2018-2019 Fellows
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Julio Balbueno
Henry B. Gonzalez Elementary 1st Grade Julio Balbuena is a computer programmer and elementary teacher working on a Masters in bilingual education and mentoring elementary scholars on coding and robotics, Performing as an innovator educator always looking for new ways to combine both skills and knowledge to create new ways of learning such as personalized learning and blended learning with the integration of technology and computer science. |
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Rosaana Calderon Thelma Elizabeth Page Richardson Elementary 4th Grade Rosanna Calderon was born and raised in Dallas. She is also a Dallas ISD product. Since joining the Thelma Richardson team, she has also been a mentor teacher as part of the Texas Tech Teacher program. In 2017-2018 she joined the Bilingual Department of DISD as part of a CADRE member to assist others in the district with the proper implementation of the bilingual program. Rosaana works day after day to instill a love of learning in all her students and prepare them for the future. She continues to grow as a lifelong learner and loves new adventures. |
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Christi Champion-Butler B.H. Macon Elementary School 5th Grade Christi has been teaching for 21 years, 12 of which she has spent in Dallas ISD. During her tenure, she has been a member of the CILT team, Lead Teacher, Distinguished Teacher, Lone Star Coordinator, and New Teacher Mentor Liaison. She is recognized throughout the District and feeder for her achievement in reading. Christi holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from East Texas State University as well as her teaching certification in grades 1-8 reading. |
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Eboni Davis-Jones John Ireland Elementary School 5th Grade Reading/Language Arts Eboni began her career in private school where she learned how to use a curriculum and connect content areas together. She then transitioned to public school where she learned how to use the standards and focus instruction. With both private and public school experience, Eboni has gotten the best of both worlds and is thrilled to use both in the classroom. Her favorite part of being a teacher is being able to inspire students, teachers, and parents. Education allows her to reinvent herself. When she is not educating, she is reading biographies and autobiographies or watching “based on true events” movies. The things she loves most in life are her relationship with God, her husband and kids. |
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Vladimir Dinolov Dan D. Rogers Elementary School 4th Grade Math and Science Vladimir Dinolov is a 2018-19 Innovation in Teaching Fellow who started his career in the Silicon Valley teaching at a blended learning middle school. Vladimir teaches 4th grade math and science at Dan D. Rogers Elementary. In 2017, Vladimir was evaluated and identified as a “Distinguished Teacher” with an effectiveness rating of Exemplary I, placing him in the top 10% of Dallas ISD teachers by the Teacher Effectiveness Initiative (TEI) evaluation, a district-wide calibrator for teacher effectiveness. He is a ‘14 Teach for America alum and a ‘17 Teaching Trust alum. Vladimir graduated from Florida State University with a BS in Environmental Policy and Psychology and holds a teaching credential (K-12, multiple subjects) from Loyola Marymount University. |
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Fernando Fernandez Henry B. Gonzalez Elementary School 2nd Grade Bilingual Math Mr. Fernandez graduated from the University of Texas at El Paso. He has a bachelor's degree in Interdisciplinary Studies with a minor in Bilingual Education. After working as a TA for college students he started his first year teaching 5th grade in Houston Independent School District. He’s also worked in his native Mexico teaching English to ELL’s from various grade levels. Today he continues to empower students through Personalized Learning using technology and teaching in a Personalized Learning environment. His classroom centers around student’s individual needs where students guide their own learning through personalized pathways. He likes to share ideas from the PL fellowship with the rest of the staff and is also working on a Masters in Curriculum Instruction centered on Literacy Studies, |
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Jorge Garcia Ebby Halliday Elementary School 4th Grade Bilingual Reading/Writing Jorge has been teaching bilingual education for nine years. He earned a BA in Architecture at the Universidad Regiomontana in Monterrey, Mexico. He began his teaching career in 2009 at Edna Rowe Elementary. Five years later he accepted a fourth grade position at Larry G. Smith Elementary where he worked for four years. Currently he works at Ebby Halliday Elementary. He leads professional development and collaborates with other colleagues to ensure every student receives a quality education. He continuously seek opportunities to grow as a lifelong learner and be the best teacher he can be. |
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Tania Gaytan Urban Park Elementary School 5th Grade Science Tania Gaytan has been a Dallas ISD teacher for 11 years. She is currently teaching science but has a special passion for teaching math! She began her teaching journey in private schools in Mexico but quickly moved to Dallas and received her certification through the Dallas ISD Alternative Certification Program. Since then, she has taught in Title 1 schools in the Pleasant Grove area. She has a bilingual certification and is a strong advocate of the Bilingual Program. Tania has completed her Master’s degree in Educational Leadership at UTA. She is rated as a Distinguished Teacher according to the Teachers Excellence Initiative. |
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Meghan Green CityLab High School 9th Grade Biology Meghan Greene is entering her 6th year as a high school science teacher. She currently teaches Biology at Dallas ISD’s newest choice school, CityLab High School. Meghan earned a BS in Neuroscience from Duke University and is currently pursuing her MEd in Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Texas at Arlington. |
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Keely Jackson William B. Travis Vanguard and Academy 5th Grade Math Keely Jackson is the Pre-AP 8th grade Language Arts and Creative Writing teacher at William B. Travis Vanguard and Academy. She has been teaching for 15 years, seven of those at Travis. Keely earned a master’s degree in Curriculum, Instruction and Design from Walden University, her principal certification from Lamar University, and 30 post-graduate hours from Howard University in African-American Literature. She holds a BA in English from Prairie View A&M University. Keely has been Campus Teacher of the Year twice and is a Distinguished Teacher. |
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Rubidia Jove Arturo Salazar Elementary School 3rd Grade Reading Rubidia Jove is currently a third grade reading and social studies teacher at Arturo Salazar Elementary. She has been teaching for six years, four of which she has spent at Salazar. During this time, she has served as a third grade teacher, fourth grade teacher, grade-level chair, vertical leader, and C.I.L.T. leader. Rubidia is a product of Dallas ISD and is proud to be teaching in the same neighborhood where she grew up. She is an alumna of the Teaching Trust Ed Fellows program and is currently in the Teaching Trust Aspiring Leaders program. She holds a B.A. in political science from Texas Tech University and is currently pursuing her M.Ed. in Educational Leadership with an urban school specialization at SMU. |
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Laura Laywell Jack Lowe Sr. Elementary School 5th Grade English Language Arts/Reading Laura Laywell is a fifth grade ESL/ELAR teacher at Jack Lowe Sr. Elementary School. She earned an M.A. in Curriculum and Instruction from University of Texas at Arlington last year, and serves on the District's Curriculum Writing Team. In 2012, Laura began her teaching career with Teach for America in Arlington. In her 7 years of teaching, she has taught Kindergarten through 5th grade, served as a member of the Campus Instructional Leadership Team, and was selected as a Teacher of the Year finalist for the district in 2017. She has a passion for education policy, and completed a policy fellowship with Teach Plus Texas last year. She loves learning and is excited to grow! |
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Siobhaun MacIntosh Arturo Salazar Elementary Special Education Siobhaun was born and raised in upstate New York. She began her teaching career in Boston, Massachusetts, working with students at the New England Center for Children, a leading non-profit school for children with autism. In 2016, she moved to Dallas, where she is currently a special education teacher at Arturo Salazar Elementary. Siobhaun has a B.A. in Education and Mathematics from Niagara University, and a M.S.Ed. in Special Education from Simmons College. For over 10 years, Siobhaun has encouraged her students to find their voices and passion for learning, and created classroom environments with opportunities for exploration, discovery, and engagement. |
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Dania Marrero Arturo Salazar Elementary School 4th grade Math and Science Dania Marrero participates in different teacher’s programs during the summer. As part of the ExxonMobil Teachers Academy, she was exposed to different skills and learning styles to improve the way she teaches. Last year, Dania was a mentor teacher for the KOSMOS STEM Teacher Academy for the Perot Museum. As the fourth-grade team leader, the Destination Imagination sponsor, and for the past two years the sponsor for robotics club and the the science fair; she is always working to learn new ways to teach towards the students’ learning styles, not just in the classroom but also with life experiences. |
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Arturo Martinez Henry B. Gonzalez Elementary School 5th Grade English, Science, and Social Studies Arturo Martinez’s journey into education began one day, talking to an ESL teacher who asked about his academic goals. At that time he told her that he had no idea about his future; his immediate goal was to learn English. She asked him what things he liked to do. He told her that he loved to help other people learn what he did in his job so one day they could be more than just helpers. She said to him that what he was doing was teaching even though he was not a teacher in a classroom. Since then, he focused his pathway into education. He earned a bachelor degree in interdisciplinary studies with a bilingual certification from UNT. To this day, he is still seeking opportunities to grow and acquire the necessary skills that help him deliver meaningful and purposeful instruction to his students. |
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Nila Miller-Bynum W.A. Blair Elementary School 5th Grade Reading/Language Arts Nila Miller-Bynum is a fifth year veteran in Dallas ISD, Nila has managed to serve her students through various methods including blending technology and personal data reflections, earning her Teacher of Year for the 2017-2018 school year. Nila believes that the source of success stems from continued personal growth and is currently earning her Doctorate of Education from Baylor University. She is a member of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) and is adamant on asserting best practices in her classroom so that every learner can succeed. |
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Kaci Morgan CityLab High School 10th Grade English Originally from Dallas, Kaci Morgan is the English II teacher and a member of the Campus Instructional Leadership Team at CityLab High School. She holds a M.Ed. in Language and Literacy from Harvard and a B.A. in English and Sociology from Louisiana State University. She is certified in ELAR, Dance, Gifted and Talented, and ESL. In addition to her school roles, Kaci is completing a two-year fellowship with Stanford, writes curriculum for the District, and works with high school seniors as an essay specialist. She is a member of the NCTE Achievement in Writing Awards Committee and a 35 Under 35 recipient. She’s passionate about slam poetry, social justice, and personalized learning. |
Keyshay Mozee
Piedmont Global Academy
8th Grade US History
Keyshay earned a M.Ed. from Ashford University and holds a B.A. and a completion certification in curriculum and instruction. In 2011, Keyshay began her career in education. In addition, to facilitating 8th grade history, she is also the student council sponsor and student leadership instructor. Keyshay has collaborated on various school improvement teams and served as a team leader. She believes the power of developing meaningful relationships is critical to successful learning.
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Pamela Murtuza Arturo Salazar Elementary School 4th Grade Math and Science Pamela Murtuza is a 4th grade math and science teacher at Arturo Salazar Elementary. Upon completion of her BA in Sociology at the University of Texas in Arlington, she embarked on a career in education with Houston ISD in 1999 through an emergency certification program in conjunction with the University of St. Thomas. After a two-year stint in the Bayou City, she returned to her native Oak Cliff where, through Dallas ISD’s AC program, she would toggle between 4th and 5th grades, from self-contained to departmentalized math and science to dual language/ESL language arts. Thirteen years later, Pamela moved on to Salazar Elementary where she is going into her fifth year as a Salazar Eagle. |
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Mary Nunley CityLab High School Math Instructional Coach/ Algebra Mary Nunley has 6 years of experience teaching high school mathematics in both traditional-public and public-charter high schools. She entered the teaching profession as a 2012 Dallas-Fort Worth Teach For America corps member after graduating from Lehigh University with dual degrees in Civil Engineering and Architecture, Since then, she has obtained her Master’s in Education with a focus on STEM instruction from SMU. Through various leadership roles, she began to develop her abilities as a teacher-leader, supporting the learning and teaching of peers through collaboration and feedback. These experiences ignited a desire to continue supporting and learning from others, and fueled her excitement to transition into the Instructional Coach role for her campus. |
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Tasha Palmer Seagoville Middle School 7th grade English Language Arts Tasha recently earned her second master's degree in curriculum and instruction from the University of North Texas. This year, Tasha is excited to be serving on the Campus Instructional Leadership Team (CILT), and to assist on the Student Council and AVID site teams. Starting her seventh year in education, Tasha has become a nationally recognized teacher consultant through the National Writing Project. |
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Selena Richey L.V. Stockard Middle School 8th grade English Language Arts/Reading Selena Richey is an eighth grade English Language Arts & Reading teacher at L.V. Stockard Middle School in the Oak Cliff community of Dallas. Before pursuing her pathway to teaching, she earned her B.A. in International Studies & Communication from Texas A&M University and worked as a fundraising professional for nonprofit organizations that advocated for women and children. She is passionate about improving systems for our future generations and aims to continue her own education to do so. Selena currently serves as head of the English Department and a member of the Campus Instructional Leadership Team. |
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Shafarion Romashyn Dan D. Rogers Elementary School 1st grade Grade Math and Sciene Teaching for six years, Shafarion moved to Dallas two years ago with her dog Bella and wonderful husband, Serge. She taught prekindergarten for three years and this year will be her third year to teach first grade. She enjoys going to eat exotic foods, traveling to sunny destinations, and learning continuously. She graduated with a master’s degree in teacher leadership in the spring of 2018 from Lamar University. She enjoys teaching because every day she learns something new from and about her students. This year she will implement more STEM activities across the curriculum to encourage more authentic student learning. |
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Yazmin Santacruz Arturo Salazar Elementary School 3rd Grade Bilingual Reading/Social Studies Yazmin attended Mountain View College and El Centro College for two years. She then transferred to the University of North Texas (both the Denton and the Dallas Campus). She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in applied arts and science in 2008. In 2011, she completed the AC Program and received her teaching certification in Bilingual EC-6 and Special Education Certification from Dallas ISD. This school year will be her seventh year teaching at Arturo Salazar Elementary, and eighth year as a teacher. |
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Zaida Serrato Arturo Salazar Elementary School 1st Grade Bilingual Math and Science Zaida, being of Puerto Rican and Mexican descent, likes to experience culture in a variety of ways. She is a product of Dallas ISD, graduated from UNT with a BA and a master’s degree from Concordia University of Texas in Differentiated Instruction. She started her educational journey as a paraprofessional for 8 years and has been teaching for 11 years. She likes trying new things and is currently in the Science Kosmo Institute with the Perot Museum and the K-2 CILT leader. She is not only rated a Distinguished Teacher (DTR) but is also a Robotics and Destination Imagination Coach at her campus. She manages to keep herself busy with baseball on the weekends because she is also a mother of two boys: Omar (10) and Jose (8), and the team mom for her sons’ team and the team manager. |
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Arlene Vargas Thelma Page Richardson Elementary School 1st grade Began her new chapter in life at the brand new Thelma Richardson Elementary School as a pre-k teacher assistant. In May 2014, Arlene graduated from The University of North Texas with a bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies. Her principal at Thelma Richardson had her 2014-2015 school year contract ready immediately after her graduation. Throughout her four years as a teacher, she has served as a mentor teacher to three Texas Tech University teacher candidates. During the 2017-2018 school year, Ms. Vargas joined the bilingual department of Dallas ISD as part of a CADRE member to assist others in the District with the proper implementation of the bilingual program. That same school year, she also was selected as the campus teacher of the year. |
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Debora Vazquez Thelma Page Richardson Elementary School Kindergarten Ms. Vazquez received a Bachelor’s of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of Texas at Dallas and has taught dual language kindergarten at Thelma Richardson Elementary since 2013. Her professional interests include promoting a culturally responsive education and providing student-led exploration through real-world experiences. In addition, she has organized events such as school plays and has assumed a leadership role in the Monarch Garden Heroes program at school. Ms. Vazquez has served as a Mentor Teacher for teacher candidates from the Texas Tech University 2+1 program since 2015. |
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Stephen Weigandt Bryan Adams High School 11th Grade US History Stephen Weigandt has been teaching for 15 years, five of which he has spent at Bryan Adams. He started his career in the military. He is a 21-year Veteran of the Army and this is where he found his passion for teaching. He was an Army Drill Sergeant for two years, and an instructor at two other schools. After retiring from the Army, he attended college at Weber State University in Ogden, Utah. While attending college, he started his teaching career teaching Army JROTC in high school. At the time, the state waved the teaching degree requirement for a teacher who teaches JROTC in high school. Upon graduation from Weber State, he received a Social Studies Composite degree with a major in US History. After teaching in Utah for 10 years, he moved to Dallas where he started to teach 11th grade US History at Bryan Adams. He has a passion for using technology in the classroom, trying new ideas, being an innovator, and designing new ideas to try in the classroom. He believes because of the different types of learning styles that students have, and the social economic background that students have at Bryan Adams, that Blended Learning is the key to their success. He has laid the foundation to start Blended Learning and started the concept last year at Bryan Adams. He is looking forward to expanding on that beginning and making it even better. |
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Dr. Lisa Wells Seagoville Middle School 8th Grade English Language Arts Dr. Wells has spent 25 years teaching overseas in Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, and Saudi Arabia. She has a Master’s in Curriculum Design and Technology, and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership (EDD). She is interested in the Dallas Arts, swimming, academic research into social media and ELL studies. |
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Jennifer Windham Henry B. Gonzalez Elementary 3rd Grade Jennifer’s journey to teaching started in a high school teacher prep program. She is a 3rd grade teacher at Henry B. Gonzalez Elementary, where she has been teaching for the last four years. Her vision for her classroom is a design that is planned around her hope for each of the students in her room. She hopes that they develop into students that feel empowered to make positive choices that impact their life and the lives of those around them. |
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