Meet Our Principal

Principal Ibarra's Bio.

Cristina Ibarra is an accomplished educational leader with over 19 years of experience in Dallas ISD, with deep expertise in public Montessori education and early childhood leadership.

She began her journey as a teacher assistant and later earned her Montessori certification while teaching at Dealey Montessori. Her passion for Montessori education and commitment to equity in public schools inspired her to pursue leadership roles. Cristina earned a Master’s in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies with a dual-language emphasis from the University of Texas at Arlington.

Her first leadership role was at Rosemont Schools, where she built strong community partnerships and supported the launch of the Foreign Language in Elementary Schools (FLES) program. She later played a key role as the founding assistant principal at Prestonwood Montessori at E.D. Walker. She developed instructional systems and schoolwide structures that shaped the program’s foundation.

In 2022, Cristina was appointed principal of Dealey Montessori, where she built upon the campus’s prior progress and led the school from a TEA "B" to an "A" rating. This achievement reflected her commitment to sustaining instructional momentum, using data to inform decisions, and strengthening teaching and learning systems.

Most recently, she served as a district administrator supporting Pre-K Partnerships across the DFW area, which included 42 sites, 115 teachers, and over 1,300 students, focused on preparing young learners for a strong start in kindergarten through high-quality instruction and aligned systems.

Throughout her career, Cristina has been recognized for fostering inclusive, joyful learning environments rooted in trust, peace education, and student voice.

Now serving the MAOH community, Cristina is honored to continue a legacy that began in 2018, where tradition and innovation work hand-in-hand. She is passionate about developing the whole child for the whole world.