Staff News

Deepen your understanding of racial equity and get inspired to implement actionable change by attending the Fall Racial Equity Learning Exchange on Oct. 24. The event, presented by the Racial Equity Office, features nationally recognized leaders in racial equity who will guide attendees through key strategies for building anti-racist schools and systems.

The Fall Racial Equity Learning Exchange will take place from 1 to 4 p.m. at Fellowship Church, 9330 N. Central Expressway. Space is limited to sign up to attend the session of your choice at bit.ly/REOFallLearningExchange.

The keynote speaker, Gregory C. Hutchings Jr., will deliver a powerful address titled “Getting Into Good Trouble: Building an Anti-Racist School & System.” Hutchings will share practical insights on how schools can confront systemic racism head-on and foster environments that empower all students, especially those from marginalized communities, to thrive.

In addition to the keynote, three expert-led sessions will provide participants with focused learning opportunities:

• Kendra Johnson will lead “When Treating All the Kids the SAME is the REAL Problem,” a session that tackles the root causes of racial achievement gaps. Dr. Johnson will demonstrate how to use real-time data to tailor instruction to students’ diverse needs while sharing strategies to build staff buy-in around the critical importance of racial equity.
• Jerry Hawkins, executive director of the Dallas Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation project, will present “Race & the Roots of Dallas: A Historical Journey.” Hawkins will explore the city’s complex racial history and its lasting impact on educational inequities, offering historical context for present-day challenges.
• Douglas S. Reed will lead a session on “Strategies for Building an Anti-Racist Classroom,” equipping educators with tools to create supportive learning environments.

When Christi Canady-Boyd, a speech therapy assistant at Skyline High School, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2021, she was anxious about talking to her supervisor. Little did she know the conversation would lead to a four-year legacy of love and support as dozens of Skyline Raiders will walk once again in the Susan G. Komen race for the Cure on Oct. 19.

“It was my first year at Skyline, but I had known her from [W.H] Gaston [Middle School],” said Sonja Nix, assistant principal at Skyline High School. “When she told me, I took off my supervisor hat and put on my friend hat and asked her what we could do to support her.”

Canady-Boyd got her treatment and is doing well, but because Nix was raised always help others and is part of a sorority that emphasizes service to others, she went a step further to support her friend and team member in her fight against a disease that affects one in four women in the United States.

Nix created a Skyline Raiders team for that year’s Komen Race for the Cure and encouraged the school’s athletics teams to join. Several did, including the drill team—the Skyline Silhouettes—who stopped every so often along the route to do a routine and cheer on the other participants. The first year, the Skyline team had about 150 participants and raised $1,500.

For Nix, getting students involved was important because often people go through their everyday lives missing what is going on in others’ lives. Breast cancer touches everyone on some level, and the race teaches students—and adults—empathy.

“There aren’t a lot of opportunities to reach out and touch someone else,” she said. “This lets them take a break from themselves and think about how they can impact others’ lives.”

The second year, the numbers increased, and the team had about 250 people participate, including the boys baseball team. The organization even requested the Silhouettes come back with their routines. People donated $5 for walkers to wear T-shirts with the name of a loved one who had been diagnosed with the disease. The team raised $2,500 for the Susan G. Komen Foundation, which provides support for those diagnosed with breast cancer as well as funding for research to find treatments and eventually a cure. 

“I am thankful that I had someone in my life like Ms. Nix,” Canady-Boyd said. “I feel good because it has impacted so many, changed so many lives because we all have purpose. I feel like going through this is fulfilling the purpose that the Lord almighty has for me.” 

Changes in staffing led to a decrease in participation for the third year, but Oct. 19 will likely see a resurgence of the Skyline Raiders at the Komen Race for the Cure because planning and fundraising started early, said Ssereta Lafayette, Skyline special education teacher, who took over the organizational efforts.

“We are ready,” she said. “We really enjoy seeing students participate. It helps them to see that if you put good energy in, good energy comes back to you and that good always wins. It lets us participate in community service that touches your heart.”

Latronda Williams, a special education teacher assistant at Skyline, is also organizing a “More than Pink” walk on Oct. 26 at the school for those who can’t make the Oct. 19 race, and funds raised for that will also go to the Komen Foundation. Williams believes it’s important that students and team members who couldn’t get to the Plano event have an opportunity to “be of service and be the gem in their community. To say, ‘I don’t know them, but I can walk with them in this fight.’”

The four women hope that the legacy of empathy they started to support a friend and colleague takes root and continues for many years at Skyline and wherever the students go after they graduate.   

“I am a Skyline alum and a Silhouette, so this rings very deep for me” Canady-Boyd said. “I truly am wonderful because of all the support. In the Skyline special education department, we are like a family. Everybody was so supportive. Our Circle Soulja Pink, that’s what I call my group, I felt their love from work, from home, from family. It really helped me to get through everything.”

For more information about the Skyline Raiders race team or to support them, download their flyer. And for more information or to donate to the More than Pink walk on Oct. 26, download their flyer.

Dallas ISD successfully launched its new website Wednesday, and while the new look has a lot of exciting new features, we wanted to make sure you knew where to find commonly used links and Team Dallas ISD content. 

Pages requiring EAD access can be found through the Dallas ISD Portal at portal.dallasisd.org or by clicking on the Dallas ISD Portal icon automatically installed on the desktop of all district devices. Links to pages like Benefits, Cornerstone, Oracle, and PowerSchool are working and can also be found within the Dallas ISD Portal. 

As we’ve transitioned to our new site, please refrain from using Google to search for these applications as you may be directed to an outdated link that no longer works on the new site.  

Content like stories that appear in The Beat and links to useful sites and resources for employees can be found under Menu in the upper right hand corner of the site. Once there, click on Team Dallas ISD to go to the page dedicated to all things related to employees. The page also contains links to resources like Dallas ISD Portal, Benefits, Cornerstone, Oracle, and PowerSchool.

If you had bookmarked pages from the old site, not all the bookmarks may have made it through the transition, especially if the bookmarks are PDFs. If you know the departments that housed those pages, the best way to locate them is by visiting Menu and clicking on Departments. Some pages, like Professional Development and the Excellence Initiatives can also be found by going to Menu, pausing on Team Dallas ISD and clicking on Evaluation Tools on the menu to the right.

From time to time, you will see pop ups on the website with helpful information or asking for feedback. This does not impede your access to the site. Simply click on the X on the top right corner of the box to get rid of it or click on the link within the window that says you do not want to see it again. If you want to provide feedback about the experience, please use the link in the window and be as precise as you can.

While links to other resources can be found on the Team Dallas ISD page and the Dallas ISD Portal, you can access:

• PowerSchool directly here.  
• Cornerstone here. Please note that you must be logged in to access this page.
• SLO Form is located on the TEI Resources page and can be found here.  

If you encounter additional issues, please submit through our form here. 

Daniel Poveda and Monica Garcia, a dynamic couple of educators from Venezuela, have dedicated their careers to serving the Dallas ISD community and bringing their rich cultural heritage into the classroom. Their passion for teaching reflects their deep commitment to uplifting the next generation of students.

Poveda has been with Dallas ISD for 16 years, first as a teacher and now working as an instructional specialist for emergent bilingual and immigrant students in the Dual Language ESL Department. He arrived in the country at14 years old and remembers the challenges of adapting to a new culture and language. His passion for teaching was sparked by his experience and now helps students who are having the same journey.

“I was a newcomer student, attending ESL classes back in 1994,” Poveda said. “Learning English and moving to this great country had a significant impact on my life. After college, I knew I wanted to help students who are now in the same situation I was in.”

For Poveda, his Venezuelan heritage has been a guiding force. Growing up, he was taught values like respect, kindness, and hard work, which helped him navigate the challenges of immigration. 

“Without these principles, it would have been much harder to cope with the immigration process,” Poveda said. 

Poveda’s strong connection to his roots motivates him to encourage others to embrace their cultural identities. 

“I believe us, Latinos, should embrace our culture on a daily basis and prove that we contribute to society everywhere we go,” he said.

Likewise, his wife, Monica Garcia, a newcomer’s teacher at Herbert Marcus Leadership Academy, shares her husband’s passion for education. With 12 years in Dallas ISD, she strives to inspire her students and make a lasting impact. 

“The desire to contribute to the growth and development of young minds motivated me to enter the field of education,” Garcia said.

Garcia likes to celebrate Hispanic Heritage month with traditions, community gatherings, and stressing the importance of family. She proudly shares her cultural background with her students, helping them explore their own heritage in the process. 

“I teach my students to explore the achievements of notable Hispanic figures, and we work on projects that celebrate their Hispanic heritage.” Garcia said. 

During Hispanic Heritage Month, the couple enjoys celebrating not just their Venezuelan culture, but the entire Hispanic culture through various cultural events. Poveda points out the common culinary traditions that unite Latin America. 

“We all use plantain or corn leaves in some way, love rice, beans, and grains in general. And let me add—arepas are of Venezuelan origin!” Poveda said. 

Poveda and Garcia highlight the overlooked aspects of diversity and the importance of representation within Hispanic cultures. 

“I want people to see how our Hispanic heritage has European, African, and Indigenous roots, reflected in our food, music, languages, and most important of all, in our people,” Poveda said. 

As educators, the couple are also passionate about how education can elevate Latino voices. 

“Ensuring that Latino communities have a strong educational foundation will open doors for our children,” Poveda said. “Their voices will be heard once the tools, like education, are laid and built.”

“I’d like to see more emphasis on our diverse contributions and increased representation in various fields throughout the year.” Garcia said.

For Poveda and Garcia, Hispanic Heritage Month is a time to reflect on the past, celebrate cultural roots, and look to the future. Their journey from Venezuela to Dallas ISD is a testament to the resilience and contributions of Latino communities, and their work in education is paving the way for future generations to thrive.

Poveda believes that celebrating and honoring the diversity within Latino communities starts with openness and curiosity. He emphasizes the importance of stepping outside comfort zones and engaging with cultures that may be new. 

“Simply by being open, exploring other cultures, other celebrations, being out there, asking questions, making friends, comparing, and contrasting, there is never better or worse, simply different. The more we know, the better we become,” Poveda said. 

The HCM Benefits Department is excited to announce Fall Vaccine Villages, convenient district locations where employees can receive their seasonal vaccines. The Vaccine Villages will rotate throughout the district from Oct. 7 through Dec. 13, making it easier for team members to protect themselves and their families this season.

Given that seasonal flu symptoms can closely mimic those of COVID-19, vaccination is more important than ever. Getting a flu shot is a vital step we can all take to safeguard our health and the health of our loved ones.

The Vaccine Villages will offer a variety of vaccines, including:

• Standard flu shot
• High dose flu vaccine for individuals age 65 and older
• COVID-19 vaccines and boosters
• Pneumonia and shingles vaccines

Employees enrolled in any TRS Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas (BCBS) plans will have their vaccine costs fully covered. The Vaccine Village will accept several other insurance plans, subject to coverage, including Aetna Choice, Cigna PPO, Humana PPO, Medicare Part B, and United HealthCare Choice.

Please remember to bring a copy of your driver’s license and medical insurance information to your appointment. Although walk-ins will be accepted, advance registration is preferred. Registration for the clinics can be completed here.

If you have questions about the Vaccine Village, feel free to contact the HCM Benefits Department at benefits@dallasisd.org or call 972-925-4300.

Dallas ISD teachers who are eligible, will see their salary increases for the 2024-2025 school year reflected in their Oct. 15 paychecks. This increase sets the average teacher salary in the district at over $70,000, which is significantly higher than the average of other Region 10 districts.

The $70,000 average salary is also about 5% higher than the average salary for districts in the DFW market.

“With the support of our Board of Trustees and our superintendent, Dallas ISD continues to be a leader in teacher salaries in our region,” said Chief of Human Capital Management Robert Abel. “Having this extremely competitive average teacher salary of over $70,500 is another component of the attractive package that Dallas ISD offers to retain and recruit the best teachers for Dallas ISD students.”

The Board of Trustees in May approved a budget that differentiated increases for team members in Excellence Initiatives, focusing on the district’s compensation priorities: market competitive salaries, advancing equity, strategic compensation, and high priority stipends.  

The budget also set the minimum teacher salary at $62,000 and included adjustments to the new hire schedule for teachers to match market rates. Returning teachers received a projected average teacher salary increase of approximately $2,166 or 3.1%, 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)

The district began the school year with over 99% of teacher positions filled and a 60% reduction in the number of new teachers who were hired to fill vacancies, which highlights the district’s strong teacher retention initiatives.

While higher salaries are not the only reason teachers come to and stay in Dallas ISD, the Teacher Excellence Initiative compensation does mean that teachers can reach higher salaries in shorter times compared to districts where increases are based on years of service.

“Dallas ISD is far ahead of the market in compensation for teachers whose experience ranges in three to 15 years,” Abel said. “Being able to offer this kind of opportunity for our teachers with the support of our leadership and trustees greatly benefits our community because it means we can have a qualified teacher in every classroom.”

The HCM Benefits Department is launching Tuesday Talks: Achieving Your Retirement Goals for the school year. This new initiative provides district employees with essential knowledge and resources to prepare for a successful and secure retirement.

Diverse and engaging events

On select Tuesdays each month, the HCM Benefits Department will host a variety of retirement-focused events to cater to different learning preferences and schedules. The program may include:

• Virtual seminars—Convenient online sessions providing employees with information and resources for retirement.
• In-person seminars—Interactive face-to-face sessions providing employees with information and resources for retirement.
• Lunch and Learns with Trusted Capitol Group—Informative lunchtime sessions providing guidance on Social Security, Teacher Retirement System benefits, retirement savings, and more
• Special seminar with TRS—A comprehensive seminar in March featuring insights from TRS

Topics Covered

Seminars will cover a range of critical topics to help employees prepare for retirement, including but not limited to:

• Steps to Retirement—Detailed guidance on the essential steps to take as you approach retirement
• Retirement Service Award—Information on how to receive payment for accumulated local days
• Retirement Savings Accounts—Insights on different types of retirement accounts and how to maximize retirement savings.
• Eligibility and more—Understanding the criteria for retirement benefits and other important considerations

How to participate

Due to space constraints, the HCM Benefits Department encourages all employees to frequently check the Benefits website for the latest event details and registration information. Registration will be on a first-come, first-served basis, so employees must sign up early to secure a spot.

Here’s how to stay updated and register:

1. Visit the Benefits website—Regularly check for updates on upcoming events.
2. Register for events—Employees may sign up for the seminars that fit their interests and schedule.
3. Mark your calendar—Employees may add the event dates to their calendar, so they don’t miss the event.

For more information and to register for upcoming events, please click here or email retirement@dallasisd.org.

As Dallas ISD celebrates National Principals Month during October, Toni Molina, principal at James S. Hogg New Tech Center, reflects on what her legacy as principal will be and how that legacy is the impact she can make on others. 

“I always look at our students and tell the staff that every day they come in, they’re part of somebody’s history,” she said. “As educators, we don’t see it like that because we’re in the thick of it, but that is what we’re doing. We’re changing somebody’s history every day we show up.”

Molina speaks from experience. A graduate of Dallas ISD, she credits her education—and the opportunities that came with it—with changing the trajectory of her family’s life.

“The first teacher I can actually recall is my first grade teacher, Ms. Welsh,” she said. “She really made me feel safe, given the background I came from—we were very poor and I didn’t always feel like I belonged. I never felt like that in her classroom.”

Molina started school at Gabe P. Allen New Tech Academy (formerly Gabe P. Allen Elementary School) and graduated from Moisés E. Molina High School.

Her parents got their GEDs. Now, two of her children graduated from Molina High School, and her youngest daughter is a freshman at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts.

“Our legacy is different now,” Molina said. “We have a Hispanic man who graduated from college. He’s the first from my maternal side of the family to do that.”

Growing up, Molina wanted to be an accountant. But she quickly realized her heart was leading her on a new path that would take her back to Dallas ISD to be a teacher, and eventually, a principal.

“I had some office jobs, but they weren’t for me,” she said. “When I got out of high school, I started working at a private school as a pre-K teacher. I liked the pace of it, and I liked helping people.”

Molina thought about all she had to overcome and the teachers who helped along the way, as well as the impact they had on her life, and realized that teaching was where she needed to be. After obtaining the teacher certifications, she started her tenure in the district at Gabe P. Allen. 

Now, as principal at Hogg, Molina finds ways to foster traditions with her students that she hopes will one day become part of the school’s legacy. For example, drawing from her experience being active in sports, Molina strives to promote Hogg as one big team.

“One thing I always ask is ‘What are we?’ and ‘What represents us?’” she said. 

“Good morning, Razorbacks” is how Molina greets students every morning to emphasize not only the school’s mascot but also what it represents. 

“This year, we’re really focused on what the characteristics of a razorback are,” she said. “If you ask our students, it means we’re resilient, we’re tenacious. We don’t give up.”

Olivia Rodriguez is a staple at the café in the Dallas ISD’s Linus Wright Administration Building, where she has worked since 2017 after years of working in a school cafeteria, where she forged connections with the community and the students because to her, food means family and culture. 

Rodriguez joined the Food and Nutrition Services Department in 2014 at Leonides Gonzalez Cigarroa, M.D. Elementary School. One of her favorite things about working there was the connection she forged with the students who visited the cafeteria daily. 

“The students would always sing to me when it was my birthday,” said Rodriguez with tears welling up in her eyes. “The children come up to you and hug you.” 

While she misses the school, she finds that working in the administration building allows her to meet people from all over the district and also spend more time with her own children, Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez is originally from La Moncada, a municipality of Tarimoro in the state of Guanajuato. While she has been in the United States for almost two decades, she said she carries the memories of her hometown and country in her heart always. 

“On September 27, it will be 19 years since I took that leap of faith and left my family and friends to start a new life here,” she said. Since leaving Mexico, Rodriguez has established roots in the city and Dallas ISD—her three children, ranging in ages from high school to elementary school age, attend district schools. 

Keeping her Mexican culture alive is something Rodriguez strives for in her family. Her children speak Spanish, and she and her family often sit down at the table to enjoy traditional dishes. She loves to cook chicken mole with rice.

“I don’t have a special recipe because I always make it more or less remembering how my mom used to make it, because she doesn’t make it anymore,” she said. 

Rodriguez doesn’t have a written recipe, because she learned how to make mole from her mom, adding her own personal touch to it. She just knows how much of each ingredient the dish needs—tanteando (estimating the measurements), she said. 

One of the things she remembers fondly about Mexico is the celebrations they had in her hometown of La Moncada. 

“On Sept. 16, Mexico’s Independence Day, we would participate in parades, where the schools and the community would walk together in unity,” she said. 

Rodriguez said there were school bands called la banda de guerra in the parade where they would march in unison with percussion instruments and cornets. She participated in the band as well as danced folkloric music from her state of Guanajuato. There was also the student banda de viento, which was a more traditional band, different from the banda de guerra with instruments like the trumpet, trombone, tuba, saxophone, and so on. 

She recalls the memories of the excitement of preparing for such celebrations. Her school and community would get together on Sept. 15 for the traditional Grito de Dolores at midnight, which represents the historic event that happened in Dolores, Hidalgo, when Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla rang a church bell and gave the call to arms that began the Mexican War of Independence. 

Rodriguez said that it’s important that her children and others know about their rich cultural history because it gives them a sense of belonging and pride, all of which contributes to their self esteem. 

One of Rodriguez’s wishes for her children and the children of the district is that they fulfill their dreams and stay safe always, she said. As far as her own dreams, she hopes to return to Mexico someday after her children are grown and she has retired. 

Human Capital Management’s Employee Relations department is pleased to announce a series of fall training sessions designed to equip central administration supervisors with essential tools and strategies for effective conflict resolution and performance coaching. Training dates and times are listed below.

Topic: Conflict Resolution

Date: Oct. 1 (two sessions)

Location: Linus Wright Administration Building, Training Room 300

Times: 10-11:30 a.m. and 3-4:30 p.m.

 Sign-Up Genius

Topic: Performance Coaching

Date: Oct. 24 (two sessions)

Location: Linus Wright Administration Building, Room 1211, 12th Floor Training Room

Times: 9:30-11 a.m. and  2-3:30 p.m.

 Sign-Up Genius

Supervisors who wish to attend one of these sessions must sign up through the links provided. Space for each session is limited. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact HCM Employee Relations at (972) 925-4026.