Dr. Macario Hernandez Appointed President of Dallas College Mountain View Campus

Friends, 

My heart is full.

Dr. Macario Hernandez, my former student and mentee, just made a major career leap as Dallas College Mountain View Campus president. He reached out to me Saturday evening to give me this amazing news. 

I have blogged about him as an Ethnic Studies advocate and a successful high school principal, winning Blue Ribbon Status by the U.S. Department of Education at Dallas ISD's Trini Garza Early College High School located in Oak Cliff, Dallas. The magic of President Hernandez' ascendancy is that he will continue to serve his community, but now as president. "Grow your own," he happily expressed to me over the phone. "Yes, organic, like we've always said. Organic is best," I responded.

Grow Your Own is a concept advanced by the National Latina/o Education Research and Policy Project (NLERAPP) which is a consortium in several states that are embarked in creating pathways into higher education for teachers and administrators with the idea of graduates returning to their communities where they can "give back" to them by being critically conscious educators. Macario is the literal embodiment of this ideal that we advance. 

I honestly couldn't be more happy or proud. I know in my bones that Macario is going to make a massive difference in the lives of so many young people in Dallas. I can't wait to celebrate with him and look forward to witnessing an unfolding of so much possibility for our youth.

Glad to see Dr. Burillo-Hopkins appointed President of Dallas College, as well. I don't know her, but I'm sure she's amazing. Dallas is making great strides in advancing these Latino and Latina leaders to top posts.

-Angela Valenzuela

Dallas College Appoints Two New Presidents

Dr. Macario Hernandez

Media Contact: Debra Dennis; DDennis@DallasCollege.edu

For immediate release — June 24, 2024

(DALLAS) — Two highly accomplished education leaders have joined the ranks of Dallas College as the school’s newest presidents of its Brookhaven and Mountain View campuses.

Dr. Macario Hernandez, an education administrator for 25 years, will lead Mountain View Campus in southwestern Dallas County, and Dr. Madeline Burillo-Hopkins will lead Brookhaven Campus in Farmers Branch.

Both appointments were made by Dr. Justin Lonon, Dallas College chancellor.

Dr. Hernandez, who was raised in Oak Cliff, has a long history with Dallas College, where he received an associate degree in 1996. He was also honored with a Distinguished Alumni Award in 2019.

Dr. Hernandez was a Dallas ISD principal for 23 years, including at Trinidad “Trini” Garza Early College High School on the Mountain View Campus. Under his leadership, the school earned recognition as a National Title I Distinguished School in 2018 and received a National Blue Ribbon Award from the U.S. Department of Education in 2021.

Known as a public education advocate, Dr. Hernandez will lead Mountain View’s campus culture and local business community engagement and advancement. Among his other duties, he will work with industry partners and business leaders to develop and expand workforce opportunities in Dallas’ southern sector.

He is a graduate of the University of North Texas and holds a master’s degree from Texas Woman’s University and a doctorate from the University of Texas at Austin. 

Dr. Hernandez comes to Dallas College from the University of North Texas at Dallas, where he served as chief of staff.

“Given his background, connection to the community and affinity for Mountain View, I am excited for the future and look forward to supporting Dr. Hernandez in his new role,” Dr. Lonon said.

Dr. Burillo-Hopkins comes to Dallas College from Houston Community College, where she served as vice chancellor for workforce instruction and was instrumental in securing federal and state workforce grants. She led efforts in credit and continuing education and developed workforce partnerships as well as prior learning assessment. She is noted for her efforts to raise private sector funds for student support and instructional programs.

In 2021, Dr. Burillo-Hopkins earned the Hispanic Women in Leadership Award for outstanding

service in education. Two years later, Houston Community College honored her with the Chancellor’s Medallion for Outstanding Service. In 2010, she was an HCC (Houston Community College) Eagle Award recipient for Administrative Leadership. D’Mars Magazine selected her as one of Houston’s Top 30 Influential Women.

In addition to being a champion for Brookhaven’s campus culture, Dr. Burillo-Hopkins will oversee and help improve workforce training pathways to meet the demands of employers and students. She has degrees from Sam Houston State, University of California at Berkeley and the University of Puerto Rico. She received a doctorate in education from Sam Houston State.

“We are thrilled to have Dr. Burillo-Hopkins join Dallas College. Her extensive experience working with community colleges will undoubtedly serve us well as we navigate the evolving landscape of higher education in Texas and beyond,” Dr. Lonon said.

# # #

Such excellent news regarding my former student, dear friend, and colleague in the struggle for equity and representation in higher education. Dr. Macario Hernandez percolated to the top of a nationwide search for a Chief of Staff post at the University of North Texas Dallas. So happy for UNT, for him and his family, and for Texas, especially Dallas.

Felicidades, Macario! So happy for, and proud of, you. Much deserved.

-Angela Valenzuela

UNT DALLAS SELECTS MACARIO HERNANDEZ AS THE UNIVERSITY’S FIRST CHIEF OF STAFF

August 08, 2022

The University of North Texas at Dallas (UNT Dallas) has named Dr. Macario Hernandez as its first Chief of Staff. Dr. Hernandez was selected as the top candidate for the position after a nationwide search. He began the newly created cabinet position on July 27 and has joined the UNT Dallas leadership team, reporting directly to University President Bob Mong.

In this new role, Hernandez will serve as a key strategist representing the President in critical support roles, while focusing on local, political, school district and legislative initiatives. He also will be involved in university decision-making, administrative operations and the highest-priority work of the university.

Dr. Hernandez joined the university after spending more than 20 years as a bilingual teacher and school administrator, supporting the educational needs of K-12 students in Dallas ISD. He most recently served as principal at Trinidad “Trini” Garza Early College High School (Garza), where he led the campus to nationwide accolades including the National Title-I Distinguished School Award in 2018 and the National Blue-Ribbon Award from the United States Department of Education in 2021.

Hernandez holds a B.A. in Social Science from the University of North Texas, an M.A. in Education from Texas Woman’s University, and a Ph.D. in Cultural Studies in Education from the University of Texas at Austin. He currently serves as a board member of the National Latino(a) Education Research and Policy Project where he works on initiatives aimed at diversifying the teacher and administrator workforce. He formerly served as President of the local League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC 272) where he supported efforts in areas of early college high schools, racial equity, social economic mobility, ethnic studies, voter empowerment, and community school partnerships.

A native of Oak Cliff, Dr. Hernandez always had a heart for serving his community and guiding young people in a positive direction. He began his career in Dallas as an at-risk youth counselor, quickly moving into public education after he noticed the profound effect that education made on young people striving to build a better future.

“Macario brings a wide array of talents and networks to UNT Dallas. We are extremely impressed with his long and masterful work with young people in southern Dallas,” said President Bob Mong.

No stranger to UNT Dallas, Hernandez partnered with the university and 826 Dallas Project while serving as principal at Garza to publish a book, Faceless: Untold Side Effects of Culture, Race, & COVID-19, which

is a collection of anecdotal stories and poems that shine light on the lived experiences many urban youths endured during the global pandemic.

“It has been my life’s calling to tap into the lived experiences of students, staff, and faculty to find common goals and establish authentic relationships,” said Hernandez. “My strong relational, collaborative, and organic approach to engage people from multiple backgrounds in various school communities and organizations aligns tightly with the mission of the University of North Texas at Dallas: to empower students, transform lives, and strengthen communities.”

As Chief of Staff to the President, Dr. Hernandez looks forward to building authentic relationships with the UNT Dallas Trailblazer family and working together to provide students a high-quality education that will enhance their social economic mobility.

“I will proudly serve the UNT Dallas mission and vision of transforming the community,” said Hernandez. “As someone who grew up in the Oak Cliff area, I know firsthand what obstacles many students face on their college journey. I can directly relate to the student body of UNT Dallas. Their stories will continue to be respected and valued because they are rooted in their own lived experiences. Being well-informed about the pressing challenges our communities of color face due to their historical lack of social mobility, specifically in the Southern Dallas area, gives me insight into past and current issues.”

About UNT Dallas

The University of North Texas at Dallas empowers students, transforms lives and strengthens communities. UNT Dallas is one of the most diverse public universities in the metroplex, the only public, 4-year university in the City of Dallas and the most affordable 4-year university in Dallas-Fort Worth. UNT Dallas includes the UNT Dallas College of Law (accredited by the American Bar Association) in Downtown Dallas and is part of the University of North Texas System. For more information, visit untdallas.edu.

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This is the 2nd time that Trini Garza High School, headed by principal Dr. Macario Hernandez wins national Blue Ribbon school. In 2018, the school won National Title I Distinguished Award as captured in this earlier post on the school's accomplishments that delves into why they are so successful: Dallas early college campus singled out as one of the nation’s top schools for low-income students

That piece references the importance of having teachers that come from the community. Dr. Hernandez himself is a member of this community. This aligns with a growing research literature that points to the power of community-based teachers to educate the children in their own communities.

You did it again, Macario. None of this happens without excellent leadership—and to do so in the throes of a pandemic is no small thing. 

I hope you get a promotion. You're amazing! 

Felicidades! Congratulations!

-Angela Valenzuela

4 Dallas-area campuses named National Blue Ribbon Schools

The coveted honor recognizes schools for high performance and closing achievement gaps.

Kathlyn Joy Gilliam Collegiate Academy was just recognized as a 2021 National Blue Ribbon School for the first time since 2014. It's one of four Dallas-area campuses that received the National Blue Ribbon School honor Tuesday.(Emil Lippe / Special Contributor)

Four Dallas-area campuses received National Blue Ribbon School honors Tuesday, recognized for their high performance and work to close achievement gaps.

The schools, among 26 receiving the status in Texas, were Dallas ISD’s Trinidad “Trini” Garza Early College High School at Mountain View and Kathlyn Joy Gilliam Collegiate Academy; Mesquite ISD’s Porter Elementary School; and Christ the King Catholic School in Dallas.

The program selects campuses based on either how well students perform on standardized tests or how much progress they make in closing achievement gaps among student groups.

Students at Garza and Gilliam typically earn college credit while completing their high school diploma as well.

The majority of those at Garza will be first-generation college students, principal Macario Hernandez said. Among its 431 students, 88% are Hispanic and about 8% are Black. More than 85% come from families that are struggling financially.

The honor is “validation for all the hard work of our teachers and our students and our parents,” Hernandez said. He added that the status is a celebration for the teachers and students who persevered despite the challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The school staff values students’ home culture, racial backgrounds and lived experiences, he said, which allows teachers and students to build relationships that transform the experience for the entire campus community.

“It’s a family that really builds on each other’s strengths,” Hernandez said. “Humility and valuing and respecting and working with people with compassion and empathy can go a long way.”

Gilliam principal Gayle Ferguson Rodgers said the award is proof that a school can perform at high levels despite its at-risk population.

A majority of its students, most of whom are Black or Hispanic, also come from low-income families.

“This award is a celebration of everyone’s efforts as we do our mission here at Gilliam, which is to have college access and success for all,” she said.

Ferguson added that being named a National Blue Ribbon School “wasn’t a goal,” but that the school’s community only focuses on delivering on its mission every day.

The staff’s commitment to the school’s vision “Every Child. Every need. Whatever it takes.” became abundantly clear for Porter Elementary Principal Leeann Englert when she began working at the Mesquite school. She credited parents for pushing the school to meet high expectations.

“The campus exudes this vision in every conversation they have and in every decision they make,” she said in a statement. “Everyone is deeply invested in the success of our children.”

The schools join more than 9,000 others that the National Blue Ribbon Schools program has recognized in the past 39 years.

“I commend all our Blue Ribbon honorees for working to keep students healthy and safe while meeting their academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs,” U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said in a written statement. “In the face of unprecedented circumstances, you found creative ways to engage, care for, protect, and teach our children.”

The four local campuses are among 302 public and 23 private schools honored across the U.S. on Tuesday.

The DMN Education Lab deepens the coverage and conversation about urgent education issues critical to the future of North Texas.

The DMN Education Lab is a community-funded journalism initiative, with support from The Beck Group, Bobby and Lottye Lyle, Communities Foundation of Texas, The Dallas Foundation, Dallas Regional Chamber, Deedie Rose, The Meadows Foundation, Solutions Journalism Network, Southern Methodist University and Todd A. Williams Family Foundation. The Dallas Morning News retains full editorial control of the Education Lab’s journalism.

Valeria Olivares, Education Lab Reporting Fellow. Valeria is a reporter for The Dallas Morning News Education Lab focusing on higher education. She was born in El Paso, but was raised across the border in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. She has previously interned at The San Antonio Express-News and The Texas Tribune. She loves internet culture and green tea-flavored sweets.

valeria.olivares@dallasnews.com ValeriaOliEsc valeriaoliesc

4 Dallas-area campuses named National Blue Ribbon Schools by Valeria Olivares

News like these bring such joy! I happen to know and adore the principal of Dallas ISD’s Trinidad “Trini” Garza Early College High School and I've visited the campus, as well. These stories of these Title I schools illustrate that even in the context of a pandemic, caring school leaders that value students' home cultures and racial backgrounds coupled with high parent involvement and high expectations, our children in these schools can be college going. 

I shamelessly shout out here to Trini Garza principal, as well as my former Cultural Studies and Education program doctoral student at UT. 

Way to go, Dr. Macario Hernandez​! 

This must be your 6th such recognition or so. I'm losing count! And how fortunate for your students! I know they love you and all the grow-your-own, community-based teachers at Garza. Keep doing what you're doing. Your school is not just saving lives—as if that weren't sufficient—but you're helping young people achieve their dreams. Felicidades! Congratulations! 

You can learn more about the award from the Texas Education Agency website. The future is truly in great hands with principals like Dr. Hernandez and Dr. Ferguson Rodgers.

-Angela Valenzuela

4 Dallas-area campuses named National Blue Ribbon Schools

The coveted honor recognizes schools for high performance and closing achievement gaps.

Kathlyn Joy Gilliam Collegiate Academy was just recognized as a 2021 National Blue Ribbon School for the first time since 2014. It's one of four Dallas-area campuses that received the National Blue Ribbon School honor Tuesday.(Emil Lippe / Special Contributor)

by Valeria Olivares | Dallas Morning News | Sept. 22, 2021

Four Dallas-area campuses received National Blue Ribbon School honors Tuesday, recognized for their high performance and work to close achievement gaps.

The schools, among 26 receiving the status in Texas, were Dallas ISD’s Trinidad “Trini” Garza Early College High School at Mountain View and Kathlyn Joy Gilliam Collegiate Academy; Mesquite ISD’s Porter Elementary School; and Christ the King Catholic School in Dallas.

The program selects campuses based on either how well students perform on standardized tests or how much progress they make in closing achievement gaps among student groups.

Students at Garza and Gilliam typically earn college credit while completing their high school diploma as well.

The majority of those at Garza will be first-generation college students, principal Macario Hernandez said. Among its 431 students, 88% are Hispanic and about 8% are Black. More than 85% come from families that are struggling financially.

The honor is “validation for all the hard work of our teachers and our students and our parents,” Hernandez said. He added that the status is a celebration for the teachers and students who persevered despite the challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The school staff values students’ home culture, racial backgrounds and lived experiences, he said, which allows teachers and students to build relationships that transform the experience for the entire campus community.

“It’s a family that really builds on each other’s strengths,” Hernandez said. “Humility and valuing and respecting and working with people with compassion and empathy can go a long way.”

Gilliam principal Gayle Ferguson Rodgers said the award is proof that a school can perform at high levels despite its at-risk population.

A majority of its students, most of whom are Black or Hispanic, also come from low-income families.

“This award is a celebration of everyone’s efforts as we do our mission here at Gilliam, which is to have college access and success for all,” she said.

Ferguson added that being named a National Blue Ribbon School “wasn’t a goal,” but that the school’s community only focuses on delivering on its mission every day.

The staff’s commitment to the school’s vision “Every Child. Every need. Whatever it takes.” became abundantly clear for Porter Elementary Principal Leeann Englert when she began working at the Mesquite school. She credited parents for pushing the school to meet high expectations.

“The campus exudes this vision in every conversation they have and in every decision they make,” she said in a statement. “Everyone is deeply invested in the success of our children.”

The schools join more than 9,000 others that the National Blue Ribbon Schools program has recognized in the past 39 years.

“I commend all our Blue Ribbon honorees for working to keep students healthy and safe while meeting their academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs,” U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said in a written statement. “In the face of unprecedented circumstances, you found creative ways to engage, care for, protect, and teach our children.”

The four local campuses are among 302 public and 23 private schools honored across the U.S. on Tuesday.

The DMN Education Lab deepens the coverage and conversation about urgent education issues critical to the future of North Texas.

The DMN Education Lab is a community-funded journalism initiative, with support from The Beck Group, Bobby and Lottye Lyle, Communities Foundation of Texas, The Dallas Foundation, Dallas Regional Chamber, Deedie Rose, The Meadows Foundation, Solutions Journalism Network, Southern Methodist University and Todd A. Williams Family Foundation. The Dallas Morning News retains full editorial control of the Education Lab’s journalism.

What an Inspirational Day at the Texas SBOE in Support of African American Studies

The hearing today on African American Studies before the Texas State Board of Education was glorious!  I presented the petition that you can read below, particularly since the SBOE cut me off before I could get through the whole document (full report is downloadable here).

The best part for me was listening to everybody that testified, including several of our students and faculty.  The students that went forward were all in Education Policy and Planning, including Masters students Chase Moore, Chloe White, Angeles DeSantos Quezada, Julieta Rico, and doctoral students Eliza Epstein and Chloe Sikes.

Chloe even appeared in the Texas Tribune this evening in a story titled, "Texas education board likely to approve African American studies course in 2020."  Way to go, Chloe!

Student Chloe White testifies in support of the addition of an African American studies course before the State Board of Education. Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune

Aside from myself, UT faculty consisted of Drs. Keffrelyn Brown, Anthony Brown, Daina Ramey Berry, and Kevin Cokely.  Former UT Staff member Philemon Brown, as well as Former UT Mexican American Studies Lecturer Virginia Raymond testified, as well as recent UT graduate, Dr. Macario Hernandez, Principal of national, award-winning Trini Garza High School in Dallas, Texas.

Dallas ISD High School Students

He was accompanied by a busload of at least 40 students from the Dallas Independent School District, many of whom similarly testified on the benefits and psychological uplift provided by their district-developed, African American Studies curriculum. Do listen to his testimony as he provided the most cutting observation of the day:

"Everybody right now in this very moment is actually in an African American course. These students that are here today are in the course as we speak."

What a wonderful, empowering way, if for a moment, to both demystify the Ethnic Studies classroom and re-cast the SBOE hearing itself as intimately caught up with the Ethnic Studies movement. You represent us all so very well, Macario.

Muchísimas gracias por tu compromiso y tus esfuerzos tan admirables. Many thanks for your commitment and admirable efforts.

So 14 of us out of a guesstimate of 58 people or so that testified means that roughly 20 percent of us who went up to the podium to speak were from UT, many of whom are students.  Among these, this was their very first time to deliver testimony.  And they all spoke so very powerfully and eloquently.  It so fed my soul.  I'm happy to share some of what was shared here.

The SBOE will vote on the TEKS standards to this course in their January meeting with Native American Studies coming next out of the gate.

Despite the hatred and violence that we are witnessing in many of our schools and society, we can rest assured that this next generation will keep democracy and hope alive.

-Angela Valenzuela

Dallas early college campus singled out as one of the nation’s top schools for low-income students

So very proud of my UT Cultural Studies in Education doctoral student, Macario Hernandez, for this extraordinary achievement.  Mr. Hernandez is principal of Dallas ISD's Trini Garza Early College High School.  His early college campus was just recognized by the Texas Education Agency as "one of the nation’s top schools for low-income students."  As you can read for yourself below, he was one of two schools statewide that received this recognition.

Aside from being a Title I principal extraordinaire and a "hidden gem" himself in DISD, Macario is also researching "homegrown teachers."  These are educators that are from the community that have worked in their communities—sometimes for decades—as teachers.  He himself is both a homegrown teacher and principal and is a testament to the power of this model of which I myself am an advocate [Keyword "GYO," "GYO Teachers," and "NLERAP" on this blog for prior references to this national agenda for change.]

"G-Y-O works!  It save lives," he expressed, as a featured speaker at a national Grow Your Own Educator Summit held here in late January in Austin, Texas.  As mentioned in this Dallas Morning News article that correctly notes his and the school's philosophical underpinnings in caring relationships, people can indeed work together in unison and improve their children's lives while enhancing the quality of relationships in the larger community, as a whole.  Relationship-building, respect, and caring have to reside at the core of one's intention and practice.  Keeping schools small also helps.

Felicidades, Macario!  Congratulations!  You are the embodiment of the very GYO dispositions that all of our leaders and teachers need to have if we are to be positively oriented in a culturally relevant and attuned manner to the wishes, hopes, and desires of our communities.  

You have at Trini Garza what every kid on the planet wants.  To be cared for, valued, and loved in a culturally relevant, genuine, in-it-for-the-long-haul, way.  It's additive, not subtractive.  It's about extending students' resources and potentialities rather than about subtracting them, turning on its head the demonstrably wrong-headed project of assimilating youth in a culturally and linguistically eviscerating way. 

We are all so incredibly proud and happy for you and the many lives that you generously and graciously touch!

Angela Valenzuela

c/s

DISD hopes to 'break the cycle of poverty' with early college academies at nearly every high school

Dallas early college campus singled out as one of the nation’s top schools for low-income students

by Corbett Smith| Staff writer

It is fitting that Macario Hernandez’s office at Dallas ISD’s Trini Garza Early College High School has a window that faces one of the school’s main thoroughfares. If a student or teacher needs a word, it’s easy to flag down Hernandez, the school’s principal, and pop in for a chat.

Those connections — built with students, parents and the Oak Cliff community — are what Hernandez points to when asked to describe his campus’ successes.

"Relationships are the foundation for everything we do on this campus," he said. "Being able to make a connection with that student, it's profound because you're vested in that student, vested in the community."

Located on the Mountain View College campus, Garza was selected by the Texas Education Agency as a National Title I Distinguished School, one of only two schools in the state to receive such a designation for the 2016-17 school year. The other is Houston ISD's charter Project Chrysalis Middle School.

The award, presented to Hernandez and three of his teachers by the National Title I Association earlier this month at a conference in Philadelphia, honors high-poverty schools that excel in student performance or closing achievement gaps. One of DISD’s first early college high school efforts, with a student body that’s 86 percent socio-economically disadvantaged, Garza was one of 34 schools across the nation to be praised “for exceptional student performance for two or more consecutive years.”

For the past three years, Garza has received all seven distinctions — indicators that a school is outperforming its peers — awarded by the TEA. The school’s performance on state assessments across all subjects was double the state’s average last year.

“I think that Trini Garza is one of the hidden gems in DISD,” trustee Audrey Pinkerton said during an award assembly at Mountain View’s performance hall on Monday. “And now, the secret’s out.”

When Hernandez spoke to the assembly on Monday, he was quick to remind the audience that they were the engine for the school’s achievements.

“This is about you, all the time,” he said.

The statement isn’t just puffery. It matches his collective, bottom-up approach to leadership, crafted over a decade as a volunteer community organizer and activist for Dallas Area Interfaith and administrative stops across the district.

“To me, this award isn’t about one person or one school,” Hernandez said before the event. “It’s about a community of learners. Relationships we have with students, teachers, parents, relationships we’ve built with the college partner, with the college president — that’s what’s really made us successful at this campus. Outside of that, it’s about valuing the stories and lived experiences of the people who go here.

“I grew up in Oak Cliff, so my job isn’t as much a position to me, as a calling.”

Senior Brandon Leal left the Kimball feeder pattern to apply at the school, intrigued by the dual-credit model that allows students to graduate with a high school diploma and associate’s degree.

He’ll head to the University of North Texas in the fall, with 60 college credits under his belt.

Leal credited the school’s small size — just 434 students — with fostering a sense of togetherness, with students banding together to help one another meet high expectations of college coursework.

“It’s a really good learning experience," Leal said. "You’re asked a lot of tough questions, since this is based on both college and high school. But it’s helped me get ready.”