RECENTLY ASSINGED
HISD SCHOOL PRINCIPALS
New Principal Assignments
We are pleased to announce the following new principals for Davila, N.Q. Henderson, and Port Houston
elementary schools and Davis High School.
Davila Elementary- Mayra Hernandez
A proud product of H.I.S.D. schools, Ms. Mayra Hernandez is the newly named Principal of Davila
Elementary School. Ms. Hernandez began her career in HISD at Sherman Elementary, where she was
named Bilingual Teacher of the Year. She then moved into the role of teacher specialist, and later to
reading interventionist. In 2012, Mayra became assistant principal at Davila Elementary.
Ms. Hernandez received her Associate of Arts degree from Houston Community College and her
Bachelor of Arts degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from University of Houston-Downtown. She
completed her Masters in Educational Leadership from Sam Houston State University.
N.Q. Henderson Elementary School—Rosa Cabrera
Ms. Rosa Cabrera is currently the Assistant Principal at Isaacs Elementary School. Ms. Cabrera came to
HISD from Killeen ISD where she was a Curriculum and Instruction Specialist and Trainer for Meadows
Elementary School. She began her teaching career as a teacher at Ira Cross Elementary School.
Ms. Cabrera earned her Bachelor’s degree from Tarleton State University and her Master’s degree in
International Relations from St. Mary’s University. She is in the process of completing her Doctoral degree
in Educational Administration from the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor.
Port Houston Elementary School—Rachel Martinez
Mrs. Rachel Martinez is joining Team HISD from Spring Branch ISD where she served as an Assistant
Principal at Treasure Forest Elementary School. She comes to us with a wealth of instructional
experience as she has served as a Teaching & Learning Specialist, as well as a Bilingual/ESL
Instructional Specialist.
Mrs. Martinez earned her Master of Science degree in Public School Administration from Texas A&M
University, where she is currently working on her Doctorate in Public School Administration.
Davis High School—Principal Julissa Alcantar-Martinez
Ms. Julissa Alcantar-Martinez comes to the district from Galena Park ISD where she is currently the
principal of both Woodland Acres Elementary and Woodland Acres Middle School. Prior to the addition of
responsibility for the elementary school, she was principal of the middle school for three years. She has
also had an additional five years of principal and assistant principal experience in Galena Park. Her
teaching career, as an ELA teacher, started at the American school in Puebla, Mexico, an IB K-12 school.
She moved from Mexico to Edgewood ISD in San Antonio, where she stayed six years.
Ms. Alcantar-Martinez has been, for the last two years, a state semi-finalist for the HEB Principal of the
Year title. She received a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations and a Master’s degree in
Educational Administration from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio. She also holds a Master’s in
Applied Linguistics and is currently working on her doctorate at Lamar University.
North Forest Independent School District Annexation
We are also pleased to announce that seven principals (five elementary and two secondary) have been
selected to manage North Forest community schools, effective with the annexation of the North Forest
Independent School District which is proposed for July 1, 2013. School principals will be Kimberly AgnewBorders, Tammie Daily, Rick Fernandez, Margarita Gardea, Hilarion Martinez, and Mike Walker.
Dr. Kimberly Agnew-Borders
Dr. Agnew-Borders is a proud product of HISD schools, and served the district first as a teacher at
Marshall Middle School beginning in 1993, and went on to become a Reading Facilitator, Assistant
Principal, and then Principal of Ryan Elementary, the T.S.U. Lab School, and, for the past eight years,
has served as the Principal of Wesley Elementary School. Under her leadership, Wesley has maintained
a Recognized or Exemplary status. Dr. Agnew-Borders received her Bachelor of Education from the
University of Texas and both her Master’s and Doctorate in Education from the University of Houston.
Tammie Daily
Tammie Daily has been a member of TEAM HISD since 1992. Ms. Daily began her career at Fonville
Middle school as a Reading Specialist and then moved into administrative roles as Assistant Principal at
Durkee Elementary School and then as Principal of Highland Heights, Wesley, and Montgomery
elementary schools. The former Region IV Elementary Principal of the Year went on to lead the
Yates/Lamar Feeder pattern elementary schools as Executive Principal. She then spent two years at
Neighborhood Centers, Inc., as Head Start Senior Director, before returning to HISD as Principal of
Bonham Elementary. Ms. Daily is a graduate of Mississippi State University with a B.A. in Accounting
and received her Masters of Education from the University of Houston.
Rick Fernandez
After graduating from Sam Houston University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Kinesiology and having been
named to the Southland Conference All-Academic team as a Bearkat basketball starter, Rick began his
teaching career at Westside High School. He continued teaching English at Taylor High School in Katy
before being named Assistant Principal at Cardiff Junior High. He also served three more years as a
High School Assistant Principal before returning to H.I.S.D. as Associate Principal of Scarborough High
School. In collaboration with the Scarborough team, Rick has helped raise student achievement across
the board. Rick received his M.A. in Educational Administration and will receive his Doctorate from Sam
Houston State at the end of the summer.
Margarita Gardea
Margarita Gardea joined TEAM HISD in 2004, after having taught 10 years in Galena Park I.S.D She
served as an Elementary teacher and Assistant Principal, before being named Principal of Gallegos
Elementary in 2009. Under her leadership, Gallegos was named an NCEA Higher Performing School
and was in the top 10% of elementary schools for the 2013 Children at Risk rankings. She has served as
a Mentor Principal for new leaders and also as a member of the District Advisory Committee for the new
Teacher Appraisal and Development System. Ms. Gardea received her Bachelor of Science from Texas
A & M University and her Master’s in Supervision and Leadership from Stephen F. Austin University.
Hilarion Martinez
While studying to become a teacher at the University of Houston, Mr. Martinez joined HISD as a teacher
assistant at Sutton Elementary in 1997. After earning his Bachelor’s Degree at the University of Houston,
he became a bilingual teacher at Ketelsen Elementary. Mr. Martinez then served as an Assistant
Principal before being named Principal of Browning Elementary. Currently, he is the Principal of Burbank
Elementary, where he has lead the school in meeting A.Y.P., has grown enrollment, and has seen a great
increase in value added scores. Mr. Martinez earned his Master’s Degree in Education from Sam
Houston State University.
Mike Walker
Mr. Walker, the current principal of Fondren Elementary School, was just recently named the 2012-2013
HEB Elementary Principal of the Year. He joined TEAM HISD in 2006 when he was named principal at
Fondren. Prior to joining HISD, Mr. Walker was a classroom teacher in Dallas, and served in
administrative capacities in Hempstead and Spring Branch I.S.D. He received his B.S. in Political
Science from Florida A&M University and his Masters in Educational Administration from Texas A&M. He
is currently pursuing his Doctorate in Educational Administration through Walden University.
Pam Farinas
Upon graduation from North Carolina’s Bennett College with a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics, Ms.
Farinas joined HISD in 1994 as a math teacher at Burbank Middle School. She went on to become Dean
of Instruction at Sharpstown High School before being named Principal of Foerster Elementary. After a
brief stint as Deputy Head of Schools at KIPP Schools, Ms. Farinas returned to TEAM HISD as Principal
of Gregory Lincoln Education Center, where she has lead the turnaround effort there and increased test
scores dramatically. Ms. Farinas received her Master of Education in Educational Administration from
Texas Southern University.