An unexpected call leads to success
October is National Principals Month, and The Beat is sharing profiles of some of Dallas ISD’s outstanding principals to recognize the work they do in leading their schools and students to success.
On a fall Monday last year, Jason Jewell’s morning was going as usual when a call from Laura Garza, regional director, changed everything for him and for the school he would end up leading.
Jewell was serving as assistant principal at Seagoville High School when he was told to report to W.A. Blair Elementary School as interim principal. In the year that Jewell led it, the school went from an F to a B rating.
Jewell wasn’t sure what awaited him at Blair, but the first thing he did, he said, was call his wife for a ride to return home to change into a business suit. Shortly after, he stood before the staff at Blair, introducing himself.
“The staff was excited for a change,” Jewell said. “They were very receptive, and over the next few weeks, we really got to know each other.”
When Jewell joined Blair, the school was F rated, and he wasn’t just concerned about the school’s performance; he was also new to working with elementary-aged students. A Kentucky native, Jewell moved to Dallas to join Teach for America. He started as a ninth-grade geography teacher at H. Grady Spruce High School before becoming an assistant principal at W.W. Samuell High School, where he ran the Early College Program. By the time Garza called, Jewell was completing the residency component of the district’s Principal Residency Program at Seagoville.
Jewell said that adjusting to his role as Blair’s interim principal was challenging, especially since the school year was already a few months in.
“It was a challenge when we think about some of the ways that we interact with elementary-aged students and some of the curriculum differences, especially when I got here in October,” he said. “And I think that as an interim, I had to send the message that we were all in this together, and that this is my ship now, too.”
Jewell began by reminding teachers and other team members that the narrative about Blair was not true to the school’s identity. To restore its former image, he said, they had to tackle their goals strategically.
“I remember in January, our professional development was focused on getting students to hit their growth goals. We set a target for them that was actually 10 points above their state goal,” Jewell said. “That way, if they didn’t meet their personal goal, they still met the state and district goals. Breaking it down and really focusing on those conversations with our teachers was a critical point.”
Jewell made it clear no one was immune to the hard work that awaited them, but he also made sure to provide significant support. To aid teacher preparation, he created a
“push-in” schedule for extended planning periods and implemented more coaching for newer teachers. He also filled several long-vacant positions and established partnerships with organizations, including United to Learn, to secure more professional development opportunities.
“We ask more of our third-grade to fifth-grade teachers right now, so we need to give them additional support and time to implement feedback, analyze work samples, and do all of the things that take extra time. We want to give them that time back so they feel rejuvenated and can come in with the resources they need, rather than having to spend several hours at night working,” Jewell said.
Jewell and his assistant principal also jumped in by taking classes to teach—math and third-grade respectively. Jewell also assessed the particular areas that students struggled with and embraced the use of i-Ready “to give those students the attention that they need to really meet their goals,” Jewell said.
When hiring, Jewell was transparent with teachers about the challenge ahead. He informed them that Blair was an F-rated school and that the job would require significantly more effort than a typical position.
“Every interview I had all of the year coming into this year, I said, ‘Hey, we’re an F-ready campus. We are all hands on deck.’ I was upfront: ‘This is the help I need. If that’s the help you want to give, then you’re more than welcome to come,’” he said.
Jewell hired new teachers he believed showed great potential for growth and emphasized literacy in the classroom, which led to the school’s rapid success, moving it from an F to a B in less than a year.
“If our students read better, they perform better in science, in math, social studies, everything across the board. It’s also the way that we build critical thinkers and leaders in our society,” he said.
To continue the push towards greater literacy at Blair, Jewell hired the school’s first librarian last year, encourages parents to read to their children at least 10 minutes per night, and plans to install a book vending machine. The goal is to have every student reading at grade level, he said.
Thinking of his own children, one of whom attends Blair, Jewell wonders whether early reading correlates with an interest in learning.
“I see how quickly my sons gravitate to books and the love they have for them. That makes me think about the correlation for their love for learning—and whether reading to kids more often makes them more interested in the learning process later on,” he said.
Jewell said that Blair’s B-rating was a collective effort from district leadership, teachers, other team members, and even parents who rallied behind the school.
“I get to be one of the loudest people that gets to shout about Blair and celebrate Blair, but I was not alone,” he said.
While Jewell’s long-term vision is to elevate Blair to an A-rated campus and eventually to a National Blue Ribbon School, he ultimately wants his legacy to be defined by the opportunities he can create for his students.
