Durham Public Schools win nine National Healthy Schools Awards

Durham Public Schools received nine of the 16 National Healthy Schools Awards earned by North Carolina schools. The awards come from the Alliance for a Healthier Generation founded by the American Heart Association and the Clinton Foundation as a response to the growing rate of childhood obesity.

Hillside has state’s No. 1 assistant principal

Jason Jowers, assistant principal at Hillside High School, has been named the 2015 North Carolina Assistant Principal of the Year by the N.C. Association of Principals and Assistant Principals.

12 Durham Public Schools Win National Healthy School Awards

Twelve Durham Public Schools have won a National Healthy School Award for improved nutrition, wellness, and physical activity programs from the Alliance from a Healthier Generation.

Two Durham Schools Rank in Top 2,000 of Best High Schools

Two Durham schools received a “silver medal,” ranking in the top 2,000 nationally of the U.S. News & World Report’s 2014 Best High Schools list. Kestrel Heights School in Durham was ranked at 1,744 and Hillside New Tech High in Durham at 1,997.

Durham Public Schools Demonstrates Progress in 2011-12

The 2011-12 school year yielded a number of progress indicators for Durham Public Schools including: an increased district wide graduation rate of 3.1% from 2010-2011 to 77%; two honor schools of excellence, City of Medicine Academy, and J.D. Clements Early College; seven schools of distinction and no low performing schools.

Durham Public Schools Names Alaina Burr Teacher of the Year

Riverside High School English as a Second Language teacher Alaina Burr has been named named Durham Public Schools' Teacher of the Year. Burr has been teaching for seven years, the last three of which have been at Riverside.

R.N. Harris Elementary Recognized with National Award

R.N. Harris Elementary School is one of 14 schools nationwide to be awarded the 2012 National Excellence in Urban Education Award. The award, presented by the National Center for Urban School Transformation, recognizes and rewards exceptional urban school educators and students; provides a benchmark of excellence that motivates reform efforts; and expands the knowledge base of best practices for promoting urban school transformation.

Eastway Elementary Awarded $100k Grant on Ellen DeGeneres Show

Eastway Elementary School was awarded a $100,000 grant from the Ellen DeGeneres Show and Target's Community Giving Program. Sarah Myrick, the teacher who nominated Eastway Elementary and the school's principal Kendral Flowers accepted the award in a live taping of the show. Myrick and Flowers plan to use the grant funds for technology.

Neal Middle School Band Receives VH1, Dale Jr. Foundation Support

The Dale Jr. Foundation and theVH1 Save the Music Foundation donated $30,000 worth of instruments to Neal Middle School. The Dale Jr. Foundation is a philanthropic organization presided over by race car driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. The VH1 Save the Music Foundation has provided more than $47 million worth of instruments to public schools since the its establishment in 1997.

Seven Durham Schools Honored by Clinton's Alliance for a Healthier Generation

Seven Durham schools are being honored by The Alliance for a Healthier Generation -- funded by the William J. Clinton Foundation and the American Heart Association -- for their efforts to curb childhood obesity. The schools being honored at various levels, from Bronze to Platinum, include: Morehead Montessori, Hope Valley and Mangum elementary schools; Neal and Brogden middle schools; and Riverside and Southern high schools.

Hillside High and Y.E. Smith Elementary Awarded School Improvement Grants

Hillside High and Y.E. Smith Elementary have been awarded School Improvement Grants by the North Carolina State Board of Education. They were two of only 17 schools in the state to receive the three-year grants.

Durham Schools Make Washington Post List of Top High Schools

Jordan, Durham School of the Arts, Riverside and Northern High Schools made The Washington Post's 2011 Challenge Index rankings of the nation's top high school.

Secretary of Education Visits Durham's Innovative Performance Learning Center

The Performance Learning Center, a Durham public high school come laboratory for progressive teaching and learning methods, has drawn attention from national policymakers who came to see the innovation in action. U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan joined U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan at the school on Monday to talk about how to turn around low-performing schools. They toured a math class and talked to students.

The Performing Learning Center is a partnership between the Durham Public Schools and Communities in Schools, a nonprofit that has helped form schools around the state. The partnership aims to reduce dropout rates and has been supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.


Read more: News & Observer - Durham School Gets High-Profile Visitors

Durham's Own is Cross Country Runner of the Year

Blake Williams, a senior at Northern High School, was chosen as the Gatorade North Carolina boys high school cross country runner of the year.

Vad Lee Named AP Player of the Year

After leading Durham Hillside to a state championship and being named to the All-State Team, Vad Lee can now celebrate another piece of history, being named The Associated Press prep football player of the year for North Carolina in 2010.

Hillside Quarterback Selected for All-State Team

Hillside quarterback Vad Lee earned another honor when he was picked for the Associated Press All-State team by garnering 11 votes, tying him for the most votes.

DPS Ranks Among Top 10 Nationally in Board Certified Teachers

Sixty-two Durham Public School teachers have been designated National Board Certified Teachers ranking DPS among the top 10 districts in the nation in its number of new nationally certified teachers. The induction brings the total number of nationally certified teachers in Durham to 327.

Hillside High School - State Champs

Durham's Hillside High School completed a perfect 16-0 football season bringing home the NCHSAA 4A State Championship.

Hillside High Advances to Championship Game

The Durham Hillside High School football team advanced to the 4-A Championship game on Saturday, December 11.

Jordan High School Wins Soccer Title

Jordan High School's boy's soccer team completed a perfect 25-0-0 season by clinching the NCHSAA 4-A State Championships.