"I'm thrilled to death," Crump said. "This is exactly what I've always wanted to do: go into a school that has worked so hard to make progress and go in there and be part of that. When I was first approached by (HISD Superintendent Dr. Abelardo) Saavedra it caught me off guard. My first impression was, 'wow, I really want to do this.' "
Crump takes over at Sam Houston from Principal Aida Tello, who is stepping down to pursue another opportunity. Crump will start work at Sam Houston next week to allow her to spend time with Ms. Tello learning more about the high school.
"Aida Tello worked hard to improve Sam Houston High School and she and her team made progress there," Dr. Saavedra said. "The entire community is indebted to Aida for her work there, and we are all excited that Jane Crump has accepted this challenge and will lead Sam Houston now. Jane is a proven, successful principal and I believe we're going to see great things from Sam Houston in the future."
Under Crump's leadership, Stevenson Middle school, where nearly nine of every 10 students come from impoverished homes, earned the "Recognized" rating, the state's second highest, for the last two years. Stevenson was one of 12 HISD middle schools to earn the recognized rating in 2007.
Stevenson was among HISD's very best middle schools for academic progress last year. The district's new value-added reports that indicate how much academic growth schools are making show Stevenson Middle School was in the top five HISD middle schools for growth last year.
"Jane Crump's work at Stevenson Middle School speaks for itself," Dr. Saavedra said. "She and her staff led that school to recognized status, and Stevenson is near the top of the ratings for progress. She's the kind of leader we need at Sam Houston to continue the work to improve the school."
Sam Houston High has been rated as "academically unacceptable" five consecutive times and has been at risk of being closed.
Crump said she feels led to Sam Houston.
"Every day for the last two months I have driven down the toll way past the school (Sam Houston) and said a prayer for that leadership team and the community. I believe there is so much about the paths I have taken that have led me here, and I look forward to this fantastic opportunity," Principal Crump said.
Crump is a 21-year-veteran educator, having started her career as a teacher in Deer Park before moving to HISD and Eliot Elementary, where she worked for seven years. She joined Stevenson Middle School and was a 6th grade math teacher for six years before serving as dean of instruction for five years. She was appointed principal of Stevenson three years ago.
"I love the Stevenson community, and it's hard to leave," she said. "We earned 'recognized' status, a dream come true for everyone there."
Crump did her undergraduate work at Southwest Texas and earned her master's in curriculum and mathematics and her principal's master's from the University of Houston.
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