Rebecca Brown, Nicole Moore, and Yolanda Rodríguez
HISD Superintendent Richard Carranza announced several new leadership appointments and a restructuring of the district’s Schools Office, improvements that are part of a larger effort to better meet the needs of HISD students, especially in historically underserved schools.
The district is welcoming three new chief school officers, all of whom have extensive school-based experience, having served as principals, assistant principals, and school support officers. They will join Chief School Officers Dr. Jorge L. Arredondo (East), Ms. Julia Dimmitt (North), and Dr. Steven Gutierrez (Northwest) and will report to Chief Academic Officer Dr. Grenita Lathan to align management of the schools with curriculum and instruction. In order to better focus on the 10 most intensive schools, they have been organized under one chief school officer and will be called the superintendent’s schools. In addition, the other Achieve 180 schools will be organized under their own chief school officer. All chief school officers will report to Dr. Lathan. Dr. Sam Sarabia, deputy superintendent, will be responsible for coordinating and aligning critical district functions, processes, and special projects that encompass multiple divisions.
Rebecca Brown will serve as chief school officer of the West Area. Dr. Brown has served as a school support officer in the district’s East Area since July 2015, supporting all the schools in the Milby feeder pattern. Before joining HISD, she worked in Aldine ISD for 23 years as a teacher, instructional specialist, assistant principal, and principal. Dr. Brown holds a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies from the University of Houston and both a master’s and doctoral degree in education administration from Prairie View A&M University.
Nicole Moore will serve as chief school officer of the South Area. Ms. Moore has been a school support officer in the district’s South Area since 2013. She previously served as principal of Key Middle School, which had significant growth in student achievement for three consecutive years under her leadership. During her tenure at Key, she was named HISD Middle School Principal of the Year in 2013. Prior to becoming a middle school principal, Ms. Moore was the principal of R.P. Harris Elementary School. She has a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Rust College in Mississippi and a master’s degree in educational leadership from Mississippi State University.
Yolanda Rodríguez will serve as chief school officer of the superintendent’s schools, focusing on the 10 campuses that have remained on the state’s “Improvement Required” list for five or more years. Ms. Rodríguez is a graduate of Northside High School and a 23-year veteran of Team HISD. She comes to her new role after two years as a school support officer, most recently in the Northeast Area. She was instrumental in improving academics at the following schools to the point where they are no longer IR schools: Codwell, Cook, Foster, Kashmere Gardens, Montgomery, Milne, and Petersen elementary schools and Key Middle School. Ms. Rodríguez started her teaching career at Roosevelt Elementary School, where she worked as an instructional coordinator and assistant principal before moving to De Zavala Elementary to become the principal in 2010. Under her leadership, De Zavala earned exemplary status from the TEA in 2011. Ms. Rodríguez holds both a bachelor’s and master’s degree from the University of Houston.
Dr. Erick Pruitt will serve as chief school officer of Achieve 180. Dr. Pruitt previously served as chief school officer of the South Area. He began his career in education as a teacher at Woodlawn Community School in the Chicago Public Schools and then served as a New Leaders resident principal, contract principal, and deputy chief of schools. Dr. Pruitt served in the East Area Schools Office as a school support officer, supporting the schools in the Wheatley feeder pattern. Throughout Dr. Pruitt’s career, he has maintained a focus on cultivating school leadership, improving teacher practice, and establishing productive relationships to build sustainable schools that improve student success. He holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Purdue University, a master’s degree from Loyola University Chicago, and a doctoral degree from National Louis University.
Three members of Team HISD will serve as assistant superintendents for the district.
Dr. Rolando “Rudy” Trevino will serve as assistant superintendent of wraparound services, Dr. Matilda “Maty” Orozco will serve as assistant superintendent of technology, and Dr. Jocelyn Mouton will serve as assistant superintendent of academics.
All appointments are effective immediately.