School Leadership

As we enter National Principals Month, I want to take a moment to recognize the extraordinary leadership you provide everyday. We are going into the 7th week of the school year, and already, we've faced huge disruptions related to individual student threats or fake social media threats that have affected your campuses. These incidents create anxiety across our community, and we know that as principals, you are under immense pressure to reassure parents, protect students and staff, and keep your schools safe-all while moving forward towards the goal of improving student outcomes.

Despite these challenges, I am continually inspired by your resilience. During our Executive Leadership Forum you were engaged in the work (these pictures are an example of your commitment to improvement in spite of the distractions). You also took time to help monitor the hallways during transitions. 😀 There was very positive feedback from the Elsik staff due to the incident that occurred the day before. The unified effort was noticed. I am inspired by your dedication as well. Many of you are juggling time off campus for various meetings, managing district initiatives, ensuring walkthroughs and feedback are priority, and maintaining the focus on instructional leadership. I want you to know we see how hard you are working to balance it all, and we are behind the scenes advocating to lighten your load. Your ability to keep your campus focused, safe, and driven toward excellence is what makes you amazing leaders and the heart of your campus. We appreciate you immensely for the work that you do every single day.

Happy National Principals month!!

I want to take a moment to celebrate Alief Early College, having been recently named a Blue Ribbon School- a symbol of excellence in academic achievement and student success. 1 out of 356 schools named across the nation and 1 out of 31 in Texas!! This is no easy feat and I am so excited for and proud of the students and staff. They truly embrace the mindset of "we will win." This accomplishment in Alief ISD serves as a beacon for all of us, reminding us of how high we can climb when we remain committed to our vision. I encourage you to continue to strive for the highest level of excellence, knowing that with persistence, dedication, and teamwork, we can achieve great things.

I know the road is not always easy, but you are making a difference every single day. Keep pushing forward with the same determination and heart that brought you to this role. #BELIEVE.

"Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity." —General George Patton

It is essential that our strategic plan remains at the forefront of our decision making processes. This plan is more than just a document-it's our roadmap, guiding us toward our shared vision for the district. As you navigate the challenges and opportunities that arise, I urge you to consistently align your decisions with the goals and priorities outlined in the strategic plan. Doing this ensures that every action we take brings us one step closer to the excellence we aspire to for our students, staff and community.

To ensure you stay "fit" - I have attached the Fiscal Fitness Handout from our website. As you are aware, we will have a VATRE - Voter Approved Tax Rate Election this November on the ballot. Dr. Mays will be scheduling times to visit with your staff during faculty meetings to ensure as a collective we are educated on "the State of the District" as it relates to this election.

We have had over 7,100 classroom walkthroughs this school year! As you meet with your Administrative teams make it a standing agenda item to review coaching/feedback conversations around improvement.

As we (School Leadership and Dr. Mays) continue to walk classrooms across the district we have noticed trends for opportunities to enhance academic rigor as well as minimal academic peer discourse. Our student demographic with over a 50% emergent bilingual population, requires intentional learning experiences that allow for listening, writing, and speaking opportunities.

• School Leadership Vision - Create an environment for schools that are safe and secure, academically vibrant, and operate with an equity mindset.
• Attendance - Strive for 95!! Every student, every day.
• October is National Principals Month and Breast Cancer Awareness Month
• ***Centegix refresher training should be done quarterly. Key points to cover - Understanding the alerts, Appropriate usage, Reducing False Alarms, and Ongoing training and practice. Please ensure it is done at your next staff meeting. Look for flyer in Leadership Weekly.
• Safety and Security is a Top Priority. All campus visitors must raptor in.
• We are a 1:1 district. All students should have laptops in their possession.

• Benefits Enrollment begins - October 1st
• Board Workshop - October 1st at 6:30 pm
• ILT - Center for Talent Development, October 3rd at 7:45 - 3:45
• Alief Goes Pink - October 5th, Breast Cancer Awareness Walk
• College and Career Night - October 8th @Center for Advanced Careers, 4:30 - 6:00
• Fall Break - October 9th - 11th
• Long Range Planning Day - October 14th
• Special Education Learning Opportunities Sessions - October 14th (Please see flyer in Leadership Weekly)
• Hispanic Heritage Month continues - October 15th
• Board Meeting - October 15th at 6:30pm
• Executive Leadership Forum - Center for Advanced Careers, October 17th at 8:00 - 3:00
• Ensure marquees/websites are updated and relevant.