DeSoto ISD welcomed its new director of Emergent Bilingual and ESL programs during its special-called school board meeting on Monday, August 19, 2024.
Stan Valdez brings over 20 years of experience and leadership in bilingual education programs throughout his work in various school districts in the North and Central Texas areas. Most recently, he served as an instructional administrator in the Cedar Hill Independent School District.
Mr. Valdez began his educational instructional journey in 2004 in Irving ISD, as a classroom teacher, and ascended through the K-12 educational ranks to various leadership roles including an interventionist, instructional facilitator, program administrator, and bilingual and testing coordinator in the Duncanville, DeSoto, New Braunfels, and Cedar Hill independent school districts communities.
In 2019, his academic talent led him to a brief stint in higher education instruction equipping the next generation of bilingual teachers as an adjunct professor at the University of Texas at Dallas as a professor assistant and an adjunct professor.
Mr. Valdez will lead the DeSoto ISD Emergent Bilingual Education Department as its director and oversee the development, implementation, and evaluation of all related district curricula and programs throughout the system to establish quality bilingual and ESL instruction and leadership, continuous professional development opportunities while ensuring overall compliance, increasing parental and community engagement.
“I am honored and excited to be back here. My goal is to learn and serve, not just students in emergent bilingual programs but all students,” said Valdez.
Mr. Valdez holds an associate degree from Dallas College at Brookhaven and a bachelor's degree in Speech Communication from The University of Texas at Arlington. He obtained his bilingual certification from Texas Wesleyan University and a Master's in Education Curriculum & Instruction with a concentration in ESL.
“It is an esteemed pleasure to welcome an Eagle back to the district. We are excited to leverage his expertise to help lead our emergent bilingual department,” said DeSoto ISD Superintendent Dr. Usamah Rodgers.
Learn more about the great things happening in DeSoto ISD by visiting the district’s newsroom at www.desotoisd.org/newsroom.