Cheryl Culberson, Dallas ISD’s Alcohol and Drug Intervention Program coordinator, is playing a vital role in the district’s efforts to increase awareness, expand prevention, facilitate intervention and promote recovery for substance use/abuse in students, a role that has become even more crucial recently as the area faces an increase in fentanyl abuse.
As a licensed chemical dependency counselor and a licensed professional counselor, Culberson is qualified to provide both substance abuse and mental health intervention, something that has always been her passion.
“Substance abuse is a large component of impulsivity and poor life choices that affects the whole family,” Culberson said. “Being exposed to so much trauma and stressors with inappropriate coping skills, students may lean toward that quick fix to cope with anxiety, depression, feeling uneasy and more. My goal has always been to educate and support healthy problem solving and alternative thinking.”
Culberson focuses on several key areas to accomplish the Alcohol and Drug Intervention Program’s goals. She consults with school and Youth and Family Center counselors to help them determine a student’s needs and educates Dallas ISD team members so they can identify signs and symptoms of drug use, connect students to resources and know how to respond in emergency situations. She also conducts coffee talks with various principals to educate families on the substances their students may be exposed to, such as fentanyl, smoking and vaping.
“I’m definitely working to educate people on the alarming emerging trends related to the fentanyl epidemic,” Culberson said.
You can also take advantage of the Alcohol and Drug Intervention Program website to find resources for teachers, counselors, parents and more, and learn more about the dangers of fentanyl by reviewing the Department of Justice and Drug Enforcement Administration’s Counterfeit Pills Fact Sheet.
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, opioid overdoses continue to be a major public health problem in the United States. They have contributed significantly to overdose deaths among those who use or misuse illicit and prescription opioids. In fact, all U.S. overdose deaths involving opioids (i.e., unintentional, intentional, homicide and undetermined) increased to more than 42,000 deaths in 2016.
Culberson recommends the SAMHSA Opioid Overdose Prevention Toolkit and the National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357) or 1-800-487-4889 (TDD, for hearing impaired) for anyone looking for immediate support.
“When I go on campus, I have a pen that says ‘one pill can kill,’” she added. “That enables us because students will ask what it means. That’s my opportunity to have a dialogue with them.”
“My passion has always been being able to help people see the bigger picture and know that there are alternatives to change their lives and empower them,” Culberson said. “Some adults as well as students feel they were ‘born this way’ or are ‘stuck in this life,’ and I help them see they can have a different life outcome.”
Omar Cortez has been a key player in transforming the robotics program over the past three years at the School for the Talented and Gifted in Pleasant Grove. In his first year on campus, he said he was so excited to start competing that he entered a robotics competition before there was even a team.
Six interested students joined the new robotics club at the time, and now, Cortez teaches robotics to every sixth-grade student on campus while coaching 40 students in five teams in middle and elementary school alongside three other driven teachers and coaches. Cortez and fellow coaches Julian Beltran, Brittney Fletcher and Alba Ramirez have been working together to foster the teams. They have seen tremendous success.
“The interest in robotics at our campus has grown miraculously,” Cortez said. “It’s been a dream, with all the support that I’ve ever wanted from Dallas ISD. We wanted robots, and we got robots—one for every three students in my classroom. The kids love it, and I love it. It’s been a blast.”
Mastering robotics is about more than building and programming. Cortez also helps his students develop leadership and public speaking skills, and he said it has been “incredible” to watch them gain confidence and break out of their shells.
One student was quiet and nervous when he joined Cortez’s robotics club in sixth grade. The student wanted to drive a robot in competitions—a role that Cortez said comes with a high level of pressure—and in the student’s first competition, he became so nervous that he believed he could not do it. Cortez encouraged him to persevere and believe in himself, and the student, who is still on the robotics team as an eighth grader, thrived.
“I’ve had teachers and my principal tell me, ‘When this student came in, he was introverted, he was a little bit nervous. Now he’s active in class. He’s holding conversations, and he’s participating in different ways,’” Cortez said. “To see that come full circle, to see him grow and become this leader, has been amazing.”
Cortez recently learned that his hard work and dedication helped him earn the distinguished teacher level. He credits his success to the rapid growth of the school’s robotics program, his students’ passion for the craft and incorporating a competitive aspect into his teaching.
Every robotics unit ends with an assessment, and Cortez said he loves turning them into competitions, such as robot soccer, in which his students can earn prizes like gummy bears. His students get so excited for the assessments that Cortez said some of them will even come to his room during lunch to work on their projects.
“I would challenge other teachers to have fun and try to bring challenges into the classroom,” Cortez said. “Once I started doing that and bringing my own twists in, that led to my greatest successes, not only for my distinction to be a distinguished teacher, but also with the students, because now, I have students who are engaged and who are wanting to do this.”
Ramona Soto, Dallas ISD’s general counsel, is approaching her fifth anniversary with the district, leading a team of attorneys, who advise school leaders, help them make sound legal decisions, find solutions and pursue options. And she says she has enjoyed every moment.
Soto did not initially intend to practice school law, but when she started working in private practice, she had Dallas ISD as a client and said she fell in love with the work. She transitioned to Fort Worth ISD for about four years before coming full circle to serve Dallas ISD as in-house counsel.
“I love doing school law because every day is different,” Soto said. “You learn something new every day, and that just means I had a great day. It’s always changing, always evolving.”
In honor of Women’s History Month, which recognizes and celebrates all the diverse roles women play in history and society, Soto shared some of her career highlights and reflections below.
What accomplishment are you proudest of?
“I was able to come from a smaller district and adapt to a much larger district. It was a great change, and I enjoy it so much. Not only is there so much to do, but it’s interesting work. It’s truly a dream job for me. I am really proud to lead a team of attorneys and professionals that are making a difference in our schools.”
What advice or words of encouragement would you give your younger self or someone following in your footsteps?
“Life turns out the way it should. Sometimes we get rejections and we don’t know why, but that’s part of the journey, going through those things and knowing in the end you are where you’re meant to be. I don’t think I could have planned my career out any better. It just happened. You don’t know why it’s happening at the time, but then you see where you are now, and you realize, ‘That’s why I had to go through all of those things, to help prepare me for the role I was meant to have.’”
What helps you persevere during hard moments?
“Everything is part of learning, falling and picking yourself back up. You don’t give up with every rejection. You learn from it, and you change what you need to change and get feedback. That has always helped me in life, to always question, ‘How can I get better?’ And that’s through feedback. I really need honest feedback to get myself up and do better.”
What drew you to the field of education?
“I was always interested in being a public servant, and I kind of fell into it. All my early court experience happened with my favorite client, which was Dallas ISD, and I think I gravitated toward it because I felt like I was doing something great.”
What is your favorite memory at Dallas ISD?
“When they told us we were shutting down when the pandemic hit, it was so foreign to not be in person. I remember saying, ‘How do you lead remotely?’ But I had already ordered everybody laptops by then, and I had implemented an electronic system. It was as though I was already preparing for this huge pandemic even though I had no idea it was coming, and so as it turned out, it was pretty easy to make that adjustment. I get excited knowing that we can adjust and adapt so quickly. The work didn’t stop, it continued, and we’ve just kept going in this new world.”
Busy weekday mornings make it a challenge for many families to find time to prepare a healthy breakfast. Fortunately, Dallas ISD schools offer free nutritious breakfasts that are being highlighted during the upcoming School Breakfast Week.
During March 6-10, the district wants to raise awareness about the importance of nutritious breakfasts offered in schools to ensure students are fueled for learning every day. The Food and Child Nutrition Services Department encourages all families to take advantage of the healthy breakfast choices available at the school cafeteria.
The SBW campaign theme, “Get your day in gear with a healthy school breakfast,” reminds the entire school community that school breakfast provides a healthy and energizing start to the day for students. Studies show that students who eat school breakfast are more likely to:
Reach higher levels of achievement in reading and math
Score higher on standardized tests
Have better concentration and memory
Be more alert
Maintain a healthy weight
School nutrition professionals and students will be encouraged to show their enthusiasm for school breakfast from March 6-10 as the district celebrates SBW with special menus, activities and more. Visit https://www.dallasisd.org/fcns to find out more fun activities and a chance to win a prize.
“A healthy breakfast at the start of the day is a great way to ensure students are nourished and ready to learn,” said Michael Rosenberger, executive director of Food and Child Nutrition Services. “National School Breakfast Week helps us educate parents and students about all the nutritious and delicious choices we offer.”
On March 8, students will be offered a special treat, a mini blueberry parfait, for breakfast, and on March 9, students will be able to enjoy a delicious and nutritious breakfast-for-lunch meal.
Let’s celebrate school breakfast week together. Mark your calendars and join the Food and Child Nutrition Services team in promoting nutritious breakfasts.
In the 2020-2021 school year, a group of dance teachers filled a gap in the dance curriculum not just for Dallas ISD students but students throughout the state when the Dance Appreciation: African American and Mexican Folkloric Studies course they created was approved by the Texas Education Agency for the entire state of Texas.
Dallas ISD dance educators Devondria Douglas, Alexandria Morris, Quan Powers and Daniel Negrete knew there was a need for a dance course in which students could more easily see themselves and their cultural heritage. The original push for the course came about when Quan Powers, dance director at H. Grady Spruce High School, had an idea to bring equitable practices into dance education in the district. After countless hours of work, zoom calls, research, and collaborations, their efforts came to fruition when it was approved.
“I was having a conversation with Rachel Harrah, our former director, and I was looking through the courses as to what we had to offer as dance,” Power said. “Going into these dance spaces with our black and brown students, I noticed that they really didn’t see themselves in those spaces.”
Powers then asked Harrah what it would take to create a dance appreciation course that focused on African American and Mexican Folkloric dance. He got the green light to pursue the course.
“Quan literally called us and said he had this really crazy idea to create this course, “ said Devondria Douglas, who was the dance director at North Dallas High School at the time but has since been promoted to manager of the Dallas ISD Dance Department. “In dance we realized that the way our TEKS are set up, we really don’t have a lot of room to do cultural dance, and even if we do, it’s very surface level. Our kids don’t get to experience a full cultural ambiance of what dance is, especially from a cultural, social dance standpoint.”
Alexandria Morris, dance director at W.W. Samuell High School agreed that students were missing this aspect in the dance curriculum.
“We saw a need that wasn’t being addressed in the classroom,” she said. “Devondria and I went to [Texas Woman’s University] together, so we saw the lack of representation of African American dance and how it influenced a lot of things. This conversation came about during COVID, and we had time to talk about it, so we decided to write this course.”
And so Douglas, Morris, and Powers began to write the course on African American Dance Appreciation while Daniel Negrete, dance director at Emmett J. Conrad High School, was the lead writer on the Mexican Folkloric Studies course.
Q&A with Douglas, Morris and Powers
Why is this course important to you and your students?
Douglas: I always say dancers are social preservationists. It is our job to record history through movement. In African American dance specifically, there was a time when our bodies were our only instrument. And I think when we are making those connections for those kids, you see pride and an increase of awareness, which is what I saw when I taught the course for the first year, when I was at North Dallas High School. Students learned that they are more than what they’re taught in history books.
Morris: Dance is very much a part of our history and culture. At first, Devondria and I wanted to tell the whole story, but decided it was too ambitious for a semester. So we focused on dance in the 1400s to the1800s, from the 1800s to the Civil War, the Civil War to the Jim Crow era, and from that era until now. Students need to know the history that encompasses the social aspects and demographics, and why we needed dance to survive. They learn how things have changed from there to now and how we’re wanting to progress and push the advocacy and African American influences in the dance community.
Powers: As I was looking through dance history, I realized there was no trace of black and brown people in dance. There’s no history, because our history is very oral. It’s not written down. I wanted my kids to see themselves in the fabric of dance. I didn’t want it to be when you hear about Bill Bojangles Robinson or Debbie Allen, that there would be no written history taught about these important figures and their contributions. So it’s one of the main reasons this course came about.
How has the African American Dance Appreciation course impacted you and your students?
Douglas: Our kids are now able to go into these codified dance spaces, these colonized dance spaces, and they’re able to correct a lot of the wrong written history. One of the hardest things about writing this course was that a lot of our history is oral and we’re so used to education in a textbook. One of the takeaways from this is that you don’t just have adults advocating to adults. Now you have kids that are telling you what they need as learners. A lot of our kids have gone to say ‘this history is not correct and where you think it comes from also is not correct.’ They’re confident to make those corrections out loud. I think that has been a huge improvement with our dancers in the district.
Morris: I’ve noticed that students now understand and say ‘oh that’s why you do it this way.’ I have real talks with my students and I definitely let them know that in our culture it’s the norm. I feel like it’s an even exchange of culture, and they can teach me just like I can teach them. I’m probably the only black educator in fine arts that they will probably see in a while, so for me to be able to have that platform is very rewarding. Dance instills pride and culture in oneself and you can stand tall knowing that you come from this rich culture.
Powers: It’s impacted me personally as well as my students. I feel like we’ve created a safe space for students through dance and through this course. Students are able to identify and see themselves in this work. I always wanted to create a space that I didn’t have when I was growing up. I never want a kid to walk through my door and say ‘I was never given an opportunity to shine.’ We’re all one big family. I want the kids to understand that regardless if dance is going to be the thing you do for the rest of your life or just a hobby, you’ve had the experience to be an artist, to be a choreographer, to be a dancer and to learn your history through dance. Not only are we changing lives here in the district through this course, we are changing lives statewide.
How does the district’s Black History Month theme of Black Resilience resonate with you?
Douglas: It means taking our narrative into our own hands.We get to finally speak for us, and we don’t have to have anybody else at the table, but us. I think through this work specifically, it’s showing that black is okay in every space. Black is beautiful in every space. Like I always say, my magic is sacred. And I get to choose where to put my magic, and I don’t have to be told where to use it. I finally am in a space, in a world where my voice is recognized, my experiences are valued. Being black, and being resilient is saying no to boxes. I tell people you can’t put me in a box. I’m going to take a step and I’m going to keep going.
Morris: I am resilient. I had to put on my thick skin and focus on my end goal ever since I was a Dallas ISD student. I’m thankful for the village and the support that I had.I had my son at a young age and I had to be mentally ready for everything. I had to navigate having a kid, going to school, having a job – and through that, it made me wiser and I am now able to help my students. I’m the epitome of black resilience, and I tell my students that no matter what happens to them, they can overcome adversities and challenges and be whoever they want to be in life.
Powers: We are resilient, because no matter what has happened, black people always seem to rise, through the good, bad or ugly. Black people find the sunlight in it and stand in it. They find the great things that happen and they rise. It’s never one of those things where I’m going to let others define me. We don’t let events define us at all. We give it the definition.
America has been built on black people’s backs. Whatever has been accomplished, wouldn’t have been accomplished without black people, which includes dance. Without the Debbie Allens, the Alvin Aileys, the Misty Copelands, there would be no dance.
To enhance cybersecurity, Dallas ISD will be rolling out policies restricting and disabling the use of removable storage devices (or USB drives) on district devices in favor of more secure, district-managed cloud storage options.
Starting on Friday, March 3, Information Technology will disable the use of USB storage devices on all computers issued to staff. The use of these storage options has been restricted on all devices issued to students since October. Mice, keyboards, 10-key, and other non-storage USB devices will continue to work without issues.
The district understands that storage and sharing of documents and files is often necessary and encourages team members to use cloud storage options in the district’s OneDrive and Google Drive. To ease the transition to the available cloud storage solutions, IT has created a step-by-step guide and a training in dallasisd.csod.com/LMS.
Dallas ISD is home to more than 142,000 students from diverse households where more than 80 different languages are spoken. Our students are supported by 24,000 team members, parents and community representatives who work every day to ensure they are successful in their educational journey and beyond.
Public Schools Week—Feb. 27-March 3—brings together families, educators, and community members to shine a light on local public schools and share the stories of the positive things happening in our schools.
The work that takes place in our classrooms and campuses positively impacts students and families, their neighborhoods, and communities where they live. They prepare the generations of tomorrow to face our nation’s future. Through a commitment to equity, creativity, and critical thinking, Dallas ISD team members continue to provide welcoming and engaging learning opportunities for our children.
Take a moment this week to recognize and celebrate all those who support our public schools during this week. If you share on social media, use the hashtag: #HerefortheKids.
Approximately 1,600 educators were invited to participate in a recent professional learning where they were able to collaborate with their peers while learning about the new STAAR item types, best practices for small group instruction, and multiple response strategies to strengthen student engagement during instruction.
The Professional and Digital Learning team hosted this after-school professional development as a support for teachers new to the profession and new to Dallas ISD. And several teachers who attended agreed that the support provided to new teachers in Dallas ISD makes a difference.
Edgar Vazquez, a fifth-grade math and science teacher at H.S. Thompson STEAM Academy, was among the attendees. He became a teacher thanks to Dallas ISD’s Alternative Certification program and said “it just felt right” to return to the district as he is a product of Dallas ISD.
While he is just a few months into the classroom, he said he is enjoying all the opportunities he’s had to connect with his students and transform lives every day.
“If you are going into teaching, I would recommend Dallas ISD,” Vazquez said. “There is a lot of support, and if you have that passion and you want to make an impact, then, yes, teaching is worth it.”
Chai Gibert, a second grade teacher at Solar Preparatory School for Boys at John F. Kennedy Learning Center, agreed that the support she has received as a first-year teacher at Dallas ISD has been great.
With a mentor teacher and an instructional coach providing her with regular feedback, resources and recommendations and with the backing of her campus team, Gibert said the transition into teaching has been “pretty easy.”
“We basically have a cohort,” Gibert said. “I know a lot of new teachers just from doing trainings, and I see their faces a lot. It’s pretty cool to see people in similar positions and familiar faces on campus or who come to other meetings. It creates camaraderie.”
Jaci Rozear, who teaches reading at George Herbert Walker Bush Elementary School, said she is grateful to be on a team alongside veteran teachers who have been supporting her in her mission to “help students find their voice” in and out of the classroom.
Those teachers, along with the district’s professional development trainings dedicated to new teachers, have helped her master content areas like reading and grammar while providing instructional support to fill in gaps created by the COVID-19 pandemic and specific student concerns.
“I would recommend Dallas ISD,” Rozear said. “I feel like sometimes it’s a little daunting because it’s a larger district, but I do feel supported.”
If you know any interested new teachers, encourage them to apply today and gain a teaching position where they are needed the most by visiting https://www.dallasisd.org/CAREERS.
To learn more about professional development opportunities, visit the Professional and Digital Learning page at https://www.dallasisd.org/pdl.
After working in business and finance, David Newhouse knew he wanted to do something he felt would be more impactful and remembered the difference one of his teachers had made. Now in his eighth year of teaching, he strives to motivate and encourage students at Thomas Jefferson P-TECH.
It was the commitment and passion to his craft and his students inspired by his teacher that earned Newhouse a 2022 Teacher of the Year Award from the Rotary Club. He was one of three winners recognized this school year.
Newhouse has been teaching Advanced Placement human geography and world history at Jefferson P-TECH for the past six years. Before that, he taught at Francisco “Pancho” Medrano Junior High School.
His students can attest to the impact he has had on their lives. Eimi Cabrera, a first year college student at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., said it was Newhouse who helped her on her journey to college.
“He taught us that even if we are where we are at that moment, we can strive to be better no matter who we are. We can fight for more than what we already have,” Cabrera said. “He really wanted us to do better and strive for a better future.”
Newhouse knows that being a teacher can transform a student’s life, which he finds to be one of the most fulfilling things about his career.
“Not all of my students have positive affirmations in their lives, and they don’t have someone telling them that they’re proud of them,” he said. “Even just small celebrations can change the demeanor and the direction of a child. Even saying ‘I’m proud of you,’ can make a significant impact.”
Many of his students who have gone off to college have told him that they remember specific moments when he uplifted them or when he talked about all the things they needed to be successful.
“Those are the pivots,” Newhouse said. “Those are the moments if you’re honest and compassionate, and you’re sharing your feelings instead of being this stoic male figure. If you’re able to express yourself, the students feel empowered and loved and go on to do amazing stuff.”
Some of his former students have stayed in touch with him. Cabrera is one of them and credits him with helping her get through some challenging situations. Coming from a diverse district like Dallas ISD, she struggled at first with being one of the few students of color in a university that is predominantly white. Her former teacher’s advice made all the difference in the world.
“Mr. Newhouse said that there’s always a place where one may feel out of place, but it doesn’t mean that I don’t belong here,” she said. “It means that I fought harder than the other people who were there, and that it should make me feel even more proud of myself. I’m first generation, so I’m the first in my family to go through this.”
Newhouse feels that the way he teaches history, going beyond “here’s a border, a name and a date” to bring first-hand accounts and other information that highlights the gritty and sometimes awful aspects of history helps him stand out.
“Reality is a lot more interesting than what we are taught,” he said. “But if you dig a little deeper you realize ‘wow this is crazy’ and you get into the stories, and you realize there is so much more.”
History games are another way that Newhouse keeps his students engaged.
“Mr. Newhouse always made history fun and interesting,” Cabrera said. “He knew how to talk to the students and how to help us relate to him. He’s impacted my life for a very long time, and he’s one of the reasons why I was able to attend college here. He always made his classroom feel like a safe place.”
Do you know someone who might be interested in making a difference for Dallas students in the fields of safety and security and nursing? If you do, Dallas ISD is hiring for a variety of positions in these areas and others in central administration.
To explore other openings, visit www.dallasisd.ord/careers. If you are a hiring manager and interested in highlighting your open vacancies and/or department, contact Central Recruitment at careers@dallasisd.org.
Culberson focuses on several key areas to accomplish the Alcohol and Drug Intervention Program’s goals. She consults with school and Youth and Family Center counselors to help them determine a student’s needs and educates Dallas ISD team members so they can identify signs and symptoms of drug use, connect students to resources and know how to respond in emergency situations. She also conducts coffee talks with various principals to educate families on the substances their students may be exposed to, such as fentanyl, smoking and vaping.
Dallas ISD dance educators Devondria Douglas, Alexandria Morris, Quan Powers and Daniel Negrete knew there was a need for a dance course in which students could more easily see themselves and their cultural heritage. The original push for the course came about when Quan Powers, dance director at H. Grady Spruce High School, had an idea to bring equitable practices into dance education in the district. After countless hours of work, zoom calls, research, and collaborations, their efforts came to fruition when it was approved. 
