Watts looks forward to continuing success at PHS

In her 14 years with Ector County ISD, Megan Watts has spent most of them at Permian High School and now she gets a chance to steer the 4,000-plus student campus into the future.

Watts was most recently principal at Wilson & Young Medal of Honor Middle School and was named secondary principal of the year for the district.

Her official start date is July 1. She replaces Delesa Styles who retired this spring.

Watts was previously an assistant principal at PHS.

"During that time I learned lots of different curriculums, programs and extracurriculars, and really fell in love with the tradition at Permian High School, the pride that our graduates and our teachers and the community has in Permian High School. When the opportunity arose to come back to Permian, I leapt at that chance to come back to that environment, that tradition, and that pride," Watts said.

Coming back to familiar territory helps.

"There's still a strong core group of teachers and staff that were here when I was here several years ago, who have already … stepped in, dropped by, and offered support," Watts said.

One of the great things about PHS, she added, is that they have a very supportive environment and faculty that is willing to help.

"That part has really made it exciting to come on board," Watts said.

There are some new challenges with state accountability standards. College, Career and Military Readiness is changing at the high school level, she said.

She added that she'll also have to relearn high school.

"But I'm excited about the chance to do that, to challenge myself as a principal and grow," Watts said.

PHS had 4,100 students last year and she expects about the same number this coming school year. The campus has a staff of 350, including about 260 teachers.

Watts said PHS retained a lot of teachers this year because of the work Styles and her team did.

"I'd really like to continue the positive work that Dr. Styles and her team started … There was some, definitely some positive progress in several areas regarding STAAR performance, so I want to make sure that we continue and replicate the systems that were working regarding student growth on the campus," Watts said.

She wants to increase the number of students passing the TSI test, ensuring students are prepared in relation to CCMR, making sure students are coming to school and continuing Permian's tradition.

The Texas Success Initiative Assessment (TSIA2) is a mandatory placement exam required by Texas public colleges and universities to ensure students are ready for entry-level college coursework.

Asked if there were any new traditions she wanted to start, Watts said she'll be visiting with teachers, student organizations and other groups on campus in the first 90 days to listen to ideas.

"I'm not opposed to starting some new traditions … I'm definitely receptive to listening if specific organizations or groups have ideas on traditions to increase culture," Watts said.

Working at Wilson and Young, she had a lot of support from curriculum instruction and accountability and anticipates having the same type of support at PHS.

Being a middle school principal is very hands-on, she said.

"You get to learn different components of the job. You're involved with testing, you're involved with PLC (professional learning communities), you're involved with designing professional development, you're involved in all of the hiring processes," Watts said.

"Taking some of that experience has better prepared me for the large-scale campus that Permian High School is. It also has helped me learn the curriculum that builds into the high school curriculum, understanding how our eighth graders are performing in RLA (Reading Language Arts), math, science, social studies helps me better to understand what they will need, or what they're coming to high school with. It's really deepened my understanding of that," she added.

Watts was recently awarded Secondary Principal of the Year for ECISD.

"I was extremely surprised, and felt very humbled by the recognition. Being a middle school principal, we have a very close-knit middle school principal group. We rely on each other. We talk about what's going to be the best outcome for students, and I feel like any one of the middle school principals is deserving of that award, probably all of the secondary principals. But it's very special when your hard work is recognized," Watts said.

Anthony Garcia is the executive director of leadership for Watts and he's thrilled to have her at PHS.

"Ms. Watts is an exceptional leader who leads with a clear vision centered on high expectations, continuous improvement, and student achievement. We are excited to have Ms. Watts as the new principal of Permian High School," Garcia said.

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