Staff News

If you know an educator who has gone extra mile each and every day to serve their students and their communities and who inspire others to do the same, you can nominate them for the Excellence in Education Awards given by H-E-B.

Even though the awards have been postponed until 2022 in light of ongoing public health concerns, nominations are being accepted through Oct. 18. Nominations are being accepted for teachers, principals, school boards, school districts or early childhood centers in Texas.

Created in 2002, the H‑E‑B Excellence in Education Awards are designed to honor outstanding public school professionals and to thank them for their dedication and commitment. Since its launch, the effort has awarded more than $11 million to deserving educators. The Dallas ISD won the 2020 district award and a check for $100,000.

To learn more about the program and fill out a nomination, visit https://www.heb.com/static-page/excellence-in-education-awards.

Dallas ISD is celebrating National School Lunch Week with food, fun, and opportunities for students to win awesome prizes. This year’s theme is “Feed Your Creativity with A Healthy School Lunch”

Here’s how students can participate:

#SHOWLUNCHDISD SOCIAL MEDIA CHALLENGE: OCTOBER 11- 15

All DISD Students, staff, and families are invited to create a video to promote the importance of

school lunch. Participants will share/ promote their favorite school lunch or what school lunch

means to them by using the hashtag #ShowLunchDISD on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram,

from October 11-15.

• Social Media Challenge Rules

• Video participants must be Dallas ISD students, staff, or family members.
• Participating students must have a photo release form on file.
• Video must be limited to 60 seconds in length.
• Video with the most likes, shares, and tweets will receive a 44” adjustable portable basketball hoop.
• One winner per video.
• Post and share your video using the hashtag #ShowLunchDISD and tag @DallasISDFood

#DISDLunchWeek 5-Day Challenge (High school)

All high school students are encouraged to participate in the Dallas ISD Lunch Week 5-Day Challenge. Participants are challenged to take a photo with their school lunch every day and post the picture on Instagram or Facebook using the hashtag #DISDLunchWeek. Students who post a photo at least three of the five days will be entered into a drawing to win a pair of Apple Air Pods. For more information about National School Lunch Week, visit our website at www.dallasisd.org/fcns.

The Racial Equity Office in partnership with the Office of Transformation and Innovation is seeking 100 district mentors to assist students and families during the magnet school application period.  Each mentor will be assigned five elementary and/or middle school students from various campuses throughout the district.

The purpose of the Magnet Mentor program is to increase the number of African American and English Learner students from historically underrepresented communities who enroll in the Dallas ISD magnet school programs.  The goal of this initiative is to involve 500 students this year.

Mentor responsibilities will include helping families with application support, assessment preparation, and connecting students with current and  future campus supports. All selected mentors will be eligible for a $500 stipend in June if all program expectations are met.

If you are interested in serving as a mentor this year, please use this link and apply by Oct. 15. Selected mentors will be notified via email by Oct. 26.

If you aspire to lead and envision yourself as an assistant principal but the lack of a master’s degree and principal certification stand in your way, Dallas ISD is here to help. The district is looking for teachers and instructional coaches who have strong leadership potential for an opportunity with the Aspiring Leaders Program (ALP), a unique school leadership development program offered through Southern Methodist University.

The Aspiring Leaders Program  is a master’s degree program wherein candidates will earn their M.Ed in Urban Educational Leadership, and also become eligible to apply for principal certification.

This program is designed for educators who do not currently have their principal certification and Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership and have the passion and commitment to lead in an AP position for the 2023-2024 school year.

The Aspiring Leaders Program offers two cohorts:

1. Urban Educational Leadership: Prepares future leaders to lead in a comprehensive context.

2. Urban Educational Leadership with Bilingual/Dual Language Focus: Uniquely prepares bilingual educators to lead Dallas ISD bilingual and dual language programs.  Dallas ISD needs more bilingual leaders to serve our communities and this specially-created cohort offers an excellent opportunity for bilingual teachers to expand their impact!

Highlights of this program include:

• Rigorous & competency-based.  The two-year program includes a 2nd year residency, including coaching support and culminates in an M.Ed. in Urban Educational Leadership from SMU.

• Ascending Leaders.  In Dallas ISD, over 100 ALP alumni and participants serve in leadership roles, including 25 current principals and 52 assistant principals.

• Bilingual/ Dual Language leadership cohort.  Ability to specialize and be uniquely prepared to lead Dallas ISD bilingual and dual language programs.

• Tuition Reimbursement.  The district will potentially provide partial tuition reimbursement for participants in this program.

SMU and the LEAD team will be hosting two information sessions via Zoom on Thursday, Oct. 14, and Monday, Oct. 25,  from 4:30 to 5:30 pm. If you are interested in growing as a leader and developing the skills necessary to lead schools, please RSVP using this link to learn more about the Aspiring Leaders Program

Should you have any questions or need additional information, please contact LEAD@dallasisd.org or visit www.smu.edu/urbanleader

Dallas ISD art teachers are incredibly talented, but did you know that many of them are also working artists? You can see just how talented they are in a special exhibit at the Music Hall in Fair Park

The HeArt of Teaching is a joint collaboration by Dallas ISD, the Dallas Education Foundation, and Dallas Summer Musicals that highlights the talents of nearly 60 district art teachers. Their works of art will be on display  until Oct. 23. Admission is free (though a valid ticket to the State Fair of Texas is required through Oct. 17).

A fundraiser culmination event celebrating our teacher-artists will take place at 7 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 25. All artwork was donated and will be available for sale with proceeds benefitting the Dallas Education Foundation to support the district’s mission of accelerating student success. Registration information can be found at futureofdallas.org/event2021

Seasonal flu mimics many of the same symptoms of COVID-19, which can make it difficult for patients and providers to tell the difference between the two illnesses. Getting a flu shot is an important step we can all take to protect ourselves and our families.

Dallas ISD will provide access to convenient walk-up flu shot clinics for employees at a variety of times at campuses, central office and service centers. Flu shot clinics will be available through Dec. 10 at various locations. To find the date, time and location most convenient to you, please visit https://www.dallasisd.org/fluclinics. We recommend that staff register as soon as possible.

Flu vaccines are free for employees enrolled in TRS-Active Care insurance, other medical insurance plans and Medicare.

The district and the flu s will be taking extra steps to ensure employees feel safe while receiving a flu shot.

If you have questions or concerns, please call 972-925-4300 or email benefits@dallasisd.org.

Dallas ISD is going pink for the entire month of October in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Several activities and opportunities to learn more about breast cancer, early detection, and treatments are planned throughout the month.

You can show your support for breast cancer survivors and their families by wearing pink one day the week of Oct. 11-15. And if you choose to wear pink, you can also wear jeans! A department or campus can pick one day to Pink Out or let individual employees choose their day, keeping in mind meetings and activities that might require more professional attire.

In keeping with COVID safety protocols, the Benefits Department will be distributing pink masks to central and campus staff. District employees to add a Breast Cancer Awareness pink ribbon graphic to their signature line for the month of October.

One in eight women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime and about 2,100 men are diagnosed every year. If you are a survivor or someone in your family is a survivor, share your story by emailing staffnews@dallasisd.org using the subject Dallas ISD Goes Pink. Submissions will be shared throughout the month.

For more information and resources about the district’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month efforts and resources visit www.dallasisd.org/breastcancerawareness.

Breast Cancer Awareness Tip

Will eating vegetables and fruits lower the risk of cancer?

Some recent studies suggest that a higher intake of fruits vegetables may have a helpful effect on the recurrence of breast cancer. Because other studies have shown a correlation between increased risk of breast cancer and higher index of body fat, increasing the number of fruits and vegetables in your diet is always a good idea. Fruits and vegetables are not only great sources of vitamins, minerals and fiber that nourish the body, they are also helpful aides in weight control because they are filling without adding a lot of calories to a meal. Make sure you add at least one fruit and vegetable to each meal and try to make your choices colorful to get the widest range of nutritional benefits.

Dallas ISD and community partners are offering booster shots of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to those who qualify Saturday, Oct. 2.

The COVID-19 Pop Up Clinic will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Townview Magnet Center, 1201 E. 8th St.

It’s important to note that the booster applies only to the Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine and only to people 18 and older who meet the eligibility requirements. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention does not recommend booster doses for recipients of the Moderna or J&J/Janssen COVID-19 vaccines at this time. Mixing and matching vaccine brands is not currently authorized by the Food and Drug Administration or recommended by the CDC

Who should get the booster shot?
Here is the list who should get the booster dose at least six months after receiving the second Pfizer shot:

• Individuals 65 years of age and older
• Residents of long-term care settings
• Individuals 50-64 with underlying medical conditions
• Individuals 18-49 with underlying medical conditions and those 18-64 who live or work somewhere that puts them at high risk of getting COVID if the personal benefits outweigh the personal risks

Who hasn’t been faced with a sudden change in direction for a project or encountered an unexpected obstacle to completing a crucial task? Being flexible—striving for the yes—is key to success and also one of the core tenets of the culture that guides how we approach our work in Dallas ISD.

Flexibility is a basic component of problem solving. Whether it’s finding the best way for a student to understand a lesson, helping a parent find the right resource to address a need or providing support to a campus at a crucial time, focusing on ways to fix issues by both developing solutions and helping alleviate conflict are key to successful interactions with each other, with students and with families.

In Dallas ISD, we will do whatever it takes to meet the needs of our students, families and employees. We eliminate barriers and embrace innovative problem-solving. Through the district’s culture tenets, employees have the flexibility to adapt to “on-the-ground” situations and create an environment that is truly responsive to needs and creates positive experiences.

Flexibility within the district’s culture tenets means:

• Anticipating the needs of others and pursuing equitable solutions that are thoughtful and considerate of the feelings and perceptions of others
• Collaborating and/or compromising to arrive at a common solution that is mutually understood
• Consistently communicating with all involved to generate new solutions
• Explaining the rationale for change and practicing sensemaking for all parties involved

Following these practices shows a desire to help and to put your knowledge, expertise, and creativity to work to create an exceptional experience for all. While the way an organization functions is framed by rules and laws, it doesn’t have to lead to rigidity in how we approach solving problems and helping others. Every interaction is different. Being able to adapt, pivot, and find a solution within the rules is key to maintaining a culture that is open to innovation, equity and acceptance.

Employees can find and download their Confirmation of Benefits Statements for the annual enrollment period that ended Aug. 23 in the Benefits Enrollment Portal. This year, the document will not be mailed to employees’ home addresses. To find and download your confirmation, follow the steps below.

Step 1: Log in to the Benefits Enrollment Portal:  https://benefits.dallasisd.org.

Step 2: From the Employee portal home page, go to Manage Your Forms & Documents and click on View Details. This will take you to the Statements page.

Step 3:  Click on the Annual Enrollment (Sep1, 2021) to view your 2021 Annual Enrollment Confirmation Statement

If you have questions, or need assistance, please call 972-925-4300 or email Benefits@dallasisd.org.