New principal Dr. Tonya Thompson’s educational experience spans over 20 years. After  teaching for five years and being a counselor for six, Thompson decided to make the jump to assistant principal and got her first administrative position at Rouse in 2012. 

     “When I was at Rouse, it was a really special place,” Thompson said. “I learned so much here, I built really meaningful relationships with students and staff.”

     In 2015, Thompson moved to California to be an assistant principal in the Los Angeles area. After three years there, she decided to come back to Texas and take a job as the Director of Advanced Programs for LISD, but quickly found her way back to Rouse.

     “When Rouse had the principal position open, I knew I wanted to come back,” Thompson said. “My mantra has been and still is even now in this new position as principal is I want every single student to know and feel they belong. Even though it has been six years since I’d been here, I knew that this was a culture of inclusivity and where people cared about one another and that’s why I felt called to come back here.”

     This year, Thompson plans to create an environment in which students and staff can grow academically and socially after not being in school for 18 months.  

     “We’re all coming from different experiences from the pandemic and we’re all bringing our different experiences to our community,” Thompson said. “I just want us to bond and just grow and feel like this is a place of connection because I firmly believe that if students don’t feel like they belong in the classrooms then they’re not gonna be able to learn deeply and really engage.”