Conrad/Thomas Jefferson Tribune
WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 23-27, 2019
SCHOOL LEADERSHIP/NORTHWEST GOALS & CORE VALUES
DISTRIBUTIVE LEADERSHIP MODEL
A MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Illustrious Leaders,
This week, we were able to capitalize on having our Elementary District-wide principal meeting with Teaching Trust to learn about the Observation Feedback. We were also able to meet as a team to be trained on Title IX and also had instructional rounds at K. B. Polk. What a great opportunity for all of us had as we learned from one another and gleaned some 'next steps' for your own campuses. I look forward to seeing the implementation of your learning from Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday on my upcoming campus visits.
As you have worked on your campuses these past five weeks, it is apparent that you have worked to tighten the culture, built relationships with students, implement academic expectations consistently, all in order to have a strong foundation for academic learning. The key to making quick progress while also building leadership capacity is our Distributive Leadership Model (below) as it pertains to Instructional Excellence. As you think about the Distributive Leadership Model, please consider the following questions. If you are unable to answer the questions below, what will you need to do to ensure that you are focusing on Distributive Leadership on your campuses?
- How do I know my content teams have systems for each of the items below?
- How do they address each part weekly?
- How does the principal keep tabs on these to know when to take over or increase support?
- Which areas need reinforcement and development?
- What can we do as leaders of leaders to solidify understanding and strengthen implementation?
- How will we chunk the work and prioritize?
- What systems have we created to not only give feedback, but make sure all are moving forward with urgency, rationale, and support?
Let's make it another STELLAR week! Excellence and Equity for ALL Scholars! WE ARE IN IT TO WIN IT...GO FOR THE GOLD!!
Ms. Torres
Emmett Conrad/Thomas Jefferson Executive Director
WEEKLY UPDATES
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 23
- Highland Meadows campus visit w/ED and ILCs
- McShan campus visit w/ED and ILCs
Common Assessment Week
First Day at New Campus for Employees Impacted by Leveling
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24
- Stephen Foster Campus visit w/ED and ILCs
- United 2 Learn-Network Meeting 11:30-1:00 PM @Lamplighter School
Cigarroa Campus visit w/ED and ILCs
SWAG Meeting @ Cigarroa-4:00- 6:00 p.m.
- Begin State Fair Ticket Pick-Up (by Sept. 27th)
- Assistant Principal Mtg. (TT) a.m. or p.m. session
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25
- Walnut Hill campus visit w/ED
- Joe May campus visit w/ED
- ILCs Mtg (TT)-AM Session
- ILCs Goal Setting w/ED
Assistant Principal Mtg. (TT)-AM or PM Session
Class Rosters and Approval Form Due (WAIP 9/5)
PowerTeacher Pro Gradebook Administrator Training for campus designee (WAIP 8/28)
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26
Catch Up & Read Breakfast Meeting -8:00 a.m.-Parks City Club-Ms. Torres/Mrs. Clayton Brown
Special Education Interview-Ms. Torres @ NCX-10:00 a.m.-7th floor-Rm. 205 Suite 750
Saldivar visit w/ED and ILCs
Jill Stone Campus visit w/ILCs
Roundtable Resumes Review-Ms. Torres-NCX-1:00-4:00 p.m.
3:00-6:00 IFL-ED and Administrator "High Leverage Practices" (Rm. 583)
- 8:00- 2:30 ILC Mtg.
- PEI and APEI Scorecard Release to Principals and APs by 4:00 p.m.
- Fall Student Learning Objective Goal-Setting Window (Aug. 26-Sept. 27)
- Live Chat Campus Submission Due (WAIP 9/12)
- 2019 Campus Technology Inventory Deadline (Aug. 22nd WAIP)
- All Class Size Waivers are Complete
- Last Day for K-12 Online Enrollment (WAIP 8/28)
- APEI Checkpoint 1 Closes
- End of the 1st Six Weeks
COMMON PRACTICES TO MASTER ON EACH CAMPUS THE ENTIRE YEAR!
Early Learning updates
Early Learning Literacy Workshops for PK-2nd Grade Teachers and Administrators at Joe May Elementary
- The next Lit Continuum session is on Friday, October 18th.
- This Is the BOY window for TX-KEA and CIRCLE. Everyone should complete those portions by the end of September. You will be sent a progress update next week.
- We are working to revise the K-2 PLC Look Forward based on the feedback given. To align it more to the block and work through those key components across the year, tying it more closely to the reading levels and guided reading.
- We accomplished big things last week – agreeing on which reading levels are “on grade level”. See the chart below.
Jefferson/ Conrad PK-2 Manager , Lead and Campus Specialists
Update on Early Learning Logistics and Materials
- We are down to less than 10 schools waiting on their student HMH materials to be shipped. Teacher materials are shipping next week.
- Because of the delay in getting the BAS/SEL kits ordered and shipped, we are going to adjust that BOY window to October (WAIP forthcoming).
Early Learning Coaching Supports, Next Steps:
Thank you for the great, open discussion about how coaches support campuses, communication surrounding that, the role of the Look Forward PLC in K-2, etc. We are working to make sure we have more special topics times specifically for these types of discussions. Here are some additional thoughts and next steps.
- To review our core coaching approach and discuss campus-specific needs, you will get an email from either the Manager or Lead coach assigned to your schools (see the chart below). They need to meet with you, in person, to make sure we are getting closer to alignment in our support and your expectations. Please try to meet with them next week!
- By way of reminder, our coaching model is anchored in direct 1:1 support to the teacher.
- As I mentioned, we know we have to flex. At the same time, we have shown success with our coaches and need to ensure any course corrections lead to greater impact, and not less. In addition, we have to balance trade-offs among:
- Content supports: Reading and math coaching assistance
- Language supports: English and Spanish language coaching assistance
- Scale: each decision on what types of supports are provided impacts the number of classrooms and campuses served
- Equity in coaching coverage: how many teachers of each tier are coaches supporting
- Partnership: clarity in roles of Early Learning coach and campus leadership (AP, CIC)
INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEO RESOURCES
This is the 11th year of the Bytes for Kids partnership with ACEC! Congratulations Highland Meadows
For the past 11 years, the American Council of Engineering Companies of Dallas (ACEC Dallas chapter) has partnered with us for the student incentive program Bytes for Kids, benefiting select Dallas ISD elementary schools. Four of your students can each win an iPad for academic achievement over the course of the year:
- Most improved science
- Most improved math
- As in science
- As in math
Thinking Maps ~ October ~ The Flow Map
WE SHOULD SEE FLOW,CIRCLE & BUBBLE MAPS EVERYWHERE!
Thinking Maps Lead to Authentic Student Writing
Using the Flow Map with English Language Learners
CONRAD/THOMAS JEFFERSON WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS
McShan Mustangs & Polk Tigers Are Innovative Engineers ! Congratulations !!
Walnut Hill Look Forward PLC
Thinking Maps in Action Led by a Kindergarten Student @ Walnut Hill
Small Groups at Jack Lowe and Jill Stone
Title IX Principal Training at Burnet
Instructional Rounds at KB Polk
Principals Rehearse the Paul Bambrick-Santoyo's Protocols at District Meeting
Conrad & Jefferson Cluster Administrators 1st Instructional Rounds at Polk
THE CORE 4
Dallas ISD is 20,000 staff members strong, and each one is vital to the work being accomplished in the district. Through the district’s commitment to exemplary customer service, each member is focused on serving 157,000 students and their families by delivering professional, high-quality service in everything we do.
At the heart of great customer service for each district employee are the four tenets of customer service--the Core 4: focused, fast, flexible, and friendly. These principles, also, are key to forging a positive culture within the organization as they are applied, internally, colleague to colleague, as well as to students, families, taxpayers, and the entire community.
It is a strong commitment that goes beyond the conversation about what exemplary customer service looks like becoming the norm for the way we operate in the district every day.
Meet the Highly Acclaimed Dancer, Actress, Director & Producer, Debbie Allen
COMPLIANCE VIDEOS
The window for both the annual policy acknowledgement and the compliance training videos, will open on September 3, 2019. October 31, 2019 is the deadline to complete both the annual policy acknowledgement and the compliance training. See the WAIP 08/01/19.
Future Important Dates to Remember
BENCHMARK ASSESSMENT SYSTEM (K-2)
SWAG NIGHTS (K-5) & Specials Teachers
SWAG SPECIALIST TEAM LEADS
Remember to Post Standard and Rubric with Student Work in the Hallways
Reading ILC Corner
The expectation for SWAG is that each campus teacher bring the following to the SWAG for the assigned TEK:
Know/ Show on Chart paper with Exemplar question / project
Learning Progression on Chart paper
LO and DOL statement stems
Learning station ( bilingual - Spanish --- Gened - English ) bring 11 copies ( one for each campus )
Math ILC Corner
Science ILC Corner
FALL 2019 TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES
Oracle Finance Systems and Payroll classes are also available. ATS is now offering a new Open Lab for iExpense. The attached schedule of classes is on our website at: https://www.dallasisd.org/ATS.
See the WAIP 7/18/2019 for more information
IMPORTANT LINKS TO READ
SEPTEMBER
30-United to Learn Coffee and Conversations @ Saldivar ES 9:30-10:30 AM
30-Campus visit w/ED and ILCs-Highland Meadows Walnut Hill
OCTOBER
1- Campus visit w/ED and ILCs-Polk and Joe May
2-Campus visit w/ED and ILCs-McShan and Cigarroa
3-Network Day
3-PK-2 Early Literacy PD for ALL teachers PK-2-1:30-4:30
7-Campus visit w/ED and ILCs-Burnett , Saldivar and Foster
8-Campus visit w/ED and ILCs-Jill Stone and Jack Lowe
9-Campus visit w/ED and ILCs-Joe May and Cigarroa
10-Campus visit w/ED and ILCs-Foster and McShan
10-PK-2 Early Literacy PD for ALL teachers PK-2-1:30-4:30
15-PK-2 Early Literacy PD for ALL teachers PK-2-1:30-4:30
17-PK-2 Early Literacy PD for ALL teachers PK-2-1:30-4:30
22-PK-2 Early Literacy PD for ALL teachers PK-2-1:30-4:30
24-25-Changing the Odds Conference-ILCs and Principals
24-25-Ms. Torres out for Immersion
31-Last day to take and pass Compliance Videos
NOVEMBER
7-Network Day
JANUARY, 2020
9-Network Day
FEBRUARY
27-Network Day
APRIL
16-Network Day
JUNE
4-Network Day
10-Principal Luncheon
EMMETT J. CONRAD/THOMAS JEFFERSON SCHOOL LEADERSHIP
- Jack Lowe Elementary: Principal, Sandra Barrios
- Jill Stone : Principals, Rosalinda Pratt & Selena Deboskie
- Highland Meadows: Principal, JoAnna Bahena
- David G. Burnet Elementary: Principal, Sonia Loskot
- Leonides Cigarroa Elementary : Principal, Douglas Burak
- Stephen C. Foster Elementary: Principal, Irma De La Guardia
- Joe May Elementary: Principal, Rosseven Nava
- K.B. Polk Elementary: Principal, Kourtnei Billups
- Julian T. Saldivar: Principal, Edgar Jaramillo
- Walnut Hill Elementary: Principal, Phillip Potter
- McShan Elementary: Principal, Joseph Medaris