Central Staff News

For the Willis family, Dallas ISD is home, as a total of five of their immediate family members work for the district and all share a long history with the district.

Carla and Christopher Willis Sr. met in 1977 when they were both students at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. Carla was a freshman and Christopher Sr. was a sophomore. Christopher was a fulltime student, studying music, and Carla was in the dance cluster, while also attending South Oak Cliff High School. 

They have been married 38 years. 

Their daughter, ChrisSharrah Yancy, is an investigator in the Professional Standards Office; their son, Christopher Willis II, is a coordinator in the Reset Center at H.W. Lang Middle School; and Darryl Yancy, ChrisSharrah’s husband, is a supervisor in Custodial Services in the Operation Services Division. 

While all work in the district in different positions, departments and schools, there’s one common thread that unites their work—they all have a commitment to serving others. They are also all passionate about serving in their local communities and church.

“One thing that’s unique about our story is that my parents also met while they were students at Booker T. Washington, before it was a performing arts high school. Who would think I would meet my wife Carla at Booker T. Washington as well?” said Christopher Sr.

Carla, who has been working for the district for 24 years, is a coordinator in the Reset Center at David W. Carter High School. Prior to that position, she worked as an office manager in the Office of Family and Community Engagement, Construction Services and a Redirection Special Education teacher.

Christopher Sr., who has been working for the district for 38 years, wears many hats at Thomas L. Marsalis Elementary STEAM Academy, where he is the music teacher, safety coordinator, bus coordinator and textbook coordinator. 

“I enjoy teaching and sharing music,” he said. “It’s not really a job per se. My career is part of my life. I love music and I get to share that.”

 For ChrisSharrah, seeing her parents work in education and the roles they play in their community motivated her to also join public education. 

“My parents have always worked in education and as leaders in ministry. Having that discipline and structure has always been there with my dad being a pastor,” she said. “I didn’t see myself in education initially because I originally wanted to do law, but when I saw I could use my areas of expertise at Dallas ISD, that allowed me to see there’s a place for me here in the district as well.” 

“For the Willis family, faith, family, education and giving back to others serve as a foundation to build on for this generation and others to come. This is Home for the Willis family,” said Carla. 

What do you like most about working in the district?

Carla: It’s a great opportunity to invest and pour into the lives of our young people. It’s imperative for me to be a part of helping our students find their purpose and passion in life. Some of our students come from hard lifestyles.In my role, I want to show them love and compassion through my work while building great and meaningful relationships, teaching them to accept responsibility for their actions, and finding the right outcome. 

My role can be very challenging at times. Dealing with the anger, childhood adversities, and the complicated households of our students causes me to keep my WHY at the forefront. My WHY is our students need that someone one and WHY not me! To stay effective, I must continue to have a heart for the students.

Christopher Sr.: I’ve always been able to help students tap into their creative sides, whether they are the A Honor Roll students or the students that are struggling academically. Not all the time, but many times, students who are struggling academically excel creatively in other areas like music. 

It’s always given me the opportunity to help students who might not be doing as well in the classroom. Many times, once you get a music instrument in their hand, you can see how things begin to change for them, for those who have an interest. I love being able to do that. I’ve even had the unique opportunity to teach three generations from a family– a grandparent, the mother and the grandchild.

What impact have you seen your role play in the lives of your students?

Carla: Since I’ve worked in the district schools, teachers would say the students that have a hard time behaving are the ones that gravitate to me for help. This has always been an opportunity for me to help redirect their challenging behaviors.  I sometimes can have a positive talk or lead them through some type of social emotional program or do a mindfulness activity that helps to apply them to those behaviors. But the most impactful thing is seeing the student walk away better than they came.   

Christopher Sr.: I taught high school for a year and a half, but I’ve been working in elementary for most of my career as an educator. There’s something unique when they’re young and so impressionable that you can make an impact on them at such a young age. 

No matter what background they come from, many are just accustomed to just one style of music. We introduce them to many styles and music genres. I’ve seen students go from all Ds and Fs, and they tap into their creative music side, and it opened them up like a rose to blossom in so many other areas. To understand and write the music, you must learn how to spell the words, and music is math. You can’t have music without math. Music impacts all areas of life. 

For Master Principal Lonnie Russell, the decision to pursue a career in education was a clear one. Originally from Brooklyn, New York, he said he was inspired by his cousin, Eboni Russell, who is still “an amazing teacher,” to enter the profession to make a positive impact on students’ lives.

Now, 16 years later, Russell said he is proud to call Rufus C. Burleson Elementary School home and to be among the more than 20 Dallas ISD principals who have been awarded the Master Principal designation for the 2022-2023 school year. 

These designations are awarded annually to the top 10 percent of Dallas ISD principals in three categories: neighborhood elementary schools, neighborhood secondary schools and choice schools. The awards are part of the Theory of Action, which governs how Dallas ISD makes decisions that ultimately impact student achievement, and Russell is sharing his thoughts on leading a campus to excellence. 

What drew you to education? 

I wanted to make a difference in the lives of students and in the communities I serve. I am thankful for my cousin, Eboni Russell, who encouraged me to get started on this transformational journey. 

What qualities make a great principal? 

I really care about people. Leading Burleson Nation has been an amazing experience and has given me countless opportunities to hone my leadership strengths and mindset. I am proud of my team’s service and commitment to the Burleson Nation students and community!

What is your educational philosophy or a motto by which you work? 

Ensuring the success of every student, every team member, every day. Burleson Nation went from an “F” to a “B” and from no distinctions to four distinctions. Our goal is to have an “A”mazing year with all six distinctions.

What inspires you about your position? 

I get to build relationships with the best students and team members in Dallas ISD and beyond. The present and future of our Burleson Nation students are very bright.

With 229 school sites, Dallas ISD serves an average of 36 million meals per year, making it the 17th largest school district in the country.

“We are incredibly proud of the hard work every member of the Food and Child Nutrition Services team has put into the program to make it the success it is,” said Michael Rosenberger, executive director of FCNS. 

“It is our greatest honor working to serve our community so that every single one of our students has access to safe, delicious, and nutritious meals while under our care. We will continue working on different initiatives for the upcoming school years to keep our students engaged and receiving high-quality meals that are up to date with the most current scientific data.” 

In the fall of 2022, the district implemented many innovative initiatives to keep students engaged. These efforts included funding a “grab n go” program that provides meals to students during district holidays to implementing a fresh-cooked meal service to students in the Early College High School programs.

FCNS is a self-operated entity that works to provide children free nutritious meals that are in accordance with federal regulations. 

For the full feature article, visit The 2023 K-12 Power Players | Food Management (food-management.com).

The new season is bringing everyone warmer weather, fresh air and an opportunity for spring cleaning. Dallas ISD’s Graphics Department shared the best tips on how to care for your Xerox devices, so be sure to check in with your campus or department’s copy machines this week. 

Declutter your device

Please allow 12 inches of space around your machine, especially in paper output areas. These trays lower and lift as they catch paper, and obstructions near these trays will prevent the finishers from lowering properly and will result in jamming and damages.

Move/relocation requests

Dallas ISD is prohibited from relocating any Xerox device. A machine relocation is to be requested by completing the Xerox Move Request Form and emailing it to DRCOMBS@dallasisd.org or GRAPHICSINFO@dallasisd.org. 

24/7 power on

All Xerox devices should remain powered ON 24/7 and connected to the Dallas ISD network. For technical support, meter reads and auto-replenishment to function most efficiently, these devices must always remain powered on.

Toner

The auto-replenishment feature on the Xerox devices is temporarily set to replenish your device at 50 percent toner levels. If you are expecting a large print, heavy ink coverage or lots of print traffic, please place a manual order with Xerox Supplies by emailing your toner request and serial number to XBSSW-SATXSM@xerox.com. If there is an emergency or your are unable to print, email Drew Combs, print fleet coordinator, at DRCOMBS@dallasisd.org. 

Copier team updates

The Dallas ISD Graphics Department welcomes Drew Combs as the new print fleet coordinator. Combs brings with him several years of print fleet management experience, extensive knowledge of cyber security and cyber threats, as well as some MFP technical experience. 

Many central team members have participated in classroom support assignments throughout the school year. 

If you’ve never had the experience of working in a classroom, this would have been an eye-opening, challenging and/or life changing experience for you. One thing is for sure, many have expressed their heightened appreciation of the work teachers and campus team members do every day after spending time as substitutes. 

Dallas ISD is grateful to those who have stepped up to support our schools. If you’d like to share your experience with us, please answer a few questions by clicking here.

A passion for communicating with others in different languages set Nourddine Boufekrane, a teacher of French language and culture at Bryan Adams High School Leadership Academy, on a journey that led him to dedicate his life to teaching. 

Arabic, one of Boufefrane’s native languages, is among the top five languages in the district, with over 300 students who come from homes where the first language is Arabic. Other languages that he speaks include Berber, French, Hebrew, Spanish, English, and Swahili. He can also communicate in Urdu and Hindi, among other languages.  

Boufekrane believes that months, such as Arab American Heritage Month, which commemorate heritage and culture are important in order to celebrate each other. 

“To me, it is a way  to accept and understand one another, but it is important for everyone to not be ashamed of their culture,” he said. “They need to show it and be proud of who they are.” 

Prior to moving to the United States in 2008, Boufekrane, a native of Morocco in West Africa, had lived, traveled and worked all over the world. His knowledge of multiple languages opened opportunities for him.

“Because I worked with many associations for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA), in direct coordination with UNICEF and UNESCO in Africa, I can understand Swahili, Wolof and many dialects,” he said. “I worked in many countries in Europe for many years, especially in France, where I served in many organizations as a translator.”

Boufekrane also worked as a translator in different areas in Asia, Syria and the United Arab Emirates.

His work throughout the world eventually brought him to Dallas. He worked as a warehouse specialist for 12 years, when he decided he wanted to use his language skills and knowledge of world cultures to impact young minds. He went back to school to get certified as a teacher, and obtained his bachelor’s degree in Arabic and French Linguistics Philosophy and Culture from Pennsylvania Western University. He recently completed his master’s degree in this same subject, and was accepted into the doctoral program at the International University Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

As a French teacher, Boufekrane often has the opportunity to use his other languages to bridge the gap of communication with his students that speak different languages.

“Because I have students who speak multiple languages, another topic for my students who are from Africa and the Middle East, and other countries, is to help them integrate into American society. I talk to them about the country, about American food and culture and so on,” he said. 

“Sometimes I talk to one of my students in Swahili so he can understand me. I also have students who speak Arabic,” he said. “I want them to fully understand what I’m doing in my French class and the other class that I teach called diversity and culture.”

Boufekrane considers himself to be a lifelong learner and has passion to continue to learn about other languages and cultures. 

“I tell my students that ‘if you keep your culture, you are free,” he said. 

One of the topics that he covers in his class is about celebration and culture, and believes that learning about the cultures of his students is part of the teaching process.

“I ask my students to share some of the customs from Honduras, Mexico or wherever their cultural heritage is from,” Boufekrane said. “In my class, students show you where they are from and share their ideas. I am learning too. It is an exchange of knowledge, because we are not alone in the world. We are almost 8 billion people on the planet, and we need to know about other people in order to help each other.” 

 Christine Hernandez, a fifth-grade math teacher at Solar Preparatory School for Girls at James B. Bonham, defines student success as being rooted “not only in academic success but also in becoming a confident individual, however that may look.”

One of her students started the school year with learning gaps that left her feeling like she could not speak up in class, so Hernandez worked with her family and other teachers to help the student honor her strengths and change her mindset to, “How much can we grow this year?” rather than being on grade level. 

“When we started framing it that way, she just hustled,” Hernandez said. “I have not seen a student work as hard as her. Every day, she comes into class, and she is on it. She is advocating for herself when she’s not understanding something, and she is holding people accountable at her table, making sure they’re all on task. She has completely transformed into this amazing leader, who now walks into the classroom and feels really confident.”

As Solar Prep for Girl’s 2022-2023 Campus Teacher of the Year, Hernandez incorporates that definition of success into everything she does in and out of the classroom.

“The learning will come, and it will come much more naturally when your students feel safe and welcomed and heard, and when they feel a sense of belonging in your room,” she said. 

Hernandez said she is proud to work alongside a team of incredible educators. They all have pushed her to grow and reach new heights as a teacher, inspiring her to take on leadership roles such as orchestrating the school’s daily Sisterhood Circles—morning pep rallies that set the tone for the day and highlight exceptional women in the community. 

“Christine not only is an amazing teacher, but she is also a teacher leader,” fellow teacher Alicia Pompa said. “She supports her team and others by overtaking Sisterhood Circle, one of the biggest culture building projects at the school. She listens when you have problems and maintains a positive energy even on rainy days.”

But for Hernandez, it all comes back to leaders supporting leaders. 

“My biggest takeaway in my journey so far is that there are some amazing people around me, especially at this campus,” Hernandez said. “Everything that I have become is deeply, deeply because of them. Their teaching and character inspire me. It’s hard to be in a building like this and not level up yourself, because you see a lot of greatness around you every day when you walk in.”

Hernandez said she is grateful for the opportunities she has had to accelerate learning and transform student lives alongside her team members and her husband, Angel Hernandez, a fifth-grade teacher at Solar Preparatory School for Boys at John F. Kennedy Learning Center, who also earned the distinction of Campus Teacher of the Year.

“I really do love my school, and I love the way my students think,” Hernandez said. “They’re so creative. The sky is the limit for them, and they’re the coolest people to work with every day. You can’t not be excited about learning when you’re around them.”

More than 600 Dallas ISD team members gathered recently to celebrate excellence in teaching and recognize the 237 campus teachers of the year at a fun event sponsored by the Dallas Education Foundation, Dallas County, and Central Market. The nine finalists for Dallas ISD Teacher of the Year were introduced.

“Over the past eight weeks, our Human Capital, School Leadership, and Teaching & Learning teams have combed through nearly 250 essays from over 80 applicants,” said Superintendent Stephanie Elizalde. “With so many talented, dedicated educators, it wasn’t easy to pick just one. After all, I think Dallas ISD has the best teachers, so these finalists are the best of the best.”

As in past years, this year’s TOY finalists will compete for three Dallas ISD Teacher of the Year honors, and two will move forward to compete at the regional and state levels.

TOY finalists

Elementary (prekindergarten-fifth grade)

Ivan Medina, Herbert Marcus Leadership Academy

Ebony Garrett, Umphrey Lee Elementary School

Mia Witt, César Chávez Elementary School

Secondary (sixth-12th grades)

Angela Burley, Dr. Frederick Douglass Todd Sr. Middle School

Laura Treviño, W.E. Greiner Exploratory Arts Academy

Kayleigh Overman-Fassel, Emmett J. Conrad High School

Bobby Bailey, Billy Earl Dade Middle School

Choice, Magnet (all levels)

Jonatan Joshua Cruz Cardona, School for the Talented and Gifted at Pleasant Grove

Nancy Salas, Henry W. Longfellow Career Exploration Academy

In addition to celebrating the campus teachers of the year, the event also recognized 136 Teachers of Promise.

“For the first time, we are honoring our Teachers of Promise,” said Chief of School Leadership Tiffany Huitt. “We know that it’s not only the experienced teachers who make a difference. Dallas ISD has rockstar novice teachers! Teachers of Promise sought out feedback to improve their instructional practices, built intentional relationships, and made their mark on students and colleagues as novice teachers.”

Karla Johnson, a sixth-grade English language arts and social studies teacher, has been teaching for 35 years, and she said she still enjoys her work so much that she arrives 45 minutes early every day. 

She has seen countless student success stories at C.F. Carr Elementary School, including helping the community go from an “F” to a “B” rating as an Accelerating Campus Excellence school, or ACE, and using ACE resources to get 30 percent of her students to achieve mastery on the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) last year. 

Thanks to the open transfer period, teachers, counselors and media specialists across the district currently have the opportunity to move to an ACE campus and champion student growth alongside educators like Johnson.

The open transfer period allows eligible team members to accept a position at another campus for the following school year. During the open transfer period, current principal approval is not required, although best practice would be for the team member to inform their current principal of their desire to transfer.

To be eligible for an open transfer, team members must meet the following criteria: 

• Hold a valid Texas Teacher Certificate or hold a valid District of Innovation Certification Waiver in the requested subject-area vacancy and meet TEA/SBEC Certification Standards for the position 
• Must not be entering their fourth year of an Alternative Certification Program 
• Must not be identified for non-renewal at the end of the current school year due to performance and/or misconduct

“Our students don’t mind challenges. In fact, they like them,” Johnson said. “Our job is to constantly move them forward. We figure out where they are, and we make sure they are successful.”

One of the many resources the ACE model provides is a plan to track students on a daily basis, which Johnson said has a positive impact on student success. She said she also appreciates getting to work with a group of educators who constantly go above and beyond.

“We’re really a team,” she said. “We talk, and if someone is stressed, we find a way to get them some help and make them feel happy that day. We’re all in this together, we really are.” 

If you are interested in joining an ACE team, apply online using your EAD login at www.dallasisd.org/careers using the internal openings link. The Human Capital Management team will email notifications of approval/denial throughout the open transfer period. 

Transfers are only final once an approval email notification has been sent from Human Capital Management. All notifications will be completed by May 5, 2023.

“Teaching is what you make it,” Johnson said. “If you have the heart for it—if you have the mind to change when needed—then you’ll be successful. The ACE model is a lot of work, but it’s worth it.”

Stress Awareness Month is recognized annually in April to bring attention to the effects of physical, emotional or mental tension or strain on people. Everyone faces challenges in life that can be overwhelming and tiring, so it is important to learn healthy ways to cope with and manage stress. By doing so, you can grow more resilient in your own life while also learning to better support your friends and family members. 

Incorporate these daily habits into your life to help improve your well-being and regulate your stress:

• Breathe deeply, stretch or meditate.
• Get enough sleep.
• Avoid smoking and tobacco products.
• Make time for the things you enjoy. 
• Connect with your loved ones on a regular basis. 
• Share how you are feeling with people you trust. 
• Take breaks from the news when you are feeling down or overwhelmed. 
• Get involved in your community. 
• Eat well-balanced meals. 
• Exercise and get fresh air. 
• Incorporate routine preventative measures like vaccines and cancer screenings.
• Check in with your medical provider on a regular basis. 
• Get support from loved ones and medical professionals when you are struggling. 
• Help others manage times of stress through visits, phone calls and more.

As Mother Teresa said, “Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.”

If you recognize any habits that you would like to improve to live your life to the fullest, help is available through Dallas ISD’s Employee Assistance Program by LifeWorks. 

This confidential, secure platform has countless resources available online for free. From 24/7 on-call counselors to practical tips on subjects like managing grief, connecting with adult children and achieving work-life balance, employees can find what they need, when they need it. 

Reach out to LifeWorks at (972) 925-4000, or visit www.dallasisd.org/benefits and click on Benefits Resources to access online EAP information. 

Source: CDC