Schools

Tara Sparks Named Truman Middle School Principal

The Missouri Teacher of the Year will replace Jennifer Tiller as principal.

Dr. Tara Sparks, a longtime Lindbergh School District employee and former Missouri Teacher of the Year, is the new principal of Truman Middle School.

Sparks will start July 1, according to the school district. She replaces Jennifer Tiller, who is moving to the Pattonville School District to serve as director of secondary education.

Sparks currently works as Lindbergh’s director of assessment and student services, where she coordinates middle school curriculum, oversees student assessments (such as the MAP test) and works closely with the Special School District. Together with district guidance and nursing staff, Sparks helped develop Lindbergh’s procedures to help students with special needs.

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Sparks taught eighth grade English at for eight years. She wrote the application for the school’s National Blue Ribbon award, which is received in 2001.

In 2004, Sparks was named Missouri Teacher of the Year, the highest state honor a teacher can achieve. She was also a Lindbergh Teacher of the Year in 2003, an Emerson Excellence in Teaching Award recipient and a nominee for Disney teacher of the Year in 2002.

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Sparks teaches education specialist and education masters courses at Missouri Baptist University. She earned her doctorate and specialist degrees in education from Saint Louis University, her master’s degree from Lindenwood University and her bachelor of science in education from the University of Missouri-Columbia.


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