OP-ED: Recognizing outstanding staff members at WOSMS

Published 7:14 am Saturday, February 27, 2021

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Dr. Rickie R. Harris

This week I am highlighting extraordinary members of our staff at West Orange-Stark Middle School. These employees play a huge role in the success of our students and day-to-day operations.

WOSMS is proud to have a dedicated wife, mom, and educator like Jessica Tant for the last seven years. She has served as department head, grade-level head, webmaster, the hospitality and moral committees, UIL coach, made the Stallion News possible and participated on the committee for hiring the current principal, Mr. McGrew.  Ms. Tant has been honored by receiving a WOCCISD Education Foundation Grant for recording equipment, has been the teacher of the month twice, teacher of the year once, and has a nomination for the Reaud Award. She is never afraid to go all out on dress-up days or dress to match her lesson. She has taught Social Studies 6th, 7th, and 8th grade, Science 6th, and 7th grade, and is an honorary member of the IT department by assisting with campus issues; she is indeed a jack of all trades.

Stacey Ulve is a new talent to our middle school team; she teaches 8th-grade math and algebra 1 and believes in creating a family unit within her class. She treats her students as if they are her own children and truly believes in teaching to the future of the community that she serves.  She has spent the past seven years building relationships with each of her students and instilling in them the want to be more than just good, BE GREAT!  Ms. Ulve is from Memphis, TN; she graduated with a B.S. in Business Admin/Marketing from Bemidji State University in MN and went on to earn M.A. in teaching from Belhaven University in MS. She says that having a class full of dedicated kids, seeing them grow, and become passionate about being successful truly fills her with pride every day.

Tiffany Richard-Brown, the Dean of Instruction at WOSMS, is the glue that holds our campus together.  As a leadership team member, she makes every employee feel like a valued asset to the campus.  Her office door is always open, ready to do what needs to be done, so the students of WOSMS can be successful.  When she is not traveling, she enjoys spending time with her friends and family.  During her 17 years in education, she has earned a Bachelor’s in Interdisciplinary Studies and a Master’s in Educational Administration.  WOSMS is honored to have her for nine years, where she has served as an ELAR teacher, Literacy Coach, and now the Dean of Instruction for the past four years.  Not only is she an advocate for the students, but the staff as well.  We couldn’t ask for a better leader to assist in leading us towards a distinguished campus.

Dr. Rickie R. Harris is the Superintendent at West Orange – Cove CISD.