NECHES, Texas (KETK) – Cory Hines has been hired as the next superintendent of Neches ISD.  Hines was hired at the school board meeting on Sept. 20 and is expected to start with Neches ISD on Oct. 1. He is currently the Chester ISD superintendent, which is located in Tyler County.  Hines is replacing Randy Snider, who is the husband of former Neches Elementary Principal Kimberlyn Snider. She is facing charges of official oppression and tampering with evidence.    (24) view article

Jacksboro ISD Superintendent Dwain Milam has spent nearly every day since he was five years old going to school. That will end before the completion of this school year. Milam announced his retirement after six years at JISD during a regular board meeting Sept. 13. He plans on staying through this spring when the board will hopefully have someone hired. Milam says the decision comes with a lot of thought. “I sought God’s guidance,” Milam said. “The decision was made with a lot of peace from God that it was indeed the right decision.” He said he is confident the board will make the right decision on who they hire as they “are an outstanding group who care about the students and the staff.” view article

Robert Jaklich, a retired former superintendent at the Harlandale and Victoria independent school districts, will become San Antonio ISD’s interim leader next week, charged with helping it recover from the pandemic as its board searches for a permanent successor.  After about six hours of interviews and deliberation in closed session, the board chose Jaklich because of his experience and people skills, board president Christina Martinez said.  The 7-0 vote came at around 3:30 a.m. on Tuesday, in a meeting that had started on Monday at 5:30 p.m. Jaklich will take over on Sept. 29 as Superintendent Pedro Martinez leaves to become CEO of Chicago Public Schools. view article

DONNA, Texas (ValleyCentral)— The Donna Independent School District Board of Trustees voted the first woman as a sole finalist as superintendent on Tuesday. The board made the unanimous vote to have Angela Dominguez as the sole finalist for the superintendent search. Trustees must wait 21 days to officially hire Dominguez. In May, Dr. Hafedh Azaiez announced he would leave his position at Donna ISD to become Round Rock ISD’s superintendent.    (20) view article

Flowers and hugs were delivered to San Antonio ISD Superintendent Pedro Martinez during Monday's board meeting, along with a special proclamation recognizing his efforts before he takes on a new job to lead a district of schools in his hometown of Chicago. view article

It was the first meeting of the new Humble ISD superintendent with his administrative staff. Dr. Guy Sconzo was taking questions from the corps of principals and assistant principals gathered as he introduced himself. The young assistant principal couldn’t contain himself and blurted out a quick three-word question, “Mets or Yankees?!” With a smile on his face, Sconzo responded, “Mets!” and then Kingwood High School assistant principal Walt Winicki said he responded, “Okay. You can stay!” The interaction got a chuckle out of Sconzo and Winicki’s colleagues, but no matter who you ask, the consensus was he didn’t stay long enough even after spending 15 years with the district. The beloved superintendent, whose peers and colleagues adored him and the children considered him a rock star, left this earth on April 21, 2020, following a courageous battle with cancer. view article

Dr. Robert Jaklich to take over following departure of Superintendent Pedro Martinez The San Antonio Independent School District Board of Trustees has selected Dr. Robert Jaklich as the district’s interim superintendent on Monday night, a press release said. Jaklich will take over the role beginning Sept. 29. His appointment comes following last week’s announcement that Superintendent Pedro Martinez is leaving. Martinez will work for Chicago Public Schools, where he will be chief executive officer. Flowers and hugs were delivered to Martinez during Monday’s board meeting, along with a special proclamation recognizing his efforts, before he moves on to his new job. SAISD said Jaklich has a decade of experience leading other school districts, having served as superintendent for both Victoria ISD and Harlandale ISD. view article

Forsan Superintendent Randy Johnson announces retirement plans

September 2108:25 AM

 

Randy Johnson, superintendent of schools for Forsan ISD, has notified the FISD School Board of his intention to retire after the 2021-2022 school year.  Mr. Johnson has served as the superintendent for 18 years.  Before accepting the role of superintendent, he served as the principal of Forsan Elementary at Elbow for two years.  He served as a secondary teacher, coach, counselor, assistant principal, and principal prior to arriving in Forsan with stints in Dalhart ISD and Monahans-Wickett-Pyote ISD during his 36 year career in education. view article

SAN ANTONIO - The San Antonio Independent School District's board of trustees selected an interim superintendent during Monday night's meeting.  The district announced Dr. Robert Jaklich will take over on Sept. 29.  This comes after current superintendent Pedro Martinez announced last week that he's leaving to become the CEO of Chicago Public Schools.  Jaklich has served as superintendent for Victoria ISD and Harlandale ISD here in San Antonio. He'll serve as interim superintendent as the SAISD board launches a search for a permanent replacement. view article

Steep challenge - but a few advantages - await San Antonio ISD's next leader.  Some of the things they admire most about Martinez — after six years of his intense and sometimes controversial efforts to transform the district — will be hard to replace, they conceded in interviews this week. view article

Eustace ISD Superintendent to retire

September 2005:00 AM

 

Eustace Independent School District Superintendent Dr. Coy Holcombe recently announced his retirement in June 2022. In a letter sent to EISD parents, Holcombe stated he will be submitting his letter of retirement to the EISD Board of Trustees at the Sept. 20 regular board meeting. “I appreciate the opportunity that I have had working with each and every one of you,” he stated. Whether it has been for one year or 21 years, I am thankful that I had the chance to know and work with each of you. We still have a lot more to accomplish this year and I look forward to working with everyone to ensure that we continue to provide all of our students with a world-class education.” Holcombe stated he is hoping to relax a little and travel with wife Laurie whenever possible. Thank you Dr. Holcombe for your service to Eustace ISD. Eustace ISD Superintendent Dr. Coy Holcombe announced his retirement Wednesday. Holcombe will serve until June 2022.    (20) view article

The San Antonio ISD teachers union looks forward to a new superintendent after what they call a legacy of "authoritarianism."  Shortly after the Chicago Public Schools publicly hired outgoing SAISD Superintendent Pedro Martinez as its new CEO Wednesday, the San Antonio Alliance of Teachers and Support Personnel released a letter voicing its hopes for a new leader.   In the letter, the union writes that it looks forward to a future where educators are "treated with dignity and respect," and the needs of students and parents are put first. view article

SAN ANTONIO – COVID-19 testing at schools has been a top priority for San Antonio Independent School District Superintendent Pedro Martinez with more than 79,000 tests being administered this year. A school district spokesperson said even though Martinez is leaving the district later this month, free COVID--19 testing will continue to be offered to students. The district has been working with the nonprofit Community Labs to test students for COVID-19 since last year. view article

During a special meeting Thursday, the Fort Bend ISD Board of Trustees named Dr. Christie Whitbeck as the district’s new superintendent. Whitbeck will officially start her new position on Oct. 6. “Returning to the district in the role of superintendent is a huge honor, and I thank the board for selecting me and entrusting me to serve the Fort Bend ISD community,” Whitbeck said. view article

Christie Whitbeck was formally appointed the next superintendent of Fort Bend ISD during a special meeting Sept. 16. Her first day as superintendent will be Oct. 6. The board voted 6-0 to appoint Whitbeck, who most recently worked as the superintendent of Bryan ISD. Trustee Denetta Williams was not in attendance at the Sept. 16 meeting. Prior to taking the superintendent role at BISD in April 2017, Whitbeck was the deputy superintendent for FBISD for more than three years. A self-described "career-long educator," Whitbeck started as a first grade teacher and has experience as a principal. view article

San Antonio ISD's superintendent will trade the Alamo City for the Windy City, his home, to make history as the new leader of Chicago Public Schools system.  Superintendent Pedro Martinez will take over as the new CEO of Chicago Public Schools, leaving behind a six-year tenure as with SAISD, the school system announced Wednesday morning during a press conference.  Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot says Martinez will be the first Latinx CEO of the school system.  view article

Pedro Martinez, who led a significant transformation of San Antonio ISD as its superintendent, has been hired as CEO of Chicago Public Schools, the Express-News reports. Martinez's pending departure was confirmed Wednesday by the mayor of Chicago, the daily reported, citing an SAISD statement. Reports swirled for weeks that Martinez, who grew up in Chicago and once served an executive role with that city's school system, was a finalist for the leadership post. Martinez took over as SAISD superintendent in 2015 as the high-poverty district looked to turn around underperforming schools at risk of state takeover. Under his leadership, SAISD's state rating rose to a B from a C.    (17) view article

Believing a leader in education should be fully vested in the community she serves, Dr. Melissa Duarte moved from Friendswood to Texas City shortly after she was hired to serve as Superintendent of Texas City ISD. Duarte, who is beginning her second year overseeing TCISD, originally hails from New Jersey. She has been calling Texas home since she was in high school. “We moved to the Rio Grande Valley when my father’s business closed down in the 80’s,” said Duarte. Her journey into education was a serendipitous kind of experience. She finished a degree in business from the University of Texas-Pan Am. “I went to a college career fair and a principal asked me if I would teach 6th grade. I said yes,” she said.    (14) view article

Lamar State College Orange (LSCO) is thrilled to welcome Keith Jones, Ed.D., to the Gator Family as the new Associate Dean of Technical Studies. Kristin Walker, Dean of Health, Workforce, and Technical Studies, has charged Dr. Jones with leading the technical education programs, including Instrumentation, Industrial Technology, Maritime, Process Technology, and Welding, developing new programs, ensuring students and faculty have resources to be successful, connecting faculty with business and industry partners, supporting internships and apprenticeships, and pursuing grants for buildings, equipment, and other resources. view article

The Kirbyville Consolidated Independent School District called a special business meeting on Labor Day to accept the resignation of Superintendent Georgia Sayers. Sayers will be leaving the district to pursue an opportunity at the Region 5 Education Service Center in Beaumont. view article

CALDWELL, Texas (KBTX) - Caldwell ISD’s Superintendent is retiring this school year. Superintendent Andrew Peters announced he will be retiring at the end of December. He’s been the Superintendent there since 2016 coming from Marfa ISD in Far West Texas. The district is seeking feedback from residents on finding his successor. view article

EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — The El Paso Independent School District ended the contract with the search firm it hired to find a superintendent after Dr. Juan Cabrera resigned. The board of trustees voted 6-1 on Aug. 17 to terminate the $21,500 contract it entered into with the Austin-based Texas Association of School Boards Executive Search Services in late March. Former Superintendent Cabrera resigned in November 2020 after he was sued in California state court on fraud allegations tied to one of his external consulting ventures. Vince Sheffield was named interim Superintendent.    (09) view article

The Bryan school board unanimously named Ginger Carrabine the district’s interim superintendent, effective following current superintendent Christie Whitbeck’s departure later this month to lead the Fort Bend school district. view article

KIRBYVILLE — Kirbyville CISD superintendent Georgia Sayers tells KFDM/Fox 4 News she's voluntarily resigning to take a position with the Region 5 Education Service Center. The Kirbyville CISD board has scheduled a special meeting Monday night at 7 to consider and discuss accepting the voluntary resignation of the superintendent of schools and enter a voluntary resignation and mutual cooperation agreement. The agenda also indicates the board of trustees will consider and discuss the appointment of an interim superintendent of schools. The board named Sayers superintendent in March of 2020. KFDM/Fox 4 spoke with Georgia Sayers Monday morning about her new position.    (07) view article

EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — Two of El Paso’s largest school districts continue without a permanent superintendent, but new developments have been made in their searches. Last week, the El Paso Independent School District Board of Trustees voted 6-1 to go with a new search firm, Austin-based Walsh Gallegos Treviño Russo & Kyle P.C., after cutting ties with their original hire. As KTSM previously reported, board members voted to terminate the contract with the Texas Association of School Boards Executive Search Services after members were notified of a possible “conflict of interest.” Board members said they were told one of the firm’s employee’s relatives was interested in applying for the position. view article

The El Paso Independent School District has hired a new firm to help search for a new superintendent. The EPISD board voted to hire Walsh Gallegos Trevino Russo & Kyle P.C. out of Austin at a special meeting last week. view article

Wednesday, Senator Robert Nichols and Representative Dade Phelan presented Dr. Jay Killgo, Vidor ISD Superintendent a proclamation and a flag flown over the Texas State Capitol in honor of Dr. Killgo being named Region V Superintendent of the Year. He was honored for his service and dedication to not only his school district but also the local community. Courtesy photo/Sydni Mitchell view article

The accomplishments of Plainview ISD over the course of the past three years has exceeded the expectations of the district’s board members.  Under Superintendent H.T. Sanchez, the district has successfully passed a bond allowing for some long-awaited new construction and renovations across the district; has successfully started a grow-your-own educator program; has launched more partnerships creating a more robust career and technical education program; and it’s built partnerships with universities providing more opportunities for students to earn college credits. view article

HOUSTON (CW39) The Houston Independent School Districts new superintendent is wasting no time on the job. Superintendent Millard House II has been busy making sure all of the districts children, faculty and district staff have a need for with the start of a new year, back in person. Now he wants to hear what Harris County residents have to say about what they need this school year. Superintendent House is taking part in the “Listen & Learn: A Conversation with Superintendent Millard House II”. This is a series of community town hall meetings with the newly appointed HISD Superintendent House, and willl be hosted by HISD Board of Education trustees. The Superintendent wil be available to listen to input from the community, about the district’s future, and learn about key issues that are important to stakeholders. view article

Samuel Wyatt has been with Rankin ISD for four years and has close to 20 years of administrator experience.  Rankin ISD Superintendent Samuel Wyatt has been named a 2021 finalist for the Superintendent of the Year Award.   Wyatt was one of five public school adminstrator finalists selected by the Texas Association of School Boards and the only one from West Texas.  The rest of the finalists include Courtney Hudgins from East Bernard ISD, Mark Estrada from Lockhart ISD, H.T. Sanchez from Plainview ISD and Jeanette Ball from Judson ISD.  view article

The Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) named Lockhart Independent School District Superintendent Mark Estrada Jr. as one of five state finalists for 2021 Superintendent of the Year. Estrada had advanced to the state-level competition after being selected as the 2021 Regional Superintendent of the Year in June by the Education Service Center Region 13, which comprises a total of 57 school districts in Texas. Estrada has served as superintendent to Lockhart ISD and its nearly 6,200 students since 2018; however, his leadership has impacted LISD students for the past nine years. He initially joined the district as principal of Plum Creek Elementary School in 2012. In 2014, view article

Greenville ISD Interim Superintendent Sharon Boothe was selected Thursday as the lone finalist for the position of superintendent by the district’s Board of Trustees. Boothe, who had served GISD since 2017 as deputy superintendent of teaching and learning, was appointed interim superintendent at the end of June, after previous superintendent Dr. Demetrus Liggins’ resignation, when he was hired to lead Fayette County Public Schools in Lexington, Kentucky.  During her time as deputy superintendent of teaching and learning, Boothe was central to many projects, including GISD’s “Forever a Lion” partnership with Texas A&M University-Commerce, as well as its bilingual education program, Early College High School, and increased STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) opportunities at the elementary level.    (30) view article

Bryan Independent School District Superintendent Dr. Christie Whitbeck is on her way to lead the eighth largest school district in Texas. Whitbeck was confirmed Thursday as Fort Bend ISD’s lone finalist for its open superintendent position. Dr. Whitbeck previously served as Fort Bend’s Deputy Superintendent before coming to Bryan in 2017. In Dr. Whitbeck’s time at Bryan ISD, she’s overseen several projects and initiatives. Accomplishments she hopes will keep Bryan ISD moving forward. view article

The Fort Bend ISD Board of Trustees named Dr. Christie Whitbeck as the lone finalist to become the district’s next superintendent, according to a Thursday press release. Previously, Whitbeck served as the superintendent of Bryan ISD and former deputy superintendent of Fort Bend ISD. After nearly four years at Bryan ISD, she is recognized for overseeing the two bond elections, improving transportation and safety and increasing academic achievement and college, career and military readiness rates. view article

BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) - Bryan Independent School District Superintendent Dr. Christie Whitbeck could be headed back to familiar territory. Fort Bend ISD named Whitbeck the lone finalist for their open superintendent position in a Thursday board meeting. Six board members approved, while one abstained. Under Texas law, the district will need to wait 21 days before the hire can be official. “I am fully committed to a smooth transition, to working with the team, to working with the board, to make everything as easy as it can be during this difficult time,” Whitbeck told Fort Bend trustees Thursday. Trustees from Fort Bend met with Bryan Mayor Andrew Nelson, Bryan councilmembers, members of Bryan ISD’s bond steering committee, and Bryan ISD staff this week. view article