BISD SELECTS DR. WALTER JACKSON LONE SUPERINTENDENT FINALIST

  

The Brenham ISD Board of Trustees announced the lone finalist for its vacant superintendent’s post at their noon meeting today (Wednesday).  The board approved the hiring of Alief Superintendent Dr. Walter Jackson to take over the position in Brenham.  He will succeed Sam Bell, who announced his resignation back in October.

Jackson will now undergo a 21-day waiting period before he can officially sign a contract with the school district. While no start date has been set, the board had earlier stated they wanted to have a new superintendent in office by April 20th.

Dr. Jackson comes to the Brenham district from Alief ISD where he served as a teacher, assistant principal, associate principal, middle school principal, and high school principal. Currently, Dr. Jackson serves as an area superintendent in the Alief Independent School District.  He received a Bachelor’s degree from Texas Southern University in 1994, Master of Education degree from Prairie View A&M University in 1998, and the Doctor of Education from Baylor University in 2006.

Dr. Jackson explains what strengths he brings to the Brenham Superintendent’s position:

 

Dr. Jackson plans to relocate to Brenham with his wife Tanya, and their children, Braelin 14, and Bailey 9.  He commented that he would be meeting with a realtor this afternoon to look at homes.

Dr. Walter Jackson addresses the BISD board.
Dr. Walter Jackson addresses the BISD board.

 Full BISD press release:

 

Dr Walter Jackson small
Dr. Walter Jackson

Dr. Walter Jackson has twenty-one years of experience in public education with an expertise in urban turnaround and transformational leadership. Dr. Jackson has worked in Alief ISD as a teacher, assistant principal, associate principal, middle school principal, and high school principal. Currently, Dr. Jackson serves as an area superintendent where he supports the teaching, learning and business operations of more than 47,000 students in the Alief Independent School District, Houston, Texas.

Before accepting the coordinating principal position at Taylor High School, Dr. Jackson was principal at Albright Middle School. Albright was identified as a high performing middle school and ranked as one of the “Best Public Schools in Texas” by the NCEA (National Center for Educational Accountability) and highlighted in the December 2006 Texas Monthly Magazine. In 2007 Albright was recognized as a Texas Education Agency “Recognized” School.

In 2010 Taylor High School, under Dr. Jackson’s leadership, was listed in the Houston Chronicle by the Children at Risk Foundation as one of the “Best Urban High Schools in The Greater Houston Area.” Dr. Jackson received a Bachelor’s degree from Texas Southern University in 1994, Master of Education degree from Prairie View A&M University in 1998, and the Doctor of Education from Baylor University in 2006. While working on his doctorate at Baylor, Dr. Jackson had the opportunity to study international comparative education in Austria, Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands. In 2006, Dr. Jackson attended the Harvard Graduate School of Education. As a Harvard Principal Scholar, Dr. Jackson collaborated with an elite group of the nation’s brightest school leaders and scholars on the challenges school leaders face in public education.

Dr. Jackson currently teaches in the masters and doctoral programs for the University of Houston System. He also serves as a leadership coach and field advisor to MBA students and aspiring principals at Rice University.

Although Dr. Jackson’s educational experience is in the Houston area, he is no stranger to life in a small Texas town. Born and raised near Liberty, Texas, Dr. Jackson has a strong affinity for the rural and small town feeling. "My roots are in the country! In fact, Brenham is twice the size of the little town I'm from," says Dr. Jackson. He won't miss the big city traffic and hustle and bustle of city life for one minute.  He is looking forward to the quiet, small town atmosphere where he remembers 'everybody knowing your family' and being willing to lend each other a helping hand.  Dr. Jackson is even more excited about the level of community engagement and support that is exhibited towards the public school sporting and extra-curricular events.

Dr. Jackson's family is excited about the move to Brenham.  His wife, Tanya, a public school educator, looks forward to volunteering and serving in organizations that support the Brenham schools. Son Braelin, 14, will be a sophomore at Brenham High School in the fall of 2015. He is eager to join the basketball and track teams.  Daughter Bailey, 9, is excited about starting a new school, cheerleading, and she has already committed to attending Texas A&M in 2023. Bailey will be a fifth grader in the fall.

Dr. Jackson has often been referred to by his colleagues as personal, caring, and down to earth. He believes he inherited the gift of being a people person from his mother and from growing up playing music, directing the choir, and teaching Sunday school at his local church. Never at a loss for words, he believes in the transformative power of meaningful relationships. Dr. Jackson often uses humor and life quotes he grew up hearing the “old-timers" say to make sense of daily challenges in a complex world.

The entire board of trustees could not be more enthusiastic about welcoming Dr. Jackson to Brenham. “The board unanimously and enthusiastically chose Dr. Jackson as superintendent. His resume and references are outstanding,” says Board President Melvin Ehlert. “But he isn’t just good on paper. Dr. Jackson’s knowledge and experience in education is equaled by his passion for people and his dynamic leadership style. His energy is truly contagious, and I think that’s something we need right now.”

One of the things that impressed the board was his dedication and track record in giving all students the best education possible. From closing achievement gaps in subgroups to understanding the unique needs of high achieving students, Dr. Jackson’s goals for the district recognize the importance of all areas to the district’s success.

The first 90 days will be busy for Dr. Jackson, but he’s looking forward to learning as much about the district as possible. “The first 90 days of my tenure as superintendent of Brenham ISD will be my ‘Listening and Learning Tour.’ My goal will be to visit all schools frequently, meet with students, parents, principals, and teachers to hear their likes, dislikes, and recommendations for district-wide improvement.” Dr. Jackson also plans to create a transition team that will conduct a thorough review of the school system to highlight its strengths and identify areas where additional focus is needed. “Excellence is our goal,” says Dr. Jackson.

 

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12 Comments

  1. Dr. Jackson is an amazing LEADER! He believed in me in 2006 as a new Educator. Dr. Jackson would be a great asset to BISD.

  2. Hello Dr, Jackson,

    Congratulations! Bev. and I are very, very proud of you. We wish you and your family the best!

  3. So sad to see him leave Alief. Brenham ISD is getting a gem. He is going to have your school district thriving. His energy is contagious. Everything that was said in this article is true. He will be truly missed. Congratulation Dr. Jackson!

  4. I graduated from Taylor in 2009, so I was there when he first came to Taylor, and I’ve seen the work he’s helped to accomplish after I graduated. Dr. Jackson has done wonderful things for all the schools he has been employed at and even greater things for the districts. BrenhamISD is truly lucky to have him around. Congrats Dr. Jackson!

  5. To God be the glory. Congratulations to you Dr. Jackson I wish you and your family the best.

  6. You will be dearly missed in Alief Doc! But best of luck to you and your family.

  7. Dr. Jackson was a great principal at Alief Taylor High school and Congratulations

  8. Way to go Dr. Jackson. I taught at Alief Elsik while Walter oversaw the English department. He is a good man. When I move back to Brenham, I hope to see him and say hello.

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