TOP 100
Places to Work
7th
consecutive year
There is no doubt that this has been an unprecedented year in our nation’s history. Employers around the nation are struggling to keep their employees on the job and morale high. In education, the word PIVOT has become crucial to getting through the day and moving forward.
While not without challenges and struggles, the staff at Prosper ISD have worked together to get through each day and provide a quality education to the students in the district.
At the beginning of the pandemic in March, Prosper ISD was one of the first districts in the area to resume instruction. Mobilizing staff members during spring break, the district was able to get chromebooks and hot spots distributed the Monday and Tuesday after spring break in order to resume school on Wednesday. While many other districts in the region and in the state took a week or more to mobilize, Prosper educators kicked into gear during the break to get students back into the classroom… albeit virtually!
With so many challenges, it would not be surprising to see morale at an all time low, but Prosper ISD is truly a special place. On November 12th, Prosper ISD was notified that for the 7th consecutive year, they were one of the Top 100 Places to Work in DFW. The Dallas Morning News ranking is a prestigious recognition for area employers. Dallas Morning News Journalist, Cheryl Hall, said it best that “This was a Top 100 Places to Work contest to remember. Making it into the winner’s circle has never held quite the same sway or taken as much effort and reinvention as it has this year.”
Because the district was already a “Google Education” school, students and staff members were able to make the transition more smoothly than other districts with less involvement in online learning platforms. In July, the district was notified that their beloved Superintendent of 18 years, Dr. Drew Watkins was retiring. Dr. Watkins was named the Top CEO for DFW in 2019. Another district might have faced a morale downturn as a result of such a monumental loss, but the district had another amazing leader ready in the wings. Prosper ISD Associate Superintendent, Dr. Holly Ferguson was named the district Superintendent of Schools on July 31st allowing for a smooth transition of leadership.
The district was named #14 for Top Large Companies, one of only three school districts making it into the top 15 for top large, midsize, and small companies and one of only four school districts on the list in total. Prosper’s first year on the list was in 2014 when there were only 745 employees. This year Prosper ISD, the fastest growing district in the state, has almost 2,400 employees.
Prosper was also the first large school in DFW to resume in person instruction this Fall, beginning school on August 12th. 57
