May 26, 2023 – The Holdsworth Center, an Austin-based nonprofit focused on leadership in public education, has selected San Antonio ISD to join the Holdsworth Leadership Collaborative, an 18-month program that will help San Antonio ISD build a strong bench of aspiring principals who are ready to step into school leadership positions when they arise.

San Antonio ISD is among 17 districts across the state chosen for Holdsworth’s world-class leadership development program. 

“San Antonio ISD demonstrated a strong commitment to developing principals and a growth mindset around learning new concepts,” said Dr. Lindsay Whorton, president of The Holdsworth Center. “Great leaders draw out the best in people and inspire them to achieve the unimaginable. Every student in San Antonio ISD deserves a strong principal at the helm of their school.”  

As part of the Collaborative, a team of three – the superintendent and two district leaders – work with Holdsworth staff to define what great leadership looks like in San Antonio ISD and use this definition to design systems and structures to strengthen the principal pipeline.

Research shows that effective principals can significantly impact student outcomes by creating the conditions for teachers to thrive. Because principals influence the working conditions and skill level of every teacher in the building, their impact is outsized. 

“We don’t believe there are any quick fixes in education. Investing in the skill and capacity of the people working in our schools is the only way we will see true transformation,” Whorton said.  

Since its founding in 2017, Holdsworth has served 1,371 educators across 50 districts in more than 200 schools in Texas.  

In surveys, 100 percent of superintendents surveyed rate their leadership pipeline as stronger after partnering with Holdsworth for at least three years. 

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The Holdsworth Center 
Driven by the belief that teachers and students thrive with great leadership, The Holdsworth Center builds stronger leaders for Texas public schools. Founded in 2017 as a nonprofit by H-E-B Chairman Charles Butt, Holdsworth helps expert educators become stronger leaders through its world-class programs and services. For more information, visit Holdsworthcenter.org.