La Joya ISD Earns National Recognition as One of 16 Districts Selected for Digital Promise League of Innovative Schools 2026 - 2027 Cohort
La Joya ISD has been selected to join the 2026-27 Digital Promise League of Innovative Schools, becoming the only Texas school district selected for this year's national cohort.
La Joya ISD is one of just 16 school districts nationwide joining the League this year. The districts were selected from a competitive national applicant pool based on educational leadership, demonstrated commitment to equity and excellence, innovative vision for learning, key achievements and collaborative spirit.
For La Joya ISD, the national recognition reflects work already underway through the district's Achieving Excellence Together 2030 Strategic Plan, which is focused on improving student outcomes, strengthening leadership, expanding opportunities for students and building systems that support excellence across every school.
“Our District's vision is simply, ‘Educational Excellence: The Right of Every Student,’ which we live in both voice and action. Therefore, as we consider how this impacts our District's approach to innovation, continuous improvement, and creating a culture of adult learning, this opportunity to engage in a national conversation and network of Districts, demonstrates our committment to providing high-quality instruction, equitable access to resources and programming, as well as meaningful opportunities for all students, regardless of where they live within our district,” said Dr. Marcey Sorensen, Superintendent of Schools.
Membership will connect La Joya ISD with school systems and education leaders from across the country to study innovative practices, share challenges and solutions, collaborate with researchers and explore ideas that can be adapted to benefit La Joya ISD students and educators.
Through the League, district leaders will have opportunities to see innovative practices firsthand, participate in peer-to-peer learning and partner with Digital Promise researchers and other school systems to develop and pilot research-backed approaches. Joining Dr. Sorensen in this work, will be Mr. Haissam Mayasi, Chief Information Technology Officer, Ms. Jodie Adair, Deputy Chief of Academics and School Leadership, and Ms. Anna Marie Candelario, Deputy Chief of Academic Supports and Student Engagement.
“This is not about innovation for the sake of innovation,” Sorensen said. “It is about learning from strong systems across the country, sharing what is working here in La Joya ISD, and bringing ideas and opportunities back to our classrooms that help us deliver on our promise of excellence for every student.”
The League of Innovative Schools was launched in 2011 and connects school systems committed to learning from one another while addressing complex challenges in education. The network now includes more than 175 districts across 37 states and has served more than 4.4 million students since its founding.
La Joya ISD’s and Superintendent Sorensen’s selection also creates an opportunity for the District to contribute its own experiences and work to the national conversation, including its efforts to strengthen teaching and learning, expand student opportunities, responsibly integrate emerging technology, develop leaders and ensure students across the district have access to high-quality educational experiences.
