The Permian Basin's greatest resource:
Students and
their educators
The Permian Basin's greatest resource:
Students and
their Educators
Stay connected to our work in the Permian Basin and across Texas.
A region shaped by oil
The Permian Basin covers a vast stretch of West Texas and New Mexico, its economy and culture shaped by the boom and bust cycles of the oil beneath its surface.
For the area's public schools, the economy creates a special set of challenges. Families move often as opportunities shift. Oil field wages are much higher than what districts can afford to pay, and have driven up the cost of housing.
Schools need more than economic incentives to attract and keep teachers and principals.
Investing in education
Fortunately for Permian schools, local foundations and companies working in the region care deeply about its students and are making significant investments to boost their success.
In 2023, the Permian Strategic Partnership and the Scharbauer Foundation invested $6.1 million to build stronger leaders for area schools. They partnered with The Holdsworth Center to provide leadership training and support to over 100 teachers, counselors, assistant principals, principals, superintendents and central office and campus administrators.
The Holdsworth Center is partnering with 7 school districts in the area: Artesia, Hobbs and Carlsbad in New Mexico and Greenwood, Midland, Ector County and Pecos-Barstow-Toyah in Texas. (Shown in orange on the map.)
A region shaped by oil
The Permian Basin covers a vast stretch of West Texas and New Mexico, its economy and culture shaped by the boom and bust cycles of the oil beneath its surface.
For the area's public schools, the economy creates a special set of challenges. Families move often as opportunities shift. Oil field wages are much higher than what districts can afford to pay, and have driven up the cost of housing.
Schools need more than economic incentives to attract and keep teachers and principals.
Fortunately for Permian schools, local foundations and companies working in the region care deeply about its students and are making significant investments to boost their success.
In 2023, the Permian Strategic Partnership and the Scharbauer Foundation invested $6.1 million to build stronger leaders for area schools. They partnered with The Holdsworth Center to provide leadership training and support to over 100 teachers, counselors, assistant principals, principals, superintendents and central office and campus administrators.
The Holdsworth Center is partnering with 7 school districts in the area: Artesia, Hobbs and Carlsbad in New Mexico and Greenwood, Midland, Ector County and Pecos-Barstow-Toyah in Texas. (Shown in orange on the map.)
When the Permian Strategic Partnership decided to invest in our schools, they went to the best. They partnered with Holdsworth. Excellence is being invested in us. The leaders will in turn create excellent opportunities for our kids.
Strong principals make a difference for students.
If you met Zaida Cowart one year ago, you might have seen a kid with a tough exterior who struggled with school work and often had angry outbursts.
Today, she is greatly improving in academics and working hard at athletics and art. The 8th grader at Bonham Middle School in Odessa gives credit to her coaches, and to Principal Kamye Smith.
I learned how to express my feelings. I learned that I could talk to Ms. Smith about anything. I wish I could spend the rest of my life being around her. She's such a supportive person.
I learned how to express my feelings. I learned that I could talk to Ms. Smith about anything. I wish I could spend the rest of my life being around her. She's such a supportive person.
Zaida is proof that when schools are led by strong principals, students benefit.
Research has shown that consistent, effective leadership keeps high-performing teachers in classrooms and improves results for students.
One big part of retaining great people is the culture and climate that a leader builds within the school environment. Having a strong principal leading every school will help us retain really great teachers.
One big part of retaining great people is the culture and climate that a leader builds within the school environment. Having a strong principal leading every school will help us retain really great teachers.
In recent years, Bonham has been known for discipline problems and low academic scores. Students – like Cowart at one time –shuffled through the hallways with heads down, defeat at their backs.
Staff turnover was sky high. At the beginning of the school year, 70% of the teachers and almost the entire administrative team were new to the school.
Principal Kamye Smith's first order of business was getting to know staff and students.
“We get to know them by name. Get to know their history and talk to them every day. When we remember their name, they're willing to have those social conversations and then we can start talking about their academics and behavioral goals that we need to improve on,” said Smith.
During passing periods, you can see the new culture taking root. Students talk and laugh with each other or exchange greetings and high-fives with teachers.
Smith credits The Holdsworth Center with helping her grow as a leader through a challenging first year as Bonham’s principal.
She's not alone. One year into the partnership, 92 percent of educators said Holdsworth has been influential in increasing the impact of their leadership and their district or campus’ focus on achieving excellent and equitable outcomes for students.
Others see it too; 100 percent of principals and superintendents made progress on their leadership goal according to those who worked most closely with them.
It's students like Zaida that you meet and they question who they are and what skills they have or what path they have for their future. But being a part of her journey—I love being a part of that, more so than she'll ever know.
It's students like Zaida that you meet and they question who they are and what skills they have or what path they have for their future. But being a part of her journey—I love being a part of that, more so than she'll ever know.
For Principal Kamye Smith, watching students like Zaida blossom is why she does the job.
But while the work is fulfilling, it’s also complex and exhausting. No human could do it for long without solid support systems in place.
To build relationships, good leaders are “on” almost all the time – in planning meetings with teachers poring over data or being pulled into urgent hallway conversations. At Bonham, students walk up and give Smith hugs and confide in her about issues going on at school or home.
It's all-consuming. There’s precious little time to reflect, strategize and plan, which is also required for leaders to be effective.
That's where Holdsworth comes in.
In our leadership programs, educators get the time, space and support they need to do deep, strategic work.
They learn leadership skills and practical tools from top experts from academia and beyond. Plus, principals receive one year of executive coaching.
Because the programs are 18 to 24 months long, there is an opportunity to apply learning on the job, then come back to Holdsworth and get feedback from staff and other leaders in their cohort.
Learning sessions are typically 3-4 days and take place at the Marriott Conference Center in Odessa or Holdsworth’s Campus on Lake Austin. Leaders say the time away is worth the benefits they get in return.
We're so remote out in West Texas that if we aren't intentional about engaging with other leaders, we would be out there on our own island thinking we're doing great work to find out we're years behind other districts. It's so critical to learn from one another. It raises the bar.
We're so remote out in West Texas that if we aren't intentional about engaging with other leaders, we would be out there on our own island thinking we're doing great work to find out we're years behind other districts. It's so critical to learn from one another. It raises the bar.
After six sessions, 98 to 100% of campus leaders agreed the content was of the highest quality and focused on the most relevant leadership priorities, and that faculty were world-class.
Building Leadership Pipelines
In Holdsworth programs, districts make the shift from being caught off guard when a principal leaves and scrambling to fill the role to strategically planning for vacancies and preparing aspiring principals years in advance to be ready for those critical jobs.
Often, district leaders find there is leadership talent all around them. But if they weren’t looking, they couldn’t see it.
Before Holdsworth, Hobbs Municipal Schools was lost in a forest of beautiful trees. Today, we can identify each of those trees and can see their growth opportunity and be able to nourish them to their fullest potential.
Before Holdsworth, Hobbs Municipal Schools was lost in a forest of beautiful trees. Today, we can identify each of those trees and can see their growth opportunity and be able to nourish them to their fullest potential.
Each district is unique, and teams are encouraged to build custom solutions. Holdsworth brings proven models to the table, then supports teams to figure out what will best meet their needs.
There hasn't been one thing we've been asked to work on that we haven't been given exemplars, examples, ideas. The opportunity to build (systems) while we're here at Holdsworth – that's been so powerful. Every time I leave, I feel more excited about the direction we're headed.
We're building a legacy is the way I look at it. With my principals committed to this work, my district committed to this work, we're going to see the positive difference for many years to come. While it is a time commitment, the value is beyond measure for the future of our kids in Carlsbad and the Permian.
We're building a legacy is the way I look at it. With my principals committed to this work, my district committed to this work, we're going to see the positive difference for many years to come. While it is a time commitment, the value is beyond measure for the future of our kids in Carlsbad and the Permian.
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