Staff Spotlight: Instructional Coaches Day

Amy Paiz is the Learning Design Coach (LDC) at Purl Elementary School. She has worked as both a teacher and an LDC at Williams and Purl, following 15 years of working in education in California. Paiz says that the guidance her own LDC provided her when she was new to teaching is what ignited a passion in her to one day take on the role of an instructional coach herself.

Hilda Diaz is the LDC for GISD K-5 Dual Language. In her role, Diaz works with all six campuses that have dual language: Carver, Cooper, Mitchell, Purl, Village and Williams. Diaz studied International Commerce at Tecnológico de Monterrey in Mexico before moving to Texas and pursuing a career in education.

Patrick Ballay is the Learning Design Coach (LDC) at Georgetown High School and a graduate of the University of Houston. Ballay says that a core memory he has from his time in GISD is when he “started as an LDC during the Covid-affected remote year and was welcomed so generously”.

Samantha Ballard is the LDC at Forbes Middle School. Ballard attended college in Massachusetts before moving to Austin and finishing school at Texas A&M, where she received her Masters in Curriculum and Instruction. Ballard taught high school in Houston for two years before moving to GISD.