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As the nation's eleventh largest school district, Dallas Independent School District serves more than 160,000 students who come from homes where 58 different languages are spoken.  Operating with a $1 billion dollar budget, DISD employs 18,613 employees including 10,000 teachers in 220 schools.

TOP NAT'L SPEAKERS TO ADDRESS DISD AT MOLINA

20 Jul 2001

TOP NATIONAL SPEAKERS TO ADDRESS DISD EDUCATORS AT MOLINA HIGH SCHOOL, JULY 23-27

Three specialists in the fields of education, psychology and sociology will gather July 23-27 to address school principals and other administrators in the Dallas Independent School District. Each of the nationally-recognized presenters brings a wealth of expertise in topics such as literacy, child development and cultural awareness. The 2001 Administrators' Conference will be held at Molina High School, 2355 Duncanville Rd.

• Growing up poor in Wilmington, Delaware, the sixth of seven children, Bertice Berry was told by a high school teacher that she was "not college material". Fortunately, she chose to listen to the inner voice that had always told her she was destined for more. Dr. Berry not only graduated magna cum laude from Jacksonville University in Florida, where she was awarded the President's Cup for Leadership, but she subsequently earned a doctorate in sociology from Kent State University. Dr. Berry left Kent State to become an award-winning entertainer, lecturer and comedienne. From 1991 through 1994, she won the coveted National Comedian of the Year Award, and also was named Campus Lecturer of the Year and Campus Entertainer of the Year. Dr. Berry is the best-selling author of an inspirational memoir, I'm On My Way, But Your Foot Is on My Head and the bestsellers Straight From the Ghetto, You Might Be Ghetto If and the sequel You STILL Ghetto. Dr. Berry is active in her community working with at-risk youth and speaking at area prisons and schools.

• With Bachelor and Master's degrees from Stanford and the University of Illinois, Jean H. Osborn has had a variety of experiences as an administrator, a researcher and teacher. She was a member of the University of Illinois' Center for the Study of Reading staff for almost 20 years, serving as director for 12 years. She is the co-editor of four books on reading research, the author of more than 30 articles and book chapters, a set of resource materials on textbook adoption, and a review of the 1992 NAEP in Reading.

Dr. Osborn co-wrote a summary of Beginning to Read: Thinking and Learning about Print. Her most recent publication is Literacy for All: Issues in Teaching and Learning, and she is presently a consultant to the University of Texas Reading and Language Arts Center for a staff development project for all second grade teachers in Texas.

• G. Reid Lyon, is a research psychologist and the Chief of the Child Development and Behavior Branch within the National Institute of Health (NIH). He is responsible for the direction, development and management of research programs in developmental psychology, cognitive neuroscience, behavioral pediatrics, reading and human learning and learning disorders. Dr. Lyon received his doctorate degree from the University of New Mexico (1978) with a dual concentration in psychology and developmental disabilities. He completed a fellowship in development neuroscience at the University of New Mexico Medical Center and has served on the faculties of Northwestern University and the University of Vermont. Dr. Lyon is currently responsible for translating NIH scientific discoveries relevant to the health and education of children to the White House, the United States Congress and other governmental agencies. He also currently serves as an advisor to President George W. Bush on child development and education research and policies.

Note: Dr. Osborn and Dr. Berry will present Monday, July 23, at the 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. session. Dr. Lyon's presentation is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. to 9:20 a.m. Tuesday, July 24.