Irving Elementary Principal Sherqueena Jackson will be spending a few more days with the Tigers before moving to an administrative position with Dallas ISD.

            Jackson, who has been the campus leader at Irving since May of 2019, has been named the principal of Frederick Douglass Elementary School.

            “We are going to miss Sherqueena and the tremendous work she has done at Irving and with her staff,” said Dr. Andrea Hensley, assistant superintendent of Human Resources. “This new opportunity will allow her to work closer to home and spend more time with her family—and not as much time on the road.”

            “Irving was facing some challenges when she joined the staff,” Hensley said. “Under her leadership, Irving has gone from an Improvement Required rating from the state in 2019 to receiving a letter grade of B in the 2022 state accountability ratings. And while that is tremendous, what I think we will remember most about Sherqueena is her smile and her positive attitude. Irving and its students and staff have reaped the reward of her leadership. We wish her much success—I know she will continue to do great things in her career.”

            In an email to parents, Jackson said while it might not be possible to feel happy and sad at the same time, she is experiencing both.

            “This was a hard decision, especially with the timing,” Jackson said. “It’s going to take a while for me to adjust, but I know I’ve made the right decision, with the support from family, friends and my staff.”

“I feel I have achieved the mission and we as a campus have achieved so many accomplishments,” she said. “I’m leaving Irving with a positive impact. We have met goals and made new ones, our kids are successful, happy—and love to come to school. It makes it a little easier to leave Irving, knowing our students and staff are in a good place. They also know how much I love them.”

In a few words, that speak volumes, Jackson sums up her journey at Irving as one that “has not been perfect—but has been prosperous.”

“I’m proud of the academic growth we’ve seen in students,” she said. “I’m also proud of our teachers, in their desire and ability to grow—in helping kids in every capacity they may need. Getting to where we are now wasn’t perfect—but we’ve been prosperous.”

“We put a plan in place, stuck with the plan, and gave our students the ability to believe in themselves,” Jackson said. “When you are striving to move forward, it can be challenging. It took all of us unifying and working together to make the achievement of goals a reality. There was a lot of hard work put in by our teachers—and that didn’t go unnoticed.”

Commissioner of Education Mike Morath made one stop at a Johnson County school during a visit to north Texas last spring—and that top was Irving Elementary. Morath said he had received information and data from Irving related to student success and improvement—and wanted to make an in-person visit to the school.

“I was a principal in my previous position when I came to Irving,” Jackson said. “But it’s here where I feel my role as a principal really began. I am leaving Irving knowing I made a difference—with my administrative team and teachers. They put the vision I had for Irving into action.”

Jackson says she will be experiencing a similar journey at her new school.

“I think this might be my defined calling, as a campus leader,” she said. “What I’ve done at Irving is what I hope to do at my new school. The experiences I’ve had at Irving will hopefully have the same impact. I hope to see my new students accomplish the same things as my Irving students.”

There is much she will miss about her days with the Irving Tigers—as she prepares to dive into the water with her Frederick Douglass Elementary Dolphins.

“I will miss hearing the students sing ‘I'm sorry Mrs. Jackson…whooo’ when I am in the hallways or outside at dismissal,” she said. “I will miss their smiles and funny antics that can make me burst out laughing when I am having a bad day. I will miss them commenting on the high heels I wear every day and saying they can't wait to wear some. Most of all, I will miss seeing the twinkle in their eyes when they have moved up a reading level or mastered their 12's multiplication facts.”

Jackson’s last day in CISD will be November 18, just prior to the start of the Thanksgiving Break.  

“As I’m home, and thinking about all the things I’m thankful for, it will include my Irving family,” she said. “I wish much success for the person coming in after me. I’m excited for what they will be doing to help Irving continue to achieve goals, as a beacon of brightness in this community. And I will be lurking on the Irving Facebook page to see what’s going on.”