SAISD Board Votes to Sanction Teacher Who Quit Mid-Semester

SAN ANGELO, TX — The San Angelo ISD Board of Trustees voted 6-0 Tuesday night to request state sanctions against a former Lincoln Middle School teacher who resigned mid-semester while citing mental health reasons for her departure.

The vote followed an executive-session discussion on whether good cause existed for former 8th-grade reading and language arts teacher Melissa Watson to leave her position before the end of the grading period. Superintendent Dr. Christopher Moran said Watson’s resignation created a hardship for both the campus and the district.

“The administration recommends that the board take action in determining that good cause did not exist for Melissa Watson to abandon her employment contract,” Moran said. “We ask that you authorize myself to submit a written request to TEA to sanction the educator certificate for abandonment of contract.”

Watson submitted her resignation on Sept. 23, 2025, effective Sept. 26, listing mental health and personal well-being as reasons for stepping down. Information states that she was not happy with her teaching schedule. 

She also informed the district she had already accepted a new job with TLCA in San Angelo.

“I have reflected on my future and foresee better opportunities that will not only align more closely with my career goals but will also better support the mental health and overall well-being of my family,” district records quote Watson as writing. “I want to express my gratitude for the opportunities I have had during my time here. It has been a privilege to work alongside many talented colleagues.”

According to district documentation, information from the Texas Education Code on contract abandonment and the process for requesting sanctions was shared with Watson before her resignation date. She was informed that the superintendent must notify the Board of Trustees before seeking action through the State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC).

Following that meeting, administrators contacted Watson and asked her to remain through the end of the grading period on Oct. 9, at which time the superintendent would accept her resignation and release her from her contract. Watson said she would consider the request.

However, on Sept. 25, Watson sent a voicemail, text message, and follow-up email stating she would not extend her employment:

“I want to be clear that my resignation will remain effective on the date stated in my original letter on 9/26/25. I will not be extending my time beyond that date. For the sake of my mental health and well-being, it’s important that I follow through with my timeline,” Watson wrote.

She added that she had prepared three weeks of lesson plans for use by a substitute teacher and would ensure administrators and co-teachers knew where to find the materials.

On Sept. 26, the district formally notified Watson by email and U.S. Mail that her resignation was not accepted, determining she had abandoned her term contract signed April 23, 2025, for the 2025-26 school year. The letter cited Texas Education Code §21.160-21.210 and Texas Administrative Code §249.15, which explain that educators who abandon contracts without good cause may face certificate sanctions, including suspension.

The notification reiterated that her resignation had not been submitted with the required advance notice and that the district would file a complaint with TEA’s State Board for Educator Certification recommending sanctions. The district again offered to accept her resignation on Oct. 9, after the grading period, but Watson declined to extend her employment.

Under state law, teachers who leave mid-year without “good cause” may face disciplinary action from SBEC, including suspension of their teaching certificate for up to one year.

During discussion before the vote, one trustee noted that such sanctions typically last “at least a year.” 

The motion — made by Bill Dendle and seconded by Gerard Gallegos — passed without opposition, authorizing Moran to submit the formal complaint to TEA requesting sanctions against Watson’s educator certificate for abandonment of contract.