In 2013, PROACT Search assisted in placing Dr. Royce Avery in the Chief of Schools/Area 2 Superintendent position at El Paso Independent School District. In this role, Dr. Avery has direct responsibility for 29 schools serving 23,000 students. Before his move to the El Paso Independent School District, Avery served as Superintendent of the Aransas Pass Independent School District since 2011.
Dr. Avery is moved by the passion of administrators, teachers, and the students he serves. Upon joining the El Paso Independent School District in 2013, he dove right in to building trust, implementing initiatives and developing relationships with school administrators, teachers, and the El Paso community. Among Dr. Avery’s recent accomplishments was the conferring of Blue Ribbon status by the U.S. Department of Education for Transmountain Early College High School, a high-performing high school under his supervision. Dr. Avery doesn’t take all the credit, however, stating that the honor wouldn’t have been possible without contributions by faculty, the local community college, and other stakeholders. Dr. Avery has also been recognized for his personal successes in education. In 2006, He was honored to receive the Region 17 Outstanding Principal of the Year Award presented by the Texas Association of Secondary School Principals.
Honesty has been a guiding principle of Dr. Avery’s life, one that no doubt has helped him succeed as a leader of teachers, administrators, students and community members. “Opening up and letting people in” does have its risks, he notes, but comes with worthy rewards. For a leader in education, “honesty is huge”, Dr. Avery states. In his current role, the greatest challenge he has faced was rebuilding trust with the administrators that he serves. To accomplish this, Dr. Avery turned to what helped him achieve success in the past – honesty, trust, hard work, and putting his heart into it. Avery’s experience and track record of embodying and building respect, his ability to collaborate with different groups, as well as “putting in 120%” effort, have enabled him to rebuild trust, become a part of the El Paso community and create a strategic roadmap to move El Paso schools forward.
Dr. Avery’s passion for teaching, collaboration, and helping young people succeed dates back to his childhood. As the youngest of thirteen children, he was encouraged by his mother at an early age to “go out and do, and serve the community.” He did so, and from that point forward, Dr. Avery’s passion for working with students and serving the community has guided him throughout his life. As an undergraduate at Rice University, Avery returned home during his summer breaks and taught reading and math to underperforming students in local schools. This experience was the foundation that started his educational career.
Realizing the importance of continued education, Dr. Avery went on to receive his Master’s degree at Texas A&M – Corpus Christi and his Ed.D. at the University of Texas – Austin. Throughout the course of his career, he has served as a teacher, principal, district administrator, and superintendent.
A life-long educator, Dr. Avery brings an infectious energy to every one of his roles. In his current role, and throughout his career, Dr. Avery has stressed the importance of trust, honesty and community engagement. Based on all he has accomplished as a teacher and leader, Dr. Avery not only promotes, but embodies these critical leadership characteristics.