{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":false,"callToActionDisplayName":"Herbert Marcus Leadership Academy","outOfStateSupporters":46.4,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":10058141,"projectId":9977782,"letterContent":"Thank you for supporting our classroom by providing a printer and replacement ink. These resources have made a meaningful difference in how my students learn each day. Having reliable access to printed materials allows me to quickly create lessons, reading passages, practice activities, and small-group supports that meet students exactly where they are. Instead of sharing limited copies or going without, every student now has what they need to fully participate in learning.\r\n\r\nPrinted materials help them stay organized, focused, and confident, especially during reading and writing lessons. For many of my students, having a physical copy makes learning feel more real and achievable. It has also been empowering for students to see their work printed, shared, and celebrated in the classroom. Your support has helped remove barriers, increase access to learning materials, and create a classroom where students can truly succeed. Thank you for making this possible.","fullyFundedDate":1767387350035,"projectUrl":"project/visuals-on-the-spot/9977782/","projectTitle":"Visuals on the Spot","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Funes","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp10058141_orig.jpg?crop=200,200,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1750255215163","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10058141"},{"teacherId":10058141,"projectId":9419070,"letterContent":"Because of your generosity, my students are now learning in a space that feels welcoming, purposeful, and designed just for them. The new classroom décor has transformed our small-group intervention area into a calm, literacy-rich environment where students feel safe taking risks as readers. The Science of Reading–aligned materials; phonics tools, decodable texts, and structured literacy resources, are used daily during targeted intervention lessons. One powerful moment that stands out is watching students independently apply phonics strategies from our new materials while reading decodable texts, confidently decoding words they previously found intimidating.\r\n\r\nWhen students first saw the materials, their excitement was immediate. They noticed the inviting setup, the organized tools, and the books that finally felt \"just right\" for them. Many shared that the space felt special and that reading time felt different, in a good way. That excitement translated directly into engagement and growth. Thanks to consistent use of these resources, 93% of my students reached both their typical growth goal and their stretch goal on their major reading assessments, a milestone that reflects not only hard work, but also the power of having the right tools to support struggling readers.\r\n\r\nNext, we are continuing to build on this momentum by deepening students' decoding, fluency, and comprehension skills through small-group instruction and progress monitoring. Students are currently working toward reading longer, more complex decodable texts and transferring their skills to grade-level content. Your support has given them more than materials, it has given them confidence, motivation, and belief in themselves as readers. Thank you for investing in my students and for being part of their literacy journey.","fullyFundedDate":1753289591795,"projectUrl":"project/welcoming-literacy-environment/9419070/","projectTitle":"Welcoming Literacy Environment","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Funes","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp10058141_orig.jpg?crop=200,200,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1750255215163","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10058141"},{"teacherId":10082835,"projectId":9474520,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous support of my classroom project! Your donations have made such a positive difference in our daily learning.\r\n\r\nThe new printer has been an incredible tool for creating hands-on materials for small groups and learning centers. I've been able to print engaging literacy games, visual aids, and differentiated activities that support each student's unique needs. Having these resources ready in color makes learning more exciting and accessible for everyone.\r\n\r\nThe LCD writing boards have quickly become a favorite during writing activities. My students are more motivated to practice letter formation, word building, and sentence writing when they can use these bright, interactive boards. It's amazing to see their confidence and enthusiasm grow as they participate more actively.\r\n\r\nThe addition of Spanish books has also had a wonderful impact on literacy development. My students now have access to stories that reflect their language and culture, which has helped them strengthen vocabulary, comprehension, and a love for reading.\r\n\r\nBecause of your generosity, my classroom is now a more engaging, inclusive, and creative space for learning. Thank you again for believing in my students and helping them shine every day.","fullyFundedDate":1753289591560,"projectUrl":"project/hands-on-minds-on-tools-for-active-lea/9474520/","projectTitle":"Hands-On, Minds-On: Tools for Active Learning","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Carruyo","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-8_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10082835"},{"teacherId":7889164,"projectId":8822146,"letterContent":"Thanks to your generosity, my students are now using these phonics resources every single day during our small-group reading intervention time. We use the Spanish magnetic letters, syllable manipulatives, and phoneme games to practice segmenting, blending, and manipulating sounds in meaningful ways. One of my favorite moments was watching a group of students work together to build and rebuild words using the magnetic letters—students who once hesitated to participate were confidently explaining their thinking out loud and supporting one another as readers.\r\n\r\nWhen the materials first arrived, my students were beyond excited. They immediately wanted to explore everything, touching the letters, flipping through the syllable cards, and asking when we could start using them. For many of my bilingual learners, having materials that honor their home language made them feel seen and capable. These tools turned what used to feel like \"hard work\" into engaging, hands-on learning, and students now look forward to intervention time instead of dreading it.\r\n\r\nBecause of these resources, 93% of my students reached both their typical growth and stretch goals on their major literacy assessments. This success has allowed us to move forward with more advanced phonics patterns, decoding multisyllabic words, and strengthening fluency and comprehension. Our next steps include applying these skills to connected text and bridging their phonics knowledge into authentic reading and writing tasks. Your support has truly helped change the trajectory of my students' reading journeys—one phoneme at a time. 💙","fullyFundedDate":1732826818429,"projectUrl":"project/help-me-change-the-world-one-phoneme-at/8822146/","projectTitle":"Help Me Change the World One Phoneme at a Time!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Funes","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp7889164_orig.jpg?crop=758,758,x124,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1684609092822","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/7889164"},{"teacherId":8992554,"projectId":8825241,"letterContent":"In my classroom, we believe that books function as mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors. Books become mirrors when readers are able to relate to the story and see themselves reflected in the pages. Books become windows when they allow readers a view of lives and stories that are different from their own. That way, they can learn from other people's experiences and get immersed into them. Last but not least, books become sliding glass doors when the reader feels like they are a part of the story and empathize with the characters and conflicts of the stories. Thanks to your donation, our readers can have all three experiences while working towards mastery on their reading skills.","fullyFundedDate":1733495583627,"projectUrl":"project/readers-are-leaders-books-for-5th-grade/8825241/","projectTitle":"Readers Are Leaders: Books for 5th Grade","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Vanessa Bautista","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8992554_orig.jpg?crop=853,853,x371,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1693786244977","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/vanessabautista"},{"teacherId":9742246,"projectId":8785949,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your kindness and generosity! As a new teacher, having these resources has been an incredible help in creating a well-organized and engaging learning environment. The new materials have made our classroom more structured, supported our daily lessons, and given my students extra motivation to stay focused and excited about learning.\r\n\r\nWhen the supplies arrived, my students were so happy! They couldn't wait to explore everything, and it was heartwarming to see their enthusiasm. Since then, these resources have helped them stay organized, work more independently, and feel proud of their space. Small rewards have also been a great way to celebrate their efforts and encourage their progress.\r\n\r\nRight now, we are working on strengthening our reading skills, and these tools have been so useful in reinforcing key concepts. As we move forward, my students will continue benefiting from the structure, organization, and engagement these materials provide. Your generosity has truly made a lasting impact, and I can't thank you enough for believing in us!","fullyFundedDate":1735514756905,"projectUrl":"project/organize-reward-teach-and-inspire-spa/8785949/","projectTitle":"Organize, Reward, Teach and Inspire: Spark Joy In Our Classroom","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. T","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9742246_orig.jpg?crop=1283,1284,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1758294227342","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9742246"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_17854","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":637,"numTeachers":54,"percentFrplEligible":84,"percentAsian":0,"percentBlack":0,"percentWhite":0,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":96,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","gradesServed":"Pre-K - 5","studentTeacherRatio":"11.8:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"URBAN","ncesMetroType":"CITY_LARGE"},"inStateSupporters":53.6,"schoolId":17854,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Herbert Marcus Leadership Academy on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Herbert Marcus Leadership Academy","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/texas/dallas-independent-school-district/herbert-marcus-elementary-school/17854"}
Join the 267 supporters who believe in this school.
About this school
Herbert Marcus Leadership Academy is
an urban public school
in Dallas, Texas that is part of Dallas Independent School District.
It serves 637 students
in grades Pre-K - 5 with a student/teacher ratio of 11.8:1.
Its teachers have had 81 projects funded on DonorsChoose.
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of students receive free or reduced price lunch
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
Source: the National Center for Education Statistics
96%
of students are Black, Latino, Native
American, or Asian
Data about school demographics comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. The numbers in this chart may not add up to 100% because of limitations in the available data.
Herbert Marcus Leadership Academy Support on DonorsChoose
Last updated Jan 11, 2026
DonorsChoose makes it easy for anyone to help a teacher in need, moving us closer to a nation where students
in every community have the tools and experiences they need for a great education.
Herbert Marcus Leadership Academy
$38,193
raised using DonorsChoose
81
projects
funded
37
teachers
funded
267
donors
10
projects
for
basic supplies
14
projects for
technology
4
projects for
books
1
project
for
art supplies
Herbert Marcus Leadership Academy has received support from
143 individuals from Texas and
124 individuals out-of-state.