Staff News

A passion for communicating with others in different languages set Nourddine Boufekrane, a teacher of French language and culture at Bryan Adams High School Leadership Academy, on a journey that led him to dedicate his life to teaching. 

Arabic, one of Boufefrane’s native languages, is among the top five languages in the district, with over 300 students who come from homes where the first language is Arabic. Other languages that he speaks include Berber, French, Hebrew, Spanish, English, and Swahili. He can also communicate in Urdu and Hindi, among other languages.  

Boufekrane believes that months, such as Arab American Heritage Month, which commemorate heritage and culture are important in order to celebrate each other. 

“To me, it is a way  to accept and understand one another, but it is important for everyone to not be ashamed of their culture,” he said. “They need to show it and be proud of who they are.” 

Prior to moving to the United States in 2008, Boufekrane, a native of Morocco in West Africa, had lived, traveled and worked all over the world. His knowledge of multiple languages opened opportunities for him.

“Because I worked with many associations for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA), in direct coordination with UNICEF and UNESCO in Africa, I can understand Swahili, Wolof and many dialects,” he said. “I worked in many countries in Europe for many years, especially in France, where I served in many organizations as a translator.”

Boufekrane also worked as a translator in different areas in Asia, Syria and the United Arab Emirates.

His work throughout the world eventually brought him to Dallas. He worked as a warehouse specialist for 12 years, when he decided he wanted to use his language skills and knowledge of world cultures to impact young minds. He went back to school to get certified as a teacher, and obtained his bachelor’s degree in Arabic and French Linguistics Philosophy and Culture from Pennsylvania Western University. He recently completed his master’s degree in this same subject, and was accepted into the doctoral program at the International University Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

As a French teacher, Boufekrane often has the opportunity to use his other languages to bridge the gap of communication with his students that speak different languages.

“Because I have students who speak multiple languages, another topic for my students who are from Africa and the Middle East, and other countries, is to help them integrate into American society. I talk to them about the country, about American food and culture and so on,” he said. 

“Sometimes I talk to one of my students in Swahili so he can understand me. I also have students who speak Arabic,” he said. “I want them to fully understand what I’m doing in my French class and the other class that I teach called diversity and culture.”

Boufekrane considers himself to be a lifelong learner and has passion to continue to learn about other languages and cultures. 

“I tell my students that ‘if you keep your culture, you are free,” he said. 

One of the topics that he covers in his class is about celebration and culture, and believes that learning about the cultures of his students is part of the teaching process.

“I ask my students to share some of the customs from Honduras, Mexico or wherever their cultural heritage is from,” Boufekrane said. “In my class, students show you where they are from and share their ideas. I am learning too. It is an exchange of knowledge, because we are not alone in the world. We are almost 8 billion people on the planet, and we need to know about other people in order to help each other.” 

 Christine Hernandez, a fifth-grade math teacher at Solar Preparatory School for Girls at James B. Bonham, defines student success as being rooted “not only in academic success but also in becoming a confident individual, however that may look.”

One of her students started the school year with learning gaps that left her feeling like she could not speak up in class, so Hernandez worked with her family and other teachers to help the student honor her strengths and change her mindset to, “How much can we grow this year?” rather than being on grade level. 

“When we started framing it that way, she just hustled,” Hernandez said. “I have not seen a student work as hard as her. Every day, she comes into class, and she is on it. She is advocating for herself when she’s not understanding something, and she is holding people accountable at her table, making sure they’re all on task. She has completely transformed into this amazing leader, who now walks into the classroom and feels really confident.”

As Solar Prep for Girl’s 2022-2023 Campus Teacher of the Year, Hernandez incorporates that definition of success into everything she does in and out of the classroom.

“The learning will come, and it will come much more naturally when your students feel safe and welcomed and heard, and when they feel a sense of belonging in your room,” she said. 

Hernandez said she is proud to work alongside a team of incredible educators. They all have pushed her to grow and reach new heights as a teacher, inspiring her to take on leadership roles such as orchestrating the school’s daily Sisterhood Circles—morning pep rallies that set the tone for the day and highlight exceptional women in the community. 

“Christine not only is an amazing teacher, but she is also a teacher leader,” fellow teacher Alicia Pompa said. “She supports her team and others by overtaking Sisterhood Circle, one of the biggest culture building projects at the school. She listens when you have problems and maintains a positive energy even on rainy days.”

But for Hernandez, it all comes back to leaders supporting leaders. 

“My biggest takeaway in my journey so far is that there are some amazing people around me, especially at this campus,” Hernandez said. “Everything that I have become is deeply, deeply because of them. Their teaching and character inspire me. It’s hard to be in a building like this and not level up yourself, because you see a lot of greatness around you every day when you walk in.”

Hernandez said she is grateful for the opportunities she has had to accelerate learning and transform student lives alongside her team members and her husband, Angel Hernandez, a fifth-grade teacher at Solar Preparatory School for Boys at John F. Kennedy Learning Center, who also earned the distinction of Campus Teacher of the Year.

“I really do love my school, and I love the way my students think,” Hernandez said. “They’re so creative. The sky is the limit for them, and they’re the coolest people to work with every day. You can’t not be excited about learning when you’re around them.”

More than 600 Dallas ISD team members gathered recently to celebrate excellence in teaching and recognize the 237 campus teachers of the year at a fun event sponsored by the Dallas Education Foundation, Dallas County, and Central Market. The nine finalists for Dallas ISD Teacher of the Year were introduced.

“Over the past eight weeks, our Human Capital, School Leadership, and Teaching & Learning teams have combed through nearly 250 essays from over 80 applicants,” said Superintendent Stephanie Elizalde. “With so many talented, dedicated educators, it wasn’t easy to pick just one. After all, I think Dallas ISD has the best teachers, so these finalists are the best of the best.”

As in past years, this year’s TOY finalists will compete for three Dallas ISD Teacher of the Year honors, and two will move forward to compete at the regional and state levels.

TOY finalists

Elementary (prekindergarten-fifth grade)

Ivan Medina, Herbert Marcus Leadership Academy

Ebony Garrett, Umphrey Lee Elementary School

Mia Witt, César Chávez Elementary School

Secondary (sixth-12th grades)

Angela Burley, Dr. Frederick Douglass Todd Sr. Middle School

Laura Treviño, W.E. Greiner Exploratory Arts Academy

Kayleigh Overman-Fassel, Emmett J. Conrad High School

Bobby Bailey, Billy Earl Dade Middle School

Choice, Magnet (all levels)

Jonatan Joshua Cruz Cardona, School for the Talented and Gifted at Pleasant Grove

Nancy Salas, Henry W. Longfellow Career Exploration Academy

In addition to celebrating the campus teachers of the year, the event also recognized 136 Teachers of Promise.

“For the first time, we are honoring our Teachers of Promise,” said Chief of School Leadership Tiffany Huitt. “We know that it’s not only the experienced teachers who make a difference. Dallas ISD has rockstar novice teachers! Teachers of Promise sought out feedback to improve their instructional practices, built intentional relationships, and made their mark on students and colleagues as novice teachers.”

Karla Johnson, a sixth-grade English language arts and social studies teacher, has been teaching for 35 years, and she said she still enjoys her work so much that she arrives 45 minutes early every day. 

She has seen countless student success stories at C.F. Carr Elementary School, including helping the community go from an “F” to a “B” rating as an Accelerating Campus Excellence school, or ACE, and using ACE resources to get 30 percent of her students to achieve mastery on the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) last year. 

Thanks to the open transfer period, teachers, counselors and media specialists across the district currently have the opportunity to move to an ACE campus and champion student growth alongside educators like Johnson.

The open transfer period allows eligible team members to accept a position at another campus for the following school year. During the open transfer period, current principal approval is not required, although best practice would be for the team member to inform their current principal of their desire to transfer.

To be eligible for an open transfer, team members must meet the following criteria: 

• Hold a valid Texas Teacher Certificate or hold a valid District of Innovation Certification Waiver in the requested subject-area vacancy and meet TEA/SBEC Certification Standards for the position 
• Must not be entering their fourth year of an Alternative Certification Program 
• Must not be identified for non-renewal at the end of the current school year due to performance and/or misconduct

“Our students don’t mind challenges. In fact, they like them,” Johnson said. “Our job is to constantly move them forward. We figure out where they are, and we make sure they are successful.”

One of the many resources the ACE model provides is a plan to track students on a daily basis, which Johnson said has a positive impact on student success. She said she also appreciates getting to work with a group of educators who constantly go above and beyond.

“We’re really a team,” she said. “We talk, and if someone is stressed, we find a way to get them some help and make them feel happy that day. We’re all in this together, we really are.” 

If you are interested in joining an ACE team, apply online using your EAD login at www.dallasisd.org/careers using the internal openings link. The Human Capital Management team will email notifications of approval/denial throughout the open transfer period. 

Transfers are only final once an approval email notification has been sent from Human Capital Management. All notifications will be completed by May 5, 2023.

“Teaching is what you make it,” Johnson said. “If you have the heart for it—if you have the mind to change when needed—then you’ll be successful. The ACE model is a lot of work, but it’s worth it.”

Stress Awareness Month is recognized annually in April to bring attention to the effects of physical, emotional or mental tension or strain on people. Everyone faces challenges in life that can be overwhelming and tiring, so it is important to learn healthy ways to cope with and manage stress. By doing so, you can grow more resilient in your own life while also learning to better support your friends and family members. 

Incorporate these daily habits into your life to help improve your well-being and regulate your stress:

• Breathe deeply, stretch or meditate.
• Get enough sleep.
• Avoid smoking and tobacco products.
• Make time for the things you enjoy. 
• Connect with your loved ones on a regular basis. 
• Share how you are feeling with people you trust. 
• Take breaks from the news when you are feeling down or overwhelmed. 
• Get involved in your community. 
• Eat well-balanced meals. 
• Exercise and get fresh air. 
• Incorporate routine preventative measures like vaccines and cancer screenings.
• Check in with your medical provider on a regular basis. 
• Get support from loved ones and medical professionals when you are struggling. 
• Help others manage times of stress through visits, phone calls and more.

As Mother Teresa said, “Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.”

If you recognize any habits that you would like to improve to live your life to the fullest, help is available through Dallas ISD’s Employee Assistance Program by LifeWorks. 

This confidential, secure platform has countless resources available online for free. From 24/7 on-call counselors to practical tips on subjects like managing grief, connecting with adult children and achieving work-life balance, employees can find what they need, when they need it. 

Reach out to LifeWorks at (972) 925-4000, or visit www.dallasisd.org/benefits and click on Benefits Resources to access online EAP information. 

Source: CDC

More than 20 Dallas ISD principals have been awarded the Master Principal designation for the 2022-2023 school year, and Dan D. Rogers Elementary School principal Marissa Limon is proud to be among them. 

Limon was born and raised in El Paso, Texas, but spent nearly every summer of her life in Dallas. She said she always knew that as soon as she graduated from high school, she would move to Dallas. When her oldest child began school, she was inspired to complete her degree and become a teacher. She decided to make Dallas ISD her home, starting out as a student teacher at Rogers during the 2009-2010 school year. 

She was hired as a full-time teacher for the 2010-2011 school year and has been in education for 13 years now. Learn more about her journey and approach to being a campus leader. 

What drew you to education? 

Great teachers made a difference in my own childhood and inspired me from the start. However, it was my experience as a parent when my son began school that kicked me into gear and helped me find my drive to transform student lives.

What qualities make a great principal? 

A great principal is confident but has humility. They are focused on student outcomes while being empathetic to all stakeholders.

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

Every child CAN learn and is entitled to an education that recognizes and nurtures their talents and needs.

What inspires you about your position? 

My position allows me to see how so many people working in concert can produce a beautiful result for students. There is no limit to what we can accomplish when we work toward a common goal! Furthermore, I am inspired by what our amazing students can do when given an environment in which to flourish.

While Dallas ISD’s Information Technology is constantly improving cybersecurity across the district, sometimes incidents happen. The department’s security experts are there to help. 

Some of the common cybersecurity issues team members may encounter require immediate action because they could risk sensitive information getting out. These risk scenarios include:

• An unintended disclosure of sensitive information (an employee is responsible)
• Exfiltration of sensitive information (a bad\malicious actor is responsible)
• Any sort of unauthorized access to Dallas ISD systems (internal or external)
• Persistent brute force attempts to steal Dallas ISD sensitive information (active attempts)
• UserID and password divulged during a Phishing Campaign

IT recommends that if any of these scenarios takes place, team members should immediately stop what they are doing and send an email to itprivacy@dallasisd.org and copy micanderson@dallasisd.org. The email should include as much detail as possible—who, what, when, where, and how.

Sensitive information that could be put at risk through cybersecurity breaches includes:

• Student data 
• Criminal data 
• Healthcare data
• Employee data
• Financial data 

Dallas ISD will pay you cash for your unused local days if you are retiring, but you must submit your intent-to-retire in Oracle Self-Service no later than noon on April 14. 

The more days you have remaining when you retire, the higher your award. Employees who notify Human Capital Management by entering their intent-to-retire date in Oracle Self-Service by the deadline can receive a flat daily rate of pay for any unused local days accrued by July 31. 

The exact rate to be paid will be determined upon calculation of all the participants’ remaining local days (calculated by July 31) for the year. There is no cap to the number of local days paid, and there is no time in service requirement.

Remember, retiring employees must enter their retirement date in Oracle Self-Service no later than noon on April 14 to be eligible for the award. Those who do not enter their separation date in Oracle Self-Service by the deadline will not be eligible for the award.

If you have additional questions, contact the Benefits Department at (972) 925-4300.

In Dallas ISD, there is a place where salvageable and reusable furniture and other compatible assets await a second life anywhere in the district or go for recycling. And Orbelin Rodríguez is one of the team members who manages these items. 

Kiest Warehouse, located at 3616 E. Kiest Blvd., oversees the removal and disposal of unusable items from district properties. Capital asset items such as computers, printers and other technical equipment are sold to a recycle vendor, and the money is placed in the district’s general funds.

The efficient flow of the center’s objectives is due to the great team members employed at the Kiest Warehouse, but “Obie,” as the warehouse team affectionately calls him, goes one step beyond to serve their customers. 

Maria C. Esparza, Service Centers team member, said his flexibility in meeting the department’s needs and adapting to a unique environment are impressive. She said he steps up to deliver small and high demand items to their customers upon request. He is a pleasure to be around and has the best response to any compliments people give him or to anyone who tells him thank you: He says, “No problem.”

“We are not only fortunate to have Orbelin as an exceptional employee with the district, but we also have someone who models outstanding customer service for us all,” Esparza said.

Human Capital Management is preparing to disseminate contracts for the 2023-2024 school year. Electronic contracts will be available for signature for all contract-eligible employees via Oracle Employee Self-Service by April 17. All contract-eligible employees will receive an email from notifications@dallasisd.org containing instructions on completing the acceptance process once contracts are available.

According to Texas Education Code (TEC), contract-eligible educators are provided a penalty-free resignation deadline 45 days before the first day of instruction of the coming school year. The resignation deadline for this year is June 30, 2023. 

Dallas ISD has approved a retention incentive of up to $5,000 for all eligible staff who return for the 2023-2024 school year. The incentive will be paid to eligible employees in three installments and includes an additional $1,000 for team members who have been with the district for at least five years. Learn more by clicking here. 

Additional information, frequently asked questions, and instructions may be found on the contracts home page https://www.dallasisd.org. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Human Capital Management at contracts@dallasisd.org.