Veteran educator Margaret Patton, Ph.D., has been selected by Harris County Department of Education as its new director of curriculum and compliance services. In her new role, Patton will oversee the Schools division’s special education compliance efforts and professional development.

“Dr. Patton is an innovative, forward-thinking leader with a proven track record in various leadership capacities,” said Special Schools Senior Director Charles Ned, Ed.D. “Her love of education is evident in the extensive number of professional learning courses she’s designed and led. I’m looking forward to seeing her work with our team of educators.”

Patton has over 30 years of experience and began her teaching career in her native Louisiana. After moving to Houston with her husband, Kevin, she rose through the ranks at Fort Bend ISD and Lamar CISD and became a principal.

She subsequently became a curriculum designer and instructor for the alternative teaching certification program Texas Teachers.

“My purpose in life is to work with special populations or at-risk students and their families to ensure they get the best education possible,” said Patton. That means working with staff who work with students and their families to ensure they get access to the best education possible.”

In 2015, she opened an educational consulting firm to train teachers on best practices. Most recently, she served as the director of state and federal programs for the Stafford Municipal School District, where she directed the district’s special education programs and oversaw federal grants and Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds.

“I’m most looking forward to impacting HCDE campus leaders,” said Patton. “I’m bringing my skills in to help HCDE’s four special schools principals elevate their campuses and create a modern compliance system that will allow us to have the most updated information for each student. This will facilitate our ability to meet individualized education plans (IEP) and provide students with the appropriate instruction.”

Patton is an enthusiastic civic and community supporter. She is an active member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Missouri City Branch of the NAACP, community service organization The Links, Inc., and the Prairie View Alumni Association. She also serves on the boards of the nonprofits Attack Poverty and Tucker Education Foundation. Patton and her husband are also founders of the Curette Patton Giving Back Scholarships, a foundation that annually grants a scholarship to every Lamar High School (Lamar CISD) student.

Patton is a graduate of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette with a bachelor’s degree in business education. She received her master’s in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and her Ph.D. in Educational Leadership from Prairie View A&M University.

To learn more about HCDE Schools, visit hcde-texas.org/special-schools.