Educators Will Now Compete on a Statewide Level for Cash Prizes Totaling More Than $500,000
SAN ANTONIO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Forty Texas educators are being recognized as the “Best in Texas Education” with their selection as finalists in the 2011 H-E-B Excellence in Education Awards.
This year, the awards are celebrating their 10th anniversary of recognizing and rewarding outstanding educators, schools and school districts. Since their inception, the H-E-B Excellence in Education Awards has grown to become Texas’ largest monetary recognition program for the state’s educators and one of the largest in the nation.
The 40 Texas educators selected as finalists for a 2011 H-E-B Excellence in Education Award will now be invited to compete on a statewide level for greater recognition and cash prizes. A celebration weekend will be held in their honor May 13 -15, 2011 in Austin. The weekend will include a free health and fitness event for the public on May 14 featuring Health and Wellness Expert Jillian Michaels and a keynote address by General Colin L. Powell, USA (Ret.) at the awards’ celebratory dinner on May 15.
News of their selection as 2011 finalists was kept a secret from the educators until H-E-B visited each of their schools to surprise them. During the surprise visit, each finalist received two monetary cash awards in recognition of their finalist status. Each teacher finalist received a $1,000 check for themselves and a second $1,000 for their school. Each principal finalist received a $1,000 check for themselves and a second $2,500 for their school.
The 2011 finalists for an H-E-B Excellence in Education award, and representing the five Texas regions that H-E-B serves, are:
Central Texas Region
- Jennifer Garcia, a teacher at Hornsby Dunlap Elementary (Del Valle ISD) in Austin. Ms. Garcia is competing in the awards’ Rising Star Elementary Category.
- Jason Sabotin, a teacher at Arlington Heights High School (Fort Worth ISD) in Forth Worth. Mr. Sabotin is competing in the awards’ Rising Star Secondary Category.
- Michael Massad Sr, a teacher at Patton Elementary (Austin ISD) in Austin. Mr. Massad is competing in the awards’ Leadership Elementary category.
- Melissa Cooper, a teacher at Murchison Middle School (Austin ISD) in Austin. Ms. Cooper is competing in the awards’ Leadership Secondary category.
- Jayne Doxsey, a teacher at Reeces Creek Elementary (Killeen ISD) in Killeen. Ms. Doxsey is competing in the awards’ Lifetime Achievement Elementary category.
- Ella Whitley, a teacher at Midway Middle School (Midway ISD) in Hewitt. Ms. Whitley is competing in the awards’ Lifetime Achievement Secondary category.
- Ann Lilie, principal of Summitt Elementary (Austin ISD) in Austin. Ms. Lilie is competing in the awards’ Principal Elementary category.
- Charles Pickett, principal of Richardson High School (Richardson ISD) in Richardson. Mr. Pickett is competing in the awards’ Principal Secondary category.
Gulf Coast Region
- Christy Zamora, a teacher at Flour Bluff Early Childhood Center (Corpus Christi ISD) in Corpus Christi. Ms. Zamora is competing in the awards’ Rising Star Elementary Category.
- Jennifer Welch, a teacher at Claude Cunningham Middle School (Corpus Christi ISD) in Corpus Christi. Ms. Welch is competing in the awards’ Rising Star Secondary category.
- Martha McLeod, a teacher at Fulton 4-5 Grade Learning Center (Aransas County ISD) in Rockport, Texas. Ms. McLeod is competing in the awards’ Leadership Elementary category.
- Judy Holmgreen, a teacher at Alice High School (Alice ISD) in Alice, Texas. Ms. Holmgreen is competing in the awards’ Leadership Secondary category.
- Belinda Silva, a teacher at Moses Menger Elementary (Corpus Christi ISD) in Corpus Christi. Ms. Silva is competing in the awards’ Lifetime Achievement Elementary Category.
- Linda Colman, a teacher at Cuero High School (Cuero ISD), Cuero, Texas. Ms. Colman is competing in the awards’ Lifetime Achievement Secondary category.
- Galen Hoffstadt, principal of Luther Jones Elementary (Corpus Christi ISD) in Corpus Christi. Ms. Hoffstadt is competing in the awards’ Principal Elementary category.
- Patricia Castillo, principal of Claude Cunningham Middle School (Corpus Christi ISD) in Corpus Christi. Ms. Castillo is competing in the awards’ Principal Secondary category.
Houston Region
- Kimberly Buskirk, a teacher at Gardens Elementary (Pasadena ISD) in Pasadena, Texas. Ms. Buskirk is competing in the awards’ Rising Star Elementary Category.
- Dr. Nghia Le, a teacher at Booker T. Washington High School (Houston ISD) in Houston. Dr. Nghia is competing in the awards’ Rising Star Secondary category.
- Cindy Cormier, a teacher at Jan Schiff Elementary (Fort Bend ISD) in Missouri City, Texas. Ms. Cormier is competing in the awards’ Leadership Elementary category.
- Carol Briggs, a teacher at Westfield High School (Spring ISD) in Houston. Ms. Briggs is competing in the awards’ Leadership Secondary category.
- Richard Landmann, a teacher at Forest Ridge Elementary (College Station ISD) in College Station. Mr. Landmann is competing in the awards’ Lifetime Achievement Elementary category
- Carol Smithwick-Kiebach, a teacher at Seven Lakes High School (Katy ISD), Katy, Texas. Ms. Smithwick-Kiebach is competing in the awards’ Lifetime Achievement Secondary category.
- Erin Tite, principal of James F. Bay Elementary (Clear Creek ISD) in Seabrook, Texas. Ms. Tite is competing in the awards’ Principal Elementary category.
- Dr. R. Scott Allen, principal of the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (Houston ISD) in Houston. Dr. Allen is competing in the awards’ Principal Secondary category.
San Antonio Region
- Lindsay Richard, a teacher at Wilderness Oak Elementary (North East ISD). Ms. Richard is competing in the awards’ Rising Star Elementary Category.
- Penny McCool, a teacher at Robert E. Lee High School & STEM Academy (North East ISD). Ms. McCool is competing in the awards’ Rising Star Secondary category.
- Jimmie Walker, a teacher at Cambridge Elementary (Alamo Heights ISD). Ms. Walker is competing in the awards’ Leadership Elementary category.
- David Foss, a teacher at Alamo Heights High School (Alamo Heights ISD). Mr. Foss is competing in the awards’ Leadership Secondary category.
- Dr. Diana Maxwell, a teacher at Fort Sam Houston Elementary (Fort Sam ISD). Dr. Maxwell is competing in the awards’ Lifetime Achievement Elementary category.
- Janice Cuccia, a teacher at Fox Tech High School (San Antonio ISD). Ms. Cuccia is competing in the awards’ Lifetime Achievement Secondary category.
- Levinia Lara, principal of John Hoffmann Elementary (Northside ISD). Ms. Lara is competing in the awards’ Principal Elementary category.
- Michael Cardona, principal of the Robert E. Lee High School (North East ISD). Mr. Cardona is competing in the awards’ Principal Secondary category.
Border Region
- Vanessa Rincones, a teacher at Sam Houston Elementary (Harlingen Consolidated ISD). Ms. Rincones is competing in the awards’ Rising Star Elementary Category.
- James Butler, a teacher at Uvalde High School (Uvalde Consolidated ISD) in Uvalde, Texas. Mr. Butler is competing in the awards’ Rising Star Secondary category.
- Michael Sweet, a teacher at Carman Elementary (Pharr-San Juan- Alamo ISD) in San Juan, Texas. Mr. Sweet is competing in the awards’ Leadership Elementary category.
- Rachelle Grace, a teacher at McAllen Memorial High School (McAllen ISD) in McAllen, Texas. Ms. Grace is competing in the awards’ Leadership Secondary category.
- Dora Newell, a teacher at Thigpen-Zavala Elementary (McAllen ISD) in McAllen, Texas. Ms. Newell is competing in the awards’ Lifetime Achievement Elementary Category.
- Yolanda Fernandez, a teacher at Del Rio High School (San Felipe Del Rio Consolidated ISD) in Del Rio, Texas. Ms. Fernandez is competing in the awards’ Lifetime Achievement Secondary category.
- Dolores Cisneros Emerson, principal of Morningside Elementary (Brownsville ISD) in Brownsville. Ms. Cisneros Emerson is competing in the awards’ Principal Elementary category.
- David Gonzalez, principal of George Washington Middle School (United ISD) in Laredo, Texas. Mr. Gonzalez is competing in the awards’ Principal Secondary category.
About the H-E-B Excellence in Education Awards:
H-E-B launched the Excellence in Education Awards program in cooperation with the Texas Association of School Administrators in 2002 as a positive way to support public education in Texas.
It has grown to become the largest monetary program for educators in the state. A major goal of the Excellence in Education awards is to make a statement about the great things going on in Texas public schools — to spotlight best practices and to celebrate the work of Texas educators.
In order to find the best teachers, principals and districts in Texas, H-E-B began by asking customers, Partners (employees) and community members to submit the names of their favorite educators, administrators and districts. Each nominee was sent an application packet asking them to share their professional experiences, educational philosophies and achievements both in and out of the classroom.
Upon submission, the completed applications were then reviewed by a team of judges. They faced the difficult task of narrowing the field to 223 semi-finalists who then went on to compete in a regional judging process. Five regional judging panels comprised of former winners, administrators, and university and community leaders selected the 40 individual statewide finalists. All finalists will be invited to Austin in May 13 – 15, 2011 to compete on a statewide level for larger cash prizes totaling more than $500,000.
At the celebratory dinner in Austin on May 15, 10 finalists, after participating in personal interviews before a panel of judges, will be announced as grand-prize winners. These winners will be comprised of two principals, six teachers and two school districts, one large and one small.
Each winning principal—one elementary school and one high school—will each receive $10,000 in cash for themselves and a $25,000 grant for their schools. The winning large school district will receive a $100,000 cash prize and the winning small school district will receive $50,000.
The six winning teachers will include one elementary and one secondary teacher in each of three categories:
- The Rising Star Award — honors exceptionally promising teachers with less than 10 years of experience. These winners will each receive a $5,000 check for themselves and a $5,000 grant for their schools.
- The Leadership Award — honors teachers with 10 to 20 years in the classroom. These winners will each receive a $10,000 check for themselves and a $10,000 grant for their schools.
- The Lifetime Achievement Award — salutes teachers with more than 20 years of experience. These teachers will each receive $25,000 in cash for themselves and a $25,000 grant for their schools.
Additionally, in honor of the 10th anniversary, a new award category has been introduced — The H-E-B Fit Campus Award. The new category will recognize 10 campuses that are going above and beyond to educate children, parents and staff members about the importance of health and wellness. The 10 winning campuses will be announced at the celebratory awards dinner and will a cash prize of $10,000 each and the designation as an “H-E-B Fit Campus.”
About H-E-B
Renowned for its innovation and community service, H-E-B, with sales of more than $16 billion, operates 332 stores in Texas and Mexico. The company is recognized for its fresh food, quality products, convenient services, and a commitment to environmental responsibility and sustainability. It strives to provide the best customer experience at every day low prices. Based in San Antonio, H-E-B employs more than 76,000 Partners and serves millions of customers in more than 150 communities. For more information, visit www.heb.com.
