Annette Tielle

Dr. Annette Tielle is an associate professor of practice and core faculty member in The University of Texas Educational Leadership and Policy Department. She is the Assistant Director of the Texas Principal Leadership Academy and a faculty member of Texas Cooperative Superintendency Program. As a Cooperative Superintendency alumna, she served as superintendent of schools in Del Valle ISD from March of 2019 to December of 2024, also earning the title of Superintendent Emeritus. With a career spanning 34 years in education, her background includes elementary teacher, secondary teacher, reading specialist, administrator, assistant superintendent, and deputy superintendent.

Dr. Tielle served as a national consultant for Corwin Publishing and state consultant for Strive and has extensive experience and expertise in providing professional development in the areas of data-informed curriculum development, instructional strategies, closing achievement gaps, early literacy, literacy intervention for adolescents, school finance, strategic planning, courageous conversations and educational leadership. She is recognized as a motivational public speaker and has been asked to speak at many events across the state, including as SXSW EDU.

During her tenure as superintendent, Dr. Tielle spearheaded initiatives to enhance student learning, including the development of tailored curriculum and implementation of innovative educational models aimed at improving student performance and closing achievement gaps. Significant achievements include partnerships with organizations such as the Thinkery museum, establishing a DVISD Thinkery STEAM Child Development Center, and UT Dana Center, fostering early literacy and bilingual education programs. Additionally, collaborations with industry leaders such as Tesla and Infineon led to the creation of the DVISD P-TECH Early College High School and workforce development opportunities, which provide high school students and graduating seniors with valuable internships and job prospects. She led the outreach redesign model to build partnerships with over 20 businesses and industries. These accomplishments provided her recognition across the state for her ability to build curriculum and increase instructional capacity with staff.

Dr. Tielle has always been a legislative policy advocate and informed policy as an appointee on the Texas Commission for Virtual Education, while consistently being invited to testify at about the state accountability system. Her proficiency in politics and community involvement is evidenced by leading the passage of two bond packages totaling $584 million with all 11 projects coming in under-budget. Her knowledge in school finance enabled her to develop a fiscally responsive balanced budget to increase salaries by 23% over five years, and raising the starting teacher salary from $47,000 in 2017 to $59,000 in 2023.

These experiences provide Dr. Tielle with authentic expertise to teach the leadership traits that have earned her the reputation as an instructional leader, visionary, courageous public-school advocate, and innovative trailblazer.