Brad Stickland – Evidence-based Summary
Brad Strickland is a Middle School Teacher in the Special Populations/Special Education department at Sherman Middle School (Sherman ISD), where he works with students with special needs, including those with dyslexia.[1][2]
He is under the standard one-year probationary contract that applies to teachers new to a Texas school district. Sherman ISD follows the statutory framework set by state law (Texas Education Code §21.102), under which a probationary contract for a person employed as a teacher by the district for the first time may not exceed one school year and is the standard initial contract for new hires.[3][4]
Previously at Tioga ISD, he resigned in lieu of termination amid public controversy and disciplinary action over allegations of inappropriate student contact, resulting in a formal reprimand (but not revocation) from the Texas Education Agency on his teaching certificate.[5]
The Sherman ISD school board has legal authority to terminate or non-renew his contract. Texas Education Code §21.251 addresses the applicability of hearing procedures for proposed terminations (or suspensions without pay) of probationary contracts before the end of the term.[6] For a probationary contract, the board may non-renew at the end of the term if it determines it is in the “best interest of the district” (§21.103; no good-cause finding or Chapter 21 appeal required) or terminate mid-contract for good cause.[7] Legal risk to the board is minimal if proper statutory procedures are followed, due to the board’s broad discretion on educator fitness and student-safety matters and strong judicial deference; successful challenges are typically limited to procedural errors rather than the substance of the decision.[8]
Works Cited
[1] Sherman Middle School Staff Directory – Special Populations. https://sms.shermanisd.net/staff-directory/special-education (accessed April 19, 2026).
[2] Texas Scorecard. “Parents Voice Concerns Over Sherman ISD Teacher Reprimanded for Grooming.” February 24, 2026. https://texasscorecard.com/local/parents-voice-concerns-over-sherman-isd-teacher-reprimanded-for-grooming/.
[3] Texas Education Code §21.102 (Probationary Contract). https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/ED/htm/ED.21.htm.
[4] Texas Education Code §21.002 (Teacher Employment Contracts). https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/ED/htm/ED.21.htm.
[5] Texas Scorecard reporting on Tioga ISD resignation and TEA reprimand (2023–2025). https://texasscorecard.com/local/parents-voice-concerns-over-sherman-isd-teacher-reprimanded-for-grooming/.
[6] Texas Education Code §21.251 (Applicability of Subchapter F – Hearings). https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/ED/htm/ED.21.htm.
[7] Texas Education Code §21.103 (Termination or Nonrenewal of Probationary Contract). https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/ED/htm/ED.21.htm.
[8] Texas case law and legal analyses regarding board discretion and judicial deference in probationary contract decisions under Chapter 21.
