Administration

Superintendent of Schools

 OwnenHunt.disd@gmail.com 

OwnenHunt

It is my pleasure to hold  the Office of  Superintendent of The  DeSoto Independent School District. I consider this appointment an honor and privilege to serve the  students, faculty, staff, and community as Superintendent. Within this role, I  pledge to serve this community with the utmost distinction and professionalism. My experience  comes from serving as a personalized learning coordinator, Assistant Principal of Student Services  and most recently  Assistant Superintendent of School Leadership & Student supports.  With that being said, my experience reflects my dedication to this district by serving in various  roles that allowed  me to impact the lives of our students and faculty daily. 

The DeSoto Independent School District has a long tradition of excellence in education. The  success of our district is founded on the principles of commitment and dedication given to our  students by teachers, administrators, support staff, and community representatives. It is our goal  to continue to build on ways to improve on the rich traditions of excellence as we honor the past  with a focus on the future of present-day success. I have the personal vision that our district will  develop good citizens and leaders of the future by providing students with a world-class  education for students who attend all DISD schools. I am convinced that our district depends on  the skills and talents of our exceptional employees who engage with students to improve the  educational experience for all of our students. 

My education includes a Bachelor's of Science in Secondary Education (BS.Ed), Master’s in Education in School Counseling (M.Ed), Educational Specialist in Instructional Technology (Ed.S) and a dual Doctorate of Education in Social Justice Leadership and Juris Doctorate (J.D.).  My add-on certificates include Special Education and Educational Leadership. I’m also certified as a National Certified School Counselor (NCSC).

As a district, we take pride in being a leader in the educational community. There is an awe inspiring sense of pride among our community and we will continue to work daily building upon  this pride. We will continue to focus on building, shaping, and molding our students for the  challenges ahead. As Deputy Superintendent, I will continue to support our students and staff by  providing a top-notch education. I will always value the input received from faculty, staff, and  community members. My door is always open and I’m always open to suggestions. 

Assistant Superintendent of  Human Capital Management & Emergency Management 

  ivoryjprice.disd@gmail.com 

IvoryJPrice 

I am pleased to be serving the employees, students, and DeSoto community members as the Assistant Superintendent of Human Capital Management and Operations. It is my primary duty to ensure that the workplace is an environment full of talented staff,  positivity, and success. Prior to serving as the Assistant Superintendent, I held the role of Chief of Staff to Superintendent, Dr. Ownen Hunt. In that position, I was the most senior advisor to the Superintendent and I oversaw the following departments: Public Relations & Communications and Policy Development. In addition to that, I worked as an intermediary between the Board of Trustees and DeSoto Independent School District.

Before joining DeSoto Independent School District, I worked in a plethora of educational systems. My career began in 2015, beginning as a Board of Education member at West Hollow Middle School. After a short time there, I explored the many different schools across the platform. I currently balance my educational and political career and dedicate every bit of my skills, expertise, and knowledge to every field I enter.

Much like every successful ro-education institution, DeSoto has its fair share of challenges. With the right team, a clear vision, and motivation, they will have triumphed. Not by magic but by putting in the work required to yield long-lasting results. The experience given to the mostly Black and Brown youth who enter our facilities is one rooted in reality. It is so crucially important to prepare these learners, educators, and staff for the real world. Each of you are valuable and a testament to DeSoto’s impact.

The Superintendent has a bold but achievable vision for this district. With that, we need all persons to roll up their sleeves and share their talents with us. 

Assistant Superintendent of  Curriculum and Instruction 

 dvalen.disd@gmail.com 

DaytonaValen 

My name is Ms. Daytona Valen, and I am beyond elated to introduce myself as the new Assistant

Superintendent of Curriculum & Instruction within DeSoto ISD. As a District Leader, it is my belief that

each student will be able to exceed their full potential through academics and extracurriculars here in

the district. With this said, our students will be burdened to reach their goals if we as staff do not put in

enough hard work to get them there. At the beginning of each year, semester, quarter, day and week

every student should be able to set their own individualized goal that will reflect at the end of the school

year as completed. Throughout my years as an administrator/educator, I've worked with fellow

members within this community to evolve on aspects of instruction as well as curriculum.

A personal goal as the Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum & Instruction is to make sure that all

students are receiving the learning material that is coherent with their grade levels to pursue

college/career readiness. It will be imperative to establish a culture that ensures my department their

absolute success. To encourage students to dream; to believe in them until they believe it themselves

and to educate them on the life moral of perseverance will be the culture that I promote. The

foundation that this district is built on will remain intact as the forefront of my time in leadership. My

belief system allows the idea that we all have our strengths and weaknesses therefore we as a unit must

learn to build on the strengths and compensate for the weaknesses to improve morale. Our schools

should be a safe place to learn and practice those all important skills that are the building blocks for a

successful life.

It is a pleasure to serve you DeSoto.