From aide to teacher: Presley makes big move
After spending seven years as a teacher’s aide in Marietta Primary School’s
kindergarten classrooms, Brittany Presley has made a huge move – and it’s not just
down the hall. She’s gone from working as an aide to being a full-time first grade
teacher.
It’s a big step, but it’s one that Presley and her administration both feel she’s ready for.
Presley, a 2004 graduate of Callisburg, Texas, High School, married 2000 MHS
graduate and county native Scott Presley. Scott and Brittany moved to Marietta in 2013,
and they’ve been raising their family here ever since. Their son Parker is a 2023 MHS
graduate, Tripp is a sophomore, and Ridge is a sixth grader.
In 2017, Brittany began her career in Marietta Public Schools as a teacher’s aide in the
kindergarten. As she began to take on more and more responsibility, teachers saw
promise in her.
“Every time I’d pull kids who were struggling for an intervention or give a teacher an
idea, they’d say, ‘Why aren’t you a classroom teacher?’’’ remembered Presley. “Or
sometimes I’d get pulled somewhere to substitute, and I’d think to myself, ‘I could do
this,’ and then it was, ‘I want to do this,’ but I really didn’t think I’d ever have the
opportunity.”
The biggest reason that Presley didn’t think she’d be able to teach is the lack of a
college degree. However, schools are now allowed to hire adjunct faculty members
fulltime. The practice of adjuncting teachers has been around for some time, but until a
few years ago adjuncts were restricted in the number of hours they could teach.
The teacher shortage prompted lawmakers to make changes to allow full-day adjuncts.
Adjunct teachers typically do not hold standard certification in the field in which they
teach, but they do have qualifications. Many adjuncts teach as they work toward
completion of the bachelor’s degree and standard certificate.
“Brittany Presley is an excellent candidate for the adjunct program,” said district
Superintendent Brandi Naylor. “Her years of successful experience with the district have
allowed us to observe her skill set and her heart for kids firsthand so that we know she
will do an excellent job in the classroom.
“It’s great when we can hire within because you can’t always be assured that every new
hire we make, even if they have standard certification, will be a good fit for the district,
but with Brittany, we already know that she loves our kids and does a great job with
them.”
Marietta has used the adjunct program previously with great success, and Naylor
believes that Presley will be another of those success stories and vows that the district
will support her as she works toward standard certification.
Presley is now a full-time teacher, full-time college student, and still a full-time wife and
mom, although she says her support system is strong.
“Scott has been super-supportive and is 100 percent on board,” she stated, “and the
school has also been great.”
So, for the first time in eight years, on the opening day of the school year, Presley
walked into her own classroom, full of her own students. It’s a lot of responsibility, but
it’s one she’s enthused about.
“I love teaching the kids at this age,” Presley said. “They’re learning so much and you
can just see the light click on – it’s awesome! I love being at school and I love being a
teacher.”