Eric Hale and Jordan Dontos: Creating a Legacy of Champion Educators
Early this year, weeks before quarantine or face masks were topics of regular conversation, you could find Eric Hale front and center in a classroom at David G. Burnet Elementary School in Northwest Dallas. Behind him, a six-foot cutout of a Black superhero. In front of him, a table set up with DJ equipment, ready to play a custom beat for each of his 20 kindergarten and first grade students. Next to him is Jordan Dontos, a new student teacher, launching into his second career at the age of 46. Their passion for creative and impactful education for some of the poorest students in Dallas schools has created a bond and builds on a legacy that Eric has purposefully planted as he helps students, teachers, and the community around his school to grow.