Dallas ISD’s innovative LEAD department has launched new programs to help create homegrown leaders.
LEAD, which stands for Leader Excellence, Advancement and Development, aims to cultivate leadership that inspires an unwavering commitment to equity and excellence in Dallas ISD schools to ensure that all students are career- and college-strong.
“We have seen firsthand that when you grow your own leaders, they are familiar with the district and are more successful,” said Jolee Healey, deputy chief of Priority Schools and Leadership Development. “We are committed to supporting these future leaders with the training and development they need to succeed.”
Here are the innovative LEAD programs underway:
- Learn2LEAD is comprised of various pathways to school leadership. Each university partner’s principal preparation program offers individuals a master’s degree in education and eligibility for principal certification. These programs are co-developed by LEAD and the university, designed specifically to meet the unique needs of Dallas ISD.
- Bridge2LEAD supports individuals who already hold a principal certification and aspire to take the next step as an assistant principal.
- The New Assistant Principal Academy (NAPA) is a two-year program that provides development in the key adaptive skills focused on leading people, leading instruction, and leading systems.
- The Future Principals Institute is a one-year program designed to prepare high-performing assistant principals to become principals in the next one to two years. This program incorporates a cohort-model-based structure that creates collaborative opportunities for participants to engage in critical leadership topics.
- The Principal Residency Program is an intensive, one-year program designed to prepare high-performing assistant principals to become principals within the next year. This program features 1:1 coaching and a residency opportunity so that participants gain real-world experiences that will prepare them to successfully lead in Dallas ISD.
- The New Principal Academy is designed for leaders in their first two years as Dallas ISD principals. The program focuses on building executive leadership skills such as leader resiliency, managing adults and setting organizational culture, all necessary to be a successful leader of others.
