Dallas ISD Substitutes

The holiday season ushers in a time for thanksgiving and reflection, for recognizing the people who matter to us. For that reason, the Substitute Office was excited to visit several campuses before the Winter Break to honor just a few of our many hardworking substitutes. These employees have worked consistently since the beginning of the school year to support our students across the District, garnering extensive praise from administrators, faculty, and campus staff who are all grateful for the reliable support. If you see these super six, give them a big pat on the back for all that they do!

The Substitute Office would like to say thanks to the special group of substitutes who have volunteered to work in our Pre-K Partnership campuses throughout the district. Also, we would like to thank Principal Maria Molinares for taking the time to come in and work with our substitutes so they are fully prepared to work with our young ones! Another great example of the district working together to help meet the needs of ALL our students!

Over the past two months, the District has endeavored to ensure that every employee completes the Annual Policy and Compliance Acknowledgement. If you have not yet done so, please complete this immediately. Otherwise, your Absence Management (formerly AESOP) profile will be deactivated.

The District has developed a very easy way to complete the process. You must be logged on the District Network (on District property) to access the application. The application cannot be accessed remotely (from home). Using your EAD username and password, log into the Annual Policy and Compliance Acknowledgement application at http://policyacknowledgement.dallasisd.org/ to acknowledge the following:

• Employee Handbook
• Annual Employee Notification of District Policies
• Conflict of Interest Notice

Upon completion, a receipt will be sent to your District email.

Reminder: You must log on at a campus or district building. If you need assistance, please ask your campus office managers or visit the substitute office. If you have forgotten your EAD username and/or password, please visit http://password.dallasisd.org/ or call 972-925-5630 to contact the IT Service Desk.

With the holiday break approaching, this notice is to remind substitutes of the Reasonable Assurance they signed in the beginning of the school year. Specifically, substitutes may not file for unemployment over the holiday break. The specific policy information from the Reasonable Assurance is found below.

"I accept this document as the Dallas Independent School District's means of informing me of reasonable assurance of substitute in Dallas ISD for the 2016-2017 school year. I furthermore understand that substitute employees are "at will" employees and as such, have no property rights in employment.

This serves as notice of reasonable assurance of continued employment in the 2016-2017 school year on the same substitute basis that existed during the past school year. By virtue of this notice, please understand that you may not be eligible for unemployment compensation benefits drawn on school district wages during any scheduled school breaks including, but not limited to, the summer, fall, winter, and spring breaks. This assurance is contingent upon continued school operations and will not apply in the event of any disruption that is beyond the control of the District (i.e., lack of school funding, natural disasters, court orders, public insurrections, war, etc.).

This is not an employment contract. Your continued employment is on an at-will basis. The District may terminate at-will employees at any time for no reason or for any reason not prohibited by law. At-will employees are free to resign at any time for any reason or no reason." DPB (LOCAL), DPB (REGULATION)

While there may be only three weeks of classes this month, keep in mind that it's still a very busy time for testing districtwide. Campuses will need all the support you can offer them, and we ask that you be extra flexible during these three weeks to help them meet the various needs of our students. Also, please make sure that no class time is being wasted---every minute should be devoted to learning and review. Every minute counts!

Below is the districtwide schedule for this month. Keep in mind that assignments on December 20, 21, and 22 will be half-day unless otherwise specified by campus staff.

December Test Dates:

Dec. 5th-9th - STAAR/EOC Testing for English 1, English 2, Biology, Algebra 1, US History
Dec. 14th-22nd - ACP Testing for K-12 grades
Dec. 20th & 21st - Early Release for secondary students

• High School -- 9:15a.m. to 1:15p.m.
  
• Middle School -- 8:35a.m. to 12:35p.m.
  

Dec. 22nd - Early Release for all students

• High School -- 9:15a.m. to 1:15p.m.
  
• Middle School -- 8:35a.m. to 12:35p.m.
  
• Elementary -- 7:55a.m. to 11:55p.m.
  

Jan. 10th - School resumes

We know that it can be hard to help students review concepts when you don't know the material. And, sometimes, regular teachers leave you with too few resources to make do.

Check out the student-centered review strategies via the link below to help you guide students in creating review lessons for themselves. By creating review stations/lessons/questions, students develop a greater sense of ownership of their work, allowing them to focus more intently on the review process.

And never underestimate the power of friendly competition. Students may be more eager to buy into a review when the mantle of "winning team" is at stake!

http://www.teachhub.com/top-12-ways-rev-classroom-review-strategies

On Monday January 9th, the Substitute Office will be offering an opportunity for our substitutes to come together and collaborate with their peers as well as brush up on updated classroom management tips and tricks. Since the district starts back on Tuesday this is a perfect time to meet without interrupting the learning of our students. More information will soon follow with registration, ect. Please note the date and be on the lookout for more to come!

Email: substitute@dallasisd.org
Website: www.dallasisd.org/substitute
Location: 9400 North Central Expressway. Dallas, TX 75231 Suite 1400
Phone: (972) 925-5420