Central Staff News

Several Dallas ISD schools and teachers are the recipients of The Kemper Foundation’s bilingual literacy grant program that helps elementary teachers and schools in Texas, California, and Florida to advance bilingualism, support academic achievement, and foster multicultural understanding.The Read Conmigo Educator grant provides $3,000 to teachers and the Read Conmigo School Impact Grant provides $10,000 to schoolwide programs. 

Congratulations to the teacher recipients of the Fall 2025 Read Conmigo Educator Grant: 

• Ana Victoria Braun, fourth grade teacher at Prestonwood Montessori at E.D. Walker 
• Monica Chapa, third-grade teacher at Lakewood Elementary School 
• Eugenia Fernandez de Barraza, prekindergarten teacher at Rosemont Primary—Chris V. Semos Campus 
• Katharine Joss, fourth-grade teacher at Annie Webb Blanton Elementary School 
• Betza Mata, second-grade teacher at Seagoville Elementary School  
• Marisol Reyna, prekindergarten teacher at Solar Preparatory School for Girls 
• Fabiola Reynaga, fourth-grade teacher at Barbara Jordan Elementary School  
• Jonathon Salguero, second-grade teacher at Thomas Tolbert Elementary School  

Congratulations to the schools that received the 2025 Read Conmigo School Impact Grant: 

Alex Sanger Preparatory School 

The campus will enhance their school library’s bilingual and cultural immersion resources and strengthen family and community engagement by offering bilingual family literacy workshops and cultural events.  

Annie Webb Blanton Elementary School 

The campus will utilize their Read Conmigo Grant to purchase a research-based reading program to improve students’ biliteracy skills, fostering academic success and bilingual proficiency. 

Stephen C. Foster Elementary School 

Foster Elementary will use their Read Conmigo grant to increase the number of high-quality, culturally relevant bilingual texts in the classroom and implement technology-based resources to increase biliteracy and boost student engagement.

At Thomas Jefferson High School, registrar Louisa Faz ensures no detail is overlooked as she manages records for enrollment and transfers for almost 1,500 students in a role that she said fulfills her passion for helping others.  

Faz is one of hundreds of support team members across the district who are recognized on Nov. 19 as part of American Education Week, Nov. 17-21, for the work they do in supporting teachers and schools. Other team members who are recognized on that day of American Education Week include cafeteria teams, custodians, nurses, office managers, clerks, and so many others who are not in the classroom but without whom schools could not function.

Behind every student and school in Dallas ISD is a registrar or data controller, who safeguards student records to ensure academic success. Through careful work and meaningful interactions with families, Faz helps to create the foundation for a student’s school year.  

“I like to support people, and when they have questions, I try to find the best answer for them,” she said. “We have a good team here at Thomas Jefferson.”  

Her mornings begin with reviewing attendance before turning her attention to parents who stop by with enrollment needs.  

As a registrar, Faz guides families through every step of enrolling their students at Jefferson High School. From maintaining records and attendance to processing transfers, she ensures all students’ data is accurate and complete.  

“When students come from other districts and even other countries,” she said. “I am one of the first people to offer parents support. When they tell me, ‘Thank you, I really appreciate you,’ I feel like I did my job.” 

Faz grew up in Chihuahua, Mexico, before moving to the United States after high school. She joined Dallas ISD in 2019 as an attendance clerk and later worked as a teacher’s assistant. These experiences prepared her for the parent-focused, detail-oriented work she does now as a registrar. 

For the past five years, Faz has dedicated herself to community-centered roles that strengthen the inner workings of a school. 

“My work is focused on parent support, but I do get to work closely with the counselors, because they create schedules when I enroll students,” she said. “I enjoy guiding families in the enrollment process. Every student has a unique need, and I love that I get to support their families.”

For 44 years, one voice has carried the cheers, the touchdowns, and the buzzer-beaters across the airwaves of Texas high school and college sports. That voice belongs to Gentry Thomas Little, a Skyline High School graduate, who has built a remarkable career in broadcasting, covering nearly 1,850 games, and is now experiencing schools from within as a current Dallas ISD substitute. 

Little earned a bachelor’s degree in radio and television broadcasting, but he launched his career a few months after graduating from Skyline High School. 

“My first game was Sept. 1, 1982. Commerce beat North Lamar 27-14. I still have the cassette tape,” he said.

Little’s passion for the small-town nature of non-professional sports has earned him seven state championship rings and formal recognition. He has been honored by two Texas governors–Gregg Abbott and Rick Perry—and received a congratulatory letter from President George W. Bush, acknowledging his milestone number of games. To honor his 1,300th game, officials even presented Little with a Texas flag flown over the state Capitol. He also received a U.S. flag that flew over the Capitol in Washington, D.C.

“Radio is my passion. It’s what I like to do. I get paid to watch sports and talk about it,” he said.

He has since found another passion—substitute teaching. When his mother’s declining health brought him back to his childhood home near Skyline a few years ago, Little considered the idea of bringing his skills to the classroom for the first time. His mother, a former school teacher at John Quincy Adams Elementary School, offered some advice before her passing: Try substituting.

“My mother said, ‘Well, you have a college degree. Why don’t you try substitute teaching?’ This is before she died, and I put it off, and I put it off,’” he said. “But, finally, I filled out an application, and I’ve loved substituting across the district ever since.”

Little said his broadcasting skills provided an unexpected advantage in the classroom. The constant need for quick, accurate mental math to track on-the-go stats, and the ability to write and speak clearly, all translate directly into reinforcing lessons. 

“I tell students, ‘Folks, if you go into a job and don’t know the answers, you’re not going to get it.’ You have to be able to answer on the spot,” he said. “I think that impressed the kids—that you truly need to know math and science and English and geography and history to make it in this world, no matter what the business is.”

Little is one of about 2,000 substitutes who step into classrooms for a day or a few days, when a teacher needs to be absent. Substitutes come from different professions like Little, and others are former teachers who want to return to the classroom after retiring. Their work is recognized on Nov. 21 as part of American Education Week, Nov. 17-21, for their essential contribution to student success.

As a broadcaster, Little prefers high school and college athletes because he enjoys watching the positive impact sports can have on young people, noting the pride and thrill they experience when achieving significant wins, such as the state championship.

“The excitement that it brings to not only their school, but to their city, to their town, is unbelievable,” he said.

While in his press box, Little’s philosophy when calling a game is simple: to make fans at home feel included. This means being fair and ensuring listeners feel part of the moment.

 “I think the most important thing I do is call it as fair as I can. I will admit that I root for my team, but my goal is to make the fans feel part of the game,” he said. “I want them to feel like they are there, especially a neighbor or a relative that can’t be at the game and wants to see little Johnny play. I try to make them feel as much a part of it as I can.”

The job, however, isn’t always glamorous. Little recalls one early broadcast for Commerce High School against Princeton High School where the phone line for his equipment had been installed in a livestock enclosure. 

“We had to literally sit in a pig pen and call a game,” he said, still referring to the infamous contest as “the pig bowl.”

Applying the years of experience as a professional to his substitute assignments has been rewarding, Little said. He has been able to pass on advice to students hoping to enter his profession in a straightforward way, emphasizing the need for thorough preparation.

“Go to college, get a degree, and start out doing anything you’re asked to do in radio or television,” he said. “If you’re asked to sweep the floor, sweep the floor. Get your name out there, and just have a passion for it.”

For Little, the most rewarding part of substituting is seeing students advance, whether they choose college, military service, or the workforce. Sports are his trade, he said, but he is still deeply committed to guiding students to understand where their priorities lie. 

“If you want to get into sports broadcasting, make sure you know the game before you do it, make sure you know all the rules, and just have a passion for it,” he said. “But education comes first: if you get your diploma and say, ‘I can get that college degree,’ that belief makes all the difference in the job market today.”

There is one classroom at Margaret B. Henderson Elementary School that stands out in the district, and it belongs to prekindergarten teacher Angel Cano. To make the foundational learning process more engaging for his students, Cano decided to transform his classroom into a Super Mario Bros-inspired wonderland.

From the door to the wall, each inch of the classroom plays homage to the popular Nintendo game. Covered with red and blue construction paper, the door and wall adjacent to Cano’s pre-K classroom features cutouts of Mario riding Yoshi, a rainbow LED tube light winding from Yoshi’s fist; Mario sitting on an illuminated cloud; and Starman and other characters from the video game. Large, colorful block letters–-on both the wall and the door—spell out “Mr. Cano” and “Level PK4.” The decor continues inside the classroom: green, yellow, and red walls, Starmen hanging from the ceiling, Mario Bros figurines standing on the windowsills, a large rainbow play rug, and the main attraction of all, a giant plush toy of Luigi.

Cano got the idea for a Mario Bros theme after watching videos of teachers decorating their classrooms with Disney or Pixar themes. Since Mario is not necessarily the go-to theme, Cano thought it would appeal to preschoolers in more ways than one.

“I’ll grab the large Luigi doll and put it in the library, and I tell my students to grab a book so we can read to Luigi,” he said.

When students stand before the large Luigi plush toy, each with a book in hand, it makes reading an exciting and interactive experience, Cano said. He has also connected other lessons to Mario.

“When I tie a lesson, like something in math, to something familiar, like Mario, they get a little more excited. It improves engagement a lot,” he said.

The transformation was not without challenges, Cano said. Turning an old, glossy classroom into a vibrant Mario-land before school started in the fall required patience.

“I had to paint each wall four times just to get it to look normal. The old paint wouldn’t absorb the new coat, which was incredibly stressful because I was working against a deadline and needed to finish the job,” he said.

The hard work has paid off, Canos said, as he notes that students feel safe, seen, and celebrated in the space where Mario is merely a teaching aid to build a love of learning from day one.

“I love it because you get to see the growth of the kids throughout the year, and especially for it being pre-K, you kind of set the foundation for them as far as learning and opening up the horizons to what school is,” he said.

Cano’s efforts have even inspired colleagues, who are now considering their own creative classroom makeovers.

“I actually had some teachers asking me what I did and what the process was. I think they were considering painting their own walls next year,” he said.

Cano is eager to keep bringing joy and innovation to education, hoping that his legacy will reflect this commitment.

“I want my legacy to be one where I was able to bring innovation and new ideas to the profession. You have to change and adapt, and be creative and change the way that classrooms run,” he said.

Do you want to get emergency notifications and other important information from the district? Then make sure your phone number is up to date in Oracle. Be among the first to know if, for example, the district will be closed due to inclement weather, by making sure you provide your main contact phone number as your Home number in Oracle.

While some people still have landlines as their Home number, we recommend using your cell phone as your Home number so that you can get emergency communications via text. If you have entered your cell phone number in another field, you can switch it to Home.

Providing updated contact information will ensure you can get not just emergency calls, but also important information about benefits and updates.

To update or confirm your information, log into Oracle using one of the following links:

Within the District network or VPN: https://orion.dallasisd.org/iorion

Outside the District network: https://orion.dallasisd.org/dorion

Go to Employee Self-Service and follow the steps below:

Human Resources/Payroll Employee Self-Service > Employee Self-Service > Human Capital Management Information > Personal Information

Download the instructions to update your address or phone number. For technical assistance with Oracle, please contact the IT Service Desk at (972) 925-5630.

As a parent specialist, Beverley Gray serves her school with passion, supporting the families and students she encounters every day. At Billy Earl Dade Middle School, Gray acts as the bridge between school and home, fostering connection and a sense of care throughout the community. 

“I think a great parent specialist is able to connect with their surroundings and with the community they are a part of,” said Gray, who serves the only middle school for both Lincoln and James Madison high schools in South Dallas. “It’s important that you lead from your heart, and I always listen to what the parents’ needs are. I think that automatically shows other people that you care.”

Through a series of school events, Gray creates opportunities for families to bond. Two of her favorites are Grandparents Day and the school’s annual Turkey Trot.

With generations of families who have previously attended school in South Dallas, many grandparents are excited to be involved in their children’s school experiences. The celebration of their presence on Grandparents Day is a meaningful tradition in the school community. 

The Turkey Trot, held each year before the Thanksgiving break, offers families a day of fun and food. Last year, Whole Foods partnered with the school to provide bags of red potatoes and oranges, in addition to the turkeys handed out to families. 

“The family, the culture, the neighborhood, the community—it’s a very warm and loving place,” Gray said. “There is a generational history. When you share love here, you’re destined to receive an abundance of love from the community.”

A key part of Gray’s work as a parent specialist is developing meaningful relationships with families because parent support and engagement is key to student success. As a single mother, who raised a daughter who earned her doctoral degree, she knows how to support parents because she understands what many are experiencing. 

That is why she provides firsthand encouragement to other single parents, reminding them that their child can thrive too. 

“We focused on education. When my daughter was a toddler, we knew she was going to get a doctorate degree. That was our goal,” Gray said. “So the students here, and the parents, I just want them to be able to have that legacy of education, too.”

As a child, Beverley Gray attended Boude Storey Elementary School and even returned later in life to teach there for three years. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Paul Quinn College.

The support Gray provides is not limited to encouragement. Alongside other team members, she also supports families by providing food and clothing for students. 

The on-campus food pantry ensures that basic necessities are available for  families within the school community.

Whether students continue on to Lincoln or Madison high school and eventually college, her goal is for students at Dade to feel that the school puts their well-being at the forefront as they prepare for academic success.

“The best thing to hear is when a parent says, ‘Beverley, thank you for taking care of my kids,’” Gray said.  

Tana Takes Horse is shaping the future of the American Indian Education Program in Dallas ISD. In a role deeply rooted in her experience as a professional, a Native woman and a mother, she is guiding students on a journey to understand and embrace their Native identity. 

November, Native American Heritage Month, is a time to honor the histories, traditions and resilience of the indigenous peoples of North America . But in Dallas, where a distinct Native community has existed for more than 70 years, Takes Horse said many remain unaware of it.  

“There are quite a few descendants in the American Indian program,” she said. “We are trying to fill these students’ gaps in learning. A lot of times, that’s uncovering identity, especially since many students have never been back to their reservations.” 

The roots of this community date back to the 1950’s, when the Indian Relocation Act of 1956 brought Native Americans from reservations across the country to West Dallas. Now, three generations later, many of their descendants in Dallas ISD have not had the opportunity to learn about their culture.  

“When I first started with the program, a lot of my students could not tell me about their tribe,” she said. “So that’s been a major goal for me, to teach them, so they are able to say where they are from.”  

To reconnect students to their heritage, Takes Horse hosts a Native Book Club and runs a mobile library that visits schools once a month. She reads with students and leaves them with a free book written by Native authors, helping to expose students to native cultures even beyond their own.  

And as a native herself, she embodies the journey of reclaiming one’s identity.  

“I am Crow,” said Takes Horse. “My father is from the reservation in Montana, and I grew up in southeast Oklahoma, which is Chickasaw territory. I am also Chickasaw, Choctaw, Chippewa and Hidatsa. My kids are enrolled in the Choctaw tribe.”  

A native of Oklahoma, she graduated from Southeastern Oklahoma State University and brought her passion for Native culture and education to Dallas ISD. She said joining the district’s Native community has been both eye-opening and inspiring.  

Takes Horse balances her role managing the program with her role as a mother. Her children are students at Emmett J. Conrad High School and K.B. Polk Elementary School and they regularly participate in AIEP events and festivals.  

“It is wonderful because as parents, we’re so busy with football games, dance and piano that you sometimes forget to teach your children about their tribe,” she said. “These experiences give me a chance to tell them that we have this rich history and help other parents do the same. Those conversations might not have happened otherwise.” 

Takes Horse often travels with students and families on cultural field trips. In June, after attending a cultural camp in Durant, Okla., she took her children to the Choctaw Culture Center to deepen their connection to who they are.  

Through other events, such as the Native College Fair, Takes Horse is creating opportunities within the program that prepare students for success in college.  The fair focuses on topics about financial aid, scholarships, and budgeting and features representatives from colleges with thriving Native American Student Associations. 

Among her proudest accomplishments is establishing a graduation ceremony for Native high school seniors, first held in May 2025. Surrounded by their Native American traditions, students were able to celebrate themselves in a meaningful way. With a strong commitment to student well-being, she also ensures Native students have access to vital resources. 

“It’s great to see this kind of program take off in Dallas,” she said. “I’m proud as a parent, as the administrator, and as a Native American.”  

From the outside, the Seagoville Youth and Family Center—the largest mental health services provider in the Seagoville community—looks like a cluster of simple portable buildings. But as soon as visitors step inside, they are greeted by a welcoming, modern setting where a dedicated team of clinicians, led by manager Robert Martinez, find innovative ways to provide mental health care to students.

Recently, the center unveiled a range of pioneering methods to address some of the mental health challenges among youths, including video game therapy, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, and an equine therapy summer camp. 

The Seagoville YFC is the first in the district to introduce video game therapy, Martinez said. 

“Video game therapy has been proven to help students with autism and ADHD communicate. If they’re playing a video game, they’ll speak to the therapist and answer their questions,” Martinez said. 

So far, Minecraft is the only video game available and in use for therapy at the clinic and has already proven to be efficient, Martinez said, as it provides a creative, open-end

ed “sandbox” that allows students to build things that represent their grief, anxiety, and other feelings.

“In therapy, we use sandboxes—literally containing sand—where clients use figurines and objects to represent their emotions. Minecraft offers the same thing. You can create anything,” Martinez said. “Students can build memorials for loved ones or create worry boxes for anxiety.”

The structure and timing elements in gaming, such as countdowns and clear session limits, also help students develop time management and transition skills that they can apply in daily life, Martinez continued. Even the design of video games, including the music, stimulate the brain to release dopamine, which increases focus and attention.

“This is why students with ADHD can focus while playing games and can benefit from listening to video game soundtracks even during schoolwork or tests,” Martinez noted.

Student feedback is crucial and ongoing in shaping the video game therapy program, Martinez said. A Seagoville High School student with autism has been especially influential, providing detailed input on the physical environment—such as TV placement and lighting—and recommending Minecraft. This student is also compiling a list of games that are therapeutic, relevant, and accessible. Martinez’s goal is to slowly expand the video game library, selecting titles that simulate social situations.

“There are also specific games used for therapy where you can practice social skills, like going into a restaurant and talking to people, which help people with autism practice learning social skills. Our goal is to get those kinds of games as well,” he said. 

In addition to video game therapy, the clinic partnered with Equest to provide equine summer therapy to students, making Dallas ISD one of the few in the nation to offer this program. Funded by the Susan L. Canole Foundation, the summer camps are free to students who need them. 

“This past summer, we held our first equine therapy summer camps for our students. We ran two summer camps: one for the younger students and one for the older ones,” Martinez said. “We also have a connection with Broken Boat Ranch in Seagoville, where students and their families can go on trail rides. A nonprofit organization covers the cost.”

The clinic also organizes a variety of support groups, such as the only Spanish-speaking group for parents of children with autism, a girls mentoring group at Seagoville Middle School, and a teen parent support group that, beyond the physical and material, addresses the social and emotional needs of new parents.

“To start the year, I asked each clinician: ‘If you could have a passion project, what would it be?’” Martinez said. “Clinician Paula Agulefo chose to work with teen parents, Victoria Sanders with middle school students, and Pablo Estrada leads the Spanish-speaking group for parents of children with autism.”

The Center offers several key services: EMDR, which uses eye movement to help patients access and work through trauma; the Creative Canvas, a new art therapy room; and basic medical care for students, families, and local Seagoville residents, filling an important gap in community health resources.

“We are committed to serving the students and we deeply value being part of this community. We hope these kinds of events will help spread the word,” Martinez said. “We are the largest provider of mental health services in Seagoville, a role we take seriously. We appreciate being part of the school district and look forward to working with as many students as possible.”

Parents and guardians can visit the Seagoville Youth and Family Center every Friday from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. to meet with a manager or clinician, access resources, or enroll their child in mental health services. No appointment is necessary.

Find more information on all 13 Dallas ISD youth and family centers, click here.

Dallas ISD student groups are helping to bring more kindness into the world by partnering with Thanks-Giving Square to celebrate Kindness Week. Students from several schools will participate in the Kindness Festival hosted and the AT&T Performing Arts Center.

Dallas ISD student performers will join businesses, nonprofits, houses of worship, government groups, and other organizations and individuals who believe it’s important to decide to be kind. The festival is one step in promoting kindness by creating awareness of the opportunity to choose how to treat others.

The Visual and Performing Arts Department is coordinating student performances that will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 15, on two stages—Annett Strauss stage and Hammond Hall stage—in the Dallas Arts District.

Students will also participate in a Story Corner and face painting booths that are part of the variety of activities offered during the festival, which is a citywide celebration of compassion, connection, and inclusion, organized in conjunction with the Thanks-Giving Foundation’s week-long observance of kindness. 

Kindness Week is an initiative of the Thanks-Giving Foundation, which owns and operates the iconic Thanks-Giving Square in downtown Dallas. The Foundation hosted a kindness festival 30 years ago and is restoring it this year with plans to make it an annual tradition.Details will be posted at www.thanksgiving.org/kindness2025-kindness-festival.

Performers:

Dallas ISD Honor Choir

School for the Talented and Gifted in Pleasant Grove The Owl Band

J.T. Brashear Elementary School JTB Choir 

Sam Tasby Middle School Orchestra

Piedmont G.L.O.B.A.L. Academy Might Mustang Varsity Band

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Arts Academy The Bengal Dance Company’s Tiny, Mini, Youth and Junior Divisions 

George Herbert Walker Bush Elementary School Ste Team

South Oak Cliff High School Theater Group and SOC Nation Choir

J.L. Long Middle School Treasurettes

Barack Obama Male Leadership Academy Jazz Orchestra

W.W. Adamson High School Dance Company and Leopardettes

Woodrow Wilson High School Variations Choir

W.E. Greiner Exploratory Arts Academy Mariachi Los Unicos and piano students

Judge Louis A. Bedford Jr. Law Academy String Ensemble

Jesus Moroles Expressive Arts Vanguard piano and theater performers

The week of Nov. 17-21, thousands of communities across the country will celebrate the wide range of education professionals who help students succeed—from support and clerical team members to bus drivers, technical specialists, and student service workers—during American Education Week.

According to the National Education Association, every one of these individuals plays a vital role in supporting students and families while keeping schools running and thriving.

The first observance of American Education Week took place on Dec. 4-10, 1921, under the sponsorship of the NEA and the American Legion. A year later, the then U.S. Office of Education joined the effort as a co-sponsor, and the National PTA followed in 1938.

After the kickoff on Nov. 17, NEA has designated days to highlight the different team members whose support is crucial to student success:

Nov. 19: Education Support Professionals Day

Education Support Professionals Day was first celebrated in 1987 to honor the contributions of all school support staff.

Nov. 21: Substitute Educators Day

Substitute Educators Day is celebrated to show an increased appreciation of school substitute employees who provide a critical link in the education by stepping into teacher roles to maintain continuity of learning in the temporary absence of regular classroom educators.