I am very excited for the opportunity to serve Barksdale Elementary School this year. It is an exemplary school within a wonderful district. Twelve years ago, I moved to Allen from Southern California where I got my Bachelor’s Degree from Long Beach State University and my Master’s Degree from Fullerton State University. In Orange County, I taught 4th and 6th grades for seven years. In 2010, my family moved to Texas where I began teaching for Allen ISD for 8 years in the first and sixth grades. I joined Plano ISD in 2017 as an Assistant Principal and enjoyed five incredible years working with the students, parents, and staff of Wyatt Elementary School community.  During that time, I completed a doctoral program through UNT and received a Doctorate of Education Leadership in 2019 which was a lifelong goal of mine. I am grateful for this new opportunity and look forward to the journey ahead with the Barksdale community!

I have a passion for students and their learning process. I enjoy developing creative and innovative solutions that help to meet the needs of every child so that they can fulfill their life’s dreams and contribute to society in a positive way. We are at a very exciting time in education, where we understand so much about the “how’s” and “why’s” rather than just the “what’s” of learning. I promise to “give my all” to working with the staff and community at Barksdale. I enjoy reading and learning about innovation in education and hope to apply what I’ve learned to create invigorating learning experiences for all students. My other great personal interest is music, and I have played the guitar since I was in sixth grade. I also go to many live concerts and enjoy many genres of music.

Best of all is my beautiful family. I am blessed with my wife Lisa and our three active children. Sophie is twelve, Elyse is nine, and Holden is five. Being a parent is the most important responsibility in the world, as I impart my faith, values, and character by being a role model for them.

I am looking forward to a wonderful year full of progress, new acquaintances, and working alongside the staff, parents, and students of Barksdale Elementary!

Sincerely,

Dr. Michael Minyard