TASA’s “Inspiring Leaders” tagline is not just a reminder of TASA’s commitment to leadership development; it describes our members themselves — school leaders who inspire others as they work to prepare future-ready students. Meet Lupita Hinojosa, one of those Inspiring Leaders.
For the past year, Dr. Lupita Hinojosa has served as superintendent in Spring ISD, the first Hispanic woman to serve in the district’s top position. Hinojosa took the job with more than 30 years of experience working in public education, a career she began as an elementary school bilingual educator in Houston ISD. Since taking the role, Hinojosa often introduces herself as the “super-proud superintendent of Spring ISD.”
“I genuinely am so very proud of our district and how we work together on behalf of our students and families,” she says. “One thing I am exceptionally proud of is the hard work we’ve done here in Spring ISD to serve the real needs of our students and to align our offerings to those needs — at every level — to help every student succeed.”
Staff in Spring ISD say Hinojosa’s “super-proud” nickname has stuck, due to its authenticity.
“Whether you’re next to her during a 4 a.m. outdoor, televised pep rally with 300 students or a 10 p.m. school board meeting honoring students and teachers, you will see the same proud smile across the leader of our district,” says Dr. Joe Clark, director of performing and visual arts in the district. “Our superintendent is real and you can see her in our work alongside us every day. This is the kind of inspirational leader that we all need for all our students and teachers, every day.”
Hinojosa has worked to improve student achievement in Spring, implementing a new strategic plan called “Every Student — Every Teacher — Every Day: A Blueprint for Excellent and Equitable Outcomes.”
“One thing I am exceptionally proud of is the hard work we’ve done here in Spring ISD to serve the real needs of our students and to align our offerings to those needs — at every level — to help every student succeed,” she says. “It’s a big task, and it takes continual cooperation and coordination between administrators, teachers, support staff, parents and guardians, and local business and community partners, all guided by the vision and leadership of our Spring ISD board of trustees.”
A child of immigrants, Hinojosa says she knows firsthand the importance of education and the opportunities it can provide. It’s these thoughts that keep her going when the job becomes challenging.
“Education changed the trajectory of my life and my family’s life, and now I get to help pass that on to new generations of young people — students who share the same hopes and dreams I had when I was a little girl growing up,” she says. “As education administrators, our days are often challenging, our schedules are often overbooked, the demands on our time and attention can be incredible, and the stakes can often feel unbelievably high. It can definitely be stress-inducing, but the rewards come in the human connections we make, in the compassion and care we bring to our work, and in witnessing the success of our students.”
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