2021 TOP EDUCATOR
Dr. Rodney E. Watson has led the Spring Independent School District since July 2014. The district serves more than 33,000 students in a diverse community approximately 20 miles north of downtown Houston, in an urban area of Harris County, Texas. Along with its 26 elementary schools, seven comprehensive middle schools and three comprehensive high schools, Spring ISD offers families two middle schools of choice, a nationally recognized early college academy and an award-winning high school career academy.
Located near the heart of one of the largest, most culturally diverse and most vibrant metropolitan areas in the country, Spring ISD’s mission is to prepare students to contribute, compete, and lead in a global society as well as in their own communities. Through classroom instruction, extracurriculars, enrichment activities, internships and robust CTE pathways, volunteering and other forms of civic engagement, the district’s students are encouraged to become lifelong learners, critical thinkers, and responsible citizens of good character.
Watson arrived as superintendent from Houston ISD, where he served as Chief Human Resources Officer for the largest district in Texas and seventh largest in the nation. Upon his arrival in Spring ISD, he partnered with stakeholders and community members across the district to develop a shared vision for the future. An ambitious five-year strategic plan, EVERY CHILD 2020, launched in May 2015 with an emphasis on student-centered decision making, rigor and accountability, and leveraging the power of teamwork and common purpose at every level of the organization.
That work has led to numerous successes for Spring ISD, including National School Foundation Association (NSFA) Superintendent of the Year, the expansion of full-day prekindergarten to every elementary campus, enhanced early childhood and dual language offerings, improvements in high school students taking and scoring well on AP exams, a boost in elementary reading proficiency, and the launch of several new middle and high school specialty programs. Watson’s leadership has helped inspire a large increase in parent and community volunteer hours, as well as the passage of a $330 million bond that brought new school buildings, improved technology and infrastructure, and allowed for the establishment of dedicated ninth-grade centers at each of Spring ISD’s three comprehensive high schools.
In the spring of 2020, Watson formed an Innovation and Equity team to support the district’s belief in the importance of ensuring equitable outcomes for all students. A steering committee of both internal and external stakeholders was charged with developing a proactive plan to close achievement gaps while improving support structures that meet the needs of every student within the community.
As superintendent, Watson has been a strong advocate for the district’s education foundation and its work, partnering with the organization and lending his support to its initiatives, including the annual “Tee Up For Education” charity golf tournament and the group’s Grant Express, which funds innovative teaching and learning opportunities through targeted grants given directly to district teachers and campuses.
When Hurricane Harvey devastated the Houston area in 2017, many district families and students were affected by extensive flooding in their neighborhoods. Before the rains had even stopped, Watson and his district leadership team had joined forces with foundation board members and a small army of volunteers to bring much-needed relief and support to Spring ISD families in crisis. This kind of dedicated partnership in support of the common good of all families has been a hallmark of his tenure as superintendent.
Beyond the district, Watson’s service to other organizations has included work with The Education Trust, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the NAACP, the National Association of Black School Administrators, the Asia Society’s Global Cities Educational Network, and the American Counseling Association. He has also served as an adjunct professor of education at the University of Missouri–Kansas City and the University of Texas at Austin.
He currently serves as Board Chair for Northwest Assistance Ministries, board member and Executive Pastor at Wellspring Church International Ministries, and formerly served as the Board Chair for Houston Northwest Chamber of Commerce.
Watson received his bachelor’s degree in psychology and music education, his master’s degree in counseling psychology and special education, and his Ph.D., from the University of Missouri–Kansas City, in Urban Leadership and Policy Analysis and Curriculum and Instruction.
He and his wife Shanel have enjoyed 25 blessed years of marriage, and together they have four beautiful children, Chandler, Simone, Elise, and RJ.
Rodney E. Watson, Ph.D.
Superintendent
Spring Independent School District
www.springisd.org
