Staff News

Dallas ISD’s school counselors promote and support the academic excellence and well-being of students by helping them focus on academic, personal, social, and career development. To celebrate their tremendous contributions to the district, the Counseling Services Department recently hosted the annual School Counselor of the Year event, which was co-sponsored by the Dallas Education Foundation.

This year over 52 amazing counselors were nominated by their principals for awards in various categories. A panel of judges read and scored each of the submissions, narrowing them down to four semifinalists, seven finalists, and the Overall Elementary and Overall Secondary School Counselors of the Year. The program also honored the Trailblazer Counseling Team winners, Rookies of the Year, and 2023 Counselor Retirees. To see a full list of the honorees, click here. 

School Counselors of the Year 

Counseling Services was proud to announce that the 2022-2023 Dallas ISD Elementary Counselor of the Year is Nancy Brinkley from Anne Frank Elementary School, where Beverly Mullens Ford is the principal. 

The 2022-2023 Dallas ISD Secondary Counselor of the Year is Shauntee Watson from Hector P. Garcia Middle School, where David Lee is the principal.

Elementary, secondary, and magnet/choice schools finalists

The Counselor of the Year finalists representing elementary schools were Nancy Brinkley from Anne Frank Elementary School and Silvia Cabrera from William Anderson Elementary School. Khaynisha Edwards from Rufus C. Burleson Elementary School was also honored as an elementary semifinalist. 

The secondary school finalists were Marsona Jackson from Moisés E. Molina High School and Shauntee Watson from Hector P. Garcia Middle School. Andrea Alexander from Dr. Wright L. Lassiter Jr. Early College High School at El Centro College was also honored as a secondary semifinalist.

The magnet/choice school finalists were Tisbet Fitzgerald from School for the Talented and Gifted in Pleasant Grove and Danielle Redmon from Alex W. Spence Preparatory and TAG Academy. Yolanda Carter from Alex W. Spence Preparatory and TAG Academy was also honored as a magnet/choice schools semifinalist.

The last finalist, accumulating the most votes from counselor peers and thus receiving the Counselors’ Choice Award, was Shelisa Taylor-Benton from Seagoville High School. Mary Glenn from Clinton P. Russell Elementary School was honored as a semifinalist in this category.

Congratulations to all the Counselor of the Year nominees, semifinalists, finalists, and the overall winners for their outstanding service to the students and parents of Dallas ISD. Counseling Services also applauds the stellar Trailblazer Counseling Teams, retirees, and Rookie of the Year nominees for their excellent services that impact student success.

Assistant Principal Kelsey Cronin has been in education for the past nine years, so she understands the importance of celebrating every student’s success. That is why she said she was so excited to help organize Seagoville High School’s first Senior Signing Day alongside the college advising team from ASP Dallas, an organization that provides professional comprehensive college counseling to high school students. 

On the big day, 40 of the school’s graduating seniors— who have received college acceptance letters and wanted to be part of the celebration—invited 170 people to come cheer them on in Seagoville’s gym. Each student shared why they chose their college while sitting at tables decorated with their college gear and signed a certificate of intent at the end of the event. 

The community celebrated their accomplishments with cupcakes, balloon arches, music, and more, and Cronin said it was a huge success.

“On most campuses, if it’s not athletics, there’s no buzz,” Cronin said. “I really want to change that culture to promote going to college. Whatever kind of dreams our students have, we have a platform to get them to that point.”

Cronin said Seagoville’s community liaison, Yennifer Reyes, and campus coordinator, Marissa Romer, were phenomenal in bringing the Senior Signing Day together, along with the school’s Link Crew club, a group of junior and senior leadership students who helped with set up and event flow.

In addition to celebrating students’ college acceptance, Cronin wanted to honor the parents and families who have helped their students reach this stage. She said Senior Signing Day gave them an opportunity to celebrate and feel proud of what their students accomplished and was entirely family focused.

The event was so successful that the Seagoville team is already planning to host a second Senior Signing Day for the 2023-2024 school year. Cronin hopes more of the school’s graduating seniors will participate in the future and will continue bringing their achievements to their school community to be recognized as they deserve.

“I really want kids to be so happy about their senior year,” Cronin said. “I feel like a lot of them are filled with worry about what’s next, and these are really big decisions. I want their parents to sit in that audience and be proud of their child, and be recognized and feel this sense of community because we are the heart of Seagoville.” 

Rubinna Sanchez, the principal at Young Women’s STEAM Academy at Balch Springs Middle School, has called Dallas ISD home for several decades. 

She was born and raised in Dallas and attended all Dallas ISD schools: Rosemont Elementary School, Jesús Moroles Expressive Arts Vanguard (formerly known as Sidney Lanier Expressive Arts Vanguard), W.E. Greiner Exploratory Arts Academy, and ultimately Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. 

After graduating, she decided to pursue a career in education, where she has spent 24 years, with 21 of them as a member of the Dallas ISD team.

Sanchez recently joined the more than 20 Dallas ISD principals who were awarded Master Principal designations for the 2022-2023 school year. She said she is proud to be among the top 10 percent of Dallas ISD principals as they collectively work toward student success and college and career readiness. 

What drew you to education? 

I was drawn to education by family and friends. Being a part of a big family, I had several younger cousins that were struggling in school. I was asked if I could help them with homework. I began making real-world connections to help them understand the concepts they were learning. My uncle then mentioned, “You should be a teacher.” Providing support to my family members coupled with tutoring students at a nearby school while in college created the spark for me to pursue a career in education.

What qualities make a great principal? 

I believe a good principal is able to build relationships, promote collaboration, and be an effective listener.

What is your educational philosophy or a motto by which you work? 

I work by several mottos: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” and “Your circumstances do not define you.”  

What inspires you about your position? 

I am inspired when I see students have that “aha” moment when something they struggled with just clicks. I get to see students take their learning and continue to grow. I am able to see the positive impact on not only students, but on team members and the community.

The 2023-2024 Calendar Start and End Dates for district team members are now available. There will be one calendar for all schools in the coming year, and highlights include:

• Principals return to work July 17
• Assistant Principals return to work July 24
• Teachers, media specialists, speech therapists/assistants, and nurses who are 191-day employees will return to work on July 31. This date will allow for additional staff development throughout the year. These groups will be required to work 1½ days on Sept. 14 and Feb. 22
• Campus based professional staff will receive one full day in the fall, and one full day in the spring credit for parent conference instead of the .5 day in the Fall and .5 day in the Spring as in past years. 
• Employees with duty periods of 185 to 221 will receive a fall Break on Oct. 12 and 13. They will not receive a Fair Day for the 2023-2024 school year.
  • Head athletic trainers (215-day) and athletic trainers (205-day) are required to work during the fall Break and will receive a fair day. Employees working 226 days or more will continue to receive a fair day in October.
• President’s Day (Feb. 19) will not be a board approved holiday for the 2023-2024 school year.
• The district will be closed Dec. 25-Jan. 5 for winter break
• The dates for parent conferences are still being determined and an update will be sent when finalized.
• The district will be closed July 1-5, 2024, for summer break
• Central team members who work 226 days will receive four non-duty days
• Police and security employees who work 235 days will receive seven non-duty days

Download the Calendar Start and End Dates for additional details.  

During its monthly board briefing, Dallas ISD trustees will hear reports on the proposed budget for the 2023-2024 school year that includes raises and a presentation on the district’s sustainability efforts.

The presentation about the proposed budget for the 2023-2024 school will include a discussion of a plan to:

• increase the minimum teacher salary to $61,000,
• increases to the new teacher hiring schedule to meet market rates, and 
• an average increase of $1,000 for most TEI compensation levels as well as a differentiated salary increase of up to 3%. 

The proposed compensation package also includes increasing the minimum wage to $16 an hour and a 2% increase from the midpoint for exempt campus and central team members. Details of the 2023-2024 retention incentive, including an additional $1,000 for employees with at least five years of service with Dallas ISD, will also be part of the discussion. 

The presentation about the district’s progress toward sustainability goals—set in 2020 as a result of a board environment and climate resolution—will include information about installation of water fountains and bottle filling stations with lead-free filters at schools and other district facilities. Operations team members will also provide updates on the district’s acquisition of 17 electric school buses through a federal grant and the status of the recycling program at schools. Other updates include:

• The district achieving and maintaining a 97% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions since 2020
• Plans to continue use of 100% renewable sources for electricity for existing and new facilities
• Increase reduction of natural gas use beyond the current 29.7%

Monthly board briefings are scheduled to start at 11:30 a.m. and can be accessed by visiting the meeting webcast page.

Since she was recruited from the Philippines 27 years ago, Estrellita Perez Richter, a gifted and talented program teacher at Julius Dorsey Leadership Academy, has made Dallas ISD home. 

Perez Richter came to the United States in 1995 to be a teacher as part of the district’s worldwide recruitment efforts of experienced teachers in response to teacher shortages here. She had been a teacher in the Philippines since 1978 and was teaching English as a second language to Chinese refugees—from 5 to 60 years old—before coming to Dallas. 

Even though Perez Richter spoke fluent English when she emigrated to the United States—an important language in the Philippines—the transition was not easy. She faced the many challenges that immigrants face, such as finding themselves alone, but was able to make a connection with her students and family members. In fact, she sees them as her extended family. 

“One of the reasons why I see my students and their families as part of my family is because I don’t have a child,” she said. “I tell them, ‘I love you guys.’ I want you to make good decisions because I want you to be successful.” 

Although Perez Richter feels very connected to the Pleasant Grove community where Dorsey is located, she has never forgotten her roots. 

“I’m proud of being Asian because being Asian represents so many—Chinese, Vietnamese, Japanese and many others,” she said. “I’m proud of my brown complexion and my beautiful country with beaches with blue water, rich food, and people who are very hospitable and accommodating to visitors.”

Like many Filipinos, Perez Richter says she comes from a mixed culture with influences from China, Spain, Malaysia, and other countries that have played a role in the history of the Philippines, from the cuisine to the language. She is able to make connections with her students’ families, most of whom are Spanish speaking, because some words in the dialects spoken in the Philippines are similar to Spanish, such as “sapatos” (shoes) or “mesa” (table). There might be some variations in the spelling, but the meaning remains the same, she said. 

Beyond sharing common ground with her students when it comes to some of the aspects of culture and language, she loves helping them find their potential.

“The gifted and talented program is something that is boundless, and the kind of instruction that you give has no limit,” she said. “Although we follow the curriculum, I can go beyond, and I can be flexible depending on the needs of a child, because every child is different.”

She attributes her success to her education growing up in the Philippines and wants education to open the doors for her students, as it’s done for her. 

She was the second of eight siblings, and believes education is the key to change the course of one’s life. 

“I would not be in the United States if I did not get the education that I sought for myself,” she said. “I want my students to have an abundance of opportunities. I teach based on my experiences, and I share them with my children in the classroom.”

Jacinto Cabrera, principal at Dorsey, is thankful for the wealth of knowledge that Perez Richter shares with her students.

“Her years of service and dedication to the field of education extend beyond the classroom to our parents, community, and other educators, and that truly amazes me,” he said.

Sujehy Arredondo grew up in El Paso, Texas, where she had a teacher who changed the course of her life. She said her sixth grade teacher, Mr. Salcido, treated her and her classmates like “mini adults” and served as a role model for them. As Arredondo was entering the workplace, originally in public health, she realized her true passion was transforming the lives of middle school students as her teacher had done for her. 

Arredondo has been in the classroom for five years, and the Hector P. Garcia Middle School sixth grade math teacher is achieving her dream of giving back to students and her community. 

“Every year I get above 90 percent on my student surveys because I build those relationships with my students,” Arredondo said. “I always remember how Mr. Salcido treated us, what he did for us, the stories and experiences that he would share. I wanted to share my experiences with my kids, too, and here I am telling those stories.”

Her passion for making memorable moments and setting her students up for success led to positive results when she became the 2020-2021 Campus Teacher of the Year at Seagoville Middle School as a second-year teacher. She credits her accomplishment to being a go-getter and always prioritizing her students.

“Every time that I would receive feedback, I would take it as, ‘This is an opportunity to grow,’” Arredondo said. “I’m always open to constructive feedback. I welcome others to observe my classes, and every single test that we take, I analyze and ask, ‘What is our next step after this?’ I am always thinking ahead.”

Gabrielle Paulo, who taught alongside Arredondo at Seagoville Middle School, saw Arredondo in action and said she was impressed by the commitment and leadership Arredondo brought to the forefront of their campus. 

“Ms. Arredondo goes above and beyond not just for the students, but the teachers as well,” Paulo said. “She is a wealth of knowledge about data and uses that to help everyone bring scores where they should be. She won teacher of the year her second year teaching ever because her scores and data were so good. She then became team lead and brought the entire department up.”

As a member of the Hector P. Garcia community, Arredondo has continued to lead by example as a member of her campus’ Language Proficiency Assessment Committee and Sunshine Committee and as a mentor teacher. 

“I always try to come to school with a positive attitude, and that makes a difference,” Arredondo said. “We get to see our kids, our students, and they’re excited to see us. I make everything as positive as I can, and I don’t let anyone tell me, ‘You can’t do this.’ I truly think that makes a difference.”

With the safety and wellbeing of students and team members in mind, Dallas ISD has been updating fingerprints for employees who were fingerprinted before June 1, 2015. 

The district’s Background Department has been contacting employees who were part of this group and scheduling appointments to register their fingerprints. This process will be done at no cost to employees. 

Team members who had not yet been fingerprinted should have been contacted the first week in May to set an appointment. Those who have not been contacted or have yet to set up an appointment with the Background Department, can download the instructions to set up an appointment. 

Employees who choose to fingerprint at an IdentoGo location, can schedule an appointment following these instructions and submit a reimbursement request for the expense.

Getting updated fingerprints from staff is necessary as part of the district’s subscription to the FBI Civil RapBack program. The FBI Civil Rap Back program allows an entity, such as school districts, to receive notifications of new activity to a criminal history record of an employee at the national level.

Dallas ISD already subscribes to the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Fingerprint-based Applicant Clearinghouse of Texas (FACT) to receive notifications if an employee’s criminal history record changes. For example, the district would be notified if the employee is arrested or charged with a violation of law after the initial background check. In the past, the subscription service only made notifications of new activity to a Texas criminal history record.

By subscribing to the FBI Civil Rap Back program, Dallas ISD will receive notifications of events within Texas and also notifications of events that occurred elsewhere in the nation. These programs are designed to assist Dallas ISD in the continuous vetting of employees in positions of trust and who have direct contact with students.

Employees who have questions regarding the FBI Civil Rap Back Program, should contact Erika Cazares at (972) 925-8081 or fingerprinting@dallasisd.org.

Life is full of ups and downs and stressful situations. It is important to remember that waiting to feel like something is wrong is not the only time to get help and talk to someone. In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, Dallas ISD’s Mental Health Services is sharing ways you can assess how your body feels to gain insight into your mental well-being.

Did you know the body can create physical symptoms that act as red flags to let a person know they may need help?

If you are experiencing any of the following, it may be time to ask for help:

• Excessive fear or worrying
• Constantly feeling sad or low
• Trouble concentrating, thinking, or learning
• Extreme mood changes
• Feeling irritable or angry for longer than usual
• Dramatic changes in eating habits such as increased hunger or lack of appetite
• Dramatic change in sleeping habits, oversleeping, or not being able to sleep at all
• Having thoughts of self-harm or suicide
• Feeling excessively tired or low energy

If you or someone you know is experiencing any or all of these symptoms, it may be time to get help from a trusted person, counselor, or mental health professional.

Dallas ISD’s Employee Assistance Program

Dallas ISD is committed to the four pillars of its wellness program—health and wellness, mental health, social health, and financial health. Mental Health Awareness Month is a great time to focus attention on the resources available to district employees to ensure their mental and emotional well-being.

The May Mental Health Awareness Month campaign is focusing on the Employee Assistance Program (EAP), which is free for employees, 100 percent confidential, and available to all employees and their dependents. 

Sessions through the EAP are available by phone, virtual, and in person. Employees can also find tips, articles, self-assessments, and topical features focusing on specific EAP resources available through the EAP smart App.

To start on your wellness journey please visit dallasisd.lifeworks.com and follow these instructions:

• Select ‘Sign up’ in the top right-hand corner of the page.
• Alternatively, you can download the free LifeWorks mobile app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store on your smartphone and enter the invitation code in the ‘Sign up’ section. 

If you have already registered, you can download the free LifeWorks mobile app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store on your smartphone and press ‘Log In’. You can also visit LifeWorks on one of the supported browsers (Firefox, Safari, Google Chrome, or Edge) and log in.

If you need additional support, reach out to EAP by calling 972-925-4000 and selecting option 3 for EAP. And remember, you are more than enough! 

You matter, and so does your mental health and well-being. Take some time to reflect on how you are doing, and prioritize yourself and your needs. And remember: You are more than enough.

Ryan Bott, principal at Bryan Adams High School Leadership Academy, has spent 13 years making memorable moments and transforming student lives as an educator, with eight of those years in Dallas ISD. 

He grew up in the Dallas area and taught in Denton ISD and Houston ISD before becoming an assistant principal at Moisés E. Molina High School, where he led a high achieving math department and early college high school. After three years at Molina, he stepped up as principal at Bryan Adams. 

His accomplishments include being named Teacher of the Year in Houston ISD for his innovative work as an Algebra I teacher and Dallas ISD AVID Principal of the Year for the 2022-2023 school year, as well as being awarded the Master Principal designation for the 2022-2023 school year.

Bott said he is proud to be among the more than 20 Dallas ISD leaders to be recognized as a Master Principal across three categories: neighborhood elementary schools, neighborhood secondary schools, and choice schools. 

The awards are part of the Theory of Action, which governs how Dallas ISD makes decisions that ultimately impact student achievement. The criteria used are the School Effectiveness Index, State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness/EOC Domain 1 results, and campus climate data.

What drew you to education? 

My wife was a high school English teacher. I saw the impact that she was making so I decided to join her in education. Since then I have seen teachers face unprecedented challenges, and they have risen to them with grace, care, and excellence. Their dedication has kept our students safe, engaged, and, most importantly, in the community, and I am thankful for every one of them.

What qualities make a great principal? 

Commitment, vision, and being student-focused are essential to leading a campus at a high level. 

What is your educational philosophy or a motto by which you work? 

Effort = Achievement 

What inspires you about your position? 

I get to make an impact on so many people, kids and adults, and I am dedicated to continuing the excellence of Bryan Adams and to maintaining the traditions that our community members hold near and dear in their hearts.