Campus Staff News

New data from the Texas Education Agency confirms that Dallas ISD retained more teachers than similar urban districts, those in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, and those across Texas while teacher turnover increased from across the state.

Each year, TEA publishes data on teacher turnover in the Texas Academic Performance Reports that give districts a consistent method to benchmark turnover against peers across the state.

“We begin projecting turnover early each fall, but when we received the data over the winter break, for the second year in a row, the Dallas ISD teacher retention rate was higher than the state and Region 10,” said Human Capital Management Chief Robert Abel. “The data is clear: Dallas ISD is retaining more teachers and at higher rates than comparable districts.”

Even better, TEI data shows that among those teachers, the district continues to retain the most effective teachers at a rate above 90% annually, Abel said.

Abel attributes the lower attrition rate to the district’s comprehensive retention strategy that pairs market-leading compensation under TEI with wrap-around teacher development opportunities and supportive campus leaders that balance high expectations with opportunities for success.

“It’s a whole philosophy of supporting teachers and making sure they have everything they need to help their students succeed,” he said. 

For early career teachers, Dallas ISD’s teacher mentor program has more than doubled the number of teacher mentors to more than 950 this school year, and the program provides targeted support to accelerate professional growth of those new to the district, he said. 

“Dallas ISD is a great place to call home, and we’re excited by the opportunities and support available to our teachers in the District,” Abel said.

Deon H., a fourth grader at J.P. Starks Math, Science, and Technology Vanguard, is the winner of the 33rd Annual MLK Jr. Oratory Competition.

In total, eight students across Dallas ISD took the stage for the annual competition, which took place at the AT&T Performing Arts Center on Friday, Jan, 17.

The theme this year was “what would Dr. King tell us about our responsibility as citizens and leaders in America today?” Each student delivered a 3-to-5-minute speech that incorporated the theme with lessons taught by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Second place went to Sidiba D., a fourth grade student at Solar Preparatory for Girls, and fifth-grader, Danielle A., from Clara Oliver Elementary School, came in third place.

The rest of the semi-finalist for the 2025 MLK Jr. Oratory Competition are:

• Sullivan P., fourth grade: Adelle Turner Elementary School
• Jaxon W., fourth grade: Charles Rice Learning Center
• Ivan S., fifth grade: Arturo Salazar Elementary School
• Khalyn T., fifth grade: Eddie Bernice Johnson STEM Academy
• Zayden V, fifth grade: Frederick Douglass Elementary School

Dallas ISD is partnering again with the Dallas Education Foundation to kick off the district’s Annual Employee Giving Campaign starting in February. This year, the goal is to raise $100,000.

Last year, the DEF generously gifted nearly $2.5 million in grants and resources directly supporting our teachers, students, and schools. Since 2020, it has invested over $10 million in Dallas ISD. This significant funding has allowed the district to enhance programming, provide innovative teaching grants, and allocate resources where they are needed most.

The funds raised through the Employee Giving Campaign ensure that every dollar donated is an investment in the future of Dallas ISD. The employee-driven campaign gives team members the opportunity to come together in support of a common initiative that reflects the commitment to advancing education within the district.

To make this campaign a success, each department or campus is asked to choose someone to be a campaign champion. This person will help rally everyone together and encourage donations. Please make sure to use the forms provided to assign the champion for your department/campus:

Campus champion identification form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe5B7UcTKFCBR2P8TZn-NrSj-7Mlpce47upowYCgKeiWplh_g/viewform?usp=header 

Central champion identification form:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScUru9kk2WSRWbIpToq0DB-cjgJbThQcsQfCXBXkFWkig22kQ/viewform?usp=header 

For further questions, you may contact Amanda Sanchez at amasanchez@dallasisd.org or Emily Davis at emily.davis@dallasisd.org.

Recent federal legislature under the Providing Urgent Maternal Protections for Nursing Mothers Act has expanded the right of employees to take lactation breaks and have a private place to express breast milk at work. Supervisors must complete mandatory training by Feb. 14.

To support employees who need to express breast milk at work, the district has developed training to equip supervisors with the knowledge to navigate the requirements and protocols of the PUMP Act.

Supervisors—district employees who supervise others—must complete mandatory training by Friday, Feb. 14. Example positions include: 

• Principals
• Assistant principals
• Site administrators
• Cafeteria supervisors
• Central supervisors, managers, directors, executive directors

After supervisors will log into Cornerstone at https://dallasisd.csod.com, the training will be in the My Assigned Training section located on the Welcome page or on the Learning tab under View Your Transcript.

For help with technical issues with the course in Cornerstone, go to the Live User Support tab to access the live support team.

For additional information or assistance, please contact the Human Capital Management Policy and Compliance team at HCMcompliance@dallasisd.org or (972) 794-7858.

For the 2024-2025 school year, 20 principals from across the district were awarded the Master Principal designation, which is given to the top 10% of principals in elementary, secondary, and choice schools.

This year’s Master Principals represent a wealth of experience and diversity across the district. In order to be considered for this designation, principals must have at least three years of service as a leader of a school. Criteria is also based on individual and campus performance. 

The full list of Master Principals is:

• Stephanie Amaya, W.H. Adamson High School
• Oscar Aponte, Maple Lawn Elementary School
• Demetria Bell-Ellis, Ronald Erwin McNair Elementary School
• Vivian Chandler Fairley, Emmett J. Conrad High School
• Ida Escobedo, Margaret B. Henderson Elementary School
• Sandra Espinoza, Felix G. Botello Elementary School
• Ana Fernandez, Nathaniel Hawthorne Elementary School
• Alpher Garrett-Jones, Paul L. Dunbar Learning Center 
• Nikki Hudson, L.V. Stockard Middle School
• Darwin Hughes, T.W. Browne Middle School
• Ben Jones, Thomas Jefferson High School 
• David Lee, for his Leadership at Hector P. Garcia Middle School in 2023-2024
• Marissa Limon, Dan D. Rogers Elementary School
• Lakisha Merritt, Martin Weiss Elementary School
• Kimberly Richardson, Thomas L Marsalis Elementary STEAM Academy 
• Lonnie Russell, for his Leadership at Rufus C. Burleson Elementary in 2023-2024
• Rubinna Sanchez, Young Women’s Steam Academy at Balch Springs Middle School
• Tameka Whitney, Dallas Environmental Science Academy
• Caroline Wilson, James Bowie Elementary School
• Arnoldo Zuñiga, School for Talented and Gifted at Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Center 

There will be a Master Principal Celebration on Feb. 4, 2025, and these principals will receive an $8,000 stipend in the 2025-2026 school year.

Last fall, more than 90 schools and 1,300 students in elementary through high school competed in the Texas Math and Science Coaches Association Invitational academic competition that stresses math and science.

TMSCA provides students the opportunity to practice UIL math and science contests through grade level and team competitions. Sponsored by the Dallas ISD Student Activities Department, the invitational meets mark the beginning of TMSCA competitions for the year.

Kendall Russo, the TMSCA coach at Everette L. Degolyer Elementary School, said the invitational is a good way for students to increase confidence and engagement.

“I’ve seen firsthand how the competition positively impacts my students,” she said. “Through their participation, they’ve developed a love for learning, embraced challenges with enthusiasm, and built a strong sense of pride in themselves and representing their school.”

For the first time ever, interest was so high for Dallas ISD that TMSCA had to hold two Invitational TMSCA Meets to allow everyone to participate. The participating schools were divided into six groups to accommodate the large number of students vying to rank in the top 10 places of each event.

STEM students will participate in online and in-person invitational meets for the remainder of the school year as they prepare for their regional, state, and UIL competitions.

Julie Majewski-Smith, TMSCA executive director, said all students who participated understand that the ability to perform well on standardized tests is an invaluable skill..

“TMSCA improves students’ skills in taking timed standardized tests and teaches them to work under pressure,” Majewski-Smith said. “Participation instills in students an increased sense of pride in academic achievement.”

Upcoming TMSCA Events

• Qualifiers begin in February
• High School State Meet: March 15, 2025
• Middle School State Meet: March 29, 2025
• Elementary State Online Meet: April 14, 2025

Dontavius “Dontay” Taylor, central kitchen supervisor in Dallas ISD’s Food and Child Nutrition Services department, carries a rich legacy of feeding young minds and bodies. A proud graduate of Seagoville High School, Taylor is the third generation of his family to work in school food services, a tradition rooted in love and community.

“It all started with my three great aunts, who started with FCNS in the early 70s at John Henry Brown Elementary,” he said. “My mother joined FCNS shortly after in 1986. I joined FCNS in 2005. Seeing these ladies create something out of nothing always inspired me because we didn’t always have much, and seeing them put all the love, sweat, and hard work into creating delicious food only made me dream of the possibilities I could achieve one day.

It was his mother, Jeanne Norman, a Dallas ISD cafeteria manager, who advised him to join the district when he was looking for what to do after leaving college. 

“My mother said, ‘You have so much talent, let’s not waste it,’” Taylor said. “And here I am now.” 

Particularly during the holiday season, Taylor and the FCNS team exemplify their commitment to providing students with a special meal that nourishes students physically and emotionally. 

Before Thanksgiving, all cafeterias in the district served a traditional meal featuring turkey, green bean casserole, salad, and mashed sweet potatoes. 

“For many students, this may be their only chance to enjoy a holiday dinner. We want them to feel like home, like a real treat—full of nutrition, of course, but something that is also fulfilling,” he said. “You notice when you have special meals like this, there is excitement not only among the kids, but also their parents, who can join in with their students. It turns the school environment into a family environment.” 

For Taylor, the most rewarding part of his job is teaching, and he sees his role as more than just a job; it’s a calling rooted in service based on a simple yet powerful leadership philosophy: teach one, reach one.

He remembers being asked to participate in career day by the students when he was a cafeteria supervisor, he said. The students were intrigued about how the cafeteria could feed so many children at one time. 

“I personally believe we are here to serve, no matter the need, big or small,” he said. “Our daily mission is to make sure our students get a healthy, balanced meal. We also want them to enjoy what they eat, understand what they are eating, and the benefits of eating nutritional meals. The most important things to remember when serving our students are: Respect, Kindness, and Love.”

In what has become an annual Dallas ISD tradition, eight students in fourth and fifth grade will showcase their oratory skills by competing on Friday, Jan. 17, in the 33rd MLK Oratory Competition co-sponsored by Foley & Lardner LLP and the district.

The competition serves as a celebration of the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., cultural diversity, and as an opportunity to spotlight talented Dallas ISD students as they learn about King.

Students will deliver their speeches on the topic “What would Dr. King tell us about our responsibility as citizens and leaders in America today?”

Congratulations to this year’s finalists:

Danielle Anderson | Fourth Grade | Clara Oliver Elementary School

Sidiba Dembele | Fourth Grade | Solar Preparatory School for Girls

Deon Harris |Fourth Grade | J.P. Starks Math, Science and Technology Vanguard

Sullivan Perkins | Fourth Grade| Adelle Turner Elementary School

Ivan Shtonda | Fifth Grade | Arturo Salazar Elementary School

Khalyn Thomas | Fifth Grade | Eddie Bernice Johnson STEM Academy

Zayden Vaughn | Fifth Grade | Frederick Douglass Elementary School

Jaxon Washington | Fourth Grade | Charles Rice Learning Center

The competition will take place 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre, 2400 Flora Street, and will be live streamed at MLK Oratory Competition Live Stream

For more information contact Tonya Mayberry Davis at tmayberry@dallasisd.org

Sunset High School Principal David Lee recently was named one of the 2025 recipients of the Johnny L. Veselka Scholarship from the Texas Association of School Administrators to pursue a doctorate in educational leadership and policy in The University of Texas at Austin’s Cooperative Superintendency Program.

Lee was selected from among a pool of applicants by the TASA Johnny L. Veselka Scholarship Committee, a group of Texas school superintendents and other public school district administrators.

He will receive a $2,500 scholarship and will be recognized during the 2025 TASA Midwinter Conference that will be held in Austin at the end of January.

“My journey as an educator and leader in Dallas ISD has been both challenging and rewarding, reinforcing my belief in the transformative power of education and the pivotal role leadership plays in shaping the future of our students,” Lee wrote in his application. “As a superintendent, I am eager to further hone and apply my leadership skills to realize my vision of inspiring and creating systems where every student, regardless of their background, has the opportunity to excel. As a superintendent, I look forward to contributing meaningfully to the field of education at the district level.”

The scholarship recognizes the leadership of Dr. Johnny L. Veselka, who dedicated nearly 44 years of service to the association, including 32 years as TASA’s executive director. The program is facilitated by TASA with the support of its 2024-2025 sponsor, PBK.

After careful consideration for anticipated road conditions and extreme temperatures, Dallas ISD made the decision to close all schools and central offices Jan. 9 and 10. Absences during emergency district closures due to inclement weather are governed by DEC regulations.  

During a full district closure:

Campus-based employees who work less than 226 days may be excused for each day the district is closed or partially closed. Time off will not be taken from employees, and the employees’ pay will not be docked. Campus-based employees may have to follow the inclement weather make-up days as outlined by the applicable instructional school year calendar if those days are needed to meet the minimum instructional requirements. Campus-based employees should follow campus-based employee instructions and the instructional school year calendar.

Campus-based employees may include, but are not limited to, the following: teachers, teacher assistants, hall monitors, office managers, campus instructional coaches, food service staff, bus drivers, etc.

Central business services employees will be excused for each day the district is closed or partially closed. Time off will not be taken from employees, and the employees’ pay will not be docked. Employees will not be required to make up the days.

Central employees may include but are not limited to the following: administrative assistants, specialists, coordinators, supervisors, managers, executive leadership, etc.

Operations central 260-day employees may be excused for each day the district is closed or partially closed. If the district determines they are excused, time off will not be taken from employees, and the employees’ pay will not be docked. Employees will not be required to make up the days. However, the district may determine that Operations central employees may need to work each day the district is closed or partially closed. If the employee fails to report to work, the employee must use personal time off.

Operations central employees may include but are not limited to the following: custodians, maintenance specialists, plumbers, mechanics, delivery drivers, etc.

Essential personnel. As determined by the superintendent or designee, essential personnel are district employees called to duty to perform essential tasks when the district is closed or partially closed. Essential workers’ duties may also include after-hours and/or weekend duty when the district is closed or partially closed. Essential personnel may be exempt or nonexempt. Exempt personnel will not receive overtime or compensatory time. Nonexempt essential personnel will receive overtime rates or compensatory time based upon supervisor approval for time worked. At such time as the superintendent or designee declares the district open, employee compensation reverts to the standard practice in accordance with the district’s Compensation Resource Book. If the employee fails to report, the employee’s time off will be charged and/or salary adjusted accordingly.

Essential personnel may include but are not limited to the following: Police and Security and Operations-Maintenance.

Pay during district closures

Pay during a District closure will be governed by the provisions in DEA(REGULATION) as outlined below:

During a full district closure, nonexempt essential personnel will receive compensatory time or overtime pay for time worked as authorized by the supervisor in accordance with DEA and DEAB. Exempt essential personnel will not receive compensatory time or overtime pay. Exempt employees who are required to work during a district closure may be eligible to receive flex time. [See DK(REGULATION)]

At such time as the superintendent or designee declares the district open, employee compensation reverts to the standard practice in accordance with the district’s Compensation Resource Book.

Specific questions may be directed to the employee’s supervisor. Payroll questions may be directed to notifypayroll@dallasisd.org. Contact Human Capital Management at hcmcompliance@dallasisd.org with policy questions.

Absences during emergency district closures due to inclement weather shall be governed by the following provisions in DEC(LOCAL) and (REGULATION).