Central Staff News

It’s time again to apply for the William H. Cotton Scholarship, worth $20,000 and open to all Dallas ISD educators who want to pursue post-graduate degrees.

The scholarship was established by Credit Union of Texas to honor the legacy of Cotton’s 46 years of dedication and service to Dallas ISD and the Credit Union of Texas. It is awarded to one district educator or administrator seeking to pursue continuing post-baccalaureate education, including certifications, to further their career in the field of education for the benefit of the Dallas ISD community and its students. Cotton was a long-time principal and administrator who was also the first African-American president of the Dallas School Administrators Association. He retired in 2000 as an associate superintendent.

The completed scholarship application should be returned no later than March 31, 2025.

Who is eligible?

• Must be a CUTX member with a checking account or a loan product prior to submitting an application.
• All accounts at CUTX must be in good standing.
• Must be a Dallas ISD employee in a professional assignment.
• Must continue to be employed by Dallas ISD in a professional assignment throughout the course of the scholarship.
• Must be a U.S. citizen or permanent legal resident.
• CUTX employees and their immediate family members, as well as board members and their immediate family members, are not eligible for this scholarship.

Please note that all eligibility requirements must be met throughout the term of the scholarship.

How the scholarship works

• Scholarship funds will be paid directly to the educational institution.
• Continued disbursement of scholarship funds requires a grade of a C or better in all graded courses and passing in a pass/fail course.
• Scholarship funds may be disbursed in varied increments each semester as needed. The total value of the scholarship is not to exceed $20,000.
• Prior to the beginning of each semester and disbursement of scholarship funds, scholarship recipients must complete the CUTX Scholarship Questionnaire.
• Scholarship funds will be available for a maximum of seven years.

Download this flyer for more information about the scholarship. Visit https://www.cutx.org/community/cutx-cotton-scholarship to apply before March 31

Using electricity wisely paid off for Dallas ISD this year to the tune of $578,000 when NRG Energy handed the district a check for that amount. 

Through NRG Energy Inc.’s Responsive Economic Dispatch program, Dallas ISD earned more than $578,000 by monetizing its load flexibility over the course of 2024. The RED program is one way that NRG Business customers are achieving savings through creative use of electricity. The program provides commercial and industrial customers with the opportunity to customize plans by enrolling in a flexible curtailment program by curtailing energy usage during peak hours. 

Traditionally, program savings were given to participants as an invoice credit, but NRG now offers an alternative check payment, which is what Dallas ISD chose to receive. These savings are available to provide additional resources to the students, such as books, support of programs, construction, and renovations. 

“We are proud of Dallas ISD’s sustainability and energy use programs that are supported by the Board of Trustees, and this more than $500,000 proves that we are on the right track to save the district money and to have a positive impact on the environment and our community,” said Chief of Operations David Bates.

Dallas ISD team members are reminded that they must always wear their badges while on district property, including the Linus D. Wright Dallas ISD Administration Building.

Team members who do not have a badge when entering the administration building must check in with the welcome center to receive a temporary badge before proceeding to a meeting in the building. Only those team members with an access card can enter via the east lobby doors.  All visitors, or those with no access cards to the building, should be directed to enter via the main entrance on the west side of the west lobby, where the security team can best facilitate their building access.

When visiting schools or other district facilities, team members must also wear their badges and follow access protocols for those facilities, including signing visitors’ logs. These measures are in place to avoid unauthorized persons entering district facilities and endangering the safety of students and team members. 

Team members who see someone trying to enter a district building without an access card or a badge should direct them to the appropriate entrance. For any questions about access to district facilities, contact the building’s main office or security office.

In honor of Black History Month, Dallas ISD is celebrating the achievements of team members throughout the district who are making notable contributions to the schools and the community. 

Emmanuel Gillespie, a former student at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, is leaving a lasting impact on the school as a current visual arts teacher and a professional artist. 

Before he became a teacher at his former high school, he was commissioned to create a sculpture of Ernie Banks, a Booker T. Washington HSPVA alumnus and Baseball Hall of Fame legend who played for the Chicago Cubs. Gillespie crafted the bronze statue, which was unveiled in 2018, to honor the sports icon and Dallas native.

Gillespie began his artistic journey as a student at Booker T. Washington HSPVA in the 1980s. He then received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of North Texas and then went on to receive a Master of Arts from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. 

He is an experienced visual artist with a background in a variety of art media, including glassblowing, wood burning, printmaking, and sculpting, which he used to immortalize Banks in bronze.

“It means a lot for the city to see an African American figure in bronze,” Gillespie said. 

Located on the campus lawn, the statue symbolizes the exceptional talent nurtured at the school and the significant history within the sports community. According to Gillespie, Banks is well known in Chicago and grew up in the neighborhood that once surrounded Booker T. Washington, which he attended in the 1940s before the school became an arts magnet. 

“I watched the homes go away and the bridge come up within those four years as a student,” Gillespie said of the changes brought about to the neighborhood with the construction of Woodall Rodgers Freeway.

For Gillespie, the statue of Ernie Banks holds significance from multiple angles—both its historical impact on the community and its educational value for the students. 

“It was important, because when I was doing the project, I also had some of the students to assist in the process,” said Gillespie, who often involved local students in his community projects. 

After spending two decades as a professional artist and educator, Gillespie has returned to his former high school to give back to the students and teach them traditional skill sets. Gillespie’s process for creating the statue began with clay, followed by waxing and finally using bronze, a process he now teaches his students at the arts magnet.

“One of the things I want to implement in this class course is basic clay,” he said. “We’re going to slowly enter into sculpting with the clay, and then hopefully next year, start using other materials like stone.” 

Gillespie guides his students through exploring new materials and trusting their creative instincts by using a journaling method. 

“I teach them techniques based on where they are and where they can go. I can see their skill sets, have a conversation and then from that I take them on a different journey or perhaps something similar,” he said.

Gillespie believes that when the students are creating their own works of art, especially ones that deal with personal historical moments, they are creating a sense of community as they engage with the world around them. His return to the campus is a testament to preserving history and a commitment to visual arts education. 

In honor of Black History Month, Dallas ISD is celebrating the achievements of team members throughout the district who are making notable contributions to the schools and the community. 

For years, a state-of-the-art film and music facility at New Tech High School at B.F. Darrell sat unused until Trenton Starks brought it to life when he became the school’s film teacher. 

The school’s film pathway, which Starks said is Dallas ISD’s hidden gem, was the vision of Principal Channel Hutchinson. She just didn’t have anyone who could implement it until Starks.

“Initially, our career pathways were only in animation,” Hutchinson said. “I worked with school leadership to add a pathway in film. We now have film, animation and gaming.”  

Starks has taken the facility and created a comprehensive film program and student film festival. This has given students access to a professional studio, sound stage, networking opportunities and real-world film experiences.  

“I came in getting the kids adjusted to editing,” Starks said. “I told them, you have to crawl before you walk. I had them start recording and start telling their own stories. A saying we have here is ‘creating without boundaries.’”  

As a former athlete, Starks wanted to become a coach and expected his career to go in the direction of sports. After taking on creative projects and creating visual stories around the sports he loved, he began to uncover his true passion in media and film.   

This career shift eventually led him to becoming a teacher at New Tech High School where he has used his previous four years of teaching experience, along with his skills in creative marketing, software and videography to establish the film program, which fits in well with the school’s approach to learning. According to Hutchinson, this learning model requires students to create projects that address real world problems or help their community.  

Starks credits his parents for his success throughout his career change. He earned the recognition of 2024-2025 Teacher of Promise on his campus, excelling in both the classroom and the school community.  

“This entire school uses project-based learning.” Starks said. “We emphasize collaboration, so every project they do, students are working in a team.”  

Starks has created a curriculum for students that takes them through the full process of filmmaking from concept to postproduction. 

“At the beginning, I teach them how to do a treatment plan or a concept document,” he said. “They learn how to storyboard. They learn how to write scripts, and they learn how to create mood boards.”

He gives his students autonomy over their production teams, reminding them of the importance of committing to those roles.  

After spending his first year laying the foundation for the film program, Starks saw an opportunity and a need for the students to showcase their work. 

In April of last year, he led the school in hosting its first film festival. It took place in the school’s auditorium but included all the elements of a festival from posters to a red carpet. 

“We want them to get a chance to see what it’s like to actually be in a film festival,” Starks said, “to actually have their limelight and for students to be able to express their voices.” 

This year, the film festival will be held off-campus at Bishop Arts Theatre Center, where the students will be able to showcase their work beyond their school community. 

Based on last year’s success, Starks has been working on growing the program. He has created opportunities for students to develop a strong portfolio and resume. Students have also participated in internships at the Pegasus Film Festival, which is the largest student-led film festival in the nation, conveniently located in Dallas. 

“I push my kids to go to college, but at the same time I’m developing a real-world pipeline for those who are not,” Starks said.  

By helping his students succeed in the industry, Starks is also creating representation. According to the UCLA Hollywood diversity report, 6% of writers, directors and producers in the country are African American. Starks said he hopes to change that narrative by teaching his students different ways to tell their own stories. He challenges them to find value in their everyday lives through writing, literature, cinematography or sound design. 

By being a teacher, he is also contributing to increasing the representation of African American males in the classroom—only 1.3% of educators are African American men. 

“I prefer to work in minority spaces, especially because the first high school I taught at in Louisiana was 90% Black,” he said. “I had zero black teachers growing up. I don’t want that same situation to happen for my kids. I want them to have a black male teacher—a young one that looks like them. I want to be there for them as they progress.”

Paraprofessionals and educators who are looking to further their education have the opportunity to apply for funds from the Association of Hispanic School Administrators.

The annual AHSA scholarship program serves as a crucial component of the organization’s broader strategy to cultivate a pipeline of effective Hispanic leadership. By offering financial assistance to promising individuals, AHSA aims to remove potential barriers to education and leadership development, fostering a more inclusive representation of Hispanic leaders.

The Adelante Scholarship for educators offers $1,000 to Dallas ISD paraprofessionals and educators who are seeking a bachelor’s or master’s degree in education. Members of partner districts would receive $500. 

AHSA expects the scholarship recipients to become certified educators or remain employed within the Dallas-Fort Worth area for at least two years upon completion of the degree. To be eligible for the scholarship, paraprofessionals must already be enrolled in an undergraduate program or be enrolling for the upcoming fall semester for at least 12 credit hours. They must intend to teach in a partner district for at least one year upon completion of the undergraduate program.

Current educators must be AHSA members and be enrolled in a graduate program or be enrolling for the upcoming fall semester for at least six credit hours. They must intend to continue to work with or teach or hold a central administration position for at least two years in an AHSA partnership district upon completion of the graduate program.

Educators who are pursuing a doctoral degree in education can apply for the Dr. Michael Hinojosa Pursuing Excellence Scholarship, which provides $1,000 toward tuition for those enrolled for at least three credit hours in an accredited university during the 2025-2026 academic year. 

Applicants must be current AHSA members and be enrolled in a doctoral program or be enrolling for the upcoming fall semester. They must continue teaching or hold an administrative position for at least two years in an AHSA partnering district in the Dallas-Fort Worth area upon completion of the program. They must continue their membership in AHSA.

The deadline to apply for both scholarships is April 30. 

Adelante Scholarship

Dr. Michael Hinojosa Pursuing Excellence Scholarship

Smishing scams—fake text messages to trick people into downloading malware and sharing sensitive information—are on the rise, and some of them look very real. 

Dallas ISD’s cybersecurity team has received reports of smishing (SMS phishing) and scam texts targeting personal and district phones. Smishing is the combination of SMS and phishing.

Team members are urged to be cautious of texts containing links or requests for personal information whether they come to district devices or personal devices.

Dallas ISD will never request personal or financial information through email, text, or other methods. Please stay vigilant.

Dallas ISD central team members, the African American Read-In needs your support to inspire and empower students through the joy of reading.

Join the African American Read-In on Friday, Feb. 28, at Concord Church, located at 6808 Pastor Bailey Drive. The organizers are looking for volunteers to help with setup on Thursday, Feb. 27, and to assist during the event on Friday. This event is a powerful opportunity to celebrate culture, history, and literacy with our students. 

Sign up now using this form and help create an unforgettable experience for the young minds Dallas ISD serves. The African American Read-In can spark a love for reading and a deeper connection to their heritage. Contact sfuentesponce@dallasisd.org for more information.

In February, say it with flowers at a discount. The Benefits Department has more than 500 discounts and savings available to employees from local businesses and national retailers. 

For the month of February, the featured discount is 1800Flowers.com, which is providing 15% off when entering the code CORPSHOP at checkout. Visit the Employee Discount Program for a complete listing of available discounts. 

Check back often as new discounts are being added to the Employee Discount Program. 

Contact the HCM Benefits Department at benefits@dallasisd.org or call 972-925-4300 with any questions about the Employee Discount Program.

The Dallas ISD Benefits Department is inviting expecting and new parents, as well as those welcoming children through adoption or fostering, to its Baby Steps baby shower events this spring.

Whether you’re eagerly awaiting the arrival of your little one or have recently welcomed a new member to your family, this seminar is designed to provide helpful information to help them  navigate the benefits and support available to team members. Join Benefits in person for a fun and informative session where all the essential topics to help prepare for the journey ahead will be covered:  

• Leave of Absence: Learn about your leave options and how to plan ahead. 
• Benefits Overview: Understand how your medical, dental, and vision benefits might change. 
• Disability Insurance: Get the scoop on Short Term Disability and how it works for you. 
• Benefit Programs: Discover the Sick Leave Bank, its eligibility, and how to apply. 

Seminar details: 

Both seminars will take place at the Linus D. Wright Dallas ISD Administration Building and last an hour. Choose the date that works best for you. 

Feb. 19 | 5 p.m. – 6 p.m. 

April 16 | 5 p.m. – 6 p.m. 

Click here to register for the Baby Steps event and secure your spot