Staff News

To protect students and staff, Dallas ISD is implementing a phased-in COVID-19 rapid testing program provided by TEA and the Texas Division of Emergency Management. The pilot is being offered to districts to conduct rapid tests of employees and students—with parents’ written permission—to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 on campuses.

Initial implementation will involve high school coaches and trainers receiving training to administer the tests to student-athletes. In the next phase of the rollout, nurses will oversee testing at campuses followed by availability on a voluntary basis to all district staff.

The district is receiving personal protective equipment (PPE) to safely administer the rapid tests, which produce reliable results within 15 minutes. The testing is seen as another way to help protect the health and safety of our students and staff as we continue to manage in-person classes and extracurricular activities during the pandemic.

As an 8-year-old, John Paul Gonzalez often felt dumb, and he would pray for help to be able to read. He used to place a book under his pillow to give God a hint that he needed help to make sense of the letters in the book.

His prayers were answered the next year when his new third-grade teacher told his mother that she thought he might be dyslexic. After being evaluated and receiving additional support, Gonzalez figured out the code and was able to read.

“If I had not received the services, I could almost guarantee you I would have dropped out of school,” he said. “It’s that life changing.”

Today, as a dyslexia evaluator and licensed therapist Gonzalez helps Dallas ISD students figure out the code so they, too, can read at grade level and succeed in school. With 147 therapists and 27 screeners, Dallas ISD has one of the largest dyslexia programs in the country, and this has had a positive impact on students who on average get diagnosed two years earlier than they did three years ago. Dallas ISD provides dyslexia services to more than 3,600 students, and National Dyslexia Awareness Month, celebrated in October, highlights the difference programs like these makes in their lives.

Focusing on dyslexia during the month is important because some studies indicate that as much as 15 to 20 percent of the population could be dyslexic but go undiagnosed.

“Sometimes, we’ll have kids of average to above average intelligence with really high IQs that learn to cope until they reach the tipping point at a later age,” said Gonzalez, who became a license therapist in 2006. “They memorize, use cognitive skills to achieve, but as the academic rigor reaches a point where that no longer works.”

The earlier the diagnoses takes place, the sooner students can receive the help they need to succeed, whether it’s therapy and 504 accommodations so they can thrive in a general education classroom or receive other special education services to help them make significant strides in their education.

“We know that research says that early identification and early remediation are key,” Gonzalez said. “At a young age, I was able to overcome. When we are faced with problems in something as important as reading and you learn to overcome them, it makes all the difference in the world. I still have a difficult time distinguishing between i and e sounds. Even today, as an adult, I have to use the code, to hear the initial sound and the key word.”

Parents often see their children struggle at home, but don’t always identify the struggles as dyslexia. That is why teachers receive special training to more easily identify signs of dyslexia and make a referral.

After the referral, students undergo a cognitive test to determine their dominant language. Once they screened has the information, they use the data and numbers to determine what level of support is needed. Remediation is done in Spanish or English, depending on the child’s dominant language. If the student speaks Spanish, the therapy takes place in that language and then is transferred to English. The Esperanza Program teaches and remediates language acquisition in Spanish, and then students transition into the Wilson Reading Program where students learn the English morphology and study the language. Dallas ISD uses an instructional program using visual, auditory, kinesthetic, tactile modalities that help students that helps students decode the language.

It took Gonzalez about a year to be able to change the way his brain processed language. Being able to share his experience and his own struggles with parents and teachers is important for Gonzalez. It shows them that there’s a success story behind every struggle.”

“The first thing that changed for me was my confidence’” Gonzalez said. “My inside was able to shine because now I knew I wasn’t dumb. I just needed a different way to break the code—reading is a code. There was a pathway that was lit, that I could see and follow. I am a licensed therapist because I was a kid at 8 years old when I got the dyslexia services that changed my life.”

More than 120 district facilities will be used as polling places on Tuesday, Nov. 3, for the general election. Then day is a board approved holiday so facilities will be closed for district business.

Custodians should open the facilities promptly at 5:30 a.m. to allow the election judges to set up. Due to the high interest in this election and the need to disinfect the voting areas prior to the start of classes the following day, custodians may need to work beyond the 7 p.m. end of the voting day. Two custodians may split the time, but there should be no overlap of time between the custodians. Please note that at no time should a district facility be left unattended by school personnel.

Custodial staff must use the supplemental pay icon on the biometric time clock and use the supplemental activity code #121023 to clock In and out.

Principals should ensure that school staff cooperates with the election judges regarding set-up requests and that polling locations are presentable. For any questions, contact Orlando Alameda by calling (972) 925-5142 or sending an email to oalameda@dallasisd.org.

Click here for the list of facilities that will be used as polling places.

The process to select the 2020 Teacher of the Year has begun at the campuses. The selection process provides opportunity campuses the opportunity to showcase their most effective teachers. The guidelines below ensure consistency across the district in how the nominees are identified at the campus level. The campus winner will represent his or her school in the district-level competition.

Teacher of the Year Characteristics:

• Maximizes growth opportunities for students of all backgrounds
• Collaborates with colleagues, students, and families to create a culture of respect and success.
• Deliberately connects their classroom to the community and the community to the classroom.
• Engages in leadership opportunities that contribute to the work of the profession.
• Without exception, represents the district’s vision and goals.
• Expresses themselves in a poised and articulate way.

Eligibility Criteria:

1. Teachers who earn an Evaluation Rating of Proficient I or above.
2. Teachers who have not served as a campus winner in the last three years.
3. Teachers who have at least 3 years of creditable teaching service.

Campus Selection Teacher of the Year Selection Process:

• After teachers meeting the criteria are nominated, campuses conduct a closed vote to select a campus winner.
• Submit the campus winner’s name to HCM through the link below by November 6, 2020
• Note that the campus winner must be endorsed by the campus Principal. These winners will be invited, via a personal email, to apply for the district Teacher of the Year honor.

Dallas ISD District Teacher of the Year Categories and Selection Process:

The district will select a total of 9 finalists from three categories by campus type and school level. One winner (Elementary, Secondary, Choice/Magnet) will be selected from each category.

Following campus selection, winners are invited to apply through online application for the districtwide award.  Responses and endorsements for all submissions are reviewed and scored in Winter/Spring 2020.

Overall scores for each application are determined by weighting available components:

Finalists are ranked by category.  The top 3 in each category will attend an in-person panel interview before selection of the districtwide winner.

Social and emotional learning builds the skills, knowledge, and attitudes that both students and adults need to be successful in school, work, and life. These skills include such things as knowing and controlling your emotions, teamwork, understanding others, making positive choices, and resilience.  Now, more than ever, these are crucial skills for navigating uncertainty, understanding one’s identity and beliefs, and building positive relationships.

Through the Theory of Action Standards of Service, the Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Department provides training, strategic planning support, and coaching to implement key elements of comprehensive SEL such as:

• Culture and Climate—Includes SEL Signature Practices to develop a campus that’s grounded in positive relationship-building practices and fosters welcoming environments for both students and adults
• SEL Explicit Skills Instruction—Provides direct lessons to students of all ages for SEL skill building and ongoing reflection
• Content Integration—Identifies natural overlaps between SEL skills (like team building or communication) and ongoing academic learning to reinforce the value of SEL and ongoing refinement of SEL skills
• Family Engagement—Builds authentic connections with Dallas ISD families and shares relevant SEL resources with parents and caregivers to help strengthen SEL skills and mindsets at home
• Systems and structures—Develops sustainable SEL implementation, including developing SEL Steering Committees and continuous improvement efforts for strengthening SEL practices on a campus

The SEL team collaborates closely with many partners to provide SEL implementation support to individual campuses, central departments, and Dallas ISD parents and caregivers.  For more information, visit the SEL Department website, www.dallasisd.org/SEL, which includes a number of useful resources (for educators and families) and ongoing updates about our work (including upcoming training opportunities)!

For additional information, contact Juany Valdespino-Gaytan, executive director of Engagement Services, at jvaldespinogaytan@dallasisd.org or Aileen Mokuria, professional development manager, at amokuria@dallasisd.org.

In compliance with state and federal laws, Dallas ISD requires that all employees complete an annual policy acknowledgement and compliance training every school year. The window for both the annual policy acknowledgement and compliance training closes Oct. 31.

Annual Policy Acknowledgement

Using their EAD, employees will log into the annual policy acknowledgement web-based application at http://PolicyAcknowledgement.dallasisd.org. The system can be accessed from work or home. 

Compliance Training Videos

Online compliance training will be available to all District employees in Cornerstone at https://dallasisd.csod.com. Employees will need to use their EAD username and password to log into Cornerstone. The compliance training assignment will be in the “Training in Progress” or the “Your Assigned Training” box located on the “Welcome” page. If the assignment is not listed, employees can hover over the “Learning” tab and select “View Your Transcript.” The compliance training curriculum will be listed on your transcript.

For questions or concerns regarding the annual policy acknowledgement and compliance training, please contact Policy and Compliance at HCMcompliance@dallasisd.org or (972) 794-7858.

Citing his leadership navigating the school district’s students, families, and employees through the challenges created by the coronavirus pandemic, Dallas Business Journal has named Superintendent of Schools Michael Hinojosa one of its Most Inspiring Leaders of 2020.

Among Hinojosa’s accomplishments lauded in the award are his collaboration with the Texas Education Agency, the governor, county and health officials to maintain instruction in the early weeks of the pandemic, developing a plan to bring employees back and open schools in a safe environment, playing a leading role as an advocate for connectivity for students, and working to establish delivery of more than 10 million meals to students while schools were closed.

The inspiring leaders award honors businesses, organizations  and individuals who demonstrated exemplary leadership during the economic and related struggles that followed the onset of the pandemic.

The 20 award winners will be formally recognized in a virtual awards program on Nov. 19.

Published monthly, Dallas Business Journal is a prominent source for local business news, research, and events in the DFW area.

To hear Dallas ISD Partnership and Volunteer Coordinator Thomas Garner tell it, whether they know it or not, fathers have a superpower to make a positive difference in the education and social development of their children and others. So strong is his belief in the idea, Garner is on a mission to recruit as many fathers and father figures as he can to support schools and students as volunteers in the Dallas ISD version of the All Pro Dad program. All Pro Dad is a national male involvement program with 1,000 chapters across 42 states inspiring men to embrace their roles as dads and husbands. All Pro Dad shares guidance, support and practical tips on parenting and family life through training, events and email messages.

Garner is using it as a tool to involve more men in Dallas ISD. He especially wants to recruit Black men. “Of course, this is not a program for just African American men,” he says, “but when you peel back the numbers, realize the number of homes in our community that lack fathers, and read the newspaper and see what’s happening with Black males, it’s important for us to serve.” And what’s in it for the men? Plenty, says Garner. “They get an opportunity to become a better husband, a better man, a better leader in the communities we serve. That’s the most gratifying thing I’ve learned from conversations with other dads in our programs.” To view one father’s testimonial, go here.

Counselor Calvin Grigsby, who works with elementary students at the district’s Barbara Manns alternative school, agrees that male role models can have a positive impact on students. “An involved dad or father figure gives kids a role model, someone they can look up to, someone who is already established,” said Grigsby. “A man who has achieved some goals the student may have in mind for himself can possibly guide the student onto a path to success down the road.” And, he says involved and committed male role models can be as much of a positive influence on girls as boys in terms of helping them set life goals and stay on track to achieve them.

Garner and male representatives of 36 district campuses are preparing for the kickoff of this year’s All Pro Dad program, which will take the form of a Dads Draft. It’s set for 2 p.m., Sat., Oct. 24. Garner says he’s hyped about the event, which, he hopes—even though it’s virtual because of COVID—will display the same excitement as an NFL draft.

“If you visualize or have ever seen an NFL draft with the props onstage, the helmets, the green room for the young men being drafted in the first round, it’s the same hype,” he says. “It’s an opportunity to acknowledge those campuses who want to take the program beyond the draft into their campuses to give men the opportunity to be leaders as fathers and father figures. We can’t get out there and do it in a big way this year because of COVID, but we’re encouraging people to join us in the virtual space for now.”

Garner advises that any campus can create a chapter. There’s a $50 annual fee that covers the cost of training for the campus coach, a link to the All Pro Dad website, daily email affirmations and a supportive network of men on other campuses.

If any campus, father or father figure wants to get in on the 2020 fall draft, there’s still time. To register for the virtual event, see the QR code on the promotional flyer, visit https://www.dallasisd.org/dadsforkids, or contact Garner at (972) 925-5489 or (214) 802-1587.

With a grant from the Dallas Education Foundation, a new Dallas ISD initiative called “I Matter, We Matter, Words Matter” will prepare teachers to use culturally authentic texts written by African American authors to help students see themselves mirrored in the books they read. The program aims to increase Black student achievement in reading and expose students to read-aloud instruction.

The professional development is a part of the Teaching and Learning Division’s support for the Racial Equity efforts underway in Dallas ISD, including the district’s training on cultural intelligence and unconscious bias, said Charissa Govan, executive director for Professional and Digital Learning and the program’s leader.

Pre-K through 10th-grade language arts teachers who sign up for the training will be equipped with strategies to teach through books that feature Black characters portraying the Black experience, in alignment with the district’s commitment to Black students.

“We want to make sure that our division is supporting the commitment to Black lives,” Govan said. “We recognize that our African American students are performing at a rate that is not at the same level of their peers in other ethnicities, and so we want to make sure that we are working to close that gap in reading achievement. With this project, we are focusing on the strategies that teachers can implement in the classroom using read-aloud sessions to help address comprehension and vocabulary.”

Virtual training sessions on Oct. 28, Dec. 2 and Jan. 20 will highlight strategies that teachers can use to build vocabulary and comprehension through culturally relevant texts written by African American authors. The training will provide a space for teachers to learn about cultural intelligence and managing unconscious bias—and how to implement those practices when planning lessons and interacting with students. Teachers will be able to build their classroom libraries with the books provided for the program, including works by contemporary writers Nic Stone, Jerry Craft, Derrick Barnes and Michael S. Brandy, among others. 

“We’re using the texts to develop culturally responsive teaching practices and equipping teachers with the tools to have those critical conversations around race and social justice issues that are happening right now,” said Arlena Gaynor, executive director for Language and Literature, which is supporting the project. “It’s not just about Black kids and Black authors but about making sure that our classroom environment will be inclusive of all so that teachers and students can show up authentically and have critical conversations, and we’re using the texts as a vehicle for that.”

“It’s not just students seeing themselves in the texts,” Gaynor said, “but seeing themselves and their experiences represented accurately.”

Gaynor said the team is hoping to culminate this project with the African American Read-in, where some of the authors whose books are selected will be brought in to speak, creating an experience for teachers and students to engage in.

The initiative is a cross-divisional project that also includes the Racial Equity Office, School Leadership, IT and other departments working together to make it happen.

Interested teachers are encouraged to sign up by using this link:  https://www.dallasisd.org/wordsmatter.

The Aspiring Leaders Program is looking for teachers and instructional coaches who have strong leadership potential for an opportunity with a unique program offered through Southern Methodist University.

This long-standing, valuable partnership between Dallas ISD and the Aspiring Leaders Program is designed for teachers or instructional coaches who are interested in earning a Master’s in Urban Educational Leadership and are seeking a campus administrator or other leadership role in Dallas ISD.

The LEAD department and SMU will be hosting a virtual information session about this program at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 28.  Those who are interested in attending can register at https://tiny.cc/infosessionrsvp.

The program:

• Is rigorous and competency based. The two-year program includes a second-year residency, including coaching support and culminates in a master’s in urban educational leadership from SMU.
• Is for ascending Leaders. In Dallas ISD, more than 100 ALP alumni and participants serve in leadership roles, including 25 current principals and 52 assistant principals.
• Offers tuition reimbursement. The district will potentially provide partial tuition reimbursement for participants in this program.

The Aspiring Leaders Program is designed for individuals who do not currently have their master’s degree.  However, if their degree is in something other than educational leadership and they are seeking an additional one, they are still eligible to apply.  This cohort of participants may potentially be eligible to hire as assistant principals as early as Spring 2022.

Should you have any questions or need additional information, please contact LEAD@dallasisd.org or visit www.smu.edu/urbanleader.