HCISD, in partnership with the Holdsworth Center, has developed a Principal Residency program that will enable select assistant principals to have a unique opportunity to develop into future principal candidates.
“The power of the residency is going to be phenomenal in our district,” Assistant Superintendent for Leadership and Innovation Veronica Kortan said. “When we entered the Holdsworth partnership, we talked about talent pipelines and how we were going to create this fabulous system of making sure that we were not going to leave things to chance. Rather, we were going be proactive and make sure we always had a bench full of strength to fill every single position in our district.”
This residency program will allow cohort members to fully immerse in an 18-month principal practicum that will provide them with individualized professional learning to enhance their skillset.
“These principal residents will be partnered up with a principal that compliments their areas of growth and development,” Kortan said. “They will be with that principal until December. Then in January 2023, they will begin a new placement, again with a principal that is going to complement their areas of growth. At the end of their residency in June of 2023, we will see where we end up. We are going to stay true to the interview process, but our hope is that all of our residents, at some point, become a principal in our district.”
Three current HCISD assistant principals were selected to form the first cohort of the Principal Residency Program.
Elizabeth Minto Bauer, assistant principal at Cano Freshman Academy was selected as a principal resident. Minto Bauer has been at Cano for three years. Prior to that, she served as an assistant principal at Harlingen High School. She also served as a counselor and a teacher at a middle school, as well as a counselor at the elementary level.
Katherine Johnson, assistant principal at Stuart Place Elementary was selected as a principal resident. Prior to coming to Harlingen, Johnson was in United ISD as an academic coordinator and a teacher. She was also part of the district Speech, Drama, and Debate program as a student in HCISD.
Antonia Salas, assistant principal at Jefferson Elementary was selected as a principal resident. Salas has been an assistant principal at Jefferson for six years. Prior to that, she was at Austin Elementary for seven years. She first joined HCISD as a math teacher at Coakley Middle School.
“The Principal Residency Program is an incredible opportunity to continue to develop the immense talent we have within our district,” Superintendent Dr. Alicia Noyola said. “It’s exciting to see our first cohort of assistant principals take part in this residency.”
The principal residents were announced at the January Board Meeting.
Board Secretary Javier De Leon commented on how proud he was to see such amazing leaders take part in the program.
“It is so refreshing and amazing to see three rock stars right in front of us, not only stepping up but powering up to lead the next generation of students that we have and then future staff as well,” De Leon said. “It’s great seeing the journey that you are forming and where you are going to be going. It’s just refreshing to know that we’re in good hands, not only with the principals that we have now but also with the principals that are on deck waiting to go next.”
Board President, Gerry Fleuriet shared her excitement and complimented the district for leading the State with this new initiative.
“We are super proud,” Fleuriet said.” It’s a fabulous idea, and we look forward to great things coming from it.”
