January 5, 2026 Staff Newsletter

On the cover: February is National Love the Bus month. Please join us in thanking our many bus drivers and Transportation Department employees who make safe student transportation possible every day. NISD has 450 full- and part-time drivers who transport 35,000 students daily, logging around 36,000 miles a day (6 million miles each school year).

Great news! NISD received its official acceptance into the Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA) program through the Texas Education Agency (TEA). TIA was created by the Texas Legislature as part of House Bill 3 to provide a pathway for top-performing teachers to earn higher salaries and help districts attract and retain highly effective teachers.

NISD teachers will now have opportunities to benefit from this state program, by helping attract and retain incredible talent. With over 3,200 NISD teachers eligible for TIA, 1,287 earned a designation in this first year, making them eligible to earn $3,000-$28,000 per year through TIA. Click here for details. 

Career demo turns into job opportunity for student

Recently, Sterling Crane visited Construction Careers Academy (CCA) to deliver an engaging presentation and a hands-on field demonstration to junior and senior students. The experience introduced students to a new career pathway and allowed them to explore real-world job opportunities within the crane and heavy equipment industry.

The visit was especially impactful, with one senior receiving a job opportunity during the event. Sterling Crane will continue supporting the students by participating in the annual Career Fair on March 25. CCA will continue to host this presentation each year, with the goal of building a long-term partnership that connects students to meaningful career experiences and future employment opportunities.

Schoolnet (CMS) Tip: PLCs collaborating on CCAs

PLCs have two different options when collaborating on an assessment. Making an assessment Public allows any user on your campus access using the test ID. The Co-authoring method allows access to the test to specific people on your campus or at a different site. Check out this click sheet for more details. This resource and others can be found on the Schoolnet (CMS) Site, under HUB - Instructional Systems Support. For a listing of previous Schoolnet articles, click here.

New tools in Google Chat!

We’re excited to share that Google Chat is getting a fresh, streamlined look to help you stay organized and collaborate more easily. You’ll notice a redesigned header at the top of your conversations that makes your most important tools just a click away.

What’s New? Instead of digging through menus, you’ll now see clear icons in the top right of your Chat windows. These shortcuts allow you to quickly access:

• Shared: Instantly find files, links, and media shared within that conversation.
• Tasks: Create and manage space tasks without leaving your view.
• Threads: Keep track of active discussions and side conversations.
• Board: View pinned messages and important resources in one place.

Flexible Viewing: Google has also added a new side panel for these tools. You can adjust the panel width to suit your needs, or expand it to full-screen when you're deep-diving into project files or tasks.

Paws and Applause: a night of academic excellence

Lewis Elementary’s Paws and Applause was a vibrant celebration of student achievement across every grade level. From creative displays to interactive demonstrations, the students brought their learning to life:

• Kinder & 1st Grade: Strutted the runway in a Science Fashion Show, featuring custom-made hats highlighting key scientific vocabulary.
• 2nd Grade: Transformed historical research into “Bottle Buddy” biographies, pairing written reports with creative character models.
• 3rd Grade: Hosted a Living Museum, where students dressed as historical figures to present their research.
• 4th Grade: Celebrated Texas Pride by researching state symbols and hand-sculpting them from clay.
• 5th Grade: Led an interactive finale, engaging families with hands-on science experiments.

It was an unforgettable evening that turned education into an interactive experience for the whole community!

Together, we are NISD Unstoppable!

NISD’s United Way campaign started this week and runs through March 3! Last year, we raised $161,000 to help over 66,000 neighbors in our NISD zip codes. This year, our goal is $169,000. Let’s prove that the NISD family is truly Unstoppable when we give together!

Give at: giveuw.org

 UserID: Your work email  

Password: 6-digit e-number + first 4 letters of last name (CAPS) + last 4 of SSN (If your last name has fewer than 4 letters, use the fewest letters.) Example: e042605BALI1799

Enrichment Grants available

The McCarthey Dressman Education Foundation Academic Enrichment Grant is designed to develop in-class and extra-curricular programs that improve student learning. The award is up to $10,000, with applications closing on April 15 (or a maximum capacity of 200 submissions). Click here to apply or contact the Grants Dept. at 210-397-8563.  

Mathnasium of Northside San Antonio

NISD employees receive 30% off their child’s 7 or 12-month tutoring program fees, as well as 50% off the enrollment fee. Click here for more information or call (210) 684-6284 and identify yourself as a NISD employee.

Click on image to enlarge.