
Dr. Cora Garner
Vice Principal of
McCowan Middle School and Fine Arts Academy
Entrepreneurs Scholarship Program
(ESUME) Board Member
Dr. Cora Garner is an educational leader, scholar, and proud citizen of DeSoto, Texas. Upon
earning her Associates Degree from Cedar Valley College and Bachelor of Arts from the
University of Texas at Arlington (UTA), she immediately paid it forward to her community. In 2018, she returned to DeSoto High School to teach 9th and 10th grade English. At the request of the late DeSoto Mayor Curtistene S. McCowan, she served on various municipal committees, such as the 2020 Census Board for the City of DeSoto.
As a role model of her generation, she has achieved prestigious accolades, such as the 2019 Teacher of the Year and the 2020 Humanities Texas Outstanding Teaching Award. Dr. Garner was also featured in Southwest Now magazine, The Dallas Morning News, and multiple WFAA segments for her innovative teaching style.
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, she continued her education by earning a Masters in
Educational Leadership. With aspirations of becoming a principal and superintendent, she returned to UTA to earn her Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies. During this time, she obtained new roles in the DeSoto ISD organization, such as supervising the curriculum department for secondary reading language arts, grades 6-12. Today, she continues to lead students and teachers as the vice principal of McCowan Middle School and Fine Arts Academy. To this day, she attributes much of her success to her parents, Lloyd and Cathy Garner, who continue to support her endeavors.