From Principal to Executive Director: Reny Lizardo’s Journey in Education

In this episode of Superintendents Unplugged, host Addison Davis interviews Dr. Reny Lizardo, Executive Director of Campus Operations and Attendance at Irving Independent School District. Dr. Lizardo shares his inspiring journey from principal to district leader, detailing his passion for improving student attendance and building school culture. He emphasizes the critical role of attendance in student success, reflecting on his past experiences leading two schools from the lowest to the highest attendance rates in their districts.Dr. Lizardo explains how the PowerSchool Attendance Intervention tool has become a game-changer for Irving ISD. This tool allows for two-way communication between schools and families in their home languages, streamlining attendance tracking and enabling more meaningful interventions. Within just six weeks of implementing the system, Irving ISD saw a significant improvement in attendance rates.Throughout the conversation, Lizardo highlights the importance of over-communication with families and creating a school environment where students want to attend. He also discusses how addressing barriers like language and providing wraparound services, such as food and transportation support, have been key to building trust and re-engaging students post-COVID.This episode offers valuable insights into Irving ISD's innovative strategies to increase student attendance and support student success, making it a must-listen for education leaders.Timestamps00:00 Podcast spotlighting educational leaders' challenges and triumphs.03:41 Principal focusing on attendance, culture, and instructional empowerment.06:32 Confidence in initial success and model adoption.09:52 Insufficient social workers; leveraging social media helps connectivity.14:12 Active engagement fosters genuine student connection and ownership.18:04 Aspiring to lead challenging urban school districts.20:09 Building capacity fosters success and well-being.22:02 Promoting leadership and growth for children's benefit.Connect with Reny LizardoLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reny-lizardo-ed-d-8849a9229Website: https://www.irvingisd.net/=============================Learn more about Strategos Group: https://www.strategosgroup.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/strategos-group-public-affairs/Subscribe to the Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@strategospodcastnetwork=============================PODCASTS🎧 Capital Class with Adam Giery: https://www.strategosgroup.com/podcast🎧 On the Clock with Todd Dallas Lamb: https://www.strategosgroup.com/podcast-on-the-clock🎧 Swimming Upstream with Tom Luna: https://swimming-upstream.captivate.fm/listen🎧 On Balance with Dr. Rod Berger: https://www.strategosgroup.com/podcast-on-balance🎧 To the Point with Jim Horne and Doug Mesecar: https://to-the-point.captivate.fm/Produced by Old Soul: https://bit.ly/3KuYfrD=============================#educationmanagement #educationleadership #education