Celebrating a legacy of literacy at Dallas ISD

For thousands of Dallas ISD students, one day each spring stands out as something close to magical. It’s a day filled with music, special guests, free books, swag, and an overwhelming message that reading can take them anywhere—the district’s African American Read-In on Feb. 27. 

The read-in has been around since 1990 through the National Council of Teachers of English, and was brought to Dallas ISD by former District 6 Trustee Carla Ranger to spotlight African-American authors, stories, and student readers. Over time, it’s grown from a small Saturday gathering into a full‑scale district celebration with live music, big‑name guests, and nearly 10,000 free books.

One of the key organizers is Candyce Grant, director of the Office of School Improvement, whose own journey into education began far from Dallas.

Grant grew up in Lake Providence, La., a tiny rural town in the northeastern corner of the state along the Mississippi River. She described it as the kind of place “you blink, and you go right through,” but also as a deeply “homey” community where hard work was a way of life. As a child, she even spent time in the cotton fields with her mother.

“Hard work has always been a part of my life,” she said. “My mom was a teacher and a supervisor in education for over 40 years, and I really attribute who I am today to her. Whatever I do, I think, ‘My mom would be super proud of me because I’m walking in her legacy.’”

When Grant moved to Texas in 2004, she joined Dallas ISD as an elementary teacher at the now-closed George Washington Carver Creative Arts Learning Center. From there, she served at Sarah Zumwalt Middle School (now Dr. Frederick Douglass Todd Sr. Middle School), then moved into roles as a campus instructional coach, assistant principal, coordinator, and now director of School Improvement. Throughout that climb, her passion for literacy has stayed constant.

“Even if kids are more hands‑on, they still have to learn how to read,” she said. “Our goal is to instill reading in all of our students so they can grow, learn, and be very productive in their lives and as citizens.”

This year’s Read-In theme, “Read, Dream, Soar,” captures exactly what Grant is aiming for: not just higher reading levels, but bigger dreams.

“It’s about showing students they can be whoever they want to be, that they can dream big, and that reading is the foundation for their learning,” Grant said.

Over 40 campuses will send students to the central event at Concord Church, and at the same time, all 154 elementary campuses will receive curated book bundles, bookmarks, and a ready‑to‑use agenda so they can host their own campus read‑ins. In partnership with Library Media Services, the district selected 13 vetted titles and ordered enough copies for each participating student to leave with five to six books. Students will also receive a backpack, a book light, and a blanket.

“We want them to feel that reading is theirs,” Grant said. “That it’s special, that it belongs to them.”

On the stage, students will enjoy appearances by Dallas Cowboy Tyler Smith, the male-performance squad Mavs ManiAACs, and the Skyline High School band. Students will have the opportunity to meet author of Cookies & Milk Shawn Amos, who is also the son of famed entrepreneur Famous Amos, and listen as district leaders, including Superintendent Stephanie S. Elizalde, read aloud to them, demonstrating that books matter from the classroom all the way up to the superintendent’s office.

Throughout the venue, community and cultural partners will add to the atmosphere with storytelling, drumming, photo booths, and hands-on literacy stations. The goal isn’t just to tell students that reading is important—it’s to make them feel it, Grant said.

“That’s what we want,” she said. “We want them to be excited, to go back and tell their friends about it, and to want to read more.”

While School Improvement oversees more than 40 student‑centered projects, from mentoring and campus connectors to literacy and math acceleration specialists serving students who are most behind, the African American Read-In is a chance to show what all that work is really about: joy, opportunity, and the belief that a book can change the way children see the world and themselves.

“School improvement is here to support,” Grant said. “We’re goal‑driven and data‑driven, but we lead with love, tenacity, intentionality, and humility. At the end of the day, everything comes back to our students, their voices, their sense of belonging, and their future.”