Staff News

Nine Dallas ISD teachers are finalists for this year’s Teacher of the Year Awards in three categories. The winner—who will represent the district at regional and state levels—will be chosen at a special event sponsored by Central Market.

During the annual Teacher of the Year recognition program teachers of the year from all the schools will also be recognized. The three finalists in the Elementary, Secondary, and Choice/Magnet categories were selected through an application process. This year, 68 campus Teacher of the Year winners applied for the district honor, writing of their passion and innovation in teaching, leading, and serving the community. The nine finalists were then invited to complete a recorded video interview. Judges from internal Dallas ISD departments and members of the education community will review their responses to select a winner from each category.

In response to the continuing pandemic, this year’s districtwide celebration will take a unique shape: Dallas ISD’s three Teachers of the Year will be announced via video segments to be aired on NBC5 and WFAA in late April and early May. Central Market will recognize our finalists and the District Teachers of the Year monetary awards ranging from $1,500 to $5,000.

Choice / Magnet Finalists (All-Level)

Peter Morrissey – Alex Sanger Preparatory School
Peter Morrissey, now in his 17th year as an educator in Dallas, teaches general education and English as a Second Language at Alex Sanger Preparatory. He received his Bachelor’s of Fine Art in Communication Design degree from Texas State University. A frequent collaborator with colleagues about best practices in the classroom, he is also very involved in Student Activities as the Campus Activities Coordinator, working with teachers and the community to ensure that his campus provides a variety of co-curricular and extracurricular activities for all students. When he is not working in the classroom, you will find him spending time with his two children and wife. Morrissey is a strong believer in having determination, perseverance and passion that keeps you going despite obstacles. He was born and raised in Dallas and is both a product of Dallas ISD and proud graduate of Woodrow Wilson High School. With hard work and determination, he achieved the goal of higher education and tries to instill that in his students daily.

Mary Nunley – City Lab High School
Mary Nunley has nine years of experience teaching high school mathematics in both traditional-public and public-charter high schools. She is the founding math teacher at CityLab High School. Nunley is a continuous learner who takes every opportunity she can to develop her abilities both as a classroom teacher and teacher-leader. In her current role as campus lead teacher, she enjoys supporting the learning and teaching of her peers through collaboration and feedback. Although she enjoys this work to develop and support her peers, her favorite time of day is when is in the classroom with her 12th grade statistics students, where she teaches using a project-based learning model. She entered the teaching profession as a 2012 Dallas-Fort Worth Teach for America corps member after graduating from Lehigh University. Since then, she has obtained her master’s in Education with a focus on STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) instruction from Southern Methodist University and her Master’s in Educational Leadership from the University of North Texas at Dallas as part of The Future STEM Leaders Academy. When she’s not working, she enjoys spending time with her family, her friends and her two dogs, Harvey and Rio.

Yonathan Tadesse – Judge Barefoot Sanders Law Magnet at Townview Center
Yonathan Tadesse recognizes the potential in every student and teaches so that this potential is seen and fulfilled for every child. He believes that every student can learn math – regardless of their background, prior experiences, or fears about the subject.  A 2014 graduate of Emory University, Tadesse tutored in local Atlanta public schools throughout college and learned not only of the inequities that persist in public education, but gained a love for students, and experienced firsthand the need for more black male math teachers. Upon graduation, he became a Teach For America corps member and taught high school math for five years at W.W. Samuell High School, helping contribute to significant academic gains for students. Currently, Tadesse is teaching algebra and college transition to 10th and 11th graders and serving as math chair at the Judge Barefoot Sanders Law Magnet. Tadesse has been a pioneer in many new campus and district initiatives, leading the first Link Crew program and teaching the first college transition class offered in the district.

Elementary (PK-5)

Jose Armendariz – Pershing Elementary School
Jose Armendariz began his teaching career after working for three years at a U.S. consulate and deciding to change his life to become a teacher to continue his family’s legacy in education. Immediately after receiving his Master’s in Business Administration from The University of Texas at El Paso he started his career in Dallas ISD as a bilingual teacher in 2004 through the Alternative Certification Program at John J. Pershing Elementary. Now with more than 17 consecutive years in education at Pershing, Armendariz has had impact in almost every teaching assignment at the campus.  Since 2016, he has been an active collaborator as a cadre member with the ESL and Bilingual Department of Dallas ISD, been showcased on Univision on via the TV Educational Show Unimás, and partnered with his campus leaders to re-establish the Pershing Lions PTA. As a winner of numerous grants and  fellowships, his focus is to provide the best learning experience to his students so they will overcome the learning barriers that impact their academic, social and emotional learning, while embracing the use of technology in a hybrid platform to promote communication, engagement, and parent involvement to drive equity for diverse learners.

Maria Sarmiento – Nancy Cochran Elementary School
Maria “Elysa” Enriquez Sarmiento was born and raised in Manila to a family of educators. She completed her bachelor of science degree in Psychology from Ateneo de Manila University before moving to the United States at the age of 22 to begin her career in special education as a paraeducator for the severely handicapped. Sarmiento served as a paraeducator in a moderate to severe special education unit of third and fifth graders in Hayward Unified School District for almost two years before relocating to Dallas as an autism behavior technician at Metro Care. A stepping-stone to her teaching career, she learned unforgettable values as an employee of a nonprofit organization. In 2016, she joined Dallas ISD as a student teacher at Eladio Martinez Learning Center. Along with teaching, she served as her school’s special education lead teacher and chairperson for three years. In 2018, Sarmiento pursued her master’s degree in special education through Lamar University. Now charged with a functional living skills unit at Nancy Cochran Elementary School, Sarmiento is currently enrolled in practicum courses to acquire her educational diagnostician certification through Lamar University. Her ultimate purpose is to positively impact the future of our nation—the youth. 

Katelyn Sokol – Stevens Park Elementary School
Katie Sokol is a fifth-grade teacher with six years of experience. She is currently teaching reading and writing at Stevens Park Elementary School. She holds a Bachelor of Elementary Education from Arizona State University, a Master of Education with a focus on ESL Education from Southern Methodist University, and a Master of Arts from the reading specialist program at Columbia University in New York City. She is exceptionally passionate about literacy education and working toward bridging the literacy gap that exists between affluent and low-income students. Sokol has dedicated her career to delivering high- quality reading and writing instruction to students who are reading below grade level and has gained experience through her time spent teaching in West Dallas, Harlem (NYC), and Oak Cliff. Sokol is passionate about working in the West Dallas and Oak Cliff neighborhoods and has long-term plans to stay in the community in an effort to make a lasting impact on the children, their families, and their overall literacy skills.

Secondary (6-12)

Seneca Denman – Boude Storey Middle School
Seneca Denman was raised in a small rural town in East Texas to a family of six sisters and six brothers where she learned the importance of sharing, taking turns, being patient, and that her Mama and Daddy don’t play when it comes to education. Her interest in education began early, when she was encouraged by her mother to seek out a profession that she would not only enjoy but find meaningful. Denman earned a bachelor of science degree in physical education and history at Paul Quinn College and a master’s degree in Education Administration with a principal certification from Lamar University. Her first teaching job was at Southwestern Christian College in Terrell, where she taught physical education and coached the women’s basketball team. Later Seneca moved to Dallas and found her home in Dallas ISD. Dedicated to the middle grades, she is presently in her fifth year at Boude Storey Middle School.  Double-digit gains on local and state social studies assessments have often followed her campus assignments, and she seeks not only to prepare her students but to collaborate with and support her peers. A TEI and TIA distinguished teacher, Denman’s greatest joy is seeing former students all grown up leading successful lives.

Rachel Reese – Alex W. Spence Middle School
A 26-year veteran of Dallas ISD, Reese has spent her career as an educator working with students in middle school and currently serves as Instructional Lead Teacher for English at Alex W. Spence Middle School and TAG Academy, teaching eighth grade reading/language arts. Reese obtained her Associates of Arts degree from Paris Junior College, followed by a transfer to Texas Tech University, where she earned her bachelor of arts degree in journalism. She began her teaching career at Fred F. Florence Middle School as an elective teacher for the school newspaper and yearbook. Quickly learning that her true passion was improving students’ reading skills, Reese has served as a member of many Campus Instructional Leadership Teams, Instructional Coach, and as the campus coordinator or the Methods of Effective Teaching grant through the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.  In 2011, Reese transferred to Alex W. Spence Middle School to teach eighth grade reading. She was selected to serve as reading/ language arts CILT representative, where she has continued to serve consecutively. At Spence, she also serves as a distinguished teacher, LPAC chairperson and campus TEI expert.

Aaron Stewart – Skyline High School
Born in Los Angeles, Calif., Aaron Stewart moved to Dallas just before high school where he attended David W. Carter High School. A stand-out football player, choir member, member of the National Honor Society, and one of the founding members of the Fostering Underclassmen to Utilize and Respect Education mentorship program, it was during this time that Stewart cultivated his passions for reading, writing and mentoring others. A graduate of the University of North Texas, Stewart’s desire to teach students that shared his background led him to Skyline High School, where his impact was immediate. To Stewart, knowledge is not just power, but freedom. As a fatherless, poor, black student from an urban city, Stewart recognizes that with the help of past teachers, coaches, and mentors, he has been exposed to possibilities that were once hidden from him. Now his life’s mission is to expose all students to possibilities beyond what they can see, using knowledge and education as the guiding compass. Currently an English I teacher, Stewart believes his greatest accomplishment is becoming a man of which his family can be proud and makes it his mission to help his students and colleagues become all that they can be.

Family issues, work commitments, health problems, conflicts with friends and neighbors can all be challenging on the best of days, but for many, the COVID-19 pandemic has created additional stress. Researchers have begun to study the impact that the isolation and additional struggles have had on people’s mental and emotional health and are finding that it may be worth than they expected.

What’s their recommendation? Be kind to yourself and seek help.

The district’s Employee Assistance program, administered by LifeWorks is here to help. The EAP is a confidential service that offers help with personal and work-related issues.

Professionally trained advisors are available to help with family problems, marital concerns, financial and legal matters, stress, depression, and other issues affecting life at work or at home. The service where advisers are available 24/7 the 365 days of the year is free and confidential.

The EAP encourages employees and those close to them to seek help early, before a minor problem becomes more serious and is designed to address short-term issues and to identify resources and referrals for emergency and long-term issues. When in doubt, contact the EAP for help or support. Download the brochure to see how the EAP works.

To access the Employee Assistance Program managed through LifeWorks, call (972) 925-4000 (Option 3) or visit login.lifeworks.com and log in with your district credentials when prompted.
 

The road to improving your health with good nutrition starts with a good look at your relationship with food. If you answer yes to one or more of the questions below, you might want to talk to an expert like a nutritionist or a dietician to see what you can do to improve your eating habits.

1. Do you eat a lot of processed and fast foods?
2. Do you have high blood pressure, diabetes, or high cholesterol?
3. Is diabetes, cancer, heart disease or osteoporosis prevalent in your family?
4. Is your diet varied and includes fruits and vegetables?
5. Are you overweight?
6. Do you eat late at night?
7. Do you regularly eat more than an average of 1,200 calories per day?
8. Do you feel like you lack energy?

While it can be challenging to change your eating habits, it helps to focus on small changes or adjustments. Making changes to your diet may benefit you if you have conditions that can improve with a different diet, such as diabetes, lactose intolerance, obesity, celiac disease, high blood pressure, or cholesterol.

Find strengths and weaknesses in your current diet plan. Do you eat four to five cups of fruits and vegetables daily? If you don’t, that is a good place to start in changing your eating habits.

1. Make your first meal a serving or two of fruit.
2. Get extra energy during your day from fruit or veggie snacks, such as an apple or carrot sticks.
3. Try to have more vegetables on your plate than you do anything else and start your meal by eating the vegetables first.
4. Use fruits and veggies as ingredients when you cook., for example, add spinach to your scrambles eggs or diced bell peppers to your chicken.
5. Try a new fruit, veggie, or recipe each week to keep it interesting.

Do you eat enough high fiber foods? Here are some good choices to try:

1. Good grains to eat are (bulgar) cracked wheat, Oats, millet, farro, teff, sorghum, buckwheat, barley, and spelt.
2. Food that have a lot of fiber and other nutritional benefits include chickpeas, quinoa, beans, almonds, pecans, walnuts, chia seeds, berries, and sweet potatoes.

Cut down on unhealthy fat. If you currently eat a lot of unhealthy fat, try to cut back. Fat is an important part of a nutritious diet, but try to consume good fats, like vegetable-based fats rather than saturated or animal-based fats.

1. If eating meat, remove the skin before cooking and bake, grill, or broil instead of frying.
2. Use avocado instead of mayonnaise in your sandwich.
3. Instead of chips or other greasy snacks, eat a handful of almonds or pecans, but don’t overdo it because nuts, while a healthier option, still pack a lot of calories.
4. Substitute salad dressings with oil and vinegar and control how much you use.

Keeping track of what you eat and drink whether on an app or a journal can be helpful and revealing. Try to include the portion sizes and the calories to get a good idea of what you are eating and how much every day. A food diary can not only be revealing but also provide a good way to hold yourself accountable in your journey to better nutrition and a healthier lifestyle.

The Dallas ISD STEM Health and Physical Education Department has officially launched the “Dallas ISD On the MOVE!” Physical Activity and Fitness Calendar Website.

The website was created to help promote the physical activity and fitness levels of all Dallas ISD students whether they are participating in face-to-face or remote learning. The initiative utilizes a monthly calendar that will provide opportunities for parent and family engagement in activities promoting the importance of physical fitness and support overall health and wellness. The calendar will also support the use of activity breaks in the classroom setting.

“We are excited to get it out into the hands of our school community,” said Barbara Johnson, Health and Physical Education director.

The “Dallas ISD On the Move!” Physical Activity and Fitness Calendar website can be found at https://sites.google.com/dallasisd.org/physical-activity-fitness-cale/home.

Dallas ISD will celebrate and showcase the hard work of teachers and assistant principals who have been reimagining how the next generation of teaching and learning could look like in the district during a special event March 30. The Innovation Showcase is a virtual celebration designed to recognize Dallas ISD’s Innovation in Teaching and School Retool Fellows for the 2020-2021 school year. This event will elevate the voices of our fellows through three panels and a release of a virtual exhibition for attendees to explore their design projects over the year. Those who want to attend must register via Zoom to receive a unique link to join the celebration.

In addition to the recognitions and the exhibit unveiling, the event includes several panels about leveraging innovation in the classroom, how to drive change and navigating ambiguity. Teachers and assistant principals who are interested in being part of future cohorts are encouraged to attend to learn more about the fellowships and how to apply.

To attend and learn more, go to www.thepltoolbox.com/showcase.

Innovation in Teaching Fellowship

A teaching fellowship rooted in design thinking to equip educators to grow in their understanding of and pilot Next Generation models of learning (blended learning, project-based learning, and design thinking) in their classrooms. Learn more and apply at www.thepltoolbox.com/fellowship.

School Retool Fellowship

School Retool is a professional learning fellowship that helps school leaders redesign school culture to support deeper learning practices using small, scrappy experiments called “hacks.” This is executed in partnership with the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford University and IDEO. Learn more at www.schoolretool.org.

Questions? Reach out to the team at personalizedlearning@dallasisd.org.

Because the safety and well-being of staff is a top priority for Dallas ISD, the district has been working with Dallas County, Parkland Memorial Hospital, UT Southwestern Medical Center, and other community organizations to secure vaccines for all employees.

The vaccine is an important part of establishing a safe environment for all staff and students, and we would like to know how many employees have been vaccinated or are scheduled to receive the vaccine. An accurate count of staff vaccinations will also help Dallas ISD continue to work with health service organizations in the community to secure additional vaccines for all staff.

If you have received a COVID-19 vaccine or you are scheduled to receive it, please compete the form below. If you have filled out the form in the past, please, take a moment to do so again.

Please direct questions about this notice via email to covid19@dallasisd.org.

COVID-19 vaccine information form

Still need a vaccine?

As the vaccination efforts open up to additional segments of the population, the district is working with Dallas County to ensure that Dallas ISD staff have priority in getting the vaccine. If you have not yet received your vaccine, please, fill out the district’s form that will be shared with the county to ensure priority in scheduling.

Vaccines are also available from other providers. For links to other vaccine providers, click here for a previous story.

Future leaders have an additional opportunity to get information about and more time to apply for the Future Leaders Academy the district offers in partnership with UNT-Dallas.

Candidates accepted into the program will have the opportunity to earn a master’s degree in Educational Leadership from UNT-Dallas and will form a cohort of future leaders for Dallas ISD schools.

Highlights of this program include:

• • Course content developed in partnership with Dallas ISD
  • 18-month program resulting in an M.Ed in Educational Leadership with principal certification
  • Virtual classes, and also face-to-face classes at a central Dallas ISD location

This program is designed for educators who do not currently have their principal certification and master’s degree in Educational Leadership. The district will potentially reimburse up to 50% of the university tuition costs.

UNT-Dallas will be hosting an information session via Zoom on at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, April 1. If you are interested in learning more, please RSVP at the following link: tiny.cc/infosessionrsvp

Should you have any questions or need additional information, please contact LEAD@dallasisd.org

Destinee Bell grew up living next to J.N. Ervin Elementary School and, even though she attended other Dallas ISD schools, she has come home to her neighborhood school as a kindergarten teacher.

“The kids really do it for me, and I like working in the community,” she said. “They are like sponges, so eager to learn.”

Ervin Elementary School is a high priority campus, one of 80 in the district that are looking for passionate teachers who want to work with students who need additional support to be successful.

“It makes me happy to be here because the students are comfortable talking to me,” said Bell, who graduated from Emmett J. Conrad High School. “They are excited to come to class every day.”

Outstanding teachers like Bell, who are passionate about their profession and whose heart lies with helping students succeed no matter what can take advantage of the district’s open transfer period to work at one of these schools. Teachers, instructional coaches, counselors and media specialists who are eligible and interested in working at a high priority campus can participate in a virtual job fair via Brazen from 9 a.m. to noon on. Saturday, March 27. To sign up and up for the job fair, visit https://www.dallasisd.org/hcmjobfair.

Working at a high priority campus has benefits beyond making a difference. Eligible teachers serving at high priority campuses in the 2021-2022 school year will:

• Earn additional DTR points on the TEI Scorecard, replacing the existing Tier I process.
• Earn additional stipends.

For Bell, teaching comes from the heart, and if one is passionate about teaching, a high priority campus is the perfect school to teach in, she said. High priority campuses challenge teachers and that allows them to push themselves and grow professionally.

“It’s an opportunity to give back to the community,” she said. “It’s hard work, but it’s very rewarding to see how motivated the kids are, to see how they grow.”

Home is where you grow, learn and discover and where you are always welcome, and for generations of students, staff and alumni, Dallas ISD is that place—it is home!

Every day, our diverse population of students has infinite opportunities to excel—from innovative academic programs to outstanding athletic opportunities and so much more. Dedicated staff, many of whom grew up in the district or simply now call it home,  have returned to give back and help shape young minds.  Not to mention a long line of alumni who are now major contributors to the success of our city.

“I’m proud to call Dallas ISD home,” Superintendent of Schools Michael Hinojosa said. “I came here as a young immigrant, grew my career and reaped the benefits of all the district and this dynamic city had to offer. I put down roots here, raised a family and built a career, “ he said. “Dallas ISD invested in me, and in return, I’m committed to make sure we offer that same life-changing opportunity to every student we serve.”

Dallas ISD Is Home to:

• Innovation in neighborhood schools, with programs such as leadership academies, novel engineering, STEM & STEAM, personalized learning, International Baccalaureate and much more.
• One of the largest Dual Language programs in the country, serving 158 schools.
• Career Institutes, which prepare high school students to graduate with the skills and certifications they need for a high-wage, in-demand job in a technical pathway.
• 100 + choice schools/specialty programs, such as the first-of-its-kind public hybrid model school, an IB school on a college campus in partnership with an HBCU in southern Dallas, and other options such as Montessori, magnet, fine arts academies, STEM/STEAM, single gender, project-based learning, entrepreneurship, P-TECH and Early College.
• Over 650 co-curricular fine arts programs located in schools throughout the district, spanning multiple artistic genres across a wide range of disciplines, including: Band, Choir, Dance, Orchestra, Theater, and Visual Arts. These engaging programs ignite a passion for learning while showcasing the brilliant creative talents of our student artists.
• Interscholastic athletic programs with more than 13,000 student athletes who participate in sports such as football, cross-country, swimming, wrestling, soccer, basketball, track & field and much more.
• Quality early childhood education, including free, tuition-based and scholarship-assisted Pre-K opportunities.
• Extracurricular activities such as chess, esports, academic decathlon, debate, cheerleading, UIL competitions, newspaper and yearbook, and others.
• Special Education accommodations in general education settings and in specialized classroom services, with support in areas such as dropout prevention, family engagement, positive behavior supports and transition.
• Diversity– students who come from 150 countries and speak more than 70 languages.
• More than 22,000 employees and over 153,000 students.

There is no place like home, and there is no place like Dallas ISD!

Dallas ISD – This Is Home!This Is Home is a campaign to celebrate our stories and diversity. The multi-platform campaign will feature stories of the people and programs that make Dallas ISD. 

We want to hear from you. Tell us your Dallas ISD This Is Home story by sharing it on social media using the hashtag #DallasISDIsHome or by sending an email to: thisishome@dallasisd.org.

While the district may be closed, if you need assistance with your benefits, a number of resources are available.

District schools and administrative offices will be closed for Spring break from Monday, March 15, through Friday, March 19, but the benefits call center will be open regular hours during that time to provide assistance.

For 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 FSA, you can contact Connect Your Care at 877-528-9876 or visit www.connectyourcare.com. Connect Your Care 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.