Staff News

Ludivina “Ludy” Reyna’s passion for transforming students’ lives and making memorable moments began when she joined the district’s HIPPY program, which teaches mothers how to help their children prepare to start school.

“My love for helping people started then because I saw the great need parents had,” said Reyna, who has been with Translation Services for the past 16 years. “Families needed help and guidance, but sometimes, they were embarrassed to ask. I had to help mothers with forms when they weren’t even sure how to hold the pencil correctly. I helped them access resources, get school supplies.”

And in the 23 years Reyna has been with Dallas ISD in different positions, she has continued to help families and colleagues, being singled out many times for her excellent customer service. Most recently, she received praise for striving for the yes when as an interpreter and translator she helped a school nurse communicate important health information to a student’s family. Despite technical difficulties, she persevered until the nurse and family connected, and she could interpret for them.

“This is a well-deserved recognition even though for Ludy recognition is not the motivation,” said Ivette Cruz Weis, director of Translation Services. “She is a great leader and professional who does everything within her power to ensure that teachers and other staff have the language support they need to better serve the non-English-speaking parents in the district. We are fortunate to have her on our team.”

Reyna says that she doesn’t necessarily think about customer service, she just focuses on the needs she sees and how to serve all better.

“I think that when you are in a position like I am, you should always strive to help others and treat everyone with the same kindness and wisdom,” she said of being flexible and friendly—two of the district’s culture tenets. “Always put on your best face no matter how difficult a day you have had or what is going on. It’s that kindness that leads to parents feeling like they are part of the district. And, after all, we are here for them and for the students.”

Reyna is grateful for the recognition but says embracing the district’s Core 4 culture tenets is a normal, everyday thing she often sees whether it’s a nurse trying to reach a family or a teacher who does the impossible to make sure students are in class every day.

“I see this in the district all the time, and a lot of people go above and beyond because they have the passion to help students and others,” she said. “We are here to serve and to give the best of ourselves to help those who need us, whether it’s parents, colleagues or students.”

Starting in June, the district will be closed on Fridays as central staff employees begin to work the summer schedule four-day week from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Monthly employees

Employees paid monthly will work the four-day work week from June 6 through July 29. Monthly employees will resume their regular work hours on Aug. 1.

Biweekly employees

Employees paid biweekly will work a four-day workweek from June 10 through Aug. 4. Biweekly employees will NOT work on June 10 if they participate in the four-day workweek. Biweekly employees who participate in the four-day workweek will resume their regular hours on Aug. 5.

Employees are responsible for consulting with their supervisor to determine the start, end, and lunch times of their daily work schedule during the summer. Employees approved to take a working lunch will only be required to stay at the worksite or be available remotely for 10 hours. Employees will be compensated for the “working lunch” time, and it will be considered part of normal work hours.

Supervisors may allow employees to work a schedule other than the four-day workweek as long as the change does not negatively affect the functions of the department. In addition, some departments may choose to return to the regular work schedule sooner. Decisions regarding the work schedule are at the discretion of the department supervisor. In addition, divisional leadership may modify the employee’s work schedule to meet campus, divisional, or district needs. An event such as New Teacher Academy or a back-to-school program may require a change to the work schedule in order to provide support.

The district will be closed for summer break July 4-8. Employees will not be allowed to work for pay while the district is closed unless the employee has received prior written approval from their department chief. All central staff will return to work on July 11.

On March 8, Dallas ISD will celebrate and showcase the hard work of teachers, assistant principals, and central staff who have been reimagining how the next generation of teaching, learning, and leadership could look like in the district.

The Innovation Showcase is a virtual celebration is designed to recognize Dallas ISD’s Innovation in Teaching, School Retool, and iDesign Central Fellows for the 2021-2022 school year. This event will elevate the voices of our fellows through three panels and a release of a virtual exhibition for attendees to explore their design projects over the year. Click here for the recognition rosters for all fellowships.

Learn more and register at www.thepltoolbox.com/showcase. All attendees must register via Zoom to receive their own unique link to join on March 8.

Agenda 

5:00 | Welcome & Keynotes

5:20 | Fellow Recognitions

5:40 | Panel # 1, Leading Change with Empathy

5:50 | Panel # 2, Bringing Ideas to Life with Prototyping and Hacking

6:00 | Unveiling the Virtual Exhibition

6:15 | Panel # 3, Looking Ahead: Navigating Ambiguity and Hope for the Future

6:25 | Closing

INNOVATION IN TEACHING FELLOWSHIP

A teaching fellowship rooted in design thinking to equip educators to grow in their understanding of and pilot Next Generation models of learning [blended learning, project-based learning, and design thinking] in their classrooms. Learn more at www.thepltoolbox.com/fellowship.

SCHOOL RETOOL FELLOWSHIP

School Retool is a professional learning fellowship that helps school leaders redesign school culture to support Deeper Learning practices using small, scrappy experiments called “hacks”. This is executed in partnership with the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford University and IDEO. Learn more at www.schoolretool.org.

iDESIGN CENTRAL FELLOWSHIP

​The iDesign Central Fellowship is a five-month experience for Dallas ISD central staff leaders that uses design thinking to build creative confidence to solve our biggest challenges at the district, division, and team level. Over the course of the fellowship, leaders learn how to build habits for design to lead their teams and transform culture. Learn more at https://www.thepltoolbox.com/idesign.

Questions? Reach out to the team at personalizedlearning@dallasisd.org. 

Every staff member and student in grades 3-12 now has access to Canva for Education. Canva is a graphic design platform that allows users to create thousands of different artifacts—such as social media posts, infographics, presentations, and even instructional materials—and makes it very easy to share and collaborate with others. Click here for steps on how to access your Dallas ISD account. For those ready to learn, Personalized Learning is hosting a few webinars in March and April to help users get started. Learn more and register at bit.ly/canvawebinars. If you have questions, contact the Personalized Learning Department at personalizedlearning@dallasisd.org

Dallas ISD has put together a playlist with a variety of videos that celebrate Black history. The videos feature Dallas ISD students, staff, and community members celebrating Black History Month in various ways. The play list can be found here.

Throughout the month, Food and Child Nutrition Services has been serving special dishes to honor and celebrate the African American culture.

• Collard Greens
• Beans & Rice
• Jambalaya

Information and videos on the history and cultural significance of these dishes, how to grow the main ingredients, and different ways to prepare them can be accessed by teachers at BHM 2022 Programming Guide.

On Tuesday, March 1, 113 district facilities will be used as voting centers for the primary election.  Department heads, principals and office managers of facilities assigned to serve as polling locations are reminded to prepare and staff their facilities accordingly.

All listed facilities should be opened promptly at 5:30 a.m. to allow the election judges to set up.  Election judges will need access to the buildings until 10 p.m. or until the election staff is finished for the evening.  Please ensure that staff cooperate with the election judges regarding set-up requests, and that campuses and polling locations are presentable.  lease note that at no time should a district facility be left unattended by district personnel.  Please direct questions to Orlando Alameda at (972) 925-5142, or OAlameda@dallasisd.org.

District staff are reminded election laws related to political electioneering and political advertisement. Although district employees do not shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate, neither an employee nor anyone else has an absolute constitutional right to use all or parts of a school building or its immediate surrounding areas for unlimited expressive purposes. Therefore, the time, place and manner restrictions outlined in this memo are imposed regarding electioneering on district property. Questions on this matter should be directed to the Board Services Office at (972) 925-3720.

How do you talk about coping with stress with your family, friends, or coworkers? Stress is a reality of modern life but, according to John B. Arden, author of Rewire Your Brain, “rather than run away from stress and anxiety, you should learn to manage it. By managing it, you’ll promote a healthy, thriving brain that generates neuroplasticity.”

There are three types of stress, Toxic, Tolerable, and Positive. Triggers, such as a person, place, or situation, contribute to unwanted emotional, health, and behavioral responses. Identifying your triggers and practicing self-management or cool-down strategies will help you grow your coping and self-control toolbox and impact both your mental and physical health positively. The next time you feel stressed, try taking a short walk, drinking water, a quick breathing strategy, or writing in a gratitude journal. Learn more at www.dallasisd.org/sel.

High priority campuses are ready to welcome teachers, instructional coaches, counselors and media specialists who are passionate about accelerating learning and whose heart lies with helping students succeed no matter what. Those who are interested in making the move to one of these 80 schools to meet the challenge and earn additional compensation can take advantage of the open transfer window that opens March 7.

Those who are in the Teacher Excellence Initiative System can earn not only thousands of dollars more through stipends but can also get additional DTR points. And for those who choose one of these schools that have an Intersession or a School Day Redesign calendar, the earning potential is even greater.

Working at a high priority campus has benefits beyond making a difference. Eligible teachers serving at high priority campuses in the upcoming school year will:

• Earn up to 10 additional DTR points on the TEI Scorecard
• Earn additional stipends. Proposed stipend amounts are shown in the chart below.

For example, a teacher who has an effectiveness level of Proficient II who wants to work at a high priority campus that is also an Intersession/SDR school could earn a base salary of $67,500, a $4,000 HPC proposed stipend and more for the additional proposed 23 days on the extended-year calendar. The amount is greater at an ACE school, where the proposed stipend for a Proficient II teacher is $12,000; if it’s also an Intersession/SDR school, that amount increases with the additional days.

Working at an Intersession or School Day Redesign school also affords teachers the opportunity to design and learn new, innovative and fun ways to deliver instruction that can accelerate learning.

Download the list of High Priority Campuses. Intersession campuses are in teal and School Day Redesign campuses are in green.

Principals at HPCs can begin making recommendations to Human Capital Management for the 2022-2023 school year beginning on March 7. But in order to be considered, teachers, instructional coaches, counselors and media specialists must first show their interest by applying online using their EAD login at www.dallasisd.org/careers  using the “Current Dallas ISD Employee” link. The district’s open transfer window closed on April 15.

 To connect with HPC campus principals, interested teachers are encouraged to participate in an upcoming job fair at Emmett J. Conrad High School from 4 to 6 p.m. on March 8. To sign up for the job fair, visit www.dallasisd.org/hcmjobfair.

In addition to the job fair, interested teachers may connect with an HCM recruiter by email at futureteacher@dallasisd.org.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had an impact on health—physical and mental—for millions of people. Actions taken to stay healthy have often lead to a more sedentary lifestyle, weight gain and other issues that particularly affect heart health.

But according to the American Heart Association, it’s time for you to “Regain your Rhythm” by starting new activities and making changes that improve health to celebrate National Heart Health Month in February. Visit www.heart.org for suggestion on managing stress, getting more active and rethinking your meals.

Dallas ISD staff celebrated heart health during the district’s Go Red week. Tatiana Vélez, a teacher assistant at Ida B. Wells Downtown Montessori and her children—Silvana, Demi and Manolo—who all attend district schools wore red to support the campaign.

Student Transportation staff also did their part in highlighting the importance of heart health.

February is Career and Technical Education Month, and Dallas ISD schools have much to celebrate with 14 career clusters providing students practical and marketable skills.

Dallas ISD Career and Technical Education (CTE) students have opportunities to acquire skills and knowledge in career clusters such as Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources; Architecture and Construction; Arts, Audio-Visual Technology, and Communications; Business, Marketing, and Finance; Education and Training; Energy; Health Science; Hospitality and Tourism; Human Services; Information Technology; Law and Public Service; Manufacturing; Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM); and Transportation, Distribution, and Logistics.

Join Dallas ISD CTE as we celebrate this month by showcasing the great achievements and accomplishments of our CTE students and programs. Learn more at Dallas ISD CTE Month here.

Career Pop Up Shop Events

Throughout the month, CTE industry partners and selected high school teachers from various career clusters and programs of study will visit participating middle school campuses to meet and greet and showcase their prospective careers and industry trends. Students will have an opportunity to get up close and personal to extend their learning outside the classroom with experiential activities to increase their interest in an immersive setting.

Guest Speaker Series

The First Fridays’ Speaker Series will have a special guest for a virtual engagement every Friday in the month of February. The one-hour virtual engagement will focus on various topics of interest for all programs of study.

CTE Teacher Night

The CTE teachers of Dallas ISD have been working harder than ever for students, and their work and efforts will be acknowledged and honored on the evening of February 22 at W.H. Adamson High School.

To view the full CTE Month 2022 Calendar of Events, visit this website.