Staff News

Longtime district leader announces retirement

Chief Academic Officer Ivonne Durant has announced she will retire from Dallas ISD on June 30. Durant has led the Teaching and Learning Division since returning to the district in 2017. She has served in Dallas ISD as a principal, executive director, and area superintendent. In addition to her career in Dallas, she served as deputy superintendent of Academics and School Leadership in El Paso ISD. The district appreciates her work on behalf of the children of Dallas and wishes her well in retirement.

Deputy Chief of Academics Shannon Trejo has been named acting chief academic officer effective in July. Trejo has 28 years of educational experience in various capacities, and prior to her current position, she served as Dallas ISD assistant superintendent for Language, Literacy and Social Studies. In that role, she led six departments—Dyslexia/504, Reading Language Arts, Social Studies, Dual Language and English Learner Services, World Languages, and Multi-Tiered Systems of Support—and focused on the creation and implementation of a districtwide curriculum. Trejo earned a bachelor ’s degree from The University of Texas at Austin and a master’s degree in educational administration from The University of Texas in Arlington.

New deputy CFO to start this summer

Scott Drillette has been named Dallas ISD deputy chief financial officer. Drillette is currently assistant superintendent for Finance and Operations at Dripping Springs ISD and has more than 15 years’ experience in educational administration, including as chief financial officer at Manor ISD and superintendent of Brock ISD. At Dripping Springs ISD, Drillette oversaw the Business Services umbrella–Child Nutrition, Human Resources, Plant Operations and Transportation–in addition to managing the district’s business and financial services and developing the annual budget. At Brock ISD, he also served as assistant superintendent, athletic director, and high school principal. Drillette, who started his career in education as a math teacher, earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Texas A&M University and a master’s degree in educational administration from Tarleton State University.

District communicator named deputy chief

Libby Daniels has been named deputy chief of Communications. Daniels has been with Dallas ISD since 2008 and has served in a variety of leadership positions, including executive director in charge of media relations, digital media, marketing, Dallas Schools Television, special events and customer service. She has worked strategically with departments to ensure brand alignment and consistent messaging and provided strategic leadership during crisis management. She brings more than 30 years of experience in communications both in the private and public sectors. Daniels earned her degree in communications from the North Texas State University in Denton.

Executive director for Transportation named

Jaime Sandoval has been named executive director of Student Transportation Services. He has served in that position on an interim basis since November 2019. Sandoval has been with Dallas ISD since 1999 and served most recently as executive director of Student Advocacy and Youth Outreach, where he led the Homeless Education Program, the Alcohol and Drug Intervention Program, the Child Abuse and Domestic Violence Office, LGBTQ efforts and the Psychological and Social Services Department. Other leadership roles Sandoval has held in Dallas ISD include director of the Multi-Language Enrichment program, director of Summer Learning, and elementary school principal. Sandoval earned his undergraduate degree from The University of Texas at El Paso and his master’s degree from Stephen F. Austin State University.

The Dallas ISD Reading Academies, launching this fall, will be a one-of-a-kind, transformative opportunity for early literacy in the district. House Bill 3 of the 2019 Texas Legislative Session was one of the most comprehensive reforms for public education in Texas. A key feature of House Bill 3 requires all kindergarten through third-grade teachers and elementary principals to complete the Texas Reading Academies before the end of the 2022-2023 school year.

The Reading Academies will support teachers and administrators through robust content grounded in the Science of Teaching Reading and evidence-based methods. The academy is structured around authentic collaboration, real-time coaching, and ongoing feedback, aimed at strengthening teaching practices and improving literacy outcomes. By developing more skilled and effective educators, we will positively impact student literacy achievement.

For timeline/schedules, FAQs, and additional information about the Reading Academies, visit www.dallasisd.org/ReadingAcademies or emailreadingacademies@dallasisd.org. Follow us on Twitter/Instagram @ReadBIGDallas for updates.

Funding for teachers’ distance learning projects through DonorsChoose can be doubled thanks to a donation from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and FamilyAlbum.

As of May 7, all qualifying projects will receive a 2X match while funds last. That means a $20 donation will become a $40 donation. Distance Learning Projects allow teachers to send materials funded through a DonorsChoose project to an address other than the school, such as a home address or a student home address.

Distance Learning Projects were created as a response to the current coronavirus pandemic that has shifted most classrooms to distance learning. This project type will only be available while schools are closed. If your project meets the criteria, new donations on your project will be matched as long as funding remains. You will see the match offer applied to your project as soon as it is approved and live on the site. Keep the total project goal under $1,000, including all fees, shipping, and the suggested donation to DonorsChoose.

For more information, visit donorschoose.org.

The safety and wellbeing of students and staff is the top priority for Dallas ISD and the focus of discussions for a safe return of staff to central administration buildings.

In the interest of employee safety, the discussions include maintaining health guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, regular deep cleaning of work areas, and the flexibility to give departments and staff options in work arrangements.

Supervisors will be in contact with staff about options for each department, and additional information about district procedures will be available in the coming weeks.

The deadline for employees under Chapter 21 to separate from the district is July 3. According to Chapter 21 of the Texas Education Code, educators have a penalty-free resignation deadline that falls on the 45th day before the first day of instruction of the coming school year. For the 2020-2021 school year, that resignation deadline is July 3, 2020.  Resignations are generally accepted via the electronic submission process (S-54), using the Oracle log-in, and must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. on July 3.

For additional information about how to submit a Notice of Separation, please visit the Retirements and Resignations page at http://dallasisd.org/Page/28102.

Employees who have questions can contact Human Capital Management at (972) 925-4200 or humancapitalmanagement@dallasisd.org to get assistance from a team member.

References:
Texas Education Code: §21.105, §21.160, and §21.210
Texas Administrative Code: 19 TAC 249.15 (b) (5).
Board Policy DFE (REGULATION)
Board Policy DFE (LOCAL)

The Personalized Learning and Assessment for Learning departments are offering the chance to hear from a variety of important education authors in a virtual series. The Author Series will bringing together some of education’s most visionary authors for Dallas ISD campus-based and central staff. The author webinars will address a variety of pedagogical and foundational practices that will help move student learning forward. For more information about the series, download the flyer.

District employees may request reimbursement for a reasonable amount of office supply costs, to include toner, printer cartridges, and paper, incurred while working from home during the Extended Emergency Leave. Employees are advised to obtain approval from their supervisor prior to making any purchase. Note that only consumable office supply costs are eligible for reimbursement. Office equipment, home/office furniture, and services including phone and Internet whether for home or mobile are not eligible for reimbursement under this reimbursement plan. This office supply costs reimbursement option will be open to employees indefinitely as long as the Extended Emergency Leave is in effect.

A video detailing how to request reimbursement can be found on the Accounts Payable website at www.dallasisd.org/iexpense on the Covid-19 tab under “Training Videos & Information.” An employee making this request should complete a new expense reimbursement in iExpense by choosing the “Office Supply Costs” template and selecting expense type “Miscellaneous – General Supplies.” The employee should enter a justification of “Home office purchase during Extended Emergency Leave” and enter the receipt amount excluding sales tax. Oracle will pre-populate the line code and should not be overwritten. The final step is to attach legible, itemized sales receipts for all expenses in iExpense before submitting the request. Receipts may not be dated earlier than March 17, 2020.

All reimbursement requests will route in iExpense to the employee’s supervisor who must approve the request prior to it becoming eligible for reimbursement.  Accounts Payable will review all requests to ensure expense eligibility and receipt attachment.

The detailed video about submitting these types of expenses for reimbursement is the best source of guidance. If employees still have questions about the process or a specific reimbursement, contact Accounts Payable at travel@dallasisd.org.

Superintendent Michael Hinojosa credited the board of trustees, staff, students, and community for working together to achieve the great things that earned Dallas ISD the Excellence in Education Award from H-E-B Food/Drug Stores.

“This is so rewarding for our community, and it’s going to really lift our spirits,” Hinojosa said.

The award, which honors outstanding professionals from Texas public schools, was announced at a special May 5 ceremony held on Zoom. H-E-B President Scott McClelland credited the district with incredible progress made over the past five years. The supermarket chain based in San Antonio has given the award for the past 19 years.

“DISD has done so many things well, you have really become the blueprint for what big urban school districts can achieve,” McClelland said.

To determine overall statewide winners, a panel of judges visited each finalist district, early childhood facility and school board. In Dallas ISD, they personally toured Emmett J. Conrad High School and Billy Earl Dade Middle School.

The judges heard about the transformational work under way across Dallas ISD, that includes P-TECH or early college programs at almost every high school to give students access to college credits, career institutes, growth in high-quality early education programs, rapid expansion of school choice, TEI, and work on racial equity. Dallas ISD will receive a $100,000 grant for winning the award.

Dallas ISD recibe premio por excelencia en la educación

El Superintendente Michael Hinojosa atribuyó los logros que llevaron al premio Excellence in Education otorgado por H-E-B Food/Drug Stores al trabajo que la junta escolar, el personal, los estudiantes y la comunidad realizan juntos.

“Esto muy gratificante para nuestra comunidad, y ayudará a mejorar nuestros espíritus”, Hinojosa dijo.

El premio, que reconoce a profesionales excepcionales en las escuelas públicas de Texas, se anunció durante una ceremonia a través de Zoom el 5 de mayo. El presidente de H-E-B Scott McClelland detalló el progreso que el distrito ha realizado durante los últimos cinco años. Durante los últimos 19 años, la cadena de supermercados con base en San Antonio ha otorgado el premio durante los últimos 19 años.

“DISD ha hecho tantas cosas bien, que realmente se han convertido en el esquema a seguir para lo que un distrito urbano grande puede lograr”, McClelland dijo.

Un grupo de jueces visitó a cada distrito finalista, centro de educación preescolar, y junta escolar para determinar a los ganadores del estado. En Dallas ISD Emmett J. Conrad High School y Billy Earl Dade Middle School.

Los jueces escucharon acerca del trabajo de transformación que se está llevando a cabo en Dallas ISD y que incluye programas de P-TEC y early college que ofrecen la oportunidad de obtener horas crédito universitarias en casi todas las preparatorias, institutos profesionales, crecimiento en programas de educación preescolar de alta calidad, la rápida expansión de programas de opción escolar, TEI, y el trabajo de equidad racial. Dallas ISD recibirá una subvención $100,000 por haber ganado el premio.

Thinking of retiring this year? Dallas ISD will pay you cash for your unused local days, and the deadline to submit your intent to retire date in Oracle Self-Service has been extended to June 1.  The more days you have remaining when you retire, the higher your award.

Employees who notify Human Capital Management by entering their intent to retire date in Oracle Self-Service by the new date of June 1 can receive a flat daily rate of pay for any unused local days accrued by July 31.  The exact rate to be paid will be determined upon calculation of all the participants’ remaining local days (calculated by July 31) for the year. There is no cap to the number of local days paid. There is no time in service requirement.

Remember, retiring employees must enter their retirement date in Oracle Self-Service by June 1 to be eligible to receive the award.  Those who do not enter their separation date in Oracle Self-Service by deadline will not be eligible for the award.

For additional questions, you may contact the HCM Benefits Department at (972) 925-4300.

The Graphics Department is open and ready to print. The Graphics Department would like to let schools, departments and staff know that the presses are running while keeping employees safe during the COVID-19 closure.

The department is working with campuses and departments to make sure that all print needs are fulfilled—banners, tablecloths, yard signs, mailers. No job is too big or too small.

The Graphics Department not only prints for schools and departments. It also offers services for personal print projects. Email your requests to graphicsinfo@dallasisd.org  and one of its dedicated print professionals will contact you to assist with your order.