Dr. Shaunaisea Henderson

Academy of Dallas Community,

It is with great pleasure I write this letter introducing myself as the new principal of Academy of Dallas Charter School and to join this extraordinary school community. It truly is an honor to become part of the Academy of Dallas family.

I come to you with 23 years of experience as an educator; however, I come from a family of educators and doctors, so I have been around professionals all my life. I have worked in various facets of the educational sector.  I have served as an educator, instructional coach, elementary and secondary instructional leader and Chief Academic Officer in the public and charter school arena. In each of my roles I had the honor and privilege to support hundreds of diverse learners and highly talented educators. I received my Bachelor of Arts in English and History from Paul Quinn College, Masters in Secondary Education and Doctorate in K-12 Educational Leadership from Grand Canyon University. I am also a proud member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc., Gamma Iota Chapter. Most importantly, I consider my most important job to be that of a child advocate and teacher of teachers. With that, I will spend a lot of time with your scholars, getting to know their personalities, learning styles and interests. I will celebrate their successes, small and large. I will encourage them every day and let them know they are valued and have a special place in our school community.

Not only am I excited to begin working with your scholars, but I look forward to the work we will do together. We do more than just teach scholars; we guide them to help them find their wings. I cannot wait to share with you as we experience together the great things our scholars will do throughout their days here at Academy of Dallas. And without a doubt, I will be here to work with, work alongside, to guide you, should you need any help navigating any aspect of the school day.

This summer, I plan to spend most of my time working to ensure a smooth transition. I will get to know our building, our community, and familiarize myself with the unique needs of our school. I believe wholeheartedly that every scholar deserves a quality and equitable learning experience that only happens when the school and the families work together for the best interests of our children. With that in mind, I will be calling on all our faculty, staff, and parents to work as a singular unit so we can best serve our scholars. This has been my philosophy from the moment I officially became an educator.

However, my greatest achievements came not professionally, but personally, as I am the wife of the most wonderful man (David) to inhabit this planet, we have been married for 25 years. We have two beautiful daughters, Da’Lian (23), who is in her first year of graduate school at Alcorn State University and Shantia (20), she will be graduating from Texans Women’s University in December with her bachelor’s in biology, afterward she will be attending medical school at UT Southwestern.

Nothing we do is ever accomplished in isolation. I’ve had to lean not on my own understanding and to this day it is not my own understanding that brings me through. My faith is strong, my family is solid, and my confidence is intact. All of these are attributed to my unbreakable faith. I truly believe that, “God turns our weaknesses into incredible strengths” (2 Corinthians 12:7-10). There are insurmountable things we can accomplish with faith and so much joy in life.

Once again, I am so thankful to have the opportunity to bring all that I have experienced and learned with me to your wonderful community. I look forward to getting to know each of you. I look forward to meeting you all very soon.

Warm Regards,

Dr. Shaunaisea Henderson

Principal, Academy of Dallas

“Watch Us Grow”