Chantell Upshaw’s new role as Chief of Middle Schools for LISD focuses on helping middle schoolers be more comfortable and prepared.

”We don’t want to push them too quickly,” Upshaw said. “I believe I can help impact their experience in school as well as their learning.”

Before she was M9 principal, Upshaw was a teacher at Dallas ISD and LISD. In 2000, she became an associate principal at MHS.

Upshaw is grateful for her time teaching because she said it has helped her understand situations on multiple levels. She feels it helped her prepare better for her first assistant principal role.

She also served as the principal of Arbor Creek Middle School and the Lewisville Learning Center.

“I knew early on that I wanted to be prepared to move into administration,” Upshaw said. “When that opportunity came, I was also prepared because of my experience as a teacher.”

Upshaw said she is excited to work with many new people and is content with her new position.

“I think this is an excellent spot to be in my career,” Upshaw said. “This is a great place to finish.”

Though Upshaw is enthusiastic about her new job, she still misses the family at Marcus she helped start. She was glad to finish out the year at M9 while transitioning to her new role.

“It also gave me the opportunity to really soak in and take in all my students and staff,” Upshaw said. “I was so grateful to have the last three weeks of school.”

She is appreciative of the time she got to spend with students at the school and is reminiscent of her time here.

“I wasn’t looking to leave Marcus,” Upshaw said. “But I thought ‘I can’t pass up this opportunity.’”