From Wing Stop to Dallas ISD maintenance supervisor

David Ybarra was working at Wing Stop before joining Dallas ISD’s Operation Services as a groundskeeper.

“I wanted something more than a job,” Ybarra said. “I wanted a good, stable and dependable career with benefits that I could grow in.”

At age 19, Ybarra had to quickly learn the new career path and craft he signed up for. And while Ybarra admits that there were times he doubted himself over his work challenges and responsibilities, they only helped him thrive.

“It took the right leaders in the Operations Division to help me grow,” Ybarra said. “They shared their knowledge and experiences with me so I could find the solutions to challenges.”

Fast forward 10 years, and Ybarra, who has a child enrolled in Dallas ISD, is now the Interim Supervisor at the Northwest Grounds Division.

“It’s a great journey being a part of the district,” Ybarra said. “Now as a supervisor, I get to help and advise new incoming leaders who will one day grow into a bigger role like I did.”

Ybarra credits his peers and supervisors for helping him achieve the role he has today. But he added that it would not be possible without internal ambition and perseverance.

“Dallas ISD is like a big door, and once you open it, there are so many other doors of opportunities in which you can grow into,” Ybarra said. “But you just have to have the patience and strive to learn above all.”

September paycheck includes salary increases and adjustments

All qualifying employees who are not part of a district excellence initiative will see board-approved salary increases reflected in their September paychecks. Some employees also could see additional increases in their base pay to better align district salaries with market rates as recommended in the recent Texas Association of School Boards study.

Those whose salaries are determined through one of the excellence initiatives— most teachers, assistant principals, principals and executive directors of schools—will see salary increases, if eligible, reflected in their October paychecks.

Most pay ranges were increased to improve alignment with the current job market.

As part of TASB’s recommendation to align Dallas ISD to industry standards, the board-approved increase will now be an equal rate increase based on 2 percent of the pay range midpoint of an employee’s pay grade, which was determined by TASB. This is unlike in previous years when the board-approved increase was applied as a percentage of the employee’s actual hourly/annual rate.

Employees are able to log into Oracle and go to Employee Self Service to view their notice of assignment. These notices will include the employee job, salary, and pay grade information. For information on pay groups and pay grades, employees can consult the district’s 2019-2020 Compensation Resource Book.

Other changes in compensation

The main purpose of the TASB study was to analyze compensation throughout the district to ensure alignment with the current job market. Recommendations from the study included changes in pay range structures, consolidation of pay groups, and alignment of job titles. Some of these changes could have resulted in base salary changes though no salaries decreased due to the TASB-based adjustments.

Changes in pay range structures

  • Instructional support pay grades were aligned with the teacher hiring scale
  • More pay levels were added to some pay plans, such as those for paraprofessionals, instructional support, police and security and food services

Consolidation of pay groups

  • All administrative assistants moved to the office support pay group
  • All therapists, nurses and athletic coaches were moved to the instructional support pay group
  • Media assistants, community liaisons and deaf education were moved to the paraprofessional pay group

Alignment of job titles

  • Administrative and executive assistants were aligned by reporting structures
  • Central staff pay grades now distinguish between exempt and non-exempt jobs
  • Central job titles changed for consistency

Professional development opportunities available for central staff

Central staff employees can take advantage of several learning opportunities during September.  All sessions will be held at the Linus D. Wright Administration Building, 9400 N. central Expressway. The available opportunities are:

Results Focused Leadership Series—This is a three-part series that focuses on the nuts and bolts of management and tools to get results whether you are a new leader or an experienced one. Interested staff can attend all three modules or just one.  Audience:  New Managers, Managers, Supervisors.

  • Module 1:  Goals and Check-ins  Discover how check-in meetings make it easier to manage day-to-day work of the staff and ensure it is connected to big picture goals that impact results.
  • Module 2:  Developing People and Feedback  Participants will discuss development techniques and a way to structure feedback so employees will understand what you are commenting on and why.
  • Module 3:  Exercising Authority Something that sounds simple can be the source of anxiety.  This session will identify passive and aggressive behaviors and explain what it means to exercise authority without being too passive or overly aggressive.

The 5 Languages of Workplace Appreciation (Click here) When managers and supervisors understand someone’s primary and secondary language, as well as specific ways to speak to them, they can effectively communicate authentic appreciation, thus raising the level of buy-in and performance across the entire team and organization. Session participants will learn how to express genuine appreciation to co-workers and staff even on a tight budget.  Audience: Managers, Supervisors, Central Staff employees

Multiple Generations at Work (Click here) This session will identify the multiple generations in the workplace and formulate a better understanding of their needs and motivations. Language skills to effectively communicate and collaborate will be discussed.  Audience:  Central Staff employees

 

New structures and staff in new positions greet the new school year

The Teaching and Learning division shifted its organizational structure to create a more systematic approach to meeting student, parents and staff needs.

  • Shannon Trejo was named deputy chief of Academics.
  • Assistant Superintendent for Special Populations Elizabeth Casas will lead programs for special populations, which include dual language and special education services and dyslexia/504, with Michelle Brown serving as executive director, advanced academics, social emotional learning and special education auxiliary services, led by Executive Director Juany Valdespino-Gaytan
  • Language, Literacy and Social Studies responsibilities shifted resulting in a move from an assistant superintendent to an executive director level (currently vacant). This position will oversee reading language arts (3-12), social studies (3-12), world languages (K-12), and multi-tiered systems of support
  • An assistant superintendent overseeing STEM, computer science, CTE and career institutes was established. Oswaldo Alvarenga will serve in that capacity.

Other staff changes/promotions

  • Silvia Salinas was named executive director of the Athletics Department.
  • John Lawton is the new chief of police for Dallas ISD
  • Marlon Shears was selected as the new deputy chief technology officer

Dallas ISD tackles new level of achievement: middle school

After successfully growing high-quality pre-K for early learners and opening new collegiate academies for high school students, Dallas ISD is turning its attention to “the last frontier”: middle school.

The new initiative should bring strategies proven to lift school performance—strategic staffing, instructional excellence, social and emotional support, extended learning and supportive partnerships—to 24 Dallas ISD middle schools.

“We are not providing what we need to be providing to our middle school students,” Elizalde said in March during a Board of trustees briefing. “We are going to work with these schools and provide additional resources and support to ensure our students are being best prepared for success.”

As principal of D.A. Hulcy STEAM Middle School, Jonica Crowder-Lockwood has seen how pivotal the middle school years are for students. Hulcy STEAM Middle School reopened to great success in 2015 and has since become a “Gold Ribbon” school, according to a Children at Risk report.

“Middle school is a stage of discovery. Students are figuring out what they like to do and who they are,” Crowder-Lockwood said. “It’s great that Dallas ISD is focusing on these years so we can guide our kids into success in high school and beyond.”

 

New schools and programs provide families more options

Dallas ISD opened two new magnet schools this fall—Trinity Heights Talented and Gifted (formerly Roger Q. Mills Elementary School) and Mark Twain School for the Talented and Gifted.

North Lake Collegiate Academy opened its doors to its first group of students who can earn a high school diploma and associate degree–at no cost to them–while still in high school. About 8,500 students are now enrolled in collegiate academies in Dallas ISD.

Seven additional schools are offering the two-way dual language programs this school year, providing more opportunities for students to learn to read, write and speak in two languages. Dallas ISD now has 68 schools that offer the program. In this program, English speakers can learn Spanish and Spanish speakers can learn English. Students grow to become biliterate and bilingual while gaining high academic achievement and cross-cultural competence.

Over the course of a day in a two-way dual language program, students who speak and students who are learning to speak English are taught together certain subjects, such as science, in Spanish and other subjects, such as math, in English. The program aims to have a fairly even split between students who speak English and those who are learning to speak English.

“These students can think like a scientist in Spanish, then turn around and solve a complicated math problem in English: it just blows you out of the water to watch,” said Cloris Rangel, the Dallas ISD director of Dual Language Programs.  “Being bilingual and biliterate gives these students a huge leg up not just in school, but in their lives well beyond graduation.”

The additional campuses that offer a two-way dual language program this year are:

  • Montessori Academy at Onesimo Hernandez
  • John W. Carpenter Elementary
  • Trinity Heights School for the Talented and Gifted
  • Mark Twain School for the Talented and Gifted
  • Frederick Douglass Elementary
  • Sam Houston Elementary
  • Bethune Elementary

H.S. Thompson Elementary will also offer the program when the school reopens next semester.

Other schools that offer dynamic opportunities for students are the eight new innovation schools designed as new academic models inside an existing neighborhood campus that keeps its traditional boundaries, bringing more education choices into families’ backyards.

An innovation school offers a new academic model inside an existing neighborhood campus that keeps its traditional boundaries. As part of the Office of Transformation and Innovation (OTI) proposal process, leadership at each of the eight schools spent months designing new academic models.

“These eight new innovation schools focus on our neighborhood campuses, bringing more educational choices into our families’ backyards,” said Angie Gaylord, Dallas ISD deputy chief of Transformation and Innovation.

The eight new innovation schools will have one of two academic models: Personalized Learning, which focuses on a student’s interests, talents and goals; and STEAM, which focuses on science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics.

The eight innovation schools this year are:

  • Ignacio Zaragoza Elementary School (Personalized Learning)
  • Arturo Salazar Elementary School (Personalized Learning)
  • Leila P. Cowart Elementary School (Personalized Learning)
  • Birdie Alexander Elementary School (Pilot Personalized Learning)
  • H.B. Gonzalez Elementary School (Personalized Learning)
  • Jack Lowe Elementary School (Personalized Learning)
  • Kleberg Elementary School (Pilot STEAM)
  • Ronald E. McNair Elementary School (STEAM)

 

H drive storage to be phased out

Dallas ISD IT Infrastructure will be phasing out on-site H drive storage for employees. The transition to a cloud storage option started on July 1, 2019, and will continue through Dec. 31, 2019. 

Benefits for Employees: 

  • Users will be offered a choice between Google Drive or Microsoft OneDrive applications 
  • 1Terabbyte of storage on OneDrive or unlimited storage for Google Drive 
  • Improved secure remote access for employees without requiring the use of VPN 
  • Mobile device compatible 

Implementation Timeline: 

  • July 1, 2019 – Migration process begins. IT will no longer create new “H drives” for individuals 
  • Employees will migrate their H drive files to the cloud by Dec. 31, 2019 
  • Dec. 31, 2019 – Existing H drives will become read-only 

Support/Training: 

  • Training will be offered via step by step “How to” documents along with instructor lead training sessions 
  • Sharepoint site will be created and updated to house the “How to” documents and information pertaining to FAQ’s on the migration to cloud storage

Policy Acknowledgement and Compliance Training starts Sept. 3

In compliance with state and federal laws, Dallas ISD requires that all employees view compliance training videos and complete an annual policy acknowledgement. The window to complete this process for the 2019-2020 school year will open on Sept. 3. For more information, visit Staff News.

Policy acknowledgement

Employees will be required to log in to the annual policy acknowledgement application at http://PolicyAcknowledgement.dallasisd.org/ using their EAD credentials.

Videos

Online training for the 2019-2020 school year 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 in to Cornerstone. This year, staff members will have an assignment for the compliance training on their “Welcome” page in Cornerstone. More details will be provided as the window approaches.

The deadline to complete both the annual policy acknowledgement and compliance training is Oct. 31, 2019. Questions or concerns regarding the annual policy acknowledgement and compliance training should be directed to HCMcompliance@dallasisd.org or (972) 794-7858.

Dallas ISD Toastmasters launch meetings at administration building

Dallas ISD Talk It Up! Toastmasters invite district staff to attend the club’s meetings in room 201 at 9400 N. Central on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays beginning Wed., July 24.

The weekly 6 p.m. meetings feature self-paced speeches and leadership opportunities based on the time-tested Toastmasters curriculum. Members grow in speaking and leadership ability by taking on roles as toastmaster, timer, speaker, evaluator, and ah-counter.

The one-hour meetings are held in room 201 and are open to all employees. For more information, go here to download a flyer, or contact the club’s Vice-President of Membership Cecilia Oakeley at Oakeley@dallasisd.org.

New Dallas ISD grant program will expand innovation in neighborhood schools

The Dallas ISD Office of Transformation and Innovation has launched a new initiative to expand innovation in neighborhood schools.

The Innovation Engine Grant Program will annually award up to 20 neighborhood schools $50,000 in seed money to help them explore and implement innovative education models. Interested school teams can go here to learn more and apply by the Sept. 6 deadline.

“The purpose of this program is to deepen and expand innovation in neighborhood schools throughout the District,” OTI Strategic Development Manager Courtney Rogers said.

The OTI Department is hosting three information sessions about the program in July and August at the Linus D. Wright Administration Building, 9400 N. Central Expressway.

From creating a space for social and emotional learning to training staff on next generation instructional strategies, the schools can use the funding in a variety of ways to support innovation on their campus.

The new grant program comes as the OTI Department readies for the 2019–2020 school year that will see eight additional Dallas ISD neighborhood campuses become innovation schools. The eight new innovation schools will have one of two academic models: Personalized Learning, which focuses on a student’s interests, talents and goals; and STEAM, which focuses on Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics.

“We are committed to accelerating innovation in Dallas ISD by bringing more educational choices and innovative programs into our families’ backyards,” said Angie Gaylord, Dallas ISD Deputy Chief of Transformation and Innovation.