Central Staff News

Life has come full circle for Diana Nuñez, who attended Dallas ISD magnet schools her entire life, since she was appointed executive director in the Office of Transformation and Innovation over the One Centers, which handle the application process for the district’s more than 100 specialty schools and programs.

“My brothers and sisters, we all went through the academy and magnet system,” she said. “My children are at [George Bannerman] Dealey and [William B.] Travis, so I understand the parent side of things in a unique way.”

Her personal experience will be helpful because Nuñez has had to hit the ground running since starting in her new position at the end of September because the districtwide event—Discover Dallas ISD—that kicks off the application window for the 2025-2026 school year takes place Nov. 9 at Fair Park. Nuñez said she is fortunate to have a great team in place that is outstanding at collaboration, takes ownership and has supported her during the transition into the new role. 

“I am so excited to collaborate with the community for Discover,” Nuñez said. “We have registrars ready to help parents fill out applications, and principals ready to highlight their schools.”

Nuñez is also excited about a new feature in this year’s Discover—the inclusion of legacy schools, which are the schools within students’ attendance zones. All these schools will be at the event so families can explore the opportunities they have to offer from elementary through high school and fill out a transfer application if they are interested, Nuñez said.  

“By having the legacy schools also at the event, we are bringing back pride, tradition, connection with the community, connection with the families to show them they can come back to their roots and find opportunities,” she said.

Nuñez is finding her own opportunities in her new role. After 25 years in the district, she is working in a new side of school administration. After being a teacher, she worked as a principal at Arcadia Park Elementary School, Dallas Environmental Science Academy and W.H. Adamson High School before becoming an executive director over the W.W. Samuell and Seagoville elementary schools and then the Seagoville vertical team.

For Nuñez, who earned a doctorate in 2022 and holds a superintendent’s certification, helping families find the best fit education for their children and enrolling them in Dallas ISD gives her the chance to lead districtwide systems and use the skills she gained working in all levels of School Leadership in new ways.

Recently, she helped a parent submit paperwork by reaching out to the campus and giving the executive director for that school a heads up about the issue, she said. They got the issue resolved quickly because she knew who to contact and what steps to take from her time as a principal and as an executive director.

“I still get to interact with schools in a different way but also with parents, helping them navigate the process,” she said. “It’s a blessing to be able to help and have the insight to be of help.”

Cybersecurity is a topic that affects everyone at work and in our personal lives. Being aware of what is in your inbox and not clicking on emails without making sure they are legitimate. Here are some helpful tips: 

1. At work, report emails that you don’t recognize, expected to receive or seem like phishing by creating a ServiceNow ticket. Always verify the sender’s email address in case of impersonation before taking any action.
2. Use strong passwords for all your accounts, including your Dallas ISD accounts. Never use the same password for your personal and work accounts.
3. If you receive a DUO MFA request that you did not request, report it as fraudulent by selecting the ‘deny’ option. If this happens continuously, deny the requests, and change your district portal password.
4. Shutting down your computer at the end of every week will help with receiving routine updates to your devices and software applications.
5. For all technology questions and concerns you should always reach out to members of the Dallas ISD EdTech department via the Help Desk at (972)-925-5630 or https://www.dallasisd.org/informationtechnology

The HCM Employee Experience team is accepting applications for the spring 2025 cohort of Foundations of Leadership for Aspiring Leaders, a leadership development program for central team members hosted in partnership with the Naveen Jindal School of Management at The University of Texas at Dallas. The Foundations of Leadership program is a learning opportunity for aspiring Dallas ISD central team members in professional positions interested in growing their leadership capacity.

The cohort will engage in learning modules, discussions, and projects aligned to the central performance evaluation domains—Shaping Culture, Developing Talent, Driving Impact, and Engaging Stakeholders—and focused on the Leader of Others indicators.

Important information for prospective applicants:

• This is a competitive application process, meaning applicants are not guaranteed a spot in the cohort. Please submit a complete and thorough application.
• HCM will communicate with supervisors to request their support and partnership in the professional development journey of cohort members.
• Cohort members will be expected to attend all four full-day sessions on The University of Texas at Dallas campus on the following dates:
  • Jan. 22, 2025
  • Feb. 19, 2025
  • March 19, 2025
  • April 16, 2025

Application Timeline

Thursday, Oct. 31—Application Opens https://dallasisd.sjc1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0oXEgTx1z5LwLtA

Wednesday, Nov. 6 (2-3 p.m.)—Optional application open lab. The HCM Employee Experience team will host a Teams Open Lab to answer questions and provide support on the application process.

Wednesday, Nov. 13 (2-3 p.m.)—Optional application open lab. The HCM Employee Experience team will host a Teams Open Lab to answer questions and provide support on the application process.

Sunday, Nov, 17 (11:59 p.m.)—Application closes. All applicant materials must be submitted.

Friday, Dec. 6—Notification. HCM notifies all applicants of application status and next steps. Status will be “Accepted” or “Please Reapply.”

Please contact the HCM Employee Experience team at centralstaffpld@dallasisd.org for questions or comments.

A mentor is someone who allows you to see potential and restore the hope inside yourself, and that is what has led Gerardo Gonzalez Gomez, an instructional specialist in the Dual Language Department, and Isaac Nkurunziza, once his student, to collaborate in an organization that is making an impact on many lives.

Nkurunziza, who once was a student in Gonzalez Gomez’s ESL class at Bryan Adams High School, is studying to become a mechanical engineer, but he is not your typical college student. At 23 years old, he launched the Dream Nziza Foundation, whose mission is dedicated to empower children living in rural areas of Rwanda by helping them improve their English skills and ensuring they have access to important educational materials and uniforms they need to succeed. The foundation also makes sure children are nourished. 

For a week this summer, a team of seven educators, which included Gonzalez Gomez, spent time teaching English at a small school in the village of Kanzenze, Rwanda.

“Beyond the classroom, we made a lasting impact through the foundation by providing the students with new uniforms, essential school supplies, and daily meals to support them throughout the upcoming school year,” said Gonzalez Gomez. “The experience was deeply gratifying and profoundly humbling.”

He added that  he was taken aback the moment he first stepped into the classroom where he would be teaching. 

“The heat was intense, a wasp nest clung to the ceiling, and the desks were old and worn and made from rough wood,” he said. “It was a stark contrast to the classrooms we’re used to in the United States.”

But as soon as he began teaching, all those concerns faded away. The students’ bright smiles and eagerness to learn drew him in completely, he said. 

“This made me forget everything else as I immersed myself in the joy of teaching and connecting with them,” he said. 

He was also moved by how the community took care of the teachers. Families would send the educators messages on WhatsApp asking if they had eaten or if they needed anything. 

To watch a video of some of the highlights of the trip, visit here.

Gonzalez Gomez remembers when a young Nkurunziza first arrived in the district from Rwanda in 2017 and spoke no English. He said he has seen him grow into a determined scholar who is passionate about making a positive impact in the community. 

As he learned more about the Dream Nziza’s Foundation’s goals and mission, Gonzalez Gomez felt more inspired to get involved. 

“For me as an educator, it’s part of my nature to support others and make a difference in our communities,” he said. 

“Mr. Gonzalez, he’s my hero,” Nkurunziza said. He credits Gonzalez Gomez with sparking in him the confidence to follow the direction of his dreams, including starting his foundation.

“You feel so good when you help others,” Nkurunziza said. He visited Rwanda in 2023 and funded the medical bills for 130 people. He said he was able to do this by working hard, sacrificing and using the money he made in his internship to pay for the medical bills of those in need. 

“But the idea came after I got back from Rwanda, and I decided that I really wanted to show Mr. Gonzalez and my other friends here in America how my country has transformed from being the genocide country where horrors happened 30 years ago to where it is now,” Nkurunziza said. Now, Rwanda is one of the safest countries in Africa, and he said he wanted his friends like Gonzalez Gomez to learn from Africa but also teach from Africa. 

Gonzalez Gomez called it a life changing experience. He said one of his favorite memories is when the students read the story called “The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind.” The students built small windmills as a way to fully engage in the reading, he said. Witnessing the joy that the students expressed in building and playing with the windmills was something Gonzalez Gomez shared in. Another memorable moment was when Nkurunziza invited his whole team and parents to join in the distribution of uniforms. 

“It was the first time that I would say that all the students have worn uniforms, and their smiles were just radiating. Their  families were just so grateful,” Gonzalez Gomez said.  

Nkurunziza said that when he first set out planning the trip to Africa and recruiting the volunteer teachers, he didn’t know how much they were going to impact the community in Kanzeze, Rwanda. 

He saw a shift in the mindset of the parents. He saw the parents using their resources to buy a notebook for their children, rather than spending it on something else. 

“What surprised me is how much the parents are now dedicated to their sons and daughters reaching their education goals,” he said. 

Nkurunziza and his team were able to help 300 students. 

Nkurunziza said he will continue this work and is already planning to return to Rwanda with a group of educators next summer and continue to build a legacy as the program continues growing.

“If there’s anything that I’ve learned is that there’s going to come a time where I will not be on the face of this earth, but my memories, the people that I’ve restored hope in will have been worth the effort,” he said. “When you restore hope in a person, it’s priceless for me.” 

In 1987 then President Ronald Reagan declared Oct. 28 through a presidential proclamation as National Immigrants Day to coincide with the 101st anniversary of the unveiling of the Statue of Liberty from whose “beacon-hand/Glows world-wide welcome.” The proclamation reads “that welcome is America’s welcome, which has ever beckoned millions upon millions of courageous souls to this land of freedom, justice, and opportunity.”

In Dallas ISD, at least 102 languages are spoken in students’ and team members’ homes, the Translations Services Department provides interpretation for families in 11 of them, and this school year, the district welcomed almost 2,700 students who are new to the country. 

“Our national celebration of Immigrants Day is a moving reminder to us that America is unique among the nations. We are the sons and daughters of every land across the face of the Earth, yet we are an indivisible Nation,” the proclamation reads. “We are one people, and we are one in that which drew our forebears here—the love of freedom’s Holy Light.”

Are you already receiving emergency notifications and other important information from the district? If you are not, make sure your phone number is up to date in Oracle and that you opt in to receive text messages. 

Be among the first to know if, for example, the district will be closed due to inclement weather, by making sure you provide your cell phone as your Home number in Oracle. While some people still have a landline number as their Home number, we recommend using your cell phone so that you can get emergency and other important notifications via text. Follow these simple steps:

1. Make sure your main cell phone number is in the Home field in your contact information in Oracle. If you have entered your cell phone number in another field, you can switch it to Home. Follow the steps below or download this guide to learn how to update your number.
2. Once you have updated your contact information in Oracle, just send a text message of “Y” or “Yes” from the cellphone in Home to our district’s short code number—67587*. SchoolMessenger will never share your information.
3. You will get a confirmation text.
4. You are ready to receive text message notifications and alerts from Dallas ISD!

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 EdTech Service Desk at (972) 925-5630.

Because neighborhood schools are often anchors in their communities and always the first choice for families, they are where legacies are built. That’s why this year, they will be part of the Discover event that invites families to see what Dallas ISD schools have to offer Dallas children. 

These schools from elementary to high school offer more than just academics and enrichment programs. For many families, they are tradition and home; they are the legacy that each generation looks forward to being part of, said Communications Chief Libby Daniels. 

“As we spoke to families and alumni, they told us that some of their fondest recollections of their time in  school was the sense of family and belonging they experienced while there,” she said. “One story that comes to mind is a group of siblings and cousins at South Oak Cliff High School whose dream was to attend SOC and be Golden Bears like their parents and other relatives. They wanted to be part of that legacy.”  

By designating these schools that are anchors in their communities as legacy schools, Dallas ISD is building on that sense of pride and community that is already there and that is so important to families, Daniels said. More information on the legacy schools—escuelas legacy—initiative will be shared in the coming months.

Discover—which takes place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 9, at Fair Park’s Automobile Building—will offer families the opportunity to explore the very best in innovation, tradition, and excellence that Dallas ISD has to offer. For families who want to apply to choice programs and schools, experts will offer help with filling out the application.

More than 1,000 big-city school leaders, board members, senior administrators, and educators from across the country met last week in Dallas during the 2024 Council of the Great City Schools Annual Fall Conference.

The event featured more than 200 presentations covering a wide range of topics that impact urban school districts nationwide. The Council of the Great City Schools represents the nation’s largest urban public school districts, working to ensure that students in these areas meet high academic standards and succeed as productive members of society. The annual fall conference serves as a platform for collaboration, innovation, and sharing best practices among educators dedicated to improving outcomes in urban education.

Dallas ISD Board First Vice President Ben Mackey, Dallas ISD Superintendent Stephanie Elizalde and CGCS Chair of the Board Marcia Andrews officially welcome school leaders to the 68th annual event, setting the stage for three days of discussions, workshops, and strategic planning aimed at driving positive change in education for millions of students across the nation. Dallas ISD students from schools across the district showcased their talents at different events during the conference to the delight of attendees.

When Joshua Spindler teaches government class at Moisés E. Molina High School, he encourages students to get educated about current issues that will affect them in the future. This is especially important in years like 2024 with national elections when they get to have a voice in how those issues are handled.

“When I tell them about some of the issues, they get depressed,” said Spindler, who has been a social studies teacher for the past 10 years. “I tell them, ‘Look, you can’t solve a problem until you understand it completely.’”

He also tells them that they can’t be part of the solution unless they register to vote when they are eligible and then vote. Twice a year, high school principals must offer students the chance to register to vote, if they are 18 or will turn 18 that school year. Non-partisan community organizations like March to the Polls support teachers with presentations for students to learn about the process and the requirements to register and vote.

“Everybody who could register did,” Spindler said. “A couple of them came back to ask when voting starts.”

Early voting in Texas started Oct. 21 and goes through Nov. 1. Election Day is Nov. 5.

Spindler combats voter apathy among his students by pointing out historical events where youth participation has led to significant change. The right to vote has been at the root of a lot of movements that have changed history, like the Civil Rights movement that led to the Voting Rights Act and the anti-war movement that led to the 26th amendment, which lowered the voting age from 21 to 18.

Spindler’s classroom is set up in such a way that when they discuss issues, students can move to the corner that shows how they feel about the issue—agree, somewhat disagree, disagree. The lesson is that despite the state of politics, people can disagree and still go through the process, he said. They can agree on the outcome because everyone got to participate by having the opportunity to have their voice heard and to exercise their power through the vote.

“You have to have skin in the game,” he said.

Spindler has been helping students understand the importance of voting as a social studies teacher for 10 years—eight at Sunset High School and two at Molina. He enlisted in the U.S. Army as a medic in 2002 inspired by the events of 9/11. After three tours in Iraq, he got out and started college to get a nursing degree. In his second semester, he needed one more class and chose an introductory course for teachers, which involved 20 hours of observations at Richardson High School. The teacher thought he was a student teacher and put him to work teaching science lessons.

“I caught the teaching bug,” he said. “History ended up being my favorite and government is how you teach kids how to have some control over their future, how to create their own future.”

We’ve Got You Covered is more than the Student Activities theme for the 2024-2025 school year. For the department team members, it is a promise to support the more than 2,000 teachers who serve as academic coaches for the department’s 12 extracurricular programs.

The theme aligns with the department’s commitment to support the teachers completely, said Michelle Read, Student Activities coordinator. The support starts early in the year with training that allows coaches for the variety of extracurricular activities to get started.

“This year’s theme ensures that every coach feels empowered and equipped with tools and resources necessary for getting students to compete at the highest levels possible,” Read said. “Our team members guarantee that each coach can effectively guide their students to success and develop useful life skills.” 

The Student Activities team provides a diverse selection of activities for students by covering the costs associated with participation, including registration fees, study materials, travel, and student incentives, said Rochelle Hailey, Solar Preparatory School for Girls debate coach.  

“I have never worked with a department that focuses on every aspect of the student participating,” Hailey said. “They provided a workshop, food to eat, a shirt to wear, transportation to get to the tournament, and the support of the staff so we can be successful as a team.”

Embracing the theme, Student Activities takes a comprehensive approach to ensure that every student can participate in and benefit from programs ranging from cheer and debate to chess and esports. 

Leonidas Patterson, director of Student Activities, said the department supports the entire school community, striving to create an atmosphere where students find avenues to connect with their interests and passions. 

“Our dedicated teachers put in extra hours beyond the school day so that students get the opportunity to participate in the extracurriculars offered by Student Activities,” Patterson said. “Understanding the commitment and time associated with sponsoring one of the districtwide programs, the department promises to be a reliable resource for teachers.” 

The districtwide extracurriculars come with instructional materials, training, and a stipend to compensate teachers for their time and expertise coaching students throughout the year. 

Christina Martinez, Student Activities manager, said the department works with the teachers to ensure the students have a positive experience with extracurriculars.  

“The best part of being a sponsor for Student Activities is that you never have to do it alone,” she said. “You have a whole team of people ready to support you from the very start. The Student Activities Department is there to help you when you stumble and cheer you on along the way.” 

Natasha Mitchell, cheer coach at Sunset High School, said Student Activities not only promoted togetherness but they even went as far as to celebrate victories with students and coaches. 

“We were at the district UIL cheer competition waiting to hear the results of the day, and when our school name was announced, it was like magic,” Mitchell said. “You would have thought we had just won the national championship the way the students celebrated together. And to top it off, the cheer squad was amazed that the Student Activities team was there cheering them on and celebrating their success with them.”

For a complete list of extracurricular activities sponsored by Student Activities, visit www.dallasisd.org/studentactivities.