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Behind the Mic

Operation Connectivity with Superintendent Michael Hinojosa of Dallas Independent School District

In the latest episode of The Policy Matters, our team had the pleasure of sitting down with Superintendent Michael Hinojosa, of Dallas Independent aSchool District.

Originally born in Mexico, Hinojosa and his family immigrated to the Oak Cliff neighborhood of Dallas, Texas when Hinojosa was in the second grade. He continued to attend Dallas public schools from then on until his graduation from Sunset High School.

Upon moving to the United States, Hinojosa’s father placed a strong emphasis on education for his family and this has stuck with Hinojosa his entire life.

After graduation, Hinojosa applied to a scholarship for the Future Teachers of America which allowed him to attend Texas Tech University.

In 1979, Hinojosa began his career in the Dallas education system when he was hired as a teacher at Stockard Middle School. He was selected as the youngest basketball coach in Dallas where he also coached baseball and football for the next 8 years.

After receiving pressure from his peers to join the administrative side of the education system, he accepted a position as Assistant Principal in a suburb of Grand Prairie, TX. Within seven years, Hinojosa had advanced to Assistant Superintendent.

Following his time in Grand Prairie, Hinojosa accepted his first Superintendent position in El Paso County. He moved around a bit the next few years, serving as a Superintendent in both the Austin and Houston areas.

In 2005, Hinojosa began his first term as Superintendent of Dallas ISD where he led for the next 6 years.

In 2011, Hinojosa moved to Georgia where he served as Superintendent of Cobb County School District for a three-year stretch while his two sons were attending school at Princeton University and Harvard University.

Dr. Michael Hinojosa returned to Dallas ISD when he was named by the board of trustees to serve a second term as superintendent in October 2015, where he is still currently serving. While at the helm of Dallas ISD, the district cut its number of underperforming campuses from 43 to the single digits. Hinojosa was also instrumental in the passage of its $1.6 billion bond program in 2015.

In his over 30 years of serving in education, Hinojosa has led several school districts to improved student achievement. He holds a doctorate in education from the University of Texas at Austin. Most recently, Hinojosa was presented with the Green-Garner Award, also known as the 2020 Urban Educator of the Year.

Dr. Hinojosa’s recognitions include:

2020 Urban Educator of the Year, 64th Annual Council of the Great City Schools Fall Conference
Named 2002 Superintendent of the Year by the Texas Association of School Boards
Named 2005 Superintendent of the Year by the University of Texas at Austin
Named 2017 Superintendent of the Year by the Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents (ALAS)
Outstanding Latino Educator by the Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents in 2014
Past President of the Texas Association of School Administrators

You can listen to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts.

Want to learn more about Supt. Michael Hinojosa and the Dallas Independent School District?