Welcome back, teachers

We are excited to kick off the 2025-2026 school year, where legacy will be built through you. On Aug. 4, teachers returned to their classrooms to prepare for another year of energy, creativity and learning. This year is all about Legacy, honoring the impact teachers make through every lesson taught, every relationship built, and every challenge overcome. 

Whether this is your first year with Dallas ISD or you grew up in the district as a student, we celebrate your unwavering commitment. We are also celebrating our veteran educators who are preparing for their final year with the district. Their legacy will last for generations to come. Together, let’s make this year unforgettable.  

With the focus on building legacies for 2025-2026, there are a few new developments this year to build on:

• Dallas ISD begins the school year with 99% percent of teacher positions filled and less than 100 vacancies, the smallest number in recent history.
• This school year starts with great news about academic success and students showing remarkable progress across the board. Results often exceeded state performance, and Superintendent Stephanie S. Elizalde attributed the district’s momentum to the unwavering dedication of its educators and the district’s bold approach to innovation.“Let’s remember where we buried our treasure. We are a leader in pay for performance, and the data show that we retain our most effective teachers at a rate that other districts envy,” she said. “Additionally, we intentionally invested in early learning and were leaders in implementing what we call high-quality instructional materials and what regular people call a rigorous curriculum.”
• This year, school leadership changed its reporting structure, adding a sixth region. 
• The recently passed House Bill 1481 will prohibit the use of personal electronic devices during the school day. Even though the law does not go into effect until Sept. 1, the district will start enforcing this on the first day of school Aug. 12.
• Students at John Lewis Social Justice Academy at Oliver Wendell Holmes and Henry W. Longfellow Career Exploration Academy will be starting the school year at two new school buildings thanks to the 2020 Bond Program.. 
• Several new programs will be added for students, such as outdoor recreation, which includes camping, swimming, outdoor safety, first aid, among other outdoor activities.
• Dallas ISD will boast the first competitive soccer league in the fall for students in grades 4-6.
• A new districtwide messaging  system will offer two-way communication so principals and teachers can better communicate with parents/guardians and students in the language of their preference. 
• Translation Services has two new forms to request translation of documents and interpretation during meetings. You can find the forms at www.dallasisd.org/translationservices.
• A new rowing program, which includes training in swimming, will launch this fall. This program, part of a partnership with Bachman ROC Rowing Club, will provide scholarship opportunities to students and support diversification in the sport. The first training was held this week at Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Center.
• Dallas ISD is transitioning to a new secure web gateway solution powered by Netskope, which will replace iBoss in student devices. Like iBoss, Netskope will operate in the background during this transition. The new platform is designed to enhance the student web experience and strengthen the security of district devices and data.