Tyler ISD is proud to announce that Dr. Dexter Floyd, principal of RISE Academy, has been named the Texas Association of Secondary School Principals (TASSP) Region 7 Outstanding Principal of the Year. The honor recognizes Floyd’s exemplary performance, outstanding leadership, and commitment to creating high-quality learning opportunities for students.
“Dr. Floyd has done an outstanding job leading one of our Tyler ISD innovative high schools,” Superintendent Dr. Marty Crawford said. “He has rocketed a boutique program that only graduated a handful of students annually to one that routinely produces graduates—on time and sometimes early—just as a comprehensive AAA-sized school district does.”
The TASSP recognizes outstanding principals and assistant principals from each of the state’s 20 education service center regions. School administrators are nominated and selected by their peers based on exemplary performance and outstanding leadership.
Floyd has served as principal of RISE Academy since 2016 and has 17 years of administrative experience. Under his leadership, the innovative high school provides dropout prevention, credit recovery, early graduation, and self-paced learning opportunities tailored to students’ individual needs.
“This honor belongs to our students, parents, faculty, and staff, whose resilience and determination define RISE Academy,” Dr. Floyd said. “Our team works every day to build a culture where students feel supported, believe in their potential, and have a clear pathway to graduation. I am grateful to serve this school community, and I am honored to represent Tyler ISD and Region 7.”
Floyd and the other regional honorees will be recognized during the Jostens Night of the Stars Awards Dinner, held in conjunction with the annual TASSP Summer Workshop in June 2027. During the event, they will announce the Texas Outstanding Principal of the Year from among the honorees.
For more information, contact Jennifer Hines at Jennifer.Hines@TylerISD.org.