News Briefs

Jose Armendariz worked for three years at the U.S. Consulate before deciding to become a teacher to continue his family’s legacy in education. After receiving his Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Texas at El Paso, he began his career in Dallas ISD as a bilingual teacher in 2004, through the Alternative Certification Program at John J. Pershing Elementary. Now with more than 17 years at Pershing, Mr. Armendariz has had an impact in almost every teaching assignment at the campus.  Since 2016, he has been a member of the Bilingual ESL Cadre, an extension of Dallas ISD’s…

Dallas ISD is spotlighting every finalist for Dallas ISD Teacher of the Year.  Katie Sokol is passionate about literacy education and bridging the literacy gap that exists between affluent and low-income students. Ms. Sokol, who teaches fifth grade at Stevens Park Elementary has dedicated her career to delivering high-quality reading and writing instruction to students who are reading below grade level. She holds a Bachelor of Elementary Education from Arizona State University, a Master of Education with a focus on ESL Education from Southern Methodist University, and a Master of Arts from the Reading Specialist program at Columbia University. Principal…

A campus lead teacher and founding math teacher at CityLab High School, Mary Nunley excels as both a classroom teacher and teacher-leader. According to her principal Lynn Smith, Mary is a master at building positive relationships with colleagues and students, a talent that has earned her the trust of 100% of stakeholders on the downtown campus. She entered the teaching profession as a 2012 DFW Teach For America corps member following graduation from Lehigh University and has since earned both a Master’s in Education with a STEM focus from Southern Methodist University and a Master’s in Educational Leadership from the…

Yonathan Tadesse, who teaches algebra and college transition to 10th and 11th graders at Judge Barefoot Sanders Law Magnet, has been a pioneer in many new campus and district initiatives, serving as math chair and leading the first Link Crew program, which aims to increase attendance, decrease discipline referrals and improve academic performance. A 2014 graduate of Emory University, he  tutored in Atlanta public schools throughout college and experienced firsthand the need for more Black male math teachers. Upon graduation, he became a Teach For America corps member and taught math for five years at W.W. Samuell High School, helping…