Hi! Welcome to the 2023-2024 School Year!

I am James "Thomas" Cox, and I am the Debate and English Teacher for Madison High School. This year, I will be teaching one section of Debate 1-3, and five sections of English 2.

I started teaching in January 2015, and this will be my 9th full year as a teacher. I have taught grades 7-12 for Beeville ISD, Alice ISD, and Victoria ISD before now finding myself in San Antonio at North East ISD. I am excited about all of the opportunities this year will bring, and I love being a Maverick!

I started as a speech teacher and ISS monitor for A.C. Jones High School, my alma mater. After a semester, I decided to expand my role and start the speech and debate team at A.C. Jones. The first year was simply an educational year to get the kids used to what debate was and introduce them to the concept. Through little to no support from the administration, we managed to add 14 members to the National Speech and Debate Association Honor Society before I left that first team. My professional travels took me next to Alice, where I taught Texas History for one year before moving back to speech and debate in Victoria at Victoria West High School.

Victoria West High School was a struggling team that needed new direction. Their numbers were decimated by the Covid pandemic and they just needed to rebuild. I'm thankful for my time there, where I helped them expand from no debate class to a 22-person debate class, and now to two debate classes under their new coach, and I am hopeful that they continue to flourish. 

James Madison's debate team, named the Madison Forensic League, was the same song, different verse. Again, numbers were decimated by the pandemic and through numerous coaching changes. Madison Forensic League needs stability, and I hope to be able to give that to them. The first year was a rebuilding and recruiting year, and I am hopeful that the program can pick up speed this year, and heading into the next few years. 

I am a graduate of A.C. Jones High School in Beeville, TX, and am a Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islander. I have a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communication with a Media Emphasis as well as two Associates Degrees in Music Education and Accounting. I am also certified to teach LeadWorthy (formerly Teen Leadership) through Flippen Group, LLC; I am also certified as a Data Analyst through IBM.

In my free time, I enjoy reading, writing, spending time with my family, and learning more about debate, mythology, and foreign languages. I am also a lifelong fan of professional wrestling, and am currently binging Supernatural and watching Big Brother for the summer/fall.

Curriculum Vitae

2022-Present - James Madison High School - San Antonio, TX
* English 2
* Debate 1-3
* Oral Interpretation 1-3
* (WISHLIST: English 3, Creative Writing)

2020-2022 - Victoria West High School - Victoria, TX
* Professional Communications
* English 2
* English 1
* Debate 1-3

2019-2020 - William Adams Middle School - Alice, TX
* 7th Grade Texas History

2018-2019 - Alfredo Moreno Middle School - Beeville, TX
* Professional Communications
* Communication Applications
* Teen Leadership Middle School
* Introduction to Debate (Local Credit)

Jan. 2015-May 2018 - A.C. Jones High School - Beeville, TX
* Professional Communications
* Communication Applications
* Teen Leadership High School
* Debate 1-3
* Oral Interpretation 1-3
* Public Speaking 1-3