TEXARKANA, Texas -- Texarkana Independent School District made two big hires at Wednesday's Board of Trustees meeting.
Dr. Tabitha Dudley will be the new principal at Paul Laurence Dunbar Early Education Center. Sandra Kay Stickels is joining the district as Director of Special Populations.
Dudley, who has more than 15 years in education, is principal of Mading Dual Language Elementary School in the Houston. The Dunbar appointment marks a return to her roots, as she was raised in Texarkana and graduated from Texas High School.
Dudley is replacing Lakesha Taylor, who is moving to a new role as Director of CTE and STEM Education beginning July 1.
Stickels has spent 30 years in education, with the last 21 at the Region 8 Education Service Center as a consultant working with educators from the region's 46 districts. The scope of her work has included inclusive educational practices, adaptive instructional activities, management of the classroom environment and assisting districts to develop instructional systems that narrow the academic gap between all learners.
Stickels brings expertise to TISD as a leader in the development and implementation of curricula, instruction and assessment. She is replacing Shawn Davis, who begins as principal at Texas Middle School on July 1.