TI Foundation announces $1M gift to Dallas Achieves initiative
TI Chairman, Tom Engibous announced the TI Foundation’s $1M donation, calling Dallas Achieves “the most promising educational reform initiative that we’ve seen.” |
Three Dallas foundations, each with $1M gifts in hand, have embraced the Dallas Independent School District’s (ISD) mission to ensure every student graduates college and is workforce ready. The Texas Instruments Foundation (TIF), Harold Simmons Foundation and W.W. Caruth, Jr., Foundation of Communities Foundation of Texas were honored on October 9 at a celebration along with almost 50 other donors who are helping fund Dallas ISD’s mission to achieve academic excellence for all students and ultimately win the nationally coveted Broad Prize for Urban Education by 2010.
“Today we celebrate three extraordinary gifts illustrating the community’s belief in and support for Dallas ISD, along with other significant gifts from Dallas individuals and institutions, some of whom began helping us almost 2 years ago,” said J. McDonald Williams, Co-Chair of the Dallas Achieves Commission and founder/chairman of the Foundation for Community Empowerment. “Their generous acts of early giving, together with courageous leadership from Dr. Michael Hinojosa and the school board, have launched Dallas ISD’s journey on the ‘Road To Broad.”
Announcing the gifts were Thomas J. Engibous, chairman of Texas Instruments; Charles J. Wyly, Jr., chairman of the board of Communities Foundation of Texas; and Betsy Healy, program officer of the Harold Simmons Foundation.
“Dallas Achieves represents the most promising educational reform initiative that we’ve seen, and the TI Foundation is very pleased to support this outstanding effort. We believe this is the first time the principles of campus and principal empowerment, data collection and best practices deployment have been systematically put into use in a major urban school district,” said Mr. Engibous. “Everywhere these principles have been implemented effectively, they’ve worked, and Dallas ISD has shown progress over the past 2 years. This is an ambitious project with a critical mission, and resources from the private and non-profit leaders in this community will be essential if it is to succeed. We must do all we can, and, until every student is achieving, we cannot rest.”
The funding will support the execution of the Dallas Achieves Transformation and Implementation Plan, which was formally adopted by the Dallas ISD Board of Trustees in April 2007. The Transformation Plan focuses on two key components:
- an Education Plan (emphasizing rigor, aligned common curriculum, instructional improvement via data and professional learning)
- a comprehensive set of recommendations (and commendations), developed in conjunction with Dallas ISD staff and trustees with the Dallas Achieves Commission, an influential group of Dallas business and community leaders.
During his remarks at the announcement, Dallas ISD Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Hinojosa, emphasized the importance and long-lasting impact of the community’s backing of the Dallas ISD.
“It will take the support and effort from everyone in the city, including donors, sponsors, the board, parents and, of course, district staff and students, to reach the ambitious goals of the Dallas Achieves initiative," said Dr. Hinojosa. "Thankfully, the donors who were announced today, as well as those who have already contributed, understand our collective commitment to making certain that all Dallas students are college and workforce ready.”
“With the Dallas Achieves Transformation Plan now in place, we have a roadmap to change the culture to one that focuses on students and the campuses that serve them,” said Dr. Hinojosa. “It’s an exciting time at Dallas ISD, and to know that the community so strongly supports our mission is powerful and energizing.” |
