Staff News

Dallas ISD is looking for ambassadors and champions to participate in two districtwide campaigns: the relaunch of the Core 4 and the annual employee giving campaign for United Way.

Core 4 Culture Tenets Ambassadors

Dallas ISD is committed to providing exemplary customer service in every corner of the district. We’ve committed to the tenets of Core 4— Focused, Fast, Flexible, and Friendly—which ensure we are delivering professional, high-quality service. To ensure this commitment continues to be part of everyday life in the district, we have redesigned Core 4 to include Cultural Tenets rooted in our principles of racial equity and cultural responsiveness, comprehensive accountability, responsible use of resources, and collaboration. These changes will benefit our staff and improve communications with our students, parents, and the community.

Departments/campuses are asked to assign at least one employee to serve as its team’s Cultural Tenets Ambassador. This individual will be responsible for training his or her colleagues in the upcoming months on the Core 4 tenets. The goal is to have every Dallas ISD employee trained by the end of the 2020-2021 school year. Campuses consisting of 100 or more employees are encouraged to select two employees to serve as their ambassadors. When selecting this individual(s), please consider selecting a member of your team who demonstrates leadership skills and is able to execute a training at a high-level.

Please submit the name(s) of your department/campus ambassador using the following link:https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1b6LYT1PZnbHx8NpPxhoDslhRUH4YLdII6Zzonl29IDw/edit?usp=sharing. Those who have been designated as ambassadors should attend training.

1. 1. Click on this link https://www.dallasisd.org/Page/69841#calendar119054/20200918/month.The link will take them to the calendar where events are listed.
   2. The sessions are listed as Core 4 Ambassador Training. Select a training date and time.
   3. Session registration page for selected date/time. Type the Org # for your department and click register. (If you do not see register icon you are most likely not logged in. If that’s the case scroll to the top of the page and in the navy blue ribbon you will see Account in white letters. Click there and   in with your EAD credentials.)
   4. Once the registration is submitted an automatic confirmation email will be sent.

United Way Employee Giving Campaign Champions:

Principals and department heads are asked to select and share the name and contact information of their campaign champion by clicking here so they can attend training. Virtual training session will take place the week of Oct. 12. Exact dates/times and registration can be found on the Districtwide Datebook.

The Language, Literacy and Social Studies department is inviting staff to its annual conference, which this year will take place virtually on Saturday, Oct. 24.

As in past years, the conference— “Excellence through Equity: Fostering Positive Learning Experiences”—will offer district teachers support by hosting a fall conference for professional development. Several district departments will come together in the virtual conference to explore how to bring excellence through equity for all students.

In addition to information provided by district staff, participants will also hear from a variety of renowned speakers, such as Dr. Eric Jensen and Dr. Anthony Muhammad, throughout the day. For more information and to register to participate, click here.

The Office of Transformation and Innovation has extended the application deadline for Innovation Engine to Friday, Oct. 16.

The Innovation Engine is a program designed to provide funding and support to neighborhood schools interested in implementing innovative programs or initiatives. The program will select up to 20 neighborhood schools to receive $50,000 each to implement their proposed model during the 2020-2021 school year. Principals are invited to submit applications with their executive directors’ approval by 4:59 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 16.

Visit the Innovation Engine web page to view the application materials and learn more. For questions, contact Shakeatha Butler, OTI director, at shakbutler@dallasisd.org.

Dallas ISD is holding an Oct.19 webinar to share with district staff, students and parents actions the district is taking to transform Dallas ISD into an anti-racist school community. The webinar will feature a brief presentation defining terms such as racism and cultural intelligence and how those tools can help create an anti-racist organization. The district’s executive leaders will also share what their departments are doing to reform programs and operations.

This first in a series of gatherings will be held as a virtual meeting at 5 p.m., Monday, Oct. 19. It will be headed by Dr. Sandra Upton, a national expert on diversity, equity and inclusion and will be conducted in English and Spanish on Zoom and streamed live on Facebook. While this webinar will be primarily a listen and learn event, future sessions will be designed to engage the community, collect input and ideas and answer questions.

Register in advance for this webinar. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

For two decades, the Dallas Independent School District and the  United Way of Metropolitan Dallas have partnered on the district’s employee giving campaign—raising more than $5 million.

A key component of a successful giving campaign is the selection of a dynamic campaign champion. Following their selection and attendance at the district’s United Way information session, these individuals will be asked to assume responsibility for encouraging their colleagues to support the campaign and develop strategies to ensure their departments or campuses reach their fundraising goals.

This year, the Dallas Education Foundation will be the district’s charity of choice. As the district’s nonprofit partner, DEF aligns with our strategic initiatives and connects with area business leaders, residents and the philanthropic community to raise funds for programs that enrich the lives of our students.

The 2020 Employee Giving Campaign is scheduled for Oct. 26 through Dec. 11 and has a fundraising goal of $150,000.

Principals and department heads are asked to select and share the name and contact information of their campaign champion by Tuesday, Oct. 6, by clicking here. Once the champion is assigned, the district’s United Way Campaign Coordinator will schedule a 30-minute virtual information session the week of Oct. 12. Exact dates/times and registration can be found on the Districtwide Datebook.

Effective Nov. 1 Non-Exempt and Exempt Attendance Report Form will be available electronically through Laserfiche, replacing the paper forms. Timekeepers will continue to make entries to the employees’ timecards for absences and adjustments; however, all Non-Exempt and Exempt Attendance Report Forms must be completed by employees and approved by respective supervisors using the Laserfiche submission process.

The new electronic Non-Exempt and Exempt Attendance Report Forms can be found on the Payroll Services website under the Forms option. You will need to sign in using your EAD username and password to gain access to the form, which will be routed automatically to the designated supervisor for approval.

In preparation for the upcoming change, please click here to view the training video on how to submit and get approval for the Non-Exempt and Exempt Attendance Report Form in Laserfiche. If you need assistance with completing or approving the attendance forms in Laserfiche, please send an email to NotifyPayroll@dallasisd.org.

In its efforts to promote social distancing and maintain the safety of staff, Dallas ISD staff working in person in district facilities have several choices to clock in and record their attendance: the biometric clocks, available in multiple locations in district buildings; the web clock, available online; and the attendance forms. The choice of which option to use is up to the employee.

Additional biometric clocks have been installed throughout the buildings to decrease the number of users per clock.

Employees who choose the web clock can access it at https://webclock.dallasisd.org, using Internet Explorer or Google Chrome. When using the web clock, staff will continue to submit PTO requests directly to their timekeeper. Payroll Services has created a step-by-step guide to accessing the web clock and recording their clock in and out for the regular time and attendance and for supplemental pay. The guide can be found here.

For those interested in becoming principals and needing addition information before completing their application, the LEAD Department is offering a virtual information session at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 6,

The LEAD team will share information about the Principal Candidate Selection Process, how to apply and what to expect following submittal of the application. All individuals interested in joining the information session should RSVP at https://forms.gle/6k8m6aqRqCD3sEQ46

Submit your application on TMS by Oct. 9. Those who complete their application in TMS by the deadline will receive a link from HCM to complete the second stage of the application.

Should you have any questions or need additional information, please contact LEAD@dallasisd.org

Dallas ISD will enhance daily cleaning of all facilities, with special attention to specific high touchpoint areas such as door handles, knobs, and buttons. Daily cleaning will utilize the safest and most effective products approved by the Center for Disease Control and the EPA and complies with CDC guidelines.

The district will continue to utilize the CDC guidelines and recommendations to ensure we implement the safest and most current practices for the cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting our school campuses.

Electrostatic Disinfection

To help prevent the spread of COVID-19, the district will apply electrostatic disinfectant on a weekly basis. The product is a safe, environmentally friendly and a powerful disinfection product. The product systematically removes and destroys dangerous microorganisms in the environment and because surfaces are treated with a protective polymer that inhibits growth of microorganisms for a period of time after application. The product is registered with the EPA and approved for contact services.

During the weekly spraying of facilities and buses, classroom teachers may leave out any items they want disinfected to include face shields, computer keyboards, math manipulatives, books, etc. This safe application will reduce reduce the possibility for transmission of germs through those items.

Custodians

The campus custodians will also receive professional development on the deep cleaning of a facility or a specific site within a facility. Should a confirmed case of COVID-19 be identified on a specific campus, the Environmental Health and Safety Department will be notified and additional measures will be taken if necessary.

Disinfectant Wipes and Sprays

While disinfectant wipes do not interfere with the effectiveness of the weekly electrostatic disinfection, they are recommended for use with spills and accidents. Each classroom has received CDC approved disinfectant wipes and disinfectant spray to be used by the teacher. No one under the age of 18 is allowed to handle disinfectant wipes and sprays.

The arrival of fall brings with it flu season. Seasonal flu mimics many of the same symptoms of COVID-19, which can make it difficult for patients and providers to tell the difference between the two illnesses. Getting a flu shot is an important step we can all take to protect ourselves and our families.

The district has partnered with CVS Pharmacy to provide convenient locations for employees to get flu shots, whether on-site or nearby. Flu shot clinics will be available Monday, Oct. 5, through Friday, Oct. 30.  For ease of service, complete the flu shot form available here before going to get your flu shot.

The flu shot clinic will be available from 8 to 11 a.m. at two central locations next week: Linus D. Wright Dallas ISD Administration Building Oct. 6 and 7, and at Turney W. Leonard Governance and Training Center, 5151 Samuell Blvd., Oct. 8.  from 8-11. Future clinic locations will be communicated through The Beat.

The district and CVS will be taking extra steps to ensure employees feel safe while receiving a flu shot by introducing new on-site drive through locations and door-to-door, classroom-to-classroom services. The high dose flu shot for employees over the age of 65 or at high risk will be offered on-site as well.