College of Education Dean Announces Departure and Leaves Lasting Legacy

College of Education Dean Announces Departure and Leaves Lasting Legacy

After 12 years serving as the dean for the College of Education (COE) at Sam Houston State University, Stacey Edmonson will be stepping into a new role as assistant vice chancellor with the Texas A&M University System.

Edmonson, a widely respected leader who has honored and elevated the COE’s legacy as the first teacher preparation institute in Texas by expanding resources to meet the needs of all learners and communities. Her departure marks a long career defined by leadership across higher education and public schools.

Boasting over 33 years in Texas education, she has served as department chair, doctoral director and professor of educational leadership at SHSU, as well as a teacher, principal and central office administrator in Texas public schools.

Edmonson is credited with helping shape educator preparation programs and advancing initiatives focused on leadership development, ethics and workforce sustainability in education. Her work has emphasized strengthening the pipeline of qualified educators while addressing challenges such as burnout and retention.

During her tenure, Edmonson has held positions at the state and national levels, shaping policy and practice in teacher education. Most recently, she was named the board chair for the 2026-27 American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education. Additionally, she currently serves as the executive director for the International Council of Professors of Educational Leadership. She has also recently served as president of the Teacher Education Council for State Colleges and Universities (TECSCU), president of the Texas Association of Colleges of Teacher Education (TACTE) and site team chair for the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP).  She is the immediate past-chair of the Higher Education Committee for the Texas Association of School Administrators and was selected in 2018 to serve on the State Board of Education’s Long-Range Plan Steering Committee for Texas.

Edmonson is widely credited with carrying forward the lesson of the “Starfish Story” throughout the college, and using the starfish as a symbol tying everything back to what the COE does. The Starfish Story is an inspirational tale about how a child walking along the beach when a big wave tosses thousands of starfish on the beach. As the child begins gently throwing them back into the ocean, someone else on the beach sees this and asks, “Why are you throwing starfish into the ocean? You can’t possibly save them all; you won’t be able to make a difference.” To which the child replies, “It made a difference to that one.”

The story emphasizes that meaningful impact is not always measured on a large scale but in individual lives changed. Through her work, she has consistently highlighted how, while an educator may not transform an entire system at once, making a difference for even one student carries profound significance.

The COE will carry forward her legacy through the newly named Stacey Edmonson Teacher Pinning Ceremony, a tradition she established, where graduating students get a starfish pin to mark their achievements on becoming a Bearkat Teacher.

In her new role with Texas A&M University System, Edmonson will focus on building partnerships and college-going opportunities for rural communities across Texas. Both her extensive professional experience in the field as well as her upbringing in a rural community position her to effectively understand the unique challenges these regions face and to develop meaningful, sustainable pathways that support student access, success and long-term educational attainment.