Ashley Dopson (Thomas) has over ten years serving as a certified art teacher and professional artist. Ashley D. Thomas has used her unique engaging hands on approach to impact students of all backgrounds. She is the New Manchester Elementary School 2016 teacher of the year and the Hunter B. Andrews 2011 teacher of the year. Ashley started her career at Cesar Tarrant Elementary School in Hampton Virginia, after graduating from Hampton University with a Bachelor's Degree in Comprehensive Fine Art.
She was chosen from hundreds of applicants to open the one of a kind Hunter B. Andrews pk-8 S.T.E.M. school in Hampton, Virgina. Ashley was the full page feature in the 2008 winter addition of the Hampton Herald which highlighted her extraordinary talent to use her passion for art to encourage standardized test performance by incorporating core subjects into every art lesson. In 2011, Ashley moved back to Atlanta, Georgia where she shined at Lindley Middle School. At Lindley she was chosen to be featured with her class on the PBS producer Richard Karz's documentary called Dream @50. She was hand selected from Lindley's talented staff to work for Mrs. Susan Taylor of Essence Magazine in 2012 as S.T.E.A.M. curriculum writer for a mentorship program called The Rising.
Conquering the elementary and middle schools with steaming success Ashley signed on as the art teacher at Frederick Douglass High School in Atlanta, Georgia. Her lively energy and always on the go work ethic, boosted student morale, and amazing art work lined the hallways of the school. Her students won the high school division first place award in the prestigious DREAM @50 art contest. Her students were presented awards at King Chapel on the campus of Morehouse College by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s daughter, Rev. Bernice King. Ashley was a top five finalist in the 2006 Verizon HBCU art competition. Her piece "Sowing Seeds" along with four other finalists was presented at the Schomburg Museum in Harlem, New York by James Earl Jones. Ashley was also the First Place Winner in the college division of the Chesapeake Fine Arts Festival in 2006. Ashley teaches mobile Sip and Stroke classes in metro Atlanta and was employed by The Blu Bisque in Castleberry Hill as a resident artist. Ashley has facilitated several professional development trainings and has served as a teacher mentor in a number of public school in Virginia and Metro Atlanta.
She was chosen from hundreds of applicants to open the one of a kind Hunter B. Andrews pk-8 S.T.E.M. school in Hampton, Virgina. Ashley was the full page feature in the 2008 winter addition of the Hampton Herald which highlighted her extraordinary talent to use her passion for art to encourage standardized test performance by incorporating core subjects into every art lesson. In 2011, Ashley moved back to Atlanta, Georgia where she shined at Lindley Middle School. At Lindley she was chosen to be featured with her class on the PBS producer Richard Karz's documentary called Dream @50. She was hand selected from Lindley's talented staff to work for Mrs. Susan Taylor of Essence Magazine in 2012 as S.T.E.A.M. curriculum writer for a mentorship program called The Rising.
Conquering the elementary and middle schools with steaming success Ashley signed on as the art teacher at Frederick Douglass High School in Atlanta, Georgia. Her lively energy and always on the go work ethic, boosted student morale, and amazing art work lined the hallways of the school. Her students won the high school division first place award in the prestigious DREAM @50 art contest. Her students were presented awards at King Chapel on the campus of Morehouse College by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s daughter, Rev. Bernice King. Ashley was a top five finalist in the 2006 Verizon HBCU art competition. Her piece "Sowing Seeds" along with four other finalists was presented at the Schomburg Museum in Harlem, New York by James Earl Jones. Ashley was also the First Place Winner in the college division of the Chesapeake Fine Arts Festival in 2006. Ashley teaches mobile Sip and Stroke classes in metro Atlanta and was employed by The Blu Bisque in Castleberry Hill as a resident artist. Ashley has facilitated several professional development trainings and has served as a teacher mentor in a number of public school in Virginia and Metro Atlanta.
2016 Teacher of the Year
New Manchester Elementary School
Douglasville, Georgia