Tobias Elementary
Alisa DiPalma previously served as assistant principal at Tobias Elementary school before being elected as the school's new principal.
“This is wonderful news for Tobias Elementary,” said Tim Savoy, Hays CISD public information officer. “Mrs. DiPalma is one of the best in the business. All of our parents and students know her at the campus, and all of her colleagues know her in the district. She is a champion for achieving outstanding results and is an exceptional leader.”
DiPalma started her Hays CISD career at Hemphill Elementary School in 2002 and became a first grade teacher at Tobias Elementary School in 2003. DiPalma taught at Tobias for three years before becoming an instructional strategist at Buda Elementary School. She also served as a master teacher at Blanco Vista Elementary School before being named assistant principal of Tobias Elementary School in 2010. DiPalma also served as the fifth grade summer school principal in 2014 and 2015, and the bilingual summer school principal in 2016. In 2016, she was a finalist for the Hays CISD Assistant Principal of the Year.
“I view a collaborative school community as essential to the education of students, with an emphasis on making diligent progress toward mastery of learning for every student a priority,” DiPalma said in a press release. “Through wise use of instructional time, setting high expectations for learning, and creating attainable and measureable goals for achievement, I know Tobias Elementary will be the school where students want to attend and teachers want to lead.”
DiPalma holds a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Northern Arizona University with an emphasis on Reading. This area informs her leadership and teaching approach as she said she believes that literacy is the cornerstone for academic progress. She received her master’s degree in Educational Administration and Leadership from Concordia University. DiPalma has been an active member of the community with her children, serving in volunteer capacities for Boy Scouts and Lehman High School Star Strutters Dance Team.
Tom Green Elementary
Joy Philpott has most recently served as Hays CISD's director of assessment and accountability and was the acting principal for Tom Green for the past month before being selected as principal for Tom Green.
Philpott said she is eager to get started with her new team.
"I am very excited to officially be a part of Tom Green [Elementary School]. The last four weeks there have been magical, and I am ready to move forward," Philpott said.
She attended both undergrad and graduate school at the University of Mississippi from which she earned a bachelor’s degree in history and English, a master’s in English, and a master’s in curriculum and instruction.
Philpott later began her education career a graduate instructor in the English department at the University of Mississippi and continued into K-12 education when she joined Mississippi Teacher Corps as a teacher at West Tallahatchie High School. After teaching at high schools in Mississippi, Alabama and Texas, Philpott moved into administration as an assistant principal at Lockhart High School. She continued her career as academic dean of San Marcos High School and has been responsible for state assessment and accountability in San Marcos and then in Hays for the last 10 years.
Savoy said that Hays CISD is excited for Tom Green and its students.
"Mrs. Philpott is an outstanding choice for the new campus principal,” he said in a press release. “Mrs. Philpott is a professional with exceptional talent. She is wonderful with students, parents and staff members, and she knows what it takes to create engaging educational experiences. She will be able to continue the rich traditions that make Tom Green Elementary a point of pride for Hays CISD and help to bring new opportunities to the school.”
In addition to the principal announcements, Christina Miranda was also approved to be the assistant principal Chapa Middle School and Joe Mitchell as assistant principal of Wallace Middle School.
