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For over a decade, Andie Threatt has dedicated herself to Dallas ISD, working as an elementary art and Makerspace teacher at Solar Prep for Girls. Her role has grown into a passion for hands-on learning, sparking creativity, and fostering life skills among her students. One of her more notable achievements is the creation of the school’s outdoor learning classroom and garden, developed in partnership with Out Teach. 

Seeing students share what they had learned in the garden with their classmates is a live demonstration of how Threatt’s classroom techniques have been successful. Her techniques include a Makerspace approach, which combines math, engineering, and technology and uses design thinking processes to solve real world problems or create something new or alter something that already exists. 

Many Dallas ISD schools have Makerspace labs/teachers, and Solar was one of the first to integrate it into the curriculum. She incorporates the approach in the garden as much as possible and throughout other lessons.

“When I first stepped into Solar, I saw it as the perfect fit—a learning environment that made me excited to come to work every day,” Threatt said. 

The Garden Club, one of Solar Prep’s extracurricular offerings, started from the desire to cultivate a collaborative space for students to explore nature’s wonders. 

“Our goal for the garden club has been to show students what it takes to plan for and grow a garden, not just for food, but also as a way to relax and feel accomplished,” Threatt said.

From organizing garden clean-up events to integrating gardening tasks into curriculum activities, the club has developed into a center of community involvement. 

“We want Solar families to know that this is their space to enjoy. We also need their knowledge and experience,” Threatt said. 

Through active participation in the Garden Club, students not only learn practical gardening skills but also develop a heightened awareness of their natural surroundings.

“Spending time in nature helps you learn how to pay attention in a new way,” Threatt said.

Despite challenges, such as overcoming fears of bugs and fostering a sense of responsibility towards pollinators, Threatt continues her dedication to creating a supportive atmosphere for her students.

Threatt’s passion demonstrates the power of hands-on learning to shape young minds and link them to nature.

As National Garden Month continues, Threatt invites educators and the community to enjoy the benefits of gardening. 

“Start small and stay curious. The district provides free seeds and dirt through the Living Materials center so just start trying stuff out with your students. Getting to learn it together side by side will be a great experience for everyone,” she said.

As the end of the 2023-2024 school year approaches, Dallas ISD is getting ready to recognize those who have served with the district for at least five years with special pins and those who have reached a milestone of 30 or more years with a Lifetime Achievement reception on May 7.

Campuses and central departments will receive a package with a roster of eligible employees, service pins, and a toolkit for recognition ideas the week of April 15-19, 2024. Pins will be provided for all employees celebrating a five-year milestone.

Team members may verify their years of district service using instructions provided on the Service Recognition Awards website at https://www.DallasISD.org/ServiceAwards.

Campus and department leaders are asked to distribute the pins at a time when their teams can gather and celebrate together, such as campus/department meetings, professional learning opportunities, sunshine/culture committee events, or other end-of-year award ceremonies in May. Awards should be distributed before the end of the school year.

For more information, contact the Employee Experience team at Recognition@DallasISD.org or (972) 925-4080.

The districtwide 2023-2024 Teacher and Principal of the Year winners were announced at the recent State of the District event presented by Linebarger Attorneys at Law. For a third year, the Dallas Education Foundation secured Reliant as a title sponsor for the POY and TOY recognition and honored the finalists and winners with awards ranging from $1,500 to $5,000.

Principal of the Year winners

Alicia Iwasko, Annie Webb Blanton Elementary School

Alicia Iwasko was born and raised in Mexico, the daughter of two educators. Prior to relocating to Dallas in 2008, Iwasko served as an English as a Second Language teacher for various school levels. In Dallas ISD, Iwasko served as a fourth-grade math and science teacher at Silberstein Elementary School before becoming an instructional coach. After serving the first cohort of ACE campuses at Annie Webb Blanton Elementary School, Iwasko was promoted to the role of assistant principal at Edward Titche Elementary School. During her tenure, Titche went from an F school to a B school in only one year. In 2018, she graduated from Southern Methodist University with her second master’s degree in education and returned to Blanton Elementary as principal. Iwasko is a dedicated educator committed to equity and excellence. She believes in education because she knows it is the best way to empower students with the determination to work hard for their goals and maximize their potential regardless of their cultural background, socioeconomic status, or zip code. She is committed to enhancing the trajectory that statistics may have set as expectations for the students and educators in her charge. Daily, she strives to live up to the school’s motto: Labor Omnia Vincit, which translates to “Hard Work Conquers All.”

David Lee, Hector P. Garcia Middle School

David Lee has been part of Dallas ISD for 17 years and is in his fifth year serving as principal of Hector P. Garcia Middle School. A graduate of Baylor University with a Bachelor of Arts in biology and minor in asian studies, he started his career as a an alternative certification intern in 2007. At Franklin D. Roosevelt High School, Lee was a science teacher, department chair, and master teacher before taking on roles as TTIPS grant coordinator at A. Maceo Smith High School and assistant principal at Justin F. Kimball High School. He was able to transform Kimball’s STEM Magnet program in partnership with the Mountain View College engineering department, allowing students to take 30 hours of dual credit courses, and obtaining their level 2 certification in mechatronics. This Kimball program later developed into the Kimball E-Tech collegiate pathway in mechatronics. As principal at Hector P. Garcia Middle School, Lee has been part of the school’s transformation that has taken Garcia from a C to a B state-rated campus with three TEA distinctions. Lee has turned-around school culture, increased parental involvement, and transformed Garcia into an International Baccalaureate choice school and the first comprehensive IB Middle Years Programme in Oak Cliff. Garcia Middle School now ranks among the top middle schools in MAP growth in both reading and math, and the school climate ranks in the top 10 among secondary schools in the district. Lee was honored with master principal designation for his accomplishments. Lee reminds his students everyday of Garcia’s core beliefs: high expectation, respect, and his favorite, kindness.

Derek Thomas, SOLAR Preparatory for Boys at John F Kennedy

Derek Thomas is a product of Dallas ISD who grew up in Pleasant Grove and graduated from Skyline High School. He went on to receive his Bachelor of Business Administration from The University of North Texas and worked as a supervisor in the financial industry and as a business owner before pursuing his passion for being an educator. As a teacher, Thomas first served as a sixth- and eighth grade math educator at Fred F. Florence Middle School. While there, he was part of a team of educators that accelerated math passing percentage scores by 28% in one year.  After four years of teaching at Florence, he became a math instructional coach at Lenore Kirk Hall Elementary School before returning to the Young Men’s Leadership Academy at Fred Florence in a coaching role. After completing his master’s degree in education leadership at Southern Methodist University, Thomas served as an assistant principal at Annie Webb Blanton and SOLAR Preparatory for Boys before being named principal at Adelle Turner Elementary School. While at Adelle Turner Elementary, he was able to secure a $50,000 grant toward STEM development on the campus as well as receive the honor of being the adopted campus of the Dallas Mavericks.  One year later, he would return to serve as the principal of Solar Preparatory School for Boys. Thomas believes in building scholars academically but has a major focus on character, culture, and community. He understands that one person may start a movement, but a community maintains it. He is looking forward to building a community of scholars, educators, parents, and business partners that are about developing the whole child and ensuring that all scholars can be successful, no matter their backgrounds. 

Teacher of the Year winners

Chantrelle Lovett-Andrews, Umphrey Lee Elementary School

A teacher at Dallas ISD since 2002, Chantrelle Lovett-Andrews is an early childhood special education teacher at Umphrey Lee Elementary School. She currently serves as the Special Education Department chair, is a member of the campus Curriculum Instructional Leadership Team and works as a curriculum reviewer of the Amplify reading materials for the Texas Education Agency. Lovett-Andrews is currently in her 27th year of teaching and has earned both the Dallas ISD Master Teacher and State of Texas Master Teacher designations. Lovett-Andrews believes education, understanding, and acceptance of everyone’s differences are important values. She believes the most effective teachers establish genuine relationships and create dynamic learning environments contributing to student achievement and growth. Lovett-Andrews views teaching as a fulfilling career and provides her with a sense of purpose. Her goal is to prepare students for a life of intellectual discovery, engagement, and purpose while developing the unique talent and potential in each student. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in criminal justice from Texas Woman’s University, earned teaching certifications while studying at Louisiana State University, and holds a Master of Education from Grand Canyon University.

Cristian Gallardo, Sam Tasby Middle School

Cristian Gallardo is an art teacher at Sam Tasby Middle School, where he began his career in education over 18 years ago as a teacher assistant. After several years assisting teachers, Gallardo entered Dallas ISD’s Alternative Certification program and was hired as an eighth-grade science teacher. After five years of engaging his students with creative and innovative science lessons, Gallardo followed his passion and began teaching art to all grade levels at his campus. In addition to Gallardo’s role as teacher, he has also served his school as a member of the campus leadership team, Language Proficiency Assessment Committee member, testing coordinator, asset management representative, textbook custodian, and mentor to novice teachers. Gallardo holds a Bachelor of Art in Art and Performance from the University of Texas at Dallas.

Amanda Ashmead, School of Science and Engineering at Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Center

Amanda Ashmead has been teaching in Dallas ISD for over 20 years. She currently teaches Advanced Placement English language and composition, AP macroeconomics, and AP U.S. government at the School of Science and Engineering, where she has also served as the department chair for humanities for the last 10 years. As department chair, Ashmead has initiated or overseen a variety of major programmatic changes: she redesigned the college access program and integrated it into academic classes, leading to a dramatic increase in college funding offers received by graduating seniors; she integrated social studies and English into a single department centered on an emphasis of academic writing, including adding the AP capstone program; and in recent years, she has led several initiatives designed to help re-establish school culture in the aftermath of pandemic disruptions. Ashmead was a member of the inaugural group of distinguished teachers under the Teacher Excellence Initiative; she was recognized as an Exemplary Teacher and has kept that designation since. She is also recognized as a Master Teacher under the Texas Teacher Incentive Allotment. Ashmead has made significant professional contributions beyond Dallas ISD, as well—he has been involved with the College Board in AP Reading for many years and serves as a consultant, and she has presented at a variety of national forums including the AP Annual Conference on equity-focused topics such as expanding access to Advanced Placement courses. She has also published two articles in Social Education, the journal of the National Council for the Social Studies. Ashmead earned a Bachelor of Arts in English at the University of Alabama in Huntsville and received a Masters of Education from Lamar University.

Making sure that all students have access to information and feel included is a priority for Hillcrest High School teacher Amber Holmes-Turner. When she arrived at the school two years ago, she noticed that the announcements were in English only and not all students were getting the information that they needed. 

Holmes-Turner took it upon herself to change that. She said that at Hillcrest, approximately 75% of the students are either bilingual or newcomers, so she took on an initiative to have both English and Spanish announcements recorded on camera by students and uploaded to a YouTube Channel. 

“We have students who don’t speak English who are cheerleaders, or students who might have not known how to try out for the dance team or soccer team but they’re able to try out now because they have access to the information in Spanish,” Holmes-Turner said. “We have all those students integrated into our campus because they feel they are part of our school and not just by themselves.”

In addition to students recording the announcements in English and Spanish, Holmes-Turner also created a platform on YouTube in Spanish, where students talk about such topics as culture and lifestyle. 

Holmes-Turner says that improvements have been made to the quality of the announcements due to a Dallas Retired Teachers Association grant. She was one of three teachers from the district who was awarded $750 through the grant. She used the money to purchase a Sony vlogging camera—and thanks to the grant and other equipment like microphones that she was able to get through Donors Choose, the students are able to have these platforms. Her school also has green screens and other equipment through Project READ, a library redesign initiative.  It’s the students in her student leadership class that are producing the announcements, she said.

She plays multiple roles at Hillcrest. Besides student leadership, she teaches AP African American studies, African American studies, and IB psychology to juniors and seniors. She also oversees the student council, Black Student Union, National Honor Society, and is involved with the district’s African American Success Initiative. 

Holmes-Turner said the announcements aren’t just about events at the school that day. There’s birthdays, sports, academics, such as the debate team, and a Panther of the Month, which she initiated at Hillcrest. Each month she asks teachers to pick out a freshman, sophomore, junior and senior who they recognize for just being awesome individuals, she said.

“It’s all those moments of celebration and letting students know that we are so much more than basketball and football,” she said. “We have so many things that people don’t know about.”

She said it’s about the student experience. 

“In 10 years, a student might not remember what you taught them, but they will remember how you made them feel,” she said. Turner-Holmes says that in several years down the road, the students will be able to go to that same YouTube channel and see themselves on the announcements from years past. 

She said that when her student council members graduate, their resume will be filled with so many activities and initiatives that they have created, that they are not going to have any problem getting into any college that they apply to. In fact, she says that when it comes to students looking for colleges, they will be able to use the YouTube channel as a tool to demonstrate some of the work they did while in high school.

Through these announcements and opportunities for leadership and celebration at her school, Turner-Holmes is allowing her students to forge their own paths and write their own stories. One of the things that Turner-Holmes wants students to take with them is a philosophy that her mother taught her. 

“The joy about you is that you have the pen to your own story,” she said. “Other people might have a piece of paper, but you have the pen. So, you get to write what your story looks like, and you should never allow someone to do that for you.” 

High-priority campuses are ready to welcome teachers, counselors, and media specialists who are passionate about accelerating learning and whose heart lies in helping students succeed no matter what. Those who are interested in making a move to one of these 84 schools to meet the challenge and earn additional compensation of up to $18,000 can take advantage of the open transfer window that is open until April 24. 

Working at a high-priority campus has benefits beyond making a difference. Eligible teachers serving at high-priority campuses in the upcoming school year can:

• Earn up to 10 additional DTR points on the Teacher Excellence Initiative Scorecard
• Earn additional stipends. Current stipend amounts are shown in the chart below: 

Download the list of High Priority Campuses

Principals at HPCs have begun making recommendations to Human Capital Management for the 2024-2025 school year. To be considered, teachers, counselors, and media specialists must first show their interest by applying online using their EAD login at www.dallasisd.org/careers  using the “Current Dallas ISD Employee” link. The district’s open transfer window will close on Wednesday, April 24.

Interested teachers are encouraged to participate in an upcoming job fair to connect with HPC campus principals. Sign up for one of the district wide job fair events by visiting www.dallasisd.org/hcmjobfair.

Helping students find their voice and their passion for cooking are some of the things that motivated Rosilind Coleman, culinary arts teacher at Moisés E. Molina High School, to go into education. Known as Chef Coleman, she didn’t start off on that path, but being raised around a family of educators, in what Coleman calls a “full circle moment,” is what made her take that leap of faith to become a teacher about 10 years ago.

“You don’t look at it when you’re in it until you look back and see how all these things came together to make you who you are,” Coleman said. 

While Coleman didn’t initially start off teaching, she said she always had that desire to want to help, to impart knowledge, and to share with others. She has also always had a love of cooking her entire life, and remembers cooking with her grandparents when she was growing up. 

She had originally worked in the advertising industry and has a master’s degree in business from Michigan State University. One of her areas of expertise is project management—skills that are necessary to manage and run a restaurant, which Coleman’s students are learning through the school restaurant they manage. 

The culinary arts and hospitality program at Molina High School is one of the largest in the district. One of the ways in which the program is unique is that they have a nice state-of-the-art commercial kitchen. Coleman has been growing and trying to evolve it into a program that they’re really proud of, she said. 

She says her business experience is something that she can help impart on her students and help them when running their in-house restaurant at school. She teaches them how to market it and manage it, and said that many of her students  go on and find opportunities and desires to open their own businesses one day. She describes her line of work as very satisfying. 

Students also learn how to operate a restaurant on campus, and even offer dining for staff members at the school at the restaurant, which is open at least twice a week. Among the services provided include outside catering events. Coleman says students learn skills such as counting money, making deposits, how to work a contract, and how to put out an estimate for catering, and looking at your books to see what’s coming in and going out.

For Coleman, it’s important to reward and support your staff—in this case it’s her students—in order to make them feel valued and appreciated for doing all the hard work.. 

In her class she teaches global food education, such as understanding and planning the menu. The students also have input, and she takes their suggestions into account during the planning process. Among some of the favorite foods that the students have experienced are beignets, which Coleman compares to those that are found at the famous Cafe du Monde in New Orleans. Through food, she helps elevate their taste buds, which Coleman explains are different from adults. 

Another fan favorite is the french fries, for which the restaurant has its own special seasoning blend. Students learn how to fry the fries the proper way, resulting in a tasty recipe that no one can resist. Coleman allows the students to taste the food they make.

She recalls a moment during the pandemic when things were challenging, and the school was having cooking classes via Zoom. She said when some of the students began to come back to in-person learning, one of her students told her that being in her class helped him find his passion for food, and he knew that this is what he wanted to do.

“That just made my heart full,” Coleman said.  “After that, we helped him get into culinary school at  Dallas College, and now, he is working at the Gaylord and running his own kitchen.” 

Coleman said that some students are more interested in the business aspect of culinary arts than cooking. She recalled a student that got inspired through her class to pursue a degree in the hospitality industry. She’s now studying hospitality at the University of North Texas and wanted to be a planner and event designer for corporate events. She said helping students find their calling, even if it’s not being a chef, is one of her favorite things about this work.

For over 40 years, Glenda Clark has inspired Dallas ISD students by not only imparting knowledge but also fostering a spirit of creativity and critical thinking as a teacher. Along with Principal Angela West, she created the B12 Committee, a group of 12 dedicated educators determined to spread optimism and appreciation throughout Skyline High School.

Born out of a desire to combat waning morale in the aftermath of COVID-19, the B12 Committee embarked on a mission to create a nurturing and supportive environment within Skyline, said Clark, a teacher of Advanced Journalism Yearbook and Newspaper. 

From initiatives like Teacher/Employee of the Month and Random Acts of Kindness to the creation of Skyline’s own version of the State Fair of Texas, the committee has left an indelible mark on the school community.

“The enthusiasm of B12 members has created a ripple effect of positivity throughout our campus,” Clark said.

However, the journey hasn’t been without its challenges. As a self-funded committee, the B12 team often faced budgetary constraints. Yet, through resilience and resourcefulness, they overcame these obstacles, finding creative solutions to ensure the success of their initiatives. 

“When we pull our resources, it’s amazing what we can come up with!” Clark said. 

Looking ahead, Clark sees the B12 Committee as a model for the future of education. 

“In the journey of education, let us remember the importance of fostering a nurturing environment for ourselves, our colleagues, and our students,” she said. “By shining a spotlight on achievements and celebrating the brilliance within our educational community, we inspire one another to reach new heights of excellence.”

Gary Walker, a member of the B12 Committee, shared his perspective on the impact of their work: “As we lean forward into the future of education and truly focus on bridging the gap to student engagement and our teacher’s sense of belonging, we believe that’s where we, as an educational community, will thrive. B12 is not only servicing faculty and staff with awesome events and engagement opportunities but also involving our students so they can understand what being a part of a positive learning community is like.”

Nicholas Brewer, another member of the B12 Committee, reflected on what the committee means to him: “The B12 Committee represents a spirit of teacher appreciation that lasts an entire school year. With so many demands in our profession, B12 uses a variety of kind gestures to represent encouragement for our colleagues.”

Brewer also shared insights into what B12 means to students and staff at Skyline: “A spacious campus with thousands of people at a time such as Skyline High can understandably create an impersonal experience. B12’s acts of service provide gentle reminders that despite the sheer size of our campus, each individual faculty and staff member is worth genuine appreciation.”