7 Sep 1999
The 1999-2000 school year in Dallas brings about a change in direction and a new vision for the district. The administration of Dallas Independent School District superintendent Dr. Waldemar Rojas, including his newly introduced leadership TEAM DISD, has a firm commitment to prepare students for the new millennium. Rigorous content and performance standards in Spanish and English will be developed in each subject, with particular emphasis on strengthening the district's math and science curriculum.
Dallas students will be actively involved in technology and math as well, and will have an opportunity to develop other avenues of human expression such as music, arts and literature.
Dr. Rojas is a strong advocate of promoting academic excellence while considering the development of the whole child. As a result, the central focus of his administration will be the development of a set of core teaching and learning curriculum which will result in improved student achievement, an increased high school graduation rate, and improved student performance in college. His plan of action also calls for a dynamic professional development program for teachers and staff.
"Our goal is to prepare students not only for their high school diploma, but to enable them to succeed in college or in whatever field they decide to pursue after graduation. To accomplish this, we must find ways to keep more students in school and raise their academic skills," said Dr. Rojas. "This administration also has a responsibility toward our communities which will be addressed by expanding the focus of accountability, strengthening internal controls over district assets and actively engaging parents and families with the education of their children."
Several new administrators have joined the Dallas Independent School District and will lead the way to assist in the implementation of Dr. Rojas' plan to improve education in Dallas. Among them are:
• Rosa E. Apodaca, Teaching and Learning Deputy Superintendent. Apodaca was head Assistant Superintendent for Program Development for the San Francisco Unified School District. Among her achievements, Apodaca established two districtwide parent centers, a home instruction program for pre-school youngsters, a districtwide reading initiative, a parent leadership course of study that led to the development of a district policy for language minority parent inclusion.
Apodaca previously worked as Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources, Staff Development and Restructuring Schools in Atlantic City Public Schools. She is a graduate of Columbia University in New York where she obtained a doctorate degree in education and a master's degree in Educational Leadership.
• William F. Coleman III is the new Chief Operating Officer and will oversee Business and Administrative Services. Coleman held the post of Chief Financial Officer for the San Francisco Unified School District where he directed the district's financial and administrative operations.
Among his accomplishments, Coleman coordinated audits of financial statements, achieving commendation from the State of California for comprehensive audit implementation plans. He substituted a surety bond for a debt service reserve, which resulted in $1.2 million available for school repairs and implemented a new human resource/payroll system, providing real-time access to payroll data for the first time in the school district. Prior to his position in San Francisco, Coleman served as Deputy Budget Director and Assistant Auditor General of the New York City Board of Education.
• William J. Webster is the new deputy superintendent for Evaluation, Accountability and Information Systems. Webster held various positions in the Dallas Independent School District since 1970, including head of Research, Evaluation and Information Systems. After retiring in 1998, he formed Webster Consulting. Webster holds a doctorate degree from Michigan State University and has held positions as research scientist for the American Institute of Research in the Behavioral Sciences as well as public school teacher.
• Emily Den has been named general counsel for the Dallas schools. Her previous experience includes Special Counsel for Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity for the San Francisco Unified School District and a position as civil rights attorney for the U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights in Boston, Mass. Den holds a law degree from Boston University School of Law and master's degree from Yale University.
• Edward R. Smith Jr. will be responsible for intergovernmental relations. Smith previously held the position of Special Assistant to Parliamentarian and Programs Administrator for the Texas Legislative Council, a position he assumed in 1998. Smith graduated from the University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas.
• Tomás Román will oversee the functions of the district's Communications Department. He has more than 20 years of experience in the fields of news media, television reporting and acting. Román has been an independent producer and consultant since 1988 with experience in script writing and translations and has provided voice over services for commercials and educational videos.
The administrators listed below are joining an established team of professionals who have a proven track record in the Dallas Independent School District.
• Janice Davis will continue her role as Chief Financial Officer for the Dallas Independent School District, a position she has held since 1998. Davis was previously employed by the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport where she served as Director of Finance and Budget since 1995. A graduate of the University of New Orleans with a degree in accounting, Davis is a Licensed Certified Public Accountant in Texas and Louisiana, and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants, and the Government Finance Officers Association.
• Jon Dahlander will be in charge of Special Projects. Since October 1997, Dahlander has served Dallas Independent School District as the Special Assistant to the Superintendent-Communications. He joined the district in 1995, after serving as Executive Director of Communications for the Oklahoma Department of Education. A graduate of Trinity University in San Antonio, Dahlander has worked as a reporter, assignments editor and producer in radio and television news in Oklahoma City, Tulsa and Ardmore.
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