The El Dorado School District would like to announce Ashlee Curtis as a new Assistant Principal at El Dorado High School. Curtis has been a part of the EHS family for the last four years, most recently serving as the head girls' basketball coach and Intro to Teaching teacher.
EHS Principal Sherry Hill said, “I am thrilled that Ashlee Curtis is joining the admin team at El Dorado High School. She brings experience in many ways to the job as she is a non-traditionally trained teacher with experience in the business world as a restaurant manager. She first entered ESD as a secretary at Yocum, and I hired her to teach career development at Barton. When I moved to EHS, she also transitioned to high school, teaching Career and Technical Classes, soon getting involved in coaching as the 9th Grade Girls’ Basketball coach, and later, the Head Varsity Girls’ Basketball Coach. She has an amazing rapport with students while holding them accountable for the high expectations she instills. She will work well with our established team to support our students and staff. It’s a great day to be a Wildcat!”
Mrs. Curtis expressed her excitement about moving into this new position, “I am honored to work for a district that believes in me the way I believe in it. From the time I got into education, I have always wanted to be a part of our admin team! Now, I have the opportunity to work with the best admin team there is. I am excited to learn and grow professionally alongside the same people I look up to. It’s a bittersweet moment, but I know that I can reach a larger amount of students through this position! To my babies, I love you, and I am so proud to be working with you in a different light.”
Born in June 1991, Curtis graduated from Hot Springs High School in 2009. She attended the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith, where she played basketball for two years and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice. Nearly ten years after her high school graduation, she found herself back in the classroom as a Career and Technical Teacher. She enrolled at the University of Arkansas at Monticello to pursue a Master of Art in Teaching; upon completing her MAT, Curtis enrolled in the Education Leadership program at Southern Arkansas University. She will finish the program in July 2023.
Over the last four years, Curtis has become an integral part of the El Dorado School District community. As the Head Varsity Girls’ Basketball coach, she has a wide variety of roles to fill, from mentor to mom. She is the Family and Community Engagement Coordinator for EHS, volunteers at local elementary schools, and was named the 2022 High School Educator of the Year by the El Dorado Education Foundation. But for Curtis, “it’s what you do after that matters,” so she continues to work diligently and passionately to encourage others. Curtis plans to take her family-style approach with her as she moves into the administrative role. “I will miss being in the coaching position, but I know that I can do more, impact more students, potentially help more kids, in an admin role. That’s what I’m here for. I’m here for the kids.”
Curtis is married to fellow teacher and coach, DeAnthony Curtis. They have two daughters, Karsyn (9) and Kamdyn (6). When she’s not in the classroom or gym, Curtis can be found traveling, swimming, and spending time with her family. Her favorite aspect of traveling is trying the local cuisine, as she loves to experience new foods.