Dallas ISD Advocate

Welcome back, Dallas ISD parents! We are excited to welcome you all back to another exciting year with our teachers, administrators, staff and central office family. You've been asking for dates/times for the Open Houses, bus routes, school supply lists, and uniform updates. Reach out to your campus and check out their campus website and/or social media for the latest information. If you need help with any of the information, just let us know.

This newsletter serves as a platform for sharing ideas, updates, and community events on a frequent basis. Follow me on Facebook and X (@ED_Rivera_DISD) for the latest updates.

Classes begin August 12. Don't forget to join our Dallas ISD Kickoff Event for our families on Saturday, July 27, from 9 am to 2 pm at Ellis Davis Field House.

Let's go, Dallas ISD!

Israel Rivera
irivera@dallasisd.org

Office: 972-925-3089

Did you know, our office supported 2,418 calls, emails, and visits during the 2023-2024 school year? Our team listens to parent and community concerns and helps to resolve issues for our Dallas ISD schools. We serve as advocates for parents (and sometimes students) and will work with school administrators to de-escalate issues and provide recommendations. We know that every issue/concern has two sides to every story. We practice due diligence to hear all sides and provide support as needed, including involving executive directors and appropriate district teams. Our main goal is to resolve the issue at the lowest level – the campus.

Parents and community members, if you have a concern, check out the graphic below on the steps to take.

The safety and well-being of students and staff is the district’s top priority, and Dallas ISD has taken a number of steps to ensure safer schools including placing protocols in place for our visitors. All visitors without a district badge must be cleared through the Raptor system. We also provide background checks through the district’s VOLY system.

RAPTOR

Any visitor to the campus that needs to attend an office meeting, parent/grandparent lunch dates, a conference, a campus event (such as an awards assembly/presentation or classroom celebration), an ARD, or visit with a teacher must check in with the staff member that conducts the ID checks.

VOLY

A parent that participates as a chaperone or volunteer in a campus event such as a field trip, a carnival or field day, a book fair, a staff appreciation luncheon, or a concert/play event must be approved and cleared through the VOLY system.

Parents, we welocme you to be engaged in your child's education. Just collaborate with us on these safety measures to keep everyone safe.

Our department builds partnerships with families and community organizations to engage and train parents in helping to foster academics outside of school. At the campus level, we help to:

• Market, promote and support events, fairs, and district initiatives (i.e. FROG, Fam Jam)
• Educate campus POC on ways they can develop partnerships with families
• Enhance Parent/Community organization involvement
• Develop competency on Academic/SEL/Equity

Reach out to the FCE department manager, Virginia Greene, for a menu of services. With a great team of coordinators and trainers, we are ready to serve!

Manager: Virginia Greene
Email: vgreene@dallasisd.org

Office: 972-925-3623

Parents, these are services our team provides to schools to engage you in the work.

The FCE Parent Podcast: Elevated Engagement

Please visit our Facebook page: Dallas ISD Parents to listen along. The podcast is filled with resources and information for parents. Stay tuned for bi-weekly episodes in both English and Spanish, featuring guest speakers and even more essential information!

English: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6MaFHVH7gb46bmyd0M4LAU...

Spanish: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2TVa3GCxTLdExcJMJozhKV...

Each year, Dallas ISD’s Uniform Assistance Program, administered by the Family and Community Engagement department, provides one free uniform to students per year in Pre-Kindergarten through eighth grade and limited uniforms available for high school students whose families meet the district’s economically disadvantaged guidelines, according to board policy.

Parents may request a uniform through PowerSchool for eligible students. The free uniform consists of Top (white, navy blue, or red) & Bottom (khaki, navy blue, black).

For questions about the Uniform Assistance Program, contact your student's school Uniform Coordinator. LET'S GET STARTED: PowerSchool

Download the instructions here: ENGLISH or SPANISH

Did you know we have over 4,700 self-identified students/family as homeless as of June 2024? Our department helps to identify, educate and provide resources to campuses.

• Educate campus staff on the growing numbers and how they can identify and advocate for students
• Build resilience in students in this situation
• Prioritize equity for students of color, who are pregnant, parenting students and the LGBTQ community
• Empathy, compassion and trauma-informed

Dallas ISD is also dedicated to serving students in need. The Fannie C. Harris Youth Center is the first of its kind in the country homeless shelter for children and drop-in center located on district property. It is designed to offer support services to Dallas ISD's unhoused youth (ages 0-17) by providing a drop-in center and residential services at one location. The center serves our unhoused youth with immediate support services. These services include access to showers, laundry facilities, meals, and clothing. The Drop-In Center offers social services reconnecting youth to education and providing housing stabilization support, employment resources, and access to healthcare. The facility is located at 4212 E. Grand Avenue – Dallas 75223, just east of the State Fair of Texas grounds.

If you have a youth in need, please reach out to our HEP Manager: Ashley Marshall at email: asmarshall@dallasisd.org and office: (972) 749-5750.

The 2024-2025 school year is right around the corner, and we’re excited to welcome everyone back on Monday, Aug. 12. See you there!

Soon, we will add 3 coordinators to our team to support the work we do. More info is coming soon.