Dallas ISD welcomes new teachers 

About 1,500 new teachers gathered at the Winspear Opera House this week to celebrate the start of the 2022-2023 school year and their new journey with Dallas ISD. 

The atmosphere was festive and inspirational, as they watched performances by Dallas Poet Laureate Joaquín Zihuatanejo, DaVerse Lounge and the Wilmer Hutchins Blue Belles and Seagoville Blazers. Several campus leaders also took the stage to welcome the new teachers, including Superintendent Stephanie Elizalde, Trustee Dan Micciche and teacher of the year finalists Anais Childress and Dutchess Gutierrez. 

Regardless of the campus or grade level, Dallas ISD’s new teachers are ready to transform student lives and make memorable moments this year. Kenneth Ho, a ninth grade biology teacher at L.G. Pinkston High School, is most excited about meeting his students. 

“My students are going to be in high school for the first time, so they’re going to be in a brand new environment the same way that I am going to be in a new environment, so I am looking forward to learning alongside them,” he said. “I also love biology, and I want to be a part of inspiring students early on to pursue science.” 

Shakira Aguinaga, a third grade bilingual teacher at Gabe P. Allen Charter School, agreed: “I am excited about the opportunity to grow, both in teaching and in growing with my students. The New Teacher Academy gave us resources to use in the classroom, and they will really help my kids.”

These incredible teachers chose to work at Dallas ISD to pursue their dreams and make a difference. Ieasha Lee, a middle school math teacher at Judge Louis A. Bedford, Jr. Law Academy, is a proud graduate of Dallas ISD who left the health care field to return to teaching. 

“I’d seen that a lot of teachers were leaving, and I saw that there was a need,” she said. “I’m one of those people who would like to meet students where they are, and I knew that I belonged in a classroom versus behind a desk.” 

Welcome home, new teachers!