Three North Texas education providers are on the scoreboard for pushing the envelope in getting their students lined up for careers that pay well enough to bust them out of poverty. The Dallas-based nonprofit, The Commit Partnership, spotted the efforts of Dallas ISD, Garland ISD, and Uplift Education charter school network, and is showing them the money – to the tune of $25,000 each.
Dallas ISD's hands-on Career Institute North, for example, slams the book shut on traditional learning, opting for real-world skills that students can take straight to the bank. "You get to be active and actively participate and do things instead of sitting there with a pencil and paper," ninth-grader Tilelynn Harris told Fox 4 News, explaining how her coursework in English and Math supports the institute's program, which can lead to healthcare certifications.
Packing a serious punch, The Commit Partnership is aiming aggressively to double the share of Dallas County residents who make a living wage by 2040, a lift that's not lost on Miguel Solis, once a Dallas ISD board trustee and now pulling strings as Commit's Chief of Staff. These schools and networks are not just moving the needle; they're "changing the trajectory of economically-disadvantaged kids," as Solis phrased it to Fox 4 News. Their efforts come at a time when state educational funding has hit a sore spot, with Solis recalling the $4 billion "left on the table" last legislative session that could have turbocharged programs like the Career Institute North. They are hustling to draw on state money for future initiatives, even as the demand for specialized skills, such as industrial robotics, surges ahead.
Uplift Education's CEO, Yasmin Bhatia, squared up, telling The Dallas Morning News that their prerogative is setting kids up for college and the global marketplace with programs that kick in as early as middle school. They support their students way beyond the graduation gown, too, deploying a hearty roster of success counselors and career centers to keep alumni on the up and up. Uplift's figures aren't shy either, boasting an average alumni salary that muscles past any other in the county.
Gunning for tangible impact, the accolades aren't just about clapping these education providers on the back – it's about cash in hand to those making the grade in their respective quarters. Each school system gets to play Santa, doling out the bonus checks to the educators they deem most deserving. Dallas ISD could spread the wealth to multiple teachers or crown a single champion with the full pot. Meanwhile, Brian Lusk, the deputy superintendent of Dallas ISD, summed up the challenge to The Dallas Morning News: “Our job is to remove those barriers and put our students in a position to be able to win in life.”
With over 139,500 students under its wing, Dallas ISD is not flying blind. They're serving up a hearty plate of early college high schools and specialized programs to get students career-ready. Garland ISD isn't far behind, leading the county in the percentage of students nailing industry certifications and stacking up college credit like it's going out of fashion, making sure their students don't just walk the stage at graduation but leap towards a future chock-full of opportunities. The educational landscape of North Texas, it seems, is wired for a shake-up, and these school systems are leading the charge.
