June 2024

Having a co-worker who motivates you, has a positive attitude, and embodies the district’s Core 4 tenet of Friendly, leads to a work environment that is welcoming and positive. That’s how team members describe Ronnie “Joey” Elms, maintenance specialist and safety coordinator in the Maintenance and Facility Services Department’s Northeast Quadrant. 

“Joey is always keeping everybody in good spirits, but he’s also keeping everybody motivated,” said Brett Parmer, maintenance specialist. “He makes the job fun, and he does a lot of coordinating with the jobs and getting the people lined out where they need to be. You never hear any complaining from him and he’s just an all around good guy.” 

Parmer, who is the assistant safety coordinator, works closely with Elms. In fact, earlier this year, Elms was honored with the 2023 Golden Eagle Award at the Risk Management safety coordinator meeting. The award recognized outstanding commitment to safety within the safety coordinator program. Elms credited the hard work of his team and thanked the NE quad—that includes 60 to 70 people—for prioritizing safety. 

“If there are any obstacles or problems in their way, they let me know so I can address it with the right department,” Elms said. For example, if a team member sees a fire extinguisher that’s broken, Elms will report it and make sure that it’s replaced immediately. 

According to Elms, the district has safety standards that he shares with his team so they know how to apply them to their work. 

Besides doing his safety coordinator role, Elms, who is a craftsman, works on projects with his team that may include carpentry and construction work on campuses and facilities. This can entail repairing a wall, laying out floor or renovating an auditorium or an office. 

Elms and his team members always stay busy. Part of his role includes being an expediter, which includes keeping tabs of all the inventory that’s in the shop in the NE quad. This also includes duties such as going out to a location and figuring out how much material and personnel will be needed for the job, as well as how many days should be scheduled to complete it. 

“You have something new everyday,” Elms said. “We might work on a floor for two or three days and then do a wall repair for a few days. So there’s always something different that goes on, but because of the camaraderie, we have a great time working together.” 

Elms describes himself as the spokesperson for his team as well as the motivator, and even the jokester, who keeps things going, making the work day a productive one. Being a leader is something he enjoys, he said. 

Elms believes in treating everyone with dignity and respect, he said. He lives by a bible verse: “I can do to all things through Christ who strengthens me,” and credits his faith as his motivation to uplift others in any space he is in. 

In his spare time at his East Texas home, from where he commutes on a daily basis, he stays active enjoying outdoor activities such as fishing, beautifying his yard, golfing, and spending time with his children. 

Summers in Dallas can be brutally hot, but you can prepare to lessen the effects and stay healthy by following some tips.

Listen to local weather forecasts so you know when extreme heat is on the way. But don’t wait for an impending heat wave to take the following precautions:

• Install weather stripping at doors and windows.
• Install curtains or shades over windows that get direct sun. Outdoor awnings or louvers can very effectively keep heat out.
• Keep temporary window reflectors on hand, such as cardboard sheets covered with aluminum foil. Installing these between windows and drapes will reflect heat back outside.
• Make sure window air-conditioner units are fitted tightly and have clean filters. Make sure that ducts for central air conditioning are insulated, and have the unit maintained yearly to avoid unexpected breakdowns.
• Be aware of neighbors who may need help during a heat wave, especially the elderly, pregnant people, young children, and people who are sick or homebound.

To prepare for heat waves and other emergencies, put together an emergency kit and a family communication plan. Check the contents of your kit frequently. Make sure you have everything you need in case of a power outage. Checklists and advice about coping with extreme heat are available at Ready.gov.

If possible, get your roof insulated. Insulation prevents heat getting in during hot weather and prevents it from escaping in cold weather, so it’s a year round investment that can also keep your energy bills down.

Remember others. Never leave children, adults with disabilities, elderly people, or pets in a vehicle, not even for a minute. When the temperature outside is 80 degrees, the interior of your car can heat up to 99 degrees in just 10 minutes. According to the National Safety Council, 38 children die on average each year due to vehicular heatstroke.

Stay hydrated. Drink plenty of water. Put ice cubes in your water bottle. Avoid caffeinated and alcoholic beverages, and check your urine—if it’s darker or more yellow than usual, this may be a sign that you’re becoming dehydrated.

Eat small, frequent meals. It’s best to avoid hot, rich foods and consider cold foods like salads, leftovers, fruit, and sandwiches or wraps. If you do need to cook or heat something, try using a microwave so that it doesn’t heat up the kitchen. Give children fruit juice-based ice pops to assist with hydration.

Slow down and take it easy. Reduce strenuous activities as much as you can, and take frequent breaks when you do have to work in the heat. Postpone outdoor activities and games, and take precautions when exercising outdoors in the heat. If possible limit outdoor activities to times of day when the temperatures are not as high. Be sure to stay hydrated and to take breaks from the heat, and remind children to do the same.

Stay inside. Avoid being outside when the sun is strongest, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. If you need to be outdoors, try to schedule any exercise for early in the morning or early evening.

Circulate the air. Use portable electric fans to circulate the air. But don’t have them blow directly on you if it’s above 90 degrees, as this can contribute to dehydration. Use a water spray bottle or wet cloth to keep your skin damp. Take short, frequent cool showers or baths.

Use sunscreen. Keep direct sun exposure to a minimum. Use a sunscreen that protects against UVA and UVB rays and has an SPF of 30 or more. Use plenty of it, and reapply about every two hours, and after swimming or sweating. For infants under the age of 6 months, look for sunscreen with titanium, as regular sunscreens should not be used at that age. Whenever possible, wear a hat and stay in the shade. While swimming, children should wear sun protective swimwear such as a rash guard and swim cap. Refer to the American Cancer Society’s website for sunscreen and other sun protection advice, and remember that sunscreen alone is not enough to prevent sun damage. 

Know where you can go to cool down. If you don’t have air conditioning at home, consider spending the hottest part of the day in a mall, movie theater, library, swimming pool, or community facility. City of Dallas public facilities offer cooling centers. Some agencies may open designated cooling centers where people who lack air conditioning can find a respite from the heat. Contact your local 211 Service or your city information line for information on any designated cooling centers in your area.

Dress for the weather. Wear lightweight, loose-fitting clothing in light colors. Be sure to wear sunglasses and a wide brimmed hat.

Check on your animals. Check frequently to make sure pets aren’t suffering from the heat and that they have plenty of water. Remember that paved, asphalt, sand, and cement surfaces get very hot, so go early in the morning or wait until the evening or go to a shaded or grassy area to exercise your dog.

Listen for updates. Listen to weather forecasts each day so you know what’s coming.

If you need help, the district’s Employee Assistance Program provides short-term counseling for you, your spouse/partner, and any dependent family members. Counseling sessions can assist with a wide range of concerns, including stress, anxiety, depression, grief, and more. And, as always, you can reach TELUS Health EAP 24/7 at 972-925-4000 Option 3. For additional questions, employees may contact the Human Capital Management Benefits Department at 972-925-4300, email benefits@dallasisd.org, or click here for information on the Benefits Website.

Source: LifeWorks

With schools such as Young Women’s STEAM Academy at Balch Springs and Solar Preparatory School for Girls, which offers STEAM education, Dallas ISD is promoting numerous opportunities for young women to seek careers in engineering. 

Part of the intention of International Women’s Day in Engineering, which is on June 23, is to encourage girls to go into the engineering field in order to help fill the demand as job opportunities in this area continue to grow.

The global celebration of women engineers began in the U.K. in 2014 and has grown internationally each year to encourage government, education, corporate and other entities to join together to bring awareness to the need of women in the engineering field. 

Although still underrepresented, the number of women in engineering grew significantly from 1970 to 2020, according to data from the U.S. Department of Labor. The number of women engineers grew from 3% to 15% and all STEM fields in general saw an increase from 7% to 24%.

Dallas ISD’s STEM and STEAM schools help foster a love of science, technology, math and the arts in young people who enjoy finding solutions to real-world problems and challenges. 

Dallas ISD is also home to the largest STEM EXPO in Texas, where students explore, design, and create real-world STEM activities. The Dallas ISD STEM EXPO has over 100 hands-on exhibits and serves as the culmination event for district championships: Science & Engineering Fair, VEX, and First Robotics Competitions, Mathematics Video Game Challenge, Mathematics Bridge Building Competition, Health and Wellness Awareness, and the Tech Fest Digital Media Fair Competition.

Opportunities available to study engineering at Dallas ISD include campuses such as Dallas Environmental Science Academy (DESA), School of Science and Engineering at Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Center, J.P. Starks Math, Science, and Technology Vanguard and Science Academy, career and technical education programs in high schools, career institutes, P-TECH programs and NAF Academies in high schools. 

Here are a few ways you can do your part to celebrate and bring awareness to women in engineering.

• Celebrate a women engineer that you know
• Learn more about STEAM and STEM opportunities available at Dallas ISD
• Invite women engineers to speak to students and team members about different opportunities in engineering

For more information about STEM and STEAM programs available through Dallas ISD, visit their respective department pages.

Dallas ISD team members are guided by a culture rooted in four culture tenets—friendly, fast, focused, flexible. These culture tenets ensure that all team members work collaboratively with each other and with all other stakeholders for the success of students. While all team members embrace this culture on different levels, some are champions of the Core 4. 

This quarter, four of these champions in central administration will be recognized for their exemplary work in one of each of the four tenets. The recognition includes a gift bag with Core 4 memorabilia and use of the Core 4 Champion parking spot at the Linus D. Wright Dallas ISD Administration Building. Meet the winners. 

Fast

Dane Beasley

Performance Management

Dane Beasley always provides fast service whether it be by email, phone, or other means. He normally responds the same day, and if not the same day, by the next morning. He efficiently and effectively accesses and analyzes policy, data and all other relevant information to provide accurate and timely responses to all stakeholders. He manages time effectively and prioritizes tasks efficiently to maintain the fastest possible service. He adjusts well as needed when unforeseen circumstances arise and communicates any possible delays due to those circumstances. He manages emails to teachers, leaders, and others to ensure they are aware of Cornerstone and other task deadlines, procedures, and information.

He responds to TEI emails promptly and professionally. He receives regular requests for complicated data analysis that he promptly and accurately provides to stakeholders, including TEI, DTR. If the dashboard or other program is not functioning properly, he takes swift action to resolve it himself or collaborate with others to fix the issue and meet deadlines and provide resources to stakeholders. For example, he has created complex Power Queries to quickly analyze and sort data to provide administrators fast and reliable data regarding teacher evaluations and other data needs. He provides the TEI calendar and other resources quickly and ensures they are available on the district website. His work is essential and the fast support he provides to all stakeholders is a valuable asset to Dallas ISD. He exemplifies all 4 core values, and fast is one of his most outstanding qualities.

Flexible

Bernard Johnson

Dallas Police Department

Sgt. Bernard Johnson is responsible for sector six with over 25 direct reports and schools he is to respond to daily. Johnson responds quickly to his troops, principals, school employees, parents and the communities that he serves. He always greets people and students he serves with professionalism and a smile. He is willing to take on any task. His hard work, dedication and willingness to give assistance to all who need it makes him a great example of the flexible tenet. Johnson has daily offense reports he has to review daily to complete an arrest or other assistance that might be needed. He responds to his schools and staff daily to assist and to ensure services are rendered.

Focused

Melita Carlton

Dyslexia Department

Melita Carlton serves as one of the four Dyslexia Services Supervisors, collaborating to support 191 Dyslexia Interventionists across the district. Melita always responds to my messages within a 24-hour period. If she doesn’t have an answer or a free moment to speak with me, she will respond with a message letting me know she will get me a response soon or call me in a free moment. In addition, she always refers to our policies with equitable responses.

Friendly

Lupita “Lu” Guerra

School Leadership 

Lupita “Lu” Guerra is always one phone call or email away. Whenever I need something, I can always count on her to be prompt in her response and go above and beyond to ensure that I have a resolution. Most of the time, she responds on the same day, but always within 24 hours. She is the absolute best! Every interaction with her is a positive one. When I didn’t have an office manager, she provided support the entire time and each time she was patient and understanding. Once I hired an office manager, she came to the campus and met with her via Teams to provide support. She is the absolute best!

The Dallas ISD 2020 Bond plays a crucial role in ensuring that district facilities are optimized to support and enhance student achievement. Throughout the 2023-2024 school year, various important initiatives have helped enhance educational environments districtwide.

“Reflecting on this school year, I’m incredibly proud of the unwavering dedication and hard work our team has demonstrated in advancing Dallas ISD’s 2020 Bond Program,” said Chief Construction Officer Brent Alfred.

The 2023-2024 bond funded 242 projects:

• 78 new project designs
• 47 new constructions
• 42 project closures 
• 28 new proposals
• 24 facilities were completed
• 4 were substantially completed
• 19 projects in pre-design stages

Over half of the bond funds have been allocated towards construction, renovation, and modernization of various facilities. About one quarter of the funds have been allocated for connectivity and security upgrades. 

During the fall of 2023, Dallas ISD had several ground breaking ceremonies: 

• Herbert Marcus Leadership Academy
• George Peabody Elementary School 
• Everette L. Degolyer Elementary School
• Henry W. Longfellow Career Exploration Academy 
• Hall Personalized Learning Academy 
• Tom C. Gooch Elementary School 
• Judge Louis A. Bedford Jr. Law Academy 
• John Q. Adams Elementary School 
• Charles A. Gill Elementary School 
• Herbert Marcus Leadership Academy 
• Thomas Jefferson High School

As bond projects continue, the focus remains on supporting the district’s educational goals through strategic investments in facilities and infrastructure. According to bond program leaders, through efficient resource management and a strong focus on quality and sustainability, the district is fully committed to creating academic environments that promote student success. 

“As we look ahead to the upcoming year, we are committed to maintaining this momentum and delivering new projects with the same level of excellence and zeal,” said Alfred. 

To learn more about the ongoing projects and future plans, you can visit the bond program website. Approximately 16 new facilities are included in the upcoming plan.

“Our goal is to ensure every school in our district benefits from bold, innovative, and generational facilities,” Alfred said. “The Construction Services and Bond Office departments will continue to build BIG for Dallas ISD.”

While the district is closed for summer break July 1-5, team members can still get assistance with their benefits. The Benefits Call Center will be closed Thursday, July 4.

Non-Emergency Assistance

You may reach the Benefits Call Center by calling 972-925-4300 option 2 for wellness. For non-emergency health concerns such as cold and flu, TRS ActiveCare participants can utilize Teladoc at a reduced cost. Call 1-855-Teladoc (835-2362) or visit their main page. If you have never used Teladoc before, you will have to set up your account before you can access the services. You will need to have your name, date of birth, and BCBS member ID number to register.

Flexible Spending Accounts/ Health Savings Account

If you have questions regarding your HSA/FSA, contact Optum at 877-528-9876 or visit www.optum.com. Optum is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. When you call, you will need your FSA/HSA card number, name, and date of birth. If you are visiting the website, you will need your name, date of birth, social security number, or employee ID.

Employee Assistance Program

The holidays can be a difficult time for some employees. If you need assistance making it through this time, please reach out to the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) by calling 972-925-4300 Option 3 EAP. It is available 24 hours/seven days a week.

To access the website or the Telus Health One app you will need your district email address, district username, and password. 

•   the website Telus Health
•   the app: Telus: Health One  

Leaves of Absence

For questions regarding leaves of absence, email benefitsleaves@dallasisd.org. 

During the periods in which the district is closed, the email boxes will be monitored periodically to ensure any critical issues are resolved in a timely manner. For additional questions, employees may contact the HCM Benefits Department at 972-925-4300 or email benefits@dallasisd.org.

One of the ways that Dallas ISD is sparking students’ love of reading is through the book vending machine initiative. Through a partnership with the Dallas Education Foundation and other partners, various book vending machines have been installed throughout the district, including at the Margaret and Gilbert Herrera International Welcome Center.

This spring, the fully stocked vending machine—which like others, offers books for free—was unveiled and included multilingual titles.

“The Dual Language Department works to serve and support students and their families and work to create a welcoming and warm environment,” said Amanda Clymer, director of the Dual Language/ESL Department. 

The newly installed book vending machine is something that Clymer hopes will help continue to foster that welcoming environment at the Welcome Center, which is the first Dallas ISD location that newcomer students from other countries visit to enroll in the district. 

The machine offers books in six different languages. This past school year the Welcome Center received over 7,000 students from 76 countries.  

“Since its opening, the Margaret and Gilbert Herrera International Welcome Center always has been a welcoming place for our new Dallas ISD families. It will be even more so thanks to our new book nook and all the exciting titles living inside,” said superintendent Stephanie Elizalde during the unveiling.

This program aligns with Dallas Education Foundations’ strategic initiative of advancing literacy by curating home libraries for Dallas ISD students, according to the Dallas Education Foundation’s website. 

To help continue this work of building literacy, several schools throughout the district have received book vending machines. John Runyon Elementary School, Nathan Adams Elementary School, Ronald Erwin McNair Elementary School, and C.A. Tatum Elementary School are among the campuses who held unveiling ceremonies this spring to launch their new book vending machine.

The book vending machine at Adams, marked the 12th one installed in Dallas ISD schools. 

Throughout the years, Dallas ISD has had the opportunity to welcome students from all over the globe, some who come to the country as refugees. Last school year alone, there were approximately 800 students identified as refugee arrivals in the district.

Last school year, the district had the largest numbers of new refugee arrivals from Burma (Rohingya ethnic group), Democratic Republic of Congo, and Afghanistan. Some other countries included Sudan, Central African Republic, Eritrea, Syria, Venezuela, Guatemala, Honduras, and very few from Ukraine, according to Zeljka Ravlija, coordinator of the Refugee School Impact Program. 

To shine a light and honor refugees around the world, World Refugee Day is celebrated on June 20 each year. According to the United Nations website, It is an occasion to build empathy and understanding for their plight and to recognize their resilience in rebuilding their lives.

Some of the languages of refugee students in the district include Rohingya, Swahili, French, Arabic, Spanish, Tigrinya, Pashto, Dari, Kinyarwanda, and Burmese. 

“Refugee students are a remarkable group who offer many assets to the classroom,” Ravlija said. “Typically, refugee students and their families place great importance on education. Often refugee parents will make great sacrifices so their children can excel in the United States. Such high aspirations are a good starting point for refugee students,” she said.  

The district’s role is to provide guidance and attention to the needs of refugee students to help foster their successful adjustment, Ravlija added. 

World Refugee Day will be celebrated internationally through events that are led by or involve the support of refugees. For more information about World Refugee Day, visit https://www.un.org/en/observances/refugee-day.

Dallas ISD is home to many scholars, athletes, artists, business and community leaders – and renowned writers. 

The City of Dallas recently announced its new poet laureate – Mag Gabbert, a 2007 graduate from Booker T. Washington High School for the Visual and Performing Arts.

Gabbert, who is only the second poet laureate for the city, will present her original poems in places like schools, libraries, and city and community events. She will develop outreach initiatives to engage and inspire the community to read, write, perform and appreciate the written and spoken word.

When she was a student at Booker T., Gabbert attended school in what was the original building, but spent her last years of high school in the Nolan Estes Plaza, while the new building was under construction. Students moved back to the Arts District location in 2008, after Gabbert had graduated.

Regardless of the building where she attended school, she said the spirit of Booker T. is completely the people, and that regardless of where they were, it was the same wonderful, incredible experience.

“I remember my first day at Booker T. to this moment — we had a big pep rally in one of the buildings next door, and I just remember that  I was absolutely on fire from the energy in that room and hearing people talk and seeing performances — and I was like wow, I’m a part of something really cool,” Gabbert said. 

Gabbert was in the vocal performance program at Booker T. She initially started her college career as a vocal performance major, but when she discovered a  passion for contemporary poetry, she changed her major. 

Gabbert has a Master of Fine Arts from University of California Riverside, a doctorate degree in English from Texas Tech University, and a Bachelor of Arts in English from Trinity University, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude, with Honors in English.

Gabbert began her two-year term as the city’s top wordsmith in the spring, and already hit the ground running.

In fact, she has office hours at the J. Erik Jonsson Central Library, where people can get feedback from her about their poems, as well as receive tips such as the ins and outs of the publishing world. 

For the summer, her office hours are every Wednesday, Noon to 2 p.m. The office hours are meant to be time to serve as a resource for the community, especially for those who don’t have institutional support or don’t have the ability or resources to hire someone to teach them or go to graduate school, said Gabbert.

According to Gabbert, plans are in the works for various library branches to have her teach generative workshops on a specific topic or geared toward a specific age group. For example, she already has a poetry workshop scheduled where she will be talking about poems on the topic of grief and how we can write about grief.

Bringing poetry to be part of public art also is something Gabbert hopes to  accomplish in her tenure. She hopes this will be  another way people can be exposed to poetry as they’re going about their daily lives. 

“The thing I’m looking forward to the most is the opportunity to share poems in spaces where you just wouldn’t normally encounter poetry, and to really expose folks to poetry who didn’t necessarily think to go looking for it,” Gabbert said.

So as much as she loves getting to meet up with fellow poets, Gabbert said it’s more exciting for her to go into spaces where poetry might not be a part of their daily  lives–but those present are still going to have some engagement with it. 

Gabbert currently teaches at Southern Methodist University in the Department of Human-Centered Interdisciplinary Studies, with programs centered on master and doctoral degrees in liberal studies. 

She is the author of a full-length book of poetry and the winner of the 2021 Charles B. Wheeler Prize in Poetry. Gabbertis also the recipient of the Pushcart Prize, a Discovery Award from the Unterberg Poetry Center and has fellowships from the Kenyon Review Writers Workshop, Idyllwild Arts and Poetry at Round Top. Her work has been published in The American Poetry Review, The Paris Review Daily and more than 50 other magazines and journals.

Gabbert wants to motivate aspiring poets. 

“I was not a good poet when I first started. I just happened to be obsessed enough to really dedicate myself to getting better and reading more, “ she said. “Being a poet is what I wanted more than anything and if you have that drive, if you have what I call that obsession – a healthy obsession, obviously – you can get there.”

For inquiries relating to Gabbert’s service as Dallas the Poet Laureate, contact DallasPoetLaureate@Dallas.gov. 

To request Gabbert to attend, speak, or teach at your event, fill out this form. 

“One thing that I stand by is that I believe that all students can learn,“ said Stephen Wood, a ninth-grade assistant principal at Woodrow Wilson High School, who just finished his 15th  year in education. Wood was recently recognized as a Dallas ISD fan favorite assistant principal.  

Wood currently serves as the ninth-grade assistant principal at Woodrow and was the senior administrator for the Class of 2024.

He said his favorite memory this year was graduation. “After supporting and watching students grow, mature, and make life decisions – when you get to shake their hand after they walk across the stage and see that genuine smile, that’s it – that’s why I do this,” Wood said. 

Some of the kids really struggled to get to that point, he added.

He began his career with the district at  J.L. Long Middle School in 2009, where he taught both sixth-grade and eighth-grade science until 2015. When the Teacher Excellence Initiative was implemented, he was recognized as a Distinguished Teacher in its inaugural year. He became the campus instructional coach at Long and then moved across the street to Woodrow after receiving his master’s degree in 2019.

Wood grew up in a ranching family and was previously ranching in northeastern Oklahoma. After he and his family moved to Texas, he homeschooled his two kids and came to the realization that he loved teaching. While in college, he had  also previously worked with students who were in Future Farmers of America and the 4-H club and discovered that he had a talent for teaching. 

“I had joined the Boy Scouts of America and it seems that I really liked science and working with kids. Putting them together and being able to teach – I saw that light bulb go off and I really enjoyed it,” Wood said. 

He said a fun fact about him, that would likely surprise his students, would be his previous career as a cattle rancher. 

In 2009, Wood enrolled in the district’s alternative certification program, marking the beginning of his teaching journey. He credits administrators he’s met along the way for encouraging him to broaden his horizons in the district. They include Woodrow principal Chandra Hooper Barnett, as she was his AP when he was teaching. 

Wood’s ties to the district go beyond himself, as both his children are Dallas ISD graduates – one from the School of Science and Engineering at Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Center and the other from Woodrow.  

One of the favorite things that Wood enjoys about his role is the pep rallies. After students experiencing Covid and having the students relearn the traditions of the school, he said he enjoyed the enthusiasm and seeing the kids show up for their school and their community. 

His hopes and dreams for his students include them becoming a well-rounded student that is a lifetime learner. On his wall in his office, he has a quote by C.S. Lewis that reads: “You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.” 

“I want them to recognize the positives and to see that they can make a change, especially when they look at their teachers and the leaders in this building. I want them to know that they have that same opportunity,” Wood said.