Project Description
Jennifer Benavides, Fellow
Fox Tech High School
San Antonio, TX
Jennifer D. Benavides, is the Principal of Fox Tech High School for Health and Law Professions in San Antonio Independent School District and has spent the past 5 years enhancing the original design of magnet programs to create excellent educational experiences for students. In 2019, Fox Tech received an “A-Rating” from the Texas Education Agency and received 7/7 Distinction Designations. Jennifer is the founding principal of the H-TECH Program in which students can earn an Associate of Science Degree from San Antonio College within 4-5 years. Students can also continue their path in nursing to receive a BSN degree from SAC. She led the in-district charter school process at Fox Tech and has worked to expand a partnership with UTSA for a politics and law academy in which students can receive 2 years of a bachelor program in high school. She has 20 years of experience in education, 15 of those years spent in the Dallas area, and she is passionate about creating enriching and engaging opportunities for students who come from low socio-economic families. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Communication with an emphasis in Public Relations from The University of Texas at San Antonio, a Master of Bilingual Education from Southern Methodist University with an emphasis in Gifted and Talented and a Master of Education in Administration from The University of North Texas.
Veronica Valdovinos, Ally
Assistant Principal
Fox Tech High School
San Antonio, TX
Veronica Valdovinos began her career in education in 2008 for San Antonio ISD. Since then, she has taught first, fourth and has served two campuses as an Instructional Coach. Today she continues to support the students of SAISD as an Assistant School Leader at Fox Tech High School. To keep herself well equipped, Veronica has participated in the Trinity University Assistant Principal Cohort, engaged in transformational planning in collaboration with AUSL, Academy for School Leadership training, to help plan professional development for the future school year. She has also attended RULER training at Yale University and Project Based Learning training at the Buck Institute. These experiences deeply influence Veronica’s ability to drive academic gains from a leadership position while maintaining a focus on social emotional and authentic learning. One of the most impactful trainings Veronica advocated to attend was Solution Tree’s PLC Institute. At the PLC Institute, Veronica was provided opportunities to hone her skills of facilitating, planning, and leading PLC’s, which is an integral part of professional learning for the campus. The varied trainings have supported her continued development as a leader while feeding her need to learn on an ongoing basis. Veronica earned a Master of Educational Leadership from Trinity University and has a Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of Texas at San Antonio. Veronica has a true passion for serving the students and teachers of San Antonio’s urban core and looks forward to continuing to grow in her practice.