Spring Branch ISD Featured News

As summer begins, Spring Branch ISD leaders are already hard at work preparing for the 2022-23 school year.

Leaders across the district attended Leadership U 2022 on June 8-9, an event dedicated to developing systems and a shared vision for the upcoming school year. Attendees engaged in  learning sessions and enjoyed collaborating to develop and refine campus implementation plans. 

“This is a great event where campus leaders and their teams can share their Collective Greatness to benefit our students,” said Annie Wolfe, SBISD executive director of curriculum and instruction. “Through these sessions they will gain valuable strategies to maximize teacher performance and student learning.” 

The event kicked off with SBISD board secretary John Perez addressing attendees and communicating the importance of being an effective leader. Superintendent Dr. Jennifer Blaine also encouraged leaders to reflect, collaborate and plan for the year ahead. She celebrated the importance of their roles and their ability to create powerful moments for our students, and thanked them for their ongoing commitment to Every Child.

During the event, Kristin Craft, associate superintendent of academics, introduced a critical piece of the district’s strategic framework: the completed Core Characteristics of a T-2-4 Ready Graduate. 

The Core Characteristics, identified by a committee of students, parents, employees, partners and community members in 2021, were further developed by campus leaders this year to include defined milestones from the student perspective by the fifth, eighth and 12th grades. Attendees were provided with team time to develop implementation plans to advance the focus on the Core Characteristics for Every Child on their campus. 

Leadership U sessions included Lead4Ward Interventions, Canvas Ready Leaders, Leading in a Time of Stress, Developing an Academically Rigorous Culture, among others, and were presented by leaders across SBISD and national experts. Participants had the opportunity to choose the sessions they wanted to attend. 

“These sessions have been very helpful in helping my team and me develop a shared vision for the upcoming year,” said Thayer Hutcheson, Memorial Drive Elementary principal. “During this time, we have created an accurate picture of where we are going and what strategies need to be implemented to get there.” 

Attendees were also given time to collaborate with their teams and debrief. They discussed what was learned in the sessions and how they will apply that knowledge on their campuses. 

“I have learned a lot in these sessions,” said Brittany McCaleb, a first-grade teacher at Frostwood Elementary. “My team and I have gathered the tools to develop a comprehensive system to help our students succeed.”  

View the full photo album of the event.