Dr. Henrietta Muñoz appointed first executive director of the Institute for School and Community Partnerships

SAN ANTONIO – For one San Antonio native, the opportunity to connect passion with purpose became a reality when she was recently appointed as the inaugural director of a ground-breaking partnership focused on strengthening the school-to-college educational pipeline in south Bexar County. Dr. Henrietta (Henri) Muñoz, who has led family economic and educational success initiatives for the past nearly 15 years, is serving as the first executive director for the Institute for School and Community Partnerships, located in Edgewood Independent School District.

In her new role, Muñoz is overseeing partnerships and solutions to persistent challenges affecting the Edgewood ISD through SB-1882 initiatives, as well as the Educare initiative within the framework of the A&M-SA & South Bexar County ISDs Partnership to Impact Regional Equity and Excellence) (ASPIRE). When ASPIRE was established nearly a year ago, the partnership’s vision was to launch an autism assessment program at the Burleson School for Innovation and Education, a center for young adults with special needs in the Edgewood district.

Last January, Edgewood ISD’s board approved the partnership for Texas A&M University-San Antonio’s College of Education and Human Development (COEHD) to manage two of its campuses, the Burleson Center and Gus Garcia Middle School. These educational partnerships, led by Muñoz, are creating a wrap-around model to provide the schools with skilled teachers as well as relevant experiences and employment opportunities for students. A&M-San Antonio student teachers are placed in the school for a year with their salaries funded by the University. The student teachers, who become “preferred hires” with the Edgewood district upon completion of the training, also receive support to pursue graduate degrees, according to Dr. Carl Sheperis, dean of COEHD at A&M-San Antonio.

“We believe that this will become a statewide model to address the school to college pipeline that will drive change toward a comprehensive strategy to tackle the need for skilled teachers,” Sheperis said. “Dr. Munoz’s deep understanding and breadth of experience in leading educational partnerships and programs will continue to guide and advance the solutions and actions needed to strengthen and scale this pipeline.”

Muñoz, whose mother was not able to complete high school and worked to support her family, instilled in her a desire for equitable education. “She truly understands the hardships families have to make. My mother sacrificed for her family, and today, her sacrifice gives me the privilege to stand where I am and truly value what it takes to achieve a dream. I want that dream for all students in Bexar County,” Muñoz said.

“I’m thrilled to be joining such a talented group of educators and honored to be part of the Institute’s work serving south Bexar County. The Institute’s vision for the students of south Bexar County is to assure that opportunities remain open for all students to achieve their full potential.”

To schedule an interview with Dr. Henrietta Munoz or Dr. Carl Sheperis, contact Dr. Adriana Contreras at acontreras@tamusa.edu.

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Texas A&M University-San Antonio

Texas A&M University-San Antonio is a comprehensive, four-year public university that reflects the culturally diverse, heritage-rich community it serves. Situated on nearly 700 acres in south San Antonio, A&M-San Antonio is a Military Embracing™ institution offering 30 undergraduate degrees and 19 graduate degrees to over 6,700 students. The University is home to the Henry G. Cisneros Institute for Emerging Leaders and the Cyber Engineering Technology/Cyber Security Research Center. A&M-San Antonio holds the Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) designation. Visit tamusa.edu for more information.

Dr. Henrietta Muñoz Bio

Dr. Henrietta Muñoz, is currently the executive director of Texas A&M University-San Antonio's Institute for School and Community Partnerships. Dr. Muñoz oversees the SB-1882 school partnerships within Edgewood ISD, whose mission is to design an equitable quality school pipeline for students in the south and west sides of San Antonio, Texas. Dr. Muñoz has over 20 years of nonprofit experience and 15 years of school-community partnership experience all within the west and east sides of San Antonio. Previously, Dr. Muñoz served as the senior VP for research and evaluation (2018-20) at the United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County with oversight of all data collections, analysis, research and evaluations for the United Way and many private and public grants. Muñoz was also part of the design and backbone organizational role of a two-generational initiative on San Antonio's Eastside, the Dual Generation Initiative with support from the Annie E. Casey Foundation and the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. In 2012, she became the first director for the Eastside Promise Neighborhood, a $23.7 million Department of Education award for the Eastside of San Antonio, where a feeder pattern approach to campus change was designed and implemented within San Antonio ISD. Muñoz is a proud Annie E. Casey Foundation Children and Families Fellow (2009-10), and is part of a Community Advisory cohort of the Dallas Federal Reserve. Muñoz received her PhD from the University of Texas at San Antonio in Culture, Literacy and Language in 2009, where she served as adjunct faculty until 2013.