The Holdsworth Center, an Austin-based nonprofit focused on leadership in public education, has selected Texas City ISD to join the Holdsworth Partnership, a multi-year investment to build stronger principals and help YOUR ISD to create its own best-in-class principal pipeline system.
Texas City ISD is among seven districts across the state selected to participate in Holdsworth’s world-class leadership development programs.
“Texas City 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 Texas City 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, Texas City ISD leaders will participate in the 2-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 the central office to help create a bench of strong principals. Every time there is a principal opening, the goal is for Texas City ISD to have at least two strong 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 outsized.
“We don’t believe there are any quick fixes in education. Investing in the skill and capacity of the people working in our schools is the only way we will see true transformation,” Whorton said.
In surveys, 100 percent of alumni respondents said they were stronger leaders because of the skills gained through Holdsworth and were more effective at leading change and delivering excellent and equitable outcomes for students. One hundred percent of superintendents surveyed rate their leadership pipeline as stronger after partnering with Holdsworth for at least three years.
Since its founding in 2017, Holdsworth has served 1,371 educators across 50 districts in more than 200 schools in Texas.
