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This week, the district launched the final phase—the two-way communications—of its new mass communications system. This last phase, Rooms, will allow teachers to communicate via messaging with their students and their parents in their language of choice. 

Rooms is already built right into our district app and the website from which the system is accessed, so it offers a secure messaging platform. Through the mobile app, students and families can access all of the information they need, including messages, events, lunch menus, and more in one place. Designated campus team members will continue to manage the calls, texts, and emails that go out to families as they have in the past. To learn more about the key features of Rooms, click here.

Rooms offers parents one place for messages instead of having to juggle between apps if they have children in different schools. They will be notified automatically of new messages even if they haven’t logged in or downloaded the app. 

Training
Communication Services has offered train-the-trainer sessions for schools so they can then train teachers in the use of Rooms to communicate with parents. Virtual training dates offered by the vendor and other helpful information will be set up and shared in the coming weeks.

To get started, follow these steps:

1. Log into Rooms using this link or the Apptegy tile in the Dallas ISD Portal (Rooms is found on the list as Connect). It is tied to the district’s SSO.
2. Complete the guided orientation and introductory checklist.
3. Send your first message to your families to introduce them to the platform.

To access the orientation checklist, you must login via a computer and complete all steps listed. Once you have finished the set-up, you can download the Apptegy Staff Experience app for a mobile experience if preferred. This app is for Dallas ISD staff only and allows you to access the communication platform and send and receive messages from your  iOS or Android device. However, you can continue to access the system via the website.

If you need additional guidance, click on the question mark in the lower left corner of the site or the speech bubble icon at the lower right, which will connect you with Apptegy’s support team. If you have any questions about using the system, please contact the trainer at your school or Apptegy support at support@apptegy.com or (501) 613-0370.

For elementary teachers Arial Kossie and Nila Miller, their lifelong friendship and shared legacy in Dallas ISD, began in preschool and now continues at two district elementary schools.  

Kossie and Miller met in their preschool class at Jimmie Tyler Brashear Learning Center, the school’s name at the time. After spending their elementary and middle school years apart, they reconnected at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. There, as members of the Class of 2007, they developed a love for the performing arts that would later shape their paths as educators.  

Nila Miller (2026)

Miller’s early experiences at Brashear laid the foundation for her lifelong love of learning.  

“Legacy brings me back to my elementary school,” Miller said. “I loved preschool. I remember the teachers and our location at Encino Plaza at the time. I remember the way Brashear smelled and the way it looked. I remember my teacher, Miss Giles. I remember these young, beautiful, intelligent teachers I wanted to be like, and I always knew I would be a teacher one day.”  

Today, Miller is a fifth-grade English language arts and reading teacher at H.S. Thompson STEAM Academy, where she shares her love for reading with her students. 

“I love books. I love children’s authors. I love understanding and reading comprehension,” she said. “That foundation started when I was three years old at J.T. Brashear.” 

Arial Kossie (1992)

Kossie’s memories of preschool have come full circle, and she is now a music teacher at Brashear.  

“I’ve been teaching for 13 years now, and these past two years at Brashear have been the best that I’ve experienced,” Kossie said. “It’s interesting, because I didn’t like preschool. I was a young child who had difficulty adjusting to new rules and new people. But now that I’ve returned to Brashear as a teacher, it has been such a rewarding experience. The school atmosphere is incredible.” 

The walls of her music classroom at Brashear are covered in music theory posters and her room is decorated with student pianos, red guitars, an upright piano and stacks of piano books—a creative space for students to develop an early love for music.  

As a student, Kossie also attended Adelle Turner Elementary School and what was formerly Atwell Middle School, now known as Judge Lewis A. Bedford Law Academy. Miller also attended several Dallas ISD schools, including R.L. Thornton Elementary School and W. E. Greiner Exploratory Arts Academy. 

2026 Winner’s Circle

From their early years as students to becoming educators, both teachers now give back with a deep appreciation for the communities that shaped them. 

“Our gifts as educators and musicians made room for us to make a difference,” Miller said. “When you’re passionate about what you do, it makes the hard work easier. We are still here, and we are building a legacy.” 

This year, both Miller and Kossie were selected as Teacher of the Year for their campuses. For Miller, it is her second nomination and her 12th year teaching.  

Kossie received her bachelor’s degree in music education from Howard University, where she also minored in classical piano.  

Arial Kossie (2026)

Her passion for music began at an early age, when she started playing piano and studying music theory. This foundation continued at Booker T., where she and Miller reconnected.

At the arts magnet, Kossie studied piano and explored multiple disciplines. She sang in the choir and studied West African dance.  

Music has remained an integral part of Kossie’s life, and now she carries that passion into her classroom at Brashear, creating new memories for her students while honoring her own. 

Miller, also studied music at Booker T., focusing on classical voice, and said those experiences helped shape her into the educator she is today.  

“I studied music and voice in high school,” she said. “Theater prepared me for teaching because we are often like actors in the classroom. That is our stage, and our students are our audience.” 

After high school, Miller earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of North Texas and a master’s degree from UNT Dallas. 

Both said they left high school with more than an education. They left with a family they had built together.  

High School Class of 2027

Their memories from elementary school to high school live on in a scrapbook filled with photographs of their time together as students in Dallas ISD, snapshots of moments that continue to shape who they are today.  

Now, that connection continues as they teach the next generation of students walking the same halls and neighborhoods they once did.  

“It’s amazing to realize that we have always been connected,” Kossie said.

In Dallas ISD, the Core 4 tenets set the standard for how team members contribute to a culture of impact for students.  

Federico Ferrero, a program evaluator in the Evaluation and Assessment Department, works with program managers to provide data analysis that informs decision making across different programs in the district.  

His team said he exemplifies all four culture tenets—transforming students’ lives with focus, having an urgency for all, striving for the yes with flexibility, and making friendly, memorable moments. 

“Federico is always eager to support others and, when approached for assistance, goes above and beyond to ensure that issues are fully resolved rather than simply addressed at a surface level,” said colleague Joohee Grace Kim. “His willingness to invest extra time and effort reflects a genuine dedication to team success and equitable outcomes. Ferrero engages with colleagues in a manner that is consistently kind, respectful, and positive, demonstrating a sincere effort to understand their needs and respond without bias.” 

Ferrero’s work includes evaluating programs across family and community engagement, credit recovery and acceleration, and tutoring. 

“In terms of impact, what we do helps students because we can provide answers from data to better programs,” Ferrero said. “We add value because we have the time to think on and explore the data in a way that program managers can effectively implement for their students.” 

 By supporting his team with the department’s program management software such as Qualtrics, Ferrero demonstrates both focus and collaboration. This day-to-day work contributes to the district’s goal of transforming students’ lives. 

 “I enjoy working at Dallas ISD,” Ferrero said. “Even from the beginning of my career, I have had a commitment to education. I am from Argentina and have worked in educational development throughout my career. Dallas ISD is a great place where people come from different backgrounds. Our team always works together to provide the best answers to questions for teachers, principals, and programs managers.”  

If you know of someone who embodies the Core 4 tenets of fast, focus, flexible and friendly, let us know by submitting their name using this form.

At a Montessori recognition ceremony earlier this semester, deputy chief academic officer, addressed a room of Montessori credentialed teachers with a childhood anecdote that stressed the need to offer this program in public schools like those in Dallas ISD. 

Hill attended a Montessori program for one year when she was 4 years old. Decades later, she asked her mother, a retired teacher, why she didn’t keep her in the Montessori program. 

“Do you know what she told me?” Hill paused to let the room think for a moment. “She said that it was too expensive.” Which is why, Hill said, what district Montessori teachers do for families is tremendous.

Providing Montessori programs in Dallas ISD gives students opportunities that they may not otherwise have had, especially in the public sector, she said. 

During the ceremony, the teachers received pins and certificates recognizing their Montessori credentialing, honoring their commitment to student‑centered education. Each one completed 300+ hours of MACTE-accredited training plus a nine‑month practicum. This training is funded by the district as part of its efforts to increase the number of credentialed Montessori teachers.

Rafael Ibarra, a Montessori teacher at Prestonwood Montessori at E.D. Walker and also a Teacher of the Year for Magnet/Choice nominee, said that it was a rigorous two-year training. 

“I went through the E1 and E2 training, which is the lower elementary and upper elementary training,” he said. “It was during the summer and every other Saturday. It was 40 hour weeks of a certain content, a certain subject, and we had to write a lot of papers, but it was a great experience.”

Dallas ISD is growing a powerful Montessori pipeline that gives families more educational choices. In Montessori, classrooms are multi‑age and truly child‑centered. Students choose their work, move from concrete materials to abstract concepts, and take ownership of their learning. Educators are organized into three key levels: primary, which serves prekindergarten and kindergarten; lower elementary, which includes first through third grades; and upper elementary, which encompasses the older elementary students. 

“Students are the focus. It’s an opportunity for students to have independence with guidance,” Bixby said. Since 2020, Dallas ISD has opened three new Montessori programs, bringing the total to eight campuses.

“It was intense, but I’m really grateful that I was able to go through it because I learned a lot from my training,” said Marisela Rocha, teacher at Downtown Montessori at Ida B. Wells Academy. “It was rigorous, and we did it through Zoom during the COVID time pandemic, which was kind of like an experiment for everyone.”

For many teachers, the program offers a meaningful next step in their career. Montessori Executive Principal Tomeka Middleton-Williams closed out the event, emphasizing that Montessori belongs in public education. It is not privilege; it is access. 

“Public Montessori requires courage,” she said. “It requires leaders in the classroom who can hold high academic expectations and deep respect for childhood at the same time.”

For Jeanne Elser-Smith, who taught Montessori in the private sector before joining George Bannerman Dealey Montessori Academy as a teacher, Montessori is more than a method—it’s a wonderful way to spend each day in a classroom where children are engaged, proud, and deeply connected to their learning, she said. 

“We have to follow what the child is doing, regardless of their age,” she said. “It gives teachers freedom to actually meet the child where they are and move them on as far as they need to go.”

But the true joy, Elser-Smith continued, lies in watching children take pride in their work.

“The kids are happy because they love their work. They love it because it’s their work,” she said.

When Shirley Preyan walked into a sixth-grade classroom at Young Men’s Leadership Academy at Fred F. Florence Middle School right after spring break in 2023, the students didn’t bother to hide what they were thinking.

“The boys were like, ‘Why are you here? Like, school is almost over. Why are we getting a new teacher?’” Preyan recalled.

Most educators would have taken that as a negative sign. Preyan, however, took it as confirmation that she was exactly where she was meant to be.

Now, after 14 years in Dallas ISD, including three at Young Men’s Leadership Academy, Preyan is in the quarterfinals for America’s Favorite Teacher, a national, multi-round competition decided largely by public votes. She’s already advanced through five rounds, going from a field of 100 down to being the top vote-getter in her group.

“I started in a group of 100 teachers and had to make the cut for the top 40, then 20, 10, and five, until I was finally number one,” Preyan said. “I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, this is so crazy.’”

Now, the quarterfinals stand between her and a shot at the title, a $25,000 prize, a trip to Hawaii, a feature in Reader’s Digest, and what she cares about most: a schoolwide assembly with Bill Nye.

“I can’t wait for the kids to have that assembly,” Preyan said. “I want them to know great teachers are motivated by great students, and I want them to have the cameras on them to see, ‘Look at these amazing students, these amazing boys, who have been so resilient in the turnaround years of this school.’”

Preyan is originally from Detroit and came to Dallas in 2012 as a Teach for America corps member, entering the district through an alternative certification program. The moment she stepped into a classroom, something shifted.

“Once I got in the classroom, I was obsessed. I was like, ‘How could I ever do anything else in my life?’” she said. “And I knew in that second year, this was something I’d be doing long term.”

Preyan taught at Benjamin Franklin International Exploratory Academy for three years, then at T.W. Browne Middle School for another three, serving as a teacher, instructional coach, and assistant principal. After that, she helped co‑found Ignite Middle School and worked there for five years as an assistant principal.

Then life changed: she had a daughter and stepped away from work for a year. When it was time to return, the pull was clear.

“All I could think about was teaching,” Preyan says. “Coming back to teaching has been the best experience for me.”

Her sixth-grade classroom at Young Men’s Academy runs on a set of shared values the boys recite daily: productivity, literacy, urgency, community, plus additional values the boys bring to the table). Productivity, Preyan said, is non‑negotiable.

“P is the first value and stands for productivity. They have to try first,” Preyan said. “I always make it safe for them to try, and I never back off the expectations. The boys always meet me there.”

Underneath this is a deeply intentional structure designed for middle school boys who, Preyan believes, are too often misunderstood.

“Boys can be easily overlooked, especially in middle school, even though they are experiencing so much change,” she said. “When we see them only for their choices and decisions—rather than their potential—we aren’t truly seeing them at all.”

That mix of high expectations and relentless care comes from a life that has taught her exactly what school can mean. Preyan grew up in the foster care system. She was adopted and “unadopted” twice, moved through six foster homes and two group homes, and learned early that stability was never guaranteed.

“Growing up in the foster care system, school was my place of safety,” she said. “It was where I knew I would be safe, and I had really amazing teachers who took great care of me. Some of them knew that I was in foster care, and some of them didn’t. It didn’t matter to them.”

Those teachers changed the trajectory of her life, which is why she talks about teaching with the urgency of someone who has seen the alternative. 

“It restored my deep belief in the importance of boys’ education and how much they deserve great teachers,” she remarked.

Preyan’s care for her boys doesn’t stop at the classroom door. Several times a year she sends parents bilingual, highly personalized progress letters, outlining what she notices about each student, where they are academically, and what goals they’re working toward. 

“I send this home to them multiple times throughout the year,” she said. “Parents appreciate seeing recent scores and trends laid out clearly.”

Every Christmas, she also prints and sends home a photograph of each sixth grader—never just a text message, always on paper—capturing them in a moment of effort or pride.

“We stop praising boys much too early in their lives,” she noted. “I never miss the opportunity to tell them how amazing their boys are.”

Preyan’s goal is not perfection, but growth from even the smallest starting point.

“Even if I only had a little bit to give, I hope the boys remember I took that and helped them grow from it,” she said.

To cast your vote for Shirley Preyan, click here. 

To vote for Soujanya Veeravalli, also an America’s Favorite Teacher quarter finalist and math teacher at Dr. L.G. Pinkston Sr. High School, click here.

In the aquatic science class at W.T. White High School, juniors and seniors aren’t just learning about water chemistry and physics—they’re publishing reports about their own experiments. For aquatic science and integrated physics and chemistry teacher Sarah Novoseletsky, writing isn’t an add-on to science; it’s a core part of how students learn and see themselves.

The idea reaches back to Novoseletsky’s own childhood in Colorado. 

“The fourth-grade class at my old school made a book about our hometown,” Novoseletsky recalled. “I still have it, and it’s fun looking back at what my classmates wrote. It’s just memorable.”

Years later, when Novoseletsky saw an online advertisement for Studentreasure, a student publishing program, that memory resurfaced—and turned into action.

“I thought, ‘Oh, this is really cool,’” she said. “It’s something that gives students more writing practice and teaches them to edit—it just gets them more interested in writing and literacy.”

The students in Novoseletsky’s aquatic and physics class begin the research process months before any actual writing happens. Around October, students set up the fish tank and learn water chemistry, properties of water, and the nitrogen cycle.

During this initial phase, Novoseletsky encourages her students to keep binders filled with notes, questions, and short written responses connected to the aquarium and related concepts. Only later do these become the raw material for their book chapters.

“I tried to center everything we did in the first semester around the aquarium,” Novoseletsky explained. “When we came back for the second semester, we picked our topics and wrote our paragraphs. It was a review, too; they had to go back, look at what they wrote, and relearn it.”

Rather than simply assigning topics, Novoseletsky has the whole class do the full range of work—and then lets them choose what to “master and perfect” for publication.

“We do the work, and then I give them a sign-up sheet so they can choose the paragraph they want to master, perfect, and put into the book,” she said. “We complete the project, and then we do the ‘perfection writing’ for the book at the end.”

The result is a collaborative book that reads like a guided tour through the classes’ learning journey—from cohesion and water chemistry to nitrogen cycles and motion graphs.

Of course, like many classroom projects, this one doesn’t always start smoothly.

“The first group I did this with were sixth graders at Piedmont Global Academy, where I taught for six years,” Novoseletsky said. “The children were like, ‘Why do we have to do this? This is silly.’”

Back then, students didn’t have Chromebooks, which meant that every piece had to be handwritten and often rewritten. Students revised multiple drafts, and Novoseletsky spent hours before school helping them catch up and refine their work. 

At times, the process felt grueling, but when the printed books finally arrived, attitudes changed in an instant.

“I held up my sixth graders on their way out the door and asked, ‘What came today?’ Their eyes grew wide, and they all came running over, wanting to look at their work,” she said. “They were like, ‘Oh, okay, so this really was cool after all—we just didn’t want to admit it.’”

High school students may act similarly unimpressed, but Novoseletsky reads their reactions differently.

“High schoolers are always so nonchalant about it. They’re like, ‘Okay, yeah, whatever, miss.’ But then they all want to see their work in the book,” she said. 

When it dawns on students that their writing and illustrations will be bound and shared, they set out to raise the standard for their own work.

“They want their work to look nice,” Novoseletsky noted. “For instance, when students realize their colored-pencil drawings don’t scan well, they are always willing to go back over them with markers to finish them.”

Because many of Novoseletsky’s students are English learners and newcomers, she designs the writing process to support them with structure, not overwhelm them with open-ended tasks.

“I have a lot of ESL students in my class, so I use sentence stems to help them write,” she said. “After we do a few together on the board and brainstorm ideas off to the side, they have the foundation to fill in the paragraphs on their own.”

Once Novoseletsky receives a copy of the printed book, she has each student read his or her contribution aloud to the class. This, she said, builds a classroom culture where risk-taking with language feels safe.

“I try to read Spanish every now and then, and they all laugh at me,” she said. “I tell them, ‘If I can stand up here and embarrass myself trying to read Spanish, you can try to read in English.’ We’re all in the same boat.”

Over time, she sees their confidence grow. 

“It’s a lot of extra work, but it’s rewarding because I see their confidence building,” she said. “They start doing the work, they think to do it more on their own, and they simply try harder.”

Yet, for Novoseletsky, the books are more than a product; they’re a reflection of her entire philosophy of teaching.

“I want them to remember that science class is fun and exciting,” she said. “That’s the biggest thing—having fun in science and learning through hands-on, interdisciplinary projects.”

Meghan Royal, nurse and safety coordinator at the School for the Talented and Gifted in Pleasant Grove, will tell you she doesn’t like talking about herself. She calls herself a helper, someone who’s more comfortable taking care of others than being in the spotlight. But when she starts talking about her students and her school, it’s clear why she deserves recognition.

National Nurses Day on May 6 recognizes the work nurses perform every day to improve the health and well-being in their communities, and for school nurses, of their schools. 

Before she ever stepped into a school clinic, Royal had a very different career. She was a systems analyst—a job she said she enjoyed very much. Still, something kept tugging at her. Healthcare was in her DNA. 

“I come from a family of healthcare providers,” Royal explained. “My father and grandfather were both pharmacists—it’s just that sort of family.”

For a while, pharmacy seemed like the obvious path for Royal, but the field was changing.

“It was during a time when pharmacists were moving away from owning their own drugstores,” she said. “It was becoming more of a CVS or Walgreens situation.” 

Royal wanted something more personal, more hands-on, so she decided nursing was really the best path, she said. She went back to school at Texas Woman’s University, finished her degree, and started out in psychiatric nursing.

Then life shifted again. Royal became a mom.

“My daughter is the light of my life,” she said. “I realized our time with our children is fleeting. What feels like a regular Tuesday to us is actually a core memory for them.”

The idea that an ordinary Tuesday could become a core memory stayed with Royal. Hospital shifts and summers spent working didn’t fit the kind of presence she wanted to have in her daughter’s life. School nursing did.

When her daughter started kindergarten, Royal moved into a school clinic at Seagoville North Elementary School, working with a team she described as a wonderful group of people and a campus full of little ones.

She loved it—the kids, the community, and the feeling that everyone pulled together for students, she said. But then came COVID-19.

“There was something about that time when all the kids were wearing masks; it felt less personal,” she remembered. “That was the saddest time.”

As her elementary students grew up and moved on, and as her own daughter got older, Royal started to feel like it might be time for a change too. Middle school suddenly didn’t seem so intimidating; it felt like the next step.

A nurse supervisor mentioned an opening at TAG in Pleasant Grove and encouraged Royal to apply. When Royal sent in her résumé, she didn’t expect much right away. 

“Forty‑five minutes after my résumé went out, Principal Reymundo Guajardo Cervantes called me,” Royal recalled. “He’s like, ‘We’d love to have you.’” 

Although she had never even seen the campus, she had heard all the wonderful things about it. Royal took a leap of faith and accepted. Now, years later, Royal knows she made the right call. 

“This is my third year at TAG, and I just absolutely love it. It’s a wonderful place,” she said.

The kids she sees there are high achievers, driven, and often hard on themselves. But their stress doesn’t always look like stress at first. 

“You’re going to experience more stress,” Royal said. “A stomachache can easily be a sign of, ‘Oh, I’m so worried about taking this test.’”

Around big exams like STAAR, students go to her office complaining of headaches, nausea, or stomach pain. Sometimes the real need isn’t medicine—it’s a moment to breathe and someone to listen. 

“Sometimes it’s not even about nursing,” she explained. “It’s simply about being someone who truly sees them.”

There are days when a student comes in with “a little headache” and ends up sitting with her for 20 minutes, just talking. By the time they leave, they feel better, Royal said. She doesn’t downplay it or make it sound extraordinary, because to her, it’s just part of caring for the kids.

Her care doesn’t stop at the clinic door. Royal is also the school’s safety coordinator. What started with her quietly checking AEDs and Stop the Bleed kits turned into coordinating fire drills, leading safety meetings, and even starting a student safety club. She and her students walk the campus together, looking for loose bars on the playground, issues with the turf, or anything that might put someone at risk. 

Their work earned the school Dallas ISD Risk Management’s Safety Eagle Award in 2025 and a monetary incentive. 

“I think more schools should participate, as they give out an award every year for campus safety,” she said. “It was really helpful. I used the funds to restock bandages for the clinic and buy raincoats for the staff to wear during arrival and dismissal. We were even able to get extra radios, which are incredibly useful during testing.”

Royal’s success, whatever her title, is based on her belief that relationships are at the core of her work. She greets students in the morning, calls parents often, and wants families to feel their children are known and loved. 

“I want them to know I care—that we’re here for their kids,” Royal said.

For Nurse Appreciation Week, Royal expresses her gratitude to the Health Services Department for their constant support and camaraderie.

“We’ve got this. I love that we can call each other and be there for one another,” she said. “Especially during COVID, we really bonded as a team. Health Services is such a great group. We’re blessed to have each other, and I’m very grateful for that.”

Teachers are the engine that makes schools run, and on May 5-8—National Teacher Appreciation Week—local and national businesses in the community are taking the time to thank them for all they do to make sure children have brighter futures. Some are concentrating their efforts on National Teacher Day, which takes place on May 7.

If you want to thank a teacher, the National PTA has created a special thank you card that can be downloaded here. 

If you are a teacher and a RaceTrac rewards member, you can get a free Dunkin Iced Coffee and a breakfast sandwich May 4-8. Look at the flyer for details. 

The Texas Rangers are hosting Teacher Appreciation Day at the ballpark to recognize teachers for their dedication and the impact they make in our community at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, June 7. Buy tickets now and enjoy a great day presented by Texas Lottery. Tickets purchased through this offer include a custom Rangers Teacher Appreciation hat. https://www.gofevo.com/event/Teacherappreciation283

Half Price Books gives teachers and all educators a 10% discount on all purchases year-round with the Educator Discount Card.

Michaels also appreciates teachers year-round a 15% discount on both in-store and online purchases after verifying your educator ID online through the Michaels Rewards program.

Apple offers an education discount on their products when purchased at their stores or online. 

By joining the Star Teacher program, Office Depot offers teachers a variety of benefits and discounts. Check them out at https://www.officedepot.com/l/rewards/teachers. 

By enrolling in the Classroom Rewards program at Staples, teachers can  earn 5% back in rewards on purchases made by supporters (parents/community) and 2%–5% on their own purchases. Must register through the app. 

Bryan Adams High School is focusing on creating a safe and supportive environment by prioritizing students’ mental, emotional, and physical well-being. As a recipient of the Stronger Together Grant, the campus has strengthened schoolwide systems of support, leading to increased student engagement and success. 

“The grant was specifically designed to decrease acts of hate and violence while increasing support for students’ overall well-being through mental health and safety resources.” said Principal Sarah Foster.  

Now in its second year, the grant is guided by campus data. Bryan Adams has one of the highest numbers of mental health referrals in the district, with many students self-referring to receive support from a clinician. 

“Our teachers are acutely aware of students’ needs,” Foster said. “As a campus, we have one of the highest number of students being seen by a clinician.”  

In the first year of implementation, Bryan Adams saw a 56% increase in students self-referring for mental health services and a 20% percent increase in individual counseling sessions, totaling 3,600 sessions. 

According to the campus clinician, students have even begun bringing their friends to the office, recognizing when someone may simply need someone to talk to.  

This progress is driven by a focused approach built on three key areas: mental and behavioral health, supportive discipline, and systems and structure. 

To meet growing student needs, the school used grant funds to hire an additional mental health clinician, expanding access to services.  

The grant also funded Yondr pouches to limit cellphone use during the school day and supported a telehealth partnership with Hazel Health, helping address students’ physical health needs. 

As one of the first campuses in the district to implement Yondr pouches, Bryan Adams has seen how limiting cellphone use can support student’s overall well-being.  

“Sixty to 75% of bullying is now cyberbullying,” Foster said. “We knew that if we could limit access to cellphones during the school day, students would be more engaged in their academics. We also anticipated an increase in overall student safety, along with a decrease in discipline issues and behaviors related to mental health concerns.”  

Bryan Adams maintains a strong focus on student well-being. The counseling program, led by Kathye Jackson-Porter, received the 2025 CREST Award from the Texas School Counselors Association. 

Donna Deadman, 10th-grade counselor, also played a key role in implementing the Stronger Together Grant, working alongside the team to build strategies that support students and strengthen school culture.  

“At Bryan Adams, we want students to have the confidence and skills to seek and solve complex problems in the world,” Foster said. “Seeing them involved, confident and growing beyond the classroom is more than we can ask for.” 

For three consecutive years, Bryan Adams has been recognized as a No Place for Hate campus by the Anti-Defamation League.  

Principal Foster attributes this recognition to the growth she sees in students each day.  

“I am both humbled and proud to watch our students’ journeys throughout the year,” Foster said. “To see them grow, become self-advocates and understand what they need, and to be able to express that, is everything we hope for. We want our students to grow into adults who can advocate for themselves and others while supporting those around them. Watching that growth over the years has been an incredible journey.”

For thousands of students, the school day begins on the bus. Each day, yellow buses fill the streets, doors opening and stop signs pausing traffic.  

Bus drivers play a vital role in the Dallas ISD community, often serving as the first and last point of contact for students each day. From pickup to drop-off, they help ensure students arrive safely while building meaningful connections along the way. 

Each driver is part of a highly coordinated transportation system that supports student success and invests in their future.  

In recognition of Bus Driver Appreciation Day on April 28, Dallas ISD celebrates the dedication of its drivers and the care they show to the students they serve. But bus drivers don’t do it alone. Behind the scenes, across four locations, the Transportation Services Department works to ensure drivers have the tools and support needed for a successful route.  

CDL bus driver Arrick Boyd operates the elementary, midday and high school routes. She is stationed at the Kleberg Service Center. Each day, Boyd transports students across multiple campuses, ensuring they arrive safely while building trust with families. 

Boyd has served as a Dallas ISD special services bus driver for six years and prioritizes creating a sense of safety for students. 

“As a bus driver, it is important to be positive, consistent, reliable, and timely,” she said. “You never know what you will encounter, whether it’s inclement weather or traffic. But when you are consistent and on time each day, it builds trust and gives students comfort.”  

Dallas ISD operates 800 buses that travel more than 11.4 million miles each year serving an average of 20,000 students daily.  

This extensive system is supported by a vast team across the Student Transportation Services Department.  

Angela Brown is a transportation dispatcher. Each morning, she sets the tone for a successful day on the road, ensuring drivers feel supported before they begin their routes. Stationed at the Cockrell Service Center, she helps ensure every route is covered and runs on time. 

“At the start of the day, I try to greet all our bus drivers,” Brown said. “I say good morning and welcome them with a smile and positive energy. We work as a team—whether it’s in person, on the radio, or on the phone. I respect and deeply appreciate our drivers.” 

Also essential to Student Transportation Services are Mardale Brooks and Maria Morgan, both stationed at the main transportation building.

Brooks, a transportation coordinator, supports the call center and manages inquiries from parents, school administrators and the public about student bus statuses. He also coordinates ridership data across four service centers, managing hundreds of bus stops, and working with the routing team to adjust routes based on those needs. 

Morgan is the routing manager for Student Transition Services and brings more than 20 years of experience in student transportation.

Morgan’s team manages both general and special education routing, ensuring bus routes are efficient and safe. Working behind the scenes, they use scheduling software and collaborate closely with drivers, incorporating their feedback to continuously improve routes.   

Bus drivers are our eyes out there on the road,” Morgan said. “They are on the front line with our parents and students, so we work to make routing efficient and safe, allowing drivers to navigate routes to pick up students on the correct side of the street.” 

As Dallas ISD celebrates Bus Driver Appreciation Day, it is important to recognize that drivers’ success is supported by a dedicated team.    

“Drivers are deeply valued in our department,” Morgan said. “Their work is essential to the daily function of Dallas ISD. Without them transporting students, much of our work would have no meaning. They maintain the integrity of our routes and the safety of our students. School bus drivers are an asset not only to our department, but to this entire organization.”