Staff News

In 2021, Roneishia Franklin, the current parent support specialist at Seagoville High School, gave herself an unusual birthday present, founding Blooming with Purpose, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering young women. 

Franklin, a graduate of Seagoville High School, began her nonprofit with a longing to become a servant leader and following a guiding mantra:  “You have to give to pour into others.” Franklin saw the need in the community, especially among homeless people, and decided to do her part. She also saw the need among young women to believe they are more than the sum of their looks. When she combined the two—acts of charity and mentoring—Blooming with Purpose was born.

“I feel like I’m a servant leader, and I like pouring into the community and the youth,” Franklin said. “I want to let young women know that they’re more than their beauty or appearance; they have to build character as well.”

Franklin, who was then working as an accounting assistant at a law firm, coordinated food and toiletry drives, distributed blankets to homeless individuals on Thanksgiving, and started mentoring young girls about their worth. She then began donating prom tickets and prom dresses to Seagoville High School. But she went one step further, acting as a bridge to connect students with resources from local nonprofits.

She got so involved in helping the students that, in 2022, school administrators offered her first an office and then a job. 

Franklin refused the offer at first, but when she thought about it more deeply, she realized the opportunity aligned with her desire to serve. She soon eased into a new role as a media assistant, working closely with the testing coordinator. The following year, she transitioned into her current position as a parent support specialist. 

Franklin’s current position aligns with her commitment to serve others. In her short time Seagoville High School’s parent liaison, she has hosted workshops for parents on topics such as mental health, suicide prevention, bullying, and financial literacy. She also works closely with the North Texas Food Bank to bring food to families and provides support and resources to pregnant students. 

“We sign up the pregnant students for WIC, give them diapers, and take them to a baby shower that the district hosts in the spring,” Franklin said. “There, they receive car seats, diapers, strollers, and other things.”

Franklin has cultivated trust with Seagoville students, especially young women, that goes beyond workshops. She recalls a time when one student in her pregnant-parenting group reached out to her late one night last year. The student was in the hospital, about to give birth.

“She was at the hospital alone, and she needed help getting baby clothes and food and items of that sort. It was just second nature for me to want to help her,” Franklin said. 

Franklin drove to the hospital to bring the student baby essentials. She made sure to stay in constant contact with the student, providing reassurance and comfort. It was at this moment that Franklin felt certain she was fulfilling her faith-driven purpose. 

“I feel like my purpose is here at Seagoville High School. I’ve reached and impacted so many lives, and I love what I do,” Franklin said.

Franklin’s dedication to students has not gone unnoticed  by the district. In 2024, she received the Rookie of the Year High School Award for Family and Community Engagement. 

“Caring about others and serving others fulfills me, ” she said.

Franklin said she is completing a master’s degree in psychology at the University of North Texas and hopes to become a child psychologist for Seagoville High School. After working in corporate America for years, Franklin says education holds her heart—and she does not intend to leave.

“I hope that I can be a resource and a safe haven to my students and that they know they can always come to me,” Franklin said. “I’d like to leave my mark with my positivity and by helping everyone here.”

If you are new to the district, never had a headshot taken, or are simply due for an updated one, now’s your chance to shine. Dallas ISD central team members are invited to the next professional headshot session. 

This quarter there will be two separate days available: 8-11:30 a.m. on Sept. 9 and 10. Both sessions will take place in Suite 583 at the Linus D. Wright Central Administration Building, 9400 N. Central Expressway.

Updates to quarterly headshots

We’re adapting and improving our process to better serve the district’s growing photography needs. Here’s what’s new:

• Quarterly headshot days: Professional headshots will now be offered once per calendar quarter.
• Sign-up blocks: To reduce early morning backups, we’ll offer pre-signups with a larger time window so arrivals are spread out and lines are shorter. 
• Deadline for signup: Please sign up by 5 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 5.
• No check-in on arrival: As long as you signed up ahead of time, you do not need to sign in when you arrive

Who can attend:

• Central team members
• Campus principals (not available for assistant principals)
• Executive directors
• Associate superintendents
• Chiefs and deputy chiefs

Headshot day details and tips

• Dress to impress: Men typically wear suits while women opt for business attire.
• Bring your ID: A Dallas ISD ID is required to enter the building. If you do not have your ID, you need to sign in at the security desk.
• Parking: Use official Dallas ISD parking only. Avoid parking at Dave & Buster’s or the visitor’s parking lot.
• Quick sessions: Each session lasts about one minute. Multiple shots will be taken for your selection. 
• **Retouching: One image may be selected for retouching. This selection needs to take place before leaving the photography area. 

SIGN UP HERE: CLICK HERE

For questions, email photography@dallasisd.org.

Whether school is already back in session or just around the corner, DonorsChoose is ready to support teachers with an early-access funding opportunity.

Starting at 7 a.m. on Sunday, Aug. 31, any teacher who is new to DonorsChoose will receive an automatic $50 donation on their first project. That’s an extra boost to help new teachers bring additional resources to the classroom.

How it works: Eligible teachers, those who have never had a fully funded project on DonorsChoose, submit their first project proposal between Aug. 31 and 3 a.m. (EST) on Sept. 7. The $50 donation will appear as soon as the project is approved and live on the site.

When school ratings were announced last week, Dallas ISD learned it had doubled its number of A-rated campuses from 30 in the 2023-2024 school year to 60. And among those A-rated campuses were Umphrey Lee and Whitney M. Young Jr. elementary schools, both of which had previously been among F-rated campuses.

“I expected it, but didn’t know we would get it,” said Yolanda Knight, Lee Elementary School principal. “I wasn’t anticipating being an A. Maybe a B. But our expectation is always to be at the top. We didn’t know we would get there as fast, but we knew we would get there.”

Young Elementary School Principal Shabranda Mathis learned in late July that her school was facing an estimated F rating. Determined to change the trajectory, she met with her team in August 2024 to tighten the campus instructional systems, build on their progress, and ensure the campus earned no less than a B, she said.

“I have an amazing team,” she said of the teachers, instructional leaders, and dedicated team members who made the difference, as well as the students. “I am a product of Dallas ISD of 75216, the very zip code I serve. The very community I come from. The faith in my campus and my community never wavered.”  

Going from an F to an A rating in a year can be seen as almost a miraculous achievement, even more so for schools that are almost 80% economically disadvantaged and almost 95% Hispanic and Black. But for Mathis and other principals who saw similar gains, the success came from faith in their teams, students, parents, and above all, hard work.

“I give all the credit to my teachers and their hard work, to student buy-in, the administrative staff, and demonstration teachers,” Knight said. “I think we did a lot more with intentionality on our part with our planning, our scheduling, interventions and collaboration and with motivating students. We focused on our kids. We made sure they understood what we were all doing.”

Lee Elementary School is divided into four houses, which encourages collaboration and competition that the teachers and administrators used to motivate students. Eventually, Knight said, students took ownership of their learning and their achievement knowing and caring where they were and where they needed to be.

For Young Elementary School, the road to an A rating began with a simple phrase: “This is our winning season,” Mathis said. Building on the foundation laid the previous year, her team tightened key systems, such as progress monitoring, and focused on analyzing data that provided critical learning indicators to drive instruction.

 “People outside of education don’t always realize the magnitude of this—the level of work and commitment it truly takes,” she said. “Everyone came in believing this was our winning season, that we had what it took, that a B was within reach. Then we got to work.”

By the look of the ratings released by the TEA, almost all of Dallas ISD got to work last school year. Districtwide, Dallas ISD has 228 schools and of those campuses, 163, more than 70%, earned an A or B, and nearly 93% are A, B, or C rated.

“These results reflect the unwavering commitment of our educators, students, and families. None of this happens without them,” said Superintendent Stephanie S. Elizalde. “While there is still work to be done, these results are a clear sign that we are moving in the right direction, and we will not stop until every school is achieving at a high level. It’s what our kids deserve, and it’s the legacy we are committed to build for every student.

Additionally, students in all grade levels and tested subjects not only met but often exceeded state performance levels. These gains are especially significant among student groups who have historically faced the greatest challenges.

In 80% of the tested categories, Dallas ISD showed larger increases than the state and Black, emergent bilingual, and economically disadvantaged students outperformed their state peers in the “all subjects and grades” category.

Both principals agree that outperforming expectations was certainly what took place at Lee and Young elementary schools. And that when high expectations and belief in the team and students is paired with hard work, all schools can beat the odds.

“I want people to understand that I truly get the community I serve,” Mathis said. “We celebrate our kids for who they are. I have a phenomenal team—the best I’ve had the honor of serving with in my entire career as an educator. I’ve never seen a group that feels so much like family while also holding each other accountable the way this team does.”

Dallas ISD and other school districts in Texas are required to obtain written permission from parents or guardians to provide any health-related services to students, including handing out band aids to treat minor cuts or checking temperatures. 

The form is a requirement of Senate Bill 12, passed by the 89th Texas Legislature. Without the written consent form, a school district can only provide life-saving care. To provide all other health-related services—including administering prescribed medications—the child’s parent/guardian must check “Yes” and sign the Parental Consent for School Health-Related Services form, said Jennifer Finley, executive director of Health Services. 

Because these school health-related services are most often provided by the school nurse, they are already working with other team members in the schools to get these forms to parents. However, additional school team members may also provide first-aid and care of ill or injured students, which is why it is crucial that the form be signed and in the student’s file, Finley said. 

These school team members may include nurse assistants, teachers, athletic trainers, counselors, and others who supervise children.  

Education Technology is working to add the form to SchoolMint as part of the student enrollment package, but for this year, the form must be distributed to parents and completed as an electronic PDF or printed. 

Health-related services often performed in schools may include, but are not limited to: 

• First aid (minor cuts, burns, nose bleeds and sprains)
• Checks of temperature, blood pressure, and pulse
• Listening to breathing, heart or bowel sounds
• Examination of pupil responsiveness
• Administration of prescription and/or over the counter medications
• Vision and hearing screenings
• Spinal and acanthosis screening
• Health education
• Bullying and harassment prevention
• Diabetes education
• Concussion/head injury protocols
• Seizure management

The permission form is to be provided to the parent/guardian upon enrollment annually. Once signed by the parent the form remains in effect for the school year. 

When students at John Lewis Social Justice Academy at Oliver Wendell Holmes Middle School and Henry W. Longfellow Career Exploration Academy began the academic year earlier this month, they did so in brand-new, purpose-built campuses.

John Lewis Social Justice Academy and Longfellow Career Exploration Academy are brand new state-of-the-art buildings, totaling an estimated $143 million combined. They are part of the district’s voter-approved 2020 Bond Project, which includes $3.2 billion for new schools as well as infrastructure repairs and upgrades to more than 200 of the district’s 228 schools.

Longfellow Principal Michael Tatum said that he’s excited about the district’s innovative work at his school.

“This building is something that makes me very proud of Dallas ISD, because it is a campus built for these students to get the best possible chance at success in their life,” he said.

The $63 million campus will feature specialized spaces for each of the school’s six pathways—business, law, culinary arts, multimedia, STEM, and career/college readiness—a new production studio, anda new library. In addition, Longfellow will also honor tradition by displaying a timeline of the school’s history, preserving a portion of the old gym floor with the hand-painted school logo on it, and retaining the lettering from the original building

“We have some of the best visual performing arts and other elective CTE spaces in the district and probably in the state,” Tatum said. “This campus was built to be a collaborative space for students and for adults to work together. Everywhere you look, there are spaces for people to break out of a traditional school model and to sit down and be creative together—everyone’s very visibly learning together. And that is something that’s very, very exciting about this building.”

John Lewis Social Justice Academy, formerly known as Oliver Wendell Holmes Humanities/Communications Academy, is also starting the year in a brand new building. The school was renamed in honor of civil rights activist and Congressman John Lewis, who advocated for African-American causes. The $80 million replacement campus will house between 800-900 students.

Principal Monique Paige views the new campus as a promise of resilience, justice, and success.

“The new John Lewis campus is more than a building; it’s a promise,” Paige said. “A promise to our students that their brilliance will be seen, nurtured, and celebrated. A promise to our staff that their commitment and craft are the foundation of transformation. A promise to our families and community that we are not just rebuilding a school; we are reimagining what’s possible.”

The new John Lewis Social Justice Academy campus incorporates elements from the old building’s façade, includes a spacious new chamber for board meetings, and has a black-and-white mural of Lewis above the main entrance.

“This campus represents resilience, justice, and the belief that every child deserves to thrive in a space built intentionally for their success. It is both a fresh start and a powerful continuation of our legacy,” Paige said.

Even though it may still be warm and sunny outside, Dallas ISD has returned to its business dress code. 

The district’s dress code policy is designed to promote a professional atmosphere and maintain the positive image that employees present as representatives of the district and exemplify the highest standards of professional appearance in their interactions withcolleagues, students, parents, and the community. 

To help guide employees in determining appropriate attire for the workplace, below are the business dress code guidelines outlined in DH(LOCAL) and DH(REGULATION):

• The dress code standards are meant to maintain an orderly educational environment and shall not infringe on an individual’s culture, religious beliefs, protected free speech, or an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accommodation.
• The dress and grooming of district employees shall be clean, neat, in a manner appropriate for their assignments, and in accordance with any additional standards established by their supervisors and approved by the superintendent.
• All employees are expected to exemplify proper grooming standards and personal hygiene in a manner that projects a professional image for the employees and the district.
• Employees shall keep their hair and facial hair groomed neatly.
• Employees should not display body jewelry, tattoos, brands, or similar artifacts that are offensive, obscene, or may cause disruptions to the educational environment.

Acceptable attire:

• Clothing should be clean, pressed, and wrinkle-free.
• Attire should fit appropriately.
• Dress shirts, dress pants, dresses, skirts are required.
• Professional footwear is always required.
• Employees required to wear district-issued uniforms are expected to wear the assigned uniform.

Unacceptable attire includes, but is not limited to, the following:

• Form-fitting, snug, sagging, or transparent clothing.
• Excessively worn, faded, or tight clothing.
• Clothing with holes or frayed areas.
• Revealing or provocative attire.
• Necklines that expose cleavage.
• Dresses and skirts shorter than three inches above the knee bend.
• Jeans, sweatpants, shorts, bib overalls, leggings, spandex, and lycra.
• Tank tops, T-shirts, and shirts with inappropriate messages/graphics.
• Athletic wear and beach wear.
• Slippers, flip-flops, house shoes, sneakers, and athletic shoes.
• Hats are not worn inside unless used as protective wear appropriate for one’s job function.

Exceptions:

• Supervisors shall have the discretion to make exceptions to the appropriateness of attire as it relates to safety standards, maintenance, physical education, vocational courses, culture, religious beliefs, field trips, spirit days, medical necessities, or reasonable accommodations based on a disability.
• The superintendent or designee may waive the dress code standards for district employees when school is not in session or based on seasonal weather conditions, special events, and extenuating circumstances.

Policy References: DH(LOCAL) and DH(REGULATION)

For questions or comments, please contact Policy and Compliance at hcmcompliance@dallasisd.org.

From professional dance studios to high speed networks in every classroom, Dallas ISD’s 2020 Bond Program is changing campuses into hubs of creativity, technology and academic excellence, transforming the landscape of education for the next generation.  

The bond program, the largest such voter-approved investment in Texas history, focuses on building sustainable, high-quality facilities that equip students at every campus with the resources they need to be successful. 

“Our district has made remarkable strides bringing to life state-of-the-art facilities and modern learning environments that embody our district’s dedication to excellence,” said Chief Construction Officer Brent Alfred.

Whether a student has dreams of becoming an architect, researcher, or professional dancer, they will have access to the modern tools, technology and learning environments needed to turn those dreams into a reality.   

Through $270 million bond funds allocated for technology, every campus will be equipped with the right tools for now and the future, including in areas like the arts, which are deeply supported by technology. Fine arts spaces across the district are being transformed with soundproof practice rooms, ensemble rooms with recording equipment, digital music studios and even dance studios with professional sound systems.  

One of the most exciting transformations can be seen at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Arts Academy in South Dallas, affectionately known as “Baby Booker T.” The $9-million makeover featuring a new dance studio, piano lab, maker space, and updated library, aligns with the school’s mission of “bringing dreams to life,” and prepares students to feed directly into Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. 

“It’s incredibly rewarding to visit a campus and witness firsthand students making use of the equipment and resources we’ve provided,” said Jennifer Uwe Williams, executive director of EdTech Enterprise Support Services. “Each encounter strengthens our team’s commitment to further our student’s enlightenment.” 

Beyond just the arts, the 2020 Bond technology allocation ensures all students have access to reliable, high-quality technology across a variety of career focuses. The Educational Technology team works in partnership with the construction and bond departments to order, install and integrate equipment, all while using resources efficiently. Their work includes providing internet, Wi-Fi, computers, and classroom technology for new projects, along with strengthening cybersecurity and infrastructure districtwide.  

In the 2024-2025 school year alone EdTech:

• Improved network access and completed technology upgrades at 13 elementary schools.

• Installed 3,397 new connectivity access points

• Refreshed all high school student devices 

• Strengthened cybersecurity districtwide

These milestones not only support teachers in their instruction, but they also ensure students have reliable tools to learn, create and innovate. 

“The path ahead is filled with promise and potential,” Alfred said. “Let’s continue this important work with the same passion and dedication that has brought us this far, knowing that the best is yet to come.”