Dr. Christina Bradford, the principal who has led J.W. Williams Middle School since 2021, was named Region 10 Middle School Principal of the Year by the Texas Association of Secondary School Principals on Friday, Aug. 14, according to a Rockwall Herald-Banner report.

The peer-nominated award puts Bradford in the running for the statewide Texas Principal of the Year title. The state application deadline is Thursday, Aug. 20, according to TASSP's website.

TASSP selects one outstanding middle school principal from each of Texas's 20 education service center regions. Fellow administrators within Region 10 nominated and chose Bradford based on her leadership at the 7th- and 8th-grade campus on East FM 552, which serves roughly 800 to 850 students.

Bradford came to Williams after leading Quest Academy, Rockwall ISD's alternative campus. She spent six years as an assistant principal at Rockwall-Heath High School and Cain Middle School before that, according to district records reported by Blue Ribbon News when the board appointed her in October 2021. She holds a doctorate in educational leadership from Liberty University and began her career in Mesquite ISD as a physical education teacher and girls' basketball coach.

In May 2023, Bradford nominated seventh-grade English teacher Sherri Nichols for Williams' Teacher of the Year. "She sets the bar high for her students and hold them accountable," Bradford said of Nichols at the time, praising her blend of compassion and high expectations.

The recognition comes during a strong stretch for Rockwall ISD. As we reported Friday, the district earned an A rating from the Texas Education Agency with a score of 91, up four points from 2024, and more than doubled its campus distinctions to 32.

Regional winners who submit state applications by the Aug. 20 deadline will interview with TASSP's Principal Image Committee in October 2026. Winners will be announced after those sessions.