Photo by Rasy Ran
It seems that every summer has its fair share of departures from the leadership at our East Dallas schools, but there has been a recent exodus from East Dallas school leadership specifically to Richardson ISD – and it isn’t the money drawing the principals there. How much is it worth to leave Dallas ISD? Apparently about $7,000.
Joseph Miniscalco was briefly the Executive Director over the Woodrow Wilson High School feeder pattern before he left Dallas ISD to be the Executive Director of School Improvement at Richardson ISD. His job was to guide and coach the principals in the feeder pattern, and now there are at least two recent East Dallas principals working at Richardson ISD.
These two departed principals took pay cuts to leave Dallas ISD. Jason Myatt was an East Dallas neighbor who became the principal of Lakewood Elementary in 2016, but he lasted only a year, continuing a lack of Lakewood leadership longevity. According to public records, Myatt’s salary was $99,000 at Lakewood Elementary. He left for Richardson ISD and is now the principal of Brentfield Elementary in Far North Dallas, making $92,328.
Roxanne Cheek left Lipscomb Elementary in Junius Heights to take the helm of Woodrow Wilson High School last summer, but she also lasted just one year after departing for Richardson ISD. There was much speculation about why she left, but she also took a pay cut. According to public records, Cheek was making $110,000 as principal of Woodrow, but is now the principal of Aiken elementary near Richland College and makes just $103,000.
Cheek’s replacement for Lipscomb principal, Daisy Briones, also left the school after just a year, though her future plans are unclear.
We reached out to Cheek and Myatt when they left the district but they did not respond. We will update when and if they do.
