Curtis Mauricio, who has served as principal at Irving ISD's Cardwell Career Preparatory Center since 2005, has been selected to lead Nimitz High School as its new principal.
"Mr. Mauricio has served Irving ISD for 16 years, with the past nine years as the principal of Cardwell Preparatory Center. He has done an excellent job of establishing Cardwell as a true school of choice for students in our district," says Superintendent of Schools Jose L. Parra, Ed.D.
"Under Mr. Mauricio's leadership at Cardwell, you can see staff members working collaboratively with students to create experiences where all students can experience success in a challenging, supportive and caring environment," says Dr. Parra. "Mr. Mauricio is an administrator who is able to bring students and staff together in pursuit of excellence and student growth."
"I am honored and excited for this opportunity," says Mauricio. "What I have is a passion for student success and meeting the needs of students. Our future depends on their success." Working in Irving ISD for the past 16 years, Mauricio says he cares about the students; he cares about the teachers and "I also care about the community as a whole," he says. "I'm in this for the long haul. I want to provide the stability that the campus needs. We're a team and we're going to be successful together."
Dr. Parra describes Mauricio as someone who understands and communicates that each person on his campus - regardless of whether a staff member or student - deserves respect, understanding and clarity. "Mr. Mauricio is a leader who people want to follow and succeed for because of the way that he leads. I am excited to see him in this new role and know that he will help Nimitz High School become what it can be," says Dr. Parra.
Starting as a computer science teacher at Irving's Bowie Middle School in 1998, Mauricio has many years of experience being successful and leading a team. After teaching for three years at Bowie, he was quickly selected for a leadership position as an assistant principal at deZavala Middle School where he served from 2002 to 2005 before taking the top job at Cardwell.
Mauricio was introduced to the Nimitz faculty at a special meeting this afternoon. He will begin transitioning to his new role now and will be in place to lead the campus when current Principal Rocci Malone retires next month after 24 years in Irving ISD.
Mauricio earned his bachelor's degree from the University of North Texas and his master's degree in educational administration from the University of Texas at Arlington.
