Staff News

The Core 4 tenet of Flexible—We strive for the yes—is a necessity when it comes to working directly with students in the classroom. This is something Abigail Rufer, an instructional coach and lead teacher in the areas of English as a Second Language and algebra at Emmett J. Conrad High School, exemplifies. 

Rufer says that working with a diverse group of students at Conrad is always going to allow her to be flexible in her teaching due to the different backgrounds her students may come from. 

At Conrad, there are at least 30 languages spoken and 50 different countries represented among the student population, according to Rufer. 

“You never know what the students’ math conceptual background comes from in their home country, or if they went to school in their home country,” said Rufer. “Some kids come with no education, and some come highly schooled, and just need language support.”

Rufer believes that it is crucial that every time she interacts with her students she is flexible in teaching them in the way they learn best. 

“Meeting every kid where they are at is important to getting the buy-in and motivation that they need for them to grow,” she said. 

Rufer, who has worked for the district for the last seven years, was named the 2021-2022 campus Teacher of the Year. 

From the time she was a sociology and psychology student in her undergraduate college years, she knew she wanted to work with kids, but she didn’t know in what capacity. She went the alternative certification route after graduating with her Bachelor of Arts degree and has been at Conrad ever since. One of her favorite things about teaching is having the opportunity to teach kids from different countries. 

“I think it’s important for me to invest not only in my students but [also] in their families and community,” said Rufer. “I think that helps build the ties with our kids and helps them stay invested in the education system.”

Rufer also believes that as a teacher, it helps her stay more connected with her students. Even though there are challenges in communicating with students at times, due to language barriers, she finds ways to build a sense of trust and communication.

For example, this past school year, the school hosted a night specifically for students and families from Afghanistan, as there was a bigger population of students from this country this past school year.  

“Inviting our families to build community and to be a part of the kids’ educational process, really helps the investment from both sides. It goes miles in overcoming some of those obstacles,” Rufer said. 

One of the things that Rufer likes the most about her role is seeing her students’ reactions and how much confidence they gain in themselves when they are successful. 

On the instructional coaching side, Rufer says it’s also important for her to see that with the teachers she coaches, an equal part of her job.

Rufer says there’s a broad misconception that students from different countries who speak a different language should not be held to a high expectation, but that is not her belief.   

“Having those moments with my kids where they are not only hitting the expectations, but they are surpassing our students that already speak English, is special to see,” she said. “That builds a sense of confidence in themselves.” 

Starting this school year, the new School Safety, Monitoring and Resources Department will be in charge of cameras, keycards, keycard readers, door buzzers, and all other security technology across the district. The department will also be in charge of providing security enhancements to support the district’s priority of student and employee safety.

“The School Safety, Monitoring and Resources Department ensures that all schools and district facilities are equipped with tools and technology systems to monitor and provide a safe environment for students, employees, and the community,” said David Bates, chief of Operations. “We will oversee the purchase, the implementation, and subsequently the monitoring of safety and related systems and supports at schools and on district facilities.”

The technology systems that will provide a safe environment for students, employees, and the community, includes critical safety tools such as cameras, card readers, metal detectors, shatterproof window film, intercoms, and the Raptor system. The new department will also be in charge of clear backpacks, door alarms, door blocks and other tools that help enhance safety. Leading these efforts is Vince Reyes, who most recently was an assistant superintendent in School Leadership. 

“One of the new areas we will be handling is a silent alarm system for teachers,” Bates said. “There will be an app that teachers and school administrators will be able to use to lock down a building in case of a threat. For example, if a teacher sees something suspicious or threatening in the school parking lot, they can send out an alert through the app.”

The alerts will be school specific, but the department will also have the ability to send out notifications when a threat is reported to an area or a feeder pattern, Bates said. 

The new department will work closely with Student Engagement—which supports school monitors, the Sandy Hook Promise initiative, campus crisis teams, restorative practices, etc. It will also work hand in hand with Maintenance and Facility Services to ensure that all the safety tools are working properly. 

One of the activities already underway in the new department is making 3D maps of the schools to better coordinate with the Dallas ISD Police Department in case of an event at a campus. Emergency Management, which will continue under DPD, will also partner closely with the School Safety, Monitoring and Resources Department on security measures. 

Dallas ISD principals and other campus leaders were welcomed back for the 2023-2024 school year as they came together for the 2023 Summer Summit. The summit is a five-day event, which also includes team gatherings at regional sites. 

Aaron Aguirre-Castillo, Director for the Leadership Excellence, Advancement and Development (LEAD) Department, said the summit will empower campus leaders to start the 2023-2024 school year off on the right foot.

The principals began the summit with a welcome from Superintendent Stephanie Elizalde, Chief Academic Officer Shannon Trejo, Chief of Strategic Initiatives Brian Lusk, and Chief of School Leadership Tiffany Huitt. With a theme of “Leading in Rhythm with Equity and Excellence,” principals will explore the district’s goals, targets, and plan to bolster instructional design and delivery, personnel management, special services, and more. 

Each professional development session presented during the summit is aligned with Dallas ISD’s mission of educating all students for success and School Leadership’s goal of cultivating leadership that inspires an unwavering commitment to equity and excellence. 

“Summer Summit is an opportunity to bring together our campus leaders for learning, collaboration, and inspiration,” Aguirre-Castillo said. “By unpacking and engaging with Dallas ISD’s plan through aligned content, intentional planning, and each other, campus leaders prepare to launch their school year in a targeted fashion.”

The Summer Summit is one of several opportunities in place to help educators prepare for the new school year, with classes starting on August 14. To learn more about the upcoming New Teacher Academy, visit https://www.dallasisd.org/domain/27979. 

For more information on the back to school season, visit https://www.dallasisd.org/backtoschool.

Jaedan Freeman couldn’t wait to be in the classroom teaching. The proud graduate of Dallas ISD is an upcoming college junior who has spent recent months making memorable moments with students in various classrooms as a substitute teacher. 

Freeman plans to continue working as a substitute in Dallas ISD as she pursues a degree in physical education with a goal of becoming a PE coach and a health teacher.

“It would be pretty cool to go back to my roots where I graduated,” Freeman said. “I would love to work at my old high school or middle school because I think those environments are where I’m meant to be. So I definitely want to stay in Dallas ISD.”

Freeman said her drive to become an educator started with her own family. Her mother is a teacher at W.H. Adamson High School, which Freeman attended, while her grandfather was a teacher at Seagoville Middle School. Both her mother and her grandfather supported her journey through school academically and athletically as her softball and volleyball coaches. 

“I wanted their legacy,” Freeman said. “I really think I was meant to be a teacher and a coach just like them, so that’s what is driving me to get my degree in teaching so I can follow in their footsteps.”

Her Dallas ISD connections do not stop there. Freeman recently crossed paths with her former principal at Adamson, now Executive Director Diana Nuñez, while Freeman was subbing at Seagoville Middle School. 

“She was always very focused on everybody’s success at Adamson,” Freeman said. “So when I ran into her after these couple of years, it was really nice to see how excited she was that this is the direction I’m taking, especially being a student. That was great because we have a really good, connected relationship thanks to how much she wants me to be successful in life.”

Freeman said being a substitute teacher has given her a new perspective on education. She has experienced the importance of building strong connections with students and has had ups and downs, but at the end of the day, each one has motivated her to continue on her path.

“I know it’s not always going to be good days,” Freeman said. “I’m going to have bad days sometimes, but that just drives me to stay strong and be here to help the kids who need help and to fill the positions that need to be filled.”

Kayleigh Overman-Fassel teaches English 1 for emergent bilinguals at Emmett J. Conrad High School. After receiving her bachelor of arts from Trinity University, she realized her dream of working with language learners as a writing consultant for Lone Star College-Montgomery, first as a substitute English 1301 instructor and then as an intermediate developmental English instructor. 

She has also worked as an instructional coach, curriculum writer, test developer, and, in her favorite role, an English I teacher. Her passion for working with emergent bilinguals led her to Conrad High School.

In addition to her classroom duties, she has served as the emergent bilingual/newcomer mentor, a mentor teacher, and a facilitator for professional development to help other teachers improve their proficiency in working with Dallas ISD’s emergent bilingual population.

What is some advice you wish you had received when you were starting out as a teacher?  

I wish someone had emphasized to me that what makes a successful teacher is the ability to be flexible and apply your unique skill sets to the classroom. 

What is your best tip for classroom management?  

My best classroom management tip is always work to build strong relationships with your students. This alone heads off so many classroom management issues. 

How do you build strong connections with students?  

I build strong connections with my students by helping them celebrate their cultures, and by creating an atmosphere of warmth, positivity, and humor. 

What are your hopes for your students in the future?  

I hope all my students come to see themselves as talented, capable, and curious. Whatever road they take in life, if they can embrace an openhearted love of learning, they will be successful. 

If you were not a teacher, what would you be doing instead?  

I can’t imagine—this has been my dream for so long. The classroom is where I’m happiest. 

What do you consider to be your superpower as a teacher? 

My teaching superpower is patience. Without patience, it’s impossible to form connections, take the time to get to know your students, or invest time in all the intangibles that make a positive, happy classroom environment.

Students at Lakewood Elementary School and Henry B. Gonzalez Personalized Learning Academy have expanded their communication skills in Spanish as well as their cultural knowledge, thanks to a collaboration between the schools through an international exchange program through the University of Barcelona. 

Gloria Prieto Puentes, a bilingual teacher at Lakewood Elementary, and her son, Sergi Calavia, an art teacher at Henry B Gonzalez, have brought this international exchange program into their classrooms the last two years. 

Prieto Puentes, who is originally from Barcelona and graduated from the university, first heard about the program from one of her colleagues, who shared that the director of elementary schools in Barcelona had started an international exchange program.

After she expressed interest, the university contacted her, and they connected her with the school her students would be collaborating with—the Escola Serraparera, located in Cerdanyola del Vallès. 

“The main idea of the program is for students to have communication with students from around the world, as well as do something artistic together,” Prieto Puentes said.  

The international exchange between the schools is a year-long program that allows students to work together from October to May. They research and discuss material, as well as create their own art projects together. 

The year before last, Prieto Puentes’ students learned about surrealism. This past school year, the students learned about women sculptors because Prieto Puentes and the teacher from Escola Serraparera wanted to highlight women in this art form who don’t always get recognition. 

Calavia’s classroom collaborated with Institut Escola Pepa Colomer, which is in a small town outside of Barcelona, as well as Pla De L’Avellà, which is in Cabrera de Mar. 

Calavia’s students also worked on projects centered around art. During the first year of the program, his students took surrealist photos and created a collage. This past school year, students assigned character archetypes to planets in the solar system and created dialogue between them.

According to Prieto Puentes, the interaction is mainly written, using platforms such as Google Jamboard and Google Docs, however, the classrooms get to see each other at least six times during the school year. 

“My favorite part was seeing how the other schools approached their project parallel to ours,” Calavia said.  “My students were very keen to find out what part of the project they were on, and how they got there. They were proud to show off their creations virtually.” 

“It’s a very nice way for the students to increase their Spanish as well as expand their artistic perspectives,” said Prieto Puentes. She feels both classrooms, here and in Spain, benefit from this cultural exchange in numerous ways, and the program has been well received by the parents at Lakewood and Gonzalez.

Last month, she traveled to Barcelona and met the students and the teacher who participated in the program. Both Prieto Puentes and Calavia plan to continue with this program this upcoming school year, as they see the value and importance of this work. 

“I think the biggest takeaway for my students was them seeing that there are kids in another part of the world that aren’t so different from them,” said Calavia.

“In their pen pal exchange, the misconceptions they had about Spain resulted in some humorous and eye-opening moments. I look forward to exploring more ways to bridge ideas between our school, Henry B. Gonzalez, and other international schools,” he added.

For more information on the international exchange program, or if you’re interested in bringing this program to your school, contact Prieto Puentes at gprietopuentes@dallasisd.org. 

Sending text alerts for emergencies, important events, and information is a critical part of the district’s communications strategy to keep Dallas ISD team members informed and up to date on weather closures, districtwide deadlines, news and more. For this to happen, team members’ main contact cell phone numbers must be in the correct field in Oracle, and they must opt-in using the number they provided to receive text messages from the district.  

There are two steps to follow to receive text messages:

1. Go to Oracle and enter your  main contact cell phone number in the Home field in Oracle where they update their contact information.
2. Using the cell phone whose number you provided, opt-in by texting Yes to the 67587 short code number.

Flyers with instructions have been distributed to all departments and campuses. If you have any questions about text messaging or need additional information, please, send an email to schoolmessenger@dallasisd.org.

Courtney Cummings and Brenda Chatmon always strive to put students first in their work with Special Services. 

Chatmon, a campus support supervisor, oversees a small team that serves as the main point of contact for Region 4 campuses, administrators, and executive directors. Their focus is providing advocacy, equitable accommodations, and individualized learning support to students. 

Cummings, a project manager for critical cases, steps in when a concern requires legal intervention, serving as a liaison and encouraging conflict resolution. 

The work can be challenging, as every student may have different needs that span across several departments, including Early Learning and the Homeless Education Program, but Cummings and Chatmon said it is always worthwhile. 

“The beauty of our system is that it’s built for collaboration,” Cummings said. “It’s built for interaction. It’s built for the review of data. It’s built for truly understanding the whole child and creating a plan that supports the whole child. The best compliment is when parents give our department feedback, saying, ‘I really trust working with you. I want to be a part of Dallas ISD.’”

Being focused, fast, flexible, and friendly is crucial in both their positions as they collaborate with stakeholders, team members, and families to put students first in every interaction. 

“Equity is at the core of our customer service and providing good customer service is not an anomaly,” Chatmon said. “Giving our best efforts to ensure we meet the needs of each individual student who crosses our path is essential. Sometimes that means extending ourselves or reaching out to collaborate with others to provide the stakeholder with the support needed. Providing this level of customer service comes naturally for us.”

“It’s really about creating an experience that is human centered,” Cummings agreed. “We’re leading with empathy and listening to understand, because that gives us the opportunity to tap into the true concern and more effectively resolve the issue.” 

Their commitment to striving for the yes and transforming student lives during a recent case impressed Shanieka Christmas-McDonald, the principal at H.I. Holland Elementary School at Lisbon. 

“Ms. Cummings and Ms. Chatmon both provide exemplary Core 4 customer service with SPED concerns,” Christmas-McDonald said. “Both are always positive, willing to help, and follow up on each individual situation.”

Both Chatmon and Cummings said their work with Special Services is a “pleasure.” 

“It’s a labor of love,” Cummings said. “Students under the umbrella of special education simply need additional support and services as outlined in their individualized education plan, and that’s what makes the work we do such a joy. There is nothing like being able to ensure that a student can succeed.”

“As a person who attended Dallas ISD schools from kindergarten to 12th grade, it is heartwarming to have this opportunity to support and serve our students,” Chatmon added. “Knowing the impact of our work on students and their families gives a sense of gratification and is very humbling.”

As previously communicated in the May 11, 2023 WAIP and in the May 25, 2023, issue of The Beat, chapter 21 contract employees, including teachers, were required to resign from their contract no later than 45 days before the first day of instruction for the following school year. The penalty-free resignation date for teachers was June 30, 2023.   

The penalty free resignation deadline will be enforced for 2023-2024 school year for Dallas ISD employees and the district will not release contract employees/teachers from their contract who resign after the penalty free deadline has passed and shall seek a written complaint with SBEC to impose sanctions against teachers/employees that fail to timely resign. 

To avoid SBEC sanctions, teachers and other chapter 21 contract employees will need to remain employed with the district until the district fills their position with a suitable replacement.   

Any impacted employee will need to notify their principal that they are requesting to be released from their contract pending Dallas ISD finding a suitable replacement. Teachers will need to provide the reason for the request to be released in writing to their principal for consideration. This request should include any extenuating circumstances. Resignations received after the deadline must be approved by the principal and executive director. Only once a suitable replacement is found by the principal will the teacher be released to another district.  

If you have any questions about this information, please contact the HCM Contracts team at contracts@dallasisd.org. 

Nancy Salas, a Dallas ISD alumna, is a seventh- and eighth-grade Career and Technology teacher and yearbook advisor at Henry W. Longfellow Career Exploration Academy. 

After graduating from The University of Texas at Arlington with a bachelor’s degree in mass communications, Salas began her education career as a substitute teacher. It was during that experience that she found her true calling and decided to devote her life to teaching. 

Six years later, Salas continues to pursue her mission of helping students succeed in the classroom. She is dedicated to building strong partnerships to help her students and their families achieve their dreams, just as her teachers did for her.

What is some advice you wish you had received when you were starting out as a teacher?  

Some advice that I wish I would have known starting off as a new teacher would be to enjoy your weekends. I know a lot of teachers out there are passionate about what we do, and want to enhance their lessons, or grade all assignments in one day, and respond to every email in our inbox… but take time to relax and enjoy your personal time with your loved ones. The classroom and the workload will always be waiting for you. And it’s possible. I know it’s taken me six years, but I’ve learned to manage.  

What is your best tip for classroom management?  

One of my best tips for classroom management is to have a seating chart. It’s a simple and easy way to help maintain an orderly/organized class structure. And after you build your relationships with your students/classes maybe you can reward them with special seating arrangements towards the end of the school year. Try it. Students feel like they have a voice, as they should. 

How do you build strong connections with students?  

The way I build strong connections with my students is by treating them with respect and making them feel valued. Each student has a different way of thinking and a unique personality. I try to build my relationships by making a connection with them, whether that be talking about sports, fashion, or music. I truly strive to support them and their families in any way that I can, and also just have empathy for them. 

What are your hopes for your students in the future?  

My hope for my students is that they are able to follow their dreams and accomplish their future goals and that they are strong willed to overcome any negativity that their path may bring. I hope they know that Ms. Salas will always wish the best for them. 

If you were not a teacher, what would you be doing instead?  

If I were not a teacher, I would be a host for an entertainment television program. I always dreamed of being a TV host; in fact, I was pursuing this career, and had already landed a few positions out of Dallas, but my calling for teaching was stronger. 

Since we’re on this topic, a random fact about me is that in my senior year at Skyline High School, I was a host for Dallas ISD’s Zona Escolar de Dallas. This program was hosted by other 11th to 12th graders in the district, and we were able to highlight the many great things that were going on in Dallas ISD.  

What do you consider to be your superpower as a teacher? 

I believe that my teaching superpower is building healthy and supportive relationships with my students. Sometimes, they just need a space to sit in before class begins, or especially during lunch. I just hope that all of my students and even their friends/family whom I have not taught before know that I am here to help however I can.