As I look back on the past few years at Educational Support Services, I am overwhelmed — in the best possible way — with gratitude.
We met at all different times of our lives, in the halls of UT Arlington, in the classrooms of some of the BEST teams found in DISD, on crazy international projects but everyone has been on this impossible ride. Some of you have worked beside me for three years in a row (Let’s go year 3!). Three full cycles of curriculum reviews, late-night QA passes, standards alignment debates, rubric cross-checks, impossible turnaround timelines, and “how are we going to get this done?” moments.
And yet… we did.
Every single time.
To my long-standing reviewers — thank you for your consistency, your sharp eyes, your integrity, and your professionalism. You show up. You care. You protect the quality of the work. That matters more than you know.
To the incredible reviewers I’ve worked with on what felt like absolutely impossible projects — the kind where we were balancing multiple modules, shifting production schedules, and last-minute rubric adjustments — I am so grateful that many of you are now officially joining the ESS team.
What people don’t always see behind curriculum development and QA work is the level of precision, stamina, and commitment it requires. This work is not easy. It requires:
- Attention to detail at a microscopic level
- Gallons of coffee and tons of snacks
- Deep understanding of standards and alignment
- Professional humility
- Strong communication
- And a willingness to solve problems in real time
You all bring that — consistently.
Educational Support Services has grown not because of me alone, but because of the caliber of the people who choose to work alongside me.
I am filled — truly filled — with gratitude for this team.
We’ve tackled projects across states, across grade levels, across timelines that seemed unrealistic at best. And we’ve done it with professionalism and heart.
Thank you for trusting me.
Thank you for showing up.
Thank you for growing with me.
Year after year.
The best is still ahead.
— Racheal