News

Scott Tatum, the principal at Henry W. Longfellow Career Exploration Academy, has spent 19 years in formal education, but he said his informal career has spanned over 26 years as a camp counselor, scout leader, and more.

Originally from Austin, he served as the head of theater at the McCallum Fine Arts Academy, an Austin ISD arts magnet high school, and as the executive director and head of school for AHB Community School, an independent K-8 school. 

Tatum’s graduate and doctoral research focused on gifted and talented arts education in selective admissions schools, and he said Dallas ISD’s choice school options, including Booker T. and Longfellow, have been great proving grounds for some of the most innovative school strategies in the country.

He transitioned to Dallas ISD when he was recruited to become the dean of arts at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. This year marks his eighth year in Dallas ISD, during which he was awarded a Master Principal designation, which is given to the top 10 percent of Dallas ISD principals.

What drew you to education? 

Curiosity, helping others learn how to write and tell their story, and the endless energy of young people drew me to education. The ability for our work to change the lives and communities we inhabit keeps me in education.

What qualities make a great principal? 

Empathy for others. Curiosity on how to continuously improve. Trusting great teachers and professional team members to do the amazing work. The ability to build quick working relationships and partnerships with all types of families, employees, and community stakeholders.

What is your educational philosophy or a motto by which you work? 

Do what is right, not what is easy! I am also inspired by the Pablo Picasso quote, “All children are born artists, the problem is to remain an artist as we grow up.” 

What inspires you about your position? 

Dallas ISD sees a future where every child finds their best-fit educational scenario. Being a part of the work of creating these opportunities for students and communities is challenging, fulfilling, and creative work that reminds me of all the joy I found during my time as a student. A life of joyous learning and growth while focusing on a worthwhile mission is of utmost importance to me.

Libraries bring endless possibilities to enhance students’ lives. With that in mind, the Library and Media Services Department recently launched Project R.E.A.D, a library redesign initiative that incorporates research, exploration, application and design. 

This redesign initiative focuses on four student-centered zones tailored to campus focus and choice including print, audio, and digital formats. Over 80 school libraries are undergoing this redesign process. 

Students will be able to use library space to expand their interest in areas such as the arts and design, coding, using tools for digital broadcasts (such as podcasts), and to increase critical thinking skills through research and collaboration. 

This initiative will not replace libraries, as the intention is to enhance the services being offered.

“We are offering our students, staff and families the opportunity to adopt a future ready-minded program, in addition to the reading programs that we offer at Dallas ISD,” said Patricia Alvarado, director of Library Media Services. 

The library at the Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Center, where the Project R.E.A.D. launch was held last month, is already benefiting from a newly redesigned space. 

Brianna Martinez, an 11th grade student at Townview, said that the library provides her good material for her Advanced Placement classes that she’s able to use with her AP exams, and believes these resources will help her get into a top notch college. 

“We love the culture that has been created here and we look forward to many years of student learning in our schools and in our libraries,” Alvarado said. 

Among the supporters attending the launch was Chief Academic Officer Shannon Trejo, who said school libraries play pivotal roles in fostering literacy. 

“The evolving role of the school library has led us to become this central place for our school’s culture,” Trejo said. “By fostering a culture of literacy, supporting literacy instruction, promoting and creating and innovation and engaging families, we are empowering students to be successful academically.”

One of the key factors for school libraries is collaborating with teachers to be instructional partners in this work. This is something that Ida Escobedo, principal at Margaret B. Henderson Elementary School implements at her school.

Escobedo, who spoke at the launch, gave examples of how her school’s library not only promotes literacy, but it serves as a space to teach students things such as coding and robotics. 

For example, her school library opens at 7:30 a.m. and students from kinder to second grade use the space to work with Legos, which was grant funded. She describes it as opening a whole new world for the students.

Third and fourth graders at Henderson know how to use a 3D printer and children as young as pre-K learn coding skills, which prepares them to join the school’s robotics team when they are older. Henderson Elementary is part of the cohort of schools undergoing the redesign process. 

Another speaker at the launch was Sukhmani Nijjar, a 10th-grade student at Townview, who made a call to action on the importance of libraries.

“School libraries are not just a luxury but a necessity for the academic success of students,” said Nijjar.

Nijjar cited a study by the Colorado Department of Education that stated that students who have better funded libraries and access to librarians have high standardized reading test scores and a higher attendance rate. 

“Every Dallas ISD school deserves equitable access to libraries,” said Nijjar. “I urge all educational stakeholders to continue to prioritize the funding towards libraries so that every student can benefit from the valuable resources.” 

For more information about the Project R.E.A.D. initiative, visit www.dallasisd.org/projectread.

Working toward goals is an important part of life, personally and professionally, but achieving those goals can be challenging. Oftentimes, people focus on the end goal and try to power their way through to the finish line, but when milestones are missed or old habits prove hard to break, they find themselves moving backward instead of forward. 

According to the Mayo Clinic, long term success requires changing your focus from mustering up willpower to setting clear goals, practicing positivity, appreciating the journey, adopting a growth mindset and celebrating along the way. 

Set clear goals. Lasting change does not happen overnight, so start with smaller daily goals and build your way up from there. For example, if you want to be more active, park farther away from your office or the grocery store, or if you want to eat healthier, aim to pack a lunch one day a week. Adjust your goals as needed, and aim to incorporate activities you enjoy to increase your motivation.

Practice positivity. Your mind has a powerful effect on your behavior, so pay attention to how you are thinking and talking to yourself about your goals. Encourage and affirm yourself, and ensure that you believe in your ability to reach your goals. If you doubt that you can achieve a goal, set a smaller one and boost your confidence before moving to a more challenging milestone. 

Appreciate the journey. What is it you enjoy about your new habit or behavior? Be mindful and take time to notice the beauty of the sky when you get up each morning or how much you benefited from a conversation with your exercise partner. As you find a renewed appreciation for your habits, layer those moments that bring you joy into your future plans to keep you motivated.

Adopt a growth mindset. Mastery begins with setbacks and failures, so when you inevitably face challenges, look at them as opportunities to grow and adapt. Instead of beating yourself up when something goes wrong, ask yourself what that moment taught you or how you could be flexible and do better next time. 

Celebrate along the way. Success creates momentum, so be intentional about honoring each step forward, no matter how big or small it may be. By doing so, you will feel more empowered, purposeful and proud when approaching your next obstacle.

If you need additional support, help is available through Dallas ISD’s Employee Assistance Program by LifeWorks. The confidential, secure platform has countless resources available online for free. From 24/7 on-call counselors to practical tips on subjects like managing your budget, identifying anxiety in children and pursuing work-life balance, team members can find what they need, when they need it. 

Reach out to LifeWorks at (972) 925-4000, or visit www.dallasisd.org/benefits and click on Benefits Resources to access online EAP information. Positive change is available to everyone, so do not hesitate to get the resources you need.

Source: Mayo Clinic

Ebony Garrett is a third-grade math and science teacher at Umphrey Lee Elementary School. She believes educating students, colleagues, and families is essential to establish a community of support for students so they can succeed inside and outside the classroom. 

She has a bachelor’s degree from Texas Woman’s University and recently earned her master’s degree in public administration from the University of North Texas at Dallas. Earning the Distinguished Teacher designation was a significant accomplishment, and she is proud to serve her community and the school that she attended as a child. Her education, exposure, and experience at Umphrey Lee shaped her into the educator she is today.  

Garrett has nearly 13 years of teaching experience and ignites learning through a rich and engaging classroom culture. Her goal is to build relationships and ensure that learning is rewarding, rigorous, and connected to real-world experiences.

What is some advice you wish you had received when you were starting out as a teacher?  

Building lifelong learners starts with creating a safe place for them to learn and make mistakes free from judgment. 

What is your best tip for classroom management?  

Establishing relationships with the students and parents while also ensuring all expectations are clear is an essential part of classroom management. 

How do you build strong connections with students?  

I build strong connections with the students I serve through finding shared interests and turning our interests into an engaging academic lesson.  

What are your hopes for your students in the future?  

My hope is that I’m creating lifelong learners who can problem solve, lead by example, and be change agents for those coming behind them!

If you were not a teacher, what would you be doing instead?  

I would have my own student center for students who need extra help outside of the school setting. 

What do you consider to be your superpower as a teacher? 

I would say that my superpower is being able to find a way to connect almost any of my students’ interests to an academic lesson that is engaging. 

Dallas ISD is launching a 30-month transformation effort—Destination Cloud—to simplify and modernize how the district drives student success.

The transformation work between Dallas ISD and Oracle is based on the belief that technology and the way schools and departments conduct business should match the district’s progressive vision and be as groundbreaking as its culture.

With Destination Cloud all Oracle functions will move from on-site servers and software to the cloud. The change will first involve business areas, increasing efficiency for schools and departments in processes like purchasing.

The transition will eventually provide a new portal for all employees to more easily access their Oracle functions—personal contact information, expense reports, Human Capital Management tasks, etc.

Moving from the current on-site software to Oracle Cloud technology will benefit Dallas ISD and support the district’s Core 4 culture by:

• Removing inefficiencies from daily work 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 drive fast and efficient hiring, budgeting, and other processes critical to Dallas ISD—enabling team members to be flexible to the shifting needs of students, families, and other employees

Adopting Oracle Cloud technology and its standardized processes will help the district free up time for team members to develop new ways of fostering an innovative, equitable learning environment.

Stay tuned for more updates on Destination Cloud in the coming months.

Teamwork, unity, and creating a welcoming culture take a front seat at Gilbert Cuellar Sr Elementary School. Shelley Baxter, principal at Cuellar, says office team members take pride in making sure that every person, student and team member is going to feel welcomed at the school. 

Baxter says that when you hear “Welcome to Cuellar” after you ring the doorbell, it means something.

 “I want to make sure parents feel great about sending their students to Cuellar, because they are part of their family as well,” she said.  

She says they are simply treating parents the way they would want to be treated. “We practice the district’s Core 4 culture of focused, fast, flexible, and friendly, not because it’s a rule, but because it’s the right thing to do,” said Baxter. “Parents know we genuinely listen when we address their needs.”

That message of “family” is not only shared with parents through a welcoming office team, but within the team itself. In fact, they follow a motto called T.E.A.M., an acronym for Together Everyone Achieves More. The office team consists of office manager Andrea Garza, CRC Rebecca Cruz, clerk Nathalia Hernandez, clerk Valerie Rodriguez, and clerk Jasmine Aguirre.

Besides excellent customer service that focuses on equitable outcomes for students and families, Baxter says that each team member brings something unique to the table and uplift each other. 

“Ms. Garza is the mother hen who keeps us all on track and focused, Ms. Cruz keeps us all organized, Ms. Hernandez makes sure everything is done in a timely manner by keeping up with the calendar, and Ms. Aguirre is the sunshine who keeps us smiling,” Baxter said. 

The office team members agree that the level of camaraderie at the school is part of the reason why Cuellar is such a welcoming and friendly place to work.

“If one person needs another, we are there for one another,” said Baxter. “We cry together, laugh together, we support each other, and work together, and it’s a genuine love that we have for each other.”

Baxter says that her office team members, who are all Dallas ISD graduates, are happy that what they do has an impact on the school, students, and families. 

“Our parents are the reason we’re here and the love we feel for our parents is a trickle down effect,” said Baxter. 

Cruz, the school’s CRC in charge of attendance, registration and enrollment, says what she enjoys most about her job is the special bond and connection that she makes working with the students’ families. 

“When you establish a rapport with the parents, they feel comfortable coming to you when they have challenges,” said Cruz, who has worked for the district a total of 22 years, seven of which have been at Cuellar. 

Aguirre, who is described as the “sunshine” of the group by her colleagues, says that working in the office allows you to work with parents, students and teachers, which is one of the aspects she enjoys most about this role. 

“I have the best position because you’re not limited to who you are able to work with,” she said.

She also credits her colleagues for helping her youngest child, who started pre-kinder last year, further develop his social skills. 

“These wonderful ladies have helped him grow as a person. The way my child has changed because of these amazing colleagues has been a memorable year for me,” Aguirre said.

“Transforming lives through this work. That’s the goal at the end of the day,” Baxter said. 

Betty Blake, a third-grade teacher at Nathan Adams Elementary School, first interacted with a Dallas ISD recruiter at a job fair as a senior at Oklahoma State University. The recruiter offered her a job and informed her of the steps she needed to take to get her Texas teacher’s certificate. From there, Blake said she “put all my eggs in one basket.” 

Dallas ISD was the only school district she interviewed with because she wanted to move south to a large city with a warmer climate, while being close enough to her parents in Oklahoma that it wouldn’t take too long or be too expensive to travel to see them. An added benefit was that her sister was a teacher in Dallas ISD, and Blake wanted to live nearby, so she accepted the offer to be a fourth-grade reading teacher and has made Dallas and Dallas ISD her home ever since. 

In the 50 years she has been with the district, she has taught third-, fourth-, and combined third- and fourth-grade students  English language arts and reading, English as a second language, and social studies. At times, she has also taught math and science and has been a self-contained classroom teacher. Learn more about her time in the district and her passion for education below. 

How have you seen the district change from when you started until now?  

Needless to say, I have seen many changes in Dallas ISD over the years, from changes in administrative leadership to changes in boundaries, divisions, districts, or areas, along with changes in teaching styles and techniques. However, I think the changes that have had the most impact have been in technology so students can be competitive in our global society.  

Also, there is now a greater need for emphasizing and implementing more social and emotional learning techniques and strategies. Our students need this more today than they have in the past due to changes in our society over time.

What has inspired you to continue calling Dallas ISD home? 

I continue to call Dallas ISD home because of the numerous family connections I have made over the years. Family-type connections have developed among students, parents, staff, coworkers, peers, and Dallas ISD personnel that have sincerely touched me and created a deep sense of loyalty. Through the years, parents have requested for their child to be placed in my room, and I have made promises that I would be here to teach their younger children. This has inspired me to continue my teaching career at Dallas ISD.

What is one of your favorite memories from your time in the district? 

Over a 50-year teaching career I have too many favorite memories to limit it to just one. It’s getting together with former students, parents, and colleagues and seeing how we have all grown and changed over time that has formed my fondest memories. For example, one of my memories is when one of my fourth-grade classes created a time capsule. Then when they were seniors, we got together, as we had agreed, for dinner and for the opening of the capsule. We all laughed as we shared memories of the wonderful time we had together in the fourth grade at Nathan Adams. 

It’s these types of moments when former students, parents, and colleagues contact me in some way to show their respect and express their gratitude as they recall some of their experiences with me. The impact these experiences made on them has created my fondest memories. This is the reason it is impossible to limit my favorite memories to just one.  

The Lion King, one of musical theater’s grandest and most complicated productions, is not something that you’d expect from elementary school students who are the designers, actors, and dancers. But Jesus Moroles Expressive Arts Vanguard theater teacher, Jamie Nelson, and dance teacher, Brianna Miller, believed that this seemingly impossible task was possible. 

It was. The students staged and adapted the production this spring to great success and accolades from parents, team members and community. 

Nelson and Miller began collaborating two years ago when they presented the school’s first musical ever, Matilda, performed by fourth and fifth graders. 

The opportunity to present The Lion King—Nelson’s favorite musical—came about thanks to a grant. Nelson and Miller, who both say they love writing grants for their programs at the school, applied for the Disney Musicals in Schools initiative and got it. As part of the grant, fourth- and fifth-grade students worked with teaching artists from the AT&T Performing Arts Center. 

Last month, Moroles students, along with those of four other schools, shared their work as part of the Student Share Celebration for Disney Musicals in Schools at the Winspear Opera House, located in the downtown arts district. 

While both Nelson and Miller recognize that producing The Lion King with elementary school students was not something that most directors would tackle, they were up for the challenge. 

“We didn’t know any better that children shouldn’t do this work and I think it’s fabulous.The students have been rising to the challenge,” said Miller. 

“For us, it’s a little bit easier in a sense because we have such great administrative support,” said Nelson. “We teach separately, but then for the past few months we’ve been co-teaching, which we do whatever we’re getting ready for a musical. So we’re very fortunate in that sense.”

Both teachers agree that the students benefit from the co-teaching because when you are a professional dancer or actor, you work with the different directors, such as the theater director, choreographer, and music director during rehearsals. This model is one that you would find in the industry. 

The teachers knew what the Broadway version looked like, but thought of ways in which their students could present it on stage. Working together to find the movement of the characters, the costumes and all that the production entailed was a task that Miller and Nelson worked diligently on during school hours. 

The teachers called their production “budget friendly” as students were innovative and creative in making their costumes. Under the guidance of Miller and Nelson, the students made over 100 masks in six weeks. There was a cast of 60 students in the cast, many who played multiple roles. 

After Spring Break, students began to work on creating the masks and the costumes—the stagecraft and dance production aspects of the musical. 

Students used cardboard pieces and items they found in the recycling bin. For the bigger pieces, the teachers bought plywood and other supplies.

“So pretty much everything you see on stage has honestly been made by children,” said Miller.

“A lot of what you see is literally just spare cardboard that we’ve taken and we’ve shaped it. The students made them into giraffes, elephants, and rhinoceroses,” said Nelson. 

Using hula hoops, students were taught how to bend them and drill holes to be able to pull fabric across, and create a costume in the likeness of an animal. To catch a glimpse of what the costumes looked like, click here to see a video the school posted on their social media. 

One of the best parts of this process for Miller and Nelson has been helping students discover their talents in areas they wouldn’t have considered before.

”I’ve had the opportunity to work with kids that would never have studied dance, that signed up for theater,” said Miller. “But now all of a sudden they’re in a musical. And my colleague Ms Nelson has had the opportunity to work with kids that signed up for dance but didn’t necessarily sign up for theater. But now they have to learn to sing on stage.”

“To be able to have the freedom to work on a team to create something really beautiful like this with the colors, light, shapes and textures like has been a memorable experience not only for us, but for the students as well,” said Nelson. 

For more information about the Disney Musicals in Schools initiative, visit this link. 

What began as a teaching moment and a community improvement effort has turned Ascher Silberstein Elementary School into a place where students, team members and the community can appreciate and learn about nature. 

It all started when Principal Erika Pasieczny noticed how many dogs ran around loose in the neighborhood. She started to tackle the problem by instilling in students the responsibility that comes with owning pets. 

“We realized that our community wasn’t doing a good job of taking care of our pets,” said Pasieczny. “So we started an animal room, so we could teach all the students how to care for them.”

Once the room was set up, Pasieczny, known as Dr. Paz by the school and community, wanted to expand and applied for and won a Dallas ISD Innovation Engine Grant, which awarded Silberstein and 20 Dallas ISD neighborhood schools $50,000 each to support exploring and implementing an innovative program or initiative. 

Through the grant, Pasieczny expanded the idea of having animals not only indoors, but also outdoors.

“We decided to make good use of an area that wasn’t being used and make a garden with eight raised beds, and a chicken coop—so it’s an extension of our animal room,” she said. 

To commemorate the new chicken coop and garden, the school recently hosted a community celebration which brought together more than 100 parents, students, and community leaders to celebrate this milestone. 

The new chicken coop not only provides a variety of learning opportunities for students. Its popularity on social media has also turned it into a marketing tool. Several parents whose children currently attend charter schools in the area have asked to tour the school to see the new educational offerings. Of those, several are now planning to send their students to Silberstein next school year, Pasieczny said.  

Volunteers come to work in the garden and are interested in helping with the chicken coop and animal room. While their help is appreciated, Pasieczny makes sure that it’s the students who do most of the work so they can learn. 

One of the most popular places for students to spend time in is the animal room, which includes both furry creatures and reptiles. You can find anything from a snake, a bearded iguana, an axolotl, or a guinea pig for which the students care. 

Sandra Guzman, a teacher assistant at Silberstein, who has worked at the school for 17 years, sees the immediate impact the animal room has had on the students. 

“When students shut down, you immediately see them smile again. They come to this room and they forget that they’re having a challenging day,” she said. 

Eileen Salas, a fifth-grader, said that working in the animal room has helped her understand and gain compassion for an unlikely creature—Larry, a bearded dragon. 

“I love working here because it makes me feel calm helping these animals, and it’s just a great feeling,” she said. “I learned that bearded dragons are friendly. I used to be afraid of lizards but working with Larry has helped me get rid of my fear of lizards.”

Students and community members are not the only ones enjoying the new amenities at the school—so are the team members. This past semester, every afternoon a wheel was spun, and a staff member got to take a half a dozen eggs home. The winner would then send pictures of the food they prepared with the eggs produced in the chicken coop. 

Besides eggs from the chicken coop, some team members have made fresh salsa from tomatoes and peppers grown in the garden. 

With so many new ideas and possibilities for these spaces, Pasieczny says this is just the beginning of something new that will continue to open doors not only for Silberstein, but for the students, and community, as well. 

In our ongoing effort to ensure safer schools, Dallas ISD will require clear backpacks for all students starting in the 2023-2024 school year. 

As an additional option, mesh backpacks will be acceptable, however clear ones are preferred. Students may carry a small, non-clear pouch in their backpack to hold personal items, such as cellphones, money, and hygiene products.

To support families, each student will be provided a durable clear backpack at no cost. Parents may also purchase the preferred clear backpack, or the acceptable mesh backpack, for their students.

A clear backpack policy alone does not ensure complete security. This proactive measure is just one of several updates to enhance student and campus safety.

As a reminder, Dallas ISD’s Comprehensive Safety Plan is available at dallasisd.org/safety. We encourage everyone to visit the district’s website and social media channels for the latest updates.