It’s better to give

The last thing the Class of 2020 of Thomas Jefferson High School expected was to go back to middle school before graduating this spring—something they had to do when a tornado severely damaged their campus. They also did not expect to each get a $100 gift from JCPenney to make their stay at the temporary campus at Thomas Edison Learning Center a little less difficult.

JCPenney this week surprised and delighted the Thomas Jefferson Class of 2020 by donating $50,000 so that each senior could get a $100 gift card to spend at will. The rest of the 500 gift cards will be distributed to students who might need the extra help. Several seniors said they would be giving their gift cards to their parents so the whole family could share in their good fortune.

“We think it’s really important to give back to communities where our associates and our customers live and work and shop, and Thomas Jefferson was right in our backyard,” said Aubrey DeZego, Sr. Manager, Philanthropy and Community Relations at JCPenney.

While the community has been very generous with Thomas Jefferson, the JCPenney donation was the first one to go directly to students for their use, said Principal Sandi Massey, who got emotional as she spoke to students about the importance of striving to succeed in the face of the current circumstances.

 

Checking it twice

The Oracle multifactor authentication protocols are now in effect and employees are being prompted to provide a secondary security code to access the system. This secondary identification code is not unlike those used by banks and other sites to increase cybersecurity.

Oracle is used not only by district departments and schools to prepare payroll, purchase goods and services from approved vendors, and conduct other district business. It is also used by employees to access iExpense for mileage and travel expense submission, to check PTO balances, download statements of earnings and perform other activities.

Multifactor authentication is a two-step verification process that usually uses a username and password and an additional way to identify the user, such as a code sent via text message or email or provided through an app. Only one is necessary for verification, but IT recommends employees set up more than one.

Instructions and manuals to help employees with the process of accessing Oracle are available here. If you need help with setting up the multifactor authentication, you can download this helpful quick guide that is available in English and Spanish.

Money talks

Employees can get their financial questions answered through individual appointments with TCG Advisors next week.

TCG Advisors, the district’s third-party investment plan administrator, will offer individual appointments onsite for financial planning.  A representative will be available to assist you with general information on planning for the future. Some of the topics that can be covered during these sessions include understanding, starting, or reviewing 403(b) and 457(b) retirement accounts; understanding the retirement income gap; the effect of TRS on Social Security benefits; and rolling over a retirement account from a previous employer.

Sessions will be available Monday, Dec. 16, and Tuesday, Dec. 17, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Visit Cornerstone Learning System to schedule a 30-minute appointment with a financial advisor.

Deck the halls with lots of discounts

Michael’s offers educators an additional 15% discount on their entire purchase, including sale items. Whether by showing a district-issued ID at the store or registering online for the discount, it’s extra help all year long. Educators can sync their teacher status to a Michael’s Rewards account and the discount will be automatically applied to in store and online purchases. Discounts are limited to one per day to stock on hand. Some exclusions apply.

To get the discount online and in store, just sign into the account or provide your Michael’s Rewards phone number at checkout, and your discount will be applied to all eligible items. If you do not have a Michael’s Rewards account, you can still show your valid educator ID to receive the discount in store at the time of purchase.

Dallas ISD employees have access to Teladoc

It’s late at night and you feel like you are coming down with the flu. You need a doctor. Fortunately, if you are a Dallas ISD TRS Aetna ActiveCare participant, you have access to board-certified doctors 24/7, 365 days a year.

Using a phone, tablet or computer, you can access one of the more than 3,000 licensed healthcare professionals nationwide. Teladoc allows TRS Aetna ActiveCare participants to contact these physicians for non-emergency health concerns such as cold and flu at a reduced cost:

  • ActiveCare 1-HD, plan: $30 copay and you do not have to meet your deductible first
  • ActiveCare Select (ACO) plan: $0 copay
  • ActiveCare 2 (PPO) plan: $0 copay

A dependent age 18 or older who is not covered under your plan can use Teladoc for medical concerns at only $45 per visit.

Teladoc can treat:

  • Cold and flu symptoms
  • Allergies
  • Bronchitis
  • Ear infections
  • Respiratory infections and sinus problems
  • Skin problems

Mental health visits through Teladoc are now available to covered members. Note that mental health visits are offered at a different rate than general medicine visits depending on the provider seen. For more information on how to access Teladoc and set up an account, call Teladoc at 1-855-Teladoc (835-2362) or click here.

Oracle adds multifactor authentication, single sign-on

Starting Friday, Dec. 6, in addition to using their EAD credential to sign in to Oracle, district staff will be prompted to provide a secondary security code. This secondary identification code is not unlike those used by banks and other sites to increase cybersecurity.

“We wanted to increase security, and provide users a single log-in experience,” said Marlon Shears, deputy chief of Information Technology for Dallas ISD.

Oracle is used not only by district departments and schools to prepare payroll, purchase goods and services from approved vendors, and conduct other district business. It is also used by employees to access iExpense for mileage and travel expense submission, to check PTO balances, download statements of earnings and perform other activities.

Multifactor authentication is a two-step verification process that usually uses a username and password and an additional way to identify the user, such as a code sent via text message or email or provided through an app.

Starting Dec. 6, employees who access Oracle will be prompted to set up the multifactor verification for their account. Only one is necessary for verification, but IT recommends employees set up more than one:

  • Register a device such as a cellphone to receive a passcode via text message
  • Provide easily remembered answers to three questions
  • Download an app to a mobile device to get a passcode

“The simplest would be a text message, but if you are good with remembering questions, that is another option,” Shears said.

This process of providing a second verification will have to be repeated every 90 days, but will not be necessary every time Oracle is accessed within that window using a device connected to the district’s network that has already been registered. The multifactor verification will have to be done every time Oracle is accessed from a device outside the district’s network even if it has been registered.

Instructions and manuals to help employees with the process of accessing Oracle will be available in the next few weeks.

More heritage languages added to credit for examination

Dallas ISD has added several languages to the list for which students are able to receive required Language Other Than English graduation credits, LOTE 4 Endorsements and “Seals of Biliteracy.”

The Dallas ISD Board of Trustees recently approved new assessments for credit by examination for World Languages. Until now, only students who were fluent in Spanish had been able to take advantage of the opportunity to receive credit by taking the assessment. The additional languages are:

  • French
  • German
  • Hebrew
  • Japanese
  • Portuguese
  • Sudanese
  • Swahili

Until now, only 222 students have taken advantage of this new exam, but hundreds more are expected to take advantage of the opportunity to earn these credits for graduation by the end of the school year. For more information about this new opportunity, contact Amy Anderton, director of World Languages, at aanderton@dallasisd.org.

 

It’s time to update W2 delivery preferences

Dallas ISD is already preparing for tax season in 2020 and wants staff to update their preferences for receiving their W2 Forms. Preferences can be recorded in Oracle. The recommendation is to choose to get the form online, which is faster and more secure.

The guidelines to update your delivery for the form can be found on the Payroll Services website under Resources.

If you are already set up for online delivery, there is no need to do anything. You will be notified via email as soon as the forms are ready for access.

If you need help in updating your Oracle preferences, please send an email to notifypayroll@dallasisd.org  and make sure you include the request in the subject box. Also include your contact information so you can receive the assistance you need.

District implements rate increases for substitute teachers

To stay competitive in the market and provide the support needed for students and campuses, Dallas ISD has increased the per diem rates for substitute teachers.

The substitute compensation increases will not require the allocation of additional district funds and will be covered primarily by using the cost savings of the decreased fill rate for the first part of the 2019-2020 school year in the existing substitute budget allocations. The plan also creates a new per diem rate for special education specialized unit substitute teachers and a special per diem for retired Dallas ISD teachers. An active teacher certification is required to qualify for the retired Dallas ISD teacher rate.

 

The new rates are below and will be implemented starting Jan. 3, 2020.

 

Current Dallas ISD Substitute Compensation Rates

 

Dallas ISD Rate Adjustments Starting Jan. 3, 2020
Teacher Assistant $58 $78
Teacher Non-Degreed $75 $85
Teacher Degreed $85 $100
Teacher Certified $95 $110
Retired Dallas ISD Teacher* N/A $120
Special Education Units** N/A $115
Continuous Day Assignment 11-30 days*** $100 $115
Continuous Day Assignment 31+ days*** $110 $120

*An active teacher certification is required to qualify for the retired Dallas ISD teacher rate.
**Must be serving in a Job Code 6062 Special Education Teacher FTE to qualify.
***Must have an active teacher certification with SBCE to qualify for this rate.

 

Changes to travel and mileage reimbursement

Starting Saturday, Nov. 16, employees will see some changes in the iExpense portal when entering travel or mileage reimbursements.

The iExpense portal will be a single template consolidating grants reimbursements, non-grants reimbursements, and mileage into one template called “Employee Reimbursement.” The processing remains the same, but there is an additional bonus to the new template: City to City travel distances are now built in.

For additional support, you can access a link at the top of new expense reports containing all iExpense resources and information.

Staff should also note that a new travel policy was adopted by the district on Oct. 25, which could affect advances and reimbursements. All employees are encouraged to review DEE Reg before traveling or making purchases on behalf of the district.