On a sunny Tuesday morning in Arlington, Matt Smith started his rounds with his shirt sleeves down. It wasn’t just any day at work; it was his first day as Arlington ISD superintendent.
In front of Jones Academy of Fine Arts and Dual Language — Smith’s first stop of the day — a group of six students held a welcome sign filled with the signatures of those attending the school. The superintendent chatted, then gave each of them a high five.
Smith stood at the drop-off line to greet parents and students. He rolled up the sleeves of his blue shirt. He wanted to shake hands with as many people — parents, teachers, staff, trustees, anyone — as possible. His badge, clipped to his pants, said “Matt Smith, Superintendent.” It was the first day for him to wear it out in public, he said.
“In my heart, I’m a teacher. I started out as a high school English teacher. To be around kids when you see them in action, and what their learning experiences are like, is the heart of our work,” Smith told the Fort Worth Report. “This first day has given me some insight into what that student experience looks like and what it feels like to be a student in Arlington ISD.”
Smith, 48, has spent over two decades in various positions in school districts statewide, including being the former superintendent at Belton ISD and chief academic officer at Leander ISD, which has over 40,000 students. Arlington ISD, however, is a different story. Smith is now the leader of one of the biggest school districts in Texas — home to over 54,000 students, 8,500 staff members and 76 campuses.
“The role of a superintendent is figuring out how to empower our staff to do their best work and support them fully,” he said. “That’s what’s heavy on my mind right now — how I make sure I do that.”
Before he can support the district, he wants to hear from its roots: the parents, the students and the staff. Starting from the first day.
“Jones is an amazing school,” parent Larissa Vilela said. “The parents are very supportive. The teachers are super involved. I hope he can somehow bring that community feeling that we have here to other schools.”
Vilela was preparing to volunteer with another parent, Susana Espinosa-Najarro, when Smith stopped by. The chat lasted about a minute, but Espinosa-Najarro appreciated Smith’s effort.
“You have to be present. You have to come out of the office and meet people, meet the teachers. You have to show that you’re really engaged in what’s going on,” she said.
Smith was named the lone finalist for superintendent in December to succeed Marcelo Cavazos, who retired Aug. 31, 2023, after 11 years as the district’s leader and a total of 23 years with Arlington ISD. Steven Wurtz was the interim leader when Cavazos stepped down.
Trustees were drawn to Smith’s understanding of community engagement, trustee Leanne Haynes said. When Smith interacted with students, they were happy to see him, and he was excited to be out in the community, she said.
“There was a kid in line in P.E. who called him super-duper-intendent, so that’s the official title I will use for him from now on: Dr. Matt Smith, our super-duper-intendent,” Haynes said.
Smith also stopped by the district’s Athletics Center and Dr. Marcelo Cavazos Center for Visual & Performing Arts, where high school students receive instruction in music, art and dance. As at Jones Academy, Smith shook hands and chatted with dozens of staff who greeted him.
Trustee David Wilbanks said Arlington ISD has grown a lot, but the attention was placed on central administration. Now, Arlington ISD is shifting back to support its core function: the classroom and how every kid is growing academically.
That includes Smith’s plan to visit 76 campuses in his first 100 days, Wilbanks said.
“His primary objective is to listen, not change anything,” Wilbanks said. “A lot of people are scared that a new regime is coming in (and) everything’s going to be different. That’s not his style.”
Smith agreed. He has been in “amazing school districts” in his career, but he’s yet to see facilities like the ones at Arlington ISD. They speak to the district’s intention to enhance students’ experiences, he said.
“My job right now is to listen and learn and figure out how to support people to do their good work,” Smith said.
By the end of the two-hour trip, if Smith was tired or nervous, he didn’t show it.
In the next few hours, Smith met with community partners and visited the ongoing projects from the district’s 2019 bond. Then, he headed back to the administration building. His office door already has his name printed on it.
Smith has learned about the district staff’s passion for supporting students. He’s learned that the teachers are incorporating arts in their curriculum.
But, more importantly, he’s learned that his tour guides at Jones Academy — Emma, a fourth grader, and fifth graders Daniel and Traygan — will run the world someday.
Dang Le is a reporting fellow for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at dang.le@fortworthreport.org or @DangHLe. At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.
This article first appeared on Arlington Report and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.