Chamber President & CEO Richard Perez joined SAISD Principal Moises Ortiz at Rhodes Middle School to get a glimpse into the life of a school principal. SAISD’s Principal for a Day initiative invited business and community leaders to spend a morning with principals across the district and experience the dynamics of managing a school.
Ortiz, recently appointed to serve as principal of Lanier High School next academic year, began the day with an overview of his three years at Rhodes MS. His insistence on making sure every academic exercise is meaningful, relevant, and rigorous took Rhodes from an IR (Improvement Required) rated school to one of the best in the district. Ortiz attributes that to the instructional coaches, faculty, and staff that use a Professional Learning Community (PLC) model for continual development and improvement. The model empowers teachers to be innovative and challenge one another to be better teachers. “We believe in our kids,” Ortiz said, “we have compassion for them and know they can master any subject through engaged learning.”
“Leadership at the school level makes all the difference,” Perez said of his experience. “It’s a huge responsibility to educate and prepare students for lifelong success. Principal Ortiz has done a great job of bearing that responsibility alongside his team.”
Commenting on the Chamber’s participation in Principal for a Day, Perez explained that the Chamber has been a staunch policy advocate for equitable access to excellent education. “We have long served as a bridge between industry needs and educational institutions,” Perez said.