Rita Graves has been selected as the new principal for Lamar High School. Graves has served HISD for 20 years, starting as a first-grade teacher and reading specialist at Poe Elementary School. She then served as magnet coordinator and dean of magnet students at Pin Oak Middle School, a foreign language magnet school and National Blue Ribbon School, where she started a Chinese language program to complement the existing language program. Graves served as principal of Roberts Elementary School for six years and Pin Oak for three years. She has served on the U.S. Department of Education’s NAEP Principals’ Panel since 2014 and also participates on the NAEP Transcript Study Advisory Panel. Graves currently serves on the board of Texas Association of Secondary School Principals and is the former president of the Houston Association of School Administrators. Graves graduated from the University of Houston and was named Outstanding Young Alumna in 1998.
Category Archives: Staff updates
Nirmol Lim named new principal of Jones Futures Academy
Nirmol Lim has been selected as principal of Jones Futures Academy. Most recently, Lim served as the principal of Park Place Elementary School for three years. Prior to her principalship, she served as dean of instruction at Hartman Middle School and as a math teacher development specialist, collaborating with K-5 teachers throughout the district to strengthen their math practices. She began her teaching career in 2003 at Seguin Elementary School as a fifth-grade teacher and was identified as an ASPIRE Highly Effective Teacher for the district. Lim earned her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from University of Houston and her Master of Educational Administration from Sam Houston State University. She is currently completing her Doctor of Education in Public School Administration from Texas A&M University.
Klinger Casquete named new principal of Bonner Elementary
Klinger Casquete has been selected as the new principal of Bonner Elementary School. Casquete has been an educator for 23 years and has served HISD as a sixth-grade bilingual teacher and assistant principal. He began his career at the University of Puerto Rico before joining Navarro Middle School in 1997. He joined Austin High School as assistant principal in 2003. Most recently, Casquete served as assistant principal at Bonner Elementary. Casquete earned his bachelor’s degree in English and French Education as a Foreign Language from the University of Cauca in Colombia, Master of Arts in English Education from the University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez, and his school administration degree at Texas Southern University.
MyThesia Johnson named new principal of Tinsley Elementary School
MyThesia Johnson has been selected as the new principal of Eleanor Tinsley Elementary School. Johnson began her career in education in 2003 as a fourth-grade teacher at HISD’s Osborne Elementary School. Johnson also served as an instructional coordinator at Osborne and assistant principal at Bruce and Foster elementary schools. At Foster, she helped get the campus out of Improvement Required and moving toward being a candidate for the International Baccalaureate program, as well as a Texas Honor Roll School. She earned her Bachelor of Science from University of Houston and Master in Educational Leadership from Walden University.
Christyn McCloskey named new principal of Stevenson Middle School
Christyn McCloskey has been selected as the new principal of Stevenson Middle School. McCloskey began her career in HISD at Ortiz Middle School, where she taught sixth grade math for 5 years. Throughout her time at Ortiz, she developed her leadership skills as a team lead, department chair, and teacher specialist before joining the leadership team at Stevenson. McCloskey served in various roles at Stevenson over the past three years, including magnet coordinator and dean of instruction. McCloskey earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Oregon in Political Science and her Master of Business Administration from Rice University with an emphasis in the Entrepreneurship Program (REEP). Most recently, she earned a Certificate in Education Finance (CEF) from Georgetown University.
Ruth Ruiz named new principal of Milby High School
Ruth Ruiz has been selected as the new principal of Milby High School. She has 20 years of experience, having served as a bilingual elementary teacher of Davila Elementary School, ESL math middle school teacher at Deady Middle School, instructional coordinator at Lewis Elementary School, assistant principal at Ortiz Middle School, and principal of Stevenson Middle School. Under her leadership, Stevenson obtained all seven TEA distinctions in accountability ratings from the state of Texas. In addition, Stevenson was ranked number two in the state of Texas for closing achievement gaps. In 2017, Ruiz was recognized as one of the Top Gold Ribbon Middle School according to Children at Risk. Ruiz earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Houston and a master’s degree from the University of Phoenix. She is also a product of HISD schools, graduating from Milby High School. She looks forward to going back home to lead her former high school.
Shameika Sykes-Salvador named new principal of Wilson Montessori
Shameika Sykes-Salvador has been selected as the new principal of Wilson Montessori School. Sykes-Salvador has 20 years of experience in public education. She began her career as an elementary school teacher in Thomasville, North Carolina. In 2015, Sykes-Salvador joined Team HISD as a teacher development specialist. For the last two years, she has served as assistant principal at Berry Elementary School. Before arriving in Houston, Sykes-Salvador served in various roles, including middle school teacher, elementary reading coordinator, Montessori curriculum facilitator, and district Social Studies/Literacy coordinator. Sykes-Salvador earned her bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from North Carolina A&T State University. She holds a master’s degree in Educational Administration and Supervision from St. Xavier University as well as a master’s degree in Curriculum & Instruction.
Keri Ward named new principal of R. Martinez Elementary
Keri Ward has been selected as the new principal of Raul Martinez Elementary. Ward began her teaching career in 2009 as a first-grade ESL teacher in HISD’s Benavidez Elementary School. She has also served as a teacher at Cornelius Elementary School. She continued serving HISD as a school counselor and then assistant principal at Thurgood Marshall Elementary School from 2013-2017 and was part of the initial turnaround team when North Forest ISD transitioned to HISD. She most recently served as assistant principal at McReynolds Middle School. Ward earned her Bachelor of Science in Education and Master of Science in Counseling from the University of Houston-Clear Lake.
Monijit Katial named new principal of Revere Middle School
Monijit Katial has been selected as the new principal of Revere Middle School. Katial has served HISD for seven years and has over 10 years of experience in education across Houston, including teaching at the elementary and middle school levels in math, science, and reading, serving as HISD Linked learning manager, assistant principal at McReynolds Middle School and Alternative Certification Department as a senior manager. She has a Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies and a Master of Educational Management from the University of Houston, and an MBA with a focus on educational transformation through the REEP (Rice Educational Entrepreneurship Program) from Rice University.
Tesha Foreman named new principal of Fleming Middle School
Tesha Foreman has been selected as the new principal of Fleming Middle School. Foreman began her career in HISD in 2002 as a special education teacher at Paul Revere Middle School. She spent time as dean of students and assistant principal at Revere, Fleming, and West Briar middle schools. Most recently, Foreman served as the Interim Principal at Sugar Grove Academy. She earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree and Master’s Degree in Educational Administration at Prairie View A&M University.