5 May 2000
DISD Launches 21-Day Court Approved Recruiting Campaign
Two new magnet schools will open in the Dallas Independent School District in the 2000-2001 school year. That decision was recently approved by the DISD Board of Trustees. The William B. Travis Vanguard/Academy for the Academically Talented and Gifted, and E.D. Walker Math, Science and Technology Vanguard will allow for nearly 1200 additional students to attend the district's award winning magnet schools. More than 70 instructors will be needed to teach the specialized programs at both schools.
"The opening of the Travis and Walker magnet schools will add a new dimension to education in Dallas," said General Superintendent Dr. Waldemar Rojas. "Parents in this city have been waiting for many years for an opportunity to enjoy the unique educational offering these schools will provide—competitive, challenging and focused on preparing students for success in a highly technical workforce."
The vanguard at E.D. Walker will provide students from pre-kindergarten through sixth grade with compelling and engaging mathematics and science instruction as a major focus within the total program. The rich curriculum will offer the opportunity to learn and understand important mathematical and scientific concepts and procedures utilizing essential components of a technological environment.
The vanguard also will be a learning ground for importing and exporting best practices in math and science throughout the district. "This is win-win situation for everyone involved and a perfect opportunity for us, as a district, to continually enhance and expand advanced knowledge for our children," explained the newly appointed principal at E.D. Walker, Dr. Ivonne Durant. The program at Walker also will also provide continuing education for math and science instructors, as well as college graduate tutors for students through the Urban Systemic Initiative program.
Recruiting for Walker this year will primarily focus on the student bodies of six schools; Anne Frank, L. L. Hotchkiss, Arthur Kramer, John Pershing, Preston Hollow, and Vickery Meadows. The DISD administration is working to utilize existing structures within the district to ease overcrowding on targeted campuses, and provide more students with specialized interests a challenging educational environment.
"We want these specialized schools, and other magnets, to be true teaching and learning environments that lend themselves to training and sharing for instructors and administrators districtwide," said Deputy Superintendent Dr. Rosita Apodaca.
The TAG vanguard/academy at Travis will provide students in fourth through eighth grades an opportunity to excel in core subject areas while making global connections in the field of learning. The international college preparatory curriculum will present students with a rigorous and challenging program in the context of global education and intercultural awareness using thematic, interdisciplinary studies. The academics at Travis will include language arts, foreign languages, mathematics, humanities, sciences, technology, arts and physical education.
The administration at Travis will begin implementing the Middle Years Programme of International Baccalaureate in preparation for seeking authorization to become an official International Baccalaureate Organizational Site. "The anticipated curriculum for next year and initializing the I.B. program will allow us to take our talented and gifted students to another level in terms of their educational experiences," said Ms. Mari Terry, the new principal at Travis. Students will engage in activities to better understand themselves in relationship to others for the purpose of becoming responsible citizens in a global society.
The program at Travis will add to the existing talented & gifted programs at Polk vanguard and Spence academy, as well as pull-out TAG programs throughout the district. Once current Polk and Spence students, and newly-accepted and waiting list students have declared their intentions for next year the application process will be opened up districtwide.
Applications for students who want to attend any of these schools will be available on May 5th in the counselor's office of each appropriate school throughout the district. The applications must be submitted to the school of your choice by May 26th. Parents and students will be notified of the status of their application by June 9th.