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In one Dallas ISD school, raising your hand in class to request a hall pass is now a thing of the past. At Robert T. Hill Middle School, under the leadership of Principal Candice Ruiz, commitment to innovation has transformed the campus into a safer and more focused learning environment.

“You have to take risks to get different results. So we try to take the risk,” said Ruiz. 

This mentality led her to find ways to utilize leading-edge technology to increase safety, enhance student attentiveness, and give instructional time back to teachers.

EHall Pass, a digital alternative to traditional, physical hard passes, is an essential tool in that effort. With a click of a few buttons on a student’s Chromebook, and little to no disruption to a teacher’s lesson, students can electronically request to step away from class. 

The idea to move away from traditional hall passes was brought to Ruiz by Assistant Principal David McDaniel. While the school already had a system in place, McDaniel offered a solution to the challenges posed by physical passes.

“Physical hall passes get lost a lot and it takes a lot of time to handwrite them,” he said. “Kids would take them to the restroom and lose them.” 

The adoption of EHall Pass has not only become a more efficient process, but it is essential to the school’s strategy to enhance security. 

“We know where all students are at all times,” said Ruiz. “It allows us to monitor and control student movement within the building and limit the number of students in the hallway at any given time.”

By restricting passes, teachers can proactively prevent certain students from crossing paths, offering a unique solution to bullying in unsupervised areas like restrooms.

The campus also adopted a phone-free culture to further alleviate disruptions in the classroom. Interruptions from text pings or phone rings are now non-existent with the use of advanced phone pouches.

At the beginning of each school day, students place their phones inside a secure pouch they carry with them until dismissal, ensuring distraction-free classrooms.

“If a student isn’t learning because they’re distracted, that’s a problem. A teacher’s time is valuable and I don’t want instruction to stop because of a cell phone,” said Ruiz. 

The impact of being a phone-free campus has led to significant academic success.

STAAR results have improved over the past three years. There is a significant increase in the number of students at Meets and Masters performance levels. The Approach category improved from 49% in the 2020-2021 school year to 65% in the 2022-2023 school year, while the Meets category rose from 22% to 35% during the same period.

Although change can be challenging, the incorporation of new technology garnered strong support from parents. The school’s Parent Teacher Association advocated for its adoption at Bryan Adams High School Leadership Academy, the legacy school for Robert T. Hill students.

“Parents definitely gravitated towards stronger systems for safety. They want to see us take these steps to keep their children safe,” said Ruiz.

Ruiz remains committed to being a trailblazer in Dallas ISD, ready to raise her hand to try the next innovation to further enhance her campus. 

“I don’t know what the next thing (innovation) is, but I don’t think our work as educators is ever done. There’s always room for improvement. We tell our kids we want them to be trailblazers so it’s important that we set the standard,” said Ruiz.

Fifth graders in Vimari Khiat’s class at Ronald E. McNair Elementary School couldn’t help talk over each other in their eagerness to share what they had just learned about Native American history. And that excitement is just what Khiat was looking for when she designed the projects for her class to learn history and commemorate Native American History Month.

“We usually celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month and African American History Month, so why not Native American Heritage Month?” said Khiat, a bilingual teacher who is originally from Puerto Rico and is 12% Taino, the native people of the Caribbean islands. “As Hispanics we have a great amount of Native American in our DNA.”

The students had also learned about Native Americans at the beginning of the school year in social studies and are currently working on Unit 3 in Amplify, which is related to the First American Civilizations, she said. They learned not just about the native peoples of North America but also the native civilizations of Central and South America.  

Khiat—who has been a teacher for 25 years, 14 of those in Dallas ISD—assigned each student a different Native American tribe, and they did research about the main facts of each, such as location, culture, housing, and foods. Then, they created a posterboard reflecting that information. Finally, they did an oral presentation to their classmates. 

“I think it was important for my students to learn the history and culture of the different Native Americans tribes,” she said. “It was important not only because it is part of our reading/social studies curriculum, but it is part of our ancestry. It is celebrating diversity and promoting cultural awareness among children.”

The students certainly gained cultural awareness about the similarities that united all native people across the Americas, such as they all had agriculture, government, languages, culture, religion and settlements long before Europeans settled here, said Roberth.

One of the students, Carla R., added, “They were mostly peaceful and their religions were similar even though their gods had different names.. They didn’t fight a lot like you see in the movies.”  

Khiat always wanted to be a teacher because she loves children and learning, and seeing her students find joy in learning is rewarding. 

“My best childhood memories are at school,” she said. “I’m a bilingual teacher because I love learning other languages and cultures. I also love to teach reading and working with children.  I understand the struggle of learning a second language firsthand and I want to help others to become bilingual as well.”

For the Perez family, education has become a family affair since Rachel Perez joined P-TECH’s education pathway at W.T. White High School and received a letter of intent from Dallas ISD’s Human Capital Management to return to the district as a teacher after completing her degree.

The letter of intent guarantees a teacher position in the district as part of a program to recruit teachers from among students interested in education who have the added quality of being able to identify with the students they will come back to teach because they were once one of those students.

“We want to embrace each of these graduates from educational pathways who are going to join the workforce, become teachers, and serve in the same communities they grew up in,” said Chele Andreason, executive director of Human Capital Management’s Strategic Pipelines. “It is rewarding for the district, community, and families because it allows them to change the trajectory of their lives.”

Perez graduated with a strong foundation in education and community involvement as well as a passion for teaching and a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood through Sixth Grade Education from Texas Woman’s University in December 2023.

Returning to her roots in Dallas ISD, Rachel is now teaching third grade at Everett L. DeGolyer Elementary School.

“After four years of attending college and university to become a teacher, I am excited and grateful to return to the Dallas Independent School District as an educator,” she said. “This accomplishment is meaningful because I attended schools in Dallas ISD, and now it is my opportunity to serve the new generations of students. As I navigate through my first year of teaching, I will follow the example of my past teachers, who inspired me to become an educator. I hope that through teaching, I can positively impact the lives of many children and help them accomplish their goals.”

Perez’s influence as an educator extends beyond her classroom walls and has had a ripple effect within her family.

Following in Rachel’s footsteps, her younger sister, Samantha, now an 11th grader at W.T. White High School, has also committed to the educational pathway. Samantha received her early teacher contract in March 2024 at her Letter of Intent ceremony. 

Their cousin, Cecilia, a ninth grader at the same campus, eagerly anticipates her Letter of Intent ceremony so she can follow in the footsteps of her cousins. This familial dedication to education not only underscores Rachel’s impact but also exemplifies the transformative power of the Dallas ISD P-TECH educational pathway and the Letter of Intent Ceremony, Andreason said. 

Through Perez’s journey and the journeys she will continue to inspire, Dallas ISD is building a legacy of educational excellence and aspiration.Join Human Capital Management in celebrating the Perez family and the countless students and educators who are part of the Dallas ISD educational pathways. For more information about future careers in Dallas ISD, please contact Jibril Rasheed at jirasheed@dallasisd.org to discuss the district’s grow-your-own initiatives.

Several weeks ago, the mental health clinicians at the Seagoville Youth and Family Center decided to fill a need in their area, and the response they have received has been more than they expected—creating a sense of community and support that was sorely needed.

“At the beginning of the year, we had a professional development for the department, and we noticed that there was a need for a support group for parents of students who have been diagnosed with autism,” said Robert Martinez, the center’s manager. “We noticed there were also a lot of Spanish speakers. That spun three different groups—an evening support group, a day support group and one for Spanish speakers.”

The clinician leading the group for Spanish-speaking parents, Pablo Estrada, planned for an hour the first time they met but the time quickly expanded to an hour and a half and then two hours because there was a real need for parents to have a space to share and support each other, he said.

When the groups were announced, parents came in very excited the day before to check things out. The first couple of weeks, they leaned on each other and found common bonds.

“I thought they were going to be reluctant to speak at first, but they were not,” said Estrada, a mental health clinician. “They spoke about self-care, their struggles, the need for healthy communication and relationships. We are going to meet with a special education teacher to speak about their struggles and the talents that the kids have because some of these kids are amazing.”

One way that Estrada knows the group has been successful is because he has learned a lot from the parents. Another is from a  mother who suspected her preschool-aged child had autism and  came to the group discouraged and looking for guidance. After meeting all the other parents, she left confident with a referral to a clinic in Plano that could do an evaluation within weeks,  an offer of a ride to the clinic and help with interpreting. She also left with the knowledge that she was part of a community that supported her and shared her struggles. Her whole perspective changed, Estrada said.

“She found a safe place,” Estrada said. “Yes, there’s crying in these sessions, but there is also joy.”

One of the reasons these support groups and other mental health services that the center offers make such a difference in the community is that there are few providers of these services in Seagoville, and the area is relatively isolated because of lack of public transportation that allows residents to access mental health services somewhere else, Martinez said.

Normally, the center is open to see students throughout the day, mostly they are pulled from middle and high school as needed to receive services, Martinez said. There’s a large population of Hispanic and Spanish-speaking families that use the Friday-only drop-in clinic because they need referrals or have trouble getting children seen by a clinician. 

The support groups are an important resource for parents because when they hear the word autism, they only hear disability, said Pauline Agulefo, a mental health clinician at the center.  

“These children are not disabled,” Agulefo said. “We stress the ability, we build upon what’s good, the positive. Once the child feels good and supported, they give more of that. Sharing goes on and on. The groups give the parents an opportunity to talk and share, to exchange ideas. They empower them and give them a sense that someone is hearing them.”

Dallas ISD is looking for CDL bus drivers, custodians, food service assistants, security officers, and other operations positions. If you know of anyone who might be interested, encourage them to attend the district’s Fall 2024 Operations Hiring Event on Nov. 14.

The hiring event will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Turney W. Leonard Governance & Training Center, located at 5151 Samuell Blvd. Applicants will have the opportunity to learn more about the district and its hiring process. Hiring managers will be on-site to conduct interviews, while volunteers will offer assistance with the application process. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions and gain insights into working for Dallas ISD.

Job seekers interested in participating can register online here, but walk-in registrations will also be accepted at the event. To learn more about the job fair and available positions, job seekers can contact the recruitment coordinator, Kristal Garcia, at 972-925-4294 or krgarcia@dallasisd.org

Starting Nov. 20, several apps will be blocked on district issued devices in accordance with state law. Blocking these apps will also enhance security on district devices. 

Senate Bill 1893, adopted during the 88th state legislative session, prohibits the use of certain social media applications and services on governmental entity devices and Government Code Chapter 620 requires governmental entities, such as school districts,  to ban the software products or apps listed below. 

Dallas ISD has been blocking the social media app TikTok from district devices and networks as required by state law since Jan. 27, 2023. The ban that goes into effect on Nov. 20 extends the number of covered applications to those below. 

Prohibited Software/Applications/Developers

• TikTok
• Kaspersky
• ByteDance Ltd.
• Tencent Holdings Ltd.
• Alipay
• CamScanner
• QQ Wallet
• SHAREit
• VMate
• WeChat
• WeChat Pay
• WPS Office
• Any subsidiary or affiliate of an entity listed above.

Team members can continue using these apps on their personal devices and networks. Your understanding and partnership as the district complies with state law requirements is appreciated. If you have any questions, contact ITSecurity@dallasisd.org.

Are you new to the district, haven’t had your headshot taken before, or simply in need of an updated headshot? Now is your opportunity. Signups for the quarterly headshot session are now open. 

In an effort to meet the growing photography needs of the district, the district’s photographer will offer a professional headshot week with two dates available per calendar quarter. The quarterly sessions will be the only times available for headshots, so don’t miss this opportunity.

Dallas ISD team members are invited to sign up for the upcoming professional headshot sessions on Monday, Nov. 18, or Tuesday, Nov. 19. Hurry, as spots are limited and fill up fast. 

The photo sessions will take place at the Linus D. Wright Central Administration Building, 9400 N. Central Expressway, on the 12th floor, suite 1200. The photo will only take a few minutes.

Who can sign up:

• Central team members
• Campus principals 
• Executive directors
• Associate superintendents
• Chiefs and deputy chiefs
• Board of Trustees

The district photographer is unable to photograph team members in group photos or accommodate any on-location requests of headshots outside of the scheduled times.

Having a photo taken can be stressful for some. The district photographer will take great care to help you look your best by helping you pose, selecting your best headshot, and providing basic retouching on the finished image. 

Reserve your spot for the quarter three session by 5 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 13. Additional instructions will be emailed to those who sign up a few days ahead of the session. 

As a measure to continue enhancing the district’s cybersecurity, starting during the Thanksgiving break and continuing through winter break, Educational Technology will be deleting any SharePoint sites that have not been used in over a year. 

Team members who have important documents or information in SharePoint sites that they have not used recently should access them before the break to avoid deletion or to move these documents and information to another location, such as a Google drive.

If you do not remember how to access the SharePoint site or need help moving documents or information, please contact the EdTech Help Desk at (972) 925-5630 or put in a ticket at https://www.dallasisd.org/departments/educational-technology/servicenow. 

Please, be aware that once this information has been deleted, it will not be possible to restore it.

Veterans Day is celebrated on Nov. 11 to honor all veterans of the U.S. armed forces. Dereck Enderle, who is a veteran as well as an agricultural science teacher and campus military liaison at Seagoville High School, reminds everyone that honoring veterans also means honoring and remembering their families. He writes about Military Family Month.

November is also recognized as Military Family Month, a time to celebrate and honor the strength, resilience, and sacrifices of military families across the nation. These families play a vital role in supporting our service members, often facing unique challenges and uncertainties that come with military life.

The sacrifices made by military families are significant. Frequent relocations, long separations during deployments, and the constant adjustment to new environments can take a toll. Despite these challenges, military families demonstrate remarkable adaptability and courage, embodying the spirit of service and commitment.

During Military Family Month, communities, organizations, and individuals are encouraged to acknowledge and support the needs of military families. This can include hosting events, providing resources, or simply expressing gratitude for their service. Initiatives like family support programs, counseling services, and community outreach can make a meaningful difference in their lives.

As we honor Military Family Month, let us remember the families behind the uniforms. Their strength and sacrifices deserve our recognition and support, not just in November, but year-round. By coming together to uplift military families, we can foster a stronger, more supportive community for those who serve our country.

Substitute teachers play a vital role in the daily work of educating all students for success, and their efforts are recognized during Substitute Educators Day on Nov. 22.

Whether they are retired teachers or those who have an interest in education, substitutes provide a critical link in the education of children in public schools by stepping in when a regular classroom teacher is absent to provide continued quality education to children on a temporary basis.

Please, use this form to nominate an amazing substitute that has a special love for teaching, is planning to become a teacher, or is a retired teacher with a remarkable story. Nominations will be accepted through Nov. 11. Dallas ISD’s Substitute Office will review nominations and one or more may be featured in The Beat. 

And don’t forget to thank and celebrate the substitutes at your school the week of Nov. 18 and, especially, on Nov. 22.