Staff News

El director de Matemáticas y STEM de Dallas ISD, Stej Sánchez, ha estado transformando la vida de los estudiantes a través de la educación durante los últimos 17 años, pero su pasión por las matemáticas comenzó mucho antes. 

Se inspiró acudiendo a la escuela en Laredo, Texas, gracias a una “serie de profesores de matemáticas que eran simplemente fenomenales”, dijo. Llevó consigo el entusiasmo y sabiduría de estos mientras obtenía su licenciatura y su maestría. Y también lo llevó consigo en su primer trabajo como asistente de maestro y luego como educador en el programa Upward Bound Math and Science de TRIO. 

“En San Antonio, tuve la oportunidad de enseñar a estudiantes de secundaria de familias de bajos ingresos y estudiantes de secundaria de familias en las que ninguno de los padres tiene una licenciatura, y ahí es donde me enganché”, dijo Sánchez. “Pensé: ‘Quiero hacer esto para siempre, mientras quieran que me quede’.” 

Luego se desempeñó como maestro de matemáticas en la escuela secundaria, impartiendo clases de álgebra y geometría hasta que su asesor de matemáticas en ese momento, Oswaldo Alvarenga, lo alentó a mudarse a Dallas y trabajar para el distrito en 2007. Una vez en Dallas, Sánchez continuó perfeccionando sus habilidades como asesor de matemáticas, miembro adjunto de la facultad, instructor de preparación para el SAT e instructor del programa TI Mathforward, hasta su puesto actual como director de matemáticas STEM del distrito. Alvarenga y Sánchez han estado trabajando juntos de una forma u otra desde entonces.

“Todas las personas con las que he trabajado desde que comencé han querido asegurarse de que los estudiantes tengan lo que necesitan”, dijo Sánchez. “Existe una pasión compartida por la equidad y el acceso a un currículo viable y riguroso. Esa es una de las cosas por las que nos esforzamos: garantizar lo mejor para los estudiantes”. 

Una de las responsabilidades de Sánchez como director de matemáticas es implementar currículos innovadores en las más de 230 escuelas de Dallas ISD para instruir a más de 141,000 estudiantes, una tarea que es especialmente importante ahora que el distrito trabaja para cerrar las brechas de aprendizaje creadas por la pandemia de COVID-19. 

Sánchez cree que las matemáticas son una materia extremadamente social, que se aprende mejor con interacciones verbales y escritas, y que la interacción social limitada que experimentaron los estudiantes durante lo peor de la pandemia interrumpió su aprendizaje. Para contrarrestar esto, Sánchez y su equipo han puesto en marcha varias iniciativas este año, incluyendo utilizar materiales didácticos de alta calidad y varias herramientas digitales, que se centran en la alfabetización en matemáticas, la instrucción en los temas básicos y la equidad. 

“Tener fluidez en matemáticas cambia las reglas del juego”, dijo Sánchez. “Álgebra I específicamente es la puerta de entrada a todo tipo de carreras diferentes, por lo que uno de mis objetivos es asegurar que a todos los estudiantes les vaya bien en Álgebra I y tengan acceso a esta materia en la secundaria. En última instancia, Álgebra I es esencial para entrar en carreras de finanzas, ciencias y muchas más. Le proporciona una entrada a muchas oportunidades a los estudiantes para que puedan probar cosas diferentes”. 

Sánchez dice que su familia es quien lo ha formado para ser la persona que es hoy y lo mantiene motivado. Sus abuelos se mudaron de Monterrey, México, a Laredo para darles un mejor a Sánchez y al resto de la familia, y sus padres lo empujaron a obtener una buena educación y permanecer en la escuela. Ahora, él está emulando su ejemplo al enseñarle a sus dos hijas cómo creer en sí mismas y cómo superar los estereotipos.

Si bien sus abuelos y su madre ya no están con él, Sánchez celebra la cultura y el patrimonio de su familia todos los días con su nombre de pila. La “s” y la “t” en Stej representan las iniciales de sus abuelos por parte de su padre, mientras que la “e” y la “j” representan las iniciales de sus abuelos por parte de su madre. 

“No me olvido de mis abuelos, y no me olvido de dónde provienen”, dijo. “Aunque no están conmigo físicamente, estarán conmigo por el resto de mi vida. Así es como celebro mi cultura y mi familia”.

De manera más general, Sánchez celebra la cultura y el legado Latina creando oportunidades en el plan de estudios para reconocer la diversidad que existe ya en las matemáticas.

“Diferentes culturas han desempeñado varios papeles en el avance de las matemáticas a lo largo de la historia”, dijo. “La base de las matemáticas que aprendemos en la escuela primaria y secundaria se originó en África, Asia, América Central y del Sur”. 

The safety and well-being of students is a top priority for the district, and school nurses play a big role in student health and wellness.

Because of the events of the past few years, the nation is experiencing a shortage of nurses, and this has also impacted school nurse recruitment. To address potential nurse vacancies in the upcoming school year, Human Capital Management is offering a $3,000 hiring incentive to recruit new nurses to Dallas ISD.

This incentive applies to new hires for a full-time school nurse position (Job Code 6750) for the 2022-2023 school year as well as any candidate or employee who is hired, transfers, or is promoted into this critical shortage area.

The incentive would be 50% paid in November 2022 paycheck while the remaining 50% would be included in their January 2024 paycheck. The incentive would be funded with Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funds due to the impact the COVID pandemic has had on the number of available nurses to fill positions.

School nurses who worked in the district before May 1, 2022, will receive the $2,500 retention incentive and are not eligible for this new hiring incentive.

National IT Professionals Day on Sept. 20 recognizes the technical experts around the country who ensure computer systems run smoothly. Dallas ISD wants to celebrate the 261 members of the Information Technology Department who make sure student and teacher devices are working, data is kept safe and students and staff have the connections they need to succeed. 

Antonio Ervin, an area support supervisor in IT, has been in the district for 23 years, and it did not take him long after he started to fall in love with the work and Dallas ISD’s mission.

“Early on, I visited a campus where they had a problem, and I remember it so vividly,” he said. “Computers were still a rare commodity at the time, and the teacher was a little frustrated because this was the only computer the students could use. It took me less than five minutes to fix the problem, and as I was getting ready to walk out the door, the students started singing to me, thanking me. And I thought, ‘OK, that’s it. Y’all got me.’” 

Ervin loves nothing more than setting others up for success. Whether he makes a student’s day by getting them online again, keeps a board meeting running or helps a department meet a deadline, he is passionate about being “the go-to person to solve a problem.” 

But he could not do it without his incredible team in Information Technology.  

“You can’t be a successful leader unless you have a great team you can lead,” Ervin said. “It’s not about me, it’s about them. If I can make them more successful, that would make me successful.” 

His team attitude is part of why Assistant Superintendent of Technology Marlon Harrison described Ervin as the “epitome of IT excellence.” 

Ervin has thrived in Dallas ISD personally and professionally. He has seamlessly incorporated the Core 4 culture tenets into everything he does, and he encourages his technicians to do the same. 

“I always ask my people, ‘How do you want to be treated when you are out and about?’ Being fast, flexible, focused and friendly—once you start with one, the rest fall into place,” Ervin said. “In other words, I just go by the one thing I’ve always been taught: Follow the golden rule and treat people how you want to be treated.” 

Information Technology teams work hard every day to support parents, students, teachers, campus leaders and staff, and the work they do in the background to make sure students are set up for success is appreciated. Take some time to thank an Information Technology staff member and acknowledge the vital assistance they provide. 

“To us, a problem may seem simple, but to a teacher or a principal, it feels like everything,” Ervin said. “I love my team. They are free thinkers, and they know how to solve problems, and then their clients get so excited.” 

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.

Upcoming notifications

Note that upcoming notices regarding PowerSchool and Schoology will be updated on the Dallas ISD Curriculum Connection Webpage and the Schoology PDL Homepage.

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. 

https://www.dallasisd.org/Page/71750

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.