its May 28 issue, Newsweek magazine ranks the School for the Talented and Gifted and the School of Science and Engineering first and second on its annual list of "America's Best High Schools." It is the second year in a row the magazine has ranked the Talented and Gifted magnet the top public high school in the country. W.T. White High School ranked 138 and Hillcrest High School ranked 635. According to Newsweek, the top high schools do the best job in preparing their students for college.
June 2007
Superintendent Michael Hinojosa begins the process of de-layering and restructuring central administration. The “service-oriented restructuring” is intended to make central administration more efficient, effective and responsive to campus and student needs. More than 160 positions are eliminated.
August 27, 2007
The district begins a new school year, opening three new campuses and adjusting attendance zones to add six more middle schools offering 6th grade.
September 2007
The district further enhances its parent outreach by implementing an automated call system that broadcasts recorded messages to parents and guardians and to its staff by telephone. Messages are sent to alert parents of testing dates, parent conferences, PTA meetings, school activities, and to verify their child’s attendance at school.
October 9, 2007
The Texas Instruments Foundation, Harold Simmons Foundation, and the W.W. Caruth Jr. Foundation of Communities Foundation of Texas each donate $1 million to support the district’s initiative to become the top urban school district in the country. The funds will be used on a range of needs, such as providing more tailored professional development and coaching for teachers and principals.
October 25, 2007
The Board of Trustees approves opening a second early college high school, which will open for the 2008-2009 school year. The Early College High School at Mountain View, which opened the previous year, was the first such school in the district. At early colleges, students can simultaneously earn a high school and associate degree or up to two years of credit toward a bachelor’s degree, tuition free, in a college environment.
November 2007
Monthly school board meetings are streamed live for the first time on the district’s web site, beginning a new era of digital transparency. In addition, board agenda items with corresponding documents are made available. Citizens can now access video of previous discussions on agenda items on demand.
November 2007
For a second year, the Dallas ISD shows improvement in implementing the National Center for Educational Accountability’s recommendations to enhance teaching and learning. In a report released by the NCEA the district received improved grades in 12 of the 17 recommendations based on work performed during the 2006-2007 school year. The district was commended for being involved in work that addresses fundamental changes needed in the district’s classrooms.
November 29, 2007
Performance bonuses of up to $10,000 are awarded to 56 Dallas ISD principals for their success in leading their schools and students to a high level of academic performance for the 2006-2007 school year. The awards are based on the schools having met the Federal Adequate Yearly Progress standard and the district’s five performance indicators.
February 26, 2008
A $5 million donation from the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation enables Dallas ISD to have instant access to student academic backgrounds from preschool to graduation. The grant will be used to create a database of student academic information that will allow educators to keep track of the district’s students and their learning patterns.
May 10, 2008
Dallas voters pass a $1.35 billion bond proposal. The 2008 bond program will pay for the construction of 15 new schools, including eight elementary schools, four middle schools and three high schools. Twelve existing schools will receive additions to provide 177 new classrooms, and more than 200 schools will be renovated. In addition, science labs, kitchen renovations, lunchroom expansions, and updated classroom and lab computers are included.
June 12, 2008
For the second year in a row, cuts are made in the district’s central administration. The cuts, estimated to save $2.5 million, were made necessary because of increases in utility and fuel costs, as well as a decrease in local and state revenue. The cuts become effective Sept. 1.
Aug. 1, 2008
The Texas Education Agency names 103 Dallas ISD schools exemplary or recognized for 2008—a sharp increase from the previous year’s total of 47 schools. Twenty-six schools earned the top rating of exemplary, an increase from 14 in 2007. The number of recognized schools jumped from 33 in 2007 to 77 in 2008. Moreover, Dallas students improved their scores in every grade and subject except seventh-grade writing.
August 20, 2008
Superintendent of Schools Michael Hinojosa invites school-based employees to kick off the 2008-2009 school year at the American Airlines Center with a celebration of past accomplishments and a discussion of future goals. Student Dalton Sherman delivers “Do You Believe in Me?” speech.
August 25, 2008
The 2008-09 school year begins with two new schools, Francisco F. “Pancho” Medrano Middle School and Early College High School with Cedar Valley College. Six high schools begin offering students additional opportunities to explore their future through career pathways, including health sciences, architecture and construction, communications, law, information technology, business, or hospitality and tourism. Students attending the redesigned high schools are expected to meet high academic standards and take dual credit or Advanced Placement courses.
September 6, 2008
Superintendent Michael Hinojosa and City of Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert participate in Operation Comeback, a statewide initiative uniting mayors and school district officials to reach students who are potential dropouts. The mayor and superintendent walk from home to home to visit the homes of students who have not returned to school yet and may become potential dropouts.
September 10, 2008
Superintendent Michael Hinojosa announces that the Dallas ISD had an estimated $64 million shortfall for the 2007-2008 fiscal year. The district uses part of its $120 million fund balance to cover the deficit. The shortfall is the result of a major budgeting error, caused by hiring additional campus staff but not properly reflecting it in the budget. The superintendent announces a major reorganization of the district’s finance and business services departments.
September 29, 2008
As a first step to address the district’s budget shortfall, roughly 160 central staff positions are eliminated, 63 of which had been filled by employees. The elimination of the positions saves the district up to $3.6 million for the 2008-2009 school year. Because central staff employees are considered at-will employees, their release does not need board approval.
September 2008
The Dallas ISD is awarded a grant from the Meadows Foundation to implement a coaching program for high school principals. The goal of the program is to improve student achievement; increase school effectiveness; and increase the campus-level, consumer confidence for participating schools. The program will also work to ensure that these campuses maintain or earn the rating of Academically Acceptable or better during the coming school year.
Oct. 16, 2008
The Dallas Independent School District implements a reduction in force by releasing employees from their positions. All totaled, approximately 375 teachers are released from their positions, almost 200 less than originally estimated. About 40 assistant principals and counselors are also released. In addition, approximately 460 teachers are transferred to other district schools.
October 2008
A task force forms to begin the development of the district’s first all-male academy. The B.F. Darrell Male Leadership Academy (later named Barack Obama Male Leadership Academy) is projected to open for the 2011-2012 school year at what is now B.F. Darrell Math, Science, and Technology Vanguard.
November 6, 2008
The Dallas ISD is given high marks for "impressive" improvement by the National Center for Educational Achievement. NCEA presents its annual audit on the district's academic systems to the Dallas ISD Board of Trustees. The audit shows improvement in nine of 17 areas, with decreases in only two of the areas. NCEA officials tell the board, "You are pointing your system in the right direction and we cannot urge you enough to stay the course."
November 20, 2008
New Executive CFO Larry Throm is hired from Austin ISD to oversee a reorganized financial structure in Dallas ISD. Throm is asked to provide leadership to the district’s financial operations and correct weaknesses identified in previous external audits.
January 12, 2009
The Dallas ISD holds the first of 22 community meetings during the months of January and February. Meetings are held in each high school feeder pattern to inform and engage parents and the community about efforts to improve district schools under the Dallas Achieves! initiative.
In addition, the district announces that scorecards have been developed for 218 of the district’s schools and are available in English and Spanish on the district’s Web site. The performance measures used to create the scorecards go beyond test scores to include outcomes such as graduation rates, college readiness, attendance, and other key measures of success.
January 22, 2009
The Texas Education Agency announces its nominations for the 2009 No Child Left Behind-Blue Ribbon Schools Award, including four Dallas ISD schools: George Bannerman Dealey International Academy, Victor H. Hexter Elementary School, George Peabody Elementary School, and the School of Health Professions at Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Center.
January 23, 2009
The Dallas ISD receives a $3.77 million data performance grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to strengthen the district’s efforts to track student performance and improve college readiness, the key to the district’s Dallas Achieves initiative. The district has been a pioneer in the field of data by piloting real-time scorecard and dashboards thanks to a $5 million initial investment from the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation. The Gates grant builds on this work to establish Dallas ISD as a national exemplar in data-driven decision making.
January 2009
Superintendent Michael Hinojosa begins after school “Dialogue with the Superintendent” sessions with staff throughout the district organized by high school feeder patterns. The informal sessions allow staff members to ask questions on all topics. The superintendent also begins weekly coffee meetings with small groups of parents at schools throughout the city.
February 2009
A study released by The Brown Center on Education Policy at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C., states that from 2000 to 2007: "Dallas ISD has improved more than any other urban district in Texas and more than all but one urban district in the country in narrowing the achievement gap."
March 16, 2009
James B. Bonham Elementary School is among only 12 schools nationwide to receive the National Center for Urban Transformation's National Excellence in Urban Education Award. William L. Cabell Elementary School is among 18 other schools named to the NCUST 2009 Honor Roll.
March 2009
The National Center for Educational Achievement announces that five Dallas ISD schools have been named to its Just for the Kids list of highest performing schools in all subject areas. Forty-two other Dallas ISD schools received the highest performing rating in at least one subject area.
June 24, 2009
“Dallas ISD is now viewed as one of the nation’s top-performing urban school districts,” according to a report by the Council of the Great City Schools. In addition, the Council finds that Dallas ISD is well within the range of comparison districts in terms of overall administrative staff compared to students, as well as administrative staff to total number of teachers and staff.
July 27, 2009
A two-week program for rising ninth-graders, the High School Early Start Academy, will help rising ninth-graders polish their math, science and language arts skills as they prepare to enter high school. The program is supported by funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The academy is offered at all 22 comprehensive Dallas ISD high school campuses.
August 2009
TEA Accountability Ratings indicate 46 Dallas ISD schools are rated exemplary and 82 are rated recognized – the most ever in the school district’s history. TAKS scores climbed for the fifth consecutive year, as did the percentage of students passing at college-ready levels.
August 6, 2009
The Texas Education Agency releases Adequate Yearly Progress results indicating both gains and challenges for the Dallas ISD. While the number of district schools that did not meet the AYP standards dropped from 50 to 24, the district’s rating is listed as “Missing AYP-Stage 1.” The rating is the result of testing more than 3 percent of its special education students with alternative tests, exceeding the 1 percent and 2 percent caps.
August 27, 2009
Dallas ISD trustees approve a salary schedule that includes pay raises for all employees during the 2009-2010 school year. This marks the first pay raise for support staff in three years. Beginning teachers on the Bachelor Pay schedule receive $45,350.
September 12, 2009
Superintendent Michael Hinojosa and Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert, other elected officials and community volunteers visit the homes of students who had not reported to school. The second annual Operation: Comeback initiative is designed to motivate the 1,700 students listed as no-shows to return and enroll in school. As part of the first initiative in 2008, 85 Dallas ISD students returned to school.
September 15, 2009
Four Dallas ISD schools are named Blue Ribbon Schools for 2009 by the U.S. Department of Education. The award honors public and private elementary, middle and high schools that are either academically superior, or have made dramatic gains in student achievement and helped close gaps in achievement among minority and disadvantaged students. The four Dallas ISD schools awarded are: George Bannerman Dealey International Academy, George Peabody Elementary School, School of Health Professions at the Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Center and Victor H. Hexter Elementary School.
October 7, 2009
Eleven Dallas ISD schools are among only 254 schools in Texas named to the 2009 Texas Business and Education Coalition Honor Roll. The Honor Roll represents less than 4 percent of all public schools in Texas. The schools improved their commended performance — the state’s highest standard for academic achievement — from 2008, and every school was required to have a minimum of 20 percent of students tested performing at the commended level on all tests.
November 17, 2009
The Dallas ISD Audit Committee is presented a preliminary report of the district’s 2008-09 audit from independent auditors Deloitte and Touche, which shows significant improvement from the previous two audits conducted by the firm.
The 2008-09 audit notes three material weaknesses, down from eight the year before. In addition, the total number of material weaknesses and various deficiencies decreased from 36 in 2007-08 to 22 in 2008-09. The audit also notes that the district’s fund balance, of June 30, 2009, was $37.6 million, up from a projected fund balance to end the fiscal year of $30 million.
December 10, 2009
The School for the Talented and Gifted and the School of Science and Engineering, both at the Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Center, are named two of the top public high schools in the country by U.S. News & World Report. The School for the Talented and Gifted ranked fifth while the School of Science and Engineering was eighth.
January 8, 2010
The Dallas ISD, in cooperation with Alliance-AFT, is selected to participate in a two-year national research project designed to develop the new Measures of Effective Teaching project. Underwritten by a $1.3 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Dallas is one of only six districts in the country to be selected for the project, to be implemented in middle schools.
January 21, 2010
Fifty-five Dallas ISD schools are named to the National Center for Educational Achievement’s 2009 Just for the Kids Higher Performing Schools list. All of the schools on the list received a higher-performing rating in at least one subject area: math, science, social studies, reading and writing. In 2008, the district had 47 schools on the list.
January 26, 2010
In an effort to provide parents with a choice when it comes to selecting their child’s secondary school, Dallas ISD sponsors the 2010-2011 High School Redesign Showcase for current eighth-grade students and their families. The program offers career pathways available to entering ninth-grade students, with limited space to focus on instruction that teaches in areas such as technology and communications, marketing, business skills and many others.
February 8, 2010
The Texas Education Agency’s Division of NCLB Program Coordination recognizes 24 Dallas ISD elementary schools as distinguished campuses for outstanding performance over the last three years. Schools making the list are Title 1, Part A campuses rated exemplary for 2009-2010, met AYP for 2008 & 2009, and have a student population of 40 percent or more low-income students.
February 11, 2010
Dallas ISD breaks ground on Ebby Halliday Elementary School, the first of 14 new schools being built as part of the 2008 bond program. The school is scheduled to open in August 2011.
March 10, 2010
Dallas ISD’s Nathan Adams Elementary School is among only 13 schools nationwide to receive the National Center for Urban School Transformation's 2010 National Excellence in Urban Education Award. To be eligible, schools are required to meet 11 rigorous criteria in the areas of proficiency rates, high attendance and graduation rates, attainment of No Child Left Behind adequate yearly progress, and other indicators. Nathan Adams Elementary is the second school in Dallas ISD to receive the National Excellence in Urban Education Award. James Bonham Elementary School was the recipient of the award in 2009.
March 11, 2010
Dallas ISD receives a $1.45 million federal grant from NASA, secured by the Foundation for Community Empowerment, to implement a Math, Science, and Technology Initiative in the district and in a number of pre-school programs in Dallas.
April 1, 2010
Dallas ISD announces that parents will have online access to key information about their child’s academic progress, attendance, homework, class schedule, and more through a parent portal initially launched in three Dallas ISD schools. The portal will eventually be expanded to all district campuses.
April 23, 2010
Dallas ISD breaks ground on Kathlyn Joy Gilliam Collegiate Academy, a $21.5 million facility to house the district’s second Early College High School, to be built as part of the 2008 bond program. The school is scheduled to open in August 2011.
June 3, 2010
Results of 2010 TAKS tests show continued improvement of students both passing and passing at college-ready levels. Gains are made in every grade and every subject with the exception of 6th and 8th grade reading.
June 6, 2010
First class from Trini Garza Early College High School graduates. 76 students graduate, all of whom have earned multiple college credits.
June 14, 2010
TAG Magnet listed as Best High School in the Country by Newsweek; Science and Engineering Magnet listed as #4. The four other magnet schools at Townview, as well as Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, W.T. White and Woodrow Wilson also make list of top high schools in the country.
July 29, 2010
The Texas Education Agency releases school ratings. 66 Dallas ISD schools are rated Exemplary; 59 are rated Recognized.
August 23, 2010
2010-11 school year begins with the opening of John Leslie Patton Academic Center, a school for students on a different grade level than their peers of the same age because they lack high school credits. The school offers flexible schedules, small class-sizes and individualized tutoring.
September 10, 2010
H.S. Thompson and James Bonham Elementary Schools are named 2010 Blue Ribbon Schools by the U.S. Department of Education.
September 20, 2010
$1.5 million grant announcement from TI Foundation extends AP Incentive program to all high schools. In 2010, 1,760 Dallas ISD students passed AP exams in math, science and English, up from 157 in 1995.
October 11, 2010
Ground is broken for the new W.H. Adamson High School as part of the 2008 bond program.
November 15, 2010
Audit by Deloitte and Touche from 2009-10 school year completed on time shows no material weaknesses for first time in four years. District posts surplus of $62.4 million, showing fund balance at the end of the school year of $100 million.
February 10, 2011
Budget Reduction Plan 1.0 presented to Board of Trustees indicates the possibility of having to cut $252 million from district budget because of state shortfall.
February 24, 2011
Board approves early resignation incentive for contract employees. Employees will receive 15% of their salary up to $10,000 by notifying the school district by March 8 of plans to resign at the end of the school year. More than 700 employees accept the school district’s offer, saving an estimated $45 million.
March 10, 2011
Budget Reduction Plan 2.0 presented to trustees envisions a $150 million cut to district services. Board begins discussion of offering early resignation incentive for at-will employees.
March 31, 2011
Board approves early resignation incentive for at-will employees. 321 employees accept offer saving more than $12 million.
April 14, 2011
Budget Reduction Plan 3.0 presented to trustees predicts a $110 million cut to district services.
April 29, 2011
Approximately 450 central staff positions eliminated. The figure includes hundreds of central staff employees released, vacancies eliminated and the number of individuals who accepted the district’s resignation offer. The elimination of positions saves approximately $25 million.
May 12, 2011
Budget Reduction Plan 4.0 presented to trustees envisions a $120 million cut to district services.
May 16, 2011
Dallas ISD selected as one of five school districts in the country to share a $3 million Breakfast in the Classroom grant from the Walmart Foundation.
May 19, 2011
Superintendent of Schools Michael Hinojosa named lone finalist for superintendent position in Cobb County, Georgia.
May 20, 2011
School of Science and Engineering named top high school in the country by The Washington Post. TAG Magnet rated #2. Other Dallas ISD schools to make the list: Law Magnet, School of Business and Management, School of Health Professions, Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, W.T. White, Woodrow Wilson and Hillcrest.
May 26, 2011
Budget Reduction Plan 5.0 presented to trustees envisions a $100 million cut to district services.
June 3, 2011
District expects 7,200 graduates during the 2010-11 school year, up from 5,800 in 2006-07. It is the largest number of Dallas ISD graduates since the 1982-83 school year.
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