Mr. Ralph Spencer Jr.

P-TECH Assistant Principal

raspencer@dallasisd.org

Office Location - Room 160D

Hello and Hola! My name is Ralph Spencer, Jr. and I serve as the Sunset P-TECH Assistant Principal. I have been blessed to work in the field of Education and Student Support for approximately 25 years, which includes my work in the college area as well as secondary public schools. My personal mission is to use the talents, skills, and experience I have been blessed with to provide the needed support for young people to grow up educationally and personally. My parents and so many others invested so much in me and it is my priority to make every effort to do the same for the young people I have an opportunity to work with. It is what our Sunset P-TECH students call.."THE COLLEGIATE WAY". Thank you in advance for being a part of our growing greatness.

Dr. Tamara Robison, Ed.D.

P-TECH Workplace Learning Coordinator 

trobison@dallasisd.org

Office Location - Room 160C

My name is Tamara Robison and I serve as the Sunset P-TECH Workplace Learning Coordinator. My goal is to ensure every student who enters and leaves this organization is properly prepared for their future careers.  This includes having a current resume, industry certifications, proper interview skills, internship and job shadowing opportunities.  If I have exposed students to their many possibilities, then I have done my job. 

I have used the quote "Education is the movement from darkness to light" by Allan Bloom to guide my educational path. When I first made my career change from business to education, I found joy in seeing “the light bulb” go off as students gained understanding. I loved the idea of exposing my students to new and exciting perspectives in my English class. I have been in education for 20 years now and there has never been a dull moment.  Now as the Workplace Learning Coordinator, I am able to work with our Industry Partners to bring engaging academic activities to our students, making it a real-world experience.

Ms. Bridget Dyer-Smith

Sunset P-TECH Counselor

bdyer-smith@dallasisd.org

Office Location-Room 160A 

 I was born in Little Rock, Arkansas but raised in Dallas, TX.  I graduated from Franklin D. Roosevelt High School in Dallas ISD. This is my 23^rd year in education, with the last 7 years serving as a high school counselor.  Of my seven years as a high school counselor, the last four years have been as a P-TECH counselor. I earned my Bachelor of Arts Degree at the University of Texas at Arlington and earned my Masters Degree in Counseling and Development at Texas Woman’s University. 

As a counselor, it is my absolute pleasure to serve our students and assist them in making future choices that will impact their lives. For this reason, it is my goal to engage in purposeful communication, with each student in my caseload, and help them set goals and plan accordingly. 

I have experienced an amazing journey in my career as an educator. I believe that if you do something that you enjoy doing, you’ll never work a day in your life.  I truly enjoy what I do and the opportunities that I have to help students, their families, and the community as a whole. 

“It’s easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.”----Frederick Douglass  

Mrs. Maribel Palomares

P-TECH Clerk

mapalomares@dallasisd.org

Office Location - Room 160

My name is Maribel Palomares and I serve as the Administrative Clerk for Sunset P-TECH. My goal is to provide quality service to our students, staff, parents, partners, and community by ensuring that we do everything we can to meet your needs with the highest levels of integrity and efficiency. It's part of what makes us special.

A Sunset Alum

Mr. Samuel Perkins

P-TECH 9th & 10th Grade Counselor

saperkins@dallasisd.org

Office Location - Room 160B

My name is Samuel Perkins and I am the 9th and 10th grade P-Tech School Counselor. In 2014, I earned a Master of Arts degree in School Counseling from North Carolina Central University in Durham, NC. I am a Licensed School Counselor and Clinical Mental Health Counselor Associate (LCMHCA) with eight years of work experience as a mental health professional.

Helping students reach their maximum potential is my number one goal. I strive to enhance the overall wellbeing, success and development of all of the students. I will provide services and activities to enrich and improve the academic, career and personal/social development through a comprehensive school counseling program.

Creesha A. Hardee, M.Ed

Methodology for Academic and Personal Success (M.A.P.S.)

chardee@dallasisd.org

Creesha Anthony Hardee is a product of Dallas ISD, graduating from the School of Business and Management at Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Magnet Center. After high school, she attended Texas State University in San Marcos and earned her Bachelor of Business Administration in Management. Ms. Hardee spent 1 year in corporate America and 2 years teaching Business Education courses before returning to school to pursue her Masters. She graduated from Southern Methodist University with her Masters of Education in Higher Education Administration. While in school, Ms. Hardee gained work experience in departments including Undergraduate Admissions, Multicultural Student Affairs, Residence Life and Student Housing, and Academic Affairs. She was eager to return to the classroom to share her knowledge with students to help them in their success in high school and beyond!

Mr. Andrew Kirk

AP Human Geography

akirk@dallasisd.org

My name is Andrew Kirk, and I am the AP Human Geography teacher for our P-TECH here at Sunset. I am a native Dallasite, fifth-generation Texan, and proud Dallas ISD alumnus (Woodrow Wilson, '06). I attended Southwestern University, graduating with a double-major in German and History. Afterward, I began Georgetown University's MA program in Global, International, and Comparative History, where I specialized in an empire and historical memory in Southern Africa. I examined the role of memory in shaping public space, foreshadowing my career as a geography teacher. After I graduated, I completed a term of service in AmeriCorps with Reading Partners, a literacy intervention nonprofit then working in collaboration with Dallas ISD. This experience led me to pursue a career in public education, and I applied (and was accepted) to Dallas ISD's Alternative Certification Program.  I accepted my first teaching position here at Sunset in 2014, and I've been here ever since. I love Sunset, and I'm very excited to be a part of our newly launched Collegiate Academy. I look forward to seeing the Collegiate Academy further enrich our school's learning environment, preparing our students for post-secondary education while equipping them with cultural literacy in an increasingly interconnected world. 

Ryan McKelvy, M.A.

World History Honors

rmckelvy@dallasisd.org

Room 166

Education: Bachelor of Arts in History, 2012, and Master of Arts in History, 2016, from Midwestern State University.

 I was raised in North Texas and lived for some time in Dallas before graduating from Rockwall High School in 2008. I then returned to my hometown of Wichita Falls to attend Midwestern State University (MSU). At MSU, I majored in History with a focus on Modern European History and minored in Political Science. I completed the last two classes of my undergrad studying abroad at Queen Mary University of London in the Summer of 2012. I graduated later that Fall and was able to teach American History for 2 years while working on my master's degree. In 2016, I graduated from Midwestern State University with a master's degree in History, focusing on American Western History. 

After a few years in the public sector, I decided to pursue my original calling of being a teacher. I began my endeavor at Houston’s Westfield High School in 2019 where I taught everything from Government/Economics to World History to Dual Credit US History. In 2022, I made the decision to move to Dallas and was fortunate enough to join the Sunset P-TECH team where I currently teach World History Honors. I look forward to growing with the Sunset P-TECH P-TECH ECHS and making sure my students are ready for Dual Credit US History next year.

Mr. Saran Ward

Pre-AP Biology

saward@dallasisd.org

Room 158

 Hello, my name is Saran Ward and I teach P-TECH Honors Biology to Freshmen (9th graders). I was a DREAMer originally from Thailand. My family and I immigrated to Texas in 2000. I graduated from Allen High School and then Austin community college, where I received my associates in Biology.  While getting my Bachelor of Science in Biology with a minor in Neuroscience from the University of Texas at Dallas, I worked as a certified pharmacy technician. My interests include psychology, neuroscience, biology, philosophy, mixed martial arts, Dc/marvel comics, video games and anime.

Ms. Margarita Perez-Hernandez

Pre-AP Algebra I & II

margarperez@dallasisd.org

Room 

Hi there! I am Mrs. Pérez-Hernández. I was born in Guanajuato, Mexico, but have lived in Dallas since I was 8 years old. This will be my 5^th year teaching, and I have taught both at the high school and middle school level. I am so excited to be teaching Pre-AP Algebra I & II this year as part of Sunset’s P-TECH! My background has taught me that quality of education should never be taken for granted. Through service and teaching, I strive to show students the transformative power that education can have on their lives and the lives of their families. I look forward to creating partnerships of collaboration and mutual support with students and parents to make this an outstanding and successful year.

Alma Casasnovas Cardona

P-TECH English II Teacher

Email: acasasnovascardona@dallasisd.org

Room 162

My name is Alma Casasnovas and I am the English II Honors teacher at P-Tech. My goal is to ensure every student can read and write to the best of their abilities and then keep getting better. 

Education: I obtained a Bachelor’s at University of Central Florida in Secondary Education majoring in English Language Arts. I am looking to pursue a Master’s degree in literature sometime this year. 

Fun Facts: Before moving to Texas, I was living in Florida, and prior to that in Puerto Rico where I was born and raised. I love it here so far and am blessed to be part of the Sunset team. I love to cook and try new coffee shops all over town! 

Mr. Jaime Govea