What happens when a leader walks into a hurting school and chooses to listen first?

In this episode of Transformational Educators, Dr. Ramiro Nava, Superintendent of Cotulla ISD, shares the powerful story of how he led a struggling elementary campus through a season of healing, growth, and transformation.

From one-on-one conversations with teachers to a game-changing meeting with a misunderstood parent, Dr. Nava reveals how servant leadership, trust, and consistency over time can rebuild an entire school culture.

Whether you're a new principal or a seasoned superintendent, this story will remind you that deep change starts with deep listening.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Why servant leadership starts with humility, not authority
• How to build trust in communities that have been let down
• Why consistency matters more than charisma in school leadership
• The simple power of one-on-one listening sessions
• How to respond when staff are skeptical of new leadership
• A transformational parent conversation that changed everything
• What real support for special needs students looks like
• How to turn high-discipline campuses into places of belonging
• The role of male presence in schools with mostly female staff
• Why legacy begins with daily integrity

BEST MOMENTS

00:00:04 . “Doctor Nava is the superintendent of Cotulla ISD, where he is known for his steady leadership, deep empathy, and ability to build trust.”
00:01:57 . “One of the things that inspired me about your journey is the relationships I can see that you’ve built each place that you’ve gone.”
00:03:06 . “Got in there and had the opportunity to just kind of observe and look and learn.”
00:05:05 . “Experiencing firsthand that we had students who couldn’t provide for their own needs... I realized really quickly the approach had to be different.”
00:06:04 . “As teachers started coming in, I took the time to just listen to people one on one.”
00:09:00 . “There was one particular family... our teachers had said, ‘It’s a hard family. You won’t get much from them.’”
00:10:25 . “He said, ‘You know, no one’s ever said that to me.’”
00:12:30 . “We started to see more folks coming to our open houses, our celebrations, more folks being accepted.”
00:14:24 . “What I’m telling you is I’m not sending them out. They’re staying in my office and I’m sitting with them.”
00:20:05 . “The successes I’ve had in my career are because I’ve fallen flat on my face more than others.”

Transformational Educators | School Leadership Stories

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