A new cohort of school district leaders have been welcomed into the District Leadership Fellows program, a hybrid in-person and online leadership training program for school district superintendents and district leaders run by the Institute for Leadership Impact at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas.
The 2023-2024 cohort includes leaders from school districts across Texas, as well as from Arkansas and Wisconsin. School districts ranging in size from two hundred students to fifty thousand students are included.
Of the program, 2022-2023 participant Dr. Bryan Taulton, Superintendent, Coldspring-Oakhurst CISD, said “The SMU District Leadership Fellows Program has been of tremendous value as not only are you able to establish a student-centered Impact Goal, but also collaborate and network with other school leaders to openly discuss and work through present issues facing education.”
The District Leadership Fellows program is a strengths-based leadership development program that enhances the leadership abilities of established and emerging school district leaders through an intensive year-long cohort. Through collaboration with peers and recognized education experts, Fellows are empowered to solve hard problems in their districts, build their leadership skills, and develop lasting educational leadership networks. The program is hosted by the Institute for Leadership Impact in the Simmons School of Education & Human Development at SMU in Dallas, Texas.
Who’s in the 2023-2024 cohort? School leaders in the upcoming cohort of the District Leadership Fellows program include Dr. Cassandra Barker (Deputy Superintendent, Lancaster ISD), Dr. Matthew Birdwell (Principal, Levelland ISD), Dr. Angie Brooks (Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction, Coppell ISD), Dr. Onjaleke Brown (Superintendent, St. Anthony Academy), Dr. Toriano Green (Superintendent, Osceola School District #1), Dr. Kristin Hebert (Director of Secondary Academics, Plano ISD), Dr. Jason Hewitt (Superintendent, Shepherd ISD), Dr. Tamela Horton (Executive Director of Transformational Learning, Arlington ISD), Dr. Dana Jobe (Superintendent, Universal Academy), Dr. Elizabeth Klammer (Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum & Instruction, Coldspring-Oakhurst CISD), Mrs. Olga Moucoulis (Chief of Staff and Communications, Edgewood ISD), Dr. Jennifer Parker (Community Superintendent, Spring Branch ISD), Dr. Veronica Perkins (Superintendent, Blytheville School District), Mr. Daniel Piña (Director of Transportation, Edgewood ISD), Dr. Tarrynce Robinson (Superintendent of Schools, West Allis-West Milwaukee School District), Dr. Tracie Robinson (Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum, Instruction and Leadership, Westwood ISD), Dr. Teresa Silva (Director of Teaching and Learning, Edgewood ISD), Mrs. Shelly Spaulding (Assistant Superintendent, McKinney ISD), Dr. LaBotta Taylor (Chief Human Resources Officer, Lancaster ISD), Mrs. Janelle Thomas (GEAR UP Project Manager/Program Director, Region 10 ESC), Ms. Gloria M. Walker (ESL Coordinator, Waxahachie ISD), and Dr. Norbert Whitaker (Executive Director of Student Services, Cedar Hill ISD). Dr. Brown is a returning to the program for her second year.
To learn more about Institute for Leadership Impact programs, visit our website, email us at leadershipimpact@smu.edu, and engage with us on Twitter.