22 Aug 2002
Gift Card of $200 Extra Bonus Being Presented To New Certified K-3 Teachers
DALLAS—Human Resource Services officials in the Dallas Independent School District have been working double-time to recruit new teachers to the district, get them processed, and hired in time for school to start Monday.
With now less than 50 vacancies left to fill, they're doing something special for the newly hired certified K-3 teachers who have joined the district, by presenting them with a $200 gift card from Dallas retailer "A Teacher's Aide" that can be used for classroom instructional supplies.
"Through a federal class size reduction grant we've been able to obtain 250 gift cards that our new certified, K-3 teachers can use to buy school supplies," said Willie Crowder, associate superintendent for Human Resource Services. "This gift card will be in addition to the $250 that all DISD teachers will receive in their September paychecks to reimburse them for out-of-pocket school supplies they traditionally have paid for on their own."
Throughout the day Thursday, Crowder, Deputy Superintendent for Human Resource and Security Services, Mary Roberts, and other HR staff will visit with about 150 teachers throughout the district.
At 10 a.m. on Friday they will be at Lorenzo De Zavala Elementary School, which is located at 3214 Winnetka in Dallas. Interviews with Crowder and Roberts may be obtained as well as interviews with teachers who are receiving the gift cards.
As of Wednesday at 5 p.m., Crowder reported that the district was down to only 48 teacher vacancies. Human Resource Services has a goal to begin the school year Monday with no remaining teacher vacancies. The number was at 64 Tuesday morning. "We feel really good about the progress we're making and feel there is a strong chance we will begin the school year Monday with no remaining teacher vacancies," Crowder said. "This would be the first time in a long time that DISD has accomplished such a goal. We remain very optimistic, and even if we don't make it to zero, we're far better off than we have been in year's past." The district has engaged in a six-state media effort to recruit teachers to DISD. The district also has raised beginning teacher salaries to be more competitive and to be among the highest paying districts in the state for beginning teachers. The district also has announced that all teachers in DISD will be issued a laptop computer over the next 18 months.