New Hogg Middle School Principal Angela Sugarek.
Ms. Sugarek, a 14-year veteran educator and administrator, comes to Hogg Middle School from Durham Elementary School, where she spent the past two years as principal. During her tenure at Durham, Ms. Sugarek helped the school to secure its IB authorization, increased community engagement and lead students and teachers to significant gains on the STAAR exam.
- Ms. Sugarek started her career as a special education teacher in Austin ISD where she was named teacher of the year for 2004. She earned the same distinction in 2009 after joining HISD to work as a math and science teacher at Hogg M.S.
- Before assuming leadership of the Durham campus, Ms. Sugarek worked as a data analyst for The New Teacher Project (TNTP) and served as a dean of instruction at McReynolds Middle School, which also saw significant gains in STAAR test results during her tenure.
- Ms. Sugarek received a bachelor’s degree from Eastern New Mexico University and a master’s degree in educational administration from The University of Texas at Austin.
Here’s a message from Ms. Sugarek:
My name is Angela Sugarek and I am unbelievably excited to be coming home to Hogg Middle School. I grew up in New Mexico and have lived in Central Florida, El Paso, Austin and moved to Houston in 2007.
In school, I was the kid that every teacher hoped would be absent. As a struggling reader, I acted out constantly to avoid exposing my inadequacy to peers. Mr. Lott, one of my sixth grade teachers, recognized the problem and taught me to read during his planning time. His ability to see through the “bad kid” persona changed my life forever and ultimately inspired me to become a teacher. Because of my background in teaching, I am keenly focused on instruction and am passionate about building positive relationships with students.
Mr. Lott influenced me in another way, as well. To my knowledge, he was the first African American male hired to teach at my school in Clovis, New Mexico. What sort of barriers did he have to overcome to be hired? What if those barriers had been too great? Where would I be today? Families and individuals from traditionally underserved communities are still working to overcome similar obstacles and this need for social justice is what inspired me to become a school leader.
Education is the best lever for improving individual lives and our society as a whole. I spring out of bed every morning hoping to be someone’s Mr. Lott; believing children are limited only by our expectations; and knowing that every day is a new opportunity to make a positive difference for the families I serve.
In my off time, I enjoy designing and constructing new additions to the urban farm that I share with my partner, who is a teacher in HISD. Our North Lindale property is home to seven hens, two dogs and a cat, who runs the place.