Staff News

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 at Arlington’s AT&T Stadium 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

Jacinto Cabrera still remembers walking into his school, Anson Jones Elementary School, except this time it wasn’t as a sixth grader in Oak Cliff but as a new teacher. The hallways were familiar, the neighborhood unchanged in all the right ways, but what was different was his role.

“It was always a plan of mine to go into education,” said Cabrera, who is now principal of Julius Dorsey Elementary School. “Coming back, attending Skyline High School, then working in Pleasant Grove, I already knew the community. So it wasn’t nervousness. It felt like home.”

Now at Dorsey, Cabrera has shepherded the campus through years of steady growth. Under his leadership, the school has become an A-rated campus, earned five out of six TEA distinctions, and seen a 10 percent jump in reading proficiency. News about the school’s success has spread, attracting new parents who often arrive after hearing about Dorsey from a friend or relative, which has led the school to witness a surprising 15% rise in enrollment at a time when many schools are losing students.

“We provide a safe space for students. We have an extraordinary team here, and our families love to promote that,” Cabrera remarked.

This past May, at the State of the District, Cabrera was named Elementary Principal of the Year. He insists the award does not belong to him alone.

“When they said my name, I was glad that Julius Dorsey was getting that kind of recognition,” Cabrera said. “It’s not an award that recognizes the principal. It’s a recognition of the team the principal works with.”

When Cabrera says “team,” he means everyone. He lists cafeteria staff, custodians, paraprofessionals, teachers, and administrators as part of the same effort. He also credits the families who entrust their children to the school and talk about Dorsey in their own social circles.

“We kind of keep to ourselves, and our families do a lot of the promoting,” Cabrera said.

Cabrera’s view of school is shaped by his own upbringing. His parents migrated from San Luis Potosí, Mexico, and he grew up in Oak Cliff before attending the architecture program at Skyline High School. His father, he said, never gave long speeches about success, but he repeated one idea until it took root.

“My dad always instilled in my mind to be the best,” Cabrera said. “Looking back, it wasn’t in comparison to others, but to be the best version of myself.”

That message followed him from kindergarten (where he still remembers teachers by name) through his time at the University of North Texas, and into his years in the classroom and then administration. It also shapes how he thinks about his students at Dorsey.

Cabrera leads with data but not in the abstract. On his spreadsheets, each student’s name is paired with a photograph.

“I’m data-driven,” Cabrera admitted. “Part of the data is looking at numbers on a screen, but knowing that behind those numbers there’s a student, there’s a classroom, there’s a teacher.”

The pictures help him connect what he sees on his laptop to the child he’ll see later that morning. 

“I want to make that connection to who the student is when I go into a classroom,” he said.

That same impulse explains his morning ritual. Cabrera walks the halls every day to greet students by name and to check in with teachers, pausing where he senses something is off.

“As the principal, you have the responsibility of every person on this campus, especially the students,” Cabrera said. He stops to ask teachers how their day is going and what they need. He keeps a mental list of students who might need extra encouragement that day. Sometimes that means pulling a child out of class for a brief walk, a quick talk, or just a check on whether they ate breakfast.

“Walking around is kind of measuring the climate of the campus,” Cabrera said. He wants the students who struggle and the ones who rarely speak up to feel seen. Even learning a name and using it a week later matters. 

“They’ll nod their head, like, ‘You remembered my name,’” he said.

Inside classrooms, Cabrera leans on what he calls a team mindset. Newer teachers are paired intentionally with experienced mentors in nearby grades, and support comes not just from one assigned colleague but from the wider group. He is blunt about the stakes.

“You see the sense of urgency,” Cabrera said, thinking back to his time working with early college and P-TECH pathways. “If we don’t address students’ challenges here at the elementary level, they’re going to struggle later on.”

Still, he is careful not to let urgency become pressure that crushes teachers. He returns often to the idea that “the work is the work”—challenging by nature, but meaningful. Systems, strong instruction from prekindergarten onward, and relationships, he said, protect teachers from burnout more than any slogan ever could.

“The greatest gift you can give a fifth-grade teacher is a great fourth-grade teacher,” Cabrera said. “The greatest gift you can give a fourth-grade teacher is a great third-grade teacher.” 

When the foundation is strong, fifth-grade teachers can push students beyond grade level instead of playing catch up.

If there is a single thread running through Cabrera’s story, it is relationships—deliberate, patient, and hard-won. He acknowledges that building trust with every parent, student, and staff member takes time and effort, especially when there are concerns or conflict. But he keeps returning to it as the heart of the job.

“You become better at the role when you build relationships,” Cabrera said. “When you have relationships, you know it’s a team effort. It’s not one person running this school.”

This summer, the sounds of jazz filled the classrooms of Franklin D. Roosevelt High School, as student musicians spent part of their summer break learning improvisation and exploring the rich history of an art form deeply rooted in Dallas ISD’s legacy. Now in its second year, the Roy Hargrove Summer Jazz Camp continues to honor one of the district’s  most celebrated alumni while preparing the next generation of musicians.

Leading the camp are two music educators, Kermit Gray and LeManuel Williams.

For a week in June, students spent time learning the art of improvisation, the history of jazz, and a series of jazz standards that were showcased in a final performance at the end of the week. 

“It means so much to facilitate all these young musicians this summer, especially at my home campus,” Gray said. “There’s a lot of history that the students don’t know about that this camp is able to share with them firsthand. They get to see the things that Roy Hargrove accomplished within his lifespan and learn from the instructors who influenced him as a young musician, like Dean Hill. It means a lot to continue that legacy with these students.”

Kermit Gray is the director of bands at Roosevelt High School, and once walked in those same halls as a student. He experienced a full circle moment as an instructor at the jazz camp held at his alma mater.

Gray works alongside Dean Hill, founder of the camp and legendary Dallas ISD band director who retired after 47 years in education. Hill served as one of Hargrove’s earliest music teachers and mentor throughout the trumpeter’s career. Hargrove was a jazz musician and composer, who played the trumpet and flugelhorn. The Booker T. Washington High School for the Visual and Performing Arts graduate achieved critical acclaim after winning two Grammy Awards for different styles of jazz in 1998 and 2002. 

“We teach elements of swing, playing in different modes, and then we really focus on improvisation and teaching the kids how to solo with confidence,” Gray said. “We also prepare students for the jazz region auditions that begin when we come back from summer break. Band never stops for us, and we hit the ground running as soon as school starts. The camp gives students the tools to be successful at that as well.”

LeManuel Williams, fellow jazz camp instructor, is the director of bands at South Oak Cliff High School and a professional trumpeter. Williams is also a product of Dallas ISD but got his start as a student at Lincoln High School, his alma mater.

“At the camp, I teach students how to approach improvisation,” he said. “We uncover the meaning of jazz and how it is interwoven into the fabric of America. A lot of music that kids love to listen to now comes from the school of jazz. Being able to share this art form with young musicians, and during the summer, has been a blessing to see.”

Williams often encourages students to view music as a pathway to college. This year, 12 students from the South Oak Cliff band program earned more than $1 million in music scholarships, allowing them to continue their education while pursuing their passion.

“I want students to know that musicians are needed and listened to on a daily basis,” he said. “On iTunes, YouTube, when we turn on the television, when you listen to commercials and when you go to the movies, there is a musician.”

Both directors said they hope to introduce students to what is possible in music.

“People sometimes say that jazz is a lost art, but it’s still strong and thriving here in Dallas ISD.” Gray said. “When students get into the realm of jazz, they begin an elite level of musicianship that gets more difficult the more you learn. I always encourage them to trust the process.”

The Read Conmigo Educator Grants provides $3,000 to elementary educators with dual-language programs, and applications for the 2026 Read Conmigo Educator Grants are due on June 15.  

Previous winners have received funding for projects that empower students through innovative, hands-on learning experiences that foster creativity, critical thinking, STEM exploration, communications skills, social-emotional growth, and community engagement.  

Here are a few tips and reminders from the Kemper Foundation to ensure a strong submission: 

• Review all documents on the website, such as the FAQs.  

• Write the core content of your application yourself. While AI tools can be helpful, it’s important that your application reflects your unique voice and vision. 

• Show your authentic self in your bio by highlighting your passion for bilingual education and your approach in the classroom as well as detailing your education and professional achievements.   

• It is recommended to draft your responses in a Word or Google document before entering them into the grant portal. 

• Review your full application before submission to ensure that your narrative responses match your budget. 

Beginning this year, the Read Conmigo Educator Grants will transition to one application cycle each year. This will be the only opportunity to apply during the 2026 calendar year. 

When Miguel Fijó Mezquita walks into his second-grade classroom at Annie Webb Blanton Elementary School each morning, he doesn’t start class with a textbook or a test prep question. He starts with feelings.

He and his students sit together in a circle and share their “rose and thorn” of the day—one good thing and one hard thing. In a matter of minutes, Fijó learns who is excited, who is frustrated, and who may need a little extra support before the school day begins.

That deep sense of care is one of the reasons he was named Elementary Teacher of the Year at this year’s State of the District, and why so many children and families remember him long after they leave his classroom.

From the very beginning, Fijó knew teaching was a vocation he could not ignore.

“All my life I’ve dedicated myself to children,” he said. “Since I was very young, I realized I liked helping.”

He grew up and trained as a teacher in Spain, where he worked in a bilingual school with students whose first language was not Spanish. Over time, his desire to grow pushed him toward the life-changing decision of accepting an opportunity through the Spanish Ministry of Education to teach in the United States.At first, Texas was almost a mystery. 

“I only really knew Austin and Houston,” he remembered. “So when they selected me for Dallas, I didn’t really know where I was going.”

Fijó and his wife decided to treat it as a three-year adventure. She left her human resources job; he took a leave from his teaching position in Spain. They thought they would gain experience, learn a lot, and then go home.

But life had other plans.

“After the first three years, the district told me they wanted me to stay,” Fijó said. “They said they were offering me the possibility of remaining here because of the impact I was having on the children.”

Visa processes, waivers, and residency eventually followed. Thirteen years later, DFW is no longer just an experiment. It’s where his sons are growing up, where his students greet him each morning, where he has built a life. In his classroom, Fijó blends the best of two educational worlds.

“In Spain, for every subject we had pedagogical materials prepared for us,” he explained. “In that sense it was much easier.”

In Texas, especially at first, those materials didn’t exist in the same way. He had to build resources from scratch and adapt to a different curriculum and system. Instead of being discouraged, he took it as a creative challenge. Over time, programs like Amplify gave him more structure without limiting his style. 

“The lessons give you a guide, but they are flexible,” he said. “I teach the lessons in my own way, but at the same time I follow the curriculum properly.”

Fijó uses music to teach grammar, spelling, even sentence structure. Concepts that could feel dry—like subject, verb, and complement—turn into something kids can sing, dance to, and remember.

“If you only teach it as direct instruction, students don’t always apply it,” he said. “Through the song, they are able to do it.”

Families are also a part of Fijó’s circle of care. Early in his time teaching fourth grade, he became determined to bring parents closer to the classroom. To do this, Fijó uses a daily reading log not as a chore, but as a bridge between home and school. 

“I don’t want my students to read only for a test,” he said. “I want them to read because through reading you learn. The book is a tool for learning, an opportunity to bond with parents, not just something you use for an exam.”

Outside class time, Fijó often finds himself surrounded by Lego pieces and excited voices. As a longtime coach for First Lego League Challenge, he has watched robotics change how students see themselves.

“I’m not on top of them telling them what to do,” he explained. “They solve problems on their own, and my role is to guide them when they have questions.”

Some of the children who shine the brightest in robotics are the same ones who once felt uncertain or discouraged in traditional lessons. 

“They feel freer and can develop their potential,” he said. “Their self-esteem grows.”

At the core of Fijó’s philosophy is a belief in the power of a positive attitude, authenticity, and meaningful experiences. Even his advice to new teachers is rooted in identity.

“You have to be yourself and make the classroom your own,” he said. “The most important thing is your attitude, because you can’t always change the work or the challenges, but you can choose how you show up for your students every single day.”

For him, teaching is ultimately about creating learning experiences that students will carry for life.

“I want them to remember their time with me as a time when they were helped, listened to, and knew they could always count on me,” he said.

At Camp Culture: A World Language Experience, middle schoolers aren’t cramming conjugations, they are  painting, designing, tasting, and storytelling their way into new worlds. Running through June 25, the camp lets students rotate through Spanish, German, French, and Mandarin with hands-on activities, from traditional dances and basic language lessons to food tastings in partnership with Food and Child Nutrition Services.

Lisa Whitaker, director of Academic Enrichment and Support, said her idea for the program grew out of a simple concern: students don’t know what they’re missing.

“Children often select Spanish or French, while German, ASL, and Mandarin are rarely chosen,” Whitaker said. “Many students simply have little exposure to these languages or how they might use them in real life.”

For Whitaker the camp is about access and imagination. By giving students a taste of these cultures now, she hopes they’ll feel more confident choosing high schools and courses that match their curiosity—and maybe even discover a new passion that could shape their futures.

Camp instructor Fernanda Fernandes, who grew up in Brazil and now teaches French at Preston Hollow Elementary School, said the emphasis is clear.

“The goal during this time is not to teach them a lot of language, but rather the culture,” Fernandes said. “Once they feel connected to the culture, they want to discover more about the language. They learn a few words, but not yet in depth.”

Bazey Mireles, Spanish teacher at Hill Middle School, who is co-teaching with Fernandes, sees the camp as a chance to plant long-term seeds.

“By Friday, we want them to know that these languages are available to fulfill their language credit,” Mireles said. “We want them to immerse themselves in the culture so they become interested in learning another language.”

The camp’s Spanish week is a perfect example. Students created self‑portraits inspired by Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, then shifted from art history to social media by designing Instagram‑style pages for the Incas. They also studied athletes like Lionel Messi and produced trading cards. Later, they designed movie posters inspired by the films of Guillermo del Toro and Latino culture. 

These projects transform the classroom atmosphere, Mireles said.

“It’s definitely less pressure for them,” Mireles said. “They get to flip that creative switch. They love expressing themselves, and I feel like teaching them through culture takes the pressure off, which encourages them to keep creating.”

Time is another quiet luxury of the camp. Because camp days run longer than regular class periods, students immerse themselves into their work instead of racing the bell.

“Since it’s a little more laid back, they can dive deep into crafts and hands-on activities to express themselves,” Fernandes said. “Sometimes we don’t have time for that in a regular classroom setting, but with the different approach we have during summer camp, they’re not afraid of having to finish everything in a single class period.”

The cultural lessons spill beyond the walls of the classroom. A planned trip to the Meadows Museum this week will connect what students see in PowerPoint slides and discussions to real works of art.

“Meadows has a Latino exhibition, and that will help them connect with what we just saw,” Mirela said. “They can just walk around, look at the art, and see what these cultures have to offer. Making that real-world connection will help them understand just how important it is.”

This summer, the FIFA World Cup coming to Dallas adds another powerful hook. Students are designing their own FIFA mascots based on Spanish‑speaking countries, tying global sports fever to culture and creativity.

Both teachers are careful to tie language to the real world. Mireles talks to students about major international companies with Dallas ties, and how much it matters to be able to speak to people in their own language. 

“If you want to be part of something big, you need to be able to communicate with people,” Mireles said. “You don’t know how much they appreciate it when you understand their culture.”

For Fernandes, who also has a background in literature and journalism, the camp’s purpose reaches even further.

“Students are learning to be citizens of the world, not just of one place,” Fernandes said. “AI and translation tools can help you get some words, but they don’t help you get the culture—and putting everything together only happens through culture.”

During its regular monthly meeting, the Board of Trustees approved the 2026-2027 budget, which reflects the district’s continued investment in students and team members across Dallas ISD. The budget includes raises for exempt campus and central team members, increased pay for employees in excellence initiatives, and a new minimum wage of $17.50 per hour.

It also sets the new certified teacher minimum salary to $68,000, which makes it competitive in the region. Dallas ISD continues to have one of the highest teacher retention rates in the DFW area and across Texas. These are strategic investments in employees, classrooms, and students while responsibly planning for long-term financial stability.

Budget snapshot

• $1.8 billion total operating budget
• $104 million projected budget deficit 
• $56.4 million employee compensation
• $73 million projected recapture payment to the state 

Why is there a deficit?

Several factors are impacting school district budgets across Texas, including Dallas ISD’s.

• Rising recapture payments to the State of Texas
• Reduced state revenue
• Declining student enrollment

Dallas ISD is projected to send $73 million back to the state next year through the recapture system, compared to $60 million this year.

HOW EVERY DOLLAR IS SPENT

80¢ of every dollar goes directly to employees.

For every $1 spent:

• 80¢ Payroll
• 12¢ Contracted Services
• 6¢ Supplies & Materials
• 2¢ Other Costs

Over the past three years, more than 250 central office positions have been reduced, outside contracts and operational expenses have been reduced, and the district continues identifying additional efficiencies.

Looking ahead

Dallas ISD’s long-term goal is to achieve a balanced budget by the 2028–2029 school year while continuing investments that support students, employees, and school communities.