Dear El Paso ISD,

We are in the middle of a season of gratitude. I want to extend to each of you a sincere word of thanks and my warmest wishes for a safe, joyful Thanksgiving celebration with your loved ones.

I am grateful for the privilege of serving as superintendent of El Paso’s District. I’m also appreciative of the continued, unwavering dedication of our teachers, staff, parents and community members. Your commitment to our students is unmatched and has served us well in our efforts to inspire and empower our students to thrive.

This is evidenced by your outpouring of ideas and input during our recent Hopes and Dreams 2.0 listening sessions. You gave great feedback and, this week, our El Paso ISD Board of Trustees approved our district’s mission, vision and core beliefs, which you helped create. Thank you for helping us create a dynamic future for El Paso’s District!

We strongly believe it starts with us. We relish our role as the pioneers of advancing and advocating for our students, giving educators the tools they need to inspire and empower exemplary citizens who are prepared to thrive in diverse future opportunities. All of this started with us.

We welcome the lofty expectations that come with our high standards. Accountability starts with us, too. As an organization, we are obligated to account for our activities, accept responsibility for them, and disclose results in a transparent manner. We value accountability. And we want our community to share this same sentiment. When we all practice it, trust is solidified, integrity is founded, teamwork prospers, and open communication develops.

A future that realizes the hopes and dreams of this community is attainable. But, if we are going to be true to that vision, we must come together and lift each other up to truly inspire and empower our students to thrive. El Paso ISD is up for the challenge and will consistently make decisions that are student-driven and student-focused.

A big part of learning is reading. We devoted our last day of classes before the break to encourage students and educators to pick up a book and read for 30 minutes. We kicked off Read Across the District – El Paso ISD’s annual literacy event – on Friday at Aoy Elementary School. It was a great opportunity to underscore to students the importance of picking up a book. We will do more to foster a love of reading through “Buenas Noches, El Paso.” This is a new online reading initiative that will feature El Paso celebrities and community leaders reading books for children to watch online through our website. Let’s all help our children develop a love of reading.

It's been a great year so far. I look forward to seeing all of you when we return Monday, Nov. 28. Let’s be ready to close the year on a high note.

It starts with us.

Sincerely,

Diana Sayavedra
Superintendent of Schools