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As the nation's eleventh largest school district, Dallas Independent School District serves more than 160,000 students who come from homes where 58 different languages are spoken.  Operating with a $1 billion dollar budget, DISDemploys 18,613 employees including 10,000 teachers in 220 schools.

DISD Teacher Of The Year To Be Named September 20

13 Sep 2000

A banquet to announce the Dallas Independent School District Teacher of the Year and to recognize the finalists will be held at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, September 20, at the May Dragon Restaurant, 4848 Beltline Rd. The reception is sponsored by the Taiwanese Chamber of Commerce of Dallas/Fort Worth.

Interim General Superintendent Robert Payton will be present for the announcement and presentation of the coveted Golden Apple Award to one of five finalists. The winner will represent DISD in the Texas Teacher of the Year contest.

District finalists are—Victoria D. Farris, English teacher, Moises Molina High School, who has been a district employee since 1985. At the time of selection, finalist Alan Nguyen taught math at Cesar Chavez Learning Center. He is currently assistant principal at John Kennedy Learning Center. Shannon Orchard, science teacher, School for the Talented and Gifted at the Yvonne Ewell Townview Center. Orchard has been a teacher for 4-1/2 years and enjoys new challenges such as developing an Advanced Placement Environmental Science program at her school. Jacqueline S. Payne, second grade ESL teacher, Anne Frank Elementary. She has 30 years of experience in the classroom. Rhonda L. Rutherford, Greiner Middle School, physical education teacher, grades 7-8. She has enhanced the physical education curriculum by adding a dietary food strand focusing on eating healthy for life.