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 |
Ana Fuentes |
Senator Judith Zaffirini Elementary |
Laredo |
Central Texas |
Zoila Cardenas |
James E. Mitchell Elementary |
Georgetown |
Gulf Coast |
Christy R. Zamora |
Flour Bluff Early Childhood Center |
Corpus Christi |
Houston Area |
Kristy Mata |
Fannin Elementary |
Bryan |
San Antonio Area |
Dr. Lesley-Anne Balido-Dean |
Woodridge Elementary |
San Antonio |
Rising Star - Secondary category
| Region |
Finalist Name |
School |
City |
|---|
Border Region |
Michael Hardy |
IDEA Frontier College Preparatory |
Brownsville |
Central Texas |
Chad Springer |
Legacy Early College
High School |
Taylor |
Gulf Coast |
Katherine Hewett |
Richard King High School |
Corpus Christi |
Houston Area |
Joshua Wilkerson |
Navasota High School |
Navasota |
San Antonio Area |
Loryn Windwehen |
Bernard Harris Middle School |
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 |
Jeannette Cavazos-Gonzales |
Sullivan Elementary |
San Benito |
Central Texas |
Rachael Brunson |
Great Oaks Elementary |
Round Rock |
Gulf Coast |
Frances Gonzalez-Garcia |
Sam Houston Elementary |
Corpus Christi |
Houston Area |
Laura Thornburg |
Lemm Elementary |
Spring |
San Antonio Area |
Irene Kistler |
Bulverde Creek Elementary |
San Antonio |
Leadership - Secondary category
| Region |
Finalist Name |
School |
City |
|---|
Border Region |
Graciela Guzman |
Homer Hanna High School |
Brownsville |
Central Texas |
Angela Buckingham |
John H. Reagan Early College High School |
Austin |
Gulf Coast |
Todd Moulder |
Marvin P. Baker Middle School |
Corpus Christi |
Houston Area |
Naveen Cunha |
Stephen F. Austin Middle School |
Bryan |
San Antonio Area |
Emily Swoboda |
Communications Arts 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 |
Norm Sands |
Tabasco Elementary |
La Joya |
Central Texas |
Elaine Leibick |
Highland Park Elementary |
Austin |
Gulf Coast |
Susan Geffert |
Windsor Park Elementary |
Corpus Christi |
Houston Area |
Jane Ann Brown |
Roth Elementary |
Spring |
San Antonio Area |
Kathleen M. Hinders |
Thousand Oaks Elementary |
San Antonio |
Lifetime Achievement - Secondary category
| Region |
Finalist Name |
School |
City |
|---|
Border Region |
David De Leon |
Valley View High School |
Hidalgo |
Central Texas |
Beverly Smith |
Lovejoy High School |
Allen |
Gulf Coast |
Melanie Mayer |
Port Aransas ISD |
Port Aransas |
Houston Area |
Sherilen Roberts |
Central Middle School |
Nederland |
San Antonio Area |
Sandra Geisbush |
NEISD STEM Academy at Nimitz Middle 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 |
Arnoldo Benavides |
Freddy Gonzalez Elementary |
Edinburg |
Central Texas |
Blaine Helwig |
J. Walter Graham Elementary |
Austin |
Gulf Coast |
Marisa Eddins |
W.C. Andrews Elementary |
Portland |
Houston Area |
Dr. Catherine Bartlett |
Hamilton Elementary |
Cypress |
San Antonio Area |
Dr. Cordell Jones |
Woodridge Elementary |
San Antonio |
Secondary School Principal category
| Region |
Finalist Name |
School |
City |
|---|
Border Region |
Ramiro Guerra |
Edinburg North High School |
Edinburg |
Central Texas |
Lisa Walls |
Armando Chapa Middle School |
Austin |
Gulf Coast |
Tracie Rodriguez |
Collegiate High School |
Corpus Christi |
Houston Area |
Dr. Jo Ann Beken |
W.L. Hauke Academy Alternative School |
Conroe |
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 |
|---|
Argyle ISD |
Dr. Telena Wright |
Argyle |
La Vega ISD |
Dr. Sharon Shields |
Waco |
Lytle ISD |
Michelle Carroll Smith |
Lytle |
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 |
|---|
Corpus Christi ISD |
Scott Elliff |
Corpus Christi |
Cypress-Fairbanks ISD |
Dr. Mark Henry |
Houston |
Edinburg CISD |
Dr. Rene Gutierrez |
Edinburg |
Kerrville ISD |
Dr. Dan Troxell |
Kerrville |
Mesquite ISD |
Dr. Linda Henrie |
Mesquite |
Early Childhood Award
All five regional finalists were awarded $5,000 to apply towards the enhancement of existing Kinder Readiness activities or creating new programs for the target population. The winner will win an additional $25,000 grant.
| Early Childhood Facility |
Director/Principal's Name |
City |
|---|
AVANCE - San Antonio |
Rebecca Cervantez |
San Antonio |
Brownsville ISD |
Beatriz Garcia |
Brownsville |
ChildCareGroup Bock
Early Child Dev. Center |
Artis Howard |
Dallas |
Lamar CISD |
Paula Bauer |
Richmond |
The Rise School of Houston |
Jan Stailey |
Houston |
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