Conrad/Thomas Jefferson Tribune
WEEK OF NOVEMBER 26-30, 2018
NEW SCHOOL LEADERSHIP MISSION
WE WILL CULTIVATE LEADERSHIP THAT INSPIRES AN UNWAVERING COMMITMENT FOR EQUITY AND EXCELLENCE IN OUR SCHOOLS TO ENSURE ALL STUDENTS ARE COLLEGE AND CAREER STRONG.
SCHOOL LEADERSHIP 'B' GOALS
- INSPIRING CULTURE
- DATA MASTERY
- EFFECTIVE PLCs
- AGGRESSIVE MONITORING
VISION, MISSION & CORE VALUES
CONRAD/THOMAS JEFFERSON FEEDER PRIORITY GOALS
STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT
Advance teacher effectiveness and improve the quality of instruction through research-based professional learning practices
QUALITY OF INSTRUCTION
Close achievement gaps through effective data practices and alignment of core content curriculum.
CLIMATE AND CULTURE
Develop and sustain a positive and supportive climate and culture of high expectations through effective communication, inclusive practices and leadership development.
A MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Illustrious Leaders,
We have made it to our final week before Thanksgiving Break! I appreciate all of the hard work that you have put in during this first stretch of the school year. You are staying true to your plans and are starting to see the results.
Once we return we will have 12 instructional calendar days to ensure that you continue expressing to your staff that they have an increased 'sense of urgency' in all their classrooms. As a result of the recent common assessment data and in preparation of the upcoming ACP testing, their careful planning with intentionality, will allow your teachers sufficient time to get on track and ensure scholar success. However, they will need to maximize every minute of all the 12 days. This will be the first data point that will count toward your accountability in your evaluation and teacher's TEI.
Ms. Porter and I will be visiting your campuses during the two weeks after Thanksgiving break. We will be looking for implementation of Aggressive Monitoring and ACP Mapping. The ACP mapping will require your immediate attention and action with your teachers. Utilizing the ACP blueprints as well as data from the past two common assessments, your teachers can prioritize each TEKS associated with the ACP. No doubt this will assist your teachers in maximizing their instruction. It is critical that we are able to intervene early enough to get us on track.
I know that most of you calendared out your spot observations to ensure you had frequent spot observations at regular intervals throughout the semester for all teachers. Keep up with your mapping of spots to stay the course. Please take some time to map out the remainder of your spot observations for the semester to ensure that you and your AP's are able to provide effective feedback for our teachers. We don't want to be caught at the last hour trying to fit in some spots. That is not a best practice for you and it is not good for the teachers! Careful planning will ensure we get them all in and they accomplish what they are intended to do: which is to improve instruction to ensure ALL our Scholars are successful..
Thank you for your continued perseverance and focus on increasing student achievement! Thank you for the thoughtful planning in response to the most recent common assessment data. I noticed several campuses invested a lot of time planning specific action steps as soon as the common assessment #2 data was in for individual teachers, while some of you had cookie-cutter responses that were not specific to what actions would move the instruction on your campuses.
Some of the data was validating of the work we see in the classrooms, in spots and your PLC's in action. Yet, some was surprising. Take some time to talk as a leadership team, if you have not already done so, to address the discrepancies and intervene early with any struggling teachers. We have 12 full days to get things back on track. I appreciate you thinking through immediate changes to be made to ensure our scholars get the most out of the semester and the year!
Monitor classrooms closely and hold teachers accountable for teaching until the last day before on our return from Thanksgiving break! :) Think WIN WIN- Habit # 4- Win/Win. "Win/Win is a belief in the third alternative. It's not your way or my way; it's a BETTER way, a HIGHER way".
Thanksgiving is a day to count the blessings in your life, it is the time to celebrate and be joyous, it is a day of pride. It is a day to acknowledge the presence of the people who form your world, to realize how precious their worth is, which is more precious than diamonds and pearls.
I want to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving. Remember how truly blessed I feel to be a part of such an AMAZING group of educators who strive for EXCELLENCE daily! Thank you for all you have accomplished for our scholars each and every day! May you live in the world where the reasons to be thankful will never end!
In the spirit of the season, I am thankful for all of my leadership experiences. They teach me to stay true to my core and to lead with what keeps me centered--our SCHOLARS. We will soon have the opportunity to spend a week "at home" with family and loved ones. My wish for each of us is to get the must deserved down time that we need and come back rejuvenated and ready to finish the first semester STRONG!
Thank you for your continued leadership and not settling for anything less than GREAT for our scholars!
I look forward to seeing the evidence of your leadership in your classrooms when we return from Thanksgiving break!
Take time to rest and rejuvenate and be ready to tackle the last 3 weeks before the holidays! Happy Thanksgiving!
"WE ARE IN IT TO WIN IT...GO FOR THE GOLD!!
Ms. Torres
Emmett Conrad/Thomas Jefferson Executive Director
WEEKLY UPDATES
MONDAY, November 26
- Deputy Chief/ED Think Tank-8:30 a.m.-Ms. Torres
- Unscheduled Campus Visits
- CLIMATE SURVEY BEGINS
- Unscheduled Campus Visits
- Elementary CIC PD @ Edison Learning Center-8:30 a.m,
WEDNESDAY, November 28
- Unscheduled Campus Visits
- Unscheduled Campus Visits
- Data Tools Review-Leadership 'B'-Rm. #583-12:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m.-Ms. Torres
- Unscheduled Campus Visits
LEADERSHIP 'B' TUESDAY WORKSHOPS AVAILABLE
Leadership 'B' has upcoming Tuesday Workshops that may be of benefit to the campus leadership teams in our.
The Next 4 Workshops are:
- Leading Effective Data Meetings
- Look Forward: Planning PLC
- Coaching in the Moment (sold out)
- Observation and Feedback
I highly encourage ALL of you to take advantage of sending your teams to these workshops; especially those that would benefit your teams.
The workshops are limited to 25 participants per session. Participants can register at the link shown below.
MASTER SCHEDULE DEVELOPMENT
Campus Plan is due to me by December 7. The Master Schedule Action Plan should include a draft schedule of campus master schedule development activities:
- student request timeline
- department meetings
- target deadlines
- persons responsible)
UNITED WAY
The Kick-off for United Way campaign for 2018-19 will be November 1. The window of opportunity to contribute to United Way is Nov. 1-Dec. 14. This year the District goal is $200,000.
Rhenda Skinner, Office Manager at Highland Meadows
Without avail, Ms. Skinner is always so courteous, kind and helpful when at Highland Meadows.
Ms. Skinner exemplifies The Core '4' which is why she was selected as the Core '4' Support Staff of the Month.
Core 4 Family Friendly Climate Campus Visits Tips
The Purpose
The District’s Student Recruitment and Retention Taskforce is announcing a new initiative, The Core 4 Family Friendly Climate Campus Visits. The goal of these visits is to help principals to get feedback on the Core 4 customer service given by their campus staff and to understand a visitor’s experience. Visits will begin taking place in November.
Resources
To make your campus stand out as a shining star and as a campus that is family friendly, please check out the following resources:
- The Principal’s Handbook: Dallas ISD has outlined tips for how to create a welcoming environment for your visitors in the principal’s handbook which is available at this link. Review pages 42-44 from the handbook with your staff.
- Core 4 Podcast: The Communications department has a podcast available at this link. Please send this link to your staff and review the importance of providing excellent customer service and establishing relationships.
- The Five Step Model for Exceptional Customer Service: Meet with your office staff and other personnel who are responsible for welcoming visitors and review the Five Step Model for Exceptional Customer Service. Role play how visitors should be greeted and served.
Preparation
During the next few weeks, we will share various resources and tips for creating a family-friendly environment. Please check out the attached list of suggestions. Also, customer service training is available by reaching out to Tunisia Wallace at core4@dallasisd.org.
STAAR AND COMMON ASSESSMENT TESTING CONSIDERATIONS
COMMON ASSESSMENT WINDOW
CONRAD/THOMAS JEFFERSON CLUSTER KUDOS!
Conrad & Jefferson ES Leadership Teams Partner with MLK Jr. ES to Observe Aggressive Monitoring in Action
Executive Director, Principals, Assistant Principals, CICs and Teachers Collaborate Together to Support Instruction
Old Colleagues Collaborate in Different Roles with the Same Goals, Student Achievement
Music Matters for Assistant Principal & Their Song of Choice Is "Lean on Me"
Conrad & Jefferson CICs Making the Grade "A-F" Training @ Joe May ES
Ms. Sonia Loskot, Burnet ES Principal, Meets with the Executive Board of Teaching Trust
Mr. Douglas Burack, Cigarroa ES Principal, Provides Support for 5th Grade Math Student
Stephen C. Foster Students Prepare for Campus Level Spelling Bee
Leader In Me Program at Home and School: 7 Habits of Happy Kids Book Giveaway Per Family @ Walnut Hill ES
Community Partners Are Thankful for Our Educators
PROFESSIONAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES
Leader in Me Symposium 2019
ALL CAMPUSES SHOULD HAVE REPRESENTATION ATTENDING!
Coaching Connection Corner
Reading/Language Arts
https://www.ideasbyjivey.com/taking-it-back-to-archives-mentor/
Mathematics
"Strip diagrams are a TOOL, not a math skill unto themselves! They are meant to be used as a way to represent relationships so that you have an easier time determining which operation(s) to use. So rather than giving a strip diagram and asking students to write an equation and solve it, why not ask, You set up the following strip diagram to solve a problem. How could you use the diagram to help you find the unknown value? Describe the steps you would take."
https://bstockus.wordpress.com/tag/strip-diagrams/
SCIENCE
Connecting with Science
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1777YTOg8VqaRHSx23isFrtTQ39fBMZDrdhiiYXHNnVc/edit
Science Resources Order Form
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7ikzhyGZlutd0RUM1ljX09obDA/view
Living Resource List
https://docs.google.com/document/d/19_I2nagvT4vFaZznfJx5jIHdWCpZ-lxDHt58EmydA1s/edit
Living Resource Order Form
https://www.dallasisd.org/cms/lib/TX01001475/Centricity/Domain/96/LMC%20Request%20Form.pdf
TWO WEEKS AT A GLANCE
DECEMBER
7-Master Schedule Development action plan due TODAY to Ms. Torres
12-19-ACP Testing
14-Last day to contribute to United Way
20-TEACHER WORK DAY
20-Annual Acknowledgment & Policy Review Due date
JANUARY
7-CAMPUS PROFESSIONAL WORKDAY
10-NORTHWEST NETWORK DAY@ JOE MAY/CIGARROA
14-25-K-5-GT Testing Window (1-5 2nd opportunity to test)
8-22-ACP Make-up window
29-NAEP Test for 4th grade begin-Multiple subtests designated campuses only
8-31-ISIP Reading Inventory (K-2/MOY)
FEBRUARY
1-Registration deadline for CEFA
7-8-The Leader in Me Symposium-Irving Convention Center-All Principals should register to attend
18-22-Common Assessments #4 begin
25-TELPAS teacher online ratings begin
MARCH
4-CEFA testing begins
8-NAEP tests end
23-Northwest Network Super Saturday-Time TBD
APRIL
1-19-STAAR ALT 2
5-Last day to test for CEFA
8-12-Common Assessments #5 begin
9-STAAR 4th Writing/5th Math
10-STAAR Reading 5th
22-26-Student Surveys given
23-26-Terra Nova/Supera-K-2
23-Terra Nova/Supera Testing Reading K-2
24-Terra Nova/Supera Testing Math K-2
25-25-Terra Nova/Supera Testing Make-ups K-2
MAY
1-31-ISIP Reading Inventory K-2
13-STAAR Math-3rd -4th
14-STAAR Reading-3rd -4th & 5th Retest
15-STAAR Science-5th
23-29-ACP Testing
30-ACP Testing Make-ups
EMMETT J. CONRAD/THOMAS JEFFERSON SCHOOL LEADERSHIP
- Jack Lowe Elementary: Principal, Sandra Barrios
- Jill Stone : Principal, Rosalinda Pratt
- Highland Meadows: Principal, Julian Davis
- David G. Burnet Elementary: Principal, Sonia Loskot
- Leonides Cigarroa Elementary : Principal, Douglas Burak
- Tom W. Field Elementary: Principal, Selena Deboskie
- Stephen C. Foster Elementary: Principal, Irma De La Guardia
- Joe May Elementary: Principal, Israel Rivera
- K.B. Polk Elementary: Principal, Kourtnei Billups
- Julian T. Saldivar: Principal, Edgar Jaramillo
- Walnut Hill Elementary: Principal, Robert 'Chase' McLaurin
- McShan Elementary: Principal, Cecilia Criner
MEET OUR ILLUSTRIOUS CONRAD/THOMAS JEFFERSON LEADERSHIP TEAM
JACK LOWE SR. ELEMENTARY
JILL STONE ELEMENTARY
HIGHLAND MEADOWS ELEMENTARY
DAVID G. BURNET ELEMENTARY
LEONIDES CIGARROA ELEMENTARY
TOM FIELD
STEPHEN C. FOSTER
JOSE 'JOE' MAY
K.B. POLK CENTER FOR THE ACADEMICALLY TALENTED & GIFTED
JULIAN T. SALDIVAR
WALNUT HILL DUAL LANGUAGE GIFTED & TALENTED
MCSHAN ELEMENTARY
INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERSHIP COACH
Math ILC
Administrative Assistant-Northwest Network
OUR BOARD TRUSTEES REPRESENTING OUR NETWORK
EDWIN FLORES
DISTRICT # 1, Northwest Dallas, Addison, parts of Carrollton and Farmers Branch
Walnut Hill
DUSTIN MARSHALL
District #2 North and Near East Dallas
K. B. Polk
DAN MICCICHE
DISTRICT #3 Northeast Dallas
Highland Meadows, Jack Lowe Sr., Lee A. McShan Jr, Jill Stone at Vickery Meadow
MIGUEL SOLIS
DISTRICT # 8 Love Field, Northwest Dallas, and Central Dallas
David G. Burnet, Leonides Gonzalez Cigarroa, Tom Field, Stephen C. Foster, Jose "Joe" May, Julian T. Saldivar