Irma Davis

Irma C. Davis

Dishman Elementary School
Harlingen Consolidated Independent School District
Combes, Texas
irma.davis@hcisd.org

Irma Davis has been principal at Dishman Elementary for the past nine years. Davis has championed building a culture of strength and positivity, focusing on academic excellence. A small town school with 97 percent of students economically disadvantaged, the school’s standing has improved under Davis’ leadership. Her strong comprehension of data and community relations has made her an impressive hand in closing achievement groups for subgroups, while ensuring consistency. After instituting a plan to boost campus morale—a huge factor in Davis’ ability to improve performance for Dishman—Davis transformed the school from a low-scoring campus to the highest in six of eight testing areas in the school’s district. Dishman was recognized on the Texas honor roll from 2016 to 2018 and was recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School in 2018. Further, her campus was awarded an A Rating on the Texas Education Agency House Bill 22 A-F accountability system and has earned five of six eligible distinctions on the STAAR State Assessment. Dishman’s families are more engaged than ever before under Davis’ leadership. You can frequently find parents spending lunch on campus grounds, where Davis makes time to chat with students on a regular basis. Davis holds both an M.A. and a B.A. from the University of Texas.