What Our Training Looks Like

Linda Denson was an English teacher, Vice Principal and Principal.  She served as Principal at Nichols Junior High School in Arlington ISD before retiring.  Ms. Denson has been a lead trainer for ECAP and has served as a Field Advisor for several years.  The most important thing to know about Linda Denson is that her heart is with kids and with the teachers whose lives she touches. 

Linda performs training in:

Overcoming the Effects of Poverty: A lesson on middle-class values

This training pulls back the veil on the reasons poverty spans generations and it teaches the teacher how to help students develop and aspire to a values system that will stop that cycle.

Team Mentality: Use student personality traits to design the classroom

This practical training starts with a personality test and continues with the practical use of the results for everything from setting up great groups in the class to understanding how to deal with co-workers, based on their personality traits.

Dr. Sam Nix began his career in education as a teacher and coach at Workman Junior High school in the Arlington ISD.  He was named Teacher of the Year as a 2^nd year teacher, and was runner up for teacher of the district in 2005.  During his tenure as a teacher, he led both his school and district in U.S. History State Accountability Scores. 

Dr. Nix has served as an Assistant Principal at Hutcheson Junior High School, the Principal of Carter Junior High and the Principal of Seguin High School in the Arlington ISD. While serving as principal at Seguin High School, the campus was named as a National Model School by the National Association of Black School Educators (NABSE) and was named as one of the Top 32 Urban School in America by the National Center for Urban School Transformation (NCUST). Seguin High School was ranked in the Top 10 (comparable group) in the state of Texas for the four consecutive years that Dr. Nix was principal.

Dr. Nix was named Principal of the Year 2015-2016 in the Arlington Independent School. Dr. Nix currently serves as the Chief of Schools in the Duncanville Independent School District. Dr. Nix has earned his Masters of Education in Educational Leadership, his Superintendent Certification and his Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Texas A&M Commerce University. Since 2006 he has served as an education consultant for Education Career Alternative Program (ECAP); has been awarded a Leadership-in-Education Award from the Texas House of Representatives; was nominated for the Martin Luther King Jr. Service Award in Education; was presented the Mary McLeod Bethune Heritage Award for Education by the NAACP in 2010, the Dr. June James NAACP Education Award in 2016 and the Leadership Legacy Award from the Future Schools Network in 2019.

Dr. Nix released a music based curriculum in 2006 for student instruction in the area of U.S. History called “History My Way”, was featured in the New Horizon University of North Texas Magazine as a premier leader in education and was featured in the #1 selling education book in America, "The First Days of School" by Harry Wong.

Dr. Nix performs training in:

Adaptive Teaching: Move beyond the technical aspects of teaching

This training will help teachers move out of the standard lesson planning, lesson delivery model and into a classroom that can change direction on a dime, adapting to student needs and interests.  You’ve heard the cliché ‘student-centered classroom’.  This is about being a student-centered teacher.

Todd Tunnell - Masters of education

Retired from Keller ISD – current Field Adviser for ECAP and Church Consultant

Public Education Administrator for twenty-one years. Keller ISD: middle school teacher, middle school administrator, high school administrator and central office district director.

Married for 35 years with 2 daughters: one a PA at St. Jude’s Children's Research Hospital and one a licensed counselor.

Wife Gail is a retired educator of 25 years who taught 7th grade English, 9th grade English, Senior AP English and Dual Credit English - (HEB and Keller)

Todd performs training in:

Contributing to Your School’s Culture:  Don’t just fit in – Find your drive

This is great for new teachers.  In a very down to earth way, Todd convinces teachers who need to hear it shed the millennial attitude and become a team member by helping them define the position they should be playing.

Dr. Beaty was a teacher/coach, Assistant Principal, Principal and most recently he served as Superintendent in 3 different school districts.  Most recently he retired from Bonham ISD where he was Superintendent.  Dr. Beaty has trained for ECAP the past several years and now works with ECAP as a Field Advisor. 

Marvin performs training in:

Teacher Traits: A Non-PC discussion about what school Administrators truly desire in an employee

In a case-based talk, Marvin addresses the things that Principals and Superintendents may not talk about, but definitely think as they deal with teachers, parents, and students.

Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS):  Train your students to think critically

How to control the level of thinking in your classroom by using Bloom’s and many other tools.