Jose May Elementary jumps three TEA grades to first-time A rating

Jose "Joe" May Elementary School in Dallas ISD rose three Texas Education Agency letter grades in a single year to an A rating for the first time in the campus's history, the district said in a Hub post dated Sept. 11.

Dallas ISD attributed the turnaround to a focus on academic growth, high expectations and strong relationships. Each morning over announcements, students recite an affirmation created by their principal that they are smart, kind and ready to do their best "the Maverick way," the district said.

Joe May also earned TEA distinctions in academic growth, postsecondary readiness and closing the gaps, according to Dallas ISD.

Principal and teacher accounts

"The culture changed to kids wanting to learn and do better because they understood the importance. Kids don't care about what they're being taught until they know you really care about them," Principal Oscar Aponte said in the district article.

Aponte has two decades in education and experience driving campus growth, Dallas ISD said. His stated goal is for students to leave Joe May with academic standing that lets them choose their future rather than having options limited by low grades or test scores.

Campus educators said they refuse to lower the bar. Teachers use backwards planning, align lessons to a clear daily objective and push students toward exemplary-level work, the district reported. Staff also shared academic data openly with students and celebrated small wins so students could see progress and own their success.

Third-grade teacher Silvia Martinez said establishing rules, boundaries and routines took longer than usual when the current team arrived, but staff stayed positive. "Students are in a better place now because we've already moved the needle and we're going to keep pushing," Martinez said.

Gladys De La Torre, who has taught at Joe May since the school opened about 10 years ago, said Northwest Dallas is home and that she regularly sees students and families in the neighborhood. "It has been like a hill, going up and down. Some years were harder than others, but I stayed because this is my neighborhood; these are my children," she said.

When Aponte shared the A rating, she said she was almost in tears because equal or better college opportunities for neighborhood children matter deeply to her.

What the district emphasized

Dallas ISD framed the A rating as the product of reading, writing and speaking work that rebuilt academic foundations while teachers incrementally raised the challenge level. The Sept. 11 Hub story, by Molly Schrader, did not publish the campus's prior letter grade or a full score table beyond the three-grade climb, first-time A and the three TEA distinctions.

For Dallas families, the district's announcement centers on a Northwest Dallas elementary posting its first A, paired with distinctions in growth, readiness and closing gaps, and on campus leaders tying that result to daily culture and instructional routines.

Sources

thehub.dallasisd.org