Staff News

While Dallas ISD’s 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress results show steady performance in math and reading for fourth and eighth graders and some student groups continuing to outperform their peers, the results also showed the district still has work to do to catch up to national public and large city schools.

The district’s eighth grade reading gains were among the highest nationally, trailing only Chicago among Trial Urban District Assessment participants. English language learners, who make up over 50% of Dallas ISD students, significantly outperformed their national and large-city peers in fourth and eighth grade reading and math. In math, Black and Hispanic fourth graders outperformed their national and large-city counterparts. Fourth graders overall outperformed 10 other TUDA districts in math.

Another highlight in the results is the trends that indicate an increase in students achieving at basic, proficient, and advanced levels across all grades and subjects tested.

“These results tell us that the supports we have implemented for the past three years both for teachers and students have helped us recover,” said Superintendent Stephanie Elizalde. “However, they also tell us that we still have work ahead of us to get back to pre-pandemic levels and to narrow the gap with our peers. It is more important than ever to invest in the education of the children in our state and our district so we can continue the learning improvements.”

Dallas ISD has emphasized teacher mentoring, development, and retention, leading to higher retention rates than other urban districts across Texas. Since 2021, the district has also prioritized reading and math academies, along with additional professional development, to strengthen instructional practices.

Ray Hart, executive director of the Council of the Great City Schools, praised the district’s progress: “Dallas is one of only four districts whose performance in 2024 was not significantly different than their 2019 pre-pandemic scores in all four grade and subject combinations tested, showing that federal, state, and local resources devoted to recovery from the pandemic have been extremely beneficial.”

Elizalde added: “It is thanks to the continued work of the board, administration, and our team members, as well as our steadfast focus on the goals for improving outcomes for all students in the district that these results are possible.”

As part of the district’s cloud-first strategy, the Oracle Enterprise Business Suite (EBS) infrastructure will be migrating from our current on-premise setup to Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) to improve system performance, scalability, and resilience.

What does this mean for users?

This migration will bring several benefits, including:

• Access anywhere : Greater accessibility to the system from any location without needing a Virtual Private Network (VPN), fostering more flexibility and ease of use.
• Enhanced performance: Optimized system response times and reduced downtime.
• Improved security: Strengthened security protocols and compliance with industry standards.
• Increased scalability: Seamlessly handle growing workloads and user demands.

Key Dates:

• Migration start: 6 p.m. on March 7
• Expected completion: 5 p.m. on March 16
• Downtime window: 6 p.m. on March 7 through 5 p.m. on March 16

During the migration, there will be a scheduled downtime to ensure a smooth and successful transition. The migration has been planned to coincide with the week of spring break to avoid any disruption to regular district activities. Team members’ support as the district works to modernize its systems is appreciated.

Very Influential Principals in the vertical teams were identified by their executive directors and associate superintendent last fall and represent outstanding principals in their areas. 

Recommended characteristics of a Vertical Team VIP include: 

• Influencing positive culture on campus and within the vertical team,
• Cultivating leaders,
• Retaining employees across all campus roles,
• Implementing strategic actions and activities focused on students’ personal growth and well-being, and 
• Collaborating with, cheering for, and counseling colleagues.

REGION I 

W.H. Adamson HS: Stephanie Amaya

Moisés E. Molina HS: Norma Barragan

Skyline HS: Kiashan King

L.G. Pinkston HS: Josefina Murillo

Sunset HS: Sherri Rogers-Hall

REGION II

Bryan Adams HS: Audrey De La Cruz

Seagoville HS: Katrina Gibson

W.W. Samuell HS: Linda Kratzert

Woodrow Wilson HS: Brittany Thompson

Grady Spruce HS: Samantha White

REGION III

Hillcrest HS: Beverly Mullins Ford

Emmett J. Conrad HS: Maria Puente-Mejia

North Dallas HS: Mary Ann Suhl

W.T. White HS: Ashley Toole

Thomas Jefferson HS: James Wallace

REGION IV

Madison/Lincoln: Jennifer Atkins

Justin F. Kimball HS: Sonja Barnes

David W. Carter HS: Demetria Bell-Ellis

South Oak Cliff HS: Willie Johnson

Franklin D. Roosevelt / Wilmer Hutchins: Stacy Ray

REGION V

Magnet Team: Valarie Kendrick

Transformation & Innovation: Molly Lynch and Chealsie Sanchez

Dallas ISD team members spent their winter break at home or traveling with family while others visited new places to rest and recharge for the new year. Several share their stories and photos below.

Sarah Foster, principal at Bryan Adams High School Leadership Academy

She spent her winter break traveling to the Bahamas, where she and her family enjoyed the amazing blue waters of Exuma. 

“We usually spend every other Christmas as a blended family on a big trip,” Foster said. “It includes all of the Dad’s side of the family, my mom, my blended siblings, and our kids. It makes so many memories!”

Karyn Pfeffer, auditor with Internal Audit

She traveled to Omaha, Neb., to be with her aging parents, and learned during her trip that she is, unfortunately, not a good cook though she did not share details of what led to this conclusion. 

“Taking my dad to what will hopefully be his last radiation treatment and seeing him ring the bell,” she said was an important memory of the trip.

William Perez, early learning specialist

He had a wonderful winter break staying home to celebrate Christmas with family and then traveling to Portland, Ore., to visit close friends. They really loved the opportunity to visit Silver Falls State Park and Mount Hood. 

“Growing up in the ‘80s meant that you watched the movie Goonies several hundred times,” he said. “We could not miss the opportunity to visit the Haystack Rock at Cannon Beach (at the end of the movie) and the original Astoria home. It was an amazing experience! Goonies never say die.”

Jordan Hillis, Montessori teacher at Montessori Academy at Onésimo Hernandez 

She spent her 20s and the majority of her 30s working on cruise ships during summers and holidays and traveling to more than 100 countries. Then, she settled down at 40 and had a baby, so the break was spent with family enjoying the baby’s first Christmas. 

“My husband is a photographer, and we love to create memories in photos,” she said. “We dressed our son as an elf, took pictures in a cup of hot chocolate, and captured him enjoying his first snowfall!”

“I’ve been a teacher for more than 15 years, and I find so much joy in watching my students blossom in the classroom and beyond,” she added. “Their curiosity and sweetness inspired me and gave me the courage to have a child of my own, and I’ll always be grateful to them for that.”

Yvonne Rojas, principal at Irma Rangel Young Women’s Leadership School

She spent a lot of quality time locally with her daughter—Leyah, a third grader at  Winnetka Elementary School—visiting many outdoor locations, such as the Dallas Arboretum, Klyde Warren Park, the Omni Hotel for ice skating and New Year’s. They also had fun indoors with games and movies like Moana and Wicked. 

“We also did a lot of crafts and cooking at home which was very fun to do with her because of her interest in trying new things,” she said. “The best part was all the smiles and giggles we had, especially when we would discuss our day and laugh about our favorite parts. She loves her school and teachers, so everywhere we go, she would tie it back into something she learned at some point during the year. For example, in art, her teacher talked to them about sculptures around Dallas, and every time we would see one, she wanted to take a picture of it and discuss its meaning or importance to art.”

Alexis Crain, third grade teacher at Jerry Junkins Elementary School

She spent the winter break traveling—one week in Louisiana and one week in Florida.

Most of my time in Louisiana was spent in the Baton Rouge area but also a few smaller cities. Her favorite part was seeing fields of sugarcane in St. Martinville. 

“My friend’s family used to farm sugar cane, so I was able to learn some interesting facts about it,” she said. “I have always been fascinated by Louisiana history and culture.”

From Louisiana, she traveled to Orlando, where her favorite spot was Universal Islands of Adventure. 

“It was nostalgic seeing the Harry Potter attractions, and they brought back childhood memories,” she said. “The roller coasters were so much fun! Surprisingly, I am not a fan of roller coasters but proud of myself for stepping out of my comfort zone. I learned to take risks and try new things.”

Gabriela Mejía Villarreal, a dual language teacher at Jerry Junkins Elementary School

She spent the winter break visiting family in Mexico and welcoming the new year in Las Vegas. The highlight of her break was getting engaged at Horseshoe Bend in the Grand Canyon. She also went to Cirque du Soleil’s “One,” a show based on Michael Jackson’s music, where dancers were moonwalking on the wall.

“We visited the Lower Antelope Canyon afterwards and celebrated our engagement with the breathtaking views of the canyon,” she said.  

New data from the Texas Education Agency confirms that Dallas ISD retained more teachers than similar urban districts, those in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, and those across Texas while teacher turnover increased from across the state.

Each year, TEA publishes data on teacher turnover in the Texas Academic Performance Reports that give districts a consistent method to benchmark turnover against peers across the state.

“We begin projecting turnover early each fall, but when we received the data over the winter break, for the second year in a row, the Dallas ISD teacher retention rate was higher than the state and Region 10,” said Human Capital Management Chief Robert Abel. “The data is clear: Dallas ISD is retaining more teachers and at higher rates than comparable districts.”

Even better, TEI data shows that among those teachers, the district continues to retain the most effective teachers at a rate above 90% annually, Abel said.

Abel attributes the lower attrition rate to the district’s comprehensive retention strategy that pairs market-leading compensation under TEI with wrap-around teacher development opportunities and supportive campus leaders that balance high expectations with opportunities for success.

“It’s a whole philosophy of supporting teachers and making sure they have everything they need to help their students succeed,” he said. 

For early career teachers, Dallas ISD’s teacher mentor program has more than doubled the number of teacher mentors to more than 950 this school year, and the program provides targeted support to accelerate professional growth of those new to the district, he said. 

“Dallas ISD is a great place to call home, and we’re excited by the opportunities and support available to our teachers in the District,” Abel said.

Deon H., a fourth grader at J.P. Starks Math, Science, and Technology Vanguard, is the winner of the 33rd Annual MLK Jr. Oratory Competition.

In total, eight students across Dallas ISD took the stage for the annual competition, which took place at the AT&T Performing Arts Center on Friday, Jan, 17.

The theme this year was “what would Dr. King tell us about our responsibility as citizens and leaders in America today?” Each student delivered a 3-to-5-minute speech that incorporated the theme with lessons taught by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Second place went to Sidiba D., a fourth grade student at Solar Preparatory for Girls, and fifth-grader, Danielle A., from Clara Oliver Elementary School, came in third place.

The rest of the semi-finalist for the 2025 MLK Jr. Oratory Competition are:

• Sullivan P., fourth grade: Adelle Turner Elementary School
• Jaxon W., fourth grade: Charles Rice Learning Center
• Ivan S., fifth grade: Arturo Salazar Elementary School
• Khalyn T., fifth grade: Eddie Bernice Johnson STEM Academy
• Zayden V, fifth grade: Frederick Douglass Elementary School

Dallas ISD is partnering again with the Dallas Education Foundation to kick off the district’s Annual Employee Giving Campaign starting in February. This year, the goal is to raise $100,000.

Last year, the DEF generously gifted nearly $2.5 million in grants and resources directly supporting our teachers, students, and schools. Since 2020, it has invested over $10 million in Dallas ISD. This significant funding has allowed the district to enhance programming, provide innovative teaching grants, and allocate resources where they are needed most.

The funds raised through the Employee Giving Campaign ensure that every dollar donated is an investment in the future of Dallas ISD. The employee-driven campaign gives team members the opportunity to come together in support of a common initiative that reflects the commitment to advancing education within the district.

To make this campaign a success, each department or campus is asked to choose someone to be a campaign champion. This person will help rally everyone together and encourage donations. Please make sure to use the forms provided to assign the champion for your department/campus:

Campus champion identification form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe5B7UcTKFCBR2P8TZn-NrSj-7Mlpce47upowYCgKeiWplh_g/viewform?usp=header 

Central champion identification form:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScUru9kk2WSRWbIpToq0DB-cjgJbThQcsQfCXBXkFWkig22kQ/viewform?usp=header 

For further questions, you may contact Amanda Sanchez at amasanchez@dallasisd.org or Emily Davis at emily.davis@dallasisd.org.

Recent federal legislature under the Providing Urgent Maternal Protections for Nursing Mothers Act has expanded the right of employees to take lactation breaks and have a private place to express breast milk at work. Supervisors must complete mandatory training by Feb. 14.

To support employees who need to express breast milk at work, the district has developed training to equip supervisors with the knowledge to navigate the requirements and protocols of the PUMP Act.

Supervisors—district employees who supervise others—must complete mandatory training by Friday, Feb. 14. Example positions include: 

• Principals
• Assistant principals
• Site administrators
• Cafeteria supervisors
• Central supervisors, managers, directors, executive directors

After supervisors will log into Cornerstone at https://dallasisd.csod.com, the training will be in the My Assigned Training section located on the Welcome page or on the Learning tab under View Your Transcript.

For help with technical issues with the course in Cornerstone, go to the Live User Support tab to access the live support team.

For additional information or assistance, please contact the Human Capital Management Policy and Compliance team at HCMcompliance@dallasisd.org or (972) 794-7858.

For the 2024-2025 school year, 20 principals from across the district were awarded the Master Principal designation, which is given to the top 10% of principals in elementary, secondary, and choice schools.

This year’s Master Principals represent a wealth of experience and diversity across the district. In order to be considered for this designation, principals must have at least three years of service as a leader of a school. Criteria is also based on individual and campus performance. 

The full list of Master Principals is:

• Stephanie Amaya, W.H. Adamson High School
• Oscar Aponte, Maple Lawn Elementary School
• Demetria Bell-Ellis, Ronald Erwin McNair Elementary School
• Vivian Chandler Fairley, Emmett J. Conrad High School
• Ida Escobedo, Margaret B. Henderson Elementary School
• Sandra Espinoza, Felix G. Botello Elementary School
• Ana Fernandez, Nathaniel Hawthorne Elementary School
• Alpher Garrett-Jones, Paul L. Dunbar Learning Center 
• Nikki Hudson, L.V. Stockard Middle School
• Darwin Hughes, T.W. Browne Middle School
• Ben Jones, Thomas Jefferson High School 
• David Lee, for his Leadership at Hector P. Garcia Middle School in 2023-2024
• Marissa Limon, Dan D. Rogers Elementary School
• Lakisha Merritt, Martin Weiss Elementary School
• Kimberly Richardson, Thomas L Marsalis Elementary STEAM Academy 
• Lonnie Russell, for his Leadership at Rufus C. Burleson Elementary in 2023-2024
• Rubinna Sanchez, Young Women’s Steam Academy at Balch Springs Middle School
• Tameka Whitney, Dallas Environmental Science Academy
• Caroline Wilson, James Bowie Elementary School
• Arnoldo Zuñiga, School for Talented and Gifted at Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Center 

There will be a Master Principal Celebration on Feb. 4, 2025, and these principals will receive an $8,000 stipend in the 2025-2026 school year.

Last fall, more than 90 schools and 1,300 students in elementary through high school competed in the Texas Math and Science Coaches Association Invitational academic competition that stresses math and science.

TMSCA provides students the opportunity to practice UIL math and science contests through grade level and team competitions. Sponsored by the Dallas ISD Student Activities Department, the invitational meets mark the beginning of TMSCA competitions for the year.

Kendall Russo, the TMSCA coach at Everette L. Degolyer Elementary School, said the invitational is a good way for students to increase confidence and engagement.

“I’ve seen firsthand how the competition positively impacts my students,” she said. “Through their participation, they’ve developed a love for learning, embraced challenges with enthusiasm, and built a strong sense of pride in themselves and representing their school.”

For the first time ever, interest was so high for Dallas ISD that TMSCA had to hold two Invitational TMSCA Meets to allow everyone to participate. The participating schools were divided into six groups to accommodate the large number of students vying to rank in the top 10 places of each event.

STEM students will participate in online and in-person invitational meets for the remainder of the school year as they prepare for their regional, state, and UIL competitions.

Julie Majewski-Smith, TMSCA executive director, said all students who participated understand that the ability to perform well on standardized tests is an invaluable skill..

“TMSCA improves students’ skills in taking timed standardized tests and teaches them to work under pressure,” Majewski-Smith said. “Participation instills in students an increased sense of pride in academic achievement.”

Upcoming TMSCA Events

• Qualifiers begin in February
• High School State Meet: March 15, 2025
• Middle School State Meet: March 29, 2025
• Elementary State Online Meet: April 14, 2025