PEOPLE
2023 EDUCATION EDITION
Courtney Carpenter Argyle ISD superintendent
together before. They might have considered themselves adversaries, but together in a room and going through that entire process for an entire semester really brought some healing, I guess you could say. WHAT ARE YOUR INITIAL PRIORITIES AND LONG TERM GOALS FOR THE DISTRICT? Right o the bat, I want to build relationships and get to know people. I’m a relationship-oriented person. I believe the only way to move forward is trust—to build trust and to build transparency. ... I want the commu- nity to see the board and myself as a true team of eight and that we are a team with the same vested interest of moving Argyle forward. I want to make sure that message is we honor the past while we create the vision for the future because in a fast-growth district you cannot be behind the eight ball the whole time. You’ve got to be proactive enough to say [you] know this is coming, and so let’s get ahead of it now before we’re there [because] then we’re trying to gure out what to do.
BY DON MUNSCH
Argyle ISD Superintendent Courtney Carpenter began her role as the new school chief in July. She listed a few people who were special inspirations for her in her education career. Among them were her mother, who was a teacher, and Carroll ISD’s superintendent. Carpenter’s mother’s hard work inspired her, and she became a role model as did CISD Superintendent Lane Ledbetter. Carpenter worked as the deputy superintendent in CISD. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Sam Houston State University, a master’s degree from the University of North Texas and a doctorate from Dallas Baptist University. Carpenter replaces former Superintendent Telena Wright, who retired in late June. Wright had been superintendent since 2009. Carpenter brings 25 years of education experience to AISD. This article has been edited for clarity.
Courtney Carpenter
DON MUNSCH COMMUNITY IMPACT
WHAT IS YOUR APPROACH AS THE NEW SUPERINTENDENT? Visibility is huge. I think just having a listening ear. I do believe strongly in when families or students or sta and anybody are facing struggles that they always start at the closest point of impact because that’s the rst line of resolution, but I always want to be able to help resolve [something] if it can’t be resolved. I heard a mentor, a dear mentor, several years ago say the best advice she could give was to listen to understand, not listen to respond. … They need to feel like they’re heard and understood, not just heard.
WHAT HAVE YOU FOUND SIM ILAR BETWEEN ARGYLE AND CARROLL ISDS? I feel like (Argyle ISD) is a com- munity of high expectations, high accountability (like Carroll ISD)—and that’s where I want to be. I want to be somewhere where people are expect- ing us to be on our A-game all the time and delivering A-game results.
HOW DID WORKING WITH DIF FERENT GROUPS OF PEOPLE IN CARROLL ISD SHAPE YOU? I think that’s probably the high- light of my career. (It was during) that process of strategic planning and (how) we came out together as a team with some personalities that would not have gotten along if you would have put them in a room
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