Texas educator Kathy L. Scherler leads statewide mentorship effort

Kathy L. Scherler, Ph.D., a Wichita Falls educator and leadership coach, is helping lead a Texas Education Agency-funded mentorship initiative at Region 9 ESC. Her work centers on improving teacher development, retention, and support for early-career educators across Texas.

Why it matters: - Teacher recruitment and retention remain major problems, especially in small and rural districts. - Structured mentorship can help early-career teachers build confidence, improve instruction, and stay in the profession longer. - TEA-funded mentorship stipends and statewide training are helping professionalize teacher support systems.

What happened: - Kathy L. Scherler, Ph.D., serves as Texas Mentorship Fellow and Texas Strategic Staffing Lead at Region 9 Education Service Center in Wichita Falls, Texas. - Scherler leads a Texas Education Agency-funded statewide mentorship initiative focused on strengthening teacher development systems across districts. - The program provides stipends and professional training for teacher mentors. - Scherler is also being recognized by Influential Women for her work in education leadership and mentorship. - More information is available through her Influential Women profile.

The details: - Scherler has more than two decades of experience in teaching, educational administration, and professional development. - She began her career as a public school music educator and taught students from Pre-K through 12th grade. - Scherler earned a Ph.D. in Music Education from the University of North Texas. - She also holds superintendent and principal certifications from The University of Texas at Arlington. - She co-founded the International Baccalaureate Program at Woodrow Wilson High School in Dallas ISD. - She co-founded the I.M. Terrell Academy for STEM and Visual and Performing Arts in Fort Worth, described as the city’s first dedicated high school for visual and performing arts. - Scherler spent 10 years as a higher education professor preparing future music educators for teacher certification. - She is an International Coaching Federation member. - Scherler volunteers with The Kelly Way Foundation and the Mosaic Foundation. - Scherler describes her approach as “planting seeds,” a reference to helping students and mentees grow over time. - She said one of the most influential pieces of advice she has received is: “sometimes you win — sometimes you learn.” - Scherler encourages young women entering education and leadership to pair personal expertise with a commitment to uplifting others.

Between the lines: - Scherler’s career shows a common thread: leadership development tied to direct support for teachers and students. - Her focus on coaching suggests a view that sustainable school improvement depends on stronger people systems, not just new programs. - The mentorship initiative reflects a broader shift toward formalized support for early-career educators rather than informal on-the-job help.

What’s next: - Scherler’s statewide mentorship work is positioned to keep expanding as districts look for better ways to recruit, train, and retain teachers. - Continued TEA support could deepen mentor training and make structured support more available across Texas schools. - Scherler’s emphasis on collaboration and lifelong learning points to ongoing work in both educator development and community service.

The bottom line: - Kathy L. Scherler is using mentorship, coaching, and statewide staffing leadership to strengthen Texas teacher support systems at a time when retention remains a pressing challenge.