Priscilla Canales
Dr. Priscilla Canales has committed almost 30 years to the advancement of education across Texas. She currently serves as Superintendent for Weslaco Independent School District (ISD), earning the honor of being the first female superintendent in the district’s nearly 100-year history. Prior to her appointment to Weslaco ISD in 2016, Dr. Canales spent two decades serving in various capacities in the San Antonio area, including middle school teacher, Education Service Center, Region 20 educational specialist, assistant principal, principal, and executive director over curriculum, instruction and student support services. Dr. Canales went on to spend five years as Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction for Del Valle ISD in Austin, where she presided over 24 principals and central office administrators serving 12,000 students across 14 campuses. Dr. Canales’ diverse experience laid the foundation for her current leadership role at Weslaco ISD.
As Superintendent of a district with over 2,300 employees and 17,000 students, Canales provides a rich and balanced educational program encompassing fine arts, athletics, physical wellness, academics, and student leadership, while also promoting extracurricular activities that enrich student talent and creativity. Dr. Canales is an avid champion of literacy, describing it as “a precious gift from the ages for the ages”. She believes in leading by example and in translating challenges into actionable results that improve student learning by empowering faculty and students to feel known, valued, and inspired.
Dr. Canales treasures teamwork and community involvement as a catalyst for educational excellence and equity for all children. She currently serves on numerous leadership and community organizations, including as Vice President for the Texas Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development; Executive Committee member of Texas Association of School Administrators; and on the Board of Directors for the Texas Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents, United Way of South Texas, and Weslaco Chamber of Commerce. She also serves as Secretary of South Texas Association of Schools and is the Vice Chair for the Education Service Center, Region 1, Superintendent Regional Advisory Committee.
Dr. Canales received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), a Master’s degree from UTSA, and a doctoral degree from Texas A&M University, College Station.
Dr. Canales’s parents and grandparents instilled in her the importance of altruism, integrity, hard work, and humility. From an early age, her father, a child migrant worker, and mother, an elementary school teacher, championed a well-rounded education as the means for a quality life and service to self, family and others.
