Superintendent Fagen can file an appeal with the Texas Education Agency, a motion that could take months to review. In a 4-3 vote, the Humble ISD Board of Trustees voted to oust Superintendent Elizabeth Fagen Tuesday night, potentially ending her eight-year reign as head of the district.  The Humble ISD board hired independent attorney Giana Ortiz, who suggested the district fire Kite, citing comments he made about coworkers' clothing and bodies. Kite later stepped down following the report's release and filed a lawsuit in June against trustee Robert Scarfo, where he alleges Scarfo sexually harassed him while he worked for the district, according to the Houston Landing. Additionally, Kite's suit argues other trustees on the school board corroborated his exit from Humble ISD. view article

Dr. Marla Sheppard's official contract with Longview ISD includes an annual salary of $275,000 and is effective from July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2027.  Terms of the contract include providing professional development and other benefits, including reimbursement for moving expenses and the requirement that Dr. Sheppard reside within the district. More information about Dr. Sheppard's contract is available on the district website: w3.LISD.org/leadership July 8, 2024 also marks Dr. Sheppard's first official workday as Superintendent and the new chief is not wasting any time! Her First 100-Day Plan outlines some of the immediate goals of her administration toward developing a long-term strategic vision for the entire district.  The plan emphasizes building transparent relationships with the board, fostering community engagement, and enhancing academic excellence, as well as fostering trust and buy-in within the greater Longview community.  Community members are encouraged to review the plan on the district website: w3.LISD.org/leadership For more information please contact LISD Communications at ask@lisd.org or call 903-381-2235.   read more

Sherman ISD is a step closer in its search for a new superintendent. In a special meeting Monday, the board of trustees reviewed applications and selected candidates to interview. The interviews will begin next Monday. Once a finalist is chosen, Texas state law requires districts to wait 21 days after naming a finalist before offering a contract. view article

At their Special Meeting on June 21st the Brock ISD Board of Trustees named Dr. Shannon Luis as the lone finalist for the district’s Superintendent position. By state law, the Board must wait 21 days before a contract can be offered and the hiring is official. “We are very excited to announce Dr. Shannon Luis as the lone finalist,” said Board President Cody Lane. “We listened to our staff and community stakeholders on the qualities they wanted to see in our next leader, and she checked every box. Her leadership experience in both small communities and fast growth districts will be a huge asset for Brock as we move forward.” view article

Superintendent Jim Chadwell is retiring as the leader of Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD after 14 years. In a July 24 announcement, Chadwell detailed his plans to remain with the district through the fall semester as the school board launches a search for his successor. view article

In a narrow 4-3 vote, Humble ISD trustees fired Superintendent Elizabeth Fagen Tuesday night for failing to maintain a good relationship with the board. The close vote follows months of mounting leadership divisions and controversy in the 48,000-student districts, during which trustees have described the leadership’s relationship as “broken” and many community members have aired their distrust in the outgoing superintendent and board members. Fagen was placed on paid leave in mid-May without a stated reason. view article

The decision to remove Fagen is coming more than two months after trustees voted to place her on paid administrative leave. She will now have an opportunity to appeal the board’s decision to the Texas Education Agency, which district officials said could take months to conclude. Fagen was not present for the July 23 meeting. view article

Dr. Bill Chapman said he is wishing London ISD students a happy first day of school. The new superintendent is happy to be home for his first year at the district. view article

Those interested have approximately one month left to submit their applications. view article

The Denton Independent School District Board of Trustees named Susannah O’ Bara, who has a doctorate of education, sole finalist for superintendent. The Trustees are expected to officially appoint her after waiting the state-required 21 days, making O’Bara the first female superintendent in Denton ISD’s 142-year history. If O’Bara is officially named superintendent, she will oversee operations of the entire district, according to Reece Waddell, communications coordinator of Denton ISD and former Editor-in-Chief of the North Texas Daily. view article

At a specially called meeting on Thursday, July 11th, the Richards ISD Board of Trustees unanimously selected Mr. Michael Smith, currently the Chief Operations Officer in West Hardin ISD, as the lone finalist for Superintendent. Mr. Smith’s wide experience in all facets of education set him apart from the many applicants vying for the position. He began his career in education as a special education instructional aide, taught at the secondary level, served as assistant principal and principal at the secondary level. He is married and has two sons in college. Mr. Smith is currently working on his Doctorate through Stephen F. Austin University. He received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Lamar University. Texas state law requires school districts to implement a 21-day waiting period before an official contract is offered. The board is expected to vote on Mr. Smith’s contract at a meeting scheduled for August 1st. The Richards ISD board was assisted in the search by the law firm of Leon | Alcala. view article

On Thursday, the Sulphur Springs ISD Board of Trustees voted to raise staff pay, and take a new pay scale for all employees, during a special called board meeting. Nacogdoches ISD announces new high school principal According to a release from Sulphur Springs ISD, teachers’ and librarians’ new pay plan is based on an increase of 5% from their previous pay scale, resulting in an increase of $2,625 for all teachers and librarians. view article

As Rockwall ISD continues with its financial planning for the future, district leaders are considering calling a voter approval tax ratification election to increase the district's property tax rate. With a current rate that’s lower than several comparable districts in the area, RISD is wanting to ask voters for approval on the tax increase due to inflationary pressures and having to serve a growing student population. “With additional funding, the district would be able to address the needs of the growing district to maintain the high level of academic and programmatic excellence the community expects,” a statement from Rockwall ISD said. If the property tax increase is approved by voters, priorities listed by the district for the additional funds include more competitive pay for teachers and staff, hiring more staff to meet the needs of Rockwall ISD’s growing population, and increased funding to pay for required safety upgrades. view article

RICHARDS — Richards Independent School District named the lone finalist for superintendent during a special called meeting July 11. The board of trustees unanimously selected Michael Smith to take over as superintendent. Smith, the current chief operations officer for West Hardin ISD, replaces William Boyce who resigned May 16. Richards ISD board ... view article

Jim Dunlap has been named the interim superintendent by the Henderson ISD school board. Dunlap, has a extensive career in public education and has served in a variety of educational roles including teacher, principal, and district administrator. Dunlap also served as superintendent in Diboll, Beckville, and Hallsville ISDs. view article

Gladewater ISD Superintendent Dr. Sedric Clark resigned Monday night, effective Dec. 31. Few details were immediately available following trustees’ regularly-scheduled monthly meeting July 15. There was no public discussion by the board members and little comment after the group’s unanimous approval of Clark’s voluntary resignation agreement. The development did not come as a surprise to the trustees this week. Clark’s intent was included on the meeting agenda posted Friday afternoon – as a topic for a closed door discussion, as an action item on a resignation agreement and as a related vote on the process and selection of an interim superintendent. view article

At the first of two meetings on Tuesday, a group of around 20 parents gathered in the G.W. Carver cafeteria to discuss the state of the Waco Independent School District following Dr. Susan Kincannon's retirement announcement and what they would like to see done under upcoming new leadership. view article

Parents, school employees and community leaders at a Monday listening session said they hope Waco ISD’s next superintendent can build bridges between families and schools that grow parental involvement, pay attention to student mental health issues and continue teacher support without forgetting school staff. At the same time, participants called for someone with a proven track record at school districts with demographic and economic profiles similar to Waco Independent School District’s, who would be sympathetic to economic and social issues facing Waco parents and families and personally invested in the district’s improvement. view article

The Del Valle Independent School District announced it is searching for a new superintendent, the district said in a news release Friday. Del Valle ISD serves a total of 11,293 students and is located southeast of Austin, the release said. view article

United ISD is one step closer to naming the next superintendent. The district told KGNS they are down to a handful of candidates. The search for a new superintendent began after the former superintendent was terminated following allegations of ongoing sexual harassment and retaliation against a district employee. From 16 candidates, the pool is now down to four, according to the district’s board members. view article

The Mercedes school board voted to fire its superintendent in May without saying why, and that process doesn’t appear to be going smoothly. In April, the Mercedes ISD board voted to place Superintendent Maria J. Chavez on administrative leave with pay. Trustees appointed an acting superintendent and, late in May, voted to fire Chavez “for good cause.” view article

Eduardo Hernandez, the superintendent of Edgewood Independent School District, has been named the 2024 Region 20 Superintendent of the Year, a recognition that celebrates exemplary leadership in public schools. The Texas Association of School Boards announced 18 education leaders from across the state Monday who are regional nominees in its annual Superintendent of the Year award. view article

Longview ISD is now officially under the leadership of a new Superintendent. Trustees formally hired Dr. Marla Sheppard as Longview ISD Superintendent of Schools during their special meeting. "I am honored to be chosen to serve the Longview community," said Dr. Sheppard. "I am grateful to the board for their trust in me. I look forward to creating long-lasting relationships with the students, staff, and greater community." With her tenure now official, Dr. Sheppard is developing a 100-day plan "for listening and learning from the community." "My first priority is to listen and learn from the families, young people, leaders, and other stakeholders of the Longview area, to deeply understand their needs, aspirations, and perspectives," she said. "Only then can we chart the path forward together." view article

Longview ISD's new superintendent will take over leadership of the district July 1. Trustees voted unanimously Tuesday night to hire Marla Sheppard, who has been serving as the deputy chief of academics of KIPP Texas Public Schools in Houston. Kipp is a national organization of charter schools. Sheppard has a doctor of education in professional leadership from the University of Houston. view article

People don’t always like to hear about the success of a system, and the very words “the system works” can create some negative reactions. However, it is sometimes very true, and the Harlingen school district has proven many times that its system does indeed work. The Harlingen system has proven itself once again that it works, not only in the instruction of its students but also in the career development of its teachers and administrators. One of the Harlingen school district’s former administrators, Dr. Joseph Villarreal, will soon take the helm as the new superintendent at the Santa Maria Independent School District. The city of Santa Maria is located south of La Feria. view article

Dew ISD’s Board of Trustees unanimously voted on June 6, 2024, at a called board meeting, to name Mr. Kent Reynolds as lone finalist for the position of Superintendent. Per state law, there will be a 21-day waiting period before Mr. Reynolds can officially be hired as superintendent. view article

Dew ISD’s Board of Trustees unanimously voted on June 6, 2024, at a called board meeting, to name Mr. Kent Reynolds as lone finalist for the position of Superintendent. Per state law, there will be a 21-day waiting period before Mr. Reynolds can officially be hired as superintendent. view article

Denton ISD Superintendent Jamie Wilson announced his retirement Tuesday, capping 12 years of leadership in one of the fastest-growing school districts in the state. view article

The Wells ISD Board of Trustees unanimously voted to name Jimmy Friday Wright as its next superintendent.  Per Texas Education Agency regulations, Wright will serve as interim superintendent for 21 business days before taking the helm. Wright previously served as principal of Wells Junior High/Wells High School for three years.  The kindergarten through 12th grades are housed in the same building, but there is a separate principal for the elementary school. The district has approximately 250 students.  “I have seen the evolution of the district, and I think we are in a good place,” Wright said. “I am very familiar with the community, and they have been very supportive. The meeting had a full house, and staff and students spoke in favor of me.” view article

Former Northwest superintendent Dr. Karen Rue was named interim superintendent at Decatur ISD Monday night. The Decatur School Board voted 7-0 to enter into a contract with Rue, whose tenure at DISD would begin June 24. view article

On Friday, the White Oak ISD school board accepted the superintendent’s resignation. An item at the school board meeting concerned the resignation of the superintendent Dr. William Paul, who has stepped down from his position. view article

A special meeting of the Henderson ISD board of trustees has been called, and the agenda shows the board’s intention to accept the resignation of the superintendent. Dr. Thurston Lamb was named superintendent for Henderson ISD in 2019, after being selected through a lengthy process. Prior to this role, he served as Chief of Schools in Duncanville ISD. In 2022, Lamb was named Regional Superintendent of the Year by the Region 7 Education Service Center. view article

ROGERS, Texas (KXXV) — Duana Brashear is the new superintendent of Rogers ISD. She's been in education for 20 years spending time at Splendora, Lexington, and Cameron — she tells me she comes from a family of educators, but she's the only one to go on the administration side. Her mentor, Rick Kershner, allowed her to follow him to Royal ISD. "And that was my first stint in central administration got to be an assistant superintendent under Rick Kershner in Royal, amazing district, amazing kids, his leadership made me who I am today," Brashear said. She has decorated B's on her wall from students and staff of her past. It's motivation now as she works in her office. She tells me Rogers ISD is filled with less than 900 kids. Teachers and staff, their reputation is filled with excellence. Small and diverse, that’s what attracted her to the position. "I'm not coming to change anything I'm coming to be a part of greatness," Brashear. said view article

Keller has served as the commissioner of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board since 2019. view article

The Graham ISD Board of Trustees accepted the resignation of Superintendent Sonny Cruse during a special-called meeting Tuesday. Cruse’s resignation will be effective at the end of December. “After careful consideration and reflection, I have decided to step down from my role to pursue other opportunities,” Cruse said in his resignation letter.Cruse left his position as deputy superintendent at Huntsville ISD and was named the lone finalist for the GISD superintendent position in July 2015. “It has been an honor and a privilege to serve as superintendent of Graham ISD. Over the past nine years, I have had the opportunity to work alongside dedicated educators, staff members, parents and students who are committed to the success and well-being of our school community,” Cruse said. “Together, we have accomplished many milestones and made significant strides in advancing the educational goals and objectives of the district.” view article