Leadership Team

Roxanne Walker is the 6th grade Assistant Principal at Murchison Middle School. This is her 17th year in education and first year as a proud Matador! She completed her BA at the University of South Florida. She then pursued her Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction and attained her Principal’s certification from Lamar University.

Prior to becoming a Murchison Matador, Roxanne spent five years as a special education teacher in Tampa, FL. She moved to Austin in 2011 where she joined the AISD team as an ELA teacher at Mendez Middle School. She spent the last 11 years at Mendez MS as a teacher, Literacy Specialist, SIM Instructional Coach, and Assistant Director.

Roxanne’s educational philosophy is rooted in the belief that the foundation of our educational system thrives on relationships. She views the infrastructures of education as the interdependence of academics and relationships; we are in the field of relational work. Roxanne also believes that by providing students with meaningful learning opportunities, and by allowing students to challenge while being challenged, we are preparing them to be productive advocates in an ever-changing society. Her goal is to maintain a forward thinking mindset focused on increasing diversity and educational opportunities for all students. Roxanne is also passionate about providing restorative practices and social and emotional opportunities for all students.

Roxanne is originally from Boston, Massachusetts. In her free time, she enjoys exercising and running. She also enjoys traveling and being near the ocean. Her absolute favorite activity is spending time with her daughter.

Hello my name is Alonzo Blankenship and I am elated to serve as the 7th grade assistant principal at Murchison Middle School for the 2022-2023 school year! My objective as an educator is to inspire a culture of learning and belonging where leaders, including students, willingly embrace the love and wisdom needed to overcome fear and social isolation in our community.

I believe that all people have unique gifts and talents that are needed for a learning community to not only survive, but thrive. However, do adult facilitators of learning believe all students are assets and create space to hear their story? Do students recognize and leverage their own inherent gifts and talents? Do campus leaders listen reflectively and engage collaboratively with those they serve to intentionally remove the barriers that hinder imagination, diversity of expression, and empathy? Does the campus community model what it means to come together and form deep connections across social differences?

I am a graduate of the UT Austin Principalship Program, where my action research focused on deeper learning in the classroom through the integration of culturally responsive instruction. 

As a former band director and teacher leader and Garcia and Webb Middle Schools, I have engaged in manifold opportunities to grow as a leader. Moreover, as a Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Specialist for the past four years, I have emphasized how learning is a process through which students and adults have the potential to cultivate essential skills for life effectiveness. I believe that learners need both support and high expectations in culturally responsive settings to grow.

Feel free to contact me to talk more! My hobbies include but are not limited to reading, enjoying music, spending time with family, and serving alongside the faith community. I am grateful for all of you and for the Lord who has blessed me tremendously.

Greetings from the midwest! I am an Illinois girl living in a Texas world. I am thrilled to enter Matador Land! My family and I moved to Cedar Park in the summer of 2016.  This fall officially marks twenty-two years as an educator; serving in the capacity of classroom teacher, and the last seven years fully transitioning into the world of mental health. My previous five years were spent training and working as a School Counselor at O’Henry Middle and Nan Clayton Elementary School.

I’m a proud wife and mother of a rising college sophomore and two high schoolers (rising 9th and 12th grade). When I’m not serving in my role, you can find me nestled next to my family engaging in school activities, sporting events, traveling, board games, or enjoying a good movie. My self-care routine often includes cuddling up with a good book or taking walks in nature. I look forward to cultivating supportive, stimulating, and inclusive environments that will allow students to learn how to reach their full potential here at Murchison Middle School.