Staff News

While the district may be closed, if you need assistance with your benefits, a number of resources are available.

District schools and administrative offices will be closed for Spring Break from Monday, March 14, through Friday, March 18. However, the benefits call center will be open regular hours during that time to assist Monday–Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For non-emergency health concerns, such as cold and flu, TRS ActiveCare participants can take advantage of Teladoc at a reduced cost. Call 1-855-Teladoc (835-2362) or visit their main page.

If you have questions regarding your HSA/ FSA, you can contact Connect Your Care at 877-528-9876 or visit www.connectyourcare.com. Connect Your Care is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

You may reach the benefits call center at 972-925-4000 or email benefits@dallasisd.org.  For questions regarding leaves of absence, email benefitsleaves@dallasisd.org.  During the periods in which the district is closed, the email boxes will be monitored periodically to ensure any critical issues are resolved in a timely manner.

Work, home, relationships, social interactions have all been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. As we move toward a sense of normalcy, the stress that we have been experiencing is not going away. Fortunately, there is help.

Whether stress stems from learning new communication or technology tools, managing a different workload, handling concerns of in-person interactions, taking care of family or personal needs while working, or feeling you might not be contributing enough it can take its toll in unexpected ways. Learning to cope with stress in a healthy way will make you, the people you care about, and those around you become more resilient. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the first step to recognizing that you are stressed is to know what it looks like:*

• Feeling irritation, anger, or denial
• Feeling unusually uncertain, nervous, or anxious
• Lacking motivation
• Feeling tired, overwhelmed, or burned out
• Feeling sad or depressed
• Having trouble sleeping
• Having trouble concentrating

Now that you know what it looks like, you can take steps to build your resilience and manage your stress.

• Take advantage of Dallas ISD provided resources, such as the Employee Assistance Program.
• Identify those things which you do not have control over and do the best you can with the resources available to you.
• Increase your sense of control by developing a consistent daily routine when possible—ideally one that is similar to your schedule before the pandemic.
• Keep a regular sleep schedule.
• Take breaks from work to stretch, exercise or do something for yourself.
• If you work from home, set a regular time to end your work for the day.
• Spend time outdoors, either being physically active or just relaxing.
• Do things you enjoy during non-work hours.
• Take breaks from watching, reading, or listening to news stories, including social media.
• Connect with others through phone calls, email, text messages, mailing letters or cards, video chat, and social media.
• Check on others. Helping others improves your sense of control, belonging, and self-esteem.
• If you feel you may be misusing alcohol or other drugs (including prescription drugs) as a means of coping, reach out for help.
• If you are being treated for a mental health condition, continue with your treatment and be aware of any new or worsening symptoms.

Dallas ISD’s Employee Assistance Program by LifeWorks is a confidential and secure service that offers help with personal and work-related issues. The EAP encourages employees and those close to them to seek help early before a minor problem becomes more serious. The EAP is designed to address short-term issues, identify resources and referrals for emergency and long-term problems. It can provide support, referrals and, resources related to many concerns like depression, conflict at work, anxiety, drug and alcohol abuse, grief and loss and many others.

With EAP, there is no contribution that staff need to provide. Counselors are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Reach out to LifeWorks at (972) 925-4000 or visit www.dallasisd.org/benefits and click on Benefits Resources to access online EAP information.

*Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

When fourth-grade teacher Joi Rhodes started at Edna Rowe Elementary School, she didn’t know what to expect—the school was one of five that adopted a new School Day Redesign calendar beginning in the 2021-2022 school year. As the school year enters its last stretch, she is glad of the benefits the extended calendar has provided.

And she thinks other teachers would also enjoy the flexibility, extra time with students and the additional planning opportunities it provides. The district’s open transfer window, which opens for all schools on March 23 is the perfect time for teachers who want to transfer to a school like Edna Rowe Elementary to show their interest by applying.

“I was a little apprehensive at first,” said Rhodes, who has been teaching for seven years. “But the administrative staff is so awesome, and once they explained, I felt so much more comfortable and went with it because I am truly passionate about what I do.”

In addition to the extra compensation teachers who work at a School Day Redesign school for working more days, Rhodes believes the biggest benefit is the time for planning that those additional days provide.

“What you hear a lot from teachers is that we never have enough time to plan and to implement effective instruction,” she said. “In a School Day Redesign campus, we have days for extra planning on top of the set 45 minutes we get every day. Because the year starts earlier, you also get to set expectations and develop relationships with your scholars, get to know them without instruction coming right away.”

The additional planning time comes on some Fridays when other schools are in session but students in SDR schools are off. Teachers come in to work on those extra days to plan alone or in groups and explore opportunities to grow professionally so they can better serve their students.

“At our campus planning on your own or with other teachers is your choice,” she said. “We have the flexibility because we are trusted by our administrative staff.”

She believes that the extra planning and preparation has paid off for students, many of whom did not take the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, or STAAR, last year or did not get to a passing level. This year, during practice exams, the students have shown growth, and Rhodes is hopeful that they will be able to pass this year’s exams.

Rhodes believes that teachers who truly believe in building relationships with their students and getting to know who they are teaching would be a great fit for a school like Edna Rowe Elementary and the School Day Redesign calendar.

“Aside from the additional pay, having those days when I can plan and do what I need to do for my students is the incentive,” she said. “I would invite [teachers] to become a part of a school that believes in putting children first and also has administrators who believe in you and give you the opportunity to grow yourself.”

Open transfer

The open transfer process allows current Dallas ISD teachers, instructional coaches, counselors and media specialists, who meet the guidelines outlined below, to accept a position at another campus for the following school year.

Interested eligible employees must complete an application online by logging into www.dallasisd.org/careers with their EAD credentials and then use the internal openings link. Employees who do not apply will not be eligible to participate.

To be eligible for an open transfer, employees must:

• Hold a valid Texas Teacher Certificate in the requested subject-area vacancy and meet TEA/SBEC Certification Standards for the position
• Not be identified for non-renewal at the end of the current school year due to performance and/or misconduct
• Not be entering their fourth year of an Alternative Certification Program
• For Instructional Coaches only: must receive approval from recommending campus executive director

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.