During National Principals Month, Richardson ISD welcomed over 50 community and business leaders from across Dallas-Fort Worth for the first Principal For A Day event, giving individuals a chance to get an up-close look inside our schools and step foot into a day in the life of our school administrators.
They spent the morning shadowing principals, experiencing everything from car line duty, visiting classrooms, speaking with students, observing PLC meetings (Professional Learning Community), and even helping with lunch duty. The Principals for a Day toured the schools to see how the campuses operate and observe learning environments. Several participants were Richardson ISD alumni who were excited to return to the schools they attended as children and see how much learning has changed throughout the years.
Following an eye-opening morning, the business leaders and principals attended a luncheon sponsored by the Credit Union of Texas, with dessert provided by Nothing Bundt Cakes. Attendees were invited to share reflections on their day and discuss future partnerships and how they can continue to support our schools.
Debra Johnson visited Berkner High School and said, “I’ve been involved with RISD for 43 years… I’ve seen the changes, but what I am most proud to see is: the quality of education has not been compromised,” said Johnson “Things have changed, but they have changed for the better”.
“What was really exciting was seeing how many resources are available that parents may not even be aware of,” said Dr. Khan, who visited Parkhill Junior High “I couldn’t believe there were three to four specialized units for different spectrums of sensory kids. It was unbelievable to watch.”
“What an eye-opening experience… the opportunity to see that 7th graders do what we did as juniors and seniors in high school, is absolutely amazing,“ said Realtor Rebecca Stenoien.
Judge Tonya Parker said, “Shadowing Principal Rustin was a truly enlightening experience that deepened my appreciation for the tireless efforts of our public school teachers and administrators who empower each student to succeed.”
Councilman Dan Barrios says, “For me in my role as a city council member, what became apparent to me as something I can do more to support, is helping to get that story of the amazing things happening out there.”
The experience showcased the incredible work that is being done behind the scenes, and how local businesses and organizations can partner with educators to support student success.
One shining example is the partnership with the Credit Union of Texas, which has a customer-facing SMART branch inside Berkner High School, run by students in the CTE program. Students shared about their hands-on experience and the career-ready skills and financial knowledge that they have been able to develop by working directly with customers in the real-world space.
We are grateful for the support of the Richardson Chamber of Commerce and our business community who participated and look forward to continued collaboration.
Thank you to the following businesses for taking part:
- 116th Judicial District Court (Dallas County)
- 12C Ministry
- Amberton University
- Arkearth
- Assurnet Insurance Agency
- Base Power Company
- Berry, Appleman, & Leiden LLP
- Blue Cross Blue Shield
- Boys and Girls Club of Greater Dallas
- Century 21 Mike Bowman, Inc.
- Childcare Group
- Children’s Health
- City of Richardson
- Cupcake Polish
- Dallas College
- Discovery Education
- Ebby Halliday Realtor
- Equitable Advisors
- Fossil Group
- FUMC Richardson
- Golden State Foods
- Herbert Law Group
- Highland Terrace Neighborhood Assoc.
- Infosys Foundation USA
- Inspire Chiropractic
- First 3 Years
- JP Morgan Chase
- Kobs & Martin Real Estate
- LifeCare Consulting
- Lynx Systems
- Neighborhood Credit Union
- O Group Ventures
- Office of Senator Nathan Johnson
- Pavillion Bank
- Perimeter Behavioral Health Hospital
- Raise Your Hand Texas
- Re-New Your Spirit
- Reading to Connect
- ReparationsEd
- Richardson Chamber of Commerce
- Texas Health Breeze Urgent Care
- Tone Therapy, LLC
- Translation and Interpretation Network (TIN)
- Turner Construction Company
- USI Insurance Services
