Meet Erica Adkins, Our Champion for School Improvement
With a deep commitment to educational excellence, Erica Adkins brings two decades of experience and a passion for uplifting schools across the Panhandle.
Erica's career in education is rooted in a 20-year tenure at Wichita Falls ISD. Over those two decades, she gained a wealth of experience, serving in multiple capacities: first as a teacher, then as an assistant principal, and finally as a campus principal. This extensive background laid the foundation for her current mission. She recently relocated to Amarillo to be closer to family, which brought her incredible skills and knowledge to Region 16.
Now working in School Improvement, Erica loves the work she gets to do with our region's campuses. Her approach is rooted in partnership, aiming to be a consistent support for schools pursuing academic excellence.
"My work here allows me to work with some amazing schools that just need someone in their corner to help support them in their journey... My goal when I go out there is always to just be a support and encouragement for those schools."
Erica sees her role as an opportunity to take the vast skills, knowledge, and expertise that have been poured into her over the years and actively give back to the education community.
When asked about the most positive effects of her work, Erica points to several key areas:
Relationships and Rapport: Building strong connections with the leadership and staff on campus is fundamental to connecting with their needs. Pouring into the staff by providing the necessary tools and resources they need to make a difference.
The ultimate reward is seeing schools implement systems that allow them to witness success in their students and see the "fruits of their labor," which in turn builds staff confidence and helps sustain those positive changes. The most fulfilling part of her role, she shares, is precisely this outcome: seeing students succeeding and observing administrators and staff celebrate the impact of their hard work.
Erica is committed to continuous growth and has ambitious personal goals. She is starting her doctoral program in January, with the goal of completing it within the next three years. She concludes with a personal philosophy of following her path with intention: "I'm just a firm believer in following the doors that God opens along my path, and I just plan to follow wherever he leads."