March 2026

March is Women’s History Month, which was established in 1987 to recognize women’s contributions to history, culture, and society and highlight their vital role in many areas, such as education.  

Elis Ramos, a cellist from Havana, Cuba, has turned her passion for classical music and teaching into a career that now brings her to the conductors’ podium at Judge Louis A. Bedford Jr. Law Academy. As the school’s orchestra teacher, Ramos is guiding students to build a legacy of excellence in music.  

Growing up in Cuba, Ramos was surrounded by the sounds of Latin music. Her home would often be filled with the sounds of jazz and classical music played by her siblings, including works by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Her father, a well-known electric guitarist in Cuba, laid the foundation for their interest in music.  

“I grew up with musicians all around me, so choosing music felt natural,” she said. “My parents never forced me to play, but they guided me in that direction. Now we have another generation of musicians in our family. My nephews and nieces also play instruments. We are a big family of musicians.” 

At just 5 years old, Ramos was drawn to the piano, but after attending a symphony performance with her mother, she instantly knew she wanted to play the cello. Ramos began conservatory-level training at 6 years old, which set her on a lifelong musical path.  

After more than 20 years as a music educator and the last three years as the orchestra teacher at Bedford Academy, Ramos continues to prepare students for success in auditions and performances. 

Inside her classroom, the sound of tuning strings often fills the room as students warm up their instruments for rehearsal.  Ramos guides students in listening to one another and balancing their sound. She teaches sight-reading skills while also rehearsing their pieces for competitions.  

This year, her students excelled in UIL Solo and Ensemble competitions. Two orchestra students received honors—Gold in the Level 3 beginner competition and Bronze in the Level 1 advanced competition, reflecting the discipline and preparation of many hours dedicated to their craft and the love for music she has imparted to them.   

“I try to find balance between the rigor of learning complex string instruments and giving students time to rest their minds and process what they have learned,” she said. 

For many students, music is therapeutic, Ramos noted. At Bedford, the orchestra classroom has become a space where students can focus on their instruments, away from other distractions, while building discipline and confidence as musicians.  

“I believe I am here at my school for a reason. I have a mission here,” Ramos said. “I don’t just see this as a job. I have a personal mission to teach the students here. They are very special students.” 

Over the years, Ramos’ musical palette has expanded. In her early years in Cuba, she remembers hearing the voice of Frank Sinatra playing from her father’s radio. As an adult in the United States, her love for R&B and soul artists such as D’Angelo; Earth, Wind and Fire; and the Isley Brothers has continued to grow.  

Ramos’ musical talents are not confined to the classroom. She continues to perform with the East Texas Symphony Orchestra, the Las Colinas Symphony Orchestra, the Irving Symphony Orchestra, and a variety of venues and events across the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.  

Ramos received a doctoral degree in education from Nova Southeastern University in Florida. Her adult foundation in classical music began during her undergraduate studies at The University of Arts of Cuba, where she received conservatory-level training. 

“My power as a musician comes from the hours of practice I have put in,” she said. “The hours of preparation and sight-reading. When I go on stage to perform, the music speaks for itself. Even if I’m Hispanic, if I have curly hair, if I’m mixed, nobody is going to stop the talent that somebody has.  When you go on stage and play and touch people’s hearts, no barriers can stop that.”

At the Dallas Education Foundation, the Heart of Teaching program starts with the simple belief that educators know what their students need.

When funding is limited, creativity shouldn’t be. That’s why Heart of Teaching grants put resources directly into the hands of Dallas ISD teachers, empowering them to launch innovative, student-centered programs that help students thrive.

When team members donate to the Employee Giving Campaign, they help fuel educator-led ideas that transform classrooms across our district.

Spotlight: Blake Mokate, Skyline High School

Blake Mokate received two Nikon cameras to spark student photojournalism and sports photography.

“Oftentimes the arts are given less funding. I’m now a two-time Heart of Teaching grant recipient and all the funds have been directed towards creativity and inspiring our students.”

Spotlight: Maira Perez, Rosemont School

Maira Perez purchased two iMacs for her student-led yearbook club—an afterschool program where students create and publish their work for the campus community.

“We’re an afterschool program, it’s a student-led yearbook, and it’s really cool to see the thrill in their eyes when they’re able to present their work to all their classmates.”

Spotlight: Stashawn Swist, Jerry R. Junkins Elementary School

Stashawn Swist transformed her special education classroom with new tables, desks, seating, and sensory-focused supports that help students feel comfortable, regulated, and ready to learn.

“Before my grant the chairs were kind of falling apart. Now they’re able to freely move around 

and connect with their classmates better.”

As a member of Team Dallas ISD, you have the opportunity to directly impact classrooms just like these. Even $5 or $10 per month helps bring educator ideas to life and ensures our students have the tools they need to thrive.

Support educator-led innovation today by giving at 

https://www.dallasisd.org/departments/dallas-education-foundation/employee-giving-campaign

Each year, School Leadership and Human Capital Management partner to recognize and reward outstanding teachers and campus leaders districtwide through the Teacher and Principal of the Year awards.

Finalists for these awards are recognized during the district’s Winners Circle event, which also highlights teachers of promise. 

Once teachers are chosen by their campus as teacher of the year, they can apply for the districtwide recognition. This year, 85 of the campus Teacher of the Year winners applied for the district honor, writing of their passion and innovation in teaching, leading, and serving the community and 10 teachers representing Elementary, Secondary, and Choice/Magnet campuses were selected as finalists for the Teacher of the Year.

Elementary Finalists:

• Christine Bickers from Jack Lowe, Sr. Elementary School
• Miguel Fijo Mezquita from Annie Webb Blanton Elementary School
• Elizabeth Oyola from Hall Personalized Learning Academy at Oak Cliff
• Janice Vazquez from Umphrey Lee Elementary School

Secondary Finalists:

• Michael Dixon-Peabody from Thomas Jefferson High School
• Megan Vance from Harold W. Lang Sr. Middle School
• Johnitta Williams from Dr. L.G. Pinkston Sr. High School

Choice/Magnet Finalists:

• Asia Charles from Solar Preparatory School for Girls
• Rafael Ibarra from Prestonwood Montessori at E.D. Walker
• Trenton Starks from New Tech High School at B.F. Darrell

School Leadership Regional Directors selected principals to represent their respective regions as Region Principal of the Year. Selection characteristics included the ability to coach and support teachers, lead a student-centered and results-driven culture, and support connections among all facets of the school community. Application packets submitted by the Region Principals of the Year were reviewed and eight were named Principal of the Year finalists. 

Elementary Finalists:

• Sonja Barnes, Principal of Jimmie Tyler Brashear Elementary School
• Jacinto Cabrera, Principal of Julius Dorsey Leadership Academy
• Marissa Limon, Principal of Dan D. Rogers Elementary School

Secondary Finalists:

• Willie Johnson, Principal of South Oak Cliff High School
• Abram Joseph, Principal of Franklin D. Roosevelt High School of Innovation
• Philip Meaker, Principal of Walnut Hill International Leadership Academy

 Choice/Magnet Finalists:

• Amber Garrett, Principal of George Bannerman Dealey Montessori Academy
• Adrian Hernandez, Principal of North Lake Early College High School

Established in 1989, School Breakfast Week celebrates how school breakfasts can prepare students for daily success. By observing this special week every year, Dallas ISD is encouraging all schools to recognize the importance of a healthy start to the day. During this weeklong celebration, Dallas ISD Food and Child Nutrition Services will celebrate with special menus, events, activities, and much more, with the goal of encouraging students to eat a healthy breakfast at school.

March is Women’s History Month, which was established in 1987 to recognize women’s contributions to history, culture, and society and highlight their vital role in many areas, such as education. 

When Alexis Turner walks into her eighth-grade math and physics classroom at D.A. Hulcy STEAM Middle School, she is not just teaching content—she is rewriting what success looks like for students in a high-stakes academic subject. District data show her STAAR scores are consistently above the district average, making her one of the top math educators in the area.

What makes this especially meaningful is where her story began—the same hallways where she now teaches.

Turner attended Hulcy and later graduated from the School of Health Professions at Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Center. Returning as a teacher, she describes her role as one that carries both responsibility and pride.

“To kind of come back, it’s kind of a full circle moment for me,” she said. “And then come back and do as well as I’ve been doing so far, I think that’s amazing.”

Turner’s academic path is firmly rooted in STEM. She earned a bachelor of science degree in biology, followed by a master’s in higher education, and is now pursuing a doctorate in educational leadership, all from Dallas Baptist University. 

Initially, she envisioned a future in healthcare but found herself drawn toward a different kind of impact.

“I realized there was something else I needed to do,” she explained. “I knew I loved education, and I wanted to bridge the gap between STEM and the classroom—somewhere I could really make a difference.”

That bridge now runs straight through her eighth-grade math and physics classes, where students not only learn content, but also see how those skills connect to future careers in engineering, biology, and other STEM fields.

In fact, one of Turner’s defining practices is how she begins each year, not by racing into the most advanced standards, but by deliberately rebuilding the foundation.

“I treat all my students as if they’re starting at the base level,” she said. “As if they didn’t have a sixth- or seventh-grade teacher. We start at something as simple as ‘three times three,’ and I build them from there.”

This approach is less about repeating old material and more about ensuring that every student, regardless of gaps or summer learning loss, has something solid to stand on. Throughout the year she cycles back to key basics: multiplication facts, integer operations, and especially negative numbers.

“Every year my students struggle with negatives,” she noted. “Adding and subtracting negative numbers gets them every time, so I work on it constantly. Basic skills like that are what everything else is built on.”

To reinforce those foundations, Turner uses timed multiplication-chart races, warm-up problems, bonus questions, and game-based practice. Even as students work on advanced topics like quadratic functions and two-step equations, she continues to weave in foundational questions so those skills don’t fade.

Turner’s students are enrolled in ninth-grade courses as eighth graders, and they face the pressure of high-stakes STAAR exams. Still, the tone in her classroom is not fear—it’s clarity and challenge.

“The kids understand more than we think,” she said. “They know about the state standards. They know about the TEKS. So I lay it all out: ‘This week we’re working on these standards. This is what we have to hit.’ If you don’t show them, they don’t know what to look forward to.”

By making expectations explicit, Turner gives students a roadmap rather than just a stack of assignments. She pairs that rigor with flexibility around how students learn best.

“You have to give kids what they need,” she said. “If you need to stand up for a little bit, stand up. As long as you perform the work in front of you, I’m okay with that. I let them be who they are in my classroom, and I think that really helps.”

Collaboration is another constant. Most days, students work together, explain problems to one another, and “bounce off each other,” as Turner describes it. She’s  intentional about how she groups them, matching strengths and needs like puzzle pieces.

To keep students engaged in content that can feel abstract or intimidating, Turner leans heavily on games and interactive activities—especially those that mirror the video game culture many of her students love.

“My kids love games,” she said. “So I turn lessons into a video game whenever I can.”

For exponential functions, she created “Exponent Battleship,” where students use exponent rules to launch “attacks” on a coordinate grid—except their laptops function as the coordinate grids. She designs escape rooms that hide algebra problems inside riddles and locks. She also uses online games where students answer questions to “fight the dragon and escape.”

These activities serve serious purposes: repeated practice, real-time feedback, and peer tutoring. When one student gets an answer wrong, a partner helps them find the right answer. By the time they reach topics like quadratic equations and function analysis, they’ve practiced problem-solving through play, not just worksheets.

“I’ll tell them, ‘I want masters on every test,’” she said. “At first they look at me, like saying, ‘What are you talking about?’ But once they see the first test and realize it’s possible, everything changes.”

She closely monitors data, comparing class performance to district averages, and uses that information to build motivation and a sense of shared responsibility. Her students quickly become invested in not only their individual scores but their class’s overall standing.

“My kids get so invested that they’re upset if anyone is just in the ‘meets’ bucket. They’re really competitive, and that helps them push each other,” she said.

At the same time, she is realistic about the challenges students face, such as chronic absence or large skill gaps, and responds with targeted intervention. That can mean one-on-one or small-group support during class, or meeting students during lunch to reteach concepts.

“If you’re struggling, I’m going to focus on you until we get you where you need to be,” she said. “I tell them, ‘I’m going to get you there. You just have to let me.’”

Turner’s impact shows up in data, but it also shows up in how former students seek her out once they’re in high school. They come back to tell her they’re still using methods they learned in her class—and sometimes to admit they miss the way she taught.

She is especially mindful of her influence on girls in STEM, many of whom are navigating not just academics but the social pressures of middle school.

“I tell my girls, don’t stay stuck on what’s happening right now,” she said. “You have so much more ahead of you. Believe in what you’re doing and in the path you’re on.”

As we celebrate Women’s History Month, Turner’s hope is simple but profound.

“I want my kids to look back and say, ‘Ms. Turner was a great teacher. She helped me when I needed it, even when it wasn’t about math,’” she said. “No matter what their score was, I want them to know they worked to get where they are—and that they can always go farther.”