Sept. 3, 2026

Principal Mico Rhines is in her eighth year of leading Thelma Jones Elementary School, and her campus is celebrating history. For the first time since its inception, Thelma Jones received an A from the Texas Education Agency in its accountability ratings. 

“I can’t begin to tell you how excited my staff was when they learned we had received an A,” Rhines said. “I had teachers trembling because they knew they knew they put in the work and it’s not ever easy. We got the results we wanted, and they were beyond happy. Even some tears.” 

Rhines says the key to her campus’ success is doing things the Thelma Jones Way—which is more than a slogan. Teachers hold each other accountable, provide small group instruction in core subjects like reading and math, and coordinate intervention within their teams so students are growing and getting what they need. Within the grade level, teachers look at the data and determine which students have the greatest needs. Grade levels work as a team rather than as individual teachers to set up extra instruction time, called interventions. 

“It doesn’t matter whose students they are, the teacher whose area it is will meet the needs. So, it’s really an all-in approach. We’re not worried just about the kids in our classroom. We’re worried about the kids on an entire grade level. We’re trying to see all of them be successful,” Rhines said. 

Thelma Jones teachers are in their third year of implementing a curriculum implementation system called the 15-day challenge which Rhines credits with resulting in positive student outcomes. Teachers identify the most important lessons students need to learn within that a prescribed amount of time, assess them along the way instead of at the end, and use interventions to help students who need additional work, catch up. 

Along with all the technical work that goes into planning and carrying out instruction, Rhines the welcoming, family culture at Thelma Jones supports student success. 

“The kids are absolutely a joy and our staff truly love what they do. They have the right intentions and heart to work with our students. They love them, they treat them like their own,” Rhines said.