Staff News

Kristin Gates—assistant principal at Seagoville Elementary School—has been shaping the academic and personal growth of countless students during two decades of service with Dallas ISD. 

Originally from El Paso, Gates ventured to Dallas after obtaining her bachelor’s degree in mathematics from New Mexico State University. She discovered her passion for education when she had the opportunity to mentor freshmen during her final college semester. She  eventually joined the alternative certification program at Dallas ISD and held a job as a high school geometry teacher.

Throughout her career, Gates has received numerous recognitions, including being named Fan Favorite Elementary Assistant Principal during the recent Assistant Principal Appreciation Week. This recognition not only acknowledges her dedication but also her commitment to the school community. Gates takes pride in the influence she has had on students, many of whom credit her with gaining a love for mathematics and their academic success.

“Hearing how I influenced them as a teacher, embodies the most rewarding memories for me,” Gates said. 

During her years in the district, Gates has noted a significant shift towards prioritizing social and emotional learning.

“Our students have endured trauma that surpasses what many adults have experienced, and by providing support beyond academics, we’re equipping them to thrive in life,” Gates said. 

Gates believes in the importance of recognizing that students frequently experience strong emotions.

“It’s our responsibility as educators to guide them through these emotions and teach them how to manage them effectively,” she said. “Having a supportive team is crucial.” 

“I am grateful for being able to serve the community and being able to see our students grow and become successful in their lives’ accomplishments,” Gates said.

The Dallas ISD’s proposed budget for the 2024-2025 school year includes a 2% raise for exempt campus and central team members, differentiated increases for team members in Excellence Initiatives, and an increase to $16.50 an hour in the district’s minimum wage. 

The proposed increases in salaries for all team members amount to $34 million in the 2024-2025 budget and focus on the district’s compensation priorities: market competitive salaries, advancing equity, strategic compensation, and high priority stipends.  

Increases for Excellence Initiatives

The proposed budget also sets the minimum teacher salary at $62,000 and has adjustments to the new hire schedule for teachers to match market rates. Returning teachers will receive a projected average teacher salary increase of approximately $2,450 or 3.5%, based on the greater of three increases:

• Change to effectiveness level
• Change to compensation level value
• Board approved differentiated salary increase  (2% of compensation level)

Proposed TEI compensation levels

The proposed budget also includes increases for other employees who are evaluated through an excellence initiative—assistant principals, principals, school leadership executive directors.  Increases for Excellence Initiative team members are paid in October 2024 retroactive to contract start date. 

Minimum wage and other central increases

The proposed increase to $16.50 per hour in the minimum wage places Dallas ISD as a regional leader in minimum wage among area school districts and primarily impacts support and operations team members.

Employees not on an Excellence Initiative will see the greater of two increases:

• Minimum wage adjustment to $16.50 per hour 
• 2% of the midpoint for support (non-exempt) employees and professional (exempt) employees

Campus and central team members who are not on an Excellence Initiative will see their increase starting in September if they were hired before Dec. 31, 2023.   

At Seagoville High School, a creative—and quacking—solution to a problem with the school’s ponds has led to a unique learning experience for students and a renewed sense of community at the campus.

Dereck Enderle, an equine science and small animal management teacher, decided to introduce raising ducks as his students’ project for small animal management this spring. Then, Enderle noticed that they were having a moss issue in the two school ponds—one of which is approximately two acres. Moss is detrimental to the health and biodiversity of ponds.

Dredging is a way to eliminate moss from ponds, but it’s expensive, so Enderle asked the students how they could help. The students determined that the ducks’ diet is mainly plant-based and predicted that the ducks they were raising as a class project would help eliminate the moss not only by eating it as part of their diet, but also by swimming in the ponds to stir the water and prevent it from spreading. 

They also researched duck behavior and stages of growth, as well as the balance of predator and prey relationships such as dogs, coyotes and  turtles versus the ducks.

“The students get to experience the whole gamut of raising to releasing the ducks, and once a week or so we’ll go out there and monitor them, and in doing so, we’re caring for the ducks and the pond,” Enderle said. The  students have taken an interest in caring for the ducks and the pond and use fishing nets to get trash out of the pond. 

“We’ve seen the trash subside, and there’s now more awareness and a sense of pride among students,” Enderle said. 

As part of Enderle’s small animal management class, students normally hatch chickens from eggs but couldn’t find any duck eggs. Instead, the school bought day-old duck hatchlings for the students to raise. The students raised the ducks in an area with wire—which Enderle describes as similar to a dog kennel—to keep them while they were babies until they were old enough to be released, which was approximately five to six weeks.

The students loved the hands-on approach, charted their growth and were amazed at how quickly the ducklings grew, Enderle said. A  total of six classes had a duck each and gave them gender neutral names as they were unsure of the sex of the bird at first. All the ducks have colored bands on their legs, so students are able to identify which duck belongs to their class. 

Enderle said that most of his students were sophomores, so when students come back next school year, it will be exciting for them to see when the ducks migrate and if they come back. 

To let fellow team members know about the ducks, Enderle sent out an email about the project. He also discouraged feeding the ducks bread, as it’s bad for them. Enderle keeps a 50-pound bag of feed in his portable, which has encouraged a couple of fellow teachers to grab cups of food and take their classes out to the pond to feed the ducks. 

What started out as a class project has motivated the school community to collaborate, as a few of the other teachers have taken the initiative to help clean the pond out to make the habitat a little bit cleaner for the ducks. Enderle has also seen a decrease in the amount of trash that ends up in the ponds. Because of the success of the program, Enderle plans to continue this project next year and beyond. 

Enderle has a long history with the school. He is the former assistant principal over the agriculture department. As a member of the U.S. National Guard, he went to Kuwait last year, and when he came back, some positions had changed.  Enderle said he could have taken an assistant principal job at another campus but decided to return to the classroom after an eight-year break from teaching. It’s a decision he is happy he made, he said, because he thoroughly enjoys working with his students and the impact that his classes have on them

One impact he has seen is a change in how students approach group projects—a skill that many had lost during the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Raising the ducks and seeing how they can be an integral part of the health of the ecosystem is the kind of project that got them involved and working together.

“We have a living thing here that we’re taking care of, and we’re making sure it’s got food and water and we’re cleaning out its area,” Enderle said. “Giving students that awareness piece of something other than themselves, and seeing that engagement piece and them looking forward to coming into class, has been worth these efforts.” 

Internal Communications editorial board member and Seagoville High School teacher, Robin Messerschmitt, suggested and contributed to this story. 

Arianna Zeb is committed to supporting refugee and immigrant communities and giving students a way to express their diverse experiences. 

She is currently the teacher for the Newcomers fourth and fifth grade class at Lee McShan Elementary School, which is located in the diverse neighborhood of Vickery Meadow. Zeb’s journey to McShan is filled with a wide range of experiences, strongly influenced by her cultural heritage and driven by a strong passion to uplift her students.

“My passion for teaching refugees blossomed during my time in Austin, where I volunteered to teach Syrian, Afghan, and African refugees,” Zeb said. “I realized my passion was to teach refugees and began researching schools in Dallas with diverse populations. That is when I found McShan and the Vickery Meadow community.”

Zeb’s own background—half-Pakistani and half-American—allows her to build a special bond with her students. 

“Being half-Pakistani helps me relate to my students because my father also immigrated to America to work hard and achieve success,” she said. “Both of my parents have inspired me to live a life of service. They fully support my mission of educating refugee children.”

Zeb’s classroom is a multicultural environment, with 36 students from 14 countries who speak a total of 18 different languages. They come from many countries: Burma, Malaysia, Afghanistan, Syria, Philippines, Congo, Rwanda, South Sudan, Burundi, Central Africa Republic, Tanzania, Somalia, Eritrea, and Uganda. Each student brings a unique story—some attended school in refugee camps, some attended school regularly, some have had interrupted or inconsistent formal education, and some never had the opportunity to attend school at all. 

“It is my job to differentiate my instruction to fit the needs of each child in my class so that everyone shows growth.” Zeb said. 

One of the ways in which she gives her students an opportunity to express their truth is the “Voices of Vickery,” an autobiography project for refugees and immigrant students at Lee McShan Elementary, now in its fourth year. Made possible thanks to the Junior League Grants for Innovative Teaching, the project celebrates students’ past, present and future through storytelling. 

“I started Voices of Vickery because I wanted to create a project that would showcase our rich diversity at McShan,” Zeb said. “Diversity is our strength, and I want my students to always be proud of their cultures and where they come from.”   

During the project, students research their families by creating family trees and interviewing their parents in their native language using voice recorders. These interviews represent their lives in their countries and reasons why their family came to the United States: safety, opportunity, and quality education. Students also capture present-day moments through instant snapshots used to decorate their trifold boards. 

“The future section is my favorite to read because I love learning about my students’ hopes and dreams,” Zeb said. 

During the project presentation to parents and to members of the community, parents share their appreciation and express the joy of seeing their children read their autobiography. 

Zeb’s commitment expands beyond the classroom. 

“I visit my students’ families at home and bring educational materials, books, and school supplies,” she said. “I meet grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles, friends, and neighbors. I am always impressed by the value they place on education, their warmth, hospitality, and their respect for teachers.”

Each day, Zeb starts the class with a mantra: “I am smart. I am kind. I am important.” Through this, Zeb hopes to instill confidence and resilience in her students. 

“Their resilience, determination, and curiosity inspire me to work harder to become a better teacher,” Zeb said. “I am proud to work at a school that values diversity, and I am honored to teach the most amazing students! Being a newcomers teacher is my dream job, and I am grateful to be a teacher at McShan.”

Walking offers the physical benefits of exercise while also boosting your emotional well-being. Walking regularly can help ease symptoms related to chronic mental health conditions like anxiety and depression.

You can walk anywhere without equipment or a special membership. The more you do it, the more positive effects you will experience.

There are numerous benefits of walking. Some of the most common include:

• Improved sleep
• Better endurance
• Stress relief
• Improvement in mood
• Increased energy and stamina
• Reduced tiredness that can increase mental alertness
• Weight loss
• Reduced cholesterol and improved cardiovascular (heart) health

Walking also helps boost your mood because it increases blood flow and blood circulation to the brain and body. It has a positive influence on your hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which is your central nervous response system. This is good because the HPA axis is responsible for your stress response. When you exercise by walking, you calm your nerves, which can make you feel less stressed.

You can build on the positive effects of walking by inviting friends to join you. Walking with others for one or two days per week can have enormous benefits. Physical exercise combined with positive social interactions can improve negative moods, ward off depression, and improve self-esteem. Try to walk 3 days a week for 10-30 minutes at a time.

Source: Lifeworks

Wear green in recognition of Mental Health Month

• Employees are encouraged to wear green on Wednesday, May 22, in recognition of mental health awareness. Those wearing green may enjoy a jeans day.
• Visit www.DallasISD.org/Benefits to copy the Mental Health Awareness email signature block.
• Download the EAP Telus Health One app from either the Apple Store or Google Play for EAP resources, tools, and strategies at your fingertips 24/7 365 days per year.

The Employee Assistance Program provides short-term counseling for you, your spouse/partner, and any dependent family members. Counseling sessions can assist with a wide range of concerns, including stress, anxiety, depression, grief, and many more! And, as always, you can reach TELUS Health EAP 24/7 at 972-925-4000 option 3.

A dream come true is how Dania Marrero, STEM coordinator at the Dr. Elba and Domingo Garcia West Dallas STEM School, describes the podcast she established at the school. 

The student podcast launched last school year with two episodes on YouTube. The first episode was about Black History Month and the second was about International Women’s Day. Other episodes have been added since then as the interest has increased. Currently six students participate in the podcast, with two main hosts, but for the next school year, Marrero plans to alternate them.

The podcast has different segments such as “The Fashion Girls,” where the student hosts talk about what’s trending in clothes for kids, or “Mr. Science,” where a student recently spoke about the eclipse. There’s even a sports section called “The Eagles Nest.” In a recent episode, the students even talked about trending toys for the summer.  

Marrero said the most rewarding thing about this work is that the students love it and ask her daily about when they are going to record another episode. 

“The kids are truly amazing, and I love the passion and excitement it has instilled in their learning,” Marrero said. 

Marrero hopes that this experience will help students in the future, as they are building new skills. She hopes that when they grow up, they won’t be afraid to speak to others or be public speakers. She described her students as brave because not everyone likes to be in front of a camera and microphone. Past episodes have included the elementary students interviewing others, such as their principal and a teacher who recently obtained a master’s degree.  None of the students is older than second grade. 

Marrero said they hope to continue interviewing Dallas ISD team members and would like to invite district leaders, including superintendent Stephanie Elizalde and associate superintendent Nancy Bernadino, to the podcast. 

To check out the podcast, visit www.youtube.com/@wdssdallasisd. 

Although Marrero admits that she and the students work hard to produce an episode, the rewards are great, and all truly enjoy the process. For example, to record an episode, it can take up to two weeks of preparation. She writes, produces, directs and gives the students a few days to practice at home.

Marrero, who has a background in electrical engineering, is going on her 11th year with the district. She moved from Puerto Rico in 2013 and immediately began working for the district as an elementary school math teacher. As a STEM coordinator in her current school and founder of the podcast, Marrero said she gets to utilize her creativity and combine both of her passions: engineering and education. She hopes that in the near future her students will be able to run the podcast–—from writing, to cameras, to production. She also wants to include school announcements for next school year, and a Spanish segment, for Spanish-speaking families to actively engage.

When Frederick White was a student athlete at Hillcrest High School in the ’80s, he never imagined he would someday be in a role to support the future student athletes of the district. 

White, grounds and athletic fields supervisor, has worked for the district for 18 years, overseeing iconic Dallas ISD stadiums such as Alfred J. Loos Sports Complex, Wilmer-Hutchins Eagle Stadium, Forrester Athletic Complex, Pleasant Grove Stadium and many others.

White said his position is tied to his roots, as a former student athlete, and described himself as a proud 1982 Hillcrest graduate.

“I really see what it is that the student athletes need to be successful,” White said. “I make sure the facility is safe and clean and that they have all the advantages that I didn’t have. I take a lot of pride in what I do.”

Currently, White is the athletic grounds supervisor for stadiums and swimming pools, and oversees a total of 15 locations. 

From field days to UIL sporting events and graduations, White said he crosses paths with students one way or the other. He makes sure that everything runs smoothly at the location for which he is responsible. 

White’s work has not gone unnoticed by his colleagues. This semester, he was awarded the Shining Star Award by the Maintenance and Facility Services Department. White received the award for his “outstanding contributions, especially in the success of the October MFS Breast Cancer Awareness Walk-A-Thon, and showcasing  his unwavering commitment and proactive approach. His love for sports and genuine joy in interacting with students make him a valuable member of the Dallas ISD family. His positive impact is felt not only in special events like the Walk-A-Thon but also in the continuous support he provides to schools and students,” the department’s newsletter read. 

White and his team stay busy year-round but describe this graduation season as an exciting time for them. To prepare, he meets with his team to discuss the game plan and make sure that they support student success during graduation. White said they collaborate and work with different team members in the district.

“It really touches my heart to see the kids I have seen from grade school to graduation,” White said. In fact, the students he knew from his previous role with the district as a custodian and girls basketball coach at Mark Twain School for the Talented and Gifted, have all graduated. 

“I got a chance to see them go through elementary, middle school through high school and finally to graduation,” he said. “I’ve seen their siblings graduate and have had the opportunity to run into my former students. It’s brought me so much joy to see a lot of them flourishing.” 

“You know how some people feel that they’re called for doing certain things? I truly feel that I’m being called to do what I do. Even though it is a job and I get paid to do it, I feel this is my calling,” he said.

Surrounded by books, plays, awards and mementos created by her students—like a clay bust of William Shakespeare or a paper model of the Globe theater—Karen Graves reminisces about her 53-year career as an educator and knows it has been sweet.

Sweet is also how she describes the parents of her students who elected her PTA president and vice president at several schools, the five principals under whom she has worked, and the hundreds of students who have attended her theater classes—for the last 24 years, at William B. Travis Academy for the Academically Talented and Gifted. She was recently recognized at the district’s Salute to Service event for her dedication to Dallas ISD.

“I have seen big changes in Dallas ISD and have loved every place I have been,” Graves said of her time in the district, which began in 1970 when she was hired to teach English, math and theater at the then Pearl C. Anderson Junior High school.

“It was the best thing to happen to me,” Graves said, remembering her experiences at the then segregated school. Graves fondly recalls serving as PTA president as well as attending a holiday celebration with her students at a venue on what is now Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, where Ike and Tina Turner were performing, she said. Graves stood out in the audience and was singled out by Tina.

“She was so young back then,” she said. “It was so sweet of her to call me up.”

Although she later spent three years teaching in a Richardson school, Graves is Dallas ISD through and through. She believes in giving students every opportunity to learn, experience new things and develop into young adults who are prepared for the future.

“Children still want discipline to some extent and guidelines,” she said. “But they also want to play a meaningful role in what they do. Even if they don’t play a leading role, they want to feel that what they do—costumes, set building, sound—is important. They want to find what they enjoy and do it.”

Graves, who is retiring at the end of this school year, has taken students on trips to Turkey, Scotland, France, England and other countries to help them expand their horizons and learn from other cultures. She also goes to see her former students’ high school plays and productions, because “they are so sweet.” Next year, she will also be going to football games because one of her current students, Angel R., will be playing in high school.

Angel, who will be attending the School of Science and Engineering at Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Center, credits Graves’ high expectations and emphasis on participating in theater competitions with his academic success.

“Overall, her class has really helped me with life skills,” he said. “I don’t have stage fright and can do public speaking. I can memorize 30 minutes to an hour of a good monologue. I learned so many new vocabulary words. I am thankful for the opportunities.”

Graves said she is proud of her students and their academic accomplishments, but she is proudest of how they gain the confidence to tackle other challenges.

Although she is retiring to spend more time with her youngest son’s children who live in Arizona and her oldest son’s family closer to home, she is not completely disconnecting from Dallas ISD—she plans to come back after a while as a substitute.

“I’m going to miss interacting with the children every day, but I want to spend time with my grandchildren while they are still young,” she said.

Her advice to younger teachers: “Be good listeners. Get to know your students, their parents, their community, and their situation, not to interfere with their lives, but to be a better teacher to them. Provide structure, but also show appreciation as we learn from each other.”

When you think of a leader who goes above and beyond for her students, colleagues agree that Nelida Morehead, a bilingual teacher at C.F. Carr Elementary School, is who you should picture.  

Morehead, now in her ninth year of teaching, became a teacher after hearing about the district’s Alternative Certification Program. She decided to change careers to transition out of working as an investigator for Child Protective Services. Although she has a heart for social work, she was reaching a point of feeling like she needed a break. She saw teaching as a way to continue with her mission of helping children. 

As a teacher, Morehead has worn many hats and has received various accolades, including serving as Campus Instructional Leadership Team, the Districtwide Advisory Committee, coaching robotics and the Lone Star Challenge, becoming a Distinguished Teacher, recognized by the Texas Education Agency, regional board member of Destination Imagination, and Challenge Master for Rising Stars for Destination Imagination, and has been a mentor for new teachers for the last four years. Morehead also served on a TEA committee to which educators from throughout the state were invited to provide feedback on the development of assessments including STAAR, STAAR Alternate 2, and TELPAS. 

Morehead became involved with the TEA committee because she is always looking for different opportunities to expand ways to help her students. She looks for these opportunities in newsletters, emails and other sources she gets from different agencies. She applied and received a notification that she had been accepted. 

“I always believe that the people who make important decisions need to be there on the frontlines,” Morehead said. “To me it was a great opportunity to give feedback on the things that we do daily as teachers, and I was able to do that when I went to that committee.” 

Morehead was also recently awarded a scholarship for full-tuition to attend Southern Methodist University where she will pursue a master’s degree in leadership in educational administration. Through the encouragement of the administrators of the three campuses Morehead has worked for in the district, she is pursuing her goal of becoming a principal.  

One of the favorite things about doing what she does is expanding children’s minds through different platforms, Morehead said. 

“I can do it through coaching, through teaching, or taking kids on a field trip,” she said. “I love to take my students on a field trip because I know some of my students are lacking a little bit of background knowledge and experiences, so every year we take different field trips where I feel that they’re learning something.”

The latest field trip the students went to was at a park to view the solar eclipse, where the students had an incredible time, she said.

She would like for her students to take away from their experience in her classroom how to become independent, responsible, and thinkers—something she expresses to them on the first day of school.

“I want them to become a well-rounded student, not just academically but also be able to think and rationalize things and to be independent and be responsible,” she said. 

Morehead said that the students who are sometimes called ‘challenging’, are her favorites. She says she doesn’t take the word challenging so much into account, because she likes to see how the student is with her. 

“They don’t know a positive way to get attention, but I hope that in those eight months that they spend with me, they learn that there is another way,” Morehead said. “It’s not that they are challenging students, but they haven’t been taught yet how to do it differently. Like they say, it takes a village and I’m happy to be part of this village.” 

Mental Health Awareness Month brings forth the opportunity to share the resources that are available for students districtwide. Below is a listing of different resources available through Dallas ISD’s Mental Health Services Department, whose mission is to promote student success by supporting students’ mental health needs.  

The Dallas ISD Mental Health Services team includes licensed professional counselors, social workers, marriage and family therapists, psychologists, school psychologists, psychiatrists, and wraparound specialists, who work collaboratively with campus and district team members to ensure the highest quality of care for students to improve mental, emotional, social, and academic outcomes.  

School-based Services
Mental health services provided in schools:

• Individual/group counseling and psychotherapy
• Behavior support and intervention
• Case management
• Crisis intervention

Clinic-based Services
The 13 Youth & Family Centers are located around the district and provide the following services:

• Individual and family counseling and psychotherapy
• Parent education and workshops
• Psychiatric evaluation and medication management
• Physical health services provided by medical partners, including HHM Health, Foremost Family Health Center, and Los Barrios Unidos

Alcohol and Drug Intervention
The Dallas ISD Alcohol and Drug program provides in- and out-of-district resources for students in need of support for substance use.

Wraparound Services
The department connects students and families to critical district and community resources to improve school performance and engagement.

You can find this information and more, by visiting the Mental Health Services Department website at https://www.dallasisd.org/mentalhealth.