Ysleta Independent School District Superintendent of Schools Dr. Xavier De La Torre was honored earlier this month by the Texas House of Representatives for “making a positive difference in the lives of countless young Texans in his distinguished role as an educator.”  District officials say that the congratulatory resolution for Dr. De La Torre, HR 422, was filed by State Rep. Art Fierro in late March, and laid before the state House of Representatives and adopted on Thursday, April 1. In the resolution, the House of Representatives commends Dr. De La Torre for numerous accomplishments throughout his career in education, and extends its sincere best wishes for continued success with his important work. “Since assuming his current position in March 2014, this esteemed administrator has shepherded Ysleta ISD into a new era,” the resolution says, citing Dr. De La Torre’s leadership in a variety of successes at Ysleta ISD that include:    (12) view article

Secondary Principal Brian Lowe Named North Hopkins ISD Superintendent Finalist

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North Hopkins Independent School District Board of Trustees this week announced Brian Lowe as the lone finalist for superintendent of schools. District officials announced the opening after trustees on March 1 accepted Darin Jolly’s letter of resignation as North Hopkins ISD superintendent. Brian Lowe Dr. Jolly’s resignation as superintendent was effective March 4, 2021, allowing him to begin serving as assistant superintendent of accountability and operations, overseeing the daily operation of Ennis ISD, beginning March 5. Jolly indicated the move allows him to be closer to several relatives and family members. Jolly agreed to return to North Hopkins the week of March 15, during Ennis’ spring break, to provide transitional leadership for the district,    (12) view article

MISD Board Names Dr. JoAnn Fey as Lone Finalist For Superintendent

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The Midlothian Independent School District unanimously named Dr. JoAnn Fey as the Superintendent of Schools Lone Finalist during a special meeting today. With this announcement, this begins the 21-day waiting period that is required by state law before a Superintendent can sign a contract and begin working.    (12) view article

The National School Foundation Association has named Spring ISD's Rodney Watson its 2021 Superintendent of the Year, SISD officials announced in a news release Feb. 24. According to the release, the award is designed to recognize a superintendent "whose visionary leadership and collaboration develops a partnership with their education foundation which provides every student the opportunity for success." "Dr. Watson has been great to work with," said Sandra Harper Scott, executive director of the Spring ISD Education Foundation, in a statement. "His partnership and support has been invaluable to the Foundation as we continue to reach out to Spring ISD staff and our community for support. He leads by example when it comes to giving and supporting all of our fundraising efforts. He has allowed the Foundation to expand our visibility and become an active organization within the district and community."    (25) view article

It’s springtime, and Texas politicians are getting all flirty, dreaming and scheming about what offices they’ll seek in 2022. Most Texans are still trying to shake off the 2020 elections, with their battles over voting and election law, over the results in tight states — not including Texas — and over the mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. view article

Midland, your new superintendent is living up to the billing.  The latest example came this week. During the budget process, Angelica Ramsey brought attention to the 2024-25 school year when grant funding was coming to a close. This year, MISD is currently receiving roughly $64.6 million in Formula Transition Grant funds. That is not insignificant. She realizes that and doesn’t mind using a public forum to tell Midland ISD trustees – and therefore the community -- that this better be on your radar.  When I talked to her about the budget process, she said a main issue is that potential “fiscal cliff.” She talked about always performing five-year projections and making sure that the preparation for the longer term starts today – not in the Spring of 2024 and not at a time when we are forced to make drastic cuts. view article

I think it’s important and interesting to go back and review past history when looking at the May 2021 Huntsville ISD bond proposal. It tells us where we’ve been and hopefully helps us determine the best direction for the future of our district. In December of 1997, I was hired as an assistant superintendent under newly hired Superintendent, Mr. Rudy Okruhlik, who was selected to replace Mr. Dale Dixon. Mr. Dixon had just completed a successful seven-year tenure as the Superintendent of Schools in HISD and planned to retire. view article

Repost from yesterday.  - The first step in the Fort Bend ISD board of trustees' search for the next superintendent is underway. The board, along with search firm Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates, is asking district stakeholders to complete an online survey about the state of the district and characteristics desired in its future leader. “The online survey is a way to gather information from people who are connected to the school district,” HYA senior associate Peter Flynn said. Survey participants will be asked to identify with one of the six following groups: administrators, community members, parents of FBISD students, support staff, teachers and students. A link to the online survey, which is available in English and Spanish, can be found here. The survey is available until April 16.    (08) view article

San Antonio Independent School District is poised to emerge from the coronavirus pandemic better than ever, thanks in part to the record-setting $1.3 billion bond voters approved last year — that’s Superintendent Pedro Martinez’s take on it. Speaking Wednesday evening to a socially distanced crowd of more than 100 employees, parents and students at Thomas Edison High School, he kicked off a two-week series of town halls, an annual update as the district approaches the end of a school year unlike any other.    (09) view article

Lamar Consolidated ISD trustees voted Tuesday to name Dr. Roosevelt Nivens II as the lone finalist to replace Dr. Thomas Randle as superintendent of LCISD. Dr. Nivens is presently superintendent of Community ISD, located in Nevada, Texas. The vote was unanimous. However, state law requires a 21-day waiting period after a school board names a superintendent lone finalist before the future school superintendent can sign a contract. The Lamar CISD School Board will officially vote on the position at its April 27 meeting.  Dr. Randle is retiring after 20 years at the helm of LCISD.    (09) view article

Randy Brawner is now officially the superintendent of Chico schools.  Last Thursday, the board voted 6-0 to hire Brawner, who previously served as high school principal.  The action drew applause from those gathered in the seating area of the high school auditorium.  “I’d like to congratulate Mr. Brawner again for his new role. We’re looking forward to the success of our students and our staff,” said Board President Tim Raley said following the vote.  His new salary as superintendent will be $120,000. view article

Dr. Xavier De La Torre, superintendent of the Ysleta Independent School District, has greatly distinguished himself as an educator and civic leader; and view article

Lancaster trustees are bringing in an outsider to lead the school district as a state investigation continues examining previous leadership. At a meeting last week, the board named A. Katrise Lee-Perera, a school leader in Oregon with Texas ties, as the lone finalist for superintendent.  The district has been without a permanent superintendent since the controversial departure of Elijah Granger in November. Shemeka Millner-Williams, deputy superintendent of curriculum and instruction, has served as the interim district leader since then. view article

Community superintendent a finalist for Houston area school chief job

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Community ISD Superintendent Roosevelt Nivens has been named the sole finalist for the superintendent job at Lamar Consolidated Independent School District in Rosenberg, a suburb of Houston. The LCISD board made the announcement at its special meeting Tuesday. In compliance with state law, the LCISD board must wait a minimum of 21 days before officially appointing the sole finalist as their next superintendent. LCISD is a district with an enrollment of more than 37,000 students, according to district data. It has five high schools. The district’s current superintendent, Thomas Randle, has led the district since 2001.    (08) view article

The Taft Independent School District (ISD) Board of Trustees, at its Monday, March 29, 2021 Special Board Meeting, named Dr. Irene M. Garza, Professor for Principal and Superintendent Certification Program at Stephen F. Austin as finalist for Superintendent. By law, the Board must now wait 21 days before voting to hire Dr. Garza to be the new Superintendent of Schools for Taft ISD.    (06) view article

Houston ISD scheduled three additional virtual meetings specifically seeking input from teachers, parents and students on the superintendent search process. The three meetings follow a weeklong series of 20 public town halls March 22-26. The first meeting is for HISD teachers, and it is scheduled for 5 p.m. April 6 via Microsoft Teams. On April 7, a meeting for students is scheduled at 5 p.m. followed by a 6 p.m. meeting for parents. view article

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A beloved CCISD administrator is making the jump across the bay to Gregory-Portland ISD this summer. With his impact over the last decade, some want to know why he’s making the transition.  For the last three years Dr. Bruce Wilson has led Roy Miller High School as the principal. After this school year, he will be come the executive director of school leadership for G-PISD. view article

Valley Mills super lone finalist for Bridge City schools chief

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Bridge City ISD has selected Mike Kelly, the superintendent of Valley Mills ISD near Waco, as the lone finalist to replace Mike Lintzen in the top job there. Lintzen announced his retirement late last year. “We are excited to welcome Dr. Kelly along with his wife and three children into the Cardinal family,” the district said in a statement Tuesday night.    (1) view article

The Pflugerville school district voted Thursday night to nominate Superintendent Doug Killian as Texas Association of School Board’s Superintendent of the Year and to approve a scholarship donation. Killian became Pflugerville superintendent in 2017 after serving as the Hutto school district’s superintendent for seven years. The nomination comes after weeks of what some in the community call a lack of transparency and communication, especially over how the district has handled COVID-19 protocols during the pandemic. School board Secretary Tony Hanson addressed these concerns to Killian and the trustees during Thursday’s meeting.    (30) view article

Hallsville ISD’s board has named Assistant Superintendent John Martin as the district’s lone finalist for the superintendent’s position. The Hallsville ISD School Board announced the news at Monday night’s regular board meeting, according to a press release posted on the school district’s Facebook page. view article

Search is being conducted by CCR Educational Consultants, Dr. Skip Casey, Staci Robertson, and Rod Townsend.  Application deadline is April 23, 2021.  Haskell website    (31) read more

Hallsville ISD names alumnus John Martin lone finalist for superintendent

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HALLSVILLE, Texas (KETK) – Hallsville ISD named the lone finalist for the job of superintendent at their school board meeting Monday night.  John Martin has been assistant superintendent at Hallsville ISD for five years and is a graduate of Hallsville High School.  He has served East Texas schools in the past, starting his career in education with Jacksonville ISD and going on to serve in various roles at Hillsboro ISD, Waskom ISD and Pine Tree ISD.    (31) view article

LAREDO, TX. (KGNS) -As part of UISD’s commitment to continue to provide transparency during the superintendent search, the school district has reviewed dozens of applications and is set to start the interview process. Out of the many applications the district received, six highly qualified local and out-of-town applicants were selected for initial interviews to take place the week of Apr. 5. These six applicants bring decades of superintendent or central administration experience to the table as well as the wealth of educational knowledge. After the interviews are completed, the board will select three applicants to continue on to the final round which will occur in mid-Aril. view article

The Little Elm ISD Board of Trustees approved a resolution on Monday to nominate Daniel Gallagher for the Superintendent of the Year Award through the Texas Association of School Boards. Gallagher has served as the superintendent of Little Elm ISD since August of 2017. Some major accomplishments under his leadership are, but not limited to: a voter-approved 2017 Bond of $240 million that helped the district build new facilities to accommodate student growth, develop the district strategic plan, implement STEM district-wide, improved plan to impact student achievement, developed College, Career, Life Ready reporting program and platform, guided the district through first-ever curriculum audit and established the Lobo Collegiate Academy. (See a complete list.) view article

The Brazos Independent School District (ISD) Board of Trustees has employed Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) Executive Search Services to assist with the search for a new superintendent. The Board has requested that school personnel and the public be involved in developing a profile of the leadership qualities desired of the person the Board should seek to become the new  superintendent.  (from Facebook)   https://surveys.tasb.org/.../Brazos-ISD-Leadership-Survey ...  view article

Bridge City ISD held a nice retirement reception for Superintendent Todd Lintzen. It was the perfect way to honor him and his accomplishments throughout his time with the district. He was presented several gifts, some of which included, a handmade/personalized Cornhole game, a lifetime Cardinal jacket, and of course a plaque with all his famous “TLisms.” view article

On Thursday’s show: The ideal qualities HISD’s next superintendent should possess, and with the closing of the River Oaks Theatre how can Houston better preserve its treasured cultural institutions? view article

Former Lancaster superintendent Elijah Granger has a new job working with the former school board president who voted last year to pay him more than $2 million as he tried to leave the district. The board -- with Ellen Clark serving as president -- voted 4-3 in November on a hefty severance for Granger without explaining the reason for the separation. But that payout was quickly walked back after the board majority changed that month. view article

The process has taken some months now, but the board might be one step closer in finding their new leader that can take on the responsibility of overseeing almost 50 schools.   With just a few months left, Roberto “Bobby” Santos will retire as UISD’s superintendent.  Since December, the district was accepting applications.  United ISD is Laredo’s largest school district. The process has taken some months now, but the board might be one step closer in finding their new leader that can take on the responsibility of overseeing almost 50 schools. view article

Houston ISD’s superintendent search firm will hold 20 virtual meetings this week to garner public feedback on the district’s plans to hire a permanent leader later this spring. The meetings will be held at 10 a.m., noon, 5 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. each weekday. Click here for links to the virtual gatherings, as well as a written survey, hosted by Austin-based JG Consulting.  The 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. meetings will be limited to the first 50 participants, while the other two time slots will be open to all. JG Consulting officials also are hosting non-public meetings with other groups affiliated with HISD, including teachers and administrators.    (23) view article

Superintendent Darol Hail will remain the chief administrator in the New Waverly Independent School District until at least the 2024-25 school year. The school board discussed the terms of his contract renewal at its regular meeting Monday, passing it with a unanimous vote. “We, as a board, have been very happy with the job that Dr. Hail has been doing here at New Waverly ISD,” NWISD board president Shane Barge said. “This has been a very trying year and he has been doing an excellent job.” Hail has been a part of the school district since 2004, and has served as the superintendent for the past decade. view article

Sheldon ISD Deputy Superintendent Paula Patterson named Crosby ISD Superintendent Lone Finalist

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“I could not be more happy for Mrs. Patterson,” said Sheldon ISD’s Superintendent of Schools Dr. King Davis. “It is bittersweet news for us in Sheldon, but what a tremendous gain for Crosby ISD.” Patterson joined Sheldon ISD in 2017 as the Director of Professional Development. During her tenure in Sheldon ISD, she additionally served as Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction, Chief Academic Officer and most recently Deputy Superintendent of Academics. Her path in education started in Crosby ISD as a teacher, and Mrs. Patterson also served the district in the role of principal.    (19) view article

LAREDO, Tex. (KGNS) - The UISD Board of Trustees will hold a special called meeting on Tuesday to discuss the next step in choosing a superintendent. The agenda says they will meet to speak with their legal counsel on the prospective superintendent’s employment contract and candidate applications. Afterwards, they will resume discussion and may even take action on the candidate applications. Over 30 applications were received by the district and they say the majority of the applicants held the position of superintendent and nearly all have some form of central administration or assistant superintendent experience.    (23) view article

New Braunfels ISD names interim superintendent

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The New Braunfels ISD board of trustees announced March 22 that James M. Largent will serve as the interim superintendent of the district.  Largent has more than 33 years of experience in education and begins his role March 22 following previous Superintendent Randy Moczygemba’s early leave.  Before joining NBISD, Largent worked as a superintendent for 21 years in three school districts throughout Texas.   view article

Educators are telling us it will take teachers – lots of skilled, well-trained teachers – to close the learning gaps sustained during the last year. But will those teachers be there when the districts start to hire? The pandemic didn’t create the challenges facing the teacher pipeline in Texas, but it has certainly made addressing that problem more urgent. view article