March 2021

The recent frigid temperatures and winter storms that hit Texas left many Dallas ISD families facing expensive repairs to their homes and other hardships. Fortunately, there is assistance at the federal and district levels.

President Joe Biden declared an emergency for most counties in Texas, which made federal disaster assistance funds available to families to help with home repairs and other needs not covered by insurance. FEMA programs do not pay for fuel or spoiled food.

Federal assistance

To start a claim, call 800-621-3362 or go to https://www.disasterassistance.gov/ to apply for federal FEMA funds. Homeowners must be able to provide FEMA with information on insurance coverage available to them as well as documentation on insurance settlements or denials to process the application. Additional information you will need to file the claim includes:

• Social security number or the social security number of a minor child in the household who is a U.S. citizen, non-citizen national or qualified alien
• Annual household income
• Contact information such as phone number, mailing address, email address, and address of the damaged home
• Insurance information (coverage, insurance company name, etc.)
• Bank account information (if you are eligible to receive financial assistance, the money can be deposited in your account)

District assistance

Dallas ISD has two types of leave that district staff can access if they need to take time to deal with major repairs in their homes or other hardships related to the recent winter storms.

Emergency Leave—Emergency leave includes, but is not limited to, unforeseen natural disasters or destruction of a vehicle or domicile by flood, fire, or storm involving the employee or a member of the employee’s family. Employees may be granted three paid days of emergency leave by the BRC.

The days will not be deducted from the employee’s time off. Additional days of absence will result in a deduction of accumulated time off.

Hardship Leave—Hardship leave may be granted only if the employee is not eligible for or has exhausted any other leave (e.g., FMLA leave, temporary disability leave, general medical leave, or workers’ compensation). The leave may be granted for serious illness of the employee or a family member or personal hardship for circumstances beyond the employee’s control.

Leave may be paid if the employee has available time off. Hardship leaves may be granted up to 20 business days in a school year. An extension of an additional 20 business days may be granted by the BRC with proper documentation.

For additional information about leaves and to requests one, visit the Benefits Department webpage or contact BenefitsLeaves@dallasisd.org.

You can help

Partnership and Volunteer Services is accepting donations of gift cards in amounts of $25 and $50 for distribution to families displaced or impacted by the recent snowstorm. District staff or members of the public can drop off cards purchased from retail stores, MasterCard or Visa to the PVS team at 9400 N. Central Expressway during business hours Tuesday through Friday or make a drop off appointment by calling (972) 925-5440. Family and Community Engagement Services will deliver the donated cards to families that have been identified by campuses as being in need. Families displaced from apartment complexes that suffered water damage from burst pipes are especially in need of assistance.

The 80 high priority campuses across the district are looking for outstanding teachers who are passionate about their profession and whose heart lies with helping students succeed no matter what. Teachers, instructional coaches, counselors and media specialists who are eligible and interested in working in one of these campuses can participate in a virtual high priority job fair via Brazen that will take place from 4 to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, March 9.

To sign up for the March 9 job fair, click here.

Then, they can take advantage of the district’s open transfer period for high priority campuses that started last week and continues through April 23. For eligibility requirements, go here.

Open transfer process

Each year, Dallas ISD teachers, instructional coaches, counselors and media specialists who meet certain guidelines can accept a position at another campus for the following school year during the open transfer period.

Eligible employees must apply online using their EAD login at www.dallasisd.org/careers using the Current Dallas ISD Employee link. Employees who do not apply will not be eligible to participate.

Working at a high priority campus has benefits beyond making a difference. Eligible teachers serving at high priority campuses in the 2021-2022 school year will:

• Earn additional DTR points on the TEI Scorecard, replacing the existing Tier I process.
• Earn additional stipends. Proposed stipend amounts are shown in the chart below.

PROPOSED 2021-22 High Priority Campus stipend amounts are below.  More information about stipend eligibility can be found here.

Nutrition deals with how the food you consume works in your body and how your body uses it to function. Dallas ISD is celebrating good nutrition during the month of March to help be healthier.

Because what we eat has an effect not just on weight but also on health, energy and focus, good nutrition dietary choices are crucial to reduce your risk of disease and to function during the day.

A balanced diet—or good nutrition—involves the right combinations of proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals, fiber, and water. If you don’t have the right balance of any of these in your daily diet, your risk of developing certain disease or health conditions increases dramatically.

What are macronutrients that are the building block of nutrition?

Macronutrients are nutrients that we need in high quantities: carbohydrates, proteins, fats and water.

Carbohydrates—The best carbohydrates are not sugars. They are whole grains like brown rice, wild rice, oatmeal, whole-grain barley, bulgur, farro, buckwheat, starchy vegetables including regular and sweet potatoes, and corn. It takes the body a while to break fiber down and absorb, but afterward your body will feel fuller longer and may reduce risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and colorectal.

Proteins—Some foods provide complete proteins that contain all essential amino acids the body needs while other foods have various combinations of amino acids. Most plant-based foods don’t contain complete proteins, so vegans need to eat a range of foods daily to get the essential amino acids for optimum nutrition.

Fats—The type of fat we eat makes a difference. Plant based or unsaturated fats like from olive oil are healthier than saturated fat that come from animals. Too much fat can lead to obesity, high cholesterol, liver disease, etc. A healthy balance is crucial. Fats are an important part of good nutrition because they lubricate joints, help organs produce hormones, enable the body to absorb certain vitamins, reduces inflammation, and help preserve brain health.

Water—It doesn’t contribute calories to the body, but it remains an important part of overall nutrition because it makes up about 60% of the adult body and is needed for just about every bodily process. Water doesn’t just come in a bottle; it is a big part of most fruits and vegetables, which makes it hard to gauge what is enough water based just on quantities. The recommendation is to monitor urine color, and if it’s a pale yellow, then water levels are adequate. But the rule of thumb is that if you are thirsty you are already dehydrated, which means your body doesn’t have the optimal fluids to function at its best.

Micronutrients

Micronutrients are nots as flashy, but they also contribute to good nutrition. They include including vitamins and minerals, water soluble vitamins, fat soluble vitamins, and antioxidants.