Dr. Adriana Tamez is a career educator, dedicated to the success and empowerment of the students of the Raul Yzaguirre School for Success and their communities. Dr. Tamez has served as superintendent since 2014 and has made it her goal to ensure that all RYSS students are prepared to live and work in an ever-changing, complex global society. Dr. Tamez is dedicated to ensuring that all students graduate from RYSS; enter a four-year college/university; embark on successful careers; and be productive, responsible citizens. 

Dr. Tamez began her educational career as a bilingual teacher at Mario Gallegos Elementary School in the Houston Independent School District. Following her work as an associate director of development at the University of Houston College of Education, she resumed her career at HISD, where she served as principal at Rufus Cage Elementary School, Project Chrysalis Middle School, and Thomas Edison Middle School. In 2005, she was appointed superintendent of HISD’s Central Region, where she supervised 54 schools, 97 percent of which earned the state’s highest accountability rating of “Recognized” or “Exemplary.” In the Central Region, she oversaw the implementation of instructional programs for more than 35,000 students. 

In 2010, Dr. Tamez joined the Region 4 Education Service Center and helped support more than 50 public school districts and 50 public charter schools, representing more than 1.1 million students, 84,000 educators, and 1,400 school campuses.

Prior to her current tenure as superintendent of RYSS, Dr. Tamez played an integral role in its development. She was one of the founding members of the Tejano Center for Community Concerns and RYSS, and she was the first director of education at the Raul Yzaguirre Middle Charter School for Success. Throughout her career challenging the status quo and successfully developing best educational practices, she has remained committed to the neighborhood and community served by RYSS and its parent organization.   

Dr. Tamez earned a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies and a master’s degree in educational administration and supervision at the University of Houston. She earned her doctorate in educational administration at the University of Texas at Austin while she participated as a Fellow in the nationally acclaimed Cooperative Superintendency Program.