Staff News

It’s late at night and you feel like you are coming down with the flu. You need a doctor. Fortunately, if you are a Dallas ISD TRS Aetna ActiveCare participant, you have access to board-certified doctors 24/7, 365 days a year.

Using a phone, tablet or computer, you can access one of the more than 3,000 licensed healthcare professionals nationwide. Teladoc allows TRS Aetna ActiveCare participants to contact these physicians for non-emergency health concerns such as cold and flu at a reduced cost:

• ActiveCare 1-HD, plan: $30 copay and you do not have to meet your deductible first
• ActiveCare Select (ACO) plan: $0 copay
• ActiveCare 2 (PPO) plan: $0 copay

A dependent age 18 or older who is not covered under your plan can use Teladoc for medical concerns at only $45 per visit.

Teladoc can treat:

• Cold and flu symptoms
• Allergies
• Bronchitis
• Ear infections
• Respiratory infections and sinus problems
• Skin problems

Mental health visits through Teladoc are now available to covered members. Note that mental health visits are offered at a different rate than general medicine visits depending on the provider seen. For more information on how to access Teladoc and set up an account, call Teladoc at 1-855-Teladoc (835-2362) or click here.

Dallas ISD has added several languages to the list for which students are able to receive required Language Other Than English graduation credits, LOTE 4 Endorsements and “Seals of Biliteracy.”

The Dallas ISD Board of Trustees recently approved new assessments for credit by examination for World Languages. Until now, only students who were fluent in Spanish had been able to take advantage of the opportunity to receive credit by taking the assessment. The additional languages are:

• French
• German
• Hebrew
• Japanese
• Portuguese
• Sudanese
• Swahili

Until now, only 222 students have taken advantage of this new exam, but hundreds more are expected to take advantage of the opportunity to earn these credits for graduation by the end of the school year. For more information about this new opportunity, contact Amy Anderton, director of World Languages, at aanderton@dallasisd.org.

To stay competitive in the market and provide the support needed for students and campuses, Dallas ISD has increased the per diem rates for substitute teachers.

The substitute compensation increases will not require the allocation of additional district funds and will be covered primarily by using the cost savings of the decreased fill rate for the first part of the 2019-2020 school year in the existing substitute budget allocations. The plan also creates a new per diem rate for special education specialized unit substitute teachers and a special per diem for retired Dallas ISD teachers. An active teacher certification is required to qualify for the retired Dallas ISD teacher rate.

The new rates are below and will be implemented starting Jan. 3, 2020.

*An active teacher certification is required to qualify for the retired Dallas ISD teacher rate.
**Must be serving in a Job Code 6062 Special Education Teacher FTE to qualify.
***Must have an active teacher certification with SBCE to qualify for this rate.

Starting Saturday, Nov. 16, employees will see some changes in the iExpense portal when entering travel or mileage reimbursements.

The iExpense portal will be a single template consolidating grants reimbursements, non-grants reimbursements, and mileage into one template called “Employee Reimbursement.” The processing remains the same, but there is an additional bonus to the new template: City to City travel distances are now built in.

For additional support, you can access a link at the top of new expense reports containing all iExpense resources and information.

Staff should also note that a new travel policy was adopted by the district on Oct. 25, which could affect advances and reimbursements. All employees are encouraged to review DEE Reg before traveling or making purchases on behalf of the district.

Dallas ISD is launching a dedicated phone number that Spanish-speaking parents, staff and community members can call to reach a representative fluent in Spanish who will be able to connect them with the information and resources they seek.

The dedicated Spanish line can be reached by dialing (972) 925-3702, which will be available during Dallas ISD’s regular working hours.

“We embrace the diversity of our district, and this will be another step towards ensuring we are all in on creating a welcoming environment for our families and community,” said Vincent Reyes, assistant superintendent in charge of parent advocacy and support for the district. “There is much more work to do, but this is a start.”

Having a dedicated Spanish line, he added, is just one example to stakeholders that Dallas ISD is committed to providing focused, fast, flexible, and friendly customer service.

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Dallas ISD inaugura una línea telefónica a través de la cual los padres, personal del distrito y miembros de la comunidad podrán hablar con un representante del distrito que domina el español y los conectará con la información y recursos que buscan.

El número de la línea en español, que estará disponible durante las horas hábiles del distrito, es el (972) 925-3702.

“Celebramos la diversidad de nuestro distrito, y este es un paso más hacia asegurar que todos estamos comprometidos a crear un ambiente que da la bienvenida a nuestras familias y nuestra comunidad”, dijo Vincent Reyes, superintendente asistente a cargo de apoyo a los padres en el distrito. “Todavía tenemos mucho trabajo por hacer, pero este es un comienzo”.

El tener una  línea dedicada a los hispanoparlantes, añadió, es solo un ejemplo para todos los que son parte del distrito de que Dallas ISD está comprometido a proporcionar un servicio al cliente enfocado, rápido, flexible y amistoso.

The district’s 230 campus teachers of the year were recognized recently with a gold medal and a special ceremony for their efforts on behalf of their students.

The 2019-2020 Campus Teacher of the Year for each campus was chosen by the staff at that campus. Unlike in past years, the 2019-2020 campus winners would have been ineligible if they had received the recognition in any of the past three years.

The campus teachers of the year who were recognized at the ceremony at the Frontiers of Flight Museum are now eligible to apply for the Dallas ISD 2019-2020 Teacher of the Year award. One elementary educator and one secondary teacher will earn the districtwide distinction.

Dallas ISD Superintendent Michael Hinojosa congratulated the winners. He spoke about witnessing the resilience of educators while visiting the schools impacted by the Oct. 20 tornadoes.

“I saw a tremendous attitude and a can-do spirit that we can overcome this. We do a great job for these students, and that’s why I am so proud of you,” Hinojosa said. “We’re honored to be here with you.”

During the ceremony, Central Market donated $50,000 to Dallas ISD to assist with disaster relief. The principals from the most affected campuses, Sandi Massey from Thomas Jefferson High School, Naomi Salas from Edward H. Cary Middle School and Phillip Potter from Walnut Hill Elementary School, received the check on the stage.

“It feels incredible just to see how Dallas residents have come on board to support all of the schools that have been damaged,” Massey said. “We understand that our community has been damaged as well. And the whole community, damaged or not, has come together and supported each other throughout this process.”

This year’s United Way employee giving campaign has provided Assistant Superintendent Usamah Rodgers with a chance to do two things she enjoys: Give back to her community and be competitive.

Growing up in her native Kansas City, Rodgers used to spend her summers at the Boys and Girls Club, an organization that provided a safe place for children and offered a variety of activities.

“I was safe, and I became a really good air hockey player,” Rodgers recalls. “I give because I attended the program, and it made a difference. This is a great opportunity to give back as an adult.”

The campaign also lets Rodgers, who is in charge of Postsecondary Partnerships and Programs, flex her competitive muscles. During the campaign’s leadership breakfast earlier this month, she issued a friendly challenge to the Office of Transformation and Innovation to see who would raise the most money for United Way. So far, her department is winning—as of Nov. 13, OTI was behind by about $200.

“We are at $1,400 and 94 percent participation right now,” Rodgers said proudly.

For Rodgers and many other Dallas ISD employees who have already contributed more than $50,000 toward the district’s $190,000 annual goal, giving back to the community through United Way is important.

“We are blessed to have a way to help invest in the community we serve,” she said. “We can make a difference that will benefit the kids we see every day.”

Employee contributions to United Way benefit Dallas families—students and employees—through a wide variety of community programs and nonprofits. This year’s employee giving campaign runs through Dec. 13.

In addition to investing in the community, staff who donate at least $5 per Friday can wear jeans on Fridays until the end of the campaign; an additional $25 means jeans every day the week of Dec. 9-13 when appropriate for work activities.

There are several ways to contribute to United Way: Oracle, credit card and cash or check. For more information and to see the giving dashboard, visit www.dallasisd.org/unitedway.