*Mason Jane getting into the Tiger spirit with Trocia and Titus during the December 2020 playoff game.*

Being raised in a family in which education was considered transformative and empowering, the value of education was foundational for Dr. Doug Brubaker. Though he knew from an early age pursuing higher education credentials was an expectation for him and his siblings, there were influences and experiences in his life that led him to consider being an educator as his profession.

Growing up in Ellinwood, Kansas, Dr. Brubaker enjoyed a rather idyllic childhood. “Ellinwood is a small, tight-knit, and rural community in central Kansas where my parents still live,” he explained. “It was a wonderful place to grow up.” Though his parents instilled in their children the importance of education, they also shared with them that they would need quite a bit of support from scholarships to get through college. “As I got into high school, I remember having a sense of urgency to do well academically,” Dr. Brubaker recalled. “I understood that good grades and scores were the key to earning scholarships. I remember having a lot of fun in school and also working hard.”

*Heather, Doug, and Mason Jane “MJ” during December 2020.*

Those early lessons in a strong work ethic and personal responsibility certainly served (and continue to serve) him well. Following high school graduation, Dr. Brubaker became a student at the University of Kansas. He and his older brother and younger sister are all first-generation college graduates – a part of his background that, perhaps, makes Dr. Brubaker even more committed to providing opportunities for all students to succeed. The words of a favorite teacher, Mrs. Converse, remain with him today – “Every person is a unique individual worthy of respect.” (Dr. Brubaker’s brother became a college instructor and his sister, a nurse, is a Senior Clinical Education Specialist for a healthcare company. Their parents’ value of education obviously took hold in their children.)

“While I was a student at the University of Kansas (KU), I had the opportunity to serve as an instructor at an outdoor education center over a couple of summers,” he recounted fondly. “I led classes for students from a wide variety of backgrounds that featured engaging activities like pond studies, ropes course challenges, and astronomy lessons in an inflatable planetarium. Seeing the faces of those kids light up when they experienced new learning and being a part of making that happen for them was a ‘very cool role.’ I loved it! That experience really planted the seed to go into education.”

*Doug and Heather when he was first named principal at Mansfield ISD in June 2000 at the age of 29.*

In looking back, perhaps another factor that influenced Dr. Brubaker’s decision to become an educator, and later a superintendent, was his mother’s pursuit of a position in the field of education. “Mom is a great source of insight and one of the smartest people I know,” he shared. “When I was in college she chose to apply for a position as an assistant to the superintendent – she was selected from 89 candidates. She served her district extremely well in this position for over 20 years. That just may have led to my interest in becoming a superintendent.”

After KU, Dr. Brubaker earned a master’s degree in education from Texas Christian University (TCU) and began his career as a fourth grade teacher in Birdville ISD just northeast of Fort Worth, Texas. Not surprisingly, he was selected as the First-Year Teacher of the Year for the district. “Heather and I met about that time and got married just before I started a new job as an assistant principal on a new campus,” he noted. “I also served as a principal, director of instructional technology, assistant superintendent, and associate superintendent in districts in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. (Dr. Brubaker earned his Ph.D. in Educational Computing with a Concentration in Educational Administration from the University of North Texas in 2004.) I then served as superintendent in Fort Smith, Arkansas, for four years before having the opportunity to begin this exciting new role as superintendent of Texarkana ISD in January 2021.”

*In 2002, the Brubakers visited Angel Fire, New Mexico.*

When asked what attracted Dr. Brubaker to Texarkana ISD, he was quick to laud the accomplishments of the district under its previous superintendents and their teams. “Texarkana ISD attracted me because I sense such a strong drive here to be the best – to lead in providing a world-class education that prepares our students for wherever they want to go and whatever they want to do. We have a nationally-recognized K-12 STEM program. Children as young as kindergarten have the opportunity to qualify to study math a year ahead of grade level, with accelerated classes available through the rest of their schooling,” he explained. “Texas High graduates routinely walk across the stage with dozens of hours of college credit, and growing numbers are completing associate’s degrees. These programs empower our students to begin college, careers, or enter the military with a competitive edge, confidence that they are well prepared, and tens of thousands of dollars in tuition savings. Our graduates excel wherever they go, including at prestigious schools with exacting standards such as Harvard and Stanford.”

Dr. Brubaker emphasized that the ideals of Texarkana ISD align with his educational philosophy. “I believe that the role of schools is to serve as engines of growth and development within a community. It is our mission to ensure that students learn at high levels, develop viable plans for their futures, and graduate equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to begin realizing their dreams,” he advised. “What I love so much about Texarkana ISD is that I see a commitment to these ideals playing out every day of the school year! I sense that our district is on the verge of a new phase of growth and development. There is a drive to continually improve what we offer our students so that Texarkana ISD continues to be the place to be!”

The immense responsibilities of serving as a superintendent require the ability to achieve a balance between the crucial professional side and the priority of family. Just as he excels in his profession, Dr. Brubaker’s dedication to his family is immediately obvious. “I met Heather through some mutual friends in Dallas when we went out to dinner as a group. We were married just over a year later in 1998. Heather is smart, beautiful, kind, and patient … and has been a great partner in life. People over the years have accurately observed that I ‘married up,’” he shared. “We still laugh about the day when she visited the elementary school where I was principal. That afternoon, the staff had thrown a surprise party in honor of my 30th birthday. A little first grade girl approached us in the hall, smiled sweetly, pointed to Heather and asked, “Mr. Brubaker, is that your daughter?”

The Brubakers have a 9-year-old daughter, MJ (Mason Jane). She attends Morriss Elementary and is a voracious reader. “When she finished one book earlier this summer, Heather and I decided to read it, too, so that we could have a family conversation about it,” Dr. Brubaker noted. “I enjoyed it and look forward to doing it again.” They also enjoy Spring Lake and Bringle Lake Parks (when the weather cooperates) and are “enjoying” the process of renovating the home they recently purchased.

Dr. Brubaker added that this has been a really challenging time for educators – particularly in light of the pandemic. “I rely a lot on my faith. I hold my favorite scripture close – And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28). Prayer helps, and I find that time with Heather and MJ has a therapeutic effect,” he shared. “I am also fortunate to work with a very talented and supportive team in Texarkana ISD.”

Truly wise and effective leaders realize the immense value and crucial nature of the team with which they work – and to seek and take to heart the advice of those who have experiences and life lessons to share. Such is the case with Dr. Brubaker. Upon becoming a principal some 20 years ago, he met with the superintendent of Mansfield ISD, Mr. Vernon Newsom, before starting his first day of work. “I’m glad that I thought to ask him if he had any words of advice for a new principal,” Dr. Brubaker recalled. “Mr. Newsom paused for a moment and said that as leaders, our value is often determined by the quality of the decisions we make. Sometimes, there will be people who will try to force you to make quick decisions that serve their interests, and those interests may not align with those of your students. Always give yourself time to make good decisions.” He continued, “I will always be grateful to Mr. Newsom, who passed away in 2009, for sharing that advice with me. As I have worked with educators who aspire to be school and district leaders, I have passed it along to them.” He is a wise man for asking for advice … and even wiser for putting it in practice daily.

So what is on the horizon for this highly respected school district with Dr. Brubaker at the helm? “I am so very proud of how this community responded to the pandemic … school continued … people learned. I am extremely grateful for our team’s efforts to continue to fulfill our mission. Coming out of the COVID era, I believe it’s time for us to re-examine where we are and where we are going,” he explained. “We’ll be embarking on a collaborative strategic planning process – one that will begin with asking ourselves and our community what we want our graduates to have. What is our shared vision for our district? We first need to identify our end-goal so we can then thoughtfully develop a plan to achieve those results.

“As I have talked with educators, students, and community members over the last six months,” he continued, “I sense a drive to expand existing learning opportunities and develop new ones for our students. (Texarkana ISD currently has 126 course offerings.) We want our students to have the advantage of exploring various fields to enable them to make knowledgeable decisions about their futures.

“I look forward to my first full school year in the district beginning this fall,” Dr. Brubaker noted. “What a privilege to be in a position where we aren’t putting out fires. We are setting fires of enthusiasm!”

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