On October 9, TREC Director of Public Policy Bryan Tony was invited to participate in the Dallas Independent School District’s Principal For a Day program. The following essay is Bryan’s reflection on the experience.
I pulled into the parking lot of Lorenzo De Zavala Elementary School in West Dallas, excited to spend the morning as “Principal For A Day.” After looking around for the front entrance like a student arriving for his first day of school, I made my way in and was greeted by Principal Melissa Gonzalez and Assistant Principal Amanda Brown. Their passion and energy for their students could not be mistaken, and it permeated through the whole campus. I could especially tell the positive culture at the school seeing Andres, a student I tutor on Saturdays, bouncing around the halls.
The agenda for the day included: a model teaching lesson led by Principal Gonzalez in front of a new teacher, a tour of the school, working the Scholastic Book Fair (a favorite of mine growing up), and observing teachers. Teacher observations, a formal evaluation process that is tied to future raises, provide consistent feedback for teachers. It is not unlike the performance reviews we often experience in our own workplaces.
De Zavala Elementary is thriving, educating over 440 neighborhood students from Pre-kindergarten through sixth grade, and providing Montessori education to its earliest grade levels. My limited understanding of Montessori assumed the best benefit was having no grades! However, the free-flowing, calm Montessori classroom I stepped foot in showed young, curious, and self-motivated learners becoming self-sufficient, interacting with different activities at their own pace. The teacher acts more like a facilitator and provides students with guidance and support as needed.
In thinking of ways we must educate our students holistically, I pondered the importance of TREC’s role in Dallas: promoting economic development, investments in transportation infrastructure, and access to housing for all members of our community, all of which work together in supporting strong schools and thriving neighborhoods. For rapidly-developing neighborhoods like West Dallas, neighborhood-specific strategies can prevent displacement and keep housing units affordable to a wide range of incomes. It is one of the reasons why TREC is embarking on a 12-month planning program that includes asset mapping and the creation of a plan for equitable community development that preserves West Dallas’ distinctive history and culture.
Dallas ISD has made immense strides in recent years, and De Zavala Elementary is another shining example as one of four neighborhood schools within the district that offers Montessori education at no cost. To continue Dallas ISD’s progress, and further investments in unique schools like De Zavala, there are four prominent propositions on this November’s ballot: A, B, C, & D. You may learn more at https://www.dallasvotes4kids.com/. I look forward to building additional supports for principals like Principal Gonzalez, teachers like the ones using Montessori pedagogy, and students like Andres, who all rely on community leadership to craft policy that benefits all.
