Burnet, Casey, Martin, Patton and Walnut Creek get new leaders
On Monday, Austin ISD's Board of Trustees approved new principal appointments for Casey, Patton and Walnut Creek elementary schools and Burnet and Martin middle schools.
Burnet Middle School
The Board of Trustees approved the appointment of David Dean to lead Burnet Middle School.
Dean most recently served as Burnet Middle School's interim principal. In this role, he started new programs such as dual-language and agriculture science, led the implementation of professional learning communities, and increased community involvement through partnerships with APIE, the Community School Alliance and UpClose, and by hosting parent coffees and family fun nights.
He previously served as principal at Hart Elementary School, assistant principal at Hart, a fifth-grade teacher at St. Elmo Elementary School and a second-grade teacher at Johnson Elementary School in Bryan ISD.
Dean has a master's degree in instructional leadership from Sam Houston State University and a bachelor's degree in interdisciplinary studies from the Texas A&M University.
Casey Elementary School
The Board of Trustees approved the appointment of Lina Villarreal to lead Casey Elementary School.
Villarreal most recently served as interim principal at Casey. In this role, she added free breakfast in the classroom and secured funding to provide Prime Time after-school enrichment classes for students. She also transformed the library into a media literacy library to increase students' access to hands-on-technology, and participated in Hour of Code to provide after-school coding classes.
She previously served as assistant principal at Widen Elementary School, a senior bilingual program coordinator at ACE AmeriCorps, assistant principal at Linder Elementary School and a bilingual teacher at Brown Elementary School.
Villarreal has a master's degree in educational administration from the University of Texas at Austin and a bachelor's degree in anthropology from the University of Texas at Austin.
Martin Middle School
The Board of Trustees approved the appointment of Monica de la Garza-Conness to lead Martin Middle School.
Garza-Conness most recently served as Martin Middle School's academic dean. In this role, she helped created and implement positive behavior interventions and support for students, led parent conferences and trainings to increase community involvement and implemented professional development focused on campus needs.
She previously served as assistant principal at Bertha Sadler Means Young Women's Leadership Academy, as ELDA project specialist and a math and ESL instructional coach at Webb Middle School, and as an eighth-grade math teacher at Barnes Middle School in Seguin ISD.
Garza-Conness has a master's degree in educational administration from Concordia University and a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Texas State University-San Marcos.
Patton Elementary School
The Board of Trustees approved the appointment of Dr. Amanda Brantley to lead Patton Elementary School.
Brantley recently served as principal of Pearl Stephens Elementary School in Perry, Ga. In this role, she worked as two existing schools merged to become Pearl Stephens Elementary. She also organized and managed two school openings as an elementary principal.
She previously served as assistant principal at Northside Middle School in Warner Robins, Georgia, literacy coach at Lindsey Elementary School in Warner Robins and a fifth-grade teacher at Lindsey.
Brantley has a doctorate in educational leadership, a master's degree in education administration and a bachelor's degree in elementary education from Mercer University.
Walnut Creek Elementary School
The Board of Trustees approved the appointment of Dinorah Bores to lead Walnut Creek Elementary School.
Bores recently served as interim principal at Walnut Creek. In this role, she created new systems for alignment, student progress monitoring, classroom environments and daily school operations. She worked with parents and teachers to learn the needs of the campus according to parents' perceptions, experiences and views, and also consistently worked to establish a climate of unity and teamwork with staff through team-building activities.
She previously served as principal at Reilly Elementary School, as an administrative supervisor at AISD and as a bilingual third-grade teacher.
Bores has a master's degree in bilingual education from Texas State University and a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Texas at Brownsville.
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Austin ISD is the largest school district in Central Texas, serving more than 83,000 students at 130 schools. Follow AISD on Twitter at @AustinISD or on Facebook at facebook.com/austinisd.