Central Staff News

Everyone has heard about band camp, but all the other students who support the band during games have a separate summer camp that allows them to hone their skills and make their schools shine. 

The Auxiliary Skills Camp at Sunset High School this summer brought together majorettes and color guard performers from across Dallas ISD. These are the students who keep a marching band moving visually: the ones tossing batons into the air, spinning flags, and pulling the audience’s eyes across the field. They are also, as many of them admit, the ones who may go unnoticed when the focus turns to instruments and scores.

“Sometimes the majorettes and the color guard get overlooked because they are a section in the band, but typically, from a band director’s perspective, the focus is on the musicians,” said Kathryn Scott, director of bands at Sunset High School. “This camp gives them the ability to interact with great counselors who teach them to use their batons or their flags.”

Scott helped launch the camp a few years ago after Sunset opened a new music and athletics wing that could finally accommodate the vision. The first summer drew around 30 students. This year, there are 68 participants representing roughly nine campuses.

According to Scott, a typical day has students working on performance skills, dance, and movement, then they split into smaller groups. Some focus on skills. Others learn how to turn those skills into routines to music with different tempos and styles. They also spend time on team-building so that, by the final showcase, they perform as a unit rather than as a set of strangers in the same outfits.

Scott compares what they do to learning an instrument.

“The way that they actually twirl the flag and perform is all fundamental. It’s just like playing an instrument,” Scott said. “At the end of the day you have to be good. You have to have good fundamentals. This camp just gives the students the ability to build their skills, no matter what style their band marches.”

If Scott is the architect, though, Anniya Willard is proof of concept. Willard graduated from Wilmer-Hutchins High School in 2025 and has returned as an instructor after a season as a Platinum Girl at Texas Southern University.

“It’s honestly a blessing,” Willard said. “When I was in high school, I went to camps like this, and they really helped me improve my skills. Now, I can come back and help those who want to be in a position like me.”

Willard remembers the pressure younger students put on themselves.

“They feel like they have to be perfect as soon as they learn something new,” Willard said. “I try to let them know that dropping your baton is okay. Not getting it on the first time is okay. It’s actually a good thing. It means you’re trying.”

Around the gym, the results are visible. Scott said that students who arrived stiff and quiet were tossing higher, smiling more, cheering for friends from other schools. Scott, who has taught for 15 years still lights up when she talks about what happens when former students like Willard return.

“I imagine future summers with more counselors, more specialized groups, and alumni who step in front of the class already knowing how it feels to stand in the back row of a football field,” she said. 

For Scott, the real legacy of Auxiliary Camp will not be this year’s showcase or even next year’s enrollment numbers. It will be the steady line of students who move from nervous beginners to confident leaders, then come back wearing instructor badges. 

“What makes Dallas ISD really special is the fact that students graduate from Dallas, go further their education, and then want to come back to coach,” she said.

The hope is that campuses that do not yet have majorette or color guard programs will see this model and build their own.

“It’s amazing to see it grow,” Scott said. “We want to continue to have more schools participate, just to build that camaraderie and those connections with the students.”

Ashley Marshall, manager of the Homeless Education Program, has worked for more than two decades in Dallas ISD, but she still sounds a little astonished when she describes the scale of the work in front of her. Last year alone, the team of four supported 4,534 students identified as homeless.

Unlike the adult homeless population, many of these children are not living in tents or on sidewalks. They are squeezed into spare bedrooms, couches, and floors.

“They are considered homeless because they’re doubled up, more than one family living together,” Marshall explained. “If I lost my home and moved in with my sister and brought my kids with me, those kids would be considered homeless, because you’d obviously live on your own if you could.”

For many families, low-cost hotels and motels have become the only option. It is not uncommon for some parents to work several jobs to afford housing deposits or utility bills, but even those efforts can feel precarious at times, she said. Marshall pointed out that a single crisis can erase years of slow progress, such as the recent apartment explosion in the Oak Cliff neighborhood of Dallas that left dozens of tenants suddenly with no home, no belongings, and no clear next step.

The federal law that guides her work focuses on getting students enrolled in school and maintaining retention rates. Since program funding does not cover basic living arrangements for students, the team has learned to stretch what it can do and to rely on the generosity of strangers.

“We can’t use our money for food or hygiene, but we’re lucky that we have donors,” Marshall said. One donor sent 3,000 pairs of new sneakers. Another shipped 30,000 pairs of children’s underwear. Shelves fill and empty constantly as students pick up what they need to get through the day with some dignity, Marshall said.

At the high school level, the program’s presence is often felt in more subtle ways. Drop‑in centers on campuses offer hygiene items, emergency snacks, and a place to vent. Guest speakers explain how to manage money or navigate college applications. Mentors meet with students who might not even use the word “homeless” to describe their living situation, especially those “sofa surfing” with friends after parents have been deported or pushed out of housing.

Sometimes the help is as simple and specific as a bus pass.

Marshall remembers a student who called before summer break, proud of a new paid internship at a nonprofit but worried about getting there. The girl asked for two weeks of DART passes and promised to cover the rest once her paychecks started.

“It broke my heart,” Marshall said. “When I first started babysitting, I used my money for cassette tapes for my Walkman. She was going to use her money so she could keep going to work.”

Stories like that keep the team moving, even when the work spills into nights and weekends, or their personal time,  like when a call came in as Marshall was about to board a ship overseas.. It also shapes how she wants the public to see the students she serves.

“We have kids in International Baccalaureate programs, AP classes, and early college classes. Just because they’re homeless, that doesn’t mean that are not achieving. Being homeless wasn’t their choice,” she said.

For Marshall, the most powerful help often starts inside each campus. She wants schools to see their own families clearly and build support close to home.

“We would love for every school to have a food pantry,” she said. “Not every homeless student is hungry, and not every student who is hungry is homeless.”

When campuses call to offer a drive for her department, she often pushes back gently, asking them instead to look down their own hallways. Her team now shares “pack the pantry” starter kits and encourages staff to set up Amazon wishlists tailored to their students’ needs.

Awareness, she said, is as important as supplies. Marshall dreams of speaking at every faculty meeting in the district, especially because so many staff still have no idea the Homeless Education Program exists. Custodians, bus drivers, food service workers, office staff—all of them may be the first adults to notice a student quietly asking for extra food or mentioning they slept on a floor.

“The more people that know we’re here, the more eyes we have looking out for kids,” Marshall said. “If you don’t know, you don’t know how you can help.”

Marshall’s sense of responsibility spans beyond official boundaries. Her office has taken calls from grandparents who picked up a Homeless Education Program bookmark from the public library, from a student in Las Vegas planning a move back to Dallas, even from other districts. If they can help directly, they do. If not, they connect callers to colleagues in other systems.

Marshall is clear about how she wants to be remembered. She doesn’t talk about titles or awards, even though the superintendent recently recognized her as a “behind‑the‑scenes hero.” She talks about being useful.

“I think ‘helper’ is what I’d want to be described as,” she said. “Someone who was there for students, families, staff, anybody who needed us.”

Special contributor Alysson Arcila

This year’s Future Doctors Summer Camp cohort isn’t interested in breaking hearts—they’re interested in studying them. In one room, students steady their hands over surgical pads as they practice their first delicate stitches. In another, they lean in close over a pig’s heart, sliding gloved fingers inside to see how blood once moved through it. These teen prospective doctors gathered at Hillcrest High School and South Oak Cliff high schools this summer for a practical look into the medical field.

“I had no idea the students would have this much background knowledge. They came in eager, hands-on, and ready to learn,” said Tamara Ballard, a school librarian at Martin Weiss Elementary School. Ballard’s role at the Future Doctors Summer Camp is to keep things running. She takes attendance, makes sure supplies are where they need to be, and checks that the instructors, who also happen to be medical students, have what they asked for. 

Ballard has spent 20 years in education and talks about books with the same warmth she now uses for these hands-on labs. At her school, she curates sports and medical titles so children can see their interests reflected on the shelves. At the Future Doctors camp, she watches older students test those interests in real time.

This kind of work, she said, lets her stand at the edge of the action and watch students surprise themselves.

The camp, now in its third year under the direction of Lisa Whitaker, director of Electives and Enrichment, is free to Dallas ISD students interested in healthcare. This summer, 18 students spent long days moving between lecture, lab, and simulations. 

For Ballard, one memorable session centered on CPR. 

“When students did their CPR lesson, a lot of them said they already had experience, so that made things easier,” Ballard said. “The students partnered up, moved the tables, and laid down on the floor. They were able to do a little skit where one person would call for help, and the other person would perform CPR.”

Another session brought students face to face with a pig heart. Ballard heard students describe the strong smell and watched them slide their fingers into the chambers to open the heart. For many, it was the first time they had seen an organ up close, outside of a textbook or video.

Students also listened to a pediatrician discuss the years of study the career requires. For some, those moments reinforced an interest in medicine. For others, it was a sign to consider a different role within healthcare.

What strikes Ballard the most about the camp is how seriously the students take the opportunity. Some arrive already knowing anatomical and medical terms. Others ask questions after sessions about college, time management, and whether they could really do this. Ballard sees all of it as part of their education.

“This is a hands-on experience that they will remember going off to college,” Ballard said. “Even if the kids choose another field, they leave with a clearer sense of themselves and the knowledge that they were trusted with real work.”

Math facts may seem simple, but learning them early on makes a difference in how students approach math.

Last year, Dallas ISD launched Math Magic, an initiative focused on helping first through third graders gain automaticity with their basic facts. What began as a new idea quickly grew into a districtwide movement: 98 schools participated, reaching more than 18,000 students. By May, 12,250 students had earned their Math Magic T-shirt by reaching all six milestones.

“It’s always nice to see something come to fruition,” said Aaron Daffern, director of mathematics in Academic Services. “This is something new, it is something different, and it can be a challenge for a principal or assistant principal to take this and integrate it into their support.”

From the start, Math Magic was designed to be ambitious but realistic. The district provided structure, materials, and suggested timelines, but left room for campuses to adapt. That flexibility turned out to be a major factor in its early success.

“The schools that showed the most success,” Daffern explained, “were the ones that had someone who was taking charge and organizing things.”

In classrooms, the impact is beginning to show up not just in test data, but in how students think. Daffern heard stories from early learning specialists who watched third graders struggle through the first milestones only to suddenly hit a turning point.

“For some kids it was the fourth milestone,” he recalled. “It was like a light bulb was turned on, and they started to breeze through. They thought it got easier, and honestly, it was getting a little bit more difficult, but they were starting to understand and starting to use different strategies.”

For Daffern, that “light bulb” moment in math mirrors what happens when first graders crack the code of reading. Once they understand that letters represent sounds, their reading takes off. Math Magic, he argues, does the same for mathematics.

“Fact fluency is the phonics of mathematics,” Daffern said. “You can’t read unless you know how phonics work, and you can’t do math unless you have your basic math facts.”

That fluency matters well beyond simple computation. When a fourth grader has to add fractions with unlike denominators, it suddenly becomes easier if they already know that 4 and 3 connect to 12, the least common multiple. Instead of getting lost in the arithmetic, students can focus on the concept.

“We want them to notice the patterns,” Daffern said. “If you’re multiplying by five, the one digit is always going to end in a five or zero. If you multiply by two, it’s always going to be a 0, 2, 4, 6, or 8. Math is about recognizing patterns and having that automaticity.”

That emphasis on patterns is intentional. Without it, Daffern worries students are just “randomly memorizing things that have no context.” With it, they gain mental shortcuts that free their brains to handle richer problem-solving.

Just as important as the cognitive side is the atmosphere it creates in classrooms. Because timed tests can be intimidating, Math Magic was built around “high structure, low stress.” Campuses received a suggested testing window but no rigid reporting demands. Teachers could tuck Math Magic wherever it fit: into a daily math block, during lab time, or in those odd minutes between specials and dismissal. Elementary schools, Daffern noted, are especially good at this kind of creative scheduling. 

“There are no bells in elementary school,” he said. “They’ll rearrange their master schedule every year if they need to, to make it make sense.”

Parents were invited into the effort as well. At-home games with English and Spanish instructions went home in backpacks. On selected campuses, thanks to support from the Dallas Education Foundation and the Dallas Mavericks, students received custom-designed flashcards and sturdy one-minute sand timers.

Looking ahead, the district expects Math Magic to reach all 150 elementary schools and to grow alongside new state-supported math academies for teachers in kindergarten through third grade. Daffern believes the payoff will become even clearer as this year’s second graders enter third grade with solid addition and subtraction facts already in place, and as future cohorts move into upper grades ready for higher-level computations.

In Daffern’s mind, the goal is simple: make Math Magic part of what Dallas ISD is.

“I want it to be something that 30,000 kids look forward to every year,” he said. “We would never not teach a student phonics, and we need that same mindset for math facts, because if we get this right, we’re not just making math easier—we’re opening the door to everything that comes next.”

When Antonio Jose Cisneros Tirado, fifth-grade mathematics and English language arts teacher at the School for the Talented and Gifted in Pleasant Grove first agreed to start a debate program, he didn’t picture himself walking away with the Middle School City Championship New Coach of the Year Award from Dallas Urban Debate Alliance in his very first season. He just wanted to give his students something he never had.

Cisneros grew up in Mexico City, in what he simply describes as “el barrio.” He was a talented, high-achieving kid, but public options for gifted education were almost nonexistent. He remembers looking around and hoping there would be a better option  for kids like him.

“I was never going to be able to attend a private talented and gifted school,” Cisneros said. “So I just kept asking myself, there has to be a place where we can build the right type of environment for talented and gifted learners to really expand on their potential.”

Years later, after earning a degree from the Universidad de las Américas Puebla; a master’s and doctorate from University of East Anglia in Norwich, England; a tenured post at Benémerita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla; and completing a stint as a distinguished visiting professor at Appalachian State University in North Carolina, that “place” unexpectedly turned out to be Pleasant Grove in Dallas.

When Cisneros came to Dallas ISD, he made his way to STAG, a school he described as “a small campus with big ambitions.” The school, which opened in 2018, quickly rose to become a top-seven middle school and top-12 elementary school in Texas while serving a student body that is about 98% economically disadvantaged and overwhelmingly Latino.

“Zip code doesn’t mean destiny” became something like a personal motto, Cisneros said. 

So when Principal Reymundo Cervantes Guajardo asked if he’d be willing to start a debate program, Cisneros jumped in, even though he had never coached debate.

He received training and mentorship from Evan Gilbert of the Dallas Urban Debate Alliance, learned the mechanics, and then started experimenting. He recruited students, looking for three things: analysis, argument writing, and delivery.

“Students had to learn to be analytical,” Cisneros said. “They needed to be able to break a problem apart, create a story, and then deliver it in a way that connects with the judges.”

The early days weren’t glamorous. Practices were just one hour a week after school on Thursdays. No designated class period built into the schedule, no daily coaching blocks—just tired middle schoolers and a teacher trying to squeeze as much growth as possible into 60 minutes, he said.

“Self-confidence was only built through practice and repetition,” Cisneros said. “But I only get them one hour per week, so I had to be super strategic.”

Between practices, his students had to read all the prepared materials, write their own note cards, and come ready with arguments. During practice, they drilled the basics: reading and speaking with confidence, cross-examinations, rebuttals, and “flowing,” which is taking notes on opponents’ speeches in real time.

Cisneros said the students delivered results in spades.

From their very first tournament, the Pleasant Grove team made noise. Competing in the beginners policy category, they swept the podium—first, second, and third place. Throughout the season, they kept placing in the top 10. In one memorable tournament, one STAG student had to debate alone, facing full teams of two and still finishing second overall. 

“This student’s grades needed improvement,” Cisneros said. “I told him, ‘You need to get your grades up, otherwise you’re not going to be able to participate.’ He went on to get nothing but As.”

The topic they debated all year wasn’t an easy one. Students argued whether the United States should establish maritime protected areas in the Arctic—an issue tangled with climate change, conservation, indigenous rights, and global power struggles with Russia and China.

“It was an extremely complex topic,” Cisneros said. “But I used my background in politics to break the big ideas into more manageable bullets and concepts.”

Underneath the trophies and the technical skills, though, Cisneros kept coming back to something deeper. He wanted his students to be tough and kind at the same time.

“I’m trying to teach them to be fierce but fair,” Cisneros said. “Life requires us to be strong fighters, but also compassionate people who can empathize with other positions while still defending our own.”

In his classroom and in the debate club, relationships came first. Cisneros showed up on time, with snacks on the table and materials ready. Students trusted him enough to talk about family drama, friends, and everything in between. He has been invited to their quinceañeras and proms and met parents and cousins and tías.

“I like to think they come in as students and leave as lifelong friends,” Cisneros said. “I want them to remember me as somebody they could trust, somebody who helped them walk taller, speak better, and believe in themselves.”

Looking ahead, Cisneros didn’t see this year as a peak; he saw it as a starting point. He plans to grow the program, refine his selection process, and take his team to higher levels of competition—hopefully nationals.

He also had one more encouraging message for his students, who might sometimes feel limited by the circumstances in their lives.

“You are not the end of your family story,” Cisneros said. “You are the most powerful chapter yet.”

When Willie Johnson arrived at South Oak Cliff High School as principal in 2016, expectations for student performance from outside of the campus were low. Inside the building, however, he saw something different for the talented students who simply needed the right environment to thrive. 

Nearly a decade later, his vision has transformed into measurable success. Johnson was recently named Dallas ISD’s Secondary Principal of the Year, an honor that pairs well with another measure of success for his campus, achieving an 89 (B) accountability rating from the Texas Education Agency.   

At South Oak Cliff, excellence isn’t aspirational; it’s expected, he said.  

“We expect students to be successful,” Johnson said. “We have always had bright students. We just needed to create the right environment for them.” 

That belief has shaped the school’s culture and fueled its academic success. It is the foundation Johnson credits for his earning the district’s top honor as a principal.

“Winning this award has been such a great feeling,” he said. “For me to receive this means we’ve performed well as a campus. It’s a collective award. I can’t win without our school because our success belongs to all of us. We’ve celebrated together as a campus, and the feeling is still euphoric.” 

Johnson’s passion for education began long before he entered the classroom. Following in the footsteps of his parents—his mother, a teacher, and his father, a principal—he saw firsthand the lasting impact educators can have on their communities.   

“Growing up, I knew this was a notable job,” Johnson said. “After seeing the impact of teachers, this was the only vocation I truly desired.” 

That calling brought him to South Oak Cliff, where he began his career as a teacher and coach in 1992.  

Encouraged by his wife, mentors and colleagues, Johnson soon recognized his potential as a school leader. He went on to serve as assistant principal of Lincoln High School and James Madison High School before becoming principal of E.B. Comstock Middle School. Throughout his leadership journey, Johnson earned a reputation for helping campuses transform through an intentional focus on the culture and systems that support students.  

“I always saw myself as an academic,” he said. “I knew that I could make a bigger impact by leading schools.” 

Although Johnson left coaching to concentrate on administration, he carried with him the same leadership philosophy that he uses to guide South Oak Cliff today.  

At the heart of that philosophy is a simple belief: students facing the greatest barriers can achieve at the same level as their peers when given the right support and opportunities.  

Johnson often shares an analogy that shapes his approach to leadership: “When a flower doesn’t bloom, change the environment in which it grows.”  

As principal, he challenges teachers to create that environment, one where every student has the opportunity to succeed. 

That shared commitment has helped foster a culture of stability, with the campus maintaining a 90% teacher retention rate. At South Oak Cliff, educators embrace two guiding principles: a commitment to students and a commitment to the pursuit of excellence.  

“Winning Principal of the Year speaks to the commitment of our teachers,” Johnson said. “As a principal, I just set expectations. Our teachers do the work and demonstrate the commitment that moves students toward greater success.  

To ensure students receive a well-rounded education, teachers encourage every student to participate in an extracurricular or auxiliary activity. Johnson says this strategy has played a key role in the school’s academic success. 

“When creating an ideal environment for students, we know that every student is different,” Johnson said. “Extracurricular activities provide another layer of mentorship and guidance. These programs are about building relationships and helping students commit to excellence. Strong academics become a natural byproduct because students have multiple layers of people holding them accountable.”  

For Johnson, the school’s success extends beyond test scores. He wants students to develop the confidence, resilience, and self-efficacy to believe they can accomplish great things. By supporting students academically, socially, and emotionally, SOC has built a culture where students are equipped to meet high expectations because they are surrounded by a strong network of support.  

For Johnson, the culture at South Oak Cliff is the legacy he hopes to leave behind.  

“South Oak Cliff is where I believe that I belong,” he said. “This campus has seen an amazing transformation. I started here and hope to end my career while here at SOC. We have had great success, and find myself wondering what’s next.”

For Lyndon Love, head basketball coach at David W. Carter High School, this year’s basketball championship is a part of a journey that began decades earlier as a student.

A 1987 graduate of South Oak Cliff High School, Love once paced the same basketball courts as a student-athlete. He credits much of his coaching philosophy to the mentors who shaped him during those years, including Rodney Sneed, the former head coach at SOC, who later invited Love to return to his alma mater as an assistant coach after college. 

“When I was a student, my high school coach would never let us quit,” Love said. “As a first-year student, I thought playing at South Oak Cliff was one of the toughest things I had ever done. Coach always pushed us to be the best we could be, not only on the court but in the classroom. I instill that in my guys at Carter now.” 

The lesson became the foundation of a coaching career that has spanned more than 30 years in Dallas ISD and 12 years leading the Carter High School basketball program.  

Carter’s UIL State Championship run this season has been years in the making. Their loss in the regional finals last year, stayed with the program and served as motivation for the players who returned, determined to finish what they started.  

Love’s reminder to never give up came full circle this spring for athletes at Carter.  

When Carter High School’s boys’ basketball team stepped onto the court for the semifinals game in March, they were just two wins away from making school history. 

Trailing by three points, with less than three minutes remaining against Brock High School, the players relied on preparation and trust in one another, turning to a play they had practiced many times before, he said. 

“During a time out, one of our players, Amarion Hunter, put his arm around the point guard and said, ‘I’m going to get you the ball and you’re going to knock the shot down,’” said Brandon Lewis, varsity basketball coach at Carter. “We came out of the time out, ran the play, and made the shot. They had been practicing that shot throughout the year. It has become the biggest shot in Carter history.” 

The shot shifted the game in Carter’s favor as the Cowboys took the lead, sparking a run that secured them the game and moved them one step closer to the school’s first state championship. 

“That was one of the greatest moments of my coaching career,” Love said. 

Now state champions, the Cowboys’ historic achievement stands as the reflection of a culture of resilience and brotherhood. 

“Our upcoming seniors led us to the championship,” Love said. “They put in work during the summer and the fall, and that got us where we needed to be. I give all the credit to our players and our parents.” 

Love finished the year with more than 400 career victories and was also named the Dallas Morning News Basketball Coach of the Year and the UIL 4A Division II Coach of the Year.   

The championship season had meaning for Love beyond trophies and accolades. He shared the experience with his son, Kobe, a point guard on the team, writing his own chapter as a student-athlete in Dallas ISD.  

Under Love’s leadership, students achieved great success beyond the court. The program counts three valedictorians, a salutatorian, National Honor Society members, and student-athletes who have graduated with associate degrees.

That commitment to student success is carried throughout the program by a coaching staff focused on preparing student-athletes for success on the court and in the classroom.

Selected by Love to coach the incoming freshman, Lewis helps lay the foundation for the program. Now in his fourth-year coaching at Dallas ISD and at Carter, Lewis said the path to excellence was already established when he arrived. 

“I’ve learned a lot from Coach Love,” Lewis said. “People often like the finished product they see on the court, but as coaches, we emphasize student success in the classroom. That focus is a testament to our hard work, not only just as coaches, but also being productive Black men in our society.”

While the state championship marked a historic moment for the program, Love and the coaching staff say their focus remains on preparing students for life beyond basketball. 

“For our student-athletes, we put emphasis on the student first, and every time we break from practice, we remind them that what they do off the court dictates what they do on the court,” Lewis said. “We want our kids to go to college and be productive citizens in society.”

The district will be closed June 29-July 3; however, benefit support is always available, even during summer break. Whether you have questions about your benefits, need health support, or just someone to talk to, we have you covered. Assistance is just a phone call away.

Call center

Call the Dallas ISD Benefits Call Center at 972-925-4000 and select the appropriate option:
• Option 1 – Benefits Administration
• Option 2 – Leaves Administration
• Option 3 – Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Non-emergency health support

If you’re a TRS ActiveCare participant, you can access medical support anytime through Teladoc. Visit the Teladoc website or use the mobile app for access. Note: You must register your Teladoc account before using the service. You only need the following information to register:
• Name
• Date of birth
• BCBS Member ID

Emotional support

If you are feeling overwhelmed or facing challenges, the Employee Assistance Program is available 24/7 to provide you with confidential support.

Call 972-925-4000 and choose Option 3 or, using your district username and password, access support through:
• Website: Telus Health
• App: Telus Health One

When two third graders asked Patricia Cortez, Texas history teacher at the School for the Talented and Gifted in Pleasant Grove, to start an all-girls robotics team, she said no.

The school’s robotics team had just returned from the VEX World Championship. The team had trophies, momentum, and a winning formula. The girls on the team, however, did not feel like they were fully participating in the experience. 

“They told me they felt intimidated,” Cortez said. “They said they wanted their own team where they could take on bigger roles.”

Cortez heard them, but she hesitated because of her lack of background in the field. 

“I have no engineering background,” Cortez said. “I knew nothing about robotics. I love math, but not programming. I’m very competitive, so in my head I was thinking, ‘If we do this on our own and lose, what happens then?’ So I told them no.”

The students didn’t drop it. Instead, they gave Cortez back her own words.

“They said, ‘If this is all about learning, then you can learn with us. Let’s do it together,’” Cortez said. “That stopped me. They weren’t asking for an easy path. They were asking for a chance.”

That conversation became the starting point for the LadyBots, an all-girls robotics team that has since grown into a larger web of STEM opportunities at TAG: LadyDronez, an all-girl aerial drone team, and Girls and Gears, a workshop hosted by students to introduce younger girls to STEM activities.

Cortez has been with Dallas ISD for 13 years. She began teaching at Casa View Elementary School, the same campus she attended as a child, and later moved to TAG in Pleasant Grove. Robotics, however, was not part of her original plan. It arrived as a district initiative to expand STEM offerings. A colleague asked if she would co-coach.

“Eventually I said yes even though I felt unqualified,” Cortez said. “The girls and I learned together. We made it to the world championship and even won trophies there. But it was those two third graders asking for their own team that changed the direction of everything.”

Once the Lady Bots formed, Cortez began looking more closely at who is usually seen in STEM spaces.

“I started reading about how underrepresented women are in STEM, specifically Latinas,” Cortez said. “When I shared those statistics with my girls, it really hit them. It made them want to keep the Lady Bots going and bring more girls in.”

From there, the work expanded. Her students now run Girls and Gears, a hands-on event that invites girls from the community to build, code, and experiment. Cortez and her husband, fellow educator Omar Cortez, launched an all-girls aerial drones team. That team has gone on to win regional tournaments and back-to-back all-around champion titles at the Aerial Drone Competition, which led to Cortez being named Aerial Drone Coach of the Year

“The award is based on nominations. When they read the speech and mentioned ‘breaking barriers,’ Girls and Gears, and my students seeing me as a motherly figure, my heart stopped,” Cortez said. “When they called my name, I started crying as I heard my girls and my husband cheering. It was a lot to take in.”

For Cortez, the awards matter less than what happens in the classroom and practice space. She talks about students bent over laptops, adjusting code line by line, or nudging drones into precise positions so a program will run correctly in a gym full of air vents and moving people.

“They spend so much time troubleshooting,” Cortez said. “When it finally works, you hear these ‘yay’ moments from different corners of the room. That sound is my favorite. They know how much effort they’ve put in.”

Cortez admits that STEM even forced her to confront her own habits.

“As a child, I was a perfectionist. I had to accept that I’m not going to get everything right the first time and that nothing is ever really perfect,” Cortez said. “Robotics taught me to embrace failure. Once I learned that for myself, it was easier to tell my students, ‘It’s okay to get things wrong. In STEM, that is how you learn.’”

One student’s growth in particular stays with Cortez. At her first drone competition, the student froze when Cortez asked her to shout to her teammate during a match.

“She just looked at me and shook her head,” Cortez said. “She wouldn’t call out. So we put her in the skills division, where it’s just you, your drone, and your controller. No communication needed.”

Over time, that same student asked to move into teamwork events, which required constant collaboration with another team. She practiced calling out directions, learned to speak up when something went wrong, and eventually became team captain. She even began telling people she wanted to become a pilot.

“This student used to say she hated math,” Cortez said. “Now she’s improved her scores, learned to advocate for herself, and got into the School of Science and Engineering at Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Center. That is huge.”

When Cortez thinks about how she wants her students to remember her, she does not mention titles or competitions.

“I want them to remember me as the person who pushed them to do what they were scared of,” Cortez said. “To try something they didn’t think was for them. To walk into STEM spaces where they might not see anyone who looks like them and still understand that they belong there.”

As the world celebrated National Women in Engineering Day on June 23, Cortez’s message for girls who are unsure about STEM is clear: “Girls have their space in STEM. We need different kinds of thinkers solving problems, and that absolutely includes girls.”

Dallas ISD’s parent support specialists were recently honored at a special end-of-year celebration hosted by the Family and Community Engagement and Partnerships and Volunteer Engagement departments at the Montgomery Arts Theatre at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. 

The event brought together staff, campus leaders, and district leadership to recognize these team members—the “Dallas ISD Difference Makers”—whose daily work strengthens the connection between schools and the families and communities they serve. 

“You are the bridge between the school and the outside world,” said Deputy Superintendent of Staff and Accountability Pamela Lear. “You build trust, remove barriers, and ensure that families are not just informed, but connected and empowered.” 

The afternoon featured a student performance from Booker T. Washington HSPVA and an awards presentation recognizing standout parent support specialists and volunteer and partnership coordinators from all six regions of the district. Chief of Partnerships and Intergovernmental Relations Jon Dahlander closed the program with remarks before guests gathered in the lobby for refreshments and photos. 

2026 honorees 

Region 1 

• Elementary PSS of the Year: Emily Montalvo, William Anderson Elementary School

• Secondary PSS of the Year: Jennifer de la Rosa, Young Men’s Leadership Academy at Fred F. Florence Middle School 

• Rookie PSS of the Year: Hazel Sonanes, Nancy Moseley Elementary School

• Outstanding Volunteer Coordinator, Elementary: Lucrecia Rodríguez, Richard Lagow Elementary School

• Outstanding Volunteer Coordinator, Secondary: Jacqueline Parra de la Rosa, E.B. Comstock Middle School 

• Outstanding Partnership Coordinator: Jennifer de la Rosa, Young Men’s Leadership Academy at Fred F. Florence Middle School 

Region 2 

• Elementary PSS of the Year: Maria Carmona, Gabe P. Allen Elementary School

• Secondary PSS of the Year: Kevin Harris, Wilmer-Hutchins High School 

• Rookie PSS of the Year: Myrna Montero, J.N. Ervin Elementary School

• Outstanding Volunteer Coordinator, Elementary: Erika Bonilla, Cedar Crest Elementary School

• Outstanding Volunteer Coordinator, Secondary: Katrina Kimbrough, Boude Storey Middle School 

Region 3 

• Elementary PSS of the Year: Esperanza Henderson, Margaret B. Henderson Elementary 

• Secondary PSS of the Year: Mar-K Roberson-Craddock, Justin F. Kimball High School 

• Rookie PSS of the Year: Jennifer Alcocer, Jimmie Tyler Brashear Elementary School

• Outstanding Volunteer Coordinator, Elementary: Jennifer Rangel, Ascher Silberstein Elementary School

• Outstanding Volunteer Coordinator, Secondary: Mar-K Roberson-Craddock, Justin F. Kimball High School 

• Outstanding Partnership Coordinator: Mattie Pipkins, Martin Luther King Jr. Arts Academy 

Region 4 

• Elementary PSS of the Year: Rita Trevino, Winnetka Elementary 

• Secondary PSS of the Year: Mayra Quinones, Hector P. Garcia Middle School 

• Rookie PSS of the Year: Nubia Gonzales, James Bowie Elementary School

• Outstanding Volunteer Coordinator, Elementary: Delia Herrera, Arturo Salazar Elementary School

• Outstanding Volunteer Coordinator, Secondary: Megan Grantonic, Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts 

• Outstanding Partnership Coordinator: Maribel Roca, School for the Talented and Gifted at Pleasant Grove 

Region 5 

• Elementary PSS of the Year: Melissa Martinez, Anne Frank Elementary School

• Secondary PSS of the Year: Tita Pasion, Robert T. Hill Middle School 

• Rookie PSS of the Year: Angelica Trejo, Geneva Heights Elementary School

• Outstanding Volunteer Coordinator, Elementary: Amy Loftis, Lakewood Elementary School

• Outstanding Volunteer Coordinator, Secondary: Tita Pasion, Robert T. Hill Middle School 

Region 6 

• Elementary PSS of the Year: Jenna Silva, Marcus Leadership Academy 

• Secondary PSS of the Year: Cecilia Rivas, Thomas Jefferson High School 

• Rookie PSS of the Year: Jackeline Lopez, Harry C. Withers Elementary School

• Outstanding Volunteer Coordinator, Elementary: Jorge Castillo, Walnut Hill International Leadership Academy 

• Outstanding Volunteer Coordinator, Secondary: Jessica de Paz, North Dallas High School