The Core 4 culture means having a solution-based mentality. In Dallas ISD we all win together. When our customers (both externally and internally) have the support they need, we will be victorious. The Core 4 tenets give us a level of expectation for our customers' experience. These four cultural tenets anchor all the work we do as a district and focus that work each and every day.

The Core 4 tenets allow us to work in an environment that focuses on the district’s goals and mission of educating all students for success. We can serve students and make an impact on them, even if it's indirectly, through our roles by following the Core 4 tenets. My favorite culture tenet is friendly. People will forget what you said and what you did, but they will never forget how you made them feel. When you treat them right, they will come back!

Striving to maintain a Core 4 campus means everything to me in the Highland Hills community. At Kennedy-Curry, our staff and students work to ensure that we are all focused, friendly, flexible and fast when it comes to providing service on campus and in the community. Oftentimes, people from this community are treated as second-class citizens. When our families and guests step on campus, we make an effort to give them a first-class welcoming experience. Exemplifying the Core 4 has allowed our students and staff to build trusting relationships and soar with excellence in Eagles Nation.

My favorite Core 4 culture tenet is friendly, because in this line of work you will meet so many diverse people (teachers, students, parents, other stakeholders) from different backgrounds. Each individual should be treated with the respect and courtesy that a human being deserves every time we interact with them.

We have the opportunity to work with staff and parents, and we provide fast, flexible, friendly and focused service. Every single meeting that we cover is different and requires us to have flexibility as we bridge the language barriers. Having a Core 4 culture means always being prepared for what the day might bring. Sometimes it's an unexpected situation that requires us to be flexible and innovative to develop solutions that benefit everyone. We need to be able to put the Core 4 tenets into practice by listening to others and communicating. By doing so, we can help parents and schools come together to improve parent participation for the benefit of students in our schools.

Having a Core 4 culture means having exceptional customer service. I apply the Core 4 culture tenets to my everyday work by remaining focused on sharing strategies for increased family engagement with points of contact on the campus. When POCs email questions, I respond immediately whether I have an answer or not to let them know I am aware of the inquiry. Unexpected happenings occur on campuses all the time. POCs may have to reschedule our sessions, and I must be flexible in order to meet the need. When you enjoy supporting POCs as much as I do, it's easy to be friendly to all involved. The Core 4 culture tenet fast is important to Dallas ISD because people need to know they are being heard, and the best way to do that is with action. I hear you, and I will work to show that I hear you.

I try to apply the Core 4 tenets to everything I do at work or in life. They offer a guide on how to provide the best customer service to our students, staff and community. My favorite Core 4 tenet is friendly. I am always friendly to staff members, students, teachers, principals or someone in the community. You never know what life will bring someone, and being friendly can bring a smile to them even if it's just for that moment. If we as staff members and students come together as one and all implement the Core 4 tenets into our classrooms and facilities, they will begin to thrive in our communities like a wildfire.

My role as project manager for Bond Marketing and Communications requires multitasking as I interface with both internal and external clients. Flexibility is critical to keep all the moving pieces and parts operating in harmony and to ensure that each project reflects the vision of the client and exceeds their expectations. Excellence is the goal in all we do and flexibility is the key to achieving this goal.

The Core 4 culture tenets shape who we are as a district. They define our beliefs and the expectations for how we serve our stakeholders and treat each other in Dallas ISD. Stakeholders include students, employees, parents/families and community partners. When we serve our stakeholders with fast, focused, friendly and flexible service, people are happy. And when people are happy, we retain our employees, students, families and partners, and reach our goals. Everyone wins!

We have to ensure that we, as a district, always put our best foot forward. Our parents, students and community deserve the best that we have to offer. Core 4 is our fuel to ensure that we are headed in the right direction! On a daily basis, I always try to be friendly whether I’m in person or on the telephone. Whomever I am speaking to, I want them to know that they are important and that I am concerned about them and their needs. I want to be that person with whom they feel comfortable sharing their concerns.

My favorite culture tenet is flexible. I feel that in order to meet the needs of others, you have to be flexible to make changes as needed. You have to learn to adapt to the environment and/or situation in order to reach a common goal.

Having our Core 4 culture encourages us to focus our mission and processes on serving the customer, first and foremost. My goal is to provide our clients with an outstanding experience, from the start of a project to its completion. I always aim to deliver a quality product, one that meets or exceeds needs and expectations.

The Core 4 culture tenets are easy to remember and apply every day when I am working with teachers, students and families. Additionally, they are concise enough for me to lean in and focus on direct areas of improvement. I appreciate that Core 4 is grounded in racial equity and building trust with all stakeholders. I believe that with continued coaching and collaboration, Core 4 can be a transformational tool to propel campus culture and student achievement.