Madeley Ranch Elementary Assistant Principal Megan Parker has been named the 2025 Region 6 AP of the Year by the Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association (TEPSA). The peer-based award celebrates assistant principals from the 20 TEPSA Regions across the state who demonstrate exceptional leadership in fostering a culture of excellence for students and teachers on their campuses.

“Megan has played a pivotal role in creating a supportive and dynamic learning environment at Madeley Ranch. We are proud to recognize her leadership and dedication to ensuring students are engaged, and achieve success throughout their education,” said TEPSA Executive Director Harley Eckhart.

This award recognizes leaders who are committed to excellence through programs designed to meet the needs of all students, have firmly established community ties, show strong educational leadership by setting high expectations for school staff and students, and exhibit exceptional leadership in a particular school program.

The 20 regional honorees will be recognized at the TEPSA Legacy Luncheon in June. One TEPSA Region AP of the Year will be selected as the 2025 NAESP National Assistant Principal of the Year for Texas.  

This is Parker’s first year at Madeley Ranch and in MISD, and her twentieth year in education. Prior to joining the Madeley Ranch staff, she served in a variety of leadership roles in Tomball ISD, including Assistant Principal, Director of the Early Excellence Academy, and Program Specialist for Assessment & Instruction. She started her career as a special education teacher and also served as an educational diagnostician. A resident of MISD, she was happy for the opportunity to join the Madeley Ranch staff and work closer to home.

“I am extremely excited and incredibly humbled by this recognition,” Parker said. “To be working in my own community and representing Region 6 is such an outstanding honor. It is a privilege to serve alongside the exceptional educators at Madeley Ranch Elementary where our staff and community celebrate growth through innovative practices and collaboration.”

Madeley Ranch Principal Jewel Tucker also commented on the honor.

“We are thrilled for Megan to receive this recognition,” Tucker said.  “She hit the ground running this fall, improving our safety practices and protocols, and an overhaul of multi-tiered systems to support our Mustangs. She has worked to strengthen individualized student learning, including positive behavior intervention plans and collaborating with counselors and teachers to meet our kids where they are, and giving them the tools they need to succeed.”

Montgomery ISD Assistant Superintendent of Elementary Education Carrie Fitzpatrick shared her support for Parker. 

“Megan has been an incredible addition to our staff at Madeley Ranch,” Fitzpatrick said. “Together with Mrs. Tucker, they have created a remarkable culture at the school.  Every staff member is invested in fostering student growth in and out of the classroom, building on a foundation of positive behavioral intervention strategies. We are grateful that Megan is part of Team Montgomery and congratulate her on this well-deserved honor.”

Honored as one of three statewide finalists in small district category

H-E-B has named Montgomery ISD as a statewide finalist for the Texas-based organization’s 2025 Excellence in Education Awards. MISD is one of three statewide finalists in the small district category, encompassing those with less than 10,000 students enrolled.

H-E-B launched the Excellence in Education Awards in 2002 as a positive way to support education in Texas. Since the program’s inception, H-E-B has awarded more than $14 million in funding to outstanding Texas teachers, principals, public school districts, school boards, and early childhood facilities.

“In Montgomery ISD we talk a lot about maximizing the impact we have on our students, our community, and our people,” Superintendent Dr. Mark Ruffin said. “H-E-B is a perfect example of a company that maximizes their impact on communities all across Texas. Their commitment to supporting public education is inspiring and is evident in their Excellence in Education Awards, and Montgomery ISD is incredibly honored to be named as a finalist. Through this process, we get to shine a light on our people and highlight the work they do that makes a meaningful impact every day. Being able to share the amazing things happening here on such a large platform is incredibly exciting. This distinction reinforces Montgomery ISD’s daily commitment to being the Premier School District in Texas.” 

The H-E-B Excellence in Education Awards recognize school districts based on the following criteria:

• Commitment to student achievement through innovative programs
• Parent/Community involvement
• Professional development opportunities for teachers and administrators

“We are thrilled that Montgomery ISD has been named as a statewide finalist by H-E-B. The Excellence in Education Awards criteria aligns with our community’s high expectations of our school district.” MISD Board President Matt Fuller said. “We are proud that families choose Montgomery as a place to raise their children, and never take for granted the faith they put in MISD to provide a premier education for each student, preparing them for future success.”

To determine overall statewide winners, a panel of judges will tour campuses and visit with administration, staff, parents, students and community members. 

Winners will be announced at the H-E-B Excellence in Education Awards Ceremony this spring.

 “Grant Express” makes a stop at every MISD Campus

To kick off a year-long celebration of Montgomery ISD’s centennial year in 2025, the MISD Education Foundation committed to awarding $100,000 to the school district via educator grants and other initiatives. On Friday, January 10, the “Grant Express” school bus, filled with members of the Montgomery ISD Education Foundation, district leaders, and community partners stopped at each of MISD’s eleven campuses to award 32 educator grants. These grants are in addition to six previously awarded district-wide grants and seven Foundation Fellowships, a new initiative that supports MISD employees in their pursuit of higher education in the teaching profession.  

“We are so proud to pilot the Foundation Fellowship program for district employees,” Montgomery ISD Education Foundation Executive Director Tiffany Ortiz said.  “The program is designed to encourage, promote, and foster a desire for continued education. We strongly believe that our student’s premier education comes from our premier teachers and are especially excited to unveil the program in the district’s centennial year.”

Each fall, the Montgomery ISD Education Foundation hosts a competitive grant application process. Grants are awarded based on creative and innovative ideas that district staff can implement in the classroom to positively impact student learning.

Grant applications are evaluated based on whether the proposed program represents an inventive approach to improve and enrich learning and includes sound evaluation procedures tied to student performance.

Some of the items that will be purchased with 2025 grant funds include:

• Power tools to enhance the hands-on learning experience for students enrolled in our Career and Technical Education programs, specifically in the fields of construction, automotive technology, agricultural mechanics, and welding.
• Drone technology to provide secondary students with the skills and knowledge to operate drones for professional-quality video production, preparing them for careers in media, film, and digital content creation.
• LEGO Spike Robotic Kits focus on combining LEGO building elements, programmable hardware, and a user-friendly coding platform to teach STEM concepts.
• Augmented Reality Sandbox to encourage students to leverage technology to make history and science classes more interactive, engaging, and impactful. The AR sandbox not only deepens understanding but also inspires a love of learning, ensuring students are active participants in their education rather than passive observers.

Other grants will fund experiences for students, including:

• Texas Wildlife on Wheels introduces the diversity of local wildlife to students, and a deeper understanding of the flora and fauna in their own backyard.
• Books Alive Theater Company provides elementary students with a musical performance of the book Three Nasty Gnarlies by Keith Graves, along with copies of the book provided for each classroom teacher.
• The MISD College Experience Grant will fund college campus visits for MISD students and provide college application assistance.
• Mobile Ed Production STEAM Museum visit allows students to participate in hands-on activities to learn about energy, technology, manufacturing methods and techniques, simple machines, gear ratios, 3D printing, robotics, geometry, structures, friction, gravity, and much more.

“The MISD Education Foundation is thrilled to commemorate MISD’s 100^th year, by committing $100,000 to enhance student learning,” Ortiz said. “Grant Express Day is the culmination of our fundraising efforts and one of the best days in Montgomery ISD. We always look forward to surprising our educators and providing them with the tools and experiences they know will make a big difference in their classrooms and on their campuses.  We could not do this without the incredible support of our community partners and are delighted that so many of them were able to ride along with us today to be part of the celebration.”

“There is nothing better than seeing the excitement on the faces of our teachers and staff as they were presented with funding for innovative programs and initiatives for their students.” Superintendent Dr. Mark Ruffin said. “The 45 grants awarded represent the MISD Education Foundation’s commitment to MISD, deep investment in our kids and staff, and an amazing way to celebrate the district’s centennial year in 2025.”

Funds for the Montgomery ISD Education Foundation come from fundraising events including a golf tournament held in the fall, and the Roaring 20s Spring Soiree, scheduled for March 22, 2025 at Margaritaville on Lake Conroe.