Three questions with Thomas Jefferson High School principal Ben Jones

What was your journey to becoming principal like?

My journey to the principalship was unexpected. I was a classroom teacher for a few years, but then I left education to work in nonprofit management. After five years in nonprofits, I felt like I had drifted from my personal mission. Frankly, I just missed being in schools and around kids. So, I made a few calls and within two weeks, I packed up my apartment in Philly and moved back to Dallas and back into the classroom. I expected to be in the classroom for years, but an opportunity to join the leadership team at another campus came up and I really loved the approach and the role, so I took a leap and became a campus coordinator. 

In the middle of that year, we had an assistant principal position open up and I was fortunate to be able to take that role. After a few years, I was encouraged to apply to the Dallas ISD LEAD program for developing future principals. I didn’t expect to move into the candidate pool so quickly and definitely wasn’t expecting to move into the principalship that first year. When I got the call to interview for the position here at Thomas Jefferson High School, I knew that my time had come. I am now starting my third year as a principal, and I can’t imagine anything more exciting or fulfilling than serving the students, faculty, team members, and community at T.J.

What do you love about being a patriot?

T.J. is such a special place, it’s honestly hard to describe. Our community is diverse and rich with culture. It’s truly impressive to see the resilience, confidence and perseverance of the Patriot community. My favorite thing about being a Patriot is simply being surrounded by all of the other Patriots who show up each day to make the world a better place for themselves, others and future generations. 

What is your main focus for your campus this year?

After more than three years away from home, we were able to move back into our campus last spring. This year our focus is pursuing excellence in all that we do. Our theme this year is “Limitless: Potential + Effort = Outcomes.” We know our students and team members have limitless potential. We know the outcomes that matter and we know the effort it takes to reach those goals. This year we are putting forth the effort to truly maximize the social, emotional and academic achievement for every student.