Five days into his new role as superintendent of Edgewood Independent School District, Eduardo Hernandez said he plans to spend the next 95 days listening, learning and asking three questions:
“What do we as a district need to continue to do? What do we as a district need to start doing? And what do we as a district need to stop doing?” said Hernandez, sitting in his new office on San Antonio’s west side.
He said his message to parents is to “allow (Edgewood) to earn your trust every day.”
“I take very seriously the fact that every morning you get up and send me the best thing you have, which is your children, and so I don’t apologize for that. I respect that,” Hernandez said. “My charge is to make sure that I create a school district and enhance the school district so every child gets the best education they can get.”
Hernandez said his second priority is supporting teachers and principals.
“At the end of the day, any school district, all you really need are teachers and kids and principals,” he said. “The rest of us are supporting cast members.”
Hernandez is Edgewood’s fourth superintendent in two years, including interims.
First, the Texas Education Agency stepped inand replaced the board with an appointed board of managers after it could not decide on hiring a leader.
Then, last spring, the first permanent superintendent hired by the state appointed board of managersresigned amid sexual harassment allegations.
“What I would say to staff is don’t lose hope. Focus on the things that are within your control, which are educating students,” Hernandez said. “The things that are happening above you, they’re unfortunate, but they don’t change kids’ lives. What changes kids’ lives is you.”
Hernandez says he wanted to come to Edgewood because it’s similar to the working class neighborhoods of Dallas where he grew up.
He previously worked in senior leadership at Duncanville ISD, near Dallas.
Judson, Alamo Heights and Fort Sam Houston are also under new leadership for the 2018-2019 school year.
Judson officially hired Jeanette Ball as its new superintendent Monday night after choosing her as the sole finalist in June.
Ball comes to the North East side school district from Uvalde ISD, where she served as superintendent for five years.
Alamo Heightspromoted Dana Bashara from assistant superintendent to superintendent in June, and Fort Sam Houstonnamed Gary Bates its sole finalist earlier this month.
Camille Phillips can be reached at Camille@tpr.org or on Twitter @cmpcamille
