Spring ISD Leaders Launch 2025 Summer Leadership Institute with Vision, Energy, and Student Voices
While students enjoy a well-deserved summer break, campus and district leaders across Spring Independent School District are already back in action—gathering this week to chart a unified course for the upcoming school year. The 2025 Spring ISD Summer Leadership Institute (SLI) kicked off this morning at Dekaney High School with the theme of collaboration, accountability, and renewed purpose.
Now in its fifth year, the Summer Leadership Institute has become a signature event for Spring ISD, bringing together hundreds of principals, assistant principals, instructional coaches, and central office leaders for three days of strategic planning, reflection, and professional learning. The event opened with a high-energy welcome, featuring line dancing to “Boots on the Ground”—a symbolic nod to the commitment and hard work leaders bring to every campus across the district.
“The SLI is a significant event that sets the tone for the year by bringing all of our leaders together with a shared purpose,” said Spring ISD Interim Superintendent Dr. Kregg Cuellar. “Our leaders play a vital role in the success of our district, and this event provides a valuable opportunity for them to grow professionally, enhance their leadership skills, deepen their knowledge, and build connections — all to help ensure a strong, successful launch to the upcoming school year.”
This year’s institute emphasizes the district’s unwavering mission: delivering a high-quality education in a safe, student-centered environment. A renewed focus on building strong campus cultures—anchored in trust, mutual respect, and shared accountability—remains central to the programming.
“We have over 5,000 employees, and it’s so important to build a foundation of respect and belief in one another,” Cuellar added. “Events like this help establish a positive, thriving culture, and it will help make accountability something that’s woven into the fabric of everything we do.”
The Summer Leadership Institute is led in partnership with the district’s Professional Learning Department, which curates an evolving slate of breakout sessions tailored to meet current educational challenges—from retaining new teachers to strengthening instructional programs. This year’s sessions covered topics like Managing Middle and High School CTE Programs, Blended Learning Strategies, and Supporting Novice Teachers for Long-Term Success.
“This event truly builds momentum for the new year,” said Dr. Monique Lewis, Executive Director of Professional Learning for Spring ISD. “It is critically important that we provide our leaders with opportunities to grow and develop. This institute makes me excited and hopeful for what’s ahead.”
Mobile Sidebar Ad
From newly appointed principals to veteran instructional leaders, participants engaged in deep learning around student outcomes, team-building strategies, and systems thinking—all with the goal of inspiring a successful 2025–26 school year.
“We want our leadership teams to come into the new year refreshed and engaged,” said Lewis. “We’re going through a time of transition, and there are a lot of changes happening across the district. That’s why it’s important we stay focused on our shared vision—on building culture and accountability as we move into this new chapter.”
In a particularly heartfelt moment, attendees also heard directly from students. A leadership panel featuring McKinley Clark of Springwoods Village Middle School, Abigail John, who will begin at Roberson Middle School this fall, and Kameron Lewis, a 2025 graduate of Westfield High School, gave voice to the very learners this institute is designed to support. Their stories and reflections helped ground the week’s sessions in lived experience, reminding leaders of the power they hold to influence futures.
The Summer Leadership Institute has quickly evolved into one of the most impactful leadership development initiatives in the Greater Houston area’s education landscape. With its focus on equity, culture, and instructional excellence, it continues to attract attention from districts across Texas seeking to replicate Spring ISD’s forward-thinking approach.
The district expressed its appreciation to the Spring ISD Professional Learning Department, along with the dedicated presenters, volunteers, and sponsors who helped bring the 2025 Summer Leadership Institute to life.
As the new school year approaches, the message from Dekaney High School was clear: Spring ISD is not just preparing for August—they’re building a foundation to thrive.
For continued coverage on Spring ISD initiatives and local education news, stay tuned with My Neighborhood News.
Tiffany Krenek has been on the My Neighborhood News team since August 2021. She is passionate about curating and sharing content that enriches the lives of our readers in a personal, meaningful way. A loving mother and wife, Tiffany and her family live in the West Houston/Cypress region.