News

Sophia Orta, office manager for the Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing Department, has been working for Dallas ISD for 20 years, and her passion and commitment for service were recently recognized with a special pin. 

Chief of Operations David Bates visited the Maintenance and Facility Services building at 3701 Botham Jean Blvd. to present Orta with the pin, which she said she was not expecting at all. 

“I don’t do what I do for appreciation or recognition,” Orta said. “It feels good to be appreciated, but I’m going to do it regardless.”

Orta has served the district on three different campuses as a financial clerk, office manager, and more in addition to her current work. She said her drive comes from her desire to support those around her and contribute to the success of students across the district.

“I enjoy being helpful,” Orta said. “Everyone says my personality is open and friendly. The relationships we build with each other and others make a difference and make it easier to come to work every day with a smile.”

Her main responsibilities include, but are not limited to, doing the payroll for over 100 employees, managing requisitions, and overseeing contract services for all crafts. 

“I have so many people from different departments who will walk into my office and say, ‘Can you do this or help me do that?’” she said. “The way I see it, we’re in an education field, so we’re going to learn, we’re going to teach, and we’re going to have to improvise and adjust to changes and realignments. My goal is to be open and available to anybody.”

To achieve that goal, Orta relies on the Core 4 culture tenets, a necessity in her field. She strives to be fast, focused, flexible, and friendly as she adapts to needs with the Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing Department and beyond. 

“I’m feeling grateful that people do see my work because a lot of it is behind the scenes,” Orta said. “Knowing that my team is seeing me and showing appreciation for me being open and available to help them, it’s huge. So thank you.”

With the safety and well-being of students and team members in mind, Dallas ISD has deployed a team of campus monitors across the district as part of a series of enhanced security measures. 

The monitors have been deployed throughout the district with an emphasis on secondary schools, although some are working at larger elementary schools as well. Their main responsibilities include securing entry and exit doors, monitoring entryway metal detectors, and overseeing hallways, cafeterias, and more to enhance the safety of the community. 

“The more eyes we have on access and exit points, the more eyes we have looking at the people coming toward our buildings, and the safer our schools are going to be,” said William Jay Sheets, supervisor of Student Services.

The campus monitors’ scope is the entire school, he said. They are trained in technical safety skills, as well as in de-escalation and relationship building, with an overarching goal of creating a positive learning environment for all.

“Campus monitors, along with administration and other faculty and staff, help build the school culture so students will want to come to school every day,” Sheets said. “They get students safely where they need to be.”

One campus monitor that Sheets worked with during a recent training session shared a story of speaking with a student he had known for some time in the hallway. The student expressed that they were having thoughts of self-harm, so the campus monitor got in touch with the campus’ administration team and counselors. Sheets said this group was “instrumental” in keeping the student safe that day.

This situation is far from the only success story the campus monitors had to share during their recent training, he said. 

“Safety doesn’t fall on any one individual or department,” Sheets said. “It’s a collaborative effort between our campus monitors, our support staff, our teachers, our resource officers, campus administration, and even our students. All of them combined keep campuses safe.”

Due to the importance of the campus monitor role, extensive training is being provided to these individuals to give them the tools they need to be successful and assist them with helping campuses be safe places for all students and team members. Training was held prior to the start of school and will be ongoing throughout the year with a focus on roles, responsibilities, de-escalation, safety, and culture/climate.

National Grief Awareness Day is celebrated on Aug. 30 to raise awareness about the ways in which individuals cope with loss and to highlight that help is available. 

According to the National Institutes of Health, grief can take many forms, from anticipatory grief—which is when someone feels sad about the changes in their lives and the losses they are going to have—to complicated grief—which is when people feel prolonged grief and struggle to adapt to the loss of a loved one. 

Common signs of grief include anger, depression, anxiety, trouble sleeping, sadness, fatigue, guilt, pain, crying spells or loneliness. If you or someone you know are experiencing these feelings, help is available. 

Coping with loss

Everyone grieves in their own way and on their own schedule, so it is important to avoid comparing oneself to others. Each person should consider what makes them feel best, whether it is expressing their feelings and emotions to a trusted friend or family member, doing some form of exercise, or pursuing a creative outlet like writing or painting. 

Other coping strategies include:

• Practicing self-care 
• Prioritizing physical health by staying hydrated and maintaining a healthy diet
• Practicing healthy sleep habits
• Entering a different space by doing a new activity in town
• Taking PTO as needed
• Incorporating positive affirmations

District resources

All Dallas ISD team members can take advantage of the Employee Assistance Program by LifeWorks. This confidential, secure platform has free specialist counselors on call 24/7, as well as personalized wellbeing tips, podcasts, videos, exercises, assessments, and more. 

Employees can contact LifeWorks by calling (972) 925-4000, or visiting www.dallasisd.org/benefits and clicking on Benefits Resources to access online EAP information. 

LifeWorks also has an app that offers specialized self-help resources developed by world-leading experts. Once downloaded, the app can be accessed through the EAD login credentials. 

Grief runs on its own timeline. If your emotions are overwhelming you today or if you find yourself in need of additional support, reach out and get the help you need.

Source: National Institutes of Health

Dallas ISD continues to make progress toward Destination Cloud, which is expected to simplify and modernize how the district drives student success by moving Oracle functions from servers to the cloud.  

The team working on this 30-month transition has been communicating with stakeholders and setting up meetings and trainings with the departments whose functions will first migrate to the cloud. These are Process Playback 1 (PP1) activities, which provide a first glimpse of the system design in Oracle Cloud and the first opportunity to confirm system requirements, refine configurations, and document any additional change impacts to business processes. 

Building a cloud application is an iterative process, so the work the team does today moves the district closer to the application Dallas ISD employees will use in the future.  

In January of this year, Dallas ISD launched a 30-month transformation effort—Destination Cloud. 

This involves moving all Oracle functions from on-site servers and software to the cloud, affecting business areas first to increase efficiency across day-to-day work. The transition will eventually provide a new portal for all employees to access important tasks more easily.  

Destination Cloud stands to benefit Dallas ISD, its employees, and its students by: 

• Removing inefficiencies so team members can concentrate on creating friendly and focused student experiences 
• Improving how the district gathers and analyzes insights, creates reports, and protects data 
• Making insight-driven decisions in real-time to allow team members to be flexible to the shifting needs of students, families, and other employees 
• Adopting Oracle Cloud technology and its standardized processes to free up time to develop new ways of fostering an innovative and equitable learning environment 

The district will continue to share updates as the work progresses.

Dallas ISD is hiring several candidates for new security positions as part of its efforts to continue to provide a safe and secure campus environment for students, team members, and visitors. These positions come with a $2,000 signing incentive as well as a market-leading salary. 

Dallas ISD is also offering a $4,000 hiring incentive for police officers, whose salary now starts at a competitive $70,000 a year, making Dallas ISD a leader in the market. In addition to a higher starting salary for police officers new to the district, Dallas ISD implemented an adjustment to increase salaries of current officers to make them more competitive in this market. 

The new armed security officer and the commissioned security officer positions were created in response to House Bill 3, which requires school districts to have an armed security officer on every campus during school hours. The expectation is that while those in these new armed positions will not have arrest powers, their presence will serve as a deterrent for unsafe behavior and enhance campus safety for all students and team members.

Commissioned Security Officer

The salary for the commissioned security officer position starts at more than $39,000 and when hired, the team members will receive a $5,000 annual stipend for being armed and the $2,000 hiring incentive.  Qualifications for candidates for these positions include having a Level III security license, being at least 21 years of age, having a high school diploma or GED and a driver’s license.  

Among their duties, commissioned security officers will be expected to enforce traffic, parking, student code of conduct, and other district regulations, as well as patrol all exterior and interior areas of the campus while ensuring direct interaction with students and district personnel at the school.

Armed Security Officer

Armed security officers will see a starting salary of almost $61,000 and must have a valid Texas Peace Officer License issued by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education. Other requirements include an accredited high school diploma or equivalent, a Texas driver’s license, and some experience in law enforcement or a related field.

Among their duties, armed security officers will be expected to patrol all exterior and interior areas of the campus, assist with handling disruptive situations as needed, and respond to incidents concerning crisis situations, accidents, and reports of crime, as well as investigate criminal offenses that occur within the district’s jurisdiction.

Both new positions and all team members hired for them will report to Dallas ISD Police and Security Services and be assigned to schools throughout the district as needed. For more information on additional requirements and duties of these positions or to apply, visit www.dallasisd.org/careers.

Last week, we featured family reunions, a trip to the World Cup and surprise visits to mom. Because team members did so many interesting things during their summer break, this week, we are sharing vacation adventures with an educational twist. Teaching, learning, and exploring all over the globe, Dallas ISD team members are bringing this world-class knowledge into the classrooms this year. 

Amii Johnson, a teacher at Bryan Adams Leadership Academy: I participated in a six-week research program at The University of Texas at Arlington. The name of the program is the UT Arlington RET Site on Sustainable and Resilient Infrastructure for Urban Communities. You can find information about it here. I thoroughly enjoyed learning about engineering, infrastructure, and sustainability and how they apply to both my own life and the subject of biology that I teach. The professors, engineers, and educationally engaging field trips at UTA were all enjoyable as well. I had the opportunity to do research at UTA, produce a scientific poster, and present my findings.

John Mayes, a teacher at  Hutchins High School: I had the opportunity to teach at a chemistry camp for two weeks at The University of Texas Southwest Medical Center in Dallas. It was great to get to know several other chemistry teachers in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. I worked with some of the top science high school students in the area, and I was amazed at how quickly they were able to understand content that is considered hard to understand. Most of the students could grasp more in five minutes than what it takes the average chemistry student to understand in a week! 

Folashade Badejo, an assistant principal at Career Institute North: I traveled to Nigeria to celebrate my 40-year high school reunion event and to be with my family. My favorite part was the opportunity to see my classmates that I have not seen in 40 years!  The highlight was the privilege to facilitate a training on DNA extraction from fruits, and teaching strategies for 12 science teachers at my former school—my way of giving back to my community.

Eva Maria Flores Perez, a teacher at Eduardo Mata Montessori School: I was immersed in my Montessori training at Shelton. I learned all the things to become a Lower Elementary Guide. During the whole month of training, I enjoyed the community-building with other teachers from the district who decided to spend their summer learning for the benefit of our students.

Yvonne Morgan, a teacher at The School of Health Professions at Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Center: I led the UT Southwestern STARS Summer Camp for Anatomy and Physiology for the third year in a row as master teacher for the camp. With a rising senior in our home, we saw miles and miles of Texas this summer, as we completed a total of 10 college visits. I loved being able to visit the universities and hear from all the current students at the campuses as they explained to us what made their school unique and why my son should choose that university. As a Career and Technical Education teacher to junior and senior students, it also helped strengthen my knowledge base about the whole admission process, the expectations from each school, and to learn more about the local universities, which will allow me to help my students as they navigate the path of college admissions and visits. Many of my students do not have someone at home that can help them.

Benjamin Doan-Stevens, a coordinator at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts: I traveled to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands. It was wonderful doing science experiments on the equator. I learned a lot about Ecuadorian history and culture. The way that their government has come to include and honor indigenous people is very inspiring.

Daniel Taylor, a counselor at Skyline High School: I chaperoned a study abroad program in London for six-weeks called Theatre Behind the Scenes. This was my first time ever experiencing London culture. I got to watch a lot of live theater, visit the beautiful historic monuments and areas, and eat the diverse cuisine.This story was sort of funny and a learning experience because I forgot that the Londoners drive on the opposite side of the road than we do here in the United States. Coming from the airport I took an Uber to my hotel. As the driver took off, I screamed because I thought he was driving into oncoming traffic!

Connie Westbrook, principal at C.A. Tatum Jr. Elementary School: I traveled to Montana, and every town I visited felt like I was starring in a Hallmark movie. The fireworks on the Fourth of July  in Laurel, Mont., were the best I have ever seen. People everywhere were proud of their heritage. 

Luis Diaz Cheverez, a teacher at Career Institute South:  I went to Puerto Rico, Germany, Andorra, France, Spain, Portugal and Poland. I have been to 40 countries! I learn something new every time in these new great places, and I meet people that always become family.

Karina Colon Webber, an instructional specialist for Early Learning: I took some days to visit Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic with some beautiful friends. I believe my favorite part was to just relax and enjoy the food, tours and music of the Dominican Republic. Most people assume that Punta Cana is part of one island called the Dominican Republic, but it is part of La Hispaniola, which is a big island that the Dominican Republic and Haiti share.

Olinca Molina Azpeitia, teacher at F. P. Caillet Elementary School: I traveled to Germany, France, and Barcelona, and I learned that many old institutions continue functioning basically in the same way they did centuries ago. It’s interesting to see that we have more in common with people in those countries than we usually expect. Globalization has made us similar in good ways. Cultural differences exist, but a new world culture, and a new and rich interface is being developed thanks to the technology and the information of events being communicated in real time.

Thank you to everyone who submitted their stories. We look forward to showcasing your voices as a way to continue engaging Dallas ISD team members through these opportunities to share with each other.

At 5 p.m. today, Aug. 17, the window to enroll for your benefits for 2023-2024 will close. If you want to make changes or enroll in a Health Savings Account or a Flexible Spending Account, you must do it before the deadline. 

To change your benefits, visit Dallas ISD’s Benefits Portal at benefits.dallasisd.org. For step-by-step instructions on using the Dallas ISD Benefits Portal, refer to the 2023-2024 Benefits Overview Magazine. The guide includes instructions on logging on to the portal for the first time.

Forgot your password? Click on the “Forgot password” link on the home page and reset it by answering the challenge questions you set up when you first accessed the portal.

Still have questions or need help? Call the Benefits Call Center at (972) 925-4000. English- and Spanish-speaking representatives can assist you on weekdays from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

The new school year is here, and it is a joy to see team members and students back on Dallas ISD campuses. The beginning of any school year is an exciting time, but it can also bring with it some stress and challenges as people adjust to new schedules. 

If you need a little inspiration to boost your spirits and keep your mindset on a positive track, maybe these 10 quotes can help. 

1. “I’ve always loved the first day of school better than the last day of school. Firsts are best because they are beginnings.” —Jenny Han
2. “Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.” —Albert Einstein
3. “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” —Nelson Mandela
4. “Education is the key to unlocking the world, a passport to freedom.” —Oprah Winfrey
5. “Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” —William Butler Yeats
6. “Let us remember: One book, one pen, one child, and one teacher can change the world.” —Malala Yousafzai
7. “Don’t be afraid to start over. It’s a new chance to rebuild what you want.” —Unknown
8. “Dreams come a size too big so that we can grow into them.” —Josie Bissett
9. “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” ―Mahatma Gandhi
10. “Yesterday I was clever, so I changed the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.” —Rumi

Transitions can be difficult, but you are not alone. Get additional support through Dallas ISD’s Employee Assistance Program by LifeWorks. 

This confidential, secure platform has free counselors available 24/7 for all Dallas ISD team members and their dependents. All you have to do is reach out to LifeWorks at (972) 925-4000, or visit www.dallasisd.org/benefits and click on Benefits Resources to access online EAP information. 

Your mental health and well-being are crucial, so do not hesitate to get the support you need this week. 

Sign up to receive important news and information on your phone.

Make sure you are set up to get texts about emergencies, important events, and information from Dallas ISD like weather closures, districtwide deadlines, news and more. There are two simple steps:  

STEP 1

Go to Oracle and look for the section for personal information. Enter your  main contact cell phone number in the Home field.

STEP 2

Using the cell phone whose number you provided, opt-in by texting Yes to the 67587 short code number. 

Questions? Email schoolmessenger@dallasisd.org.

Dallas ISD teachers are invited to apply for the Dallas Retired Teachers Association’s Classroom Assistance Grants. These grants are awarded to Dallas ISD teachers who, on a daily basis, demonstrate commitment to public education and students through the creation of programs, events, or other learning platforms.

The Dallas Retired Teachers Association will award $750 grants to four Dallas ISD school teachers for the 2023-2024 school year. The application period will be open from Monday, Aug. 21, to 5 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 20. Applications received after the deadline will not be considered.

Applicants may apply individually, as a group/team, or as a school. If you apply as a group/team or as a school, please designate someone to lead your grant application process and serve as the contact person to receive any related correspondence from the Dallas Retired Teachers Association.

Classroom Assistance Grant Eligibility:

• Applicants must be Dallas ISD school teachers for the 2023-2024 school year.
• All applications must include a handwritten signature of the school principal expressing approval of the project.

How to apply:

• Download the application at www.trta.org. 
• Click on District Local Chapter: Dallas Retired Teachers Association.
• Download Application.
• Complete and submit the application by scanning and emailing the application to rosalb97@sbcglobal.net or by U.S. Mail.
• The application and required documents must be received no later than 5:00 pm on Friday, Oct. 20, 2023.

The Dallas Retired Teachers Association Grant Review Committee will review all grant applications. The four grant recipients will be announced on Friday, Nov. 10, via email, the DRTA website, and Facebook. Recipients may be asked to participate in a survey or video after receiving the grant money.