Gladewater ISD has announced several administrative changes for the 2019-2020 school year. Gladewater Primary Principal Amanda Langford has been named Weldon Elementary School Principal. Langford has varied and extensive educational experience in addition to her six years as Gay Avenue Primary Principal. She began her career in Mississippi where she taught kindergarten, first grade and served as a literacy coach under the Reading First initiative.
Langford says that teaching this impoverished area of the country had a profound impact on the direction of her career, providing the opportunity for her to learn that education can truly change a community and a child’s life.
She completed her Måaster’s degree from Mississippi College with an emphasis in dyslexia therapy. In 2007 she moved to Texas to be closer to her family and taught third grade and served as a dyslexia therapist at Kilgore ISD eventually serving as assistant principal of Chandler Elementary in Kilgore. In 2013 she was employed as Gladewater Primary School Principal and has held that position for six years.
Current Weldon Elementary Principal Darren Richardson has been named a district level instructional coordinator. One of Richardon’s primary responsibilities will be to help re-establish the Gladewater ISD Educational Foundation.
“Darren Richardson’s connections with the community make him the perfect person for this position,” Supt. Sedric Clark said.
Richardson, who is a Gladewater native, has been an educator for 29 years with 19 in service to GISD where he has also served as Fine Arts Coordinator and GHS Assistant Principal and Choir Teacher. Richardson graduated from the University of North Texas in 1990 with a Bachelor of Music degree and obtained a Master of Education degree in 2001 from the University of Texas at Tyler.
The new Gladewater Primary School Principal will be Kerry Hradecky who serves as GISD Literacy Coordinator in her most recent position. Before that she taught elementary transition classes, kindergarten and first grade.
After a year of training, Hradecky became an Abydos/New Jersey Writing trainer which gave her extensive experience and insight into the writing process. As a trainer she led teacher workshops and presented at educator conferences on literacy. She was named Teacher of the Year and GLOBE teacher of the year in 2012.
Hradecky graduated from the University of Texas at Tyler and earned her Master’s degree from Texas A&M Commerce.
Kamisha Floyd will move to the position of Weldon Elementary Assistant Principal. She earned her Bachelor of Science Degree in 2005, her Master’s Degree in Elementary Education in 2011 and earned her Principal’s certification in 2017. She has previous experience as a pre-K and kindergarten teacher, instructional coach, UIL coordinator and UIL coach. Before teaching she worked as a Smith County School Coordinator where she provided professional development trainings to teachers and administrators.
Also moving into the role of instructional coordinator is Renee Byers. Her new responsibilities will focus on the area of student services. Byers had previously served as Broadway Elementary Principal and currently serves as Weldon Intermediate Assistant Principal. Byers previously served as assistant principal and third and fifth grade teacher in Tyler ISD.
Byers has been an educator for 19 years earning both her Bachelor of Arts and her Master’s degrees from the University of Texas at Tyler.