Diana Sayavedra arrived at El Paso ISD on Jan. 4, 2022, intent on making an impact. 

After more than a year at the helm, that impact is evident. Sayavedra was recently named a Superintendent to Watch by the National School Public Relations Association. More importantly, she has El Paso ISD on an upward trajectory and infused with a culture of action aimed at meeting a newly adopted mission and vision, and armed with an approved Hopes and Dreams Realized 2022-2025 strategic blueprint. 

Under Sayavedra, the district will bolster its academic offerings beginning in 2023-24 with the expansion of Pre-K 3 and Pre-K 4 programs as well as the introduction of a Montessori program. These significant enhancements add to current El Paso ISD offerings, which include more than 40 innovative high school programs that offer the region’s highest number of options to earn associate degrees, college credit and industry certifications. 

Sayavedra’s Team of 8 – a melding between her and the seven district trustees — cultivates and develops systems that link the board room to the classroom. The group has been strengthened by, among other things, its participation in a Harvard Business School Executive Education program. 

Sayavedra also is part of the second cohort of the Superintendent Leadership Program of the Holdsworth Center, an Austin-based leadership institute devoted to strengthening Texas schools. 

An expert in curriculum and instruction, Sayavedra started her teaching career 30 years ago in Laredo, Texas. She has served in different leadership roles in education throughout the state including a stint as interim superintendent of Fort Bend ISD. Sayavedra received a Bachelor of Arts in English and physical science from the University of Texas at Austin and a Master of Science in education administration from Texas A&M University. She currently is finishing a doctorate in philosophy in education administration from Texas A&M.