HOUSTON – March 28, 2018 – Spring ISD on Tuesday announced 39 teachers as campus winners in the Teacher of the Year program that recognizes outstanding educators for their passion and commitment to excellence in education.
The teachers were all selected by their campuses to represent their schools in the district’s Teacher of Year competition. Among the campus winners, 10 will be selected as finalists for the district’s Teacher of the Year.
Those finalists will be unveiled just in time for the district’s May 2 Employee Recognition Banquet, from which the district’s top teachers – one elementary and one secondary – will be honored. Those two teachers then will go on to represent Spring ISD in the regional competition.
“The Teacher of the Year Program is really an opportunity to highlight outstanding leadership and excellence” said LaQuita Carter, Spring ISD assistant superintendent of performance management. “These educators being named today are selected by their peers on each campus, which is really a testament to their ability to not only teach but to inspire and motivate.”
Of the 39 Spring ISD teachers, 18 were honored on Tuesday at a Lake Houston Area Chamber of Commerce Teacher of the Year luncheon sponsored by Gulf Coast Educators Federal Credit Union and Rhodes School of Performing Arts. The event recognized nearly 75 exceptional teachers from Lake Houston area public and private schools, as well as Lone Star College – Kingwood.
Dr. Katherine Persson, president of Lone Star College – Kingwood congratulated all of the educators in the room, acknowledging in particular their work in dealing with all of the challenges of teaching during the recovery from Hurricane Harvey.
“You truly are leading that classroom, and not only those kids in your classroom, but you are leading in many ways in your community,” Persson said. “I think Harvey helped put that in greater context for us, because I think we all had to rise to the occasion.”
Among those in the audience at the luncheon Tuesday were Spring ISD Trustees Rhonda Newhouse, Dr. Deborah Jensen, Jana Gonzales and Chris Bell.
“This is always a good event,” Bell said. “It highlights annually, the hard work, dedication and commitment that our teachers bring into the classroom every day to impact the future lives of our students.”
That sentiment was echoed by Spring ISD Superintendent Dr. Rodney Watson: “In the district we are always looking for ways to let our teachers know how happy we are with all the work that they do. This is another way of showing them and saying thank you from the community.”
Nicole Hill, a Smith Elementary teacher, said she was honored to get the campus Teacher of the Year recognition and to be celebrated at Tuesday’s event, where she won an iPad in a random drawing.
“I think this is great,” she said. “I love how the community comes together and, especially after Harvey, that we are pulling together and we have taken the time to celebrate each other.”
Spring ISD High School Teachers of the Year
- Dekaney High School – Audrey Sam
- Spring Early College Academy- Belen Polanco
- Spring High School – Annie Hero
- Virtual Learning Program – Kimberly Booker
- Westfield High School – Detrick L. McAfee
- Carl Wunsche Sr. High School – Keith Underwood
Spring ISD Middle School Teachers of the Year
- Bailey Middle School – Kendra Lee
- Bammel Middle School – Damion Green
- Claughton Middle School – Shawntae Means
- Dueitt Middle School – Diane Moretti
- Roberson Middle School – Donnie Lancelin
- Twin Creeks Middle School – Shelia Foy
- Wells Middle School – Marion McCollum
Spring ISD Elementary School Teachers of the Year
- Anderson Elementary School -Laura Mathus
- Bammel Elementary School – Kia Jenkins
- Beneke Elementary School – Trang LeQuang
- Booker Elementary School – Suzette Fears
- Burchett Elementary School – Meliane Allison Dean
- Clark Intermediate School – Felicia Curry
- Clark Primary School – Shauntel Dorsey
- Cooper Elementary School – Galicia Granados
- Eickenroht Elementary School – Jackie Garza
- Heritage Elementary School – Tristian Williams
- Hirsch Elementary School – Lori Gillespie
- Hoyland Elementary School -LaRonda Garrett
- Jenkins Elementary School – Kotrina Daniel
- Lewis Elementary School – Vicki Hawkins
- Link Elementary School – Casey Preston
- Major Elementary School – Arleisha White
- Marshall Elementary School – Shaisley Charles
- McNabb Elementary School – Victoria Joyner
- Meyer Elementary School – Mariana Oceguera
- Northgate Crossing Elementary School – Ladell Whitfield
- Ponderosa Elementary School – Angel Roji
- Reynolds Elementary School – Julie Martin
- Salyers Elementary School – Omar Bolden
- Smith Elementary School – Nicole Hill
- Thompson Elementary School – Kendra Kelly
- Winship Elementary School – Ivey Busby