A Family in Focus

photo by shane darby

Circuitous paths led Crystal and Clint Smith to careers in education. Now, they empower their children—and countless others—with the strength to soar
By Jaime Knighton

At the Smith family dinner table, conversations don’t always begin with, “How was your day?” Instead, they’re often filled with discussions about lesson plans, student successes, journalism deadlines, classroom leadership, photography competitions, and the occasional string of educational acronyms that would leave outsiders completely lost.

For Crystal and Clint Smith—and their adult daughters, Allyson and Annie—education isn’t simply a profession. It’s a thread woven throughout their family, shaping their lives and their futures and, as Clint put it, “changing our family tree.”

If you or your children have gone through the Texarkana Independent School District, you may already be familiar with the Smith family. Clint Smith has been a media technology teacher, photography adviser, and online media adviser for the past 20 years. Crystal Smith is entering her third year as assistant principal at Nash Elementary School. Prior to moving into administration, she spent eight years in the classroom, teaching third- and fourth-grade English and science. Neither Clint nor Crystal initially set out to work in education, however.

Crystal spent her children’s earliest years as a stay-at-home parent, raising her two daughters while also helping run the family’s photography business. Once Annie started school, however, Crystal decided to return to school herself. She chose to pursue a career in education, in part because it would allow her to have a schedule similar to those of her husband and children. Higher education wasn’t something inherent to Crystal’s upbringing, but she embraced the challenge. She spent eight years teaching before moving into administration, a decision motivated by a desire to help amplify other teachers’ voices and support their work, particularly in connecting with the kids in their classrooms. “I want [teachers] to build relationships with their students,” she said. “I think that’s the foundation of education—those relationships.”

Crystal was named the Nash Teacher of the Year in 2024. Later that year, she was appointed the assistant principal for Nash Elementary. submitted photo

Clint also took a circuitous route to becoming a teacher. As a young person, his passion was aviation. He was accepted into the Army’s early commissioning program and expected to attend the New Mexico Military Institute. Due to health issues, however, his plans to “fly helicopters and blow things up for a living” had to be put aside. Instead, he took journalism classes in college and began working for KTAL Channel 6 as a photojournalist. Later, while he was a video production specialist at KLFI TV/Beech Street Communications, he worked on a project with the then–TISD communications director, who told him of a media technology position with TISD. He applied, got the job, and ultimately revamped the course, creating a media program that bridged the gaps between the television and print-media programs.

Clint was selected as a 2025 Pioneer Award recipient by the National Scholastic Press Association. The Pioneer Award is the highest honor presented by the NSPA to journalism educators. submitted photo

In the two decades that Clint has spent educating and mentoring young journalists, he has made an impact far beyond the walls of his classroom. In April, he received the Pioneer Award from the National Scholastic Press Association, the highest honor that can be bestowed upon a scholastic journalism educator. The honor is particularly meaningful to Clint because it wasn’t something he applied for: he was nominated and selected by his peers.

“It means that I’d either impacted [fellow teachers], impacted their students, or they had seen that I impacted other students or other teachers,” Clint said. “And that was big for me.”

Alongside his wife, Clint has also clearly impacted his own children. The Smiths’ oldest daughter, Allyson, is entering her senior year at Texas A&M University–Texarkana, where she is pursuing a degree in education. She will begin her career in education this year, teaching at Wake Village Elementary while completing her studies concurrently.

“We’ll all be in this,” she said with a smile.

A digital artist, Allyson hopes to incorporate her creativity into her classroom. Annie, her younger sister, is similarly creative. An incoming first-year at Texas A&M University in College Station, she established herself as a photography superstar in high school: as a senior, she earned the highest point total on the Texas Imagemaker Team through the Association of Texas Photography Instructors. Each year, ATPI recognizes the top 10 photography students in the state, based on awards earned throughout the year—and, last year, Annie finished at the top.

Allyson posed with Texas A&M–Texarkana professors Dr. Ashley Bridges and Dr. Deborah Shidemantle at the future educator pinning ceremony on November 16th, 2025. submitted photo

Now, Annie looks forward to working with TAMU student media, continuing to develop her skills and push her limits. After all, as Allyson said, their family’s motto is, “You can do hard things.”

While studying education at TAMU–T last year, Allyson worked as a substitute teacher within TISD. While participating in her “senior walk” through Nash Elementary, Annie visited her sister’s classroom. submitted photo

It’s easy to see how deeply family, education, and creativity are intertwined for the Smiths. In their home, the lines between parenting and teaching, family and school, work and play sometimes blur. Perhaps that’s because, for the Smiths, these passions have always been connected. Crystal and Clint seem to have found a balance that has not only enriched the lives of their own children but also the lives of countless others across TISD and beyond.