Round Rock educator Tina Steiner builds student pathways through experiential learning

Influential Women is highlighting Round Rock educator and community advocate Tina Steiner for her work with students in alternative education, where hands-on learning, mentorship, and research shape her approach. Steiner’s campus garden, doctoral research, and advocacy for earlier intervention aim to help students facing academic, behavioral, and personal challenges.

Why it matters: - Tina Steiner’s work reaches students who are often at risk of being defined by behavior, attendance, or academic struggles instead of their potential. - Her approach combines alternative education, experiential learning, and social-emotional support in a setting where students may need earlier and more tailored intervention. - Steiner’s research into student recidivism in DAEP settings could inform how schools support students before repeated discipline problems become entrenched.

What happened: - Influential Women featured Tina Steiner, a Round Rock educator and community advocate, for her work creating new student pathways through experiential learning. - Steiner has spent 21 years at a disciplinary alternative education placement campus, where she teaches science, social skills, and serves as campus Teacher Master Gardener. - Steiner is a fifth-generation Round Rock native and a graduate of Round Rock schools.

The details: - Steiner works with students facing academic, behavioral, and personal challenges. - Her teaching blends STEM, hands-on activities, social-emotional development, and relationship-based support. - Steiner describes herself as “the wiggly teacher for the wiggly kids.” - Her academic background includes an Associate of Arts in General Studies in Liberal Arts from Austin Community College, a Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies from Texas State University, and two master’s degrees from Grand Canyon University. - Steiner is pursuing an EdD in Organizational Leadership: K-12 and has participated in the Texas A&M Leadership Cohort. - Her certifications include TESOL, Social Behavioral Research for Students, Generalist 4-8, Certified Special Education EC-12, and Interdisciplinary Studies Grades 4-8. - Steiner is a Central Texas and National Teacher Consultant through the National Writing Project. - After COVID, Steiner helped restore a campus garden that had fallen into disrepair and expanded it into an outdoor learning program. - After completing Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Master Gardener certification, Steiner helped develop and maintain raised beds, fruit trees, and pollinator gardens. - The garden project expanded with nearly $24,000 in grant funding from Sprouts Healthy Communities, Partners in Education Foundation, Texas Farm Bureau, and others. - The funding supported a campus farmer’s market, outdoor classroom spaces, and student decompression areas. - Through “Takeaway Fridays,” students plant, practice responsibility, and connect classroom learning to real outcomes. - Steiner is a doctoral candidate and is preparing for Institutional Review Board submission for dissertation research on student recidivism in DAEP settings. - Steiner believes students should have access to alternative campus models earlier, not only at the high school level. - She sees significant waitlists at the high school level as a sign that alternative education systems need to evolve. - Steiner advises young educators to know their “why,” build community, and learn from veteran teachers. - Her values center on integrity, empathy, and purpose. - Steiner has taken part in a wide range of RRISD, Round Rock, and Texas A&M leadership and community programs, and has served as a commissioner in housing and historic preservation roles. - Before entering education, Steiner worked in administrative and legal roles at the Texas State Board of Dental Examiners, Austin Community College, and a private intellectual property law firm. - More information is available in her Influential Women profile.

Between the lines: - Steiner’s work suggests that discipline and academic support can be more effective when educators focus on root causes instead of only visible behavior. - Her emphasis on garden-based learning reflects a broader trend in education toward place-based and experiential instruction, especially for students who may disengage in traditional classrooms. - The DAEP research focus points to a larger policy question: whether earlier, smaller-scale alternative settings could reduce repeat discipline problems and improve student outcomes.

What's next: - Steiner is moving forward with dissertation research on student recidivism in DAEP settings. - Her work will continue to test how earlier intervention and alternative learning models can support students before they fall further behind. - Steiner also plans to keep mentoring younger educators and expanding hands-on learning opportunities for students on her campus.