Central Staff News

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.

*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.

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.

Dallas ISD is launching a dedicated phone number that Spanish-speaking parents, staff and community members can call to reach a representative fluent in Spanish who will be able to connect them with the information and resources they seek.

The dedicated Spanish line can be reached by dialing (972) 925-3702, which will be available during Dallas ISD’s regular working hours.

“We embrace the diversity of our district, and this will be another step towards ensuring we are all in on creating a welcoming environment for our families and community,” said Vincent Reyes, assistant superintendent in charge of parent advocacy and support for the district. “There is much more work to do, but this is a start.”

Having a dedicated Spanish line, he added, is just one example to stakeholders that Dallas ISD is committed to providing focused, fast, flexible, and friendly customer service.

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Dallas ISD inaugura una línea telefónica a través de la cual los padres, personal del distrito y miembros de la comunidad podrán hablar con un representante del distrito que domina el español y los conectará con la información y recursos que buscan.

El número de la línea en español, que estará disponible durante las horas hábiles del distrito, es el (972) 925-3702.

“Celebramos la diversidad de nuestro distrito, y este es un paso más hacia asegurar que todos estamos comprometidos a crear un ambiente que da la bienvenida a nuestras familias y nuestra comunidad”, dijo Vincent Reyes, superintendente asistente a cargo de apoyo a los padres en el distrito. “Todavía tenemos mucho trabajo por hacer, pero este es un comienzo”.

El tener una  línea dedicada a los hispanoparlantes, añadió, es solo un ejemplo para todos los que son parte del distrito de que Dallas ISD está comprometido a proporcionar un servicio al cliente enfocado, rápido, flexible y amistoso.

The district’s 230 campus teachers of the year were recognized recently with a gold medal and a special ceremony for their efforts on behalf of their students.

The 2019-2020 Campus Teacher of the Year for each campus was chosen by the staff at that campus. Unlike in past years, the 2019-2020 campus winners would have been ineligible if they had received the recognition in any of the past three years.

The campus teachers of the year who were recognized at the ceremony at the Frontiers of Flight Museum are now eligible to apply for the Dallas ISD 2019-2020 Teacher of the Year award. One elementary educator and one secondary teacher will earn the districtwide distinction.

Dallas ISD Superintendent Michael Hinojosa congratulated the winners. He spoke about witnessing the resilience of educators while visiting the schools impacted by the Oct. 20 tornadoes.

“I saw a tremendous attitude and a can-do spirit that we can overcome this. We do a great job for these students, and that’s why I am so proud of you,” Hinojosa said. “We’re honored to be here with you.”

During the ceremony, Central Market donated $50,000 to Dallas ISD to assist with disaster relief. The principals from the most affected campuses, Sandi Massey from Thomas Jefferson High School, Naomi Salas from Edward H. Cary Middle School and Phillip Potter from Walnut Hill Elementary School, received the check on the stage.

“It feels incredible just to see how Dallas residents have come on board to support all of the schools that have been damaged,” Massey said. “We understand that our community has been damaged as well. And the whole community, damaged or not, has come together and supported each other throughout this process.”

This year’s United Way employee giving campaign has provided Assistant Superintendent Usamah Rodgers with a chance to do two things she enjoys: Give back to her community and be competitive.

Growing up in her native Kansas City, Rodgers used to spend her summers at the Boys and Girls Club, an organization that provided a safe place for children and offered a variety of activities.

“I was safe, and I became a really good air hockey player,” Rodgers recalls. “I give because I attended the program, and it made a difference. This is a great opportunity to give back as an adult.”

The campaign also lets Rodgers, who is in charge of Postsecondary Partnerships and Programs, flex her competitive muscles. During the campaign’s leadership breakfast earlier this month, she issued a friendly challenge to the Office of Transformation and Innovation to see who would raise the most money for United Way. So far, her department is winning—as of Nov. 13, OTI was behind by about $200.

“We are at $1,400 and 94 percent participation right now,” Rodgers said proudly.

For Rodgers and many other Dallas ISD employees who have already contributed more than $50,000 toward the district’s $190,000 annual goal, giving back to the community through United Way is important.

“We are blessed to have a way to help invest in the community we serve,” she said. “We can make a difference that will benefit the kids we see every day.”

Employee contributions to United Way benefit Dallas families—students and employees—through a wide variety of community programs and nonprofits. This year’s employee giving campaign runs through Dec. 13.

In addition to investing in the community, staff who donate at least $5 per Friday can wear jeans on Fridays until the end of the campaign; an additional $25 means jeans every day the week of Dec. 9-13 when appropriate for work activities.

There are several ways to contribute to United Way: Oracle, credit card and cash or check. For more information and to see the giving dashboard, visit www.dallasisd.org/unitedway.

Dickey’s offers Dallas ISD employees a 10% discount on catering. Dallas ISD staff can call Dickey’s catering experts at 1-866-BARBECUE (227-2328) and the staff be more than happy to help and provide a quote.

On Wednesday’s Dickey’s offers a $3 Pulled Pork Classic Sandwich at the following locations:

• Dickey’s Barbecue Pit on 4610 N. Central Expressway
• Dickey’s Barbecue Pit on 2525 Wycliff Avenue

Dallas ISD employees can get a 60-percent discount on regularly priced merchandise and 30 percent off sale and clearance merchandise at JCPenney by sending a text.

By texting DISD to 67292 from a mobile device, employees can have access to special discount coupons. After sending the text, users will be prompted to provide their full name, company affiliation and company email address for verification purposes. The information will not be used for marketing.

Instructions for using the discount code:

• Users will be required to request a unique commercial discount coupon code for each eligible transaction.
• To obtain this coupon code, text DISD to 67292 from previously registered mobile device.
• This coupon code will be eligible for one redemption only, either in-store or online.
• Should a user need to leverage the program discount for a subsequent purchase, he or she must request a new code for that transaction.
• Instructions for coupon redemption will be included with each request.

Standard exclusions will apply to all eligible purchases. A link to a list of those exclusions will be included with your discount offer.

Dallas ISD’s Racial Equity Office is starting a series of community conversations across the district so stakeholders can share concerns about inequities within Dallas ISD and partner with the district to effect changes.

The first community conversation will take place at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 12, at L.G. Pinkston High School.

The Racial Equity Office also will host a series of film and theater showings throughout the school year. The aim of the series is to host conversations related to racial, socioeconomic and educational inequities for students, families and community members. Attendees will watch a movie or theater production followed by a discussion led by students of the youth chapters of the League of United Latin American Citizens and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. The goal is to encourage participants to engage in sometimes uncomfortable discussions that challenge their thoughts, beliefs and perspectives.

The film/theater series will launch at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 13, at W.E. Greiner Exploratory Arts Academy with the Cara Mia Theater production of “Ursula,” a play about the journey of a 7-year-old girl separated from her mother after seeking asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border. As she waits for her asylum request to be processed, she reflects on the difficulties she is leaving behind in Honduras and the new reality she is facing. This showing is intended for audiences 12 years and older.