Staff News

Teamwork, unity, and creating a welcoming culture take a front seat at Gilbert Cuellar Sr Elementary School. Shelley Baxter, principal at Cuellar, says office team members take pride in making sure that every person, student and team member is going to feel welcomed at the school. 

Baxter says that when you hear “Welcome to Cuellar” after you ring the doorbell, it means something.

 “I want to make sure parents feel great about sending their students to Cuellar, because they are part of their family as well,” she said.  

She says they are simply treating parents the way they would want to be treated. “We practice the district’s Core 4 culture of focused, fast, flexible, and friendly, not because it’s a rule, but because it’s the right thing to do,” said Baxter. “Parents know we genuinely listen when we address their needs.”

That message of “family” is not only shared with parents through a welcoming office team, but within the team itself. In fact, they follow a motto called T.E.A.M., an acronym for Together Everyone Achieves More. The office team consists of office manager Andrea Garza, CRC Rebecca Cruz, clerk Nathalia Hernandez, clerk Valerie Rodriguez, and clerk Jasmine Aguirre.

Besides excellent customer service that focuses on equitable outcomes for students and families, Baxter says that each team member brings something unique to the table and uplift each other. 

“Ms. Garza is the mother hen who keeps us all on track and focused, Ms. Cruz keeps us all organized, Ms. Hernandez makes sure everything is done in a timely manner by keeping up with the calendar, and Ms. Aguirre is the sunshine who keeps us smiling,” Baxter said. 

The office team members agree that the level of camaraderie at the school is part of the reason why Cuellar is such a welcoming and friendly place to work.

“If one person needs another, we are there for one another,” said Baxter. “We cry together, laugh together, we support each other, and work together, and it’s a genuine love that we have for each other.”

Baxter says that her office team members, who are all Dallas ISD graduates, are happy that what they do has an impact on the school, students, and families. 

“Our parents are the reason we’re here and the love we feel for our parents is a trickle down effect,” said Baxter. 

Cruz, the school’s CRC in charge of attendance, registration and enrollment, says what she enjoys most about her job is the special bond and connection that she makes working with the students’ families. 

“When you establish a rapport with the parents, they feel comfortable coming to you when they have challenges,” said Cruz, who has worked for the district a total of 22 years, seven of which have been at Cuellar. 

Aguirre, who is described as the “sunshine” of the group by her colleagues, says that working in the office allows you to work with parents, students and teachers, which is one of the aspects she enjoys most about this role. 

“I have the best position because you’re not limited to who you are able to work with,” she said.

She also credits her colleagues for helping her youngest child, who started pre-kinder last year, further develop his social skills. 

“These wonderful ladies have helped him grow as a person. The way my child has changed because of these amazing colleagues has been a memorable year for me,” Aguirre said.

“Transforming lives through this work. That’s the goal at the end of the day,” Baxter said. 

Betty Blake, a third-grade teacher at Nathan Adams Elementary School, first interacted with a Dallas ISD recruiter at a job fair as a senior at Oklahoma State University. The recruiter offered her a job and informed her of the steps she needed to take to get her Texas teacher’s certificate. From there, Blake said she “put all my eggs in one basket.” 

Dallas ISD was the only school district she interviewed with because she wanted to move south to a large city with a warmer climate, while being close enough to her parents in Oklahoma that it wouldn’t take too long or be too expensive to travel to see them. An added benefit was that her sister was a teacher in Dallas ISD, and Blake wanted to live nearby, so she accepted the offer to be a fourth-grade reading teacher and has made Dallas and Dallas ISD her home ever since. 

In the 50 years she has been with the district, she has taught third-, fourth-, and combined third- and fourth-grade students  English language arts and reading, English as a second language, and social studies. At times, she has also taught math and science and has been a self-contained classroom teacher. Learn more about her time in the district and her passion for education below. 

How have you seen the district change from when you started until now?  

Needless to say, I have seen many changes in Dallas ISD over the years, from changes in administrative leadership to changes in boundaries, divisions, districts, or areas, along with changes in teaching styles and techniques. However, I think the changes that have had the most impact have been in technology so students can be competitive in our global society.  

Also, there is now a greater need for emphasizing and implementing more social and emotional learning techniques and strategies. Our students need this more today than they have in the past due to changes in our society over time.

What has inspired you to continue calling Dallas ISD home? 

I continue to call Dallas ISD home because of the numerous family connections I have made over the years. Family-type connections have developed among students, parents, staff, coworkers, peers, and Dallas ISD personnel that have sincerely touched me and created a deep sense of loyalty. Through the years, parents have requested for their child to be placed in my room, and I have made promises that I would be here to teach their younger children. This has inspired me to continue my teaching career at Dallas ISD.

What is one of your favorite memories from your time in the district? 

Over a 50-year teaching career I have too many favorite memories to limit it to just one. It’s getting together with former students, parents, and colleagues and seeing how we have all grown and changed over time that has formed my fondest memories. For example, one of my memories is when one of my fourth-grade classes created a time capsule. Then when they were seniors, we got together, as we had agreed, for dinner and for the opening of the capsule. We all laughed as we shared memories of the wonderful time we had together in the fourth grade at Nathan Adams. 

It’s these types of moments when former students, parents, and colleagues contact me in some way to show their respect and express their gratitude as they recall some of their experiences with me. The impact these experiences made on them has created my fondest memories. This is the reason it is impossible to limit my favorite memories to just one.  

The Lion King, one of musical theater’s grandest and most complicated productions, is not something that you’d expect from elementary school students who are the designers, actors, and dancers. But Jesus Moroles Expressive Arts Vanguard theater teacher, Jamie Nelson, and dance teacher, Brianna Miller, believed that this seemingly impossible task was possible. 

It was. The students staged and adapted the production this spring to great success and accolades from parents, team members and community. 

Nelson and Miller began collaborating two years ago when they presented the school’s first musical ever, Matilda, performed by fourth and fifth graders. 

The opportunity to present The Lion King—Nelson’s favorite musical—came about thanks to a grant. Nelson and Miller, who both say they love writing grants for their programs at the school, applied for the Disney Musicals in Schools initiative and got it. As part of the grant, fourth- and fifth-grade students worked with teaching artists from the AT&T Performing Arts Center. 

Last month, Moroles students, along with those of four other schools, shared their work as part of the Student Share Celebration for Disney Musicals in Schools at the Winspear Opera House, located in the downtown arts district. 

While both Nelson and Miller recognize that producing The Lion King with elementary school students was not something that most directors would tackle, they were up for the challenge. 

“We didn’t know any better that children shouldn’t do this work and I think it’s fabulous.The students have been rising to the challenge,” said Miller. 

“For us, it’s a little bit easier in a sense because we have such great administrative support,” said Nelson. “We teach separately, but then for the past few months we’ve been co-teaching, which we do whatever we’re getting ready for a musical. So we’re very fortunate in that sense.”

Both teachers agree that the students benefit from the co-teaching because when you are a professional dancer or actor, you work with the different directors, such as the theater director, choreographer, and music director during rehearsals. This model is one that you would find in the industry. 

The teachers knew what the Broadway version looked like, but thought of ways in which their students could present it on stage. Working together to find the movement of the characters, the costumes and all that the production entailed was a task that Miller and Nelson worked diligently on during school hours. 

The teachers called their production “budget friendly” as students were innovative and creative in making their costumes. Under the guidance of Miller and Nelson, the students made over 100 masks in six weeks. There was a cast of 60 students in the cast, many who played multiple roles. 

After Spring Break, students began to work on creating the masks and the costumes—the stagecraft and dance production aspects of the musical. 

Students used cardboard pieces and items they found in the recycling bin. For the bigger pieces, the teachers bought plywood and other supplies.

“So pretty much everything you see on stage has honestly been made by children,” said Miller.

“A lot of what you see is literally just spare cardboard that we’ve taken and we’ve shaped it. The students made them into giraffes, elephants, and rhinoceroses,” said Nelson. 

Using hula hoops, students were taught how to bend them and drill holes to be able to pull fabric across, and create a costume in the likeness of an animal. To catch a glimpse of what the costumes looked like, click here to see a video the school posted on their social media. 

One of the best parts of this process for Miller and Nelson has been helping students discover their talents in areas they wouldn’t have considered before.

”I’ve had the opportunity to work with kids that would never have studied dance, that signed up for theater,” said Miller. “But now all of a sudden they’re in a musical. And my colleague Ms Nelson has had the opportunity to work with kids that signed up for dance but didn’t necessarily sign up for theater. But now they have to learn to sing on stage.”

“To be able to have the freedom to work on a team to create something really beautiful like this with the colors, light, shapes and textures like has been a memorable experience not only for us, but for the students as well,” said Nelson. 

For more information about the Disney Musicals in Schools initiative, visit this link. 

What began as a teaching moment and a community improvement effort has turned Ascher Silberstein Elementary School into a place where students, team members and the community can appreciate and learn about nature. 

It all started when Principal Erika Pasieczny noticed how many dogs ran around loose in the neighborhood. She started to tackle the problem by instilling in students the responsibility that comes with owning pets. 

“We realized that our community wasn’t doing a good job of taking care of our pets,” said Pasieczny. “So we started an animal room, so we could teach all the students how to care for them.”

Once the room was set up, Pasieczny, known as Dr. Paz by the school and community, wanted to expand and applied for and won a Dallas ISD Innovation Engine Grant, which awarded Silberstein and 20 Dallas ISD neighborhood schools $50,000 each to support exploring and implementing an innovative program or initiative. 

Through the grant, Pasieczny expanded the idea of having animals not only indoors, but also outdoors.

“We decided to make good use of an area that wasn’t being used and make a garden with eight raised beds, and a chicken coop—so it’s an extension of our animal room,” she said. 

To commemorate the new chicken coop and garden, the school recently hosted a community celebration which brought together more than 100 parents, students, and community leaders to celebrate this milestone. 

The new chicken coop not only provides a variety of learning opportunities for students. Its popularity on social media has also turned it into a marketing tool. Several parents whose children currently attend charter schools in the area have asked to tour the school to see the new educational offerings. Of those, several are now planning to send their students to Silberstein next school year, Pasieczny said.  

Volunteers come to work in the garden and are interested in helping with the chicken coop and animal room. While their help is appreciated, Pasieczny makes sure that it’s the students who do most of the work so they can learn. 

One of the most popular places for students to spend time in is the animal room, which includes both furry creatures and reptiles. You can find anything from a snake, a bearded iguana, an axolotl, or a guinea pig for which the students care. 

Sandra Guzman, a teacher assistant at Silberstein, who has worked at the school for 17 years, sees the immediate impact the animal room has had on the students. 

“When students shut down, you immediately see them smile again. They come to this room and they forget that they’re having a challenging day,” she said. 

Eileen Salas, a fifth-grader, said that working in the animal room has helped her understand and gain compassion for an unlikely creature—Larry, a bearded dragon. 

“I love working here because it makes me feel calm helping these animals, and it’s just a great feeling,” she said. “I learned that bearded dragons are friendly. I used to be afraid of lizards but working with Larry has helped me get rid of my fear of lizards.”

Students and community members are not the only ones enjoying the new amenities at the school—so are the team members. This past semester, every afternoon a wheel was spun, and a staff member got to take a half a dozen eggs home. The winner would then send pictures of the food they prepared with the eggs produced in the chicken coop. 

Besides eggs from the chicken coop, some team members have made fresh salsa from tomatoes and peppers grown in the garden. 

With so many new ideas and possibilities for these spaces, Pasieczny says this is just the beginning of something new that will continue to open doors not only for Silberstein, but for the students, and community, as well. 

In our ongoing effort to ensure safer schools, Dallas ISD will require clear backpacks for all students starting in the 2023-2024 school year. 

As an additional option, mesh backpacks will be acceptable, however clear ones are preferred. Students may carry a small, non-clear pouch in their backpack to hold personal items, such as cellphones, money, and hygiene products.

To support families, each student will be provided a durable clear backpack at no cost. Parents may also purchase the preferred clear backpack, or the acceptable mesh backpack, for their students.

A clear backpack policy alone does not ensure complete security. This proactive measure is just one of several updates to enhance student and campus safety.

As a reminder, Dallas ISD’s Comprehensive Safety Plan is available at dallasisd.org/safety. We encourage everyone to visit the district’s website and social media channels for the latest updates.

Ida C. Escobedo, the principal of Margaret B. Henderson Elementary School, has worked in education for 45 years, with 40 years in Dallas ISD and five years outside the district.

She grew up in Stamford, Texas, and came to Dallas to work as a bilingual teacher, where she was inspired to grow her knowledge and skills in education. She then attended Southern Methodist University, where she received her master’s degree in liberal arts with a bilingual concentration. 

Since coming to Dallas ISD, she has spent 20 years teaching and another 20 years in administration, and now she has added the designation of Master Principal for the 2022-2023 school year to her list of accomplishments. 

These designations are awarded annually to the top 10 percent of Dallas ISD principals in three categories: neighborhood elementary schools, neighborhood secondary schools, and choice schools. 

The awards are part of the Theory of Action, which governs how Dallas ISD makes decisions that ultimately impact student achievement. The criteria used are the School Effectiveness Index, State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness/ EOC Domain 1, and campus climate data.

What drew you to education? 

Many of my family members were in education and inspired me to go into education to make an impact on the lives of students.

What qualities make a great principal? 

Qualities that make a great principal are as follows but are not limited to: being committed to achieving performance outcomes; developing strong relationships; promoting accountability; maintaining order and structure; empowering others and self; ensuring first instruction; setting high expectations for students, teachers, and self; and building relationships with community members. 

What is your educational philosophy or a motto by which you work? 

A motto by which I work is, “We create a positive school culture to build supportive relationships among parents, students, and team members.”

What inspires you about your position? 

What inspires me about the position is always looking to improve the school and figure out how to make those improvements regardless of how difficult it might be.

The Dallas Education Foundation, the nonprofit philanthropic partner of Dallas ISD, has announced the recipients of its HeART of Teaching Discretionary Grant Awards Cycle. The foundation received grant applications from dozens of teachers at campuses across the district and named 35 awardees to receive nearly $127,000 in funding.

Proposals included projects that spanned the spectrum of the arts in Dallas ISD, including visual, performing, theatrical, and musical arts.

“The importance of the arts in education cannot be overstated,” said Scott Rudes, Dallas ISD’s executive director of Academic Enrichment and Support. “We’re grateful to the Dallas Education Foundation for recognizing the arts, for their continued focus on elevating our teachers, and for funding these amazing projects.”

Serving on the HeART of Teaching grants review committee were Rudes; Amy Hofland, senior director, Crow Museum of Asian Art of the University of Texas at Dallas; Charles Santos, executive director and artistic director, TITUS; Dallas Education Foundation board members Theresa Flores, Drex Owusu, and Jennifer Scripps; and Brian Nguyen and Emily Davis of Dallas ISD’s Human Capital Management.

“What an incredible review committee we had for our first-ever discretionary grants cycle!” said Mita Havlick, executive director of the Dallas Education Foundation. “The team’s diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives led to productive conversation and debate. We are honored to have served alongside each of them so we may collectively advance equity and learning through the arts.

“We know how committed our educators in Dallas ISD are to their students,” Havlick continued. “Providing innovative teaching grants provides our teachers with opportunities for them to creatively explore how to further engage and support their scholars.”

The 2023 Dallas Education Foundation HeART of Teaching grant recipients are:

• Lorenzo McCoy, Seagoville MS, A Practical Approach to Arts Integration
• Rachel Woods, Irma Rangel Young Women’s Leadership School, Addressing Equity and Diversity in Texas Orchestras
• Michael Keeton, E.D. Walker MS, AI in Arts Exploration
• Vonceia Hill, Margaret B. Henderson ES, Art and Vocabulary Acquisition, a School-Wide Vocabulary Initiative
• Claudia Ramirez, Leslie Stemmons ES, Art Show Displays
• Kathy Nguyen, North Dallas HS, BioArt: Bringing Science to Life with Augmented Reality
• Lesya White, North Dallas HS, BioArt: Integrating Art and Science for a Sustainable Future
• Pamela Bradford, Birdie Alexander ES, Book Buddies ‘R Us
• Alexandria Saulnier, Edward Titche ES, Caldecott in our He(Art)
• Theresa Anderson, Hillcrest HS, Celebrating Culture in our Community
• Rachel Rogerson, W.W. Samuell HS, Culturally Responsive Community Art
• Whitley Green, Hulcy STEAM MS, Dance & Tech: The Dancing Camera
• Philomena Jones, SS Conner ES, Dragons Love Pie
• Karleen Hesselbacher, Hillcrest HS, Equilibrium: Bridging Humans and Nature Through Art
• Chris Drews, Leslie A. Stemmons ES, Equitable World Drumming
• Patricia Sifuentes, Annie Webb Blanton ES, Exploring the world through art!
• Robert Lewis, James Madison HS, Exposing Opportunities through Music and the Arts
• Diana Trevino, Benjamin Franklin MS, Falcon Mariachi Group
• Dawna Duke, T.C. Marsh Preparatory Academy, From Art to STEM to Entrepreneurship at T.C. Marsh Prep
• Arlene Esparza, Martha T. Reilly ES, Herstory 101: Documenting the untold stories and contributions of women in the City of Dallas through photography and oral interviews
• Emma Akimoto, Skyline HS, Japanese Calligraphy in Sumi Ink
• Mackie Bailey, Eduardo Mata Montessori School, Literacy through Musical Theater
• Blake Mokate, Skyline HS, Live Audio Production
• Sophie Nah, Skyline HS, Multiple projects – “My Korean Friend – Story Book,” “My World Travel Journal,” and “Let’s Celebrate Holiday”
• Jessica Laureano, Nathan Adams ES, Partnership with Dallas Children’s Theater
• Jorge Porras, Leslie A. Stemmons ES, Passport to the world through the lens of arts
• Natalia Morodo, Richard Lagow ES, Promoting literacy and equity through musical theater
• Delanna Sanders and Tammye McWilliams, Richard Lagow ES, Rap Project
• Brady Stebleton, Irma Rangel Young Women’s Leadership School, Sewing Machines for Costume Design
• Martin Mejia-Rodriguez, Rosie M. Collins Sorrells School of Education and Social Services, Signs Preceding the end of the World – Dia de los Muertos Alters
• Juan Moreno, Prestonwood Montessori, The Power of Making: Investing in a Makerspace with Advanced Tools for Student Innovation and Learning
• Beth Poquette Drews, L.V. Stockard MS, Valuable Music
• Deidra Ballard-Moore, L.G. Pinkston HS, What’s the Stitch?
• Caitlin Schmidt, Woodrow Wilson HS, Who Runs the World: Under-represented artists and composers
• Karen Wood, W.W. Samuell HS, W.W. Samuell High School Arts & Literary Journal
• Vaughn Belcher, Bryan Adams HS, You Are Enough!

Robert Munoz, a counselor at David W. Carter High School, is among the thousands of team members who have called Dallas ISD home for years, even decades. The district is recognizing Munoz and countless others for their commitment to the community with the Service Recognition Award.

Munoz has spent the past 52 years in Dallas ISD, which has earned him a 50-year anniversary pin. Pins are given to Dallas ISD team members at anniversary milestones starting at five years of service and in five-year increments. 

Munoz married Yolanda Silvas in Dallas before going to Vietnam as a member of the armed forces. Upon returning in 1971, he applied to Dallas ISD.

Since then, he has held many positions across different areas, including being a teacher and coach at Harry C. Withers Elementary School, an instructional facilitator in physical education,  He has worked at Sunset High School as a school counselor and as an assistant principal at multiple Dallas ISD schools. He also served as principal of Thomas J. Rusk Middle School and North Dallas High School, director of counseling, counseling supervisor, and more.

How have you seen the district change from when you started until now?  

When the court ordered the schools to integrate in 1971, many of the campus team members were forced to move to other campuses, and students were bused across the district. I was so glad to see the Youth and Family Centers added in the late ’90s to address the mental, behavioral, and physical health issues that students may experience. 

I was also an assistant principal at Carter High School when we won the state football championship in 1988, which was taken from us two years later. We now have South Oak Cliff with the state title.

What has inspired you to continue calling Dallas ISD home? 

Regardless of the assignment, I approached each day as an adventure. The unknown that each day would provide me are experiences that I will always remember. And to see students succeed throughout their educational highway motivates me to continue as a school counselor.  

What is one of your favorite memories from your time in the district? 

In 1996 as the principal of North Dallas High School, the graduation of my first class as principal was special in many ways. My daughter, Stephanie, graduated in that class and to see my signature as principal on her diploma is priceless. 

Summer is finally here, and Dallas ISD is committed to providing a comprehensive set of opportunities for students to connect with their peers, engage in rigorous tasks, accelerate learning, and improve their social and emotional well-being through Summer Breeze 2023. 

Summer Breeze is the overarching name for all the summer programming being offered through the Extended Learning Opportunities department. Each program has a focus on mitigating summer learning loss while keeping students engaged. 

“These programs will allow us to get a head start, and most campuses can even satisfy all of their House Bill 4545 tutoring hours prior to the start of the school year thanks to the built in academic hours,” said Merrill Devenshire, director of ELO. “We have also used a lot of the same enrichment curriculum that we use during our after-school programs, so students will get exposure to extracurriculars and enrichment. We are hoping that this will peak students’ interest so they will participate in these types of programs throughout the school year.”

Summer Breeze includes several programs, including Summer Cool for prekindergarten through eighth-grade students, High School Credit Boost for high school students who need credit recovery or acceleration, and Dallas City of Learning-sponsored events throughout July that are available to all students. 

Most of the program costs fall under ELO’s general operating budget, with additional support from a $2 million allocation from the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) fund that is covering transportation, contract services, and materials. 

Devenshire said Summer Breeze was a success last year, with 7,500 students participating in Summer Cool, 4,000 students participating in the credit boost program, and 700 students participating in July’s Dallas City of Learning programs. Thanks to the positive attention the summer activities have received since then, Devenshire said they anticipate even more students this year.

And that is not all that Dallas ISD is offering students over the summer. Other departments will host summer camps and engagement activities, while ELO will have State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness test preparation for all the students who will retake the STAAR in June. 

“Our number one goal is to provide a free service to parents and families in a safe environment that is open to all students,” Devenshire said. “That way families don’t have to worry about where their students will be all summer long, and learning will continue across all grade levels.”