Her Heart for Education
Alison South’s passion for education is evident in her commitment to continually expanding her own knowledge and learning. She graduated with a teaching degree from McMurry University in May of 2003, and has earned certifications in English as a Second Language, Special Education, Gifted and Talented, and a minor in Reading. In 2016, South earned a master’s in education in Guidance and Counseling and a Principal Certificate in 2022.
However, her heart for teaching started much earlier on.
“When I was little, I grew up in my mother’s classroom. I would play school in the corner of the classroom as she prepared her room. During the summer, I was pretty much a full-time imaginary teacher,” said South. “I would spend hours watching my mom and dreaming of being a teacher one day. (My mom is an absolutely amazing teacher). When I got to college, my major immediately became Elementary Education. For one semester, I thought I wanted to try to be a nurse, and that ended abruptly. I missed all things kids and got right back on track to be a teacher.”
South, who has worked for the district since August of 2012, plans to draw upon her diverse experiences in education. Since 2012, she taught sixth and seventh grade RLA, served as part-time reading intervention teacher, coached junior high cheer, and served as counselor. She currently
serves as the sixth-grade assistant principal and counselor at Wylie East Junior High.
While her professional experience at Wylie has centered around junior high schoolers, South taught elementary after completing her initial education at McMurry University. In her first year of teaching, she taught summer school and then first grade at Castleberry Elementary School in Fort Worth.
“That first year clinched this profession for me. I fell in love with teaching even more because I had an amazing leader and amazing co-workers. That year taught me all the things. It taught me that I was not only just a teacher to these kids but a mother figure, friend, listener, role model, etc.,” said South. “I held them when they cried, I fixed hair when they arrived disheveled, I bought new clothes so they didn’t feel ‘different’ when they arrived in dirty clothes, I attended birthday parties, I gave a lot of hugs, I made a lot of phone calls home, I spent hours planning the perfect days only to be interrupted by the million other things that weren’t taught in your education classes. That year taught me how extremely difficult this profession was, but, oh, how extremely rewarding it is as well.”
Right on Time & Ready to Go
Now, 23 years later, South says she is getting to do exactly what she was meant to do and is ready – thanks to her mentor, Wylie East Junior High Principal Rob Goodenough.
“For 13 years, I have worked under Mr. Goodenough’s leadership. I have watched him create amazing cultures on his campuses, foster amazing teachers and staff, and really make an incredible impact in Wylie ISD. Watching him and growing with him, I knew I wanted to become a principal and mimic some of his skills,” said South. “I have been a sponge and tried to soak up every bit of knowledge from him, and he has allowed me to spread my wings in areas, and with this, it has led me to want to lead a campus. He has pushed me to be the very best version of myself and has held me to high standards, which I believe has prepared me to be the leader I am about to be to South Elementary.”
As South prepares to open a brand-new campus, she is focused on setting a strong foundation for a community with standards of excellence and a sense of pride, and she wants this for all South Elementary bulldogs whether they are staff, students, or parents.
“Opening South Elementary, culture is going to be one of my top priorities. With a strong culture, a campus can take on anything. I want us to be a family and be about family,” said South. “I want to get to know all the teachers and staff, and their families. I want us to invest in the lives of our students and their families. I want our parents and community to walk into our front doors and feel that special feeling… the feeling of home, love, happiness, acceptance, and excellence. I also want teachers to feel appreciated, challenged, supported, and at home.”
All In for Excellence
“When I refer to the campus I am on now, I refer to it as my second home…a place that has my entire heart,” said South. I want WSE to be that for everyone who steps foot into those front doors. I want kids to be proud of themselves, be confident, be pushed to their upper limits to be the very best version of themselves. I want us to strive for excellence in everything.”
South said to set the bar high for a new campus is a priority, which she believes will be set with a “Standards of Excellence” that she’ll share with her staff, students, and families.
“We will work each day to live and breathe those standards,” said South. “I want the parents and community to know this is their home too. We are going to be living life together here on the south side. South Elementary is not going to be perfect. We are going to come up short in areas, we are going to make mistakes because we are, in fact, all humans, but we are going to give our very best to you and love your children like our own. I ask that everyone speaks boldly and positively about South Elementary and if you have an issue, I ask that you give me a call and let us work it out together. WSE is going to be a special place… I can’t wait to build this family.”