Ashdown Public Schools Hires Several New Teachers

Ashdown Public Schools has added a few new and very talented teachers to work with the students to help them reach their potential. The district looks forward to a great and successful year.

According to a press release, Ashdown alumni Cindy Woolsey will be back at Ashdown teaching elementary music on the campuses of Ashdown Elementary and L.F. Henderson. She earned her BME from Henderson State University and has been the assistant band director at Hooks, TX and elementary music teacher with TASD before returning to Ashdown. Mrs. Woolsey and her husband James have two sons, Braden, and Logan who are now attending Ashdown Elementary. She enjoys reading, traveling, Arkansas football and watching whichever sport her boys are playing. She said, “I’m excited to come back home to teach music. I look forward to getting to know our students and creating musical memories with them.”

L.F. Henderson has added teacher Ashley Coleman to teach fourth-grade math. She has a BSE K-6 degree from SAU and has taught 2 years at DeQueen ABC. She enjoys running music, and all things creative teaching. Her goal is to, “establish themes of cooperation, teamwork, and purpose-driven learning in my classroom.”

Tia Farmer will also join the staff at L.F. Henderson as a third-grade teacher. She earned her Bachelors of Science in Elementary Education from HSU and is returning to the Ashdown District where she interned and subbed last year. She is originally from Texarkana and is the oldest of three sisters. She enjoys crafting and hopes to make a difference in each of her student’s lives.

Julie Tabler will be a third-grade special education teacher at L.F. Henderson. She has a Bachelors in Early Childhood Education from Texas A&M University and has taught third grade at TASD for one year and 5 years at Ashdown ABC preschool. She is married and has a five-year-old son, Landon and a seven-year-old daughter Madi. She likes to play music, hunt, fish, and camp and is looking forward to having a great year!

William Gentry was added to the Agriculture Department and will be at AJHS and AHS. He has his Bachelor and Masters of Science in Agriculture from SAU and his Principal Certification from Stephen F. Austin State University. He has taught agriculture at Bradley, Fouke and Liberty Eylau and been high school assistant principal at Liberty Eylau. He has also been a manager for Tyson Foods, Inc. He and his wife have been married for six years and have a three-year-old daughter Abigail and an eight-month-old son named Hudson. He loves Razorback football, hunting, raising cattle, and spending time with family. He said, “I am extremely excited to be at Ashdown this year! The Ashdown FFA has a long history of excellence, and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to put my mark on an already great program.”

AJHS has a new sixth-grade teacher with the hiring of Abby Honea. She has a BSE K-6 from SAU and this is her first year to teach. She was a long term sub at AJHS last spring following her December graduation. She and her husband, Brandon have a puppy named Gus. She enjoys baking, cooking, reading, and crafting. Her favorite quote is from Ben Johnson - "Great teachers engineer learning experiences that put students in the driver’s seat and then get out of their way.”

Judith McKinley will be teaching seventh-grade science at AJHS and has her BSE from HSU. She has 22 1/2 years of experience and is married with two children, and two grandchildren. She enjoys reading and gardening and hopes to have a great year. Her daughter Mrs. Shamsie is currently a teacher at AJHS.

Special Education has also added Joanna Seaney to the AJHS staff. Her undergraduate degree is from Liberty University and she has a Masters of Education from Texas A&M - Commerce. She has four previous years in Texas. She and her husband have a son Colton and daughter Cassidy. She enjoys sports, family, and reading. Her philosophy on teaching is, “Remember, one book, one pen, one child, and one teacher can change the world.”

Elizabeth Tankersly, another Ashdown Alum will be returning to Ashdown as head volleyball coach at AHS and teaching Health and PE at AJHS and AHS. She has a Bachelor of Science in Human Performance, Recreation, and Community Service as well as a Masters of Education (Educational Leadership and Supervision) from SAU. She taught six years at Arkansas High School, and also taught at Hooks ISD and Dallas ISD. Her mom Donna Green has taught at Ashdown for 37 years, she has a brother Drew, her Meme Jane Tunstall and a cat named Idgie. On weekends, she likes to go to the farm with her meme and play with her dogs. And, she likes to attend sporting events. Her philosophy is, life’s a journey, not a race.

Ashdown High School will have Lindsey Adekunle teaching Quantitative Literacy, Algebra II, Geometry, and Algebra I. She has a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and a Masters of Science in Interdisciplinary Students from Texas A&M University - Texarkana. She taught one year at Sulphur Bluff ISD, three years at Pleasant Grove, and three at Fouke School District. She married over the summer and her parents live in Redwater, TX where she grew up. She has an older sister in Oklahoma and younger brother in Redwater. She enjoys hiking with her husband and doing puzzles from Sudoku to large jigsaw ones. She, “Hopes that students not only gain a deeper understanding of mathematics but learn to appreciate and love the subject. The critical thinking skills and problem-solving students use to solve math problems can help them in the future to solve life’s problems.”

Ashdown Alum Brittany Crow has joined the Special Education Staff at AHS and will also be the AHS Cheer Team Coach. She received her BA from Ouachita Baptist University and has been assistant softball and cheer coach at Walnut Grove High School in Walnut Grove, MO. She and her husband Houston have a fur baby named Bo. Her mom, Sandy McElroy is also a teacher at Ashdown. Her dad and sister round out her family. She enjoys running, Chicago Cubs, playing/watching sports, gardening, and hanging out with her husband and fur baby. Her favorite educational quote is by Rita Pearson - “Every child deserves a champion.”

Teacher/Coach Georgeio Milam joins the AHS staff to teach Physical Education. He has his BS and MS (Kinesiology) from SAU. He has previously coached and taught at University of Pikeville, SAU, and Arkansas Tech. He is married to Kayce and enjoys spending time with friends and family. His goal is to mentor young men and women to become good human beings.

The new AHS Chemistry teacher is Sybil Rice. She has her BS and MS from East Texas University and TAMUT. She has taught 17 years in TISD, 13 in Liberty Eylau ISD, and 7 years at TC. She and her husband Greg have three children and five grandchildren. She loves anything sports and her husband is a Razorback fan. She also loves to read and listen to music. “You never know when you might be the one teacher that opens the door for a child,” is her teaching philosophy.

AHS is also adding another alumnus with the hiring of Ginger Hillis who will teach Drama 1 & 2. She has a BA in Communications from the University of Arkansas. She has previously taught speech and coached cheer at West Memphis High School and senior English and speech at Ashdown. She is married to Jordan Hillis and they have three children, Hudson, Holden, and Haven. She enjoys Crossfit, running, painting, spending time with family and friends and members of Central Baptist Church. She said, “I’m so excited to be back to teach Drama to the students at AHS! I’m looking forward to a great performance!”

Sarah Veazey, an Ashdown Graduate has been hired as Speech Pathologist for the district. She has a BSE in Communication Disorders and MS Communication Disorders from the University of Arkansas. She has also worked in private practice in Fayetteville and contracted to developmental preschool in Dallas. She has also worked at Davis Elementary in Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD and Adult Neurological Rehabilitation at Christus St. Michael. She will be married in November and her fiancé has a seven-year-old daughter. They also have a golden retriever named Cash. She enjoys crafting, cooking, doing her nails, and watching Netflix. “Every student can learn, just not on the same day or in the same way,” is her favorite educational quote.

Ashdown’s first day of school was Tuesday, August 13th and all current and new staff have high expectations for a great year.