Staff News

During February, Dallas ISD is highlighting ways to keep your heart healthy as part of National Heart Health Month. Several studies have shown that pets can have an effect on heart health, and not just because they warm your heart. According to the American Heart Association, pet ownership may help increase fitness levels, relieve stress, lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and boost overall happiness and well-being. Walk your dog, play with your cat, and make a habit of keeping your heart healthy.

As the upcoming election nears, district employees must be aware of election laws related to political electioneering and political advertisement. Please make sure you notify your entire staff of the following guidelines to ensure compliance during this election time.

Although district employees do not shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate, neither an employee nor anyone else has an absolute constitutional right to use all or parts of a school building or its immediate surrounding areas for unlimited expressive purposes. Therefore, the time, place and manner restrictions outlined below are imposed regarding electioneering on District property.

Definitions:

1. Electioneering is defined as advocating for or against a candidate, measure or political party and includes the posting, use, or distribution of political signs or literature.
2. Voting period means the period beginning when the polls open for voting and ending when the polls close or the last voter has voted, whichever is later. “Early voting period” is described at Election Code section 85.001.
3. Political advertising is a communication that advocates a particular outcome in an election. It can be a communication in almost any written or broadcast form, such as a billboard, flier, newsletter, poster, television or radio ad, or an Internet site.

Use of District Funds and/or Resources:

An officer or employee of the district shall not knowingly spend or authorize the spending of district funds or other resources of the district to electioneer for or against any candidate, measure, or political party. Tex. Edu. Code § 11.169 [See BBBD (Legal)].

An officer or employee of the District shall not knowingly use or authorize the use of an internal mail system for the distribution of political advertising unless the political advertising is delivered by the United States Postal Service. Tex. Election Code § 255.0031 [See CPAB (Legal) and BBBD (Legal)]

Individuals who violate election laws may be criminally prosecuted. Also, the Texas Ethics Commission has authority to impose fines for violations of election rules.

Prohibited use of District facilities/resources:

An officer or employee of the District shall not:

• Use district-owned copy machines, fax machines, and phones to send out political information advocating for or against any candidate;
• Post political advertisements in any classroom, workroom, lounge, newsletter, or school/facility bulletin board;
• Use a sound amplification device or a vehicle with a loudspeaker within 1,000 feet of a building in which a polling place is located;
• Use District e-mail to advocate for or against any candidate whether a candidate e-mails the employee from a non-governmental e-mail account;
• Use District and internal staff mailboxes to distribute any political advertisement;
• Display election bumper stickers or signs on any school district owned vehicle including cars, trucks, buses, tractors, etc.;
• Link to another website that does advocate for or against a measure or candidate;
• Tweet, retweet, and/or email from District email accounts and District social media accounts any website that advocates for or against a measure, candidate, or political party;
• Use employee time for political advocacy such as wearing any clothing, badges, buttons, or symbols that advocate for or against a measure, candidate or political party;
• Use the classroom or other District facility to advocate support for or against a measure, candidate or political party;
• Use positions or titles in connection with political activities except to denote or clarify work history.
• Create or distribute a political advertisement using district resources and/or during work time;
• Have students work on political advertising during school time;
• Use district property, funds, and other resources for political purposes such as enhancing candidacy;
• While running for office, hold meetings on District property during the period between candidates’ filing deadline and the election.

Restrictions on Electioneering near Polling Places:

• Electioneering during the voting period and within 100 feet of any outside door through which a voter enters the polling place is prohibited. Texas Election Code § 61.003(a)
  • Ban on Political Attire: a person cannot wear a badge, insignia, emblem, or other similar communicative device related to a candidate, measure, or political party appearing on a ballot, or to the conduct of the election, in the polling place or within 100 feet of any outside door through which a voter enters the polling place. Election Code § 61.010
• An offense under section 61.003 is a Class C misdemeanor.

All erected signs shall be erected and maintained in compliance with all applicable state laws and with the building code, election code, and other applicable ordinances of the City of Dallas.  In the event of any conflict between this regulation and other laws, the most restrictive standards apply.

Permissible Actions:

The following are allowable:

• Get out the vote campaigns so long as no public funds are used to electioneer or for political advertising;
• Announcements, including newsletters and social media, to share factual information about voter registration, polling sites, and dates and hours of voting;
• Engagement in political activities on employee’s off time and without use of district funds, equipment, or other resources;
• Attendance at a non-campaign school event as a parent, volunteer or invited guest for non-political purposes; candidates may not use the event as a campaign opportunity. As a practical matter, speech cannot be easily controlled, extreme caution should be exercised for such events as the candidates may innocently be asked about the office that they are actively running for by attendees. Any discussions concerning the candidates’ office would appear to support their candidacy in violation of Texas Election Code, Section 255.003 and Texas Education Code, Section 11.169, which prohibits the District from using work time and other district resources for political advertising.
• Use of District facilities for political forums attended by multiple candidates. Sponsorship of the forum will need to be by an external organization as District resources may not be used;
• Oral conversations regarding the election during employee break times, if it does not disrupt the school day;
• Classroom discussions or post political advertisements in class when it is directly tied to a lesson taught in the class, such as a lesson on the presidential election in government class.

Questions should be directed to the Board Services Office at 972.925.3720.

Because heart disease is one of the most common chronic conditions among people living in the United States—as of 2018, 30.3 million adults have been diagnosed with heart disease—Dallas ISD is promoting heart health with information and a series of activities. Love your heart and join in! 

Go Red for Women

Friday, Feb. 5, is national Go Red for Women Day to raise awareness about cardiovascular disease that affects women and save lives. According to the American Heart Association, cardiovascular disease is the No. 1 killer of women – and too many women, particularly our youngest most diverse women, remain unaware. The price of cardiovascular disease is high, and 1 in 3 women will pay that price with their life. Losing even one woman is simply not an option.

Wear read on Friday and learn more about how cardiovascular disease affects women by watching “Heart to Heart: Why losing one woman is too many,” a panel conducted by the American Heart Association.

Heart healthy activities

Keeping heart health in mind is not just a one-day affair. Dallas ISD is planning a series of activities and ways to help staff can be heart healthy:

• Keep an eye out for a heart-healthy recipe and the opportunity to share your own heart-friendly culinary creation or adaptations.
• Keep a healthy heart in mind the week of Feb. 15-19 by wearing red. Employees may choose one day that week to wear jeans if they wear a red top.
• Keep track of your steps for the month with health apps on your phone or fitness tracker. At the end of the month, send a screen capture of your monthly step average to benefits@dallasisd.org. The top five with the greatest monthly step averages among campus staff and top five among central staff will be recognized in The Beat and get a surprise.
• Keep reading informative articles to improve your heart health.

Catch some Zs for your heart

Early to bed early to rise doesn’t just bring you wealth and wisdom, it can also lead to good heart health. According to medical experts, getting enough sleep is critical for healthy heart function.

How much sleep do you need?

There is no right answer but, generally, experts recommend adults get a solid seven hours of sleep a night for peak performance during the day and to maintain healthy mental and physical functions. Unfortunately, not everyone gets enough sleep. According to the Centers for Disease Control, one in three American adults say they don’t get enough sleep daily, which can lead to conditions that affect the heart and cardiovascular health.

High blood pressure: Normally when we sleep our blood pressure lowers, giving your cardiovascular system time to rest, but among people who don’t get enough sleep or have difficulty sleeping, blood stays consistently high putting stress on the heart and leading to hypertension—75 million Americans suffer from high blood pressure.

Type 2 diabetes: Diabetes is a disease that causes sugar to build up in our blood, a condition that has the potential to damage blood vessels. Studies show that getting enough sleep may help people improve blood sugar control.

What to do for better sleep:

1. Stick to a consistent sleeping and waking up pattern, even on the weekends.
2. Get some sun.
3. Get enough daily physical activity and try not to exercise in the hours before bedtime.
4. Avoid artificial light; use a blue light filter on your electronics, especially close to bedtime.
5. Don’t eat or drink a couple of hours before bedtime and avoid alcohol and high fat/sugar foods.
6. Keep your bedroom cool, dark and quiet.

Dallas ISD has adjusted quarantine guidelines in accordance with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updates to its COVID-19 quarantine protocols. Given that free diagnostic tests—BinaxNOW Rapid Tests—are readily available to staff, the district has adopted new quarantine guidelines to help get staff and students back to business.

As of Jan. 18, the district updated its quarantine period to the 10 days CDC acceptable alternative. Individuals deemed close contacts of a positive COVID-19 case will be required to remain at home for 10 days in quarantine. These individuals should make arrangements through the school nurse (campus staff) or Health Services (central staff) to take a district-provided rapid antigen test on day 5, 6, or 7 of their quarantine to determine if they need to move to isolation status if the test is positive. Individuals testing negative and showing symptoms should seek medical guidance and a PCR test prior to the 10th day.

Individuals with a negative test will return to work on day 11 following the start date of the quarantine. Individuals who do not report back to work on day 11 will use paid time off (PTO) beginning with day 11 to cover additional time they are not at work. Individuals who choose not to test will also be expected to return to work on day 11 or begin using PTO on day 11.

Dallas ISD ha realizado ajustes a sus reglas para la cuarentena según las actualizaciones realizadas por los Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) a sus protocolos de cuarentena para el COVID-19. Debido a que el distrito cuenta con pruebas para diagnosticar la enfermedad—BinaxNOW Rapid Tests—disponibles para el personal, el distrito ha determinado adoptar las nuevas reglas de cuarentena para ayudar a los empleados a regresar a sus funciones.

A partir del 18 de enero, el distrito actualizó su período de cuarentena a los días que son la alternativa aceptable para el CDC. Se requerirá que los individuos que hayan tenido contacto cercano con alguien que haya resultado positivo con COVID-19 permanezcan en casa en cuarentena durante 10 días. Estas personas deberán hacer planes a través de la enfermera (personal escolar) o Health Services (personal central) para hacerse una prueba rápida de antígeno el día, 5, 6, o 7 de su cuarentena para determinar si necesitan aislarse si la prueba resulta positiva. Los individuos cuya prueba sea negativa y muestren síntomas deberán buscar cuidados médicos y hacerse una prueba PCR antes del 10mo día.

Los individuos cuyos resultados en la prueba sean negativos deberán regresar al trabajo en el 11mo día basándose en la fecha en que comenzó la cuarentena. Los que no se reporten en el 11mo día tendrán que usar día de asueto pagados (PTO) a partir del 11mo día para cubrir los días adicionales que no estén en el trabajo. Los que opten por no hacerse la prueba también deberán reportarse al trabajo en el 11mo día de haber comenzado la cuarentena o utilizar su PTO para cubrir los días que estén ausentes a partir del día 11.

Whether on the pasture looking for sweet treats or greeting their human parents when they come home at the end of the day, pets continue to be essential members of the family for many Dallas ISD employees.

Each year Dallas ISD supports the United Negro College Fund, the nation’s largest and most effective minority education organization, by asking staff to donate to a campaign that raises funds for scholarships for deserving college-bound students. UNCF provides scholarships to more than 60,000 students each year to help them pursue higher education. The funds raised from the district’s workplace campaign go toward scholarships for Dallas ISD seniors of all races who plan to attend a historically black college or university (HBCU) or any other four-year accredited U.S. college or university in the fall of 2021.

The district hosted a virtual Workplace campaign kickoff on Wednesday, Jan. 27. Watch a recording of the kickoff and learn more about the campaign at www.dallasisd.org/uncf.

Remember, “A mind is a terrible thing to waste, but a wonderful thing to invest in.”

Sometimes, illness or other obligation lead to a student absence; however, multiple unexcused absences can lead to truancy and to students missing out on their learning. In an effort to curtail absenteeism, this week, Dallas ISD began sending parents truancy warnings.

Parents are expected to make sure their students are going to school, request meetings with school officials to talk about the absences, provide accurate contact information and submit an excuse note for all unexcused absences. The note, signed by the parent/guardian, should explain the reason for the absence. And be submitted within three days of the student’s return to class. If a student or parent fails to submit a note, the absence will be considered unexcused.

Unexcused absences are what triggers the warning letters regarding violation of truancy laws and can lead to truancy court proceedings with Dallas County. School districts are required to notify parents when their students have three days or parts of days of unexcused absences within a period of four weeks.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently issued a new edition with updated guidelines about the amount of physical activity people can safely do to stay healthy. The report includes guidelines for children ages 3 through 5 and updated guidelines for youth ages 6 through 17, adults, older adults, women during pregnancy and postpartum, adults with chronic health conditions, and adults with disabilities.

The second edition of the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans is based on the latest scientific evidence, which shows that physical activity brings health benefits on its own and in addition to other healthy habits like good nutrition. The report can be found in the department’s site, but its main findings include:

• Ages 3-5—The report recommends that children ages 3 through 5 should be active throughout the day to enhance growth and development, so active play (light, moderate, or vigorous intensity) should be encouraged so they have at least three hours of activity per day.
• Ages 6-17—The recommended amount of physical activity for youth ages 6 through 17 is the same. Each day, youths need at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity to stay healthy. Most activity can be aerobic, like walking, running, or anything that makes the heart beat faster. They also need activities that make their muscles and bones strong, like climbing on playground equipment, playing basketball, and jumping rope. For youth, physical activity can help improve cognition, bone health, fitness, and heart health. It can also reduce the risk of depression.
• Most adults—For adults to get the most benefit from physical activity, it’s recommended that they do at least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, like brisk walking or fast dancing, each week. Adults also need muscle-strengthening activity, like lifting weights or doing push-ups, at least two days each week.

This recommendation is based on new evidence that shows a strong relationship between increased sedentary behavior and increased risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, and all-cause mortality. All physical activity, especially moderate-to-vigorous activity, can help offset these risks. New evidence shows that physical activity has immediate health benefits. For example, physical activity can reduce anxiety and blood pressure and improve quality of sleep and insulin sensitivity.

According to the report, for adults, physical activity helps prevent eight types of cancer (bladder, breast, colon, endometrium, esophagus, kidney, stomach, and lung). It reduces the risk of dementia—including Alzheimer’s disease—all-cause mortality, heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and depression. It also improves bone health, physical function, and quality of life.

Among older adults, physical activity also can lower the risk of falls and injuries from falls.

New evidence covered in the report shows that physical activity can help manage health conditions such as pain for those who suffer from osteoarthritis. Evidence outlined in the report, also shows that physical activity can reduce disease progression for such health conditions as hypertension and type 2 diabetes, reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression, and improve cognition for those with dementia, multiple sclerosis, ADHD, and Parkinson’s disease.

Early Learning

Through the Theory of Action Standards of Service, the Early Learning Department provides support in PreK-second grade in the areas of instructional strategy and coaching support, professional development opportunities, family and community engagement, Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) and student performance data reports.

Instructional Strategy:  PreK-2^nd grade curriculum support, Reading Academy content delivery, and consultation services for campus teams to strengthen instructional delivery.

Coaching Support:  Coaching support in all PreK and targeted K-3 classrooms to improve quality with research-proven efforts that support teaching instruction and promote positive social and emotional learning.

Professional Development: On-going opportunities for professional learning to support authentic use of technology in classroom design and use of curriculum.

Family and Community Engagement: PreK enrollment and registration training, family touchpoints throughout the year, marketing materials for campuses to strengthen PreK enrollment.

HIPPY: No charge home visits to deliver HIPPY’s evidence-based curriculum to help parents prepare their children for success in school as well as family and group meetings to share experiences.

Student Performance Reports: Data reports for all PreK-2 grade assessments at beginning, middle and end of year assessment windows.

Campuses interested in these services should visit the Dallas ISD Early Learning Website.

For additional information, contact Dr. Elena S. Hill, Assistant Superintendent of Early Learning, at elehill@dallasisd.org.

HCM

Through the Theory of Action Standards of Service, Human Capital Management provides a one-year coaching and training program for alternative certification teacher candidates. This program is dedicated to providing Dallas ISD schools with effective teachers in areas of high need.

Dallas ISD AC Program areas of state certification include:

• Core Subjects EC-6 w/ Science of Teaching Reading
• Core Subjects EC-6 w/ Science of Teaching Reading (Bilingual Supplemental)
• English Language Arts Reading 7-12 w/ English as a Second Language (ESL)
• Languages Other Than English (LOTE) Spanish
• Math 7-12
• Science 7-12
• Social Studies 7-12
• Art EC-12 (limited availability)
• Music EC-12 (limited availability)
• Physical Education EC-12 (limited availability)
• Special Education Supplemental

The Phase 55 application is now open for new applicant interest until Monday, February 1, 2021 at 5:00 PM. Interested applicants should apply at the following link: https://bit.ly/Phase55application

Dallas ISD AC Program – Phase 56 application will launch April 1, 2021 to August 6, 2021.

Eligibility for admission into the Dallas ISD AC Program, applicants must show a(n):

• Conferred Bachelor’s degree recognized by a THECB regionally accredited institution
• Undergraduate GPA of at least 2.5
• Favorable interview cut score designed by the program
• Pay associated preparation and training fees
• Completion of Dallas ISD fingerprinting and background check requirements
• Two (2) official undergraduate transcripts:
  • One transcript is to be opened by the applicant & uploaded to the online application
  • One transcript is to be sealed (NOT opened by applicant) and mailed directly to: Lucy Salazar, Program Coordinator, 9400 N Central Expressway, Suite 1400, Dallas, TX 75231

For additional information, contact Jose Lopez, Dallas ISD AC Program Marketing, Branding, and Recruitment Coordinator joslopez@dallasisd.org.

Campuses interested in this service should contact Shuntrice Rhodes, Dallas ISD AC Program Teacher Quality Manager srhodes@dallasisd.org for available candidates that have successful met all program requirements and are ready for a yearlong internship in Dallas ISD.

School absences have risen dramatically as parents and students cope with the Covid-19 pandemic, and Dallas ISD is launching an all-out effort to help students get back in school and engaged.

Beginning Monday, February 1, and continuing through February 27, district teams will be reaching out to students and parents by phone, text and email as a part of “Operation Comeback Student Re-Engagement,” an effort to help students get back on track to continue their education.

Starting Wednesday, February 3, families not reached remotely will receive contact-free home visits by staff members seeking to find out how the district can provide the resources students need to stay in school.

“The idea is to connect with families so we know what obstacles they face and what we can do to help,” said Orlando Riddick, acting chief of School Leadership.

Once they make contact, central staff teams will talk with families to identify obstacles to school attendance, including asking questions: Do you have an internet connection? Do you need a hotspot? Do you have technology (digital devices)? Does your student know how to log in? How can we support your student’s attendance, either in person or virtually?

Visiting staff will leave families with a list of useful resources, including information about how to get meals, a hotspot or uniforms, how to track their child’s attendance and grades, answers to transportation questions, and how to reach the district online through the Let’s Talk portal.

“We realize that some of the student absenteeism is related to the pandemic, which has pushed many families into crisis.  Some students are working to help support their families, and others face serious obstacles that make regular school attendance a challenge,” Riddick said. District staff note that the state has allowed districts to count students as present if they submit their work online by 11:59 p.m. each day. For working students, the Evening Academy in Districtwide Student Initiatives may be a pathway to continue their education.

On weekdays, staff teams will make contact-free home visits during daylight hours. Evening teams will be out in the field on  Monday, Tuesday and Thursday evenings and make phone calls from 4:30-6:30 p.m. Teams will also visit homes every Saturday in February.

Because safety during the pandemic is critical, staff will not enter homes, but will carry cards and door knockers containing a QR code that, when scanned, will link users to a request for information or a resource sheet that will include contacts to reach counseling and mental health services and info for students and parents who need help navigating a pathway to get students back on track and attending school.

“The district and community care about students. We’re calling on everyone to pull together to emphasize the importance of regular school attendance and to join us to assist families so students can focus on their education,” Riddick said.