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February 17, 2026
Hill figured he’d do what he always did — show up and get to work. But when the November board election brought a major shift in governance, the question suddenly made sense.
“The next day, I called my coach and said, ‘Let’s talk about what to do the day after the election,’” Hill said. “I will tell you that I would not have survived that major change had it not been for the support that I had from The Holdsworth Center.”
With guidance from his coach, support from the peers in his cohort and practical learning around key leadership skills in Holdsworth program sessions, Hill was ultimately able to unify the board and set ambitious goals that led to greater student success.
But in November of 2022, that outcome in no way felt inevitable. Board president Alex Ybarra, a longtime trustee and second‑generation Channelview parent, remembers the tension of that moment clearly.
“We were going through some rough times … a lot of head clashing amongst community and board members, a lot of negativity,” he said. The election brought in four new trustees, a massive change for a small district.
Superintendent Hill saw the challenge clearly: “I knew it was incumbent upon me to make certain that we found a way to collaborate for our students.”
That collaboration began in an unexpected place – a hotel balcony at a conference, where Hill and Ybarra discovered they were both Harley‑Davidson riders. A shared hobby turned into deeper conversations about leadership, family, teamwork and the future of Channelview ISD.
“When I first became board president, I didn’t understand him,” Ybarra said of Hill. “You’re talking about a welder and a superintendent.”
But once they started talking and riding together, the relationship deepened. Trust grew through intentional and consistent conversations.
“From that day forward, he and I have been partnering together to support the students,” Hill said. “The thing I realized in that moment was you never really know how you will connect.”
With prompting from his Holdsworth coach, Hill realized that responding to the moment required a different way of leading.
He could not just put his head down and expect hard work to be enough. He had to get out of his office, get to know the community and bring people together to support a common vision and goals for students.
Holdsworth’s support helped him lead the board and community through a process of setting shared goals – even when they disagreed – and align his leadership team so everyone grew together through the change.
Deputy Superintendent Michael Houston had a front row seat to Hill’s evolving leadership.
“I noticed he was finding ways to engage the school board that didn’t happen prior,” Houston said. “He started having community interactions that weren’t just one-offs, they were every month and targeted on certain issues to really mobilize the community to support the work we’re doing in the school district. And it’s worked.”
The result is a district that feels more united — not just in sentiment, but in systems. Channelview ISD is now more collaborative and more focused on opportunities for every student.
Some markers of success include:
“We’re nearly 90 percent economically disadvantaged, and we’re very, very proud to have earned a B in this new rigorous accountability system,” Hill said. “That’s because of the systems that were put in place from 2022 until now, because of the supports from Holdsworth that really allowed us to be able to articulate clear metrics.”
What Hill faced is a reality many superintendents encounter but rarely name – the role demands new skills, priorities and mindsets, such as how leaders spend their time and how they show up with their board and community.
Being able to persist in a tough job often depends on how well superintendents make those key shifts. And research is clear that students benefit when a district has strong, stable leadership.
Robust support and learning opportunities can help them stay in the seat. Among superintendents like Hill who completed Holdsworth’s Superintendent Leadership Program, 86% remained in their role over the past four years compared with 60% of non-participants.
Access “Beyond Impossible” by Dr. Lindsay Whorton for deeper learning on the key shifts and behaviors superintendents must make to succeed.
Walk into Channelview classrooms today and you’ll see students smiling, teachers collaborating and learning that’s active and individualized—not silent rows, but small groups, purposeful movement and work on walls that celebrate progress.
Principal Ann Marie Garza credits the district’s collaborative culture and professional learning for helping teachers use data and push growth—especially for learners facing the steepest odds.
And when the work feels heavy? “It’s wonderful having a superintendent who helps lift some of those pressures,” Garza said.
Hill no longer wonders what he’ll do the day after an election. Because he knows this: When you build trust, grow people and unite a community, there is no ‘day after’ you can’t lead through.