(EL PASO INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT — May 26, 2023) — The El Paso Independent School District is one of seven districts throughout the state selected to a prestigious partnership program designed to strengthen the district’s principal ranks with the Holdsworth Center, an Austin-based nonprofit focused on leadership in public education.  

 

As the pioneer of education in El Paso, the district’s relentless pursuit to deliver high-quality learning experiences has revealed a need for a focus on building leadership excellence. Holdsworth’s world-class leadership development program will be instrumental in building stronger principals and helping El Paso ISD create its own best-in-class principal pipeline system.

 

"The Holdsworth Center Partnership Program is one of the most prestigious educational leadership programs in the country, and being accepted into the program is an incredible honor,” Superintendent Diana Sayavedra said. “It is a true testament to the hard work and dedication of our entire school community. El Paso ISD will benefit from this exciting opportunity to collaborate with other passionate leaders and further our commitment to excellence in education to inspire and empower all students to thrive."

 

El Paso’s District is primed to take a dramatic step forward in 2023. The district adopted a new mission, vision, and core values, and augmented it with its Hopes and Dreams Realized 2022-2025 strategic blueprint. To meet the targets of the strategic levers and essential actions contained within the blueprint, the district knows it must commit to building leaders who can inspire and empower students and staff to thrive.    

 

The district’s primary objective while engaged with the Holdsworth Center in this partnership is to become proficient in the core components of the Holdsworth framework. Doing so will allow El Paso ISD to facilitate the work that must be executed and subsequently translate it into the installation of systems and actions that will propel the district forward. Holdsworth will be the vessel that guides the building of systems that will allow El Paso ISD to execute what is learned through the partnership.      

 

“El Paso ISD demonstrated a strong commitment to developing leaders and a growth mindset around learning new concepts,” said Dr. Lindsay Whorton, president of the Holdsworth Center. “The goal is to help the expert educators in El Paso ISD become skilled, visionary district and school leaders who can provide the support teachers and students need to thrive. Great leaders draw out the best in people and inspire them to achieve the unimaginable. Leadership is not a skill people are born with – it can be taught and honed through day-to-day practice.”  

 

As part of the partnership, El Paso ISD leaders will participate in the multi-year District Leadership and Campus Leadership Programs to receive the inspiration, tools and resources needed to grow their skills and drive positive change.  

In addition, Holdsworth District Support Team members will embed within central office to help create a bench of strong principals. Every time there is a principal opening, the goal is for El Paso ISD to have at least two highly qualified and well-trained leaders ready to step into the role and make an impact for students from day one.  

 

Research shows that effective principals can significantly impact student outcomes by creating the conditions for teachers to thrive. Because principals influence the working conditions and skill level of every teacher in the building, their impact is paramount.