Staff News

Diana O’Connor, librarian at Irma Lerma Rangel Young Women’s Leadership School, was recently surprised at her school with a Recognition in the Congressional Record from U.S. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) for her work at the school, in the community and Dallas ISD.

She was recognized for her support of the schoolwide pre-Advanced Placement and Advanced Placement curriculum through a variety of programs like summer camps, STEAM camps, college readiness
camps and more for middle and high school students. She also created the Respect Starts here curriculum, a system dedicated to building listening, speaking, understanding skills and embracing one another with empathy.

O’Connor is involved in various community organizations, such as 29 Pieces, and has represented Dallas ISD in a variety of librarian associations. In 2020, she received the H. William Chris Educator Prize from the National Coalition of Girls Schools for her commitment to extraordinary teaching, program design and curricular innovation.

Before joining Rangel School, she taught hearing impaired adolescents, students with disabilities, and multiple grades in Dallas ISD.

Rep. Johnson asked that O’Connor be recognized “for her immeasurable impact on the Irma Lerma Rangel Young Women’s Leadership School and the entire Dallas community. Her career, marked by compassion and dedication to her students, has left an invaluable mark on my district, and it is my honor to congratulate her for her accomplishments.”

Skin conditions like acne, rosacea, or psoriasis may require special care before and after workouts, but don’t let skin issues interfere with your fitness plan because exercise can also promote skin health.

According to dermatologist Ellen Marmur, author of “Simple Skin Beauty: Every Woman’s Guide to a Lifetime of Healthy, Gorgeous Skin,” by increasing blood flow, exercise helps nourish skin cells and keep them vital.

The blood carries oxygen and nutrients to working cells, including those in the skin, and carries away impurities to the liver where they are neutralized and eliminated. That’s why exercise can help skin by flushing cells and cleansing it.

Stress often has an impact on skin, and exercise is commonly seen as a way to minimize stress. While there isn’t any research that directly connects exercise to skin health, exercising does help with conditions that do have an effect on the skin.

For example, people who exercise consistently tend to sleep better, and better sleep—between seven and nine hours nightly—also see improvement in their stress level and their general health. Sleep is when the body renews itself and removes toxins. Because skin is an organ, it also goes through the detoxification process during periods of rest.

Exercising regularly increases the odds that skin will tighten, especially when losing weight. Increased muscle tone also increases blood flow to the body.

Just remember that if you exercise, you should stay hydrated and use sunscreen if you are outside. Your skin will love you for it!

For the past two months, teachers at Francisco “Pancho” Medrano Middle School have been working hard to develop a fun and rich curriculum that will help students overcome any learning loss they may have experienced during pandemic-related disruptions to learning. And when the first intersession week launches, they are confident Medrano’s Eagles will be ready to soar!

Medrano was one of the schools that had 60 percent of its students attend classes in-person and 40 percent virtual during the 2020-2021 school year, which made teaching and learning a challenging process.

And one of the challenges the school and its teachers will have to overcome is that some students might not have gained all the knowledge and skills they need to be successful in subsequent years. With the extra weeks of intersession—distributed throughout the school year for an additional 23 days—students will be able to learn concepts they may not have mastered in a way that is fun and enriching.

“We are definitely trying to make it fun in a very informal setting,” said Cassandra Kokkinos, who worked on the social studies curriculum for intersession both for the school and the district.

Principal Theresa Sigurdson expects about 390 of the school’s students will participate in one or more of the intersession weeks, depending on what areas need to be reinforced and on how they progress during the year. Progress will be measured in a variety of ways during intersession, but not with tests.

“We want this to be a level of support they need,” Sigurdson said. “We don’t want ti to be another test. We have specifically asked that they not be tested so we can fill in the gaps and support and teach.”

At Medrano, for example, all seventh-grade students are put on a pre-Advanced Placement algebra track so the majority of eighth graders will study algebra. Normally, about 90 percent of the students will pass the algebra test. The time during intersession will help students who might not have mastered the pre-algebra concepts catch up to be able to tackle algebra and the test.

Each intersession week will have a specific theme, and the themes will carry through the different subjects that will be covered.

“We want to get student buy in with assignments that are fun but also have high standards,” said Christian Cocker, a teacher who has been working on the math curriculum for the extra weeks. “It will involve getting the up and out of their seats, problem solving.”

The teachers and instructional coach have tried out some of the activities and innovative approaches this year to gauge how they will work once fully implemented. The students enjoyed the activities, so Cocker is confident they will also be successful during intersession and even beyond.

“I’m excited we have this opportunity,” said Cocker, a first-year teacher. “It brings us back to our purpose.”

Jenna Williams, the school’s instructional coach, has noticed that students will not be the only ones who will benefit from the intersession weeks.

“We have a younger staff at the school—under five years— and it has been really cool to see the teachers grow, too,” she said. Designing the weeks, developing the lessons and planning the activities has allowed teachers to think differently and to flex their teaching muscles in ways they don’t always get to.”

For more information about intersession weeks, visit www.dallasisd.org/timetolearn.

Do you know of someone interested in becoming a teacher in a district with one of the highest starting salaries for teachers in the region, with opportunities for additional compensation in high priority campuses, with great benefits and supports, and with innovative programs focused on student success? Then tell them about Dallas ISD’s first in-person job fair from 4 to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, June 29.

During the hiring event Emmett J. Conrad High School principals will be able to interview for all campus-based openings for positions such as teachers, teacher leads, and paraprofessionals. Campus booths and interviews will be set with social distancing that complies with health guidelines.

Candidates can sign up here to participate in the job fair.

Those who have not already completed a Teacher Application must do so prior to the job fair. Our Teacher Application can be found at www.dallasisd.org/careers. Also prior the event, we will ask you to upload your current certification and resume into a google document to share with principals.

Should you have any questions, please email us at futureteacher@dallasisd.org.

Dallas ISD will keep nine-week grading periods next school year as part of a broader effort to help mitigate learning loss and further support students.

There will be a reduced number of common assessments. to one in the fall and one in the spring. There will be a two-week window for common assessments, and each school will decide when to administer during that window.

With the reduction in common assessments and nine-week grading period, all teachers should send progress notes after each three-week time frame, so families are kept informed of their student’s progress.

Dallas ISD is proposing to raise the minimum district hourly wage from $12.12 to $13.50 per hour next year.

Employees in the positions that would be affected would receive an average increase of 10% with some employees receiving slightly less or more depending on individual specifics. The increase would affect about 7,300 employees, primarily in the Maintenance and Operations, Student Transportation, Food and Child Nutrition, Paraprofessional, Office Support, and Police and Security pay structures.

The district will continue to evaluate potential further increases to the Dallas ISD minimum wage in the future.

If the wage hike is approved as part of the proposed 2021–2022 budget, employees would see the increase reflected in their paychecks starting with their September 2021 paycheck effective to their 2021-2022 calendar start date.

The minimum wage increase is also included in the proposed District Improvement Plan that trustees discussed during the June 10 briefing.

Education is a life-long endeavor, and no one exemplifies the continuous pursuit of learning like Dallas ISD employees. Congratulations to all who worked their jobs and their studies during the 2020-2021 year to earn a variety of degrees.

Personalized learning teachers who just completed their Blended and Personalized Learning Graduate Certificate from Texas Tech University:

• Juan Moreno, Personalized Learning Preparatory at Sam Houston Elementary
• Angelica Leal Ventura, Henry B. Gonzalez Personalized Learning Academy
• Jorge Alvarado, Dan D. Rogers Elementary
• Yesel Gutierrez, Solar Preparatory for Girls
• Lasonja Metcalf, Thelma Richardson Elementary
• Tiffany Hardy, Thelma Richardson Elementary
• Laura Reed, Jack Lowe Sr. Elementary
• Mayra Valencia, Personalized Learning Preparatory at Sam Houston Elementary
• Dania Marrero, Arturo Salazar Elementary
• Katerias Hill-Jones, Personalized Learning Preparatory at Sam Houston Elementary
• Yesenia Amador, Arturo Salazar Elementary

Dallas ISD thanks all 2021 retirees for their service and commitment to the children of Dallas and wishes them the best in this next stage. For the list of retirees, click here.

Gail David Dupree—40 years or service

After 40 years at Dallas ISD, Gail David Dupree is retiring and looking forward to traveling with his wife to the 22 of the 50 states they have yet to visit. He would also like to work as a crossing guard for the elementary school near their house and being a full-time grandfather.

Dupree has worked his entire career in education at Dallas ISD, where he started as a teacher and coach at Hillcrest High School in 1981 after graduating from Iowa State University. He coached boys’ football and basketball and led the basketball team to a state championship in 1987—one of his proudest moments. He was also an assistant principal at Thomas Jefferson High School and then Hillcrest High School. In 2005, when David W. Carter needed a new principal to welcome refugees from New Orleans after Katrina and students from Wilmer-Hutchins after Dallas ISD incorporated it. Most recently, Dupree has been executive director of Student Discipline.

Dupree answered a few questions about his career in Dallas ISD.

When did you know you wanted to be in education?

I wanted to play football, but I had bad luck when I was young and broke my leg four times. I was told I had to leave football alone, so I decided that if I could not play it, I would coach. After graduation, I came to Dallas to be near my sister because my mother wanted me to keep an eye on her. Also, I needed to go where football was king and where there were more African-American teachers and football coaches in schools. Growing up, I only one teacher who was African American.

What’s your most memorable moment in the Dallas ISD?

My most memorable moment was when I was given the Carter High School principal job. I was an assistant principal and one night, I saw on the news these videos of fights at Carter and thought, “Look at those kids down there fighting, someone needs to take care of that.” The next day, I got a call to come meet with Dr. Hinojosa and was offered the Carter job. I was there for six and a half years, and after the first full year there, we got off the low performing list. We had tremendous support from the administration and a great staff. That was the most amazing moment along with winning the championship. We just went to work. Every graduation was a joyous occasion for me.

When did you know you were making a difference as an educator?

I knew when I was at Hillcrest High School. Hillcrest was like 90 percent Anglo at the time, and we were bringing in at least seven buses from South Dallas and Oak Cliff or minority students every day. I worked to help kids blend in. Coming from Iowa with majority white schools, I didn’t feel there should be a difference at all. After seeing the football team sitting at different tables based on ethnicity, I made them sit together. When I got to Carter, I had the mindset that I was going to change the world.

What is the most important thing about mentoring new educators?

The most important part thing is leading by example. You have to show them what you are trying to get them to learn. You have to be consistent. I tell them that one of the ways to deal with kids is to get to the root of what’s going on and show them respect and fairness no matter how hard you are on them.

What do you think is your legacy?

I think it’s helping people. I really was able to help a lot of people move up and be administrators. I have always been fair and someone people can come to for advice. I will always be the one who tells you the truth. If you come into my office and want to talk, you should be prepared to hear what other people don’t want to tell you. I’m going to tell you.

When I was principal at Carter, we raised $2,800 in four hours for a young man who was an outstanding football player from L.G. Pinkston High School who had gotten hurt and was paralyzed. We presented the check at the game against Pinkston. One of our teachers was involved in a big giant tornado in Garland that took everything of hers. The school and the community brought clothes and donations to help her get back on her feet. We pay things forward.

What is your advice to those who are just now starting their career in education?

1. Make sure you love children or the students you work with, and make sure you love what you’re doing because it’s going to be a rollercoaster.
2. Be flexible and understanding that things change. Blessed are the flexible because they are the hardest to get bent out of shape. Things change all the time, sometimes in the middle of the day.
3. Be fair and consistent. Treat people the way you want to be treated whether it is colleagues or students.

Starting in the 2021-2022 school year, students at select high schools will have access to new courses to enrich their educational experience thanks to a new virtual education environment.

This fall, students at W.H. Adamson, David W. Carter, Justin F. Kimball, Moisés E. Molina, L.G. Pinkston, Franklin D. Roosevelt, South Oak Cliff and Sunset high schools will be able to participate in classes not normally offered at their schools.

Students in all grade levels at these schools will have access to Advanced Placement world history and statistics as well as to Italian and German courses through virtual instruction in their classrooms. The courses are aligned with the curriculum and will be led by qualified teachers working remotely from Career Institute South

“When we were looking at schools in the south and southwest, we found that campuses did not provide equitable access to rigorous coursework,” said Mitch Morken, director of Advanced Academic Services. “We started looking for solutions.”

The solution—this new virtual approach—means that instead of hiring several teachers to teach at each school, the district can hire a teacher qualified in each subject who can teach students at various schools throughout the week.

When it comes to language offerings, the district offers Spanish at the high schools already, but the new approach adds two other language choices for students who already speak Spanish or are interested in a different language, said Amy Anderton, director of World Languages.

“This opens up new opportunities for students in schools in the south,” she said.