DonorsChoose is encouraging all Dallas ISD teachers who teach at an Equity Focus School to post a project. On Sept. 20 starting at 6 a.m., DonorsChoose is doubling donations to all Equity Focus Schools, so now is the time to get started!
To find out if your school is a DonorsChoose Equity Focus School and qualifies for the match, head to the Tools & Resources section of your DonorsChoose dashboard and you will see a link to your school page.
If your school isn’t an Equity Focus School, please join us in spreading the word and supporting district teachers as they educate all students for success!
PowerSchool Learning is no longer an available product from PowerSchool. Dallas ISD’s access to PowerSchool Learning will end on September 26, 2022. Be sure to download any resources that you have in PowerSchool Learning so that you do not experience a loss in data or resources. Alternatively, upload newly added PowerSchool Learning content to Schoology, Dallas ISD’s new learning management system that is replacing PowerSchool Learning.
Moving newly added PowerSchool Learning content to Schoology
Click here to view directions on how to migrate your PowerSchool content into Schoology. Your PowerSchool Learning content was already moved to Schoology before June 7, so this would only need to be completed for content added after June 6.
Natalie Hebert, the visual arts teacher at Jill Stone Elementary School at Vickery Meadow, is diving into the 2022-2023 school year with a new accomplishment under her belt. Thanks to her passion for transforming student lives and making memorable moments, she won this year’s elementary “Service Above Self” Dallas Rotary Club Award.
Hebert has been teaching in Dallas ISD for seven years, but this is her second year at Jill Stone. When she first arrived, the campus had not had an art teacher for several years, and the former campus did not have much space to create or display art. So Hebert reached out to her principal and got permission to host Jill Stone’s inaugural art show at the new campus in June.
Since Jill Stone is in a neighborhood that speaks several languages, Hebert sent out invitations in English, Spanish, Amharic, Burmese, Farsi, Arabic, Nepali and Swahili. She then worked with a group of fifth-grade students to display at least two or three works of art from every student across campus, filling the halls with over 2,000 unique pieces.
“There was art on all three levels—sculptures, paintings, drawings,” Hebert said. “My students didn’t stop talking about it for weeks.”
Art has always been a passion for Hebert, and Jill Stone initially caught her eye because she knew she could make a difference for the school’s large emerging bilingual student population.
“When my dad moved to the United States from Montreal, Canada, he didn’t speak any English,” Hebert said. “He went to Gaston Middle School in Dallas ISD, and the only class he passed was art because he could watch the teacher and imitate. I want to create that safe place where students can be excited and free, regardless of language barriers.”
To Hebert, service above self means going above and beyond to inspire her students and give them the confidence they need to succeed.
When a fire burned down two students’ homes last year, Hebert rallied the East Dallas community and collected brand new clothes for them in just two days. She also teamed up with the Dallas Public Library to display student art at the Vickery Park Branch Library to motivate more families to visit the library and get library cards.
“My goal has always been to encourage students to think creatively and not be scared to try or learn about new things,” she said. “This community deserves so much, and being able to come into the art room and explore is such a confidence builder.”
Schools and departments now have an easier way to track active expenditures, the expiration of formal bids and contracts and the available funds thanks to a new Procurement Services dashboard.
The dashboard filters information by vendor, bid number, board document, buyer, department and other categories. It also lets users know the amount allowed by the board document, the amount that has been spent to date, and the funds that remain available.
“This provides a more transparent and easier view that we needed in the district,” said Kris Robinson, executive director of Procurement Services.
For example, if a department is planning a large purchase in the Awards and Promotional Items category, they can check to see the funds available under the board document for the districtwide use of the vendors who offer those services, he said. This allows departments and schools to plan and to contact Procurement Services for help and guidance with their purchase.
“Our goal is to increase clarity and collaboration and ensure that departments and schools can get what they need,” Robinson said. “Proper planning is our friend.”
The dashboard can be found by visiting the Procurement Services website and signing into the Staff Forms section and clicking on the link to the dashboard.
Luis Covarrubias, a Mount Auburn STEAM Academy fifth grade science teacher, is dedicated to making memorable moments with his students through hands-on labs and activities, something he can now pursue better thanks to the school’s brand new science lab.
Mount Auburn received a $20,000 grant from the East Dallas Exchange Club last spring to make the renovations. The East Dallas Exchange Club partners with high-need schools throughout the area and has funded projects at Mount Auburn in the past. To get the necessary funding for the lab and all the innovative equipment inside it, the East Dallas Exchange Club hosted fundraisers alongside radio show hosts from The Ticket’s “The Morning Musers,” and members from both communities joined Principal Brittany Swanson to celebrate the project’s completion at a ribbon cutting ceremony on Sept. 7.
The Mount Auburn community could not be more excited about the new space, which they have been using since the start of the 2022-2023 school year. They recently earned a distinction in science and moved to an overall TEA score of 89, and Swanson said she has been so pleased to see the school’s growth.
“Mount Auburn is in the middle of a lot of change, and our students and teachers have worked so hard to get where they are,” Swanson said. “Donations like this one are so helpful and really do change the trajectory for the neighborhood and our campus.”
The science lab boasts of great storage space, cabinets, faucets, sinks and plenty of counter space, and Covarrubias said his students love exploring the circuits, planets, terrariums and other equipment he has on display.
“It was actually difficult the first day because I needed them to focus, and they were looking around at everything,” Covarrubias said. “I want my students to experience as much as possible. They need to see and feel how experiments change and move, and I can tell that they want to learn everything we have to offer.”
One of the units Covarrubias is particularly excited about this year is the study of landforms and erosion. His students will get to work with sand, water and clay to observe how canyons, rivers and valleys form, a process that usually takes “millions and billions of years.”
“Science is everywhere,” Covarrubias said. “I get goosebumps because anything that you can touch or grab, you can discern and see how it’s made.”
Covarrubias believes that science jumpstarts student learning across every subject, and he cannot wait to watch those transformations occur in the science lab. He once asked two students to help him organize the materials they would be using to make terrariums. He explained what everything was for and how they could study plants and insects, and his students’ response left a lasting impression.
“As they were walking away, one of them told the other, ‘Wow this is going to be the best year ever. I’m going to love this class,’” Covarrubias said. “That is why I do what I do. Everything that I have in the lab motivates students and gets them excited for learning, and donations like this one make a big difference in lighting the spark of curiosity and wonder in their lives, leaving a lasting impact on their futures.”
National Suicide Prevention Month is recognized during September—along with National Suicide Prevention Week from Sept. 4-10—to raise awareness and support for those who are struggling. Because the safety and well-being of students and staff is Dallas ISD’s top priority, departments and schools across the district are working together to encourage everyone to watch for warning signs and intervene as needed.
“People who are having suicidal thoughts need to know that help is readily available,” said Juany Valdespino-Gaytan, the executive director of Social and Emotional Learning. “We are working to reach the people who are silently suffering through proactive social and emotional learning strategies to access the support and tools they need at any time.”
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, warning signs of suicide include:
Feeling empty, hopeless or trapped
Talking about wanting to die or being a burden
Experiencing intense guilt or shame
Making a plan or researching ways to die
Eating or sleeping more or less
Feeling extremely sad, anxious, agitated or angry
Withdrawing from friends, saying goodbye, giving away important items or making a will
Displaying extreme mood swings
Taking dangerous risks such as driving too fast
Using drugs or alcohol more often
Anyone who is experiencing a crisis can get immediate support by contacting the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in English or Spanish at 988. Additionally, people can access the National Alliance on Mental Illness HelpLine from Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., by calling 1-800-950-6264, texting “HelpLine” to 62640 or emailing helpline@nami.org.
Dallas ISD staff can take advantage of the Employee Assistance Program by LifeWorks. This confidential, secure platform has free specialist counselors on call 24/7, as well as personalized wellbeing tips, podcasts, videos, exercises, assessments and more.
Contact LifeWorks by calling (972) 925-4000 or visiting www.dallasisd.org/benefits and clicking on Benefits Resources to access online EAP information. LifeWorks also has an app that offers specialized self-help resources developed by experts. Once downloaded, the app can be accessed through the EAD login credentials.
Several other proactive measures are in place across the district to help students and families get the support they need. SEL is teaching students self-management and self-awareness daily at every campus and is offering tools like the Rhithm app, which alerts counselors to students who are showing signs of feeling down or anxious. Counseling Services has incorporated suicide prevention education into its guidance lessons and will be offering suicide prevention trainings to all staff.
“The goal of these guidance lessons is to nurture and build resilience in students by instilling the message that they are loved, worthy and not alone,” said JoAnn Jackson Powell, director of Counseling Services. “This quote—by someone unknown—sums up the main idea that counselors want staff and students to remember: ‘It isn’t weak to ask for help. It’s like using a flashlight when you’re lost in the dark.’”
Mental Health Services is rolling out a partnership with an organization called The Defensive Line to host monthly trainings to help staff identify signs of suicide and know what steps to take, and Parent Services will be training families to recognize when their children may need additional support.
Ultimately, Tracey Brown, executive director of Mental Health Services, wants to remind everyone that it’s OK to not be OK, and that there is no need to suffer in silence. She wants to encourage all—students or staff—to reach out and get the help they need today.
“We have the most strength in our weakest moments,” Brown added. “Many times we struggle and strive to be strong, but our greatest strength is found in our greatest weaknesses and vulnerabilities. Just know that you’re not in the struggle by yourself.”
Starting as early as 6 a.m. on some weekends, school buses pull up to dozens of Dallas ISD schools to pick up hundreds of students to take them to contests, debates, chess tournaments, esports championships and an array of other extracurricular activities.
On any given Saturday throughout the school year, students can be found on one side of town debating current political and social issues while on another end of the city, others are tumbling at a cheer workshop, playing chess down the road at Skyline High School’s gym, or dueling it out at the esports lab at Barack Obama Male Leadership Academy. Student Activities currently sponsors 13 districtwide programs in which students from kindergarten through 12th grade can participate.
In the 2021-2022 school year, more than 130,000 Dallas ISD students participated in at least one extracurricular activity, ranging from athletics to academic competitions to visual and performing arts. Of those students, more than 16,150 participated in 13 activities sponsored by Student Activities.
Dallas ISD’s Student Activities Department team are committed to making sure that students from across the district have the opportunity to participate in activities that enrich their educational experience and advance their skills.
The department prides itself in offering something for everyone with no shortage of activities. There are team competitions and individual contests ranging from academics to gaming. There are also campus-based, co-curricular courses offered like academic decathlon, debate, cheer, yearbook, and newspaper.
“We provide students with opportunities to participate in the department-sponsored activities at no cost,” said Leonidas Patterson, director of Student Activities. “Providing participation options allows students to explore their passions and interests while introducing them to new experiences beyond the academic day.”
For participating schools, Student Activities provides everything needed from study materials and equipment to meals and transportation. As an added bonus, campus-designated coaches receive stipends and are given opportunities to participate in workshops to better help prepare their students for success.
Adrienne McCann, a W.H. Gaston Middle School teacher, was one of more than 1,500 teachers who sponsored a Student Activities program last year. She is not only the campus activity coordinator but also sponsors several academic events at the school.
“Student Activities has been a great help with encouraging students to become lifelong learners through a variety of activities,” McCann said. “Our students are more engaged in learning core content materials while pairing the things they learn in the classroom with competitions like debate, UIL, [academic] pentathlon, and robotics.”
One of McCann’s students, Max Lopez, said debate improved his test-taking skills on the STAAR Reading exam. “Being in debate helped me comprehend and analyze what I was reading,” Lopez said. “I was able to answer the questions related to the text.”
He added, “Plus, I can argue a ton better now.”
Leveling Up
This year, programs are being expanded and participation is projected to rise. Additions include chess for grades kindergarten through second grade, cheer and esports for fourth and fifth grades, and yearbook for middle school grades.
“Getting students involved in extracurricular activities is certainly a priority for the district leadership team and the Board of Trustees,” said Sharla Hudspeth, executive director of Extracurricular and Extended Learning Opportunities. “Expanding programs provides students a chance to participate in extracurriculars as early as possible. Early participation will lead to continued involvement as well as better outcomes in academic achievement and social-emotional learning.”
Because of this, most programs are vertically aligned from elementary to high school. For instance, a student can master the intricacies of chess by being able to stay involved for 13 years if they start in kindergarten and continue through their senior year.
Several programs come with special acknowledgments of merit and achievement. Cheer, debate, academic decathlon, and UIL academics offer opportunities to earn letter jackets for students who meet certain criteria. Also, scholarships are available through cheer, decathlon, debate, UIL, and esports.
Aside from merit-based recognitions, students reap the added benefit of life experience. Through participation in extracurricular activities, students have been to cities all over Texas, and to New York, Kentucky, Washington D.C., California, Tennessee, and Kansas. They travel by bus and by plane, stay in hotels, see historic sites, and eat meals together as a team, all while creating lifelong memories.
While Dallas ISD students participate in local, regional, state, and national competitions throughout the year, they are building social and networking skills, broadening their minds to new ideas, and thinking about paths they want to take in the future, Patterson said. In addition, competitions are often hosted by a college or university, giving students a glimpse at college life.
But it doesn’t stop there. The benefits of participating in student activities go beyond preparing kids for the world and instilling in them the skills needed for success, said Julian Spearman, Student Activities coordinator.
“The real magic is the sense of belonging students get from being involved in extracurricular activities,” he added. “I have had students come up to me at a tournament and tell me about how they never felt like there was anything for them until esports came along, and how they feel part of something.”
Student Activities Department Programs
Academic UIL (Grades 2-12)
The University Interscholastic League provides 23 high school and 17 elementary and middle school academic competitive events that challenge students to think critically, exhibiting much more than knowledge and comprehension.
Cheer (Grades 4-12)
Cheer creates and promotes school spirit while encouraging quality performance and high academic standards. Through the development of spirit and cheer technique, cheerleaders will encourage their student body and their community through support in the promotion of athletic events and activities.
Chess (Grades K-12)
The districtwide chess program provides students the opportunity to showcase their problem-solving and critical thinking skills at school and chess tournaments.
Debate (Grades 5-12)
The partnerships with the Dallas Urban Debate Alliance and Debate|Able provide Dallas ISD secondary and elementary school students the opportunity to participate in competitive academic debate programs.
Decathlon (Grades 9-12)
Academic Decathlon is a theme-based, ten-event scholastic team competition wherein students match their intellect with students from other schools.
Destination Imagination (Grades K-12)
Destination Imagination motivates young people to look for the challenges in life and see them as opportunities for growth. DI inspires students to solve problems, search for creative solutions, and to work cooperatively with others.
Esports (Grades 4-12)
With weekly practices and tournaments, students will be able to improve their gaming skills and develop a sense of community and involvement at school and in the esports community.
Link Crew (Grades 11-12)
An elite group of juniors and seniors, Link Crew leaders organize and implement the freshman orientation on their campuses. The freshman transition program provides members of the freshman class with support and guidance to improve their overall first-year experience in high school. Participating high schools are Adams, Adamson, Business, Gilliam, Law, Madison, Samuell, Seagoville, Skyline, and Wilson.
Lone Star Challenge (Grades 4-6)
Lone Star Challenge is the elementary competition equivalent to Academic Decathlon and Academic Pentathlon. Lone Star is a theme-based four-event scholastic team competition wherein fourth, fifth, and sixth-grade students match their intellect with students from other schools.
Pentathlon (Grades 6-8)
Academic Pentathlon is a theme-based, five-event scholastic team competition wherein sixth, seventh and eighth-grade students match their intellect with students from other schools.
Student Publications (Grades 6-12)
Student publications supported by Dallas ISD are secondary yearbook and high school newspaper programs. Staff members are charged with producing professional publications that showcase their design, writing, and photography skills.
Texas Math & Science Coaches Association (Grades 3-12)
Involvement in TMSCA invitational meets provides students the opportunity to practice UIL math and science contests through grade level and team competitions. Contests include Number Sense, Calculator Applications, Mathematics, and Science.
For Eric Benson, transforming student lives has had different meanings over his 38 years as a physical education teacher at Bishop Arts Steam Academy. Several of his former students are now leading life-changing careers of their own, including Diana Nunez, a proud Dallas ISD graduate who has spent over two decades working as a teacher, principal and executive director in the district.
“We knew early on that Diana was going to be something special, just like everyone else in her family,” Benson said. “I’m so happy for her and all of her siblings, the direction that they’ve gone and all the things they have accomplished.”
Benson and Nunez first met when Nunez was in sixth grade, but their connection did not stop when she transitioned into seventh grade. Nunez was followed in school by her younger brother and sisters, so Benson spent another eight years getting to know her family through the students in his class. As the siblings grew older, they began inviting their old coach to their graduations and some even to their weddings.
“I always enjoyed going to see their graduations,” Benson said. ”Afterward, their parents would invite me over to celebrate, eat dinner and enjoy all the other festivities. I never left hungry and was always in a good mood. I still appreciate that to this day.”
After working as a teacher herself, Nunez has a new appreciation for everything Benson did for her family and still does for so many students. He always went above and beyond to ensure his students could participate in different sports and stepped up to lead after-school leagues, she said.
“All these years later, he is still making sure there are great opportunities for his students,” Nunez said. “Teachers go through hundreds of students, so the fact that teachers like Coach Benson still try to make those connections and show up and go to events, it’s so special.”
The two of them have stayed in touch by running into each other over the years at district events, but they have also maintained a positive personal connection. For example, Benson drives by Nunez’s parents’ house every day on his way home from work and makes sure to stop and say hello.
“I’m just so proud and touched to be a small part of this family’s lives,” Benson said. “That’s what we’re all about in Dallas ISD—making these positive connections with our students and seeing them grow and become successful adults like her entire family.”
“This Is Home has a different meaning for those of us who have been with the district for a long time,” Nunez agreed. “Throughout the years, Coach Benson has always been very supportive of my family. When we invited him, he would show up every time. I’m really thankful for that.”
The Human Capital Management Central Staff Leadership Development team is inviting staff across the district to grow their leadership skills this fall by attending any or all of the upcoming learning sessions.
Click on the link to sign up for the following sessions in Cornerstone:
Dallas ISD administrators, teachers, faculty and staff are invited to apply for the two TEXAS YES grants available to support students across all grade levels this school year.
TEXAS YES is an educational nonprofit committed to closing the gap for educational equality by providing schools in San Antonio, Dallas-Fort Worth, Corpus Christi and Austin with resources and supplies.
Applicants must apply for a grant by Sept. 30. The new TEXAS STEAM Grant—presented by Thomas J. Henry—will focus on STEAM education, while the 2022-2023 YES Grant will focus on updating school equipment such as library books, computer labs and physical education equipment.
Once the application window closes, TEXAS YES will review the applications and announce the grant recipients the week of Oct. 11. Please note that applicants may only receive one grant per year.
Mount Auburn received a $20,000 grant from the East Dallas Exchange Club last spring to make the renovations. The East Dallas Exchange Club partners with high-need schools throughout the area and has funded projects at Mount Auburn in the past. To get the necessary funding for the lab and all the innovative equipment inside it, the East Dallas Exchange Club hosted fundraisers alongside radio show hosts from The Ticket’s “The Morning Musers,” and members from both communities joined Principal Brittany Swanson to celebrate the project’s completion at a ribbon cutting ceremony on Sept. 7.
The science lab boasts of great storage space, cabinets, faucets, sinks and plenty of counter space, and Covarrubias said his students love exploring the circuits, planets, terrariums and other equipment he has on display. 
On any given Saturday throughout the school year, students can be found on one side of town debating current political and social issues while on another end of the city, others are tumbling at a cheer workshop, playing chess down the road at Skyline High School’s gym, or dueling it out at the esports lab at Barack Obama Male Leadership Academy. Student Activities currently sponsors 13 districtwide programs in which students from kindergarten through 12th grade can participate.
For participating schools, Student Activities provides everything needed from study materials and equipment to meals and transportation. As an added bonus, campus-designated coaches receive stipends and are given opportunities to participate in workshops to better help prepare their students for success.
But it doesn’t stop there. The benefits of participating in student activities go beyond preparing kids for the world and instilling in them the skills needed for success, said Julian Spearman, Student Activities coordinator.
Link Crew (Grades 11-12)
“We knew early on that Diana was going to be something special, just like everyone else in her family,” Benson said. “I’m so happy for her and all of her siblings, the direction that they’ve gone and all the things they have accomplished.”
“I always enjoyed going to see their graduations,” Benson said. ”Afterward, their parents would invite me over to celebrate, eat dinner and enjoy all the other festivities. I never left hungry and was always in a good mood. I still appreciate that to this day.” 
