Mr. Paul Covey is the new Director of Federal and State Programs for the Ysleta ISD in El Paso, Texas. Now in his 33rd year as an educator, his experience includes service as student activities director and as a government and economics teacher before moving to school administration. He served as an assistant principal for six years at Hanks High School, principal for four years at Hillcrest Middle School and principal of Valle Verde Early College High School for 12 ½ years. While at VVECHS, the school was ranked for eight consecutive years (2014 to 2021) by US News and World Report as one the top American High Schools and three times as the top high school in El Paso. Valle Verde was also designated an Apple Distinguished School, AVID School of Distinction, Texas Honor School and was selected as 2017 National Blue Ribbon School by the Department of Education. Paul has facilitated seminars and workshops for the Harvard Graduate School of Education and the Education Service Center – Region XIX . He has served on the state board of the Texas Middle School Association, has been a member of numerous Texas Education Agency advisory committees and currently serves as Regional Director for Charles Butt Foundation.
Paul earned his Bachelor of Science in Education and Bachelor of Arts in the Plan II Honors Program at the University of Texas at Austin and his Master of Education in Educational Administration at the University of Texas at El Paso. He has also completed two Principal Institute programs at Harvard University in 2008 and 2013. Past honors include District Outstanding Staff Member of the Year, El Paso Times’ Top 40 Educators under 40, Texas Computer Education Association’s State Administrator of the Year, and the Terrel H. Bell Award for Outstanding Leadership by the Department of Education. He has presented at over 15 state and national conferences. Paul has been married for over 25 years and has two daughters who excel in the fine arts solely thanks to the DNA from their mother.