Q&A with Rockwall ISD Superintendent

(ROCKWALL/HEATH, TX – Aug. 16, 2016) When it comes to education, newly-appointed Rockwall ISD Superintendent Dr. John Villarreal has a knack for fully immersing himself in the lives of his fellow teachers and students.

Prior to becoming superintendent for Rockwall ISD in May 2016, Dr. Villarreal served one of the highest performing school districts in the state – Carroll ISD – as the Assistant Superintendent of Student Services beginning in Oct. 2011. Dr. Villarreal planned, organized and facilitated the district’s recent strategic plan. He has also worked with the Temple ISD, serving as Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction, high school principal and International Baccalaureate head of school, elementary principal, academic coordinator, Teen Involvement teacher, high school counselor and coach. He holds a Doctor of Education in Educational Administration from Tarleton State University, a Master of Education in Educational Administration from Tarleton State University, a Master of Education in Counseling and Human Development at Hardin-Simmons University, along with a Bachelor of Science from Hardin-Simmons University.

DR.V — Dr. John Villarreal, Rockwall ISD Superintendent

Blue Ribbon News Editor Austin Wells caught up with Rockwall ISD’s new superintendent to learn more about his background and all the good things he plans to bring to the fast-growing school district.

What does it mean to you to be the new Superintendent for Rockwall ISD?

I think it’s a huge opportunity and a huge honor to be a part of a successful family like Rockwall ISD. There are a ton of traditions here, an expectation of excellence demonstrated by our students’ performance, whether it’s athletics or academics. It’s definitely awesome to be a part of that.

Talk about the support you’ve received from the district – from parents/teachers/school board members – since becoming the Superintendent.

I think I had 100+ new followers on my Twitter account, folks that were welcoming. It’s been great! My first few months were spent going out to different departments, and folks were friendly. They have a lot of pride in the district. They also recognized that we are a growing district and are doing all they can to meet the needs of that student growth, and provide an experience for kids that’s excellent. I appreciate our School Board and how they’ve worked with my family during our transition, and they’ve been very supportive as we work to move in to our new home.

You really immersed yourself in the communities of Southlake and Temple, getting involved in the Chamber of Commerce, the Kiwanis Club and the Rotary Club. How do you plan to get involved in the Rockwall community?

I plan to be available. I want to shake as many hands as possible. A good day’s a day when I can shake a lot of hands. If I don’t then I didn’t get out of the office enough.

More and more families continue to relocate to the Rockwall community, and one of the biggest reasons they often give for moving here is Rockwall’s reputation for having an excellent school district. Of course, more families coming in also means a growing student population. How do you as Superintendent plan to handle that incoming growth?

I think the school district is in a great position to handle the incoming growth. The community was very gracious to approve a large bond. We are already in the phases of building our 14^th elementary school here. The College and Career Academy will house students from our high schools, and we’re working on those processes as well. The bond itself puts the district in a great position to prepare for the growth of our student population.

What’s your idea of an effective learning environment?

When learning occurs it’s two ways – there’s the presenter of the information and then you’ve got to hear the feedback. The feedback helps the presenter understand the gaps or the mastery of the learning that has been taught. I love seeing the students do rather than simply listen. The more they’re engaged, the more we see their problem-solving skills and hear actual feedback from them. I think that adds the greatest value and gives you an example of a great learning environment.

What are some things the school district is doing to help prepare students for life post-high school?

Authentic learning is huge. When you have experiences in multiple courses, I think you’re better in terms of your depth of knowledge and authentic learning. All of that will be available at the new College and Career Academy, along with dual-credit courses. Certifications will also be a part of that, so that way students can be workforce-ready and can even work on their associate’s degree or four-year degree while at the same time working with a certificate that they earned at the College and Career Academy.

What are you most looking forward to in your new position?

I thrive being at the campuses and seeing kids learning. I enjoy seeing folks become empowered, and seeing them think and learn at a whole other level where they’re doing that together, and adding value to the system. I look forward to working with people, the camaraderie that comes with that, and being able to look back after a year and see people adding greater value to Rockwall ISD, rather that’s teachers thinking about innovation, administrators thinking about new processes, or a new academic service we’re offering students. All of that involves everyone becoming better than who they were today, and that’s also my goal: how can I be better tomorrow?

You’re a father of three. What’s the coolest thing about being a dad?

The coolest thing about being a dad is preparing your kids for the world. They won’t live with me forever, and I think my responsibility as a dad is to prepare them for the world. Building confidence in my kiddos and teaching them how to treat people – all of those are fun opportunities. Having experiences with them that aren’t business or school-related, from family vacations to fishing to hunting, all of that is really important to me. For me, my kids are a gift, and it’s fun to be able to raise them and teach them things they need to know.

Tell me something about yourself most people would be surprised to learn.

If you want to see the Superintendent of Rockwall ISD, you can report to The Harbor at 5:30 in the morning or Rockwall High School at 5:15 a.m. for a Camp Gladiator workout. I love being around young people who challenge me in my physical fitness. One of my passions is to realize as educators that we have to take care of ourselves first before we can really be good for someone else, which is something that’s a bit of a challenge for educators because we are such servant leaders.

What’s the last book you read that you found interesting?

Karen Martin wrote a book called “The Outstanding Organization.” There’s always going to be tough times in any organization, whether it’s a school, a business or corporation. What she speaks to is the fact that if you embrace that by working together to solve problems, you find better solutions during those tough times.

Describe yourself in one word.

Driven. My father was a salesman for a wholesale grocery company, and on the social side it was hi fives for everyone who walked in. It was all about relationships – everybody’s important no matter who it is. And he would expect me to act accordingly. Shy wasn’t allowed; learning how to speak with people was.

When I was 16 years old, I’d wake up at 2:30 in the morning and find my mom studying her nursing books. She had a four-year nursing degree and became a Registered Nurse. The fact that my mom was up in the middle of the night studying while we were asleep – that she was driven to get her degree done, driven to be the best that she could be – always impressed me.

What most inspires you?

I’m inspired most when I see great leaders lead during a time of difficulty. As a former coach, we would always say you can never panic in the fourth quarter. I’m always amazed when leaders can rise to the occasion during difficult times when nobody else could, and continue to support those that they could and be a voice of hope.

Who are your heroes – people you look up to who have had a big impact on your life?

I’ve described my parents as heroes, and I’ve been blessed to have so many heroes in my life. Bob McQueen was a former football coach in high school, and he had about 24 quotes on the wall if I remember right. Sometimes if people would make excuses or blame someone else, he would point at one of the quotes written on the wall and ask them to read it, and the quotes would say things like “Perfection” or “It’s what you do for others that counts.” With little quotes like that, he raised us to have that compass or mental model of how you’re going to lead and expect excellence from everybody.

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