Annually the Board of Trustees determines if a raise will be approved for staff.  Over the past two years, the Board has decided to give one-time payments in lieu of a raise.  The district is currently working through a salary study with the Texas Association of School Boards and will make recommendations for consideration for the 2022-2023 school year.  It is our goal to become a highly competitive district in Region 10.

At this time, we are continuing to monitor the status of Covid-19 in Dallas County. Typically, after a break or holiday, the District sees an uptick in cases, so we will continue to monitor cases and adjust if needed. Wearing face masks has proven to be one of the major factors in mitigating the spread of the virus in Duncanville ISD. No final determination to lift the face-covering mandate has been made at this time. 

Annually the Board of Trustees determines if a raise will be approved for staff.  Over the past two years, the Board has decided to give one-time payments in lieu of a raise.  The district is currently working through a salary study with the Texas Association of School Boards and will make recommendations for consideration for the 2022-2023 school year.  It is our goal to become a highly competitive district in Region 10.

A teacher with 30 years of experience should make at least $64,800 with a Bachelor’s Degree and $65,800 with a Master’s Degree.  A teacher with “0” years of experience makes $53,000.  If a teacher has 30 years of experience and does not earn the amount above, they should complete a salary review request form with the HR Department so that this can be looked into on their behalf. 

The COVID-19 protocols are still in effect and note that campus administration will notify staff when there is a positive student case that has been on campus. Currently, we do not have any positive cases, but you are encouraged to speak with your campus principal if you believe notifications are not being received.

Yes, we will begin a student 1:1 program in the Fall. We will issue iPads for grades PK3 through 1st and Chromebooks 2nd through 12th.

At this time, the district is happy to report that we have had Zero positive COVID-19 cases in staff for over a month.  Staff members have access to use their local and personal leave for any illnesses they may have.  If a staff member has a negative test result and is vaccinated, they are not quarantined and should be at work. If the staff member chooses to quarantine, they will need to use any available leave they have. The Board of Trustees also granted all full-time employees two additional local days this year.  The Sick Leave Bank is also an option for qualifying catastrophic illnesses within the Sick Leave Bank guidelines. 

At this time, the district is happy to report that we have had Zero positive COVID-19 cases in staff for over a month.  Staff members have access to use their local and personal leave for any illnesses they may have.  If a staff member has a negative test result and is vaccinated, they are not quarantined and should be at work. If the staff member chooses to quarantine, they will need to use any available leave they have. The Board of Trustees also granted all full-time employees two additional local days this year.  The Sick Leave Bank is also an option for qualifying catastrophic illnesses within the Sick Leave Bank guidelines. It is also important to note that the majority of reported COVID-19 cases in staff this year have been contracted outside of the district based on contact tracing.  The district has continued to require staff and students to wear masks for this reason. 

The 30 minutes added to the school day will not be removed moving forward. With the learning loss that has been seen in students this year, campuses can use this time to further meet their needs. The published hours are the new staff hours in Duncanville ISD. 

At this time, there is no requirement to be vaccinated. The district has provided multiple opportunities for staff to receive a vaccine. Should any requirements become mandatory by state officials, that information would be communicated to staff at that time.

We have implemented one PLC a week. In anticipation of TELPAS deadlines and the upcoming Countdown to STAAR, teachers have attended training or have trainings scheduled during their plc time as well.

Under Federal Law and the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), most employers are required to give both male and female employees up to 12 weeks of unpaid family leave following a birth, adoption, or foster care placement. It is important for staff members to review options during the Benefits Enrollment period that may provide pay when they are out for maternity leave or a prolonged illness.

For the 2022-23 school year per state law, the state assessments will all be administered online. Therefore, we must prepare our students for this format and make it a routine practice for them, which is why we are starting them early. Locally, we also administer NWEA MAP Growth which is only available online. We will soon be providing teachers with a poster of tips for preparing students for online testing to help make this assessment mode more comfortable for students. 

The voting sites are not determined by the school district, but by the Dallas County Elections Office. The elections staff have safety protocols in place and also are required to abide by the District’s safety procedures. 

Stipends are reviewed annually in Duncanville ISD. The district does not currently offer team leader stipends at all levels because the scope of responsibility varies by campus.  Being a team leader is also an opportunity to develop leadership skills and provides this opportunity for staff. The district can look at other incentives for staff members who assume this voluntary role at their campus.

We are in the process of having our salary structure studied by TASB and will consider those findings as we prepare the 2022-23 budget.

We are aware that all staff members have been impacted by the increase in prices for basic needs. Currently, the Board of Trustees is working to make determinations regarding the budget and any approved raises for next year. The district does have access to resources through our Counseling Department if any staff member or student is in need.  

We are in the process of reviewing district initiatives and expectations.

We are in the process of having our salary structure studied by TASB and will consider those findings as we prepare the 2022-23 budget.

We are working to develop a district wide MTSS (Multi-Tiered Service and Support) plan. This will provide teachers with the opportunity to accelerate, remediate and provide intervention while implementing grade level standards.
 
If each teacher focuses on teaching the previous year’s standards, we may unintentionally create additional gaps and deficits in our students (next year’s teachers will be expecting students to have received instruction on previous year’s standards)

Teacher input is actively sought informally on a regular basis and periodically throughout the year via formal surveys. 
 
All staff receive a weekly email update of district happenings via Staff News.  Additional information and actions can be  accessed through the District Communication Portal located in ClassLink.

Learning objectives (I Will/We Will statements) outline what students should be able to do by the end of the lesson. They lay the foundation for instruction.
 
Campuses have the autonomy to develop their objectives individually. As a district, we monitor for alignment (objectives, instruction, student work) and to identify trends.
 
As walks occur, we are discussing objectives as well as content being taught and student work.

We are in the process of having our salary structure studied by TASB and will consider those findings as we prepare the 2022-23 budget.

Without knowing which specific program is being referenced, it is difficult to give a specific answer. However, with new programs or initiatives, the district often follows a trainer-of-trainer model. Each campus will have one or more representatives that are provided in depth training. In return, representatives are expected to train the staff at their campus and/or share district level training opportunities. You can also look in Edugence for the various trainings that are offered throughout the district to support initiatives. If you feel you need more training on a specific program, please inform your campus administration and they can work with the Director of Professional Learning or your campus representative to provide additional support.

DHS has a lead and assistant lead custodian who are responsible to communicate with the campus administration regarding any issues with the campus facilities. Campus leadership is also responsible for communicating with the teachers and entire staff regarding the maintenance of the building. In regard to classrooms with popcorn and trash left from food, this is a campus issue that needs to be addressed by the administration. Additionally, as with other positions in the District, there is a significant number of custodial vacancies at this time and the team is having to be stretched more than usual. The District is thankful for the custodial team, but it takes all of us to take care of our facilities. 
 

We are in the process of having our salary structure studied by TASB and will consider those findings as we prepare the 2022-23 budget.

We are currently working to refine our new teacher induction program to include more support from mentors, professional learning, and coaches.

Thank you for wearing your mask to protect yourself and others.  While wearing a mask can present certain challenges, we have not designated when the temporary mask mandate will be lifted. 

The district is not compensated by Dallas College  for courses that are taught with less than 15 students per class section including withdrawals (W) by the census date .   We will revisit this model as the decision was made in 2018-2019.

Ensuring a safe learning environment is the responsibility of all DISD employees. We work continuously to monitor our procedures, establish effective protocols, and ensure prompt response to concerns brought to the attention of campus or district administration.

Each year a calendar committee convenes to consider options for the next school year.
 

T-TESS is a process that seeks to develop habits of continuous improvement, and the process itself best leads to that outcome when appraisers and teachers focus on evidence-based feedback and professional development decisions based on that feedback through ongoing dialogue and collaboration. Any challenges with the process should first be addressed with the appraiser.

DHS counselors are notified of upcoming graduates prior to all PACE graduations.

Campus principals are notified of their Superintendent Scholars. We will work to create a plan to ensure communication is sent to teachers as well.

During the fall semester, a dress code survey was conducted and input gathered from stakeholders regarding student dress. A committee with representation from each campus reviewed the survey data and engaged in a comprehensive review of the student dress code. Recommendations were shared with the Board of Trustees in November and the dress code will be finalized this spring. All revisions will be implemented for the 2021-22 school year. Campus enforcement of the dress code should be in alignment with the Student Code of Conduct.

During the 2020-2021 school year, Duncanville ISD provided District Paid Sick Leave to employees in response to the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. Although this Act ended on December 31, 2020, Duncanville ISD continued to provide access to up to ten days for employees absences. Access to this leave ended on June 30, 2020. The District is currently exploring options related to COVID-19 and employee absences. An update will be provided once a decision has been reached. 

The purpose of the PLC is to work collaboratively to gather data, develop strategies, and improve teacher skills to improve student learning. Using two conference periods, which equals 90 minutes a month, is simply not nearly enough time to address the needs of our students.

The calendar planning committee for the 2021-2022 school year had the unique task of adding more instructional days to the calendar in an effort to proactively address students’ academic needs with our return to 100% in-person instruction. When student instructional days were added, duty days for teachers were directly impacted. Adding instructional days to the calendar without extending the established 187 teacher work days limited the flexibility of district professional development, campus professional development and teacher work days. The current calendar has fewer district and campus professional days but a concerted effort was made to ensure teacher work days were strategically placed. The current calendar has three teacher work days, which is comparable to other school calendars in the area. 

The district calendar planning committee will begin meeting in the coming months to develop the 2022-2023 school year calendar. Your input will be shared with the planning committee as they evaluate the district’s priority needs and how to best apply those elements districtwide. 

The state of Texas will be requiring all students to take the STAAR assessment online starting spring 2023. To ensure our students are fully prepared and have the computer literacy and keyboarding skills necessary, we must prepare our early learners for testing online.

On page 22 of the District Assessment Plan, you can find tips for supporting students with online testing. District Curriculum-based Assessments are also being reviewed to design questions in alignment with the new state testing question format.

Although a raise was not approved for the 2021-2022 school year, the Board approved a one-time payment of $2500. This payment will be made to qualifying staff on November 16, 2021. The District is planning for the upcoming budget season with a goal of focusing on raises for staff for the 2022-2023 school year.

Currently, there are no other  scheduled district-wide team building check-in meetings on the 2021-2022 academic calendar; however, this is a great suggestion and will be shared with the calendar planning committee and district leadership

The current district mask mandate is “temporary” and the determination to continue or suspend will be based on reviewing data of the COVID cases, trends and stakeholder feedback. Based on our most recent data, the temporary mandate is helping to mitigate the spread of Covid 19 in Duncanville ISD.

Based on the district grading guidelines, grades must be posted every week and posted within 5 school days of the assignment as received. If a teacher is not posting grades in a timely manner, please contact the teacher and their campus administrator.

Based on recent changes to the roles of Reading and Math Center Teachers, this role is being studied as a part of a compensation study in preparation of the upcoming budget season. We understand that this role has grown to include other factors. These factors will be considered when making decisions about the future pay structure and responsibilities associated with these roles

In order to ensure students are being taught grade level content while addressing learning loss, campuses/teachers should focus on 3 areas - Acceleration, Remediation and Intervention

If a large majority of students require support to understand the concept the teacher should: 

1. Accelerate -  Pause current instruction for brief reteaching, formatively assess success, and continue with grade level instruction. Repeat as needed. When 80% of students are ready to move forward, continue core instruction or 

2. Remediate -  pause current whole group instruction to spend focused time reteaching and reviewing before revisiting grade-level concepts.When 80% of students are ready to move forward, continue core instruction.

If a small number of students are struggling to understand the concept and underlying skills required: 

1. Intervene - during dedicated small group intervention time, deliver focused instruction to close knowledge gaps and move students forward closer to on-grade success.

We know that COVID-19 has had a huge impact on our ability to secure substitutes across the district. We are very thankful to our staff for filling in the gap in the best interest of students; however, a plan is being created to potentially compensate teachers who are using their planning time to cover classes. The plan will be communicated in November.

The dress code is not intended to be changed during the 2021-2022 school year at this time. The work you are seeing now is a preparation for the upcoming school year. The committees are proactively meeting and planning to consider revisions that will most likely be acted upon for the 2022-2023 school year. 

Over the years, there have been some additions made at Central Office in an effort to support campuses and instruction, and with the added mandates there could possibly be other additions in the future to provide the needed support. For example, not so long ago campuses shared Teacher Specialists.  Additional Teacher Specialist positions were added to ensure that each campus had their own Teacher Specialist. Although this is a Central Office position, these employees support directly at the campus level.

Often when positions become vacant at the Central Office, the positions are redesigned with new responsibilities and a new title. This may look like an added position when it may actually be a position that has been changed. The addition of other positions at Central office like SEL Counselors and Social Workers are completely aligned with the needs of our students.

Although a raise was not approved for the 2021-2022 school year, the Board approved a one time payment of $2500. This payment will be made to qualifying staff on November 16, 2021. The District is planning for the upcoming budget season with a goal of focusing on raises for staff for the 2022-2023 school year. In alignment with our Strategic Plan, Duncanville ISD is focused on becoming a highly competitive district in Region 10.

The district is not able to share information regarding any changes in salary or raises until this information is approved by the Board of Trustees. In Duncanville ISD this typically occurs during the month of June. When an employee signs their contract, the contract is based upon what the current pay structure is in the district at that time.  Employees or potential employees can only use the posted, approved compensation scale when making decisions. Salary is only discussed when an official offer is made by the HR Department.  These offers are always aligned with the approved compensation schedule at the time of the offer.

The district expectation is for teachers to follow the pacing calendar and curriculum guides. The pacing calendar and curriculum guides outline which standards should be taught, when, and for how long.
 
Teachers/Campuses have the autonomy to develop instructional activities as they see fit as long the instruction aligns to the standards (content, context and cognitive level)
 
The pacing calendar and curriculum guides ensure equity across the district. If a student moves from one campus to another one across town, they should be able to pick right up in the instruction. If we are not following the calendar and guides, we may unintentionally create gaps and deficits within our students.