Superintendent's Vision
Crosby ISD selected for Holdsworth Leadership Collaborative to build a bench of outstanding principals for Crosby ISD schools
The Holdsworth Center, an Austin-based nonprofit focused on leadership in public education, has selected Crosby ISD to join the Holdsworth Leadership Collaborative, an 18-month program that will help Crosby ISD build a strong bench of aspiring principals who are ready to step into school leadership positions when they arise.
Crosby ISD is among 17 districts across the state chosen for Holdsworth’s world-class leadership development program.
“Crosby ISD demonstrated a strong commitment to developing principals and a growth mindset around learning new concepts,” said Dr. Lindsay Whorton, president of The Holdsworth Center. “Great leaders draw out the best in people and inspire them to achieve the unimaginable. Every student in Crosby ISD deserves a strong principal at the helm of their school.”
As part of the Collaborative, a team of three – Superintendent, Mrs. Paula Patterson, and two district leaders, Assistant Superintendent of Administration, Ms. Jewel Whitfield, and Executive Director of Human Resources, Ms. Christy CoVan – work with Holdsworth staff to define what great leadership looks like in Crosby ISD. The team of three will use this definition to design systems and structures to strengthen the principal pipeline.
Research shows that effective principals can significantly impact student outcomes by creating the conditions for teachers to thrive. Because principals influence the working conditions and skill level of every teacher in the building, their impact is outsized.
“We don’t believe there are any quick fixes in education. Investing in the skill and capacity of the people working in our schools is the only way we will see true transformation,” Whorton said.
Since its founding in 2017, Holdsworth has served 1,371 educators across 50 districts in more than 200 schools in Texas.
In surveys, 100 percent of superintendents surveyed rate their leadership pipeline as stronger after partnering with Holdsworth for at least three years.
Click here for more impact stories and data.
Superintendent Patterson graduates leadership program
Crosby ISD is excited to announce Superintendent Paula Patterson has been selected for the prestigious Superintendent Leadership Program with The Holdsworth Center in Austin. Superintendent Patterson is among the first group of leaders chosen for the 18-month program and will work with fellow superintendents across Texas. The Superintendent Leadership Program is designed to deepen everyday leadership skills in service of Crosby ISD's students, staff and community.
As the leader of Crosby ISD, Superintendent Patterson plays a key role in helping staff, students and community members forge a new path. The training and mentoring help craft a vision, perfect communication and build a high-performing executive team. Superintendent Patterson is committed to growing and learning to best serve the students, staff, and communities of Crosby ISD.
The Holdsworth Center's program helps Crosby ISD create systems to ensure we have a strong pool of leaders who will grow and lead the district in the future. This is a critical moment for public education in Texas, with historic challenges that will take extraordinary leadership. Navigating recovery and seizing opportunities for transformative change will be critical and necessary for stronger and more innovative schools.
The Holdsworth Center was created by Charles Butt, the chairman of HEB, in 2017 near Lake Austin. He named the nonprofit organization for his mother, a former schoolteacher and lifelong advocate for social justice. The Holdsworth Center is dedicated to Excellence in Education Leadership.
For these inaugural programs, The Holdsworth Center will cover the costs of programming, thanks to the generosity of its founder and other philanthropic supporters. The center’s mission is to improve the quality of public education by supporting and developing educational leaders. The Austin-based nonprofit works with partner districts for five years and makes a deep investment in leaders at both the district and campus levels.
You can read more about the program here: https://holdsworthcenter.org/blog/two-new-programs-launch/ and www.holdsworthcenter.org
A Love Letter to Crosby ISD
A Love Letter to Crosby ISD
Dr. Patterson shared her journey to leadership with the The Schools of Thought blog run by the American Association of School Superintendents (AASA). Read her blog post here.
Dr. Patterson receives Bravo Award
Dr. Patterson received the Bravo Award from the Texas Council of Women School Executives (TCWSE) on January 26, 2025.
The Bravo Awards are presented at the TCWSE Annual Conference for exemplary practitioners, innovative programs, and initiatives that promote community and parental involvement. Congratulations, Superintendent Dr. Patterson. Read more here.
Superintendent Patterson's Story
Superintendent Patterson shares her Crosby story
In August 2021, Superintendent Paula Patterson sat down with ABC13 anchor Melanie Lawson to talk about her Crosby roots. Superintendent Patterson also discussed her vision for the future of Crosby ISD. The story debuted on the first day of school for the 2021-2022 school year.
Watch story here
Watch full interview here
Portrait of a Graduate
Superintendent Patterson's 2024 Commencement Address
Superintendent Patterson's 2023 Commencement Address
Superintendent Patterson's 2022 Commencement Address
Superintendent Patterson's bi-monthly newspaper column
Every other week, Superintendent Patterson updates the Crosby/Barrett Station communities on what's happening in Crosby ISD.
Thursday, March 13, 2025
Hello East Harris County and Crosby ISD families,
Happy Spring Break to our students, staff members, and families! I hope everyone is enjoying activities that make them happy. From traveling to staycations, take this week to reconnect with your loved ones. We’ll see our students back in class on Monday, March 17, as we count down the final two months of the school year.
We’re off and running this spring semester! Just check out the recent accomplishment by students in the Barrett Elementary School Run Club! They practiced for weeks and months and on Saturday, March 1, they completed the San Jacinto Texas Independence Fun Run! The kids were so proud to have finished the 5k race at the San Jacinto Monument, and we love their focus on physical fitness, too!
I think the world of my Cabinet members, and I love when others see the great things they’re doing. Congratulations to Crosby ISD’s Chief Financial Officer, Ms. Yvonne Johnson. She received the Public Education Ambassador Award from TASBO (the Texas Association of School Business Officials) this month. Ms. Johnson leads with integrity, and she is exceptionally gifted at communicating the complicated business of school finance. During her tenure, the Crosby ISD Board of Trustees has been able to adopt non-deficit budgets – a rarity among Texas school districts. Thank you to Ms. Johnson for ensuring Crosby ISD remains on a sound financial footing.
Also, kudos to the Crosby ISD Communications Department for earning a record-breaking 10 Star Awards from TSPRA (the Texas School Public Relations Association). Director of Communications, Mr. Brett Birkinbine, accepted the award for the best instructional video in Texas last month. The “Turkey Talk” video featured CHS Culinary Arts instructor, Chef Vasso Espinosa, demonstrating how to cook the perfect Thanksgiving turkey. You can watch the video now on our YouTube channel. In all, Crosby ISD earned 1 Best in Texas award, 5 gold, 3 silver, and 1 bronze star for the 2023-24 school year.
Crosby High School is home to one of the best and strongest powerlifters in the state! Junior Kayleigh Bowling broke the regional powerlifting record earlier this month. At the meet, she broke the regional bench press record by benching 300 pounds! We’ll be cheering her on at State! By the way, Kayleigh has qualified for State every year since she was a freshman. Wow!
Good luck this month to the Crosby High School Robotics Team! The students are competing twice in March, including on March 28-30 at Clear Brook High School in Friendswood. We very much appreciate the support of the parents who have spent months working after school and in the evenings with students to perfect their machine. We also appreciate the sponsors, including Crosby Fencing Company and McCoy’s Building Supply in Baytown, for donating the supplies our students needed to build a robot practice field. Also a shoutout to the team sponsor, Ms. Angelique Pool, the Crosby ISD CTE (Career and Technical Education) Coordinator. It truly takes a community to help our students succeed.
Speaking of community connections, our Business Partners of the Month shared their expertise with students at Crosby Middle School. Tatum MacNaughton and Charlene Findley from Boom Real Estate in Crosby spent a day this month discussing the importance of digital marketing in the real estate world. They visited Ms. Crear’s class, two of Ms. Eagleton’s business classes, and then stayed after school for the National Junior Honor Society meeting with Ms. McComb. They shared key concepts for interview skills and had students create digital ads. They also talked about investing in the community where you live, and why it’s good business to volunteer in your community. Thank you, Boom Real Estate!
The month also marked “Read Across America” Day. Board of Trustee members, district staff, and Crosby High School students had a chance to read to elementary students, as we work to ignite a love of reading in our younger students. Some students dressed like their favorite book characters, and others wore their best western wear as we celebrated Go Texan Day on the same day as Read Across America Day. What a fun fusion!
We are Committed to Excellence! Go Coogs!
Superintendent Patterson on what it takes to lead
July 2021 appearance on a leadership podcast streamed worldwide.
Women in Leadership
January 2022 appearance on the Education Leadership Podcast. Superintendent Patterson was a special guest on the Educational Leadership Podcast in January 2022. This edition of the program with Gary Dennis and Corinne French focused on Women in Leadership. Superintendent Patterson shared her background and roots in Crosby ISD as well has her vision for the district.