Del Valle ISD superintendent announces retirement
DEL VALLE, Texas - Del Valle ISD superintendent Dr. Annette Tielle announced her plan to retire in December 2024.
She has worked for the district for seven years and has been superintendent since May 2020. She also served as interim superintendent and deputy superintendent for the district.
"It's bittersweet, because I love this district and everyone here is my heart from the students. First and foremost, I absolutely adore our students, our teachers and staff and our community and families. We truly have a gem here in Del Valle ISD," she said.
She's been in six districts from Pennsylvania to Texas and spent 32 years in public education.
The district has been rapidly expanding.
"With the growth came a spotlight on Del Valle, and it's been exactly what our students need," she said.
Business partnerships with companies like Infineon and Tesla give students pathways to prepare for careers.
"We really do have amazing students who are highly qualified, who are getting jobs and internships right out of high school, who are going to four-year colleges, going to Harvard," she said.
There are also challenges that districts across Central Texas have dealt with: the pandemic, ice storm, academic and mental health gaps.
"We put a lot of programs in place to close those gaps, and it's our teachers and staff. They have truly helped us overcome those challenges so that we are closing those gaps," Tielle said.
A bond package of $284 million passed in 2019, resulting in new facilities and upgrades. Another one in 2022 worth $300 million allowed for the purchase of land in Whisper Valley for new schools.
"It's given our students the facilities they deserve," Tielle said.
She says she's excited to see more milestones during her last year with the district, like creating a budget for staff raises, opening the P-TECH/ECHS campus and Gigafactory Studio, launching the Thinkery Community Center, and leading the momentum for building their second high school in Whisper Valley.
At the end of the day, it all comes down to the students.
"What I'm going to miss most is going into classrooms and teaching, and that's probably surprising, but I love to go into the classrooms, and I love to teach," Tielle said. "I get emotional about the kids. I want everyone to know how special the kids are in Del Valle ISD, and in 32 years, I've never met students like I have here. "
Tielle says she announced her retirement early to give the school board enough time to come up with a transition plan. The timeline is still to be decided.