Meet Our Principal
Damon Jasso, Principal of RYSS Middle School at East Aldine
Damon Jasso proudly serves as Principal of RYSS Middle School at East Aldine, bringing more than 20 years of public education experience and a leadership philosophy centered on putting students first, supporting teachers, and embracing continuous innovation.
As a first-generation college graduate, Mr. Jasso understands both the barriers families face when access to a strong education is limited and the doors that quality schooling can open. That personal journey shapes his deep respect for the choices families make when selecting a school, fueling a career dedicated to expanding opportunity.
Mr. Jasso’s career spans six Houston-area campuses. He began as an English and ESL teacher at Chavez High School, earning Teacher of the Year in 2008 and recognition as the Houston Rockets Teacher of the Game in 2009, alongside roles as ESL Department Chair, Title I Coordinator, and Campus Lead Mentor.
Expanding his impact across multiple middle and high schools—including Ortiz, Milby, Austin, and Stevenson—he served as an Instructional Specialist. In this role, he utilized his expertise in data analysis to help educators look at student metrics from new angles, empowering them to translate data into practical tools that sharpen classroom instruction.
He later served as Manager of School Choice for Houston ISD, training over 100 school representatives and helping design a streamlined online transfer application to make the system more accessible for families. Before taking the helm at East Aldine, he served as Assistant Principal at RYSS Early College at Broadway and RYSS Middle School at Broadway, partnering with teachers, counselors, and community stakeholders to maintain a high-achieving, safe environment.
Mr. Jasso holds a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from the University of Houston—which sparked his lifelong passion for reading, critical thinking, and continuous learning—and a Master of Arts in Educational Administration from Lamar University. Grounded in those roots, he leads his campus in practical, forward-thinking directions, ensuring students master modern technology and artificial intelligence as tools to sharpen critical thinking, keeping human ingenuity at the center of every classroom.