Teaching Award Categories
The 30 regional finalists in the Teaching Awards category were awarded $1,000 plus $1,000 for his/ her school. These finalists will now go on to compete in the statewide competition in May.
Finalists in the Rising Star category have less than 10 years classroom experience. One elementary and one secondary winner will each receive a $5,000 cash prize plus $5,000 grant for his/her school.
Rising Star - Elementary category
| Region |
Finalist Name |
School |
City |
|---|
Border Region |
Vanessa Rincones |
Sam Houston Elementary |
Harlingen |
Central Texas |
Jennifer Garcia |
Hornsby Dunlap Elementary |
Austin |
Gulf Coast |
Christy Zamora |
Flour Bluff Early Childhood Center |
Corpus Christi |
Houston Area |
Kimberly Buskirk |
Gardens Elementary |
Pasadena |
San Antonio Area |
Lindsay Richard |
Wilderness Oak Elementary |
San Antonio |
Rising Star - Secondary category
| Region |
Finalist Name |
School |
City |
|---|
Border Region |
James Butler |
Uvalde High School |
Uvalde |
Central Texas |
Jason Sabotin |
Arlington Heights
High School |
Fort Worth |
Gulf Coast |
Jennifer Welch |
Claude Cunningham Middle School |
Corpus Christi |
Houston Area |
Dr. Nghia Le |
Booker T. Washington High School |
Houston |
San Antonio Area |
Penny McCool |
Robert E. Lee
High School
& STEM Academy |
San Antonio |
Finalists in the Leadership category have 10 to 20 years classroom experience. One elementary and one secondary winner will each receive a $10,000 cash prize plus a $10,000 grant for his/her school.
Leadership - Elementary category
| Region |
Finalist Name |
School |
City |
|---|
Border Region |
Michael Sweet |
Carman Elementary |
San Juan |
Central Texas |
Michael Massad Sr. |
Patton Elementary |
Austin |
Gulf Coast |
Martha McLeod |
Fulton 4-5 grade Learning Center |
Rockport |
Houston Area |
Cindy Cormier |
Jan Schiff Elementary |
Missouri City |
San Antonio Area |
Jimmie Walker |
Cambridge Elementary |
San Antonio |
Leadership - Secondary category
| Region |
Finalist Name |
School |
City |
|---|
Border Region |
Rachelle Grace |
McAllen Memorial High School |
McAllen |
Central Texas |
Melissa Cooper |
Murchison
Middle School |
Austin |
Gulf Coast |
Judy Holmgreen |
Alice High School |
Alice |
Houston Area |
Carol Briggs |
Westfield
High School |
Houston |
San Antonio Area |
David Foss |
Alamo Heights
High School |
San Antonio |
Finalists in the Lifetime Achievement category have more than 20 years classroom experience. One elementary and one secondary winner will each receive a $25,000 cash prize plus a $25,000 grant for his/her school.
Lifetime Achievement - Elementary category
| Region |
Finalist Name |
School |
City |
|---|
Border Region |
Dora Newell |
Thigpen-Zavala Elementary |
McAllen |
Central Texas |
Jayne Doxsey |
Reeces Creek Elementary |
Killeen |
Gulf Coast |
Belinda Silva |
Moses Menger Elementary |
Corpus Christi |
Houston Area |
Richard Landmann |
Forest Ridge Elementary |
College Station |
San Antonio Area |
Dr. Diana Maxwell |
Fort Sam Houston Elementary |
Fort Sam Houston |
Lifetime Achievement - Secondary category
| Region |
Finalist Name |
School |
City |
|---|
Border Region |
Yolanda Fernandez |
Del Rio High School |
Del Rio |
Central Texas |
Ella Whitley |
Midway
Middle School |
Hewitt |
Gulf Coast |
Linda Colman |
Cuero High School |
Cuero |
Houston Area |
Carole Smithwick-Kiebach |
Seven Lakes
High School |
Katy |
San Antonio Area |
Janice Cuccia |
Fox Tech High School |
San Antonio |
Principal Award Category
The 10 regional finalists in the Principal Award category were awarded $1,000 each plus $2,500 for their schools. The winners in the Principal Award Category, one elementary and one secondary, will receive a $10,000 cash prize plus $25,000 for each of their schools.
Elementary School Principal category
| Region |
Finalist Name |
School |
City |
|---|
Border Region |
Dolores Cisneros Emerson |
Morningside Elementary |
Brownsville |
Central Texas |
Ann Lilie |
Summitt Elementary |
Austin |
Gulf Coast |
Galen Hoffstadt |
Luther Jones Elementary |
Corpus Christi |
Houston Area |
Erin Tite |
James F. Bay Elementary |
Seabrook |
San Antonio Area |
Levinia Lara |
John Hoffmann Elementary |
San Antonio |
Secondary School Principal category
| Region |
Finalist Name |
School |
City |
|---|
Border Region |
David Gonzalez |
George Washington Middle School |
Laredo |
Central Texas |
Charles Pickitt |
Richardson
High School |
Richardson |
Gulf Coast |
Dr. Patricia Castillo |
Claude Cunningham Middle School |
Corpus Christi |
Houston Area |
Dr. R. Scott Allen |
The High School
for the Performing
and Visual Arts |
Houston |
San Antonio Area |
Michael Cardona |
Robert E. Lee
High School |
San Antonio |
District Awards Categories
All three regional finalists in the Small District category (1A, 2A and 3A) were awarded $2,500 each. The winner in the Small District category will win a $50,000 cash prize.
| School District |
Superintendent's Name |
City |
|---|
Aransas County ISD |
Joseph Patek |
Rockport |
Argyle ISD |
Dr. Telena Wright |
Argyle |
Splendora ISD |
Dr. Thomas Price |
Splendora |
All five regional finalists in the Large District category (4A and 5A) were awarded $5,000 each. The winner in the Large District category will win a $100,000 cash prize.
| School District |
Superintendent's Name |
City |
|---|
Brownsville ISD |
Brett Springston |
Brownsville |
Conroe ISD |
Dr. Don Stockton |
Conroe |
Edinburg CISD |
Dr. Rene Gutierrez |
Edinburg |
Harlandale ISD |
Robert Jaklich |
San Antonio |
Mesquite ISD |
Dr. Linda Henrie |
Mesquite |
Fit Campus Award Winners
This year in honor of the program celebrating its 10th anniversary, the Fit Campus award was added. Ten school campuses will each be awarded $10,000 for what they are doing to increase the health and nutrition of their students by developing, implementing and improving physical activity, fitness and health on their campus through educational and/or hands-on nutritional and fitness programs. We are proud to announce the ten Fit Campus winners.
| School Name |
Principal's Name |
City |
|---|
CD Fulkes Middle School |
Nancy Guerrero |
Round Rock |
Frank M. Tejeda Middle School |
Brenda Shelton |
San Antonio |
Friendswood Jr. High School |
Dana Drew |
Friendswood |
Fulmore Middle School |
Lisa Bush |
Austin |
Irene Cardwell Elementary |
Linda Guanajuato-Webb |
Del Rio |
Pleasant Hill Elementary |
Lana Collier |
Leander |
Rodriguez Elementary |
Yomeida Guerra |
Seguin |
Solomon P. Ortiz Elementary |
Sandra Lopez |
Brownsville |
South Belt Elementary |
Candy Howard |
Houston |
Webb Middle School |
Rey Garcia |
Austin |
|
