Dr. Sylonda Burns
Dr. Sylonda Burns is a distinguished educational transformation leader and district administrator with 30 years of experience dedicated to improving student outcomes and strengthening public education across Texas. Currently serving as Executive Director of Campus Leadership & School Improvement at Lake Worth ISD, she provides strategic oversight for campus principals, instructional leadership, and districtwide school improvement initiatives. Her career is grounded in a lifelong passion for education that began in childhood, inspired by the teachers and athletic coaches who shaped her early development and instilled in her a commitment to excellence, mentorship, and service.
Throughout her career, Dr. Burns has served in every level of education, including classroom teacher, athletic coach, instructional coach, assistant principal, principal, and executive director. She has taught students across a wide range of settings, from early childhood through college-level courses, including junior and community college instruction. Her leadership journey includes impactful campus and district roles in which she has driven instructional improvement, developed leadership pipelines, strengthened curriculum alignment, and improved student achievement. Known for her ability to build and coach strong leadership teams, she has consistently supported principals and educators in refining instructional practice and elevating school performance through data-driven and research-based strategies.
In her current role, Dr. Burns travels across her district working directly with campus principals and instructional teams, often visiting classrooms to support coaching and continuous improvement. She is deeply committed to developing educators who deliver high-quality instruction and create meaningful learning experiences for students. Her leadership philosophy is rooted in care, accountability, and equity—treating students and staff with the same level of commitment and responsibility she would extend to her own children. This guiding belief continues to shape her work, as she strives to ensure every student is supported, challenged, and prepared for success beyond graduation, whether in college, career, or military service.
• Physical Education Certification (EC-12)
• Texas Principal Certification (EC-12)
• Texas Curriculum Management
• Texas Superintendent Certification (EC–12)
• Graduate Good Citizen of the Year
• SOARING Award of the Year for Volunteer Community Service
• Employee of the Year
• Senior Class Principal Highest Graduating Class
• National Alumni Educator of the Year
• SA Sub-Varsity Volleyball Coach of the Year
• Top 5 Women of the Year Award
• 2010-2012 DeSoto High School Volleyball District Champions, Undefeated Season, Area Finals
• 2010-2012 Sub-Varsity Senior Representative Elect Member
• 2005-2006 Female Coach of the Year
• 1999-2003 Middle School/District Track Coach of the Year
• TASPI (Texas Educators Organization)
• TASA (Texas Association of School Administrators)
• DeSoto ISD Aspiring Principal Academy
• AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination)
• Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated
• Arlington Foundation for Excellence in Education
• Association of Texas Professional Educators (ATPE)
• Foundation Board for Junior League of Arlington Strategic Planning Committee
• National Association of Secondary School Principals
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to being influenced as a young girl by my own teachers and athletic coaches. I played sports growing up, and it was their guidance that made such a profound impact on me. They were my favorite teachers, and I always wanted to emulate them. That inspiration from seeing how my teachers helped me and guided me is what drove me into this field and has kept me passionate about education for 30 years. Their example showed me the kind of impact an educator can have on a young person's life, and that is what I strive to do every day.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I have ever received is to treat my students and my staff as though they were my own children. I always ask myself, what would I want for my own kids? That is what I want for the kids that I am in front of and the staff that I am in front of every day. This advice has shaped how I approach every decision and interaction in my work, ensuring that I am always acting in the best interest of those I serve, just as I would for my own family.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would always say to stay connected to all of the latest innovation, all the different changes with the law and the knowledge. Never settle. Every day, I make a decision that I can live with. Every single day. So when I leave work and go home, I don't have a doubt that I have done the very best and I have made the very best decisions that are going to impact our future. Stay current, stay informed, and make sure that every decision you make is one you can stand behind with confidence, knowing it will make a positive difference.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
I think the biggest challenge is trying to prepare school teachers who did not do any type of student teaching or internship between college and actually going to a classroom. The first time they step into some classrooms is when they are on the job, so there has not been any type of training in between. This lack of practical experience before they begin teaching makes it much more difficult to prepare them to perform effectively in the classroom. It is a significant challenge we face in education today.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
My faith and my family are the values most important to me in both my work and personal life. These are the foundations I am rooted in and grounded in. Within my family, I think about how the decisions I make are going to impact them. I ask myself, what am I rooted in? What am I grounded in? What do I want to be known for? What have I been taught to do, and am I doing that? These are the questions that guide me, and this is what I try to instill with my staff as well, helping them understand that their decisions have real impact on their families and communities.