2019-2020 Fellows
Patricia Acosta Piza
James Bowie Elementary Patricia was born in Mexico, Michuacan, The second oldest of 5 and first one to attend college in my family. As a graduate of Texas A&M, a member of the Corps of Cadets, B.E.S.O. (Bilingual Education Student Organization) member, and a sister of Kappa Delta Ki. She has been teaching for 5 years at James Bowie Elementary- 3rd/4th grade math. She loves reading, watching a lot of movies along with spending time at home with my family and friends. She doesn't see herself doing anything else other than teaching. Marisha Allen
Innovation, Design, Entrepreneurship Academy Marisha Allen is originally from Memphis, Tennessee. Graduated from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff with an English degree. Marisha made the choice to return home and begin her teaching journey. For the next three years she served as both a high school and middle school teacher within the Memphis City Schools district. In 2013, she moved to Dallas and worked the next five years at Hector P. Garcia Middle School. She currently teaches high school English at one of the districts personalized learning campuses. |
Maria Anguiano Henry B. Gonzalez Personalized Learning Academy Maria G. Anguiano is a 4th grade teacher at Henry B. Gonzalez Personalized Learning Academy. She has a Bachelor Degree in Public Relations from the Universidad Autónoma de Tamaulipas. Before becoming a teacher through the DISD Alternative Certification Program, Ms. Anguiano worked in Spanish radio for about 15 years. Her first teaching position, in 2005, was 1st grade at Blanton Elementary. Over the past 15 years, she has taught 3rd and 4th grade. Her last 8 years have been with her current school. Besides receiving the DTR rating, she has been in the top 10 accomplished STAAR Writing teachers districtwide. Ms. Anguiano is EC-4 Bilingual and EC-4 Generalist certified. |
Jessica Banda
Solar Preparatory School for Girls Jessica Banda was born in the Windy City of Chicago and moved to Dallas with her parents where she later became a product of Dallas ISD schools. She earned her Bachelor’s in Early Childhood Education with an emphasis in Bilingual Education. In 2017, she returned to UNT Dallas for her Master’s in Educational Leadership. Currently, she’s a third grade dual language teacher at Solar Preparatory School for Girls. This will be her 5th year teaching and 10th year with the district. Before teaching, she worked with the district’s Homeless Education Program which at the time served nearly 4,000 students and their families in DISD. Though counseling was her original career path, she wanted to make a bigger impact in the classroom with her passion for bilingual education and help prevent the continuation of poverty and lack of education for minority students and their families. She recently acquired a passion for female empowerment through the eyes of her 3rd grade girls that have taught her that every girl’s voice can change the world. |
Elena Cardoza
Henry B. Gonzalez Personalized Learning Academy Elena Cardoza graduated from St. Gregory's University from Shawnee, Oklahoma in 2009 with a Bachelors in Humanities with an Emphasis in Art Therapy. In 2014, she began working with students in the classroom as a teacher's assistant for four years. She attended the Compass Accelerated Program to become a teacher for Dallas ISD. She is currently in her 3rd year as a fourth-grade reading and writing teacher. After her first year of teaching, she received high recognition of top 9 of 151 elementary schools for STAAR Writing districtwide. Skills from the SMU blended learning course are implemented in the classroom. Currently she is absorbing the power of learning from many peers in this Innovation in Fellowship. |
Onix Castro Camacho
Lenore Kirk Hall Elementary School Onix Castro is currently undergoing his fourth year as a bilingual kindergarten teacher at LK Hall Elementary. He has been teaching for 7 years with almost 6 of them at DISD. During this time, he has become a Level 2 Certified Google Educator and has certified himself as an Instructional Leader through the Teaching Trust program. He holds a dual BA in ESL Elementary/Secondary Education and has undergone a Full Stack Web Development program at SMU. He enjoys comic books, travelling, hiking, video games, obstacle-courses and pro-wrestles during the weekends. |
Brittany Cauthen
LV Stockard Middle School Brittany Cauthen is a sixth grade English Language Arts & Reading teacher at L.V. Stockard Middle School. She earned a B.A. in Information Studies and a Masters in Library and Information Studies from the University of Oklahoma. She is currently in her third year of teaching, but her journey started in 2013 as a teacher’s assistant in San Diego. After moving back to Texas, she worked as a library clerk for Fort Worth ISD before moving to Stockard. In addition to teaching, she is the cheerleading coach, a member of Stockard’s Team Opera, and she has started a tabletop game & roleplaying club for students. |
Norma Cavazos
Arturo Salazar Elementary Norma is a bilingual kindergarten teacher at Arturo Salazar Elementary School. Prior to pursuing a teaching career, she worked at a bank call center where she eventually began to train new hires. Her passion for teaching others grew and she decided to enter the world of education. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Multidisciplinary Studies from Texas Tech University in 2016. Now, she is pursuing her Master’s in Curriculum and Instruction with a Concentration in PL from Texas Tech University as well. Her goal is to become an instructional coach. |
Liliana Daza
Jack Lowe Sr. Elementary Liliana Daza is a K-1 bilingual teacher at Jack Lowe Sr Elementary. She earned a bachelor degree in Business Administration with a major in International Commerce. She also has her Master's degree in International Marketing Management. She started her career as an educator by accident. This fall, she will be piloting the first K-2 STREAM lab at her school. |
Merced Fletcher PL Prep at Sam Houston Elementary Merced Fletcher is a kindergarten teacher at PL Prep at Sam Houston Elementary School. She graduated from the University of Florida with a degree in both women’s studies and political science in 2016. She moved to Texas soon after graduating and began teaching Pre-K at The Children’s Courtyard. She taught Pre-K for two years and worked with Texas Teachers of Tomorrow to earn her license in special education and elementary education. She is excited to begin her second year teaching a PL Prep! |
Jorge Gallaga
Innovation, Design, Entrepreneurship Academy Jorge Gallaga teaches English at the Innovation, Design, Entrepreneurship Academy at James W. Fannin. His journey into education began by tutoring English Language Learners at a high school near the Calexico/Mexicali border in southern California. He then joined Urban Teachers in 2016 and moved to Dallas and completed his M.S. degree in Secondary ELA and Special Education from Johns Hopkins in 2018. Last year, he started the journalism program at IDEA, creating a newsletter, YouTube channel, and yearbook for the students. Entering his fourth year as a teacher, Jorge is currently a mentor for the incoming residents of the Urban Teachers program and an Innovation in Teaching Fellow. |
Dustin Good CityLab High School Dustin Good teaches high school History and Human Geography. He earned a B.A. in History from Buffalo State College and an M.S.ED. in Secondary Social Studies from Canisius College. Dustin has been teaching in the City of Dallas since 2013 as a founding teacher for both the Early College High School at H. Grady Spruce and now at CityLab High School. |
Del Holland Arturo Salazar Elementary Del Holland is a second grade math and science teacher at Salazar Elementary. Born in Landstuhl, Germany to two Army parents. After a quick pitstop in Killeen, Texas, he spent most of his formative years in Louisiana. He graduated from Southern University in Baton Rouge with a B.S. in Computer Science and moved to Dallas. Following a number of years as a software engineer, Del went through the DISD Alternative Certification program and began teaching 4th grade mathematics. He joined the Salazar team, where he has taught 3rd and 2nd grade math and science for the last twelve years. |
Rosa Juarez Arturo Salazar Elementary School Rosa Juarez graduated as a professor of Basic General Education from the Complutense University of Madrid. Then, she emigrated to Dallas, Texas. She started teaching at Head Start of Greater Texas where she spent almost 10 years. While working, she obtained a bachelor’s degree in Science and a Master of Arts in Teaching from Texas Woman’s University. She is certified in Bilingual Education EC-6 and has a Principal’s Certification. Then, she started working for Dallas ISD as a teacher 16 years ago. She is a 2nd grade teacher at Arturo Salazar Elementary. |
Angelica Carolina Leal Ventura
Henry B. Gonzalez Personalized Learning Academy Angelica Leal is a Kindergarten Teacher at Henry B. Gonzalez PL Academy, in Dallas Texas. She started her journey when she graduated from Universidad Regiomontana in Monterrey, Mexico in 2011. She holds a bachelor in Education Science with a minor in Bilingual Education. She started working as an English Teacher in Mexico at various Elementary Grade Levels, and then as a Technology teacher at the Elementary Level integrating computers science and iPads usage in every classroom. She came to Texas in 2015 and got Certified as a Bilingual teacher through the Dallas Alternative Certification Program. She came to Henry B. Gonzalez in 2016 as a Kindergarten Teacher, always trying to incorporate technology into her instruction especially working with the lower grades. |
Maria Lobos
Leila P. Cowart Elementary School Maria Lobos is entering her second year as a 3rd-grade Math and Science Bilingual teacher at L. P. Cowart Elementary School. She graduated from the University of North Texas at Dallas with a Bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies. While attending college she worked as a Teacher Assistant at Stemmons Elementary. Being a Teacher Assistant allowed her to work with different students using different methods that she learned from the homeroom teachers. She was then able to apply all that she had learned in her own classroom. |
Javier Lopez
Anne Frank Elementary Javier started teaching second and third graders ten years ago in Maria Moreno and now in Anne Frank Elementary in DISD. After working in corporate for 16 years in his native Puerto Rico and New York City, he explains, that teaching has become the opportunity to be an agent of change, transforming children to live with a purpose. His goal is to support the community and create the leaders of tomorrow by providing a space to explore how to become global citizens, finding their voice, and the tools to solve our world’s biggest challenges. Recognized as the 2016 Campus Teacher of the Year and in 2017 invited to become part of the DISD Bilingual Department CADRE Teachers assisting others in implementing the program. He has become a strong advocate for bilingual education. He has a BA in Radio and Television Production, an MBA in Human Resources, and holds a Texas EC-4 Bilingual Teacher Certification. |
Victor Martinez Rosemont Upper Middle School Victor Martinez is a 6th-8th grade Computer teacher at Rosemont Upper. He Graduated from Tarleton State University with a BA in Computer Information Systems and a Masters from Concordia University of Texas in Differentiated Instruction. He Started his educational journey as a Kinder teacher in 2003 and moved his way up to a computer teacher. He is not only rated a Distinguished Teacher (DTR) but is also a Robotics and a Texas Science and Math Coach at his campus. He Manages to keep himself busy with baseball on the weekends because he is the assistant coach of his sons’ team. He is a father of two active boys Omar 11 and Jose 9. |
Bailey McGinnis Leila P. Cowart Elementary School Bailey McGinnis is a fifth grade Math and Science teacher at Cowart Elementary. Through The University of Texas at Austin, she received her Bachelor degree in Applied Learning and Development, as well as a Business Foundations Certificate. She began teaching in Dallas ISD in 2016. All of her teaching experience has been in Oak Cliff Title I schools, as that is where her passion lies. She has been recognized for outstanding growth in her efforts towards closing the achievement gap. |
Moises Mercado Anne Frank Elementary Moises Mercado is a third-grade dual-language math and science teacher at Anne Frank Elementary. He earned his undergraduate degree at the University of North Texas in Denton. He has been teaching for a total of five years, three of which have been with the same cohort of students, whom he taught in Kindergarten and has looped with from second to third-grade. He is currently pursuing his M.S. in Educational Administration at Concordia University Texas. |
Diana Molina Grau
Anne Frank Elementary Diana is a Kinder Dual Language teacher at Anne Frank Elementary. Is her third year in a dual language classroom and she loves it. It has been a challenge to teach two languages to students all around the world but it has been rewarding to create an environment where all cultures are welcome. Not only for the students but for herself it has implied a personal growth and to better understand the world. She holds a degree in Childhood Education, another in Educational Psychology and a Master in Teaching Languages in Multicultural Contexts. She loves teaching in a different country but she would love to go back home one day (Spain) to share all the experiences she is living here. |
Araceli Claudette Montemayor Henry B. Gonzalez Personalized Learning Academy Araceli Claudette Montemayor graduated from The Art Institute of Boston. She has a bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts. Two years ago, she moved to Dallas from Monterrey, Mexico. She received her certification through the Dallas ISD Alternative Certification Program. Currently in her third year of teaching and first year at the Henry B. Gonzalez Personalized Learning Academy as a 3rd grade bilingual language teacher. She believes in seeking innovative ways to teach her students and help them succeed. |
Natalie Osborn Lenore Kirk Hall Elementary School Natalie Osborn has been a Kindergarten teacher at Lenore Kirk Hall Elementary in Dallas ISD for 7 years. Prior to teaching in DISD she worked for HeadStart in Fort Worth for 4 years teaching Pre-K. She began her journey in Education while attending Ouachita Baptist University where she graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Early Childhood Education. Currently Natalie is working to improve her craft in the classroom as well as enrich the lives of the students at L.K. Hall by co-leading the Drama Club. |
Laura Page
Innovation, Design, Entrepreneurship Academy Laura Page is a high school Art and Design Facilitator at the Innovation, Design, and Entrepreneurship Academy in Dallas, Texas. Laura’s PL educational journey began in college when she tried out mainstream and personalized learning methods and found the latter was a more exciting way to learn! Since then, her goal as an educator is to apply personalized learning practices and interdisciplinary topics to create passionate, connected learning experiences. She has worked as an educator for over 13 years, the last 7 of which have been teaching secondary Art for Dallas ISD. This year her goal is to blend Art and Science together by overlapping content, in order to peak student interest and strengthen biology comprehension. |
Melba Pettie Thelma Richardson Elementary School Melba Pettie is a fourth grade math teacher at Thelma Richardson Elementary. Prior to this she got her start as a fourth grade math teacher at Eduardo Mata Elementary. She graduated from the University of Texas at Arlington with a B.A. in Criminology/Criminal Justice and pursued a career as a parole officer. Out of this career a passion was born to help prevent youth from getting in trouble and going to prison. Melba went back to school and has now been teaching for 19 years. She has a M.A in Education/ Math Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Texas at Arlington. Melba loves teaching and feels that one of the best perks is getting to laugh and have fun with her students every day. |
Josefina Rodriguez Sidney Lanier Elementary School Josefina Rodriguez is a 5th grade Bilingual Reading/Social Studies teacher at Sidney Lanier Elementary. Being of Puerto Rican and Mexican descent she likes to experience all cultures and learn about hers in different ways. She is a prodigy of Dallas ISD, graduated from UNT with a BA. She started her educational journey as an Office Manager with DISD where she learned that teaching was her newfound passion. Not only being a school leader but also rated a Distinguished Teacher (DTR)she devotes her time to her sons baseball team where she is the team mom. She keeps herself busy with baseball on the weekends and is also a mother of two teenagers Alyssa 18 and Ismael Jr. 13. |
Soniris Rosas
Innovation, Design, Entrepreneurship Academy Soniris Rosas was born and raised in Puerto Rico. She is a proud alumna from the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus where she graduated Magna Cum Laude. Soni began her teaching career in PR where she taught 7th grade Life Science and 4th-5th grade Environmental Science at Casa Pueblo in Adjuntas, PR. The last 12 years she has served as a TAP mentor, Biology, AP Environmental Science, AVID Coordinator and/or Dual Language teacher. She has participated in the STARS Triathlon Program at UT Southwestern and is a recipient of 2 Junior League of Dallas grants. She is currently working on her master’s degree and serves as Campus Coordinator, PL QB, and instructional support for Science, Art and NAF at the Innovation, Design, Entrepreneurship Academy. Mrs. Rosas also sponsors the LULAC Youth Council at IDEA. |
Jennifer Sayed CityLab High School Jennifer Sayed is a tenth and eleventh grade history teacher at CityLab High School, where she enjoys the opportunity to implement project-based learning using the city as a “lab.” She got her start in education after working in the nonprofit sector when she began homeschooling her own children, eventually working in a small private school before earning her M.Ed. in as an Education Fellow at Merrimack College in Massachusetts while serving in an urban school district. With her initial degree in International Relations, Jennifer has always engaged in getting to know people from all different areas of the world and appreciates the opportunity to work with teachers and students of diverse backgrounds. She is currently working towards her MLS in Global Studies at SMU in Dallas. |
Samantha Temengil-Burns Jack Lowe Sr. Elementary Samantha Temengil-Burns was born and raised in Dallas, TX. She is married and has two young boys. Samantha is a fifth grade Science teacher at Jack Lowe, Sr. Elementary School. She earned a B.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies and holds an early childhood through sixth grade certification. Other certificates she holds are English as a Second Language and her early childhood through twelfth grade Principal certification. She earned an M.A in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from the University of Texas at Arlington. She has previously taught fifth grade math and is beginning her first year of personalized learning. Along with teaching, she currently coaches cheerleading and helps lead an all-girls empowerment group. Samantha is excited to begin this journey of learning and transformation with the Innovation in Teaching Fellowship. |
Alejandra Tiburcio
Henry B. Gonzalez Personalized Learning Academy Alejandra Tiburcio graduated from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley in 2017. She began her teaching journey, as a bilingual teacher with Dallas ISD and her current school and feels fortunate to learn from great leaders around her. She is part of the Personalized Learning team on her campus and other committees. This has brought her more experience and knowledge than she could ever imagine after only 2 and a half years in her career. Born and raised Mexican, Alejandra Tiburcio empathizes with her students and advocates for their community. She believes that student-teacher relations and parent involvement are key for student achievement. |
Monica Torres
Arturo Salazar Elementary Monica Torres is currently a bilingual pre-k teacher at Arturo Salazar Elementary. She has been serving Dallas ISD for 23 years where she started her educational pathway as a paraprofessional at James Bowie and then with the dyslexia department. While working, she continued her education through the “Grow Your Own Program” and earned her B.A. in Interdisciplinary Bilingual Teacher Certification EC-4 from Texas Women University in 2006. She continues to love learning about education and is currently attending a Texas Tech Graduate Certification for Personalize Learning. Monica instills the love of learning within her students daily. |
Vilma Valdez
Arturo Salazar Elementary Vilma Valdez is a bilingual fourth grade math teacher at Anne Frank Elementary. She was born in Tegucigalpa, Honduras but moved here as a baby. She has an 18-year-old daughter graduating from Skyline High School and 9-year-old twin boys who attend Anne Frank. She has been teaching for 12 years. She taught kindergarten for 10 years before making a switch to fourth grade. She has a bachelor’s in interdisciplinary studies from the University of North Texas. She feels like the bilingual program is crucial to better equip students for their futures. She states “I am a product of DISD’s bilingual program and because of it I am fluent in both English and Spanish.” |
Allison Williams
Leila P. Cowart Elementary Allison Williams is a fifth-grade reading teacher at Leila P. Cowart Elementary School. She is now in her sixth year of teaching, all at Dallas ISD. During this time, she has taught second, fourth, and fifth grades. In her first year of teaching she taught math. Her second year she started teaching reading and has since enjoyed sharing her love of reading with her students. She has served two years on the school leadership committee and is a current leader of the Personalized Learning committee. In February 2019 she was recognized as Teacher of the Month at Cowart Elementary. Allison graduated from Sam Houston State University in December 2013. |