Staff News

The Texas PTA recently recognized Maria Elena Pacheco, a kindergarten teacher at Martha Turner Reilly Elementary, as its 2020 Teacher of the Year.

“Texas PTA recognizes the important role educators and administrators play in our student’s lives,” says Sheri Doss, Texas PTA president. “Our children take on a great deal, but their success is a shared responsibility. The men and women in Texas schools give our students both support and guidance, not to mention a top tier education. We are honored to turn the spotlight back on them!”

Pacheco has worked at Reilly Elementary for the last 13 years and with Dallas ISD since 1995. Pacheco has taught kindergarten and first and second grades. Currently, she teaches in the two-way dual language program. One of her favorite parts about teaching is seeing that the students apply what they learn and then share it with others.

Katy Decker, a member of Martha Turner Reilly’s PTA nominated Pacheco for the Outstanding Educator of the Year Awards.

“Ms. Pacheco knows that as a kindergarten teacher, she is responsible for laying the foundation for the families’ school experience as much as the children’s,” Decker stated on the nomination letter. “Both of my children had her for kindergarten, so I saw first-hand how well she communicates with families. She answers emails, text and Remind app messages promptly, at all hours, and never makes a clueless kindergarten parent feel like they are an imposition on her.”

Texas PTA is one the largest child advocacy organizations in the state, and awards five outstanding educators every year based on nominations from members in their communities and the nominees’ profiles.

Dallas ISD’s top-notch nationally recognized Dual Language program gives children an opportunity to learn how to speak, write, read, listen, and think in both Spanish and English. Gaining this skill set prepares students for greater career and professional options, as well as gives them a competitive edge in the global marketplace. In the Dual Language classroom, instruction is provided in Spanish and English. Students also learn and grow by interacting with their peers whose first language is Spanish and/or English.

“Every year, my children are mostly non-Spanish speaking,” Pacheco said. “They and their parents are always a little anxious and worried because they don’t speak Spanish and my lessons are mostly in Spanish. But the children always catch on to it. They acquire the language and the vocabulary so quickly. Little by little they start using Spanish words to talk among themselves in the classroom and it makes me feel really good.”

Dallas ISD is launching My Apps Portal—a one-stop site to access a variety of applications with a single login.

With the initial release, district staff will have access to:

• Oracle E-Business Suite
• HCM Benefits Portal
• Web Clock
• Budget Online System (BOS)
• Medicaid
• Enterprise Customer Management System (CRM)
• Position Change Request / Request to Post (PCR/RTP)

To access My Apps Portal, go to https://mylogin.dallasisd.org, click on the ADFS button at the bottom of the screen and sign in with your your EAD credentials.

If you have not gone through the process already, you will be asked to do a multifactor authentication via recovery email address, mobile phone SMS text, or security questions. This provides additional security for your account.

To report technology issues or request services, please contact IT Service Desk at (972) 925-5630.

Benefits enrollment is here, and through Aug. 21, employees can change current benefits, add or drop coverage for eligible dependents, and contribute to a Flexible Spending Account through the benefits portal at mylogin.dallasisd.org.

There are many resources available to assist staff with questions as they review their current benefits and change or elect new benefit options. These resources, as well as detailed information regarding benefits and costs, can be found in the new Benefits Department website and the Benefits Overview Guide.

Enrollment is passive for most plans this year—medical, dental, vision, life and accidental death and dismemberment insurance, disability, personal legal, and sick leave bank elections will automatically roll over to the 2020–2021 plan year.

However, employees are encouraged to look at the available benefit plans because many new plans have been added.

The benefits package offers a new vision option. Vision benefits now offer the choice of three plans: basic, moderate and premium. The new premium plan allows you to purchase contacts AND glasses, or two pairs of glasses, or two orders of contacts per benefit year. There is also a higher allowance for frames and lower copays for this plan than the other two vision plan options. Enrollment is required for this plan.

Another significant change this year is that Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX) will administer the TRS-ActiveCare medical plans beginning Sept. 1, so employees are encouraged to look at the plans and check if their providers are still within the network and plan accordingly. Prescription drug coverage is not changing and will remain with CVS Caremark.

The dental discount plan will not be offered for 2020–2021. Those currently enrolled in the dental discount plan who would like to continue dental coverage, should log in to the Benefits Portal and enroll in a new dental plan.

These benefits choices are effective from Sept. 1, 2020, through Aug. 31, 2021, unless there is a qualified special enrollment event.

With summer break over, Dallas ISD continues to work and plan for a transition of district staff to the office in August. Health and safety guidelines for use of facilities are still in effect, and information for staff will be updated in the re-entry website.

The Benefits Department has compiled information related to COVID-19 testing and other resources and services to support district employees who may have been exposed to the virus.

Dallas ISD Employees enrolled in TRS ActiveCare will have all costs waived for all COVID-19 testing. While insurance may be accepted for COVID-19 testing, under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act approved by Congress, employees should not have any out of pocket costs with their insurance. Uninsured employees will also be covered under a program funded by the Department of Health and Human Services.

Employees enrolled in TRS ActiveCare may also receive waived costs for all COVID-19 testing and reduced cost for inpatient admissions for treatment of COVID-19.

Information on testing sites:

CVS

• Only a CVS that has a MinuteClinic will provide COVID testing
• Five to seven days for results
• Symptom assessment is required
• Drive-up ONLY
• Results delivered by Email/text/phone call
• Insurance is accepted at CVS test sites
• CVS testing locations may be found at CVS: Find Testing Sites (there are 29 locations within 30 miles of the administration building)

UT Southwestern

• Open seven days a week, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Will bill an employee’s medical insurance (copay not collected at time of service)
• If no insurance, the Cares Act will cover the cost of testing
• Appointments are required
• Drive-up testing only

Dallas County

• Open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday
• Three days for results
• No appointment required
• Testing is at no cost if:
  • employee is a first responder or essential worker
  • employee is symptomatic or has been exposed to COVID-19
  • employee is 65 or older
• Dallas County COVID Testing Location
  • Ellis Davis Field House 9191 S. Polk St., Dallas, TX 75232 | 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday–Saturday
  • University of Dallas 1845 E Northgate Dr, Irving, TX 75062 | 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday–Saturday

Parkland Hospital (for Parkland patients only by appointment)

• Parkland Main Campus
• Hatcher Station Health Center
• Garland Health Center
• DeHaro-Saldivar Health Center
• Bluitt-Flowers Health Center
• Irving Health Center
• Southeast Dallas Health Center
• Carlyle Smith, Jr. Health Center

Walk Up Locations for COVID Testing

• Red Bird Mall / Westmoreland Park 7222 S. Westmoreland Road, Dallas, TX 75237 | Monday through Saturday, 7 a.m.–3 p.m. or until testing limit is reached. (Closed on Sundays.)
• Inspired Vision Compassion Center 2019 N. Masters Drive, Dallas, TX 75217 | Monday through Friday, 7 a.m.–3 p.m. or until testing limit is reached. (Closed on Sundays.)
• Sam Tasby Middle School 7001 Fair Oaks Avenue, Dallas, TX 75231| Monday through Saturday, 7 a.m.–3 p.m. or until testing limit is reached. (Closed on Sundays.)
• Salvation Army/Pleasant Grove Corps Community Center 8341 Elam Road, Dallas, TX 75217  Available starting July 13

For more information about contact tracing and other safety measures Dallas ISD has implemented, visit www.dallasisd.org/educationevolution.

You can help roll out the welcome wagon, greet new educators and introduce them to Dallas ISD at the district’s annual New Teacher Academy on July 30 and August 3-4. The event will consist of virtual and in-person sessions to familiarize the new teachers with district policies, share classroom management strategies and share curriculum and digital resources. Volunteers are needed to assist with the in-person sessions to be held at Billy Earl Dade Middle School. To view volunteer opportunities and sign up to assist, go to https://www.signupgenius.com/go/NTA2020.

For more information or to ask questions about the event, contact Kymberli Hamilton at (972) 925-3889 or kyhamilton@dallasisd.org.

Two local television channels are helping Dallas ISD students with their learning. KERA, Channel 13, and UniMas, Channel 49, are offering educational programing weekdays during the summer.

KERA is offering Summer Bridge to Math Success, targeted math instruction for students from kindergarten tthrough eighth grade by Dallas ISD teachers from noon to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday until Aug. 7.

UniMas offers lessons and activities in Spanish at 7 a.m. for students from prekindergarten through second grade thanks to a partnership between the district and Univision. The programing can also be seen by visiting www.dallasisd.org/unidosparaaprender.

“We are thankful for and excited about this KERA partnership to help reach thousands of our students and provide them with the knowledge they need to successfully start the new school year in August,” said Oswaldo Alvarenga, assistant superintendent of CTE and STEM.

KERA also provides curriculum-based educational programs weekdays from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on KERA TV channel 13.1, in addition to offering KERA Kids 24/7, which features children’s programming around the clock on channel 13.2. KERA also has developed an At-Home Learning Toolkit with free resources for families and teachers, including lesson plans, activities, videos and more.

The Democratic primary runoff will take place on July 14, and several district facilities will be used as polling places.

All the facilities should be opened promptly at 5:30 a.m. to allow the election judges to set up. Election judges will need access to the buildings until 8 p.m. School leaders should ensure that school staff cooperate with the election judges regarding set-up requests and that polling locations are presentable.

This election is scheduled on a regular workday, therefore, no overtime will be paid to custodians assigned to open/close the buildings. Please note that at no time should a district facility be left unattended by school personnel. If there are any questions, please contact Orlando Alameda at (972) 925-5142 or via email at OAlameda@dallasisd.org.

Click here for list of district facilities that will be used as voting centers for the July 14 election.

While the district is closed for summer break a number of resources are available for help with benefits questions.

District schools and administrative offices will be closed for summer break from Monday, June 29, through Friday, July 3, but the benefits call center will be open from 7:30 to 5 p.m. through the week to answer calls from staff.

For non-emergency health concerns, TRS Aetna ActiveCare participants can utilize Teladoc at a reduced cost.  Call 1-855-Teladoc (835-2362) or visit their main page.

If you have questions regarding your FSA, you can contact Connect Your Care at 877-528-9876 or visit www.connectyourcare.com.  Connect Your Care is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

You may reach the benefits call center at (972) 925-4000 or email benefits@dallasisd.org.  For questions regarding leaves of absence, email benefitsleaves@dallasisd.org.  During the periods in which the district is closed, the email boxes will be monitored periodically to ensure any critical issues are resolved in a timely manner.