Dr. Hatton earned her Bachelors Degree in Elementary Education / Special Education. Her Masters Degree is in Special Education and she earned her Mid-Management administration certificate in 1988. Dr. Hatton earned her doctorate degree in Educational Leadership from The University of Texas – Austin in 1996 followed by her Superintendent’s Certification in 1998. She began her career as a professional educator with the Edinburg CISD and then the Monte Alto ISD. She served for two years as a Special Education Specialist with the Region One ESC followed by two years as an Instructor/Professor for the University of Texas – Pan American. She returned to the Region One ESC as Program Director of General Education Programs and Coordinator of Gifted/Talented Education. For five years, Dr. Hatton was the Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum, Instruction, and Special Programs for the La Joya ISD. In 1992 she was made the Deputy Director of the Region One ESC and then became its Executive Director in 1997 – a position which she held for nine years.
The desire to provide systematic improvement to schools and districts led Dr. Hatton to create Hatton Enterprises, Inc. Through her consulting firm and as a partner with the Institute for School Excellence, she has endeavored to engage with school personnel in order to reform, redesign, and transform the instructional environment through leadership team coaching and empowerment. Most recently, Dr. Hatton served as the leadership coach for principals within the Region 13 ESC as they implemented the Texas Blueprint for Early College High Schools. Whether it was leading a district review team for the State of Texas Legislative Board or coaching principals of magnet schools who were seeking to establish public / private partnerships, Dr. Hatton has been at the forefront of the most recent and innovative concepts and strategies affecting our public schools.
Dr. Hatton, addressed the principals on Wednesday, January 16, 2019, providing them with an overview of her professional background as well as her vision for continued district growth and achievement. She emphasized that meetings would be used to "deliberate, collaborate, and innovate" so that the educational needs of the students would be met. She acknowledged the many accomplishments that have been earned by district campuses and personnel but also reminded everyone that continued progress depended on effectiveness and efficiency and a willingness to always aim higher.
