Namesake

The Scottish motto for the McAndrew family translates to “wisdom conquers fate.” However, for school namesake Dr. Sara B. McAndrew, wisdom and fate often seem to go hand in hand.The beloved teacher, administrator, and now school namesake, never planned to become an educator, but thankfully, fate had other ideas.

Around Northside ISD, Dr. Sara B. McAndrew is famous for her bright white hair, her penchant for doling out nicknames, and her unwavering dedication to student success over more than four decades.
Dr. McAndrew began her career in 1967 as an English teacher in Gatesville, Texas. She came to Northside ISD in 1988 to be an English teacher at Taft High School.
She was instrumental in the creation of Communications Arts High School on the Taft campus, and served as Co-Principal of the magnet school from 1995 to 2002.
In 2002, Dr. McAndrew became the Academic Dean at Clark High School, and two years later she was appointed Executive Director of Secondary Education. Throughout her Northside career, McAndrew also served as adjunct faculty at the University of Texas at San Antonio and Alamo Colleges.
She retired in 2010.