Sandy Gaw has been named school support officer for the Northwest Schools Office. A native Houstonian and graduate of HISD schools, she began her career with the district as a fourth–grade bilingual teacher at Herrera Elementary and taught ESL at Sam Houston MSTC High School. Gaw worked as assistant principal at Katherine Smith Elementary and dean of students at Tanglewood Middle before becoming principal at De Chaumes Elementary. Most recently, Gaw was assistant superintendent of Teacher Development, where she supported new and beginning teachers. She holds an undergraduate degree in psychology and Spanish from University of Houston and a master’s degree in educational leadership from Houston Baptist University.
Category Archives: Staff updates
Dr. Katie Bradarich named new principal of Lanier Middle School
Dr. Katie Bradarich has been appointed principal of Lanier Middle School. Dr. Bradarich has been an educator for 16 years, serving in various roles, including teacher, curriculum administrator, and assistant principal. She began her career in Chicago as a middle–school English language arts and reading teacher. She then moved to a St. Louis middle school, where she served as department chair, peer assessment leader, quality instructional leader, professional learning communities coach, reading specialist, and literacy coach. In 2011, while serving on the board of directors of the International Mind, Brain, and Education Society, she was recruited by the Monarch School and Institute in Houston to direct curriculum and instruction for individuals with neurological differences. In 2016, Dr. Bradarich joined HISD as assistant principal of Furr High School. She earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from UCLA, a master’s degree in teaching from National Louis University, and a Ph.D. in teaching and learning from University of Missouri, St. Louis. Dr. Bradarich completed her principal certification with Harris County Department of Education.
Rod Treviño named new principal of Scarborough High School
Rod Treviño has been appointed principal of Scarborough High School. Treviño has served as a public school educator for more than 19 years, beginning his career at Johnston High School in Austin ISD, where he taught English and served as chairman of the English Department and assistant principal. Most recently, he was principal of Dahlstrom Middle School in Hays Consolidated ISD. Treviño is a native Texan and received his undergraduate degree in English from University of Texas at Austin and his master’s degree in educational leadership from Texas State University. Most recently, he completed work as a member of the leadership cohort at Harvard University with a specialization in family and community engagement.
Tracy Clemons named HISD press secretary
Tracy Clemons has been appointed press secretary for the Houston Independent School District.
Clemons is a passionate storyteller with a journalism career that’s taken him across the country. He came to Houston as a reporter/multi-media journalist for ABC13, most recently focusing on the 10 p.m. news. He covered Michael Brown’s death in Ferguson, Mo., the Charleston Church massacre, and the police shooting of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, La. Locally, he’s covered his share of breaking news, but he’s most proud of his record of telling community-oriented stories that make viewers smarter and more engaged.
Clemons is originally from Virginia. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia and a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Maryland-College Park. Prior to ABC13, he worked in Charlottesville, Va., as a reporter, in Shreveport, La., as a reporter/anchor, and in St. Louis, Mo., as a reporter/multi-media journalist.
“Being a reporter was my dream since I was 10. I can say I lived that dream,” says Clemons. “Walking away is bittersweet, but the chance to tell HISD’s story every day is an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. It’s been a joy being part of one of the best news teams in America at ABC13, but I look forward to this new chapter.”
Clemons began in his new role Monday, July 24.
Stephen Gittens named new principal of Woodson K-8 Academy
Stephen Gittens has been appointed principal of Woodson K-8 Academy. He has served HISD for 18 years in various capacities, including as a teacher at Wesley and Cornelius elementary schools, assistant principal at Brookline and Whidby elementaries, and for the past five years, principal of Hobby Elementary. Under Gittens leadership, Hobby moved from Improvement Required to Met Standard after his first year. A Madison High School graduate, he earned a bachelor of arts in child psychology from Colorado University and holds two masters, one in leadership and management from Prairie View A&M and a second in business from Rice University. Gittens is an Olympian in track and field.
Diana Fernandez-Chavez named new principal of Grissom Elementary
Diana Fernandez-Chavez has been appointed principal of Grissom Elementary School. Fernandez-Chavez has been an educator for 15 years, serving in various roles from teacher to assistant principal. She began her career as a first-grade teacher at Faulk Early Childhood School in Aransas Pass ISD. Fernandez-Chavez comes to HISD from Corpus Christi ISD, where she served as a pre-K teacher, instructional technology specialist, coach for Advanced Academics and AVID, and assistant principal. She holds a bachelor’s and a master’s degrees from Texas A&M University Corpus Christi.
Eric Tingle named new principal of Sugar Grove Academy
Eric Tingle has been selected as the new principal of Sugar Grove Academy. Tingle, formerly principal at Foster Elementary School, has been an educator for 11 years and has served in various roles – from teacher to principal. He began his career in Alief ISD as a fourth-grade teacher and math interventionist at Horn Elementary School. He also served as the assistant principal of Law Elementary School prior to becoming the principal of Foster Elementary School in 2013. Tingle earned his bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from the University of Oklahoma. He earned his master’s degree in Educational Management and doctoral degree in Educational Leadership from the University of Houston-Clear Lake.
Victor Garcia named new principal of Port Houston Elementary
Victor Garcia has been selected as the new principal at Port Houston Elementary School. Garcia is a proud product of HISD, having attended Wesley Elementary School, The Rice School, and Sam Houston MSTC. Garcia attended the University of Houston-Downtown for his undergraduate degree in Urban Education. After receiving his bachelor’s degree, he was hired as a full-time teacher at Ketelsen Elementary School, teaching fifth grade for two years and fourth grade for six years. He was also chosen for HISD’s University of St. Thomas Educational Leadership Cohort, and in 2016 he earned his master’s degree in Educational Leadership. His leadership experiences also include the position of instructional specialist and assistant principal at Benavidez Elementary.
Franklin Cahuasqui named new principal of Bonner Elementary
Franklin Cahuasqui has been selected as the new principal of Bonner Elementary School. Cahuasqui has been an educator for 11 years and has served HISD as a fifth-grade bilingual teacher, assistant principal, and principal. He began his career at Seguin Elementary School before joining Hartman Middle School as a dean of students. Since 2014, he has served as the principal at Briscoe Elementary School. Cahuasqui earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Houston, master’s degree in educational leadership from Sam Houston State University, and is currently completing his doctoral studies at Texas A&M University.
Mayra Ramon named new principal of Crespo Elementary
Mayra Ramon has been selected as the new principal at Crespo Elementary School. Ramon previously was the principal at Sanchez Elementary School, where she dedicated the last eight years in a leadership role as assistant principal since 2009 and as principal in 2013, She has been a member of the HISD team since 2000. Under her leadership, Sanchez Elementary School has been named a two-time bronze and silver national award winner from the National Center of Urban School Transformation, earned a Houston Top Gold Ribbon from the Children at Risk Organization, and has consistently received Distinctions from the Texas Education Agency. Ramon graduated cum laude from the University of Texas–Pan American with a Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies with a minor in Bilingual/Bicultural studies, earned a Master of Education in Administration and Supervision from the University of Phoenix, and has completed courses toward a master’s in Counseling from Sam Houston State University.