Some of America’s youth are great kids, even in the face of adversity.

Flores reflects on the progress and pitfalls of being Dallas ISD’s district 1 trustee the last seven years.

Just because it’s summer doesn’t mean students should stop learning, and you don’t have send your kid to a camp far away.

In March Degoyler Elementary dedicated its new learning garden, known as the Degolyer Discovery Garden.

If you missed any of the last few forums with the four DISD District 1 trustee candidates, there’s another chance this weekend.

Michael Greenberg, Elizabeth Jones, Jennifer Levy and Roland Love will square off 10 a.m.-noon Saturday at the Museum of Biblical Art, moderated by CBS 11′s Steve Pickett. Presented by the Dallas High Schools Alumni Association, the debate includes contenders in all three DISD races (Districts 1, 3 and 9). Mayor Mike Rawlings is expected to attend.

Need a little more incentive? Attendees receive free museum admission after the forum.

Remember, Election Day is May 12. Early voting is April 30-May 8. Find early voting locations here. Here are the Election Day locations.

Update: It was announced this afternoon that “as a citizen” Mayor Rawlings has endorsed Elizabeth Jones in the District 1 race. Let’s recap other endorsements for our district:

Jones also received an endorsement from EducateDallas, National Education Association, Comerica Inc. PAC, the Real Estate Council and MetroTex Association of Realtors.

Greenberg on Friday landed endorsements from former DISD School Board President and District 1 Trustee Ken Zornes and former School Board Trustee and current Texas House Representative Rafael Anchia. He also has received backing from the teacher group, Alliance AFT.

Art Stop instructor Gina Dunn helps children, including her son, Mack, with an art project during class at the Preston Hollow studio. Photo by Can Türkyilmaz

In our April issue, we featured the neighborhood children’s art studio Art Stop and its upcoming exhibit that pairs student artwork next to the local, professional art that inspired it.

The exhibit “Inspired” opens today at Rising Gallery and runs through April 20. A reception is scheduled for 5:30-7:30 p.m Friday, April 20. This is not going to be your typical gallery opening. Art Stop instructors want to make it fun for kids, too. Think face painting and cotton candy.

The idea is to expose kids to the professional art that is right here in our backyard. The placement of the work at the exhibit features the professional art surrounded by the child’s interpretation of it. These are 3-year-olds up to teenagers, so it will vary quite a bit. And, that’s what makes it so interesting.

It’s a juried show for the kids, and the top winners will receive scholarships to continue their studies at the studio. Stop by and check it out. Most of these kids live in our neighborhood.

We’ve been hearing a lot of things about the board’s pick for the new superintendent. Mike Miles of Colorado is a reformer with big ideas on how to improve struggling school districts. Advocate publisher Rick Wamre predicts that Miles has a tough road ahead, navigating the politics and sheer size … more

Last weekend, the Degolyer Elementary community unveiled its new Discovery Garden, which aims to supplement classroom studies and educate students on preserving our natural world. Parents and volunteers tracked their progress for months on the garden blog.

As an added to tribute, Degolyer’s veteran teachers received stones in the garden engraved with their favorite inspirational quotes.

All four candidates for the District 1 Dallas ISD Trustee seat debated under one roof last night at Marsh Middle School. As evidenced by the Dallas Kids First PAC’s decision not to choose one to endorse, they each have a little something for every type of voter.

Michael Greenberg is your door-to-door kind of guy who seems to be out in the community and on the front lines of many issues being discussed. Elizabeth Jones is a data-driven, results-minded financial guru. Jennifer Levy is the less political outsider who people can more personally identify with. Roland Love, whose DKF PAC scorecard is on the lower end, seems laid-back and unlikely to ruffle any feathers.

On to the debate, which was quite civil. Only Greenberg and Jones took subtle jabs at each other. The candidates covered the current board, teacher evaluations, the dysfunctional human resources department and overcrowded schools in District 1. Read on after the jump:

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According to a variety of local reports, the DISD board has selected a Colorado Springs school superintendent — Mike Miles, 55 — as the new DISD superintendent, pending a mandatory state waiting period until the final vote in several weeks.

A quick Google search turns up a few links to Miles, a 1978 West Point grad and former Army officer who also graduated from Columbia University in new York and spent a number of years as a foreign diplomat before becoming an educator and administrator. You can watch a rather lengthy and dry webcast featuring Miles (look for him to appear at the 2:20 minute mark). The topic is “systems thinking” and how to use it to increase student achievement.

The DMN report on Miles says he “has been compared with Michelle Rhee, the go-get-em chancellor who has been villainized and lauded as she tries to repair the shattered Washington, D.C. school system.” Rhee, as many of you know, “resigned” her post in D.C. after a mayoral election swept into office a guy who ran on the platform of getting rid of Rhee because of her lightning-rod status in the district after she fired scores of what she called underperforming teachers, reformed the bureaucracy and basically turned the entire apple care over.

People are still debating her accomplishments, or lack thereof, in the Washington school system, but if Miles is anything like Rhee, we’ll be in for an interesting time here in Dallas.