*Story from Region 12 Education Service Center
Dr. Robin Battershell, Temple ISD Superintendent, has been named the Region 12 Superintendent of the Year and nominee for the Texas Superintendent of the Year. She has served as superintendent in Temple ISD since 2008.
According to district leaders, Temple ISD (TISD) lacked stability and trust, both within and outside of the District after a 30-year desegregation order ending in 2000. One of Battershell’s first goals as superintendent was to rebuild community relations.
She worked alongside staff and community members to establish TISD’s Long-Range Planning Committee. Battershell rallied the district around a clear vision of being “a school of choice where every student is a lifelong learner, every lifelong learner graduates and every graduate becomes a meaningful contributor to his/her community and society.”
Under Battershell’s leadership, TISD established a unified vision of community support and credibility. It has left its tumultuous history and is on a path of focused and goal-oriented progress.
“Dr. Battershell has provided extraordinary leadership,” said TISD Board President Steve Wright. She has developed an exceptional culture of learning at TISD where all students and staff are valued and appreciated. The Board of Trustees are proud of her being recognized as the Region 12 Superintendent of the Year and congratulate her on this much deserved accomplishment.”
A multifaceted approach to growth
Beyond repairing community relations, Battershell has lead TISD in a multifaceted approach to district improvement.
To ensure student growth and discipline, she added Positive Behavioral Support programs as a part of TISD’s discipline framework. District-wide, each TISD student’s attendance, behavior and academics are tracked through a student data management system using a color-coded system. These systems allow for an individual growth model to define student growth and success, which align with the district’s vision, mission, goals and targets.
During her tenure, Battershell has overseen many facility improvements across the district. With the passage of two bonds, $55 million in 2011 and $136.5 million in 2015, the district has taken on significant campus improvements. This includes the construction of one new elementary campus, rebuilding another elementary and will begin construction on a new career and technology center in the next 18 months.
The focus of Battershell’s instructional leadership is to provide a global education in Central Texas. At the elementary level TISD provides three academies, including a Dual Language Academy where students are fluent in both English and Spanish by the time they exit grade 5. Of the 1,600 students in TISD’s high school, 87 percent participate in career and technical education courses, earning certifications and working with community partnerships in multiple career clusters. These opportunities, and more, promote successful academic outcomes.
In addition to adding world-class programs, Battershell has taken bold steps in revamping the district’s curriculum, staff development and assessment processes to implement a continuous improvement model.
Finally, Battershell is committed to addressing the challenges of the district’s economically disadvantaged students and their families. Beginning in 2010, she devised a strategy to help address the cycle of generational poverty by creating a program specifically for adults without a high school diploma. The program is available after hours for adults with students in TISD and graduates of the program walk across the stage during the regular high school commencement.
In the spirit of continuous improvement, Battershell identified limited internet and technology access as a challenge for economically disadvantaged students. In conjunction with the district’s 1:1 Chromebook initiative, she is committed to creating a level playing field by pursuing affordable options to provide internet accessibility to the lowest income students.
“The Education Service Center Region 12 is delighted to recognize Dr. Battershell as one of the top superintendents in the great state of Texas,” said Jerry Maze, executive director of ESC Region 12. “She was chosen by a committee of school board members from around our region for her skill in aligning school and community resources for the continuing success of TISD students. Our hats are off to Dr. Battershell and to the TISD board for nominating her.”
Battershell is an active member of the Texas Association of School Administrators, Texas Association of School Boards, Temple Chamber of Commerce, State UIL Executive Committee, Temple Economic Development Committee, United Way, McLane Children’s Hospital Advisory Committee, Temple Education Foundation, Rotary Club of Temple, P-20 Council and the Temple Business League.
She has several degrees and certifications, including a Master of Science in Education Psychology from the University of Houston and a Ed.D. in Education Administration from Baylor University. She led Salado ISD as Superintendent from 1998 to 2008, and served in administrative positions in Killeen ISD.
Battershell will serve as the Region 12 nominee for the 2016 Texas Superintendent of the Year award, presented by the Texas Association of School Boards. The state winner will be announced in September at the TASA/Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) Convention.
About Superintendent of the Year
Each year, candidates are chosen for strong leadership skills, dedication to improving the quality of education in their school districts, commitment to public support and involvement in education, and ability to build good employee relations among teachers and staff members. Candidates are nominated by their respective school board; however, respective school board members are not allowed to be on the panel of judges. A panel consisting of regional school board members selects the winner on the basis of his/her responses to a series of essay questions and on his/her personal interview with the panel.