Dallas ISD grows its own
For the Perez family, education has become a family affair since Rachel Perez joined P-TECH’s education pathway at W.T. White High School and received a letter of intent from Dallas ISD’s Human Capital Management to return to the district as a teacher after completing her degree.
The letter of intent guarantees a teacher position in the district as part of a program to recruit teachers from among students interested in education who have the added quality of being able to identify with the students they will come back to teach because they were once one of those students.
“We want to embrace each of these graduates from educational pathways who are going to join the workforce, become teachers, and serve in the same communities they grew up in,” said Chele Andreason, executive director of Human Capital Management’s Strategic Pipelines. “It is rewarding for the district, community, and families because it allows them to change the trajectory of their lives.”
Perez graduated with a strong foundation in education and community involvement as well as a passion for teaching and a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood through Sixth Grade Education from Texas Woman’s University in December 2023.
Returning to her roots in Dallas ISD, Rachel is now teaching third grade at Everett L. DeGolyer Elementary School.
“After four years of attending college and university to become a teacher, I am excited and grateful to return to the Dallas Independent School District as an educator,” she said. “This accomplishment is meaningful because I attended schools in Dallas ISD, and now it is my opportunity to serve the new generations of students. As I navigate through my first year of teaching, I will follow the example of my past teachers, who inspired me to become an educator. I hope that through teaching, I can positively impact the lives of many children and help them accomplish their goals.”
Perez’s influence as an educator extends beyond her classroom walls and has had a ripple effect within her family.
Following in Rachel’s footsteps, her younger sister, Samantha, now an 11th grader at W.T. White High School, has also committed to the educational pathway. Samantha received her early teacher contract in March 2024 at her Letter of Intent ceremony.
Their cousin, Cecilia, a ninth grader at the same campus, eagerly anticipates her Letter of Intent ceremony so she can follow in the footsteps of her cousins. This familial dedication to education not only underscores Rachel’s impact but also exemplifies the transformative power of the Dallas ISD P-TECH educational pathway and the Letter of Intent Ceremony, Andreason said.
Through Perez’s journey and the journeys she will continue to inspire, Dallas ISD is building a legacy of educational excellence and aspiration.Join Human Capital Management in celebrating the Perez family and the countless students and educators who are part of the Dallas ISD educational pathways. For more information about future careers in Dallas ISD, please contact Jibril Rasheed at jirasheed@dallasisd.org to discuss the district’s grow-your-own initiatives.
