A Busy Summer and an Exciting Year Ahead at SLC

“We live by each other and for each other. Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much." - Helen Keller

It’s been a few months since our last blog update, and that pause was intentional. Like everyone, we at SLC were ready to take a little time away from coaching and facilitating before things got busy during the summer, and they certainly did.

We closed out Year 2 of our partnership with Meadowbrook Elementary in Fort Worth ISD in May. For the second consecutive year, we conducted an end-of-year data analysis with their principal and Guiding Coalition. It served as an After Action Report that helped guide their summer planning and goal-setting.

I returned in late July for several days to facilitate the development of their goals for the upcoming year and, more importantly, help them determine exactly how they would accomplish them. They established their campus calendar, identified schoolwide essential standards, and developed a highly accountable vertical alignment learning schedule connected to those standards. Their plan was grounded in the great work teachers were already doing while also providing clear direction for their PLCs and outlining how campus administrators would monitor and support the work.

This kind of mutual accountability has been incredibly productive for Meadowbrook. Their accountability rating has continued to climb, from a 78 in 2024 to an 81 in 2025 and a projected 85-88 in 2026. They have accomplished this despite a student mobility rate of roughly 30% and a student population that is more than 92% economically disadvantaged. Meadowbrook continues to be a shining light in FWISD, even as the district navigates the Texas Education Agency (TEA) takeover.

Also this summer, I traveled to Sheldon ISD to spend several days working with Mr. Carter, the new principal of H.M. Carroll Elementary. Having moved from assistant principal to principal, he was eager to take an honest look at his campus and identify several high-leverage priorities as he developed his plan for the year.

Principal Carter did incredible work at Carroll as an assistant principal and is driven to do the same as principal. Like most first-time principals, he is discovering the stark differences between the two roles. However, he is doing a great job of setting his school up for success by focusing on staff relationships while also providing clear direction for the future. Be on the lookout for him and his school. I have no doubt that they will continue helping students grow and succeed.

We were also able to serve Purl Elementary in Georgetown ISD through a three-day summer facilitation with Principal Pazos and her Guiding Coalition. Principal Pazos began serving as principal in December and immediately did a great job of providing direction. Purl needed a leader who could listen thoughtfully while also steering the campus forward.

Although this is her first principalship, we worked together throughout the spring semester to strengthen the campus’s PLC processes and prepare for the 2026–2027 school year. During the summer session, the Guiding Coalition strengthened its trust and psychological safety while developing clear goals through reflective listening and data-driven discussions.

I have been monitoring their progress throughout the summer, and everything shared through their social media pages continues to reflect their growing momentum and direction toward greatness. I believe Purl will be our next campus to experience double-digit gains. I truly have no doubt.

Outside of our facilitation work, I have also been preparing two people to join the great work we are doing at SLC as we continue to grow and expand.

First, I have been working with Michelle Romero, a recently retired principal supervisor from El Paso ISD. Michelle will support our elementary-level coaching and facilitation work. She is also working toward her International Coaching Federation credentials, which will serve her well as a coach. Michelle comes highly recommended by several superintendents and other people whose opinions I deeply trust.

Mr. Tony Runnels from Houston is also joining our crew as a secondary coach and facilitator. Tony comes to us after a long record of incredible work in the Houston area, not only as an educator and principal but also as an assistant superintendent who supervised and supported many principals.

If you know Tony, which you probably do, you know that he seems to know everyone. I believe that is a testament to who he is. Tony is an incredible person who is deeply focused on relationships while also being driven by data and a desire to improve schools. He is currently completing his doctorate and wrapping up some work with Houston-area public schools before joining us more fully.

I look forward to working with Michelle and Tony this year and seeing what they can do for our clients. Both will elevate our already incredible work to new heights. You can read more about them in the “Crew” section of our website.

We have many other reasons to be excited about the upcoming 2026–2027 school year. I am currently finalizing contracts with two new Texas school districts. Each serves more than 40,000 students and has strong new leadership in place for the coming year. We will support both districts through coaching, facilitation, professional learning, and other forms of leadership support as our partnerships grow.

In most districts, we begin small and then expand to serve additional schools and leaders. We can certainly see that happening with these districts as well, and we are excited about both new partnerships.

We also continue to serve our ongoing partners, most of whom have already renewed their contracts for the 2026–2027 school year. Additionally, we have several promising opportunities in other states that appear likely to come together. To say that we are honored and excited would certainly be an understatement.

At noon today, Texas school accountability ratings will become public. As we did last year, we expect the majority of the schools we support to show progress. Our largest anticipated gain is 23 points, from a D to a B, with many other strong gains in between. We will be sharing these successes and celebrating the schools through our social media pages.

I continue to be in awe of the diligence and commitment of these principals and their teachers. They are the ones doing the work every single day, and they deserve to be recognized.

Lastly, and directly connected to this school progress, some people may ask how we continue to support this kind of growth. Well, we have been developing our own framework that principals can use to assess their current practices and then establish a clear focus for themselves as leaders and for their campuses.

Think of it as the essential work a principal must do to be successful, organized in a way that makes the work both “doable” and intentionally engages others. That involvement creates greater ownership and a longer-lasting commitment to high achievement.

I am happy to announce that we are in the beginning stages of working with Solution Tree on a book proposal focused on doing just that: identifying the essentials of the principalship that can help leaders succeed whether they are in Year 1 or Year 10.

We still have a long way to go, including receiving formal approval for the proposal, but I believe this book can be incredibly successful. I expect that we will spend the remainder of this year and probably part of next year completing the manuscript.

If you are working with us this year, please feel free to ask about the framework and how it may serve and support you. Without the success of our partner schools and leaders, this book would not be possible. We deeply appreciate the close partnerships we have developed through the years. Those partnerships have led directly to the development of this manuscript and, hopefully, an eventual published book.

Stay tuned for more information in the future.

That’s it for this rather long blog update. We will continue publishing more in the coming weeks. For now, continue focusing proactively on setting your schools up for success.

We look forward to partnering with you all in September!