Early Childhood School Named for Pioneering Educator Sara Isaacs

November 21, 2008

Sara Isaacs at Board Meeting Sara Isaacs, retired Plano ISD educator who directed Plano ISD's first early childhood programs, was honored by the Plano ISD Board of Trustees at its November 4 meeting as namesake of the school district's newest early childhood school scheduled to open in 2009.

Sara Isaacs reacted with pleasant surprise during the November 4 school board meeting unveiling of the Sara Isaacs Early Childhood School architect's rendering. The new school is scheduled to open fall, 2009, on the southeast corner of San Gabriel Drive and Parker Road in Plano.

Sara was born on August 25, 1925, in Bonham, Texas. She graduated from Bonham High School in 1941 and married Edward Isaacs, Jr., in 1945. (They recently celebrated their 63rd wedding anniversary.) She and Edward attended East Texas State Teachers College (Texas A&M Commerce) together to obtain their bachelor’s degrees in education. Ms. Isaacs obtained her M.Ed. from North Texas University (UNT)

She and Edward, Jr., have two sons: Edward, III, who is a Plano ISD employee in the facility services department, and Jason Isaacs who lives in Decatur. The Isaacs' have seven grandchildren, all who live in the area.

Sara Isaacs and Family

Isaacs Family members who attended the school board recognition event were (l-r) Edward III, Edward, Jr., Mrs. Sara Jane Isaacs and her grandchildren Jessica and Sara Leslie Isaacs.

Career Highlights

1960s

Sara began her teaching career in 1963 at Mendenhall Elementary School as a third grade teacher, when Mendenhall was the only Plano ISD elementary school.

In approximately 1967, when President Lyndon B. Johnson passed the “Elementary and Secondary Education Act,” Sara was appointed by then Superintendent of Schools Dr. H. Wayne Hendrick as Plano ISD’s first Title I director.

The same year, she successfully applied for a Head Start grant and led Plano ISD's first Head Start program, which then served approximately 20 four- and five-year old children at Mendenhall during the regular summer school program.

Sara worked to locate Head Start students in rural areas of the school district. The Head Start focus at the time was to prepare five-year-old children for the new half-day public school kindergarten program, which began soon after Head Start began. Once kindergarten was offered, then the Head Start program began serving three- and four-year-old children.

Sara with Dr. Otto and Trustees

Ms. Isaacs reminisced about Plano schools during a pre-meeting reception hosted by Superintendent Doug Otto (center) and trustees.

1970s

In the early 1970s, Sara was asked by Superintendent Hendrick to serve as the school district’s first elementary curriculum coordinator, making her the very first female administrator in Plano ISD. She continued working with educationally-disadvantaged early childhood children at the time.

As public school kindergarten (1/2-day program) began, she wrote the guidelines for Plano ISD’s program. There were approximately five elementary schools in Plano at the time. The very first public school kindergarten, consisting of approximately 20 students, was housed at the Cox Building on Avenue H, until Sigler and Meadows elementary schools were ready to house the students on their campuses.

Ms. Isaacs is proud of the fact that Plano ISD’s kindergarten served as the model program in Collin County, since it was the first to be offered in the county.

1973 through 1986

In 1973, Ms. Isaacs became the first female principal in Plano ISD when she opened Christie Elementary School. She served as principal there until she retired in 1986.

“The first love I had was for the young early childhood children and working with the teachers of young learners,” said Ms. Isaacs.