About the Principal

Dr. Dawna Duke begins her third year as the principal of Thomas C. Marsh Preparatory Academy with a proven track record of increasing student access to high-quality instruction. She is committed to educational equity and increasing student achievement by fostering a safe, positive, and collaborative learning community. Dawna firmly believes that all students can learn and achieve at high levels. She prioritizes students’ futures while they are in middle school and believes that the student experience at Marsh should match the dreams and ambitions students have for college, the military, or entering the workforce. An intentional and collaborative leader, Dawna prioritizes developing others, values parental involvement, and designs systems to collect and analyze data to improve student outcomes.

The 2023-2024 school year marks Dawna’s 14th year as an educator and her 11th in Dallas ISD. Dawna began her career at Bryan Adams High School as an Algebra 1 and 2 Special Education Inclusion Teacher and Assistant Coach for volleyball and soccer. Dawna then moved to Brasilia, Brazil for three years to teach at Brasilia International School and study Portuguese at the University of Brasilia. In 2014, Dawna returned to Dallas ISD as a 4th grade Math and Science Teacher at Stevens Park Elementary. The next year, she became the Campus Demonstration Teacher and Math Instructional Coach. Dawna then served as an Assistant Principal at Uplift Education and Piedmont Global Academy. During the 2020-2021 school year, Dawna moved to Marsh as the Assistant Principal over mathematics and 6th-grade culture.

Dawna has a track record of attaining high levels of student achievement and fostering a safe, positive campus culture for students, staff, families, and all stakeholders. Dawna values making students and staff feel known, seen, and heard, which forms a foundation for a meaningful experience at Marsh. She consistently uses data to inform effective Professional Learning Communities and classroom instruction. Dawna and her husband, Van, have a baby girl named Palmer. She enjoys game nights, hiking, running, and road biking. In her free time, Dawna can be found traveling with her family and friends to various states and countries. Dawna also speaks Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese. Dawna is very excited to lead Thomas C. Marsh Preparatory Academy and looks forward to continuing to partner in our campus learning and growth.