Every year DISD awards the top 10% of principals in neighborhood elementary schools, high schools and choice schools, with the Master Principal designation. With the School Effectiveness Index, the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) and campus climate data as the criteria, these East Dallas principals have proven mastery at their craft. Let’s get to know them.
Principal Marissa Limon at Dan D. Rogers. Photography by Lauren Allen.
Principal Marissa Limon
Dan D. Rogers, Master Principal 2022-2023, 2023-2024
What brought you into education and DISD?
You know, interestingly enough, when I first moved here, my initial headspace, I was thinking I was going to pursue a degree in engineering. But life happened a little bit early on. I ended up getting married and having kids, and so becoming a mother kind of put school on the back burner for a little bit. But it was when my oldest son started kindergarten, and it was really his experience that made me say it’s time to get back in school and go for this full throttle and it was that experience in school and with his teachers. And kind of, you know, he was definitely an energetic little guy bouncing around everywhere. And there was a newer teacher. He had a first-year teacher early on who immediately thought I should get him diagnosed with ADHD. And I just, I knew that he could sit down and focus if he had the right kind of things to engage him. And so in just talking with my husband and different people, they kept encouraging me. You know, I come from a place where, if there’s an issue that I think I can be a part of the solution, I want to jump in and do that. And that just really called to me as a mother at that time. So I said, “You know what? I get to get back to school, get my degree and be on this side of it, not just as a parent, but as an educator too, and help know that those students who aren’t necessarily understood, had somebody who might go a little deeper for them.”
What about your perspective changed once you were on the ‘other side’ of it?
It made me realize, well, it’s not as easy as it looks. So I definitely pushed myself to really think about each kiddo as an individual. And when I became a teacher, I could think from this perspective of a parent. I could empathize with parents and what they might be going through and so I was able to see each student as an individual that comes from a family with, you know, hopes and dreams for that kiddo, but at the same time, from a teacher’s perspective, I also saw how challenging it can be to try to meet the needs of so many different little personalities that have different kinds of needs. And so I think being a parent and a teacher at the same time, and learning both of those helped me think from both sides of it.
What does it take to become a Master Principal?
It definitely isn’t something that one person could do alone. I think the role of the principal in general, I see myself as just, you know, a higher level coordinator. It’s really somebody who has a global perspective, just to make sure that all the pieces are supporting each other, and not getting in each other’s way, but really it’s about letting the leaders on campus do their jobs, make great decisions, be on the ground, understanding the impact and listening to the feedback that comes back up the chains. And I think our school success is definitely a culmination of a lot of people’s hard work. I think we’ve been able to build a really strong culture, both amongst our staff, with our students and even with our parents, and I feel like everybody understands that we all have the same goal, and so we were able to support each other in achieving that goal. But for sure, it’s more about connecting the dots. Being successful, I think, is always a matter of being able to balance the needs across the scope of the work. And so it’s really about connecting the dots and understanding how we impact each other, and then helping empower people to make good choices for themselves and see the impact that it will have on the campus.
Principal Chandra D. Hooper-Barnett
Woodrow Wilson High School. Photography by Lauren Allen.
Principal Chandra D. Hooper-Barnett
Woodrow Wilson High School, Master Principal 2023-2024
How did you get into education?
When I graduated from college, my degree was in social work. I worked in a nursing home with the elderly, because I like assisting them. And then I left there, and I went to work in a juvenile system. And so I was like, “Okay, what am I gonna do here?” And my mom was like, “Oh, great, you should go into education.” I’m like, “Umm, I don’t think so,” because I don’t know if I can work with children, you know, all my life. But I was like, “Okay, let me try that.” So I think it was like my genuine love for helping others, because that’s where my heart is, and I think that’s why I really chose the education route after leaving social work and the juvenile system. But I just love building meaningful relationships with the students, creating a supportive and trusting environment for them.
What made you decide to pursue special education?
I think it still was all on the lines of the need of helping others,the well being of students, creating an inclusive and supportive environment and then addressing the diverse learning needs, learning styles and needs of those students.
How did you become a Master Principal?
I think for one, we produce a collaborative learning environment, so encouraging teamwork, collaborative work among students, which causes a sense of community, which enhances, to me, the students’ learning experiences. Then we reflect a lot on our teaching practices, seeking feedback, making improvements to enhance what we do as educators. And then I think the last is like differentiation, so we adapt our instruction to meet the needs of our students, teachers and we provide various ways to engage and/or demonstrate what we need from them, so they will understand.
We?
Because it’s a team like, when I was named master principal, and I was like, “Well, how do you get that?” You know, I didn’t know the metrics of it because it was a surprise to me as well. So I just think this is not just my award. It’s me, my team, the students, it’s all for them.
Principal Brittany Thompson
Lakewood Elementary. Photography by Lauren Allen.
Principal Brittany Thompson
Lakewood Elementary, Master Principal 2022-2023
Did you ever think you would become a teacher?
I never, never saw myself as a teacher, but I always loved to work with kids, and I loved coaching. I did a lot of cheer coaching when I was a kiddo in high school and working with younger women and young ladies and just different like camp counseling and that kind of stuff. So the aspect of coaching and working with kids was really appealing, but I never thought I was going to be a teacher.
What made you continue taking on leadership Roles and eventually becoming a principal?
I think what helped drive me to that was seeing those light bulbs go off and then getting validation and praise and encouragement from my kids, from my community, and also from other leaders in the campus who were kind of tapping me to step up and share some things that I was doing, and I was able to see that I did have something to offer and I had some value that I could bring, and others really encouraged me to continue on the leadership pathway, and it validated my love for working with kids, and opened my eyes to a whole new world of education.
I think it was a combination of, you know, wanting to grow and learn more and have a bigger, broader impact, but also others who are encouraging and giving the feedback and pushing me to take the next step. I feel like part of my job now as a principal is to look for those people who want to learn more and take on more leadership, but also that you see the natural talent and ability to develop a vision and advocate for kids and learn to tighten their instructional lens. And I think that’s a huge part of what I do now, is I’m developing and growing the leaders here so that one day they will be the future principals in Dallas ISD, and I think a lot of people in the education world need that someone to tap and validate what they do and notice the strengths that they have to offer and give them the tools they can to take the next steps.
What advice do you have for educators looking to become a part of administration?
I think it would be to seek out as many diverse perspectives and experiences as you can. There’s always something to take away from every experience, whether it’s a failure or success, there’s so much to learn. So my advice is to be open, but seek out ways that you can learn different perspectives. I also think the people that we work with have a huge impact on our success. And I think reaching out and putting yourself out there to ask for support or ask for mentorship or ask for feedback, is going to exponentially grow your own growth process.
