April 2026

Assistant principal leading with values, elevating the game

Great leaders often anchor their actions in core values that will help bring out the best in themselves and those around them. Cassie White Rodriguez, assistant principal at Buckner Terrace Montessori, leads by example, fostering a culture that inspires both teaching and learning through resilience, collaboration, and compassion. 

The week of April 6-10 is National Assistant Principal Week, to recognize the contributions these campus leaders make to learning and the school environment every day. 

White Rodriguez’s path to education began in her own childhood when school became a safe haven.  

“I had teachers who believed in me and made school interesting,” she said. “I knew I wanted to give back in that same way. Over time, I realized I could expand that impact beyond my own classroom by supporting teachers and students, which led me to pursue campus leadership as an assistant principal.” 

Her leadership journey was encouraged by her former principal, who reminded her that she belonged in rooms of impact. White Rodriguez gained the confidence to take steps beyond the classroom when she was still a teacher. That support led her to apply to the Aspiring Leaders Program at Southern Methodist University, a two-year master’s degree program designed for educators who want to become assistant principals.  

“One of the first classes we took was called ‘Leading with Values,’ a course that helped us take a deeper look into ourselves and identify our core values,” White Rodriguez said. “We learned how to use values to lead with integrity and unite a staff in achieving common goals. That experience gave me the confidence that I was on the right path.”

As an assistant principal, White Rodriguez prioritizes being an instructional leader. She remains visible in classrooms, supports teachers in refining their instructional practices, and helps solve problems in real time. She also builds meaningful relationships with students, encouraging and supporting them as they work toward their goals.  

Dallas ISD is celebrating its outstanding leaders with the theme “APs Elevate the Game.” Activities during National Assistant Principal Week recognize that they show up each day ready to take on challenges, support their campuses, and elevate outcomes for students and staff.  

“I believe leadership is about serving your school and community, while continuously growing to new heights,” White Rodriguez said. “It’s about listening more than we speak, building strong relationships, and leading with integrity.” 

For White Rodriguez, her success is rooted in never forgetting what it feels like to be in a classroom. 

She began her career at Buckner Terrace Montessori as an instructional coach in 2018, and after four years of teaching students in kindergarten through fourth grade, she stepped into her current role. 

Buckner Terrace Montessori school is a B- rated campus, earning a strong score of 88 from the Texas Education Agency. That success reflects the campus’ theme of “discovering the magic of learning” and its commitment to strong community partnerships and a dedicated focus on creating a positive environment.  

“I hope students remember that I believed in them,” White Rodriguez said. “I want my impact to be long lasting—not just in systems or programs, but in people. If teachers grow in their practice and students leave more confident and prepared because of the work we’ve done together, then that’s the kind of legacy that truly matters.” 

Help Dallas ISD celebrate assistant principals

In honor of National Assistant Principal Week, cast your vote for your favorite assistant principal across the district. Winners and prizes will be announced Friday, April 10.  To participate, vote here through April 8.

Teachers and staff can also join the celebration by participating in the AP Bingo Challenge, highlighting the many ways assistant principals elevate the game. To play:

1. Click [HERE] to access your gameboard
2. Take a photo for each Square
3. Upload Photos into each box
4. Complete the board. Elevate the Game BLACKOUT = POWER MODE

The Dallas Education Foundation announced that this year’s Employee Giving Campaign was its most successful yet with more than 2,600 donors, who raised $109,000.

“This achievement is a testament to our team’s deep commitment to our students and classrooms,” said Mita Havlick, DEF director. “A special thank you to our Campaign Champions—your leadership and advocacy truly led the way.”

This year’s campaign saw increased engagement with dozens of teams reaching 80% or higher participation.

Departments and campuses with 100% participation include:
Superintendent of Schools; Chief of Staff; Professional Standards Office; Human Capital Management; Legal Services; Gilbert Cuellar Sr. Elementary School; Partnerships and Volunteer Engagement; Small Business Office; High School Transformation; Student Services; Library/Media Services; Alternative Certification; Visual and Performing Arts; Counseling Services; Real Property Management; Special Populations; Multi-Tiered Systems of Support; Academic Enrichment and Support; Office of Family and Community Engagement; Treasury Services; Public School Choice; Student Activities; Benefits; Service Center(s); GIS and Demographic Analysis; Campus Culture & Academic Success; Federal and State Accountability; Marketing Services; Excess Resignation; Textbooks; and Central Operations.

Departments with 80-90% participation include:

• Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing (98%)
• Leila P. Cowart Elementary School (92%)
• Financial Services (89%)
• Leadership Excellence, Advancement and Development (86%)
• Board Services (86%)
• Cesar Chavez Learning Center (85%)
• Budget Services Department (82%)
• Science (80%)
• Parent Advocacy and Support Services Department (80%)
• Advanced Academic Services (80%)

Important reminders:

• Payroll Deductions: These will begin in April.
• Year-round giving: If you’d like to continue or expand your support, convenient credit card donations are always available.

Together, we are creating new opportunities and changing the trajectory for students across the district, Havlick said.

As the 2025-2026 school year enters its last weeks, it’s time to recognize team members who have embodied the district’s tenets by which all Dallas ISD employees strive to meet the needs of students, their families, and one another—the Core 4.

Each tenet is at the “core” of everything we do and anchored in our district focus of educational excellence, comprehensive accountability, responsible use of resources, and collaboration.

If you know of a team member who has embodied one or more of these tenets during the year, let us know using this form, so they can be recognized. Make sure you provide concrete examples that match the category for which you are nominating them. 

Need to review what the Core 4 tenets are all about? Check them out below.

Focused—We transform student lives

• Decision making is consistently and effectively made in the best interest of students and results in improved outcomes
• Systemically monitors supports and evaluates multiple data sources to maximize student achievement through differentiated supports
• Without exception, tightly aligns differentiated resources to district priorities to ensure outcomes for all students
• Consistently and effectively implements supports to ensure the social, emotional, and academic needs of students, families, and employees

Fast—Urgency for all

• Without exception, emails and phone responses are timely, and requests or incorporates feedback to improve culture
• Proactively and effectively leverages all available data, policy, and information sources to provide accurate responses to all requesters
• Models effective time management by anticipating needs and differentiating task importance in providing timely and accurate responses to requests between students, families and employees
• Consistently and effectively solves problems before they arise and adjusts for unforeseen circumstances to ensure excellent outcomes

Flexible—We strive for the yes

• Embraces and responds appropriately to social variances, creating synergy and inclusivity. Proactively solicits different perspectives to strengthen the decision making process and support positive outcomes. 
• Creates intentional opportunities for inclusive collaboration that promote flexibility, innovation, and productivity
• Communicates rationale for change in a clear, concise, timely manner that garners support from all families, employees students
• Adapts to change with versatility and optimism providing stability and eliciting trust among stakeholder groups

Friendly—Make memorable moments

• Proactively and intentionally builds, maintains, and leverages professional relationships and positively influences others to advance goals and close achievement gaps
• Creates intentionally a welcoming, inclusive and respectful working environment by adapting to the needs of others and tailoring interactions to meet their specific needs
• Models friendliness and professionalism in communications and influences others to improve their communications skills

On an unusually cold Thursday morning in March, Seagoville High School students and team members filed out onto the soccer field after morning announcements. With a field bathed in sunlight, the anticipation of spring break in the air, and music blasting from a sound speaker, they all got ready for the kickoff of the first ever soccer match between staff and student athletes. 

Headed up by teachers Yennifer Reyes, Daniel Seelig, and Jennifer Wallens, the soccer match was intended to raise funds for Link Crew, a program that pairs up freshmen with upperclassmen who can help them navigate the high school experience. The proceeds from the match, he said, will go to booking an escape room which will serve as a team-building exercise for the final Link Crew leadership training.

“This was an idea that the kids had, and we are just supporting them in their passion for soccer and to unite the school and do something fun for our campus,” said Reyes.

This initiative builds on a tradition of teacher-versus-student games, which in the past have featured basketball. This year, the students shifted to soccer, opening the door for a new kind of experience. Seelig explained that an essential part of education is also allowing students to lead.

“I think that teachers can sometimes take a step back and let students lead,” he said. “Just letting young people take leadership is rewarding for them.”

The students did all the planning and ticket sales for the match, Seelig said. The teachers facilitated to ensure everything was working for success. 

Representatives of the recently opened soccer club Atlético Dallas, including head coach Peter Luccin and professional soccer player Lee Benting, were in attendance. They were also assigned a team to coach. Inspired by the collective glee, Benting ended up dribbling with a group of students standing off to the side and later joined the main game.

“We’re just here to be present in the community and have some fun,” said Jeremy Jones, Atlético Dallas marketing director. As the wind blew cold and chatter carried across the field, cheerleaders, dressed in vibrant black and blue, took to the turf in staggered rows with their pom-poms rustling at their sides. Students and staff members donning shorts and white T-shirts ran through the tunnel of cheerleaders

“My husband is the director of Marketing for Atlético Dallas, and so I told him about the match and invited his team to come out here,” Wallens said. “I wanted the kids to feel that sense of professionalism—getting professionally coached and having that really awesome marketing experience for the school.”

The timing was intentional: students had been working hard on their growth goals, and this game served as a celebration of their effort and progress. The result was a week of excitement leading up to the event and a strong turnout on the day of the game.

“We wanted to bring the kids and teachers together to build relationships, have fun, and celebrate our success and growth,” said Wallens. “It was a big opportunity for us and gave the kids a chance to really get involved.”

As the game began and players dribbled in tight quarters, switched play, or arced the ball through the air, it seemed there would be no clear winner. Every time the ball sailed too closely to either goalpost, the goalkeepers caught it effortlessly. After about 45 minutes, the match ended in a tie and with cheers from both sides.

As participants gathered for a final send-off and a group photo, Luccin, who had been observing the game, selected two MVPs from among the student players and awarded them swag from Atlético Dallas. With the event concluded, students marched back to their classrooms, but the excitement of the morning still buzzed in the air.

“It’s fulfilling to see all the students—and all their hard work—turn into something as cool as this soccer game,” Seelig said. “The more effort you put into students, the more they show that effort back to you, and it’s really rewarding.”

For many, one of the simplest, but most fulfilling, pleasures in life is reading. There is no greater enjoyment than inhabiting universes that arose out of someone else’s imagination, entertaining ideas of men and women long gone, and learning new information that expands knowledge of the world. And libraries are where these new worlds are readily available. In honor of School Library Month, celebrated in April, librarians are encouraged to host activities that reinforce the vital role that school libraries play in empowering learning. Thanks to changes in schools, such as the device-free policy, foot traffic in libraries has increased, and Library Services has provided recent statistics that point to a resurging interest in reading.

Annual circulation metrics

Total districtwide circulation reflects a significant commitment to the culture of literacy standard, ensuring students have access to a diverse range of print and digital materials.

Circulation trends and impact

The 21% increase in physical book checkouts suggests a positive response to the district’s new device-free policy and other programs that encourage reading, with librarians reporting a noticeable surge in library traffic and reader engagement. This growth aligns with the district’s goal to push circulation back to pre-pandemic highs. See graphic below for larger increases at specific campuses. 

Top performing titles by school level

These titles represent the most frequently checked-out materials through the LS2 PAC system, demonstrating student reading preferences across various grade bands.

Elementary School

• Fetch 22 by Dav Pilkey
• Creepy Crayons by Aaron Reynolds
• Cabin Fever by Jeff Kinney
• Selena by Patty Rodriguez

Middle School

• Invisible by Christina Diaz Gonzalez
• Hard Luck by Jeff Kinney
• The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot
• One Dead Spy by Nathan Hale

High School

• Long Lankin by Lindsey Barraclough
• The Pit and the Pendulum by Sean Tulien
• Killer Instinct by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
• Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

Campus leadership in circulation

The following campuses currently lead the district in total circulation, serving as models for effective reader advisory and library engagement strategies.

Top elementary campuses

1. Lakewood Elementary School
2. Sylvia Mendez CREW Leadership Academy
3. Annie Webb Blanton Elementary School
4. Rosemont Primary School
5. F.P. Caillet Elementary School

Top districtwide campuses (Cross-Level)

• Lakewood Elementary School
• Sylvia Mendez CREW Leadership Academy
• The School for the Talented and Gifted in Pleasant Grove
• Henry W. Longfellow Career Exploration Academy
• Irma Lerma Rangel Young Women’s Leadership School
• Hillcrest High School

The library as an innovation and AI hub

Beyond traditional circulation, Dallas ISD libraries have evolved into primary spaces for foundational computer science and emerging technology under the Inquiry and Innovation standard. Librarians track hands-on lessons that prepare students for a technological society. This year, thousands of students engaged in:

• Robotics and coding: Learning foundational logic with Bee-Bots and Ozobots.
• Emerging tech: Participating in 3D printing, podcasting, and the “Hour of AI”.
• AI literacy: Receiving direct instruction on prompt engineering, ethical AI use, and digital media creation using tools like Google Gemini, Adobe Express, and Canva Pro.

The spring semester brings with it the excitement of a new season, the sprint to the end of the school year, and many other things to celebrate. It also brings with it the anxiety of testing, meeting goals and other expectations that can cause stress for students and team members. 

April is Stress Awareness Month, and according to mental health experts, stress can be good or bad as the body’s natural physical, mental and emotional response to life’s challenges, threats, or changes. 

“When you are faced with a challenge or situation that’s stressful, your body releases hormones like adrenaline and cortisol to increase alertness and energy,” said Annmarie Perez, licensed psychologist and quality assurance manager with Mental Health Services. “It can be positive, for example, increasing motivation. But it can be negative if it causes anxiety or if it becomes chronic.”

And it is when stress becomes anxiety or lasts for a long time that it can become a problem, especially for students. Students not only face the stress of testing, homework, graduating, moving to another grade level or school during the spring. They also face stressors at home or from social interactions that teachers or counselors might not know about. This is why team members at the campuses are trained to look for signs of stress:

• Physical: headaches, fatigue
• Emotional: irritability, outbursts, anxiety
• Behavioral: changes in sleep or appetite, withdrawing, different behavior in class
• Cognitive: problems concentrating, forgetfulness, negative thoughts

“There are stressors all around that can affect children even if we are not seeing them, like the uncertainty of what is going on in the world, financial changes for their families,” Perez said. “Kids pick up on these feelings even if they don’t have the tools to verbalize them.”

Students who are constantly stressed can’t learn as effectively, she said. And when stress becomes overwhelming or chronic, it can interfere with daily life, including learning. 

This is why Dallas ISD has invested in the mental health of students, she said. Each campus has a school-based mental health clinician and counselors who are also there to help students manage stress and other challenges so they can learn.The district also has help through the district’s Youth and Family Centers and can connect students and families with resources in the community.

Teachers can model healthy coping mechanisms for kids and provide a safe place without judgment so that students can express themselves when they have problems, Perez said. They can do things in class as a matter of routine to help with stress, especially during times of high stress, such as breathing exercises, doing a physical activity, having a time for drawing or painting, role playing, or providing the vocabulary they need to express their feelings. Other ways to fight stress include making sure that students are hydrated and are eating nutritious food. 

“Teachers are often the first ones to identify when students are going through something or have a change in behavior because they spend so much time with students,” Perez said. “That is why we emphasize building relationships so that students can ask for help.”

Helpful links for breathing exercises and other resources:

https://www.childrenscolorado.org/just-ask-childrens/articles/breathing-exercises-and-mood-regulation/

https://spurgeons.org/resources-and-courses/resources/mental-health-resources/breathing-techniques-and-mindfulness-exercises/box-breathing-exercise/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiMb2Bw4Ae8

https://health.choc.org/7-stress-relief-techniques-for-kids/

https://www.apa.org/topics/children/stress

Parent forum

To help families discuss mental health issues, Dallas ISD is holding the Empowering Families Parent Education Forum at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, April 18, at Barbara Mann DAEP in the Buckner Building, 2909 North Buckner Blvd.

This year’s event offers an opportunity for parents and community to learn about social media dangers and addiction, youth substance misuse and abuse, and how to support a child who is struggling with anxiety and depression. The keynote speaker will be Cristal Retana Lule, vice president of Government and Community relations with Children’s Hospital.

There will be an opportunity for confidential conversations with staff from Dallas ISD Mental Health Services, Parent Advocacy and Support and other resources.