My name is Audra Watson, and I currently serve as the Director of Special Programs for Ballard.  I began my professional career in Ames in 1998 as an early childhood special education teacher helping to support the trailblazing efforts to develop programming that was fully inclusive.  Upon welcoming our first child in 2002, we decided that raising our family in the Ballard Community was where we wanted to land.  I continued my professional career in the Ames Community School District through 2021, while we continued to establish our family roots as Boombers.  In 2014 upon the completion of my Masters Degree in Educational Leadership, I left the classroom to become a special education inclusion interventionist.  For the next 7 years, I explored innovative practices becoming an elementary instructional coach, a district behavior interventionist, and the district behavior coordinator for special education and 504s.

I am 100% Cyclone having graduated from Iowa State University with a PK-3 teaching license with PK-K Early Child Special Education and a minor in Child and Family Services.  Since then, I have completed a Masters degree in Educational Leadership from Iowa State University.

My husband Mark and I live in Huxley with our three children; Kyler, Jaron, and Elin.  When we are not jumping from their extra curricular activities, we enjoy spending time at our lake house in Clear Lake and cheering on the Iowa State Cyclones.

I joined the education profession hoping to make a difference.  Through collaboration, unqiue perspectives come to the table creating innovative practices that increase student learning and achievement while driving district goals and encouraging community involvement.  It is my hope that excellence will shine and leaders will grow.  As Marianne Williamson once said, "We are all meant to shine.  Brilliance is not just in some of us; it's in everyone".

"So live in today taking advantage of daily opportunities that come your way and live each day with integrity."                     ~Dan Woodin, my late father and former Ames School Board President

District Office

Phone: (515-597-2811 ) Ext. (1009) 

Email: awatson@ballard.k12.ia.us