Central Staff News

We all face challenges throughout our lives that come with a variety of emotional responses from sadness to impatience. While it is important to cope with these daily stressors, it is also necessary to learn the signs that may indicate an ongoing mental health concern. 

The following symptoms may be indicators of mental illness when they are experienced for prolonged periods of time:

• Sudden mood changes
• Decreased sense of confidence 
• Changes in sleep patterns
• Withdrawing from relationships
• Excessive use of drugs or alcohol
• Loss of interest in regular activities 
• Changes in appetite
• Difficulty concentrating or thinking clearly
• Feeling sad or down 
• Paranoia, delusions or feeling detached from reality 
• Experiencing exhaustion or fatigue
• Difficulty coping with minor problems and daily activities
• Thoughts of suicide 

While many of these signs and symptoms are common responses to obstacles and challenging life events, pay attention to them and whether or not they are continuously affecting your health. If you are struggling or know of someone who is, reach out and get support today. 

Contact your physician or a mental health professional, or take advantage of Dallas ISD’s Employee Assistance Program by LifeWorks. The confidential, secure platform has countless resources available online for free, including on-call counselors who are available seven days a week, 24 hours a day. Reach out to LifeWorks at (972) 925-4000, or visit www.dallasisd.org/benefits and click on Benefits Resources to access online EAP information. 

If you are having suicidal thoughts, do not hesitate to get help. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255) or use the chat feature at suicidepreventionlifeline.org/chat.  

You matter, and so does your mental health and well-being. Take some time to reflect on how you are doing, and prioritize yourself and your needs. And remember: You are never alone. 

*Source: LifeWorks 

Dallas ISD is ready to help students get enrolled and welcome them to the new year. Families who have not yet enrolled their students, can join Dallas ISD staff at the This Is Home Registration Fair on Saturday, Aug. 6, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Ellis Davis Field House, located at 9191 S. Polk St.

Families will receive in-person assistance with their child’s registration. Free school supplies and backpacks will be given away until supplies last, and other services will be available to help them prepare for back to school. 

To complete their child’s enrollment, families will need:

• Birth certificate (new students)
• Parent/guardian photo ID
• Proof of address
• Immunization record
• Social Security card (optional)

Parents of pre-K students will also need to provide documentation to determine eligibility for pre-K (as applicable):

• Proof of income
• Medicaid/SNAP/TANF benefits letter
• Foster care paperwork
• Military paperwork
• Star of Texas paperwork

Dallas ISD’s Convocation, welcoming staff back for the 2022-2023 school year, will take place at 11 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 8, and provide an opportunity for all staff to be celebrated and to receive key information from senior leaders and the superintendent.

Each campus and department will receive a link to access the presentation and may identify the appropriate viewing location for its staff (i.e., conference room, auditorium, cafeteria, or individual computer stations). All campuses and departments will also receive an event package that will include thematic signage, refreshments and commemorative items to create an event area.

Because of their earlier start, staff at Intersession and School Day Redesign campuses will receive a separate link to allow them to view the presentation at a time that is more convenient and that doesn’t interfere with the school day

More information concerning event package deliveries and access to streaming links is forthcoming.

National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month in July was created to highlight the unique challenges that racial and ethnic minority communities experience in the United States when it comes to mental health, and Dallas ISD is working to bring awareness and resources to our diverse community. 

Historically, accessing mental health care has been difficult for racial and ethnic minority populations due to discrimination, trauma caused by racial profiling, restricted access to resources and a lack of cultural awareness from medical practitioners. According to Mental Health America, people who identify as being two or more races have been the most likely group to report mental illness within the past year. Meanwhile, Native and Indigenous Americans report higher rates of post-traumatic stress disorder. One study even found that physicians engaged in 33 percent less patient-centered communications with Black patients than with white patients.

If you or someone you know is struggling, help is available. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Minority Health put together a list of resources on topics ranging from trauma and violence to LGBTQIA-specific community guides, including:

• Communities during COVID-19
• Helping Children and Adolescents Cope with Disasters and Other Traumatic Events: What Parents, Rescue Workers and the Community Can Do
• Mental Health by the Numbers

The full list can be found at https://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/minority-mental-health/resources/. 

You can also explore Dallas ISD’s Employee Assistance Program by LifeWorks online. This free, confidential platform has countless resources available, including counselors who are on call 24/7 and practical tips on how to help children embrace diversity or how to educate yourself about anti-racism and race. 

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

Source: Mental Health America

Dallas ISD staff can review and enroll in benefits for the 2022-2023 school year now through Aug. 18. While enrollment this year is passive, some benefits do require action before the closing date, and Dallas ISD is here to walk you through the options with a series of live webinars.

The webinars will provide general enrollment information and benefits experts who will answer your questions. To register for the webinars, click on the date and time you want to attend.

• 5 p.m. — Tuesday, July 19
• 12 p.m. — Tuesday, July 26
• 5 p.m. — Tuesday, Aug. 2
• 12 p.m. — Tuesday, Aug. 9
• 5 p.m. — Tuesday, Aug. 16

The Benefits Department is also ready and available to assist employees with appointment options for individualized in-person and virtual assistance. For an individual in person or virtual appointment, please email Benefits@dallasisd.org and a team member will connect with you to schedule an appointment.

You can review your benefits and enroll by visiting the enrollment portal at Employee Portal. Additional information is on the Benefit website www.dallasisd.org/benefits. If you need assistance, contact the Benefits Call Center at 972-925-4000, or call or email a Benefits team member at 972-925-4300, Benefits@dallasisd.org.

Whether as a former teacher and principal or as a parent himself, Israel Rivera has had a lot of experience in meeting the needs of parents and truly being part of the team that helps students be successful. As the new executive director of the department that provides services to parents, he is committed to ensuring parents have a voice and get the support they need.

“We want to help schools in giving parents a voice, a platform to speak—PTSA, SBDM—and provide the extra support when needed to make sure those avenues are available and running smoothly,” Rivera said. “We also want to work on making sure parents hear about resources, where to make connections. I think they would feel a lot better knowing all the services and resources we provide.”

In his new role over Parent Advocacy and Support Services, Rivera oversees parent services, attendance, truancy and homeless education. One of the first things he did when he took over these departments this summer was analyze what has been done before, what works and what the vision is going forward to better support campuses differently or better.

“We just want principals to welcome us, especially when it comes to parent engagement,” Rivera said. “We are not there to poke around or get them in trouble. We are there to ask, ‘How can we help you bring parents back to campus?’”

The department offers a FROG bus that visits campuses during the school year and attends events to share information and resources with parents and staff. But Rivera said they are exploring other ways to enhance parent engagement and let them know the district is there to help them help their students, especially in the area of social emotional learning.

“Our focus is letting parents know that SEL is out there, it’s a real thing, and letting them know they can go beyond their immediate community and get the help they need elsewhere,” he said. “They can seek help for themselves and their families from organizations and not feel embarrassed. I think it’s about giving parents access to resources at all levels.”

His focus for parent advocacy—whether it’s in the area of mental and educational resources or attendance improvement—is to first be very responsive.

“Having been a principal myself, it gives that lens to know how to help principals resolve issues,” he said. “One thing I want to do is get in front of the principals to let them know my role is to help them in their parent engagement. You don’t want a parent to leave the campus confused or feeling like they weren’t heard because that will fester and make the problem worse.”

Rivera also has experience working with schools from the other side. He is a Dallas ISD graduate and moved around a lot during his childhood because the family went where rents were more affordable. He graduated from Skyline High School and went into a career in advertising, but in the early 2000s, circumstances led to him becoming an instant parent to his brother’s children. He started dealing with the children’s schools and then the education bug bit him.

“I got to see what our teachers were like, principals were like and how they welcomed families,” he said. “When I could be part of sessions and meetings, I always participated. I got to see both sides.”

In 2005, he went through the alternative certification program and later became an assistant principal and principal. He opened Joe May Elementary School in 2016 and then became principal of the Business Magnet at Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Center.

 “My mother instilled in me the drive to help others, serve others, help find solutions and help them be better people,” Rivera said. “I have helped others and had put myself on hold, so I am now working on my doctorate. I also realized that I wanted to work on a bigger scale. I had so much fun and loved engaging with parents as a principal, and now I have this opportunity to do it at a districtwide scale. I am very excited about the possibilities. It makes me feel good to be helping parents and to make sure they are taken care of.”

After a long school year of teaching and learning, most might not be excited about a few extra weeks honing skills and knowledge. This year, Dallas ISD’s Summer Cool program has blown away students and teachers like fifth-grade math teacher Katherine Turck and fifth-grade science teacher Jennifer Mitchell of Anne Frank Elementary School.

“Even for teachers, some people are like, ‘Oh, you’re doing summer school?’ But I loved it,” Mitchell said. “We did activities and arts and crafts, so the students were still doing academics, but they didn’t even realize it. It was a different atmosphere than the normal school year, and it was really fun.” 

Anne Frank was one of several Dallas ISD schools to host the four-week program through the month of June. The Extended Learning Opportunities department designed Summer Cool to connect students with their peers, engage them in rigorous tasks and accelerate their learning in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic—something Turck and Mitchell experienced firsthand.  

Each week brought a new theme, and their students dove right in. During heroes week, the students wrote letters to local heroes and decorated nearby streets with kindness quotes. Then they designed robots and built 3D models during invention lab week, and they investigated the plot structure of various Disney movies during Lights, Camera, Action! week. Finally, they celebrated nature camp week and the end of Summer Cool with a water day. 

“It was really busy, but it was amazing,” Turck said. “When you have the smaller classes and can work more one on one with them, they get excited. They knew they were going to work all morning and then they would get to apply the lessons and have fun.”

Their classes of 12 students or fewer spent two hours reading and two hours doing math each morning, had daily gym time and even attended special music classes. They also received breakfast and lunch, as well as hands-on activities to bring home. Mitchell said some of her students would come to class the next day showing off the crafts they made out of leftover popsicle sticks and other materials, so she knew their engagement extended beyond the classroom. 

Several Summer Cool students had failed their State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) this past year, so Turck and Mitchell focused on key grade-level skills to prepare them for success moving forward. The results they saw were overwhelmingly positive. 

“Our students are excited to come back in August because they had fun and they feel like they are caught up,” Turck said. “They know they weren’t successful last year, but now they can say, ‘I already know that. That’s fifth grade math.’ They feel more confident.” 

Summer Cool may be over for 2022, but additional free summer learning opportunities are available to students through July 29. Learn more about the schedule by visiting the Summer Learning Guide, and remember to spread the word to any families who might be interested. 

About 90 overage middle school students are headed to high school with a new determination to succeed thanks to the Phoenix 2.0 accelerated graduation plan that helped them catch up. 

Phoenix 2.0 accelerates students’ progress in their eighth-grade core classes, while simultaneously putting them in a position to earn industry certifications and high school credits. The overarching goal is to offer opportunities to a group of students that is often forgotten to help them graduate from high school in three years.

Director of Districtwide Student Initiatives Leslie Swann explained that the students receive access to their core curriculum online, so they are able to work on their own timeline in addition to receiving support from their teachers during the school day. They also attend classes at the Career Institutes on a regular basis, where they pursue a career pathway and gain high school credits. One student worked so hard that they earned four high school credits throughout the 2021-2022 school year in addition to completing their middle school core requirements. 

The Phoenix 2.0 team is proud of students’ development in the areas of self-management of learning, self-awareness and self-regulation, which are all necessary life skills. The team’s combined efforts yielded favorable results. About 65 percent of the students acquired industry certifications with over 195 high school course completions.

“We are really excited,” Swann said. “With Phoenix, these students are our priority. We are very intentional about exposing them to opportunities, and 100 percent of the students who applied to a collegiate academy or a choice program were accepted to that program for next school year.” 

While the Phoenix students—who are 15 or 16 years old on average—remain in their home middle school campus’ database, they attend classes at one of three Phoenix sites: Hillcrest High School, Spruce High School and Skyline High School. 

“It is a wonderful opportunity for the students to be around students who are their age, so they do not feel like they’re too old to be at the middle school campus,” Swann said. “They are in a setting with age-appropriate peers, which helps build self-esteem in those particular students.” 

No students are required to participate in Phoenix 2.0. The choice program is available to any high school-aged middle school students who want to take advantage of the opportunity. While the courses can be challenging, the results speak for themselves. 

“We asked the students, ‘Would you recommend this program to someone who may have been in your situation?’ and 100 percent of them said yes,” Swann said. “They would absolutely recommend the program to their peers who need it.” 

The students are proud of their accomplishments and are positioned for high school success, and now Swann is asking staff across the district to spread the word about Phoenix 2.0 so more families learn about this incredible resource for their students. 

“We really want to celebrate Phoenix,” she said. “To see the metamorphosis by mid-semester and then at the end, it is a testament to working through challenges and trying to provide the very best opportunity to students.” 

To learn more about the Phoenix 2.0 program, visit https://www.dallasisd.org/Page/50021. 

Dallas ISD will be closed for summer break July 4-8, and many staff members are already looking forward to how they will spend their week off. Summer break is special, some pointed out, because with the district being closed everyone has time to relax and enjoy with family and friends without worrying about what may be going on in the office.

“Finally, a break!” one of you shared. “Here at the campuses, we need more than a two-week break; we need at least three to really feel like a had a summer break. Especially with everything going on at different school districts or even ours with innocent people being killed and to top it off COVID is still around.”

Another take: “It is awesome to know that our district recognizes the importance of disconnecting to rejuvenate for the upcoming school year!”

And another: “R&R is what we all need to give ourselves some self care, rest and relaxation, take a mental break.”

While quite a few staff members said they will be using the time to rest and recharge, others have a series of activities planned: “Everyone, everyone needs time to be destress, relax, work on things we want to do… and just be in a different mindset to come back and do it all over again but de-stressed and relaxed.”

“My summer break will be busy; however, I am anticipating spending time with family and friends!” said someone else.

Water was a running theme in activities staff shared, including spending time at waterparks and the Texas coast to spend some time relaxing on the beach.

“Ready to put my feet in the sand and watch my son splash in the waves. Padre Island here I come!”

“So excited to be off for summer break! Did summer schoolwork, but now it’s time to relax at least for a whole week. Family and I will be traveling to Oklahoma to Beavers Bend that is very exciting fishing, relaxing, sleeping spending time with family.”

While the district may be closed July 4-8, many resources are available if you need assistance with your benefits.

The Benefits Contact Center will be closed Monday, July 4, but will be open on its regular business hours—7 a.m. to 7 p.m.—from Tuesday, July 5, through Friday, July 8.  

If you want explore your benefits for the 2022-2023 year to take advantage of the enrollment window opening on July 5, you can use the Benefits Portal to enroll, or you can reach out to the Benefits Contact Center by phone.

For those non-emergency health concerns such as cold and flu, TRS ActiveCare participants can utilize Teladoc at a reduced cost.  Call 1-855-Teladoc (835-2362) or visit their main page.

If you have questions regarding your HSA/ FSA, contact Optum at 877-528-9876 or visit www.connectyourcare.com.  Optum is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

You may reach the benefits call center at 972-925-4000 or email benefits@dallasisd.org.  For questions regarding leaves of absence, email benefitsleaves@dallasisd.org.  During the periods in which the district is closed, the email boxes will be monitored periodically to ensure any critical issues are resolved in a timely manner.