Dallas ISD, Garland ISD, Uplift Education to receive $25,000 each from nonprofit
Two North Texas school districts along with a charter school network will soon get to choose which teachers to recognize with a bonus this year.
Dallas ISD, Garland ISD and Uplift Education were selected by a North Texas nonprofit to each receive $25,000.
At Dallas ISD's new Career Institute North campus, students trade in textbooks for some very hands-on lessons.
"You get to be active and actively participate and do things instead of sitting there with a pencil and paper," said 9th grader Tilelynn Harris.
Harris says the Career Institute helps all of her classes come to life.
"Certain things that I learn in English class will help me here, or certain things that I learn in math class like conversions, things like that, they help me as I come here," she said.
Deborah Sanso is the lead instructor in Principles of Health Science.
"Our students can walk away with phlebotomy, EKG, patient care technician, dental assisting and emergency medical technician," said Sanso.
It all caught the attention of The Commit Partnership, a nonprofit with a goal of doubling the rate of people earning a living wage in Dallas County by 2040.
The Career Institute North campus used to be Walnut Hill Elementary, which was destroyed in an October 2019 tornado.
Former Dallas ISD school board trustee Miguel Solis is now the Chief of Staff of Commit.
"This is beyond my wildest imagination," he said while looking at the campus.
Solis says Dallas ISD, Garland ISD and Uplift Charter Schools are all getting results when it comes to changing the trajectory of economically-disadvantaged kids.
The goal of the money is to reward key individuals who have done the work to see those results, according to Solis.
He says the last legislative session was disappointing with no approval of any new school funding.
"The past legislative session there was about $4 billion that was left on the table of new education money that could have gone to help expand things like Career Institute North," Solis said.
Fort Worth ISD reducing budgets, cutting staff
Fort Worth ISD Superintendent Dr. Angelica M. Ramsey said impacted employees will be told no later than Friday.
He added Commit wants to help districts learn how they can tap into state money through innovative ideas.
"Students learning these type of systems will be valuable to industry," said Calvery Aaron, an industrial robotics instructor.
Aaron says the industry demand for graduates with certifications in robotics is high.
"We do have an engineering student who has a full ride at University of Miami, and at this program we had a guest speaker here from American Airlines, and they offered him a tech-op position on the spot," said Aaron.
It will be up to each of the school districts to decide who is deserving of receiving a bonus in their paycheck.
For example, Dallas ISD could choose to give $1,000 to 25 teachers, $5,000 to five teachers or even recognize one leader with $25,000.