Ken McLemore
HOPE – A former classroom teacher, principal and administrator in East Texas and Arkansas public schools has been named assistant principal at Hope High School.
Lekia Jones, a graduate of Arkansas High School in Texarkana, began duties at HHS July 20. Jones succeeds Donald Patton who is the new principal at HHS.
A 2003 Associate of Arts graduate of Texarkana College, Jones earned a BSE from Texas A&M University-Texarkana in 2004 and she completed Arkansas Department of Education Non-Traditional Licensure in 2005. Jones received an MSE from TAMUT in 2009 and an MEd in Educational Administration in 2011. She was awarded a Superintendent’s Certification in 2020 at TAMUT.
Beginning as a substitute middle school teacher in 2004, Jones became a sixth-grade math teacher at College Hill Middle School (IB and Arts Academy) in 2005, later becoming Texarkana Arkansas School District Federal Programs Coordinator in 2011.
She became College Hill Middle School Principal in 2015, then Union Elementary School Principal in 2017. She completed Master Principal year one from the Arkansas Leadership Academy.
She comes to HHS from the Liberty Eylau ISD in Texas, where she was Accountability & Federal programs coordinator since July, 2020.
Jones has been recognized across many aspects of public education including:
--Magnet Schools of America Merit Award, 2017.
--Southwest Arkansas Regional Teacher of the Year 2009.
--Miller County NAACP Educator of the Year 2009.
--Texarkana Arkansas Schools Teacher of the Year 2009.
--College Hill Middle School Teacher of the Year 2009.
--Junior League of Texarkana “One Outstanding Teacher” Award.
--Teacher Take Wing Grant, 2007-2009.
--“Ducks, Documentaries and Design: Tales from Arkansas Creative Economy,” Vol. 2, March 2008.
She has served as a training and leadership facilitator and instructor at the district level, for TASD and Texarkana Regional Arts/History Council, and as President of the Church of the Living God District One Youth Department, as well as financial recording secretary, budget chair and business manager, has been a Math Counts coach, student council advisor and stock market game advisor.
Jones holds current memberships in professional organizations including:
----Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Kappa Xi Omega Chapter in Texarkana, Texas current President; former Vice President, Secretary, Technology Chairman.
--Women for A&M – Texarkana, Board of Directors and Secretary.
--Junior League of Texarkana, Teacher Take Wing Chairman, Training and Education Committee, Nominating Placement Chair, Sustainer.
--Arkansas Association of Middle Level Education, Board of Directors; former President, President-Elect, Conference Chair, Secretary, Registration Chair, SW Arkansas Regional Representative.
Ms. Jones has one son; Michael Jones, who is currently serving in the United States Air Force as a First Master Sergeant.